وَقَاسَمَهُمَآ إِنِّى لَكُمَا لَمِنَ ٱلنَّـٰصِحِينَ 21
Translations
And he swore [by Allāh] to them, "Indeed, I am to you from among the sincere advisors."
Transliteration
Wa qāsamahumā innī lakumā lamina an-nāsihīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
The serpent (Satan) swore an oath to Adam and Eve, declaring that he was among the sincere advisors to them, seeking to deceive them into disobeying Allah's command. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari note that this represents the devil's cunning deception—he used an oath (qasam) to convince them of his trustworthiness, mimicking the behavior of sincere counselors. This ayah illustrates how Satan employs falsehood and false oaths to lead people astray from divine guidance.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative of Adam and Eve in Surah Al-A'raf (verses 18-25), which details their temptation in Paradise. The context describes how Satan, after his expulsion from Allah's mercy, sought revenge by misleading humanity, beginning with Adam and Eve at the very origin of mankind.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah, and to disobey parents, and to bear false witness' (Sahih Bukhari 2654). Also relevant: 'Beware of the whispers of the soul and the suggestions of Satan' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi, thematically related).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah warns believers to be vigilant against deceptive temptations that may come cloaked in the garb of sincere advice, reminding us that Satan exploits our trust and uses falsehoods to lead us away from Allah's commands. We must test all counsel against the Quran and Sunnah rather than blindly accepting persuasive words.