تَٱللَّهِ لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أُمَمٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ فَهُوَ وَلِيُّهُمُ ٱلْيَوْمَ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ 63
Translations
By Allāh, We did certainly send [messengers] to nations before you, but Satan made their deeds attractive to them. And he is their [i.e., the disbelievers] ally today [as well], and they will have a painful punishment.
Transliteration
Wa-allahi laqad arsalna ila umamin min qablika fa-zayyana lahumu ash-shaytanu a'malahum fa-huwa waliyyuhumu al-yawma wa-lahum adhabun aleem
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that Allah sent messengers to nations before the Prophet Muhammad, yet Satan beautified their evil deeds in their eyes, making them his allies instead of Allah's. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that when people reject divine guidance, Satan becomes their protector and helper, leading them further into misguidance. The consequence for such nations is severe punishment in the Hereafter—a warning to those who similarly reject the message.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan section of Surah An-Nahl, which addresses the Meccan polytheists who rejected the Prophet's message. It provides historical perspective on how previous nations fell into disbelief when Satan deceived them into beautifying their sins, thereby drawing parallels to the spiritual condition of the Prophet's contemporaries and warning them of similar consequences.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'Verily, Satan has lost all hope that he will ever be worshipped in the land of Arabia, but he is content with [people's] discord among themselves' (Sahih Muslim 2812). Additionally, Surah An-Nahl 16:99-100 relates to Satan's inability to harm those who trust in Allah and follow guidance.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that one of Satan's greatest weapons is making sin appear attractive and righteous to us, making us lose sight of truth. We must constantly seek refuge in Allah from Satan's deceptions and remain vigilant about our spiritual state, recognizing that negligence in faith can lead us to choose worldly allies over Allah's guidance.
Related Ayahs
وَتَحْمِلُ أَثْقَالَكُمْ إِلَىٰ بَلَدٍ لَّمْ تَكُونُوا۟ بَـٰلِغِيهِ إِلَّا بِشِقِّ ٱلْأَنفُسِ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ لَرَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
And they carry your loads to a land you could not have reached except with difficulty to yourselves. Indeed, your Lord is Kind and Merciful.
وَلَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّتِى نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا مِنۢ بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ أَنكَـٰثًا تَتَّخِذُونَ أَيْمَـٰنَكُمْ دَخَلًۢا بَيْنَكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ أُمَّةٌ هِىَ أَرْبَىٰ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ ۚ إِنَّمَا يَبْلُوكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ ۚ وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّ لَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ مَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ
And do not be like she who untwisted her spun thread after it was strong [by] taking your oaths as [means of] deceit between you because one community is more plentiful [in number or wealth] than another community. Allāh only tries you thereby. And He will surely make clear to you on the Day of Resurrection that over which you used to differ.
هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّآ أَن تَأْتِيَهُمُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ أَوْ يَأْتِىَ أَمْرُ رَبِّكَ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ فَعَلَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ وَمَا ظَلَمَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
Do they [i.e., the disbelievers] await except that the angels should come to them or there comes the command of your Lord? Thus did those do before them. And Allāh wronged them not, but they had been wronging themselves.
وَلِلَّهِ غَيْبُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ وَمَآ أَمْرُ ٱلسَّاعَةِ إِلَّا كَلَمْحِ ٱلْبَصَرِ أَوْ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
And to Allāh belongs the unseen [aspects] of the heavens and the earth. And the command for the Hour is not but as a glance of the eye or even nearer. Indeed, Allāh is over all things competent.