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
۞ وَقِيلَ لِلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوْا۟ مَاذَآ أَنزَلَ رَبُّكُمْ ۚ قَالُوا۟ خَيْرًا ۗ لِّلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا۟ فِى هَـٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ ۚ وَلَدَارُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ خَيْرٌ ۚ وَلَنِعْمَ دَارُ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ
And it will be said to those who feared Allāh, "What did your Lord send down?" They will say, "[That which is] good." For those who do good in this world is good; and the home of the Hereafter is better. And how excellent is the home of the righteous -
ٱلَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّىٰهُمُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ طَيِّبِينَ ۙ يَقُولُونَ سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ ٱلْجَنَّةَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
The ones whom the angels take in death, [being] good and pure; [the angels] will say, "Peace be upon you. Enter Paradise for what you used to do."
وَإِذَا بَدَّلْنَآ ءَايَةً مَّكَانَ ءَايَةٍ ۙ وَٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يُنَزِّلُ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُفْتَرٍۭ ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
And when We substitute a verse in place of a verse - and Allāh is most knowing of what He sends down - they say, "You, [O Muḥammad], are but an inventor [of lies]." But most of them do not know.
وَإِذَا بُشِّرَ أَحَدُهُم بِٱلْأُنثَىٰ ظَلَّ وَجْهُهُۥ مُسْوَدًّا وَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ
And when one of them is informed of [the birth of] a female, his face becomes dark, and he suppresses grief.