Tafseer of The Bee · An-Nahl · 16:98
So when you recite the Qur'an, [first] seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the expelled [from His mercy].
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
Allah, exalted is His mention, says to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: When you, O Muḥammad, recite the Qurʾān, seek refuge with Allah from the accursed satan (al-Shayṭān al-Rajīm). Some grammarians claimed that this belongs to the category of the postponed whose meaning is the preposed — and that the meaning of the sentence according to them was: "When you have sought refuge with Allah from the accursed satan, then recite the Qurʾān." But this is baseless, for if it were so, everyone who seeks refuge from the accursed satan would be obligated to recite the Qurʾān. Rather, the meaning is what we have described. And the words فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ do not constitute a binding command — it is an informing and a recommendation. This is so because there is no disagreement among all that whoever recites the Qurʾān without seeking refuge with Allah from the accursed satan before or after his recitation has not neglected any obligatory duty. Ibn Zayd said concerning this the same as we have said.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said — concerning His words فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْآنَ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ — he said: "This is a directive from Allah, exalted is He, which He has given to His servants."
