Tafseer of The Women · An-Nisaa · 4:120
Satan promises them and arouses desire in them. But Satan does not promise them except delusion.
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.
Then He said: "And Satan promises them nothing but delusion." He says: and Satan promises his protégés, those who have taken him as a protector instead of Allah, "nothing but delusion," that is to say: nothing but falsehood.
He — exalted be His praise — has called his promise to them "delusion," because they supposed that, by taking him as a protector, they were relying on something true of his lying promises and his false desires, until — when the truth came to light and they came to him in distress — the enemy of Allah said to them: إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَعَدَكُمْ وَعْدَ الْحَقِّ وَوَعَدْتُكُمْ فَأَخْلَفْتُكُمْ وَمَا كَانَ لِي عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ سُلْطَانٍ إِلا أَنْ دَعَوْتُكُمْ فَاسْتَجَبْتُمْ لِي فَلا تَلُومُونِي وَلُومُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ مَا أَنَا بِمُصْرِخِكُمْ وَمَا أَنْتُمْ بِمُصْرِخِيَّ إِنِّي كَفَرْتُ بِمَا أَشْرَكْتُمُونِ مِنْ قَبْلُ, [Surah Ibrāhīm: 22]. (Indeed, Allah promised you a true promise, and I promised you, but I broke my promise to you. I had no power over you, except that I called you and you answered me. So do not blame me, but blame yourselves. I cannot help you, and you cannot help me. Indeed, I reject that you formerly associated me [with Allah]. (14:22))
And as he said to the polytheists (mushrikīn) at Badr, when he had made their deeds fair-seeming to them: لا غَالِبَ لَكُمُ الْيَوْمَ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَإِنِّي جَارٌ لَكُمْ فَلَمَّا تَرَاءَتِ الْفِئَتَانِ (No one of mankind shall overcome you today, and I am your protector. But when the two parties came within sight of one another ...) — and the truth came to light, and he saw the gravity of the matter and the descent of Allah's punishment upon his following —: نَكَصَ عَلَى عَقِبَيْهِ وَقَالَ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِنْكُمْ إِنِّي أَرَى مَا لا تَرَوْنَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ وَاللَّهُ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ, [Surah al-Anfāl: 48]. (... he turned back on his heels and said: Indeed, I am free of you; I see what you do not see; indeed, I fear Allah, and Allah is severe in punishment. (8:48))
Thus the promises of the enemy of Allah to them, at the moment when they had need of him, became delusion: كَسَرَابٍ بِقِيعَةٍ يَحْسَبُهُ الظَّمْآنُ مَاءً حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءَهُ لَمْ يَجِدْهُ شَيْئًا وَوَجَدَ اللَّهَ عِنْدَهُ فَوَفَّاهُ حِسَابَهُ. [Surah al-Nūr: 39]. (Like a mirage in a plain, which the thirsty one takes to be water, until he comes to it and finds it to be nothing; but he finds Allah there, who pays him his account in full. (24:39))
