Tafseer of The Heights · Al-A'raaf · 7:200
And if an evil suggestion comes to you from Satan, then seek refuge in Allah. Indeed, He is Hearing and Knowing.
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.
The statement concerning the explanation of His saying: wa-immā yanzaghannaka mina al-shayṭāni nazghun fa-staʿidh bi-Llāhi innahu samīʿun ʿalīm (200) ("And if an incitement from Satan should provoke you, then seek refuge in Allah; indeed, He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing").
Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, means by His saying: (wa-immā yanzaghannaka mina al-shayṭāni nazghun), and if Satan incites you to anger with a wrath that prevents you from turning away from the ignorant and that drives you to requite them. (fa-staʿidh bi-Llāh), He says: then seek protection in Allah against his incitement. (innahu samīʿun ʿalīm), He says: indeed Allah, in whom you seek refuge against the incitement of Satan, is (samīʿun) — All-Hearing of the ignorance of the ignorant one toward you, and of your seeking refuge in Him against his incitement, and of all the other speech of His creatures; none of that remains hidden from Him. (ʿalīm) — All-Knowing of what makes the incitement of Satan depart from you, and of the other affairs of His creatures, as in:
15553 — Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His saying: khudhi al-ʿafwa wa-ʾmur bi-l-ʿurfi wa-aʿriḍ ʿani al-jāhilīn ("Take the pardon, enjoin what is proper, and turn away from the ignorant"): the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "And how then with anger, O Lord?" He said: (wa-immā yanzaghannaka mina al-shayṭāni nazghun fa-staʿidh bi-Llāhi innahu samīʿun ʿalīm).
15554 — Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying: (wa-immā yanzaghannaka mina al-shayṭāni nazghun fa-staʿidh bi-Llāhi innahu samīʿun ʿalīm), he said: Allah knew that this enemy is implacable and rebellious.
* * *
And the origin of "al-nazgh" is: corruption. One says: "Satan stirred up nazgh among the people," when he sows corruption among them and incites one against the other. From this one says: "nazagha yanzaghu" and "naghaza yanghazu".
