Surah Muhammad (47) — Ayah 14

(Ayah 14) ➊ {اَفَمَنْ كَانَ عَلٰى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّنْ رَّبِّهٖ … :} In this verse, another difference between the believer and the disbeliever has been mentioned, on the basis of which Allah Almighty will admit those who have faith and do righteous deeds into Paradise, and the abode of those who disbelieve will be the Fire. {’’ بَيِّنَةٍ مِّنْ رَّبِّهٖ ‘‘} (a clear proof from his Lord) refers firstly to the knowledge of Allah and His oneness placed in human nature, and along with that, the guidance and knowledge obtained from the Book revealed by Allah, due to which the believer has complete certainty that he is upon the truth. If he lives, he lives with this certainty that he is upon the truth, and if he fights and is martyred in the face of the enemy, it is with this same certainty. The path he is treading, its night is as bright as its day. It is said: Can this person be like the one whose evil deeds have been made attractive to him, so much so that even expelling the Messenger and the Muslims from their homes seems a good deed to him, and he turns away from the light of revelation and guidance, and sets out on the path of disbelief, polytheism, and blindly following his desires, by which even the light of his nature has been extinguished? The answer is obvious: these two can never be equal. So it is clear that their end can in no way be the same. Allah Almighty has mentioned this at several places; see Surah Ra’d (19), Surah Sad (28), and Surah Jathiyah (21).
➋ It is stated in Ahsan al-Tafasir: “The gist of these verses is that those who worship Allah alone have this proof (clear evidence and argument) that Allah Almighty has created man and all of man’s needs in such a way that there is no partner with Him in this, so He alone, without partner, is worthy of reverence and worship. And those who associate others with Allah in worship have no scriptural or rational proof. The evil of idol worship has been made attractive to them by Satan, so due to this satanic whispering, they follow their desires. This is what is referred to in {’’ وَ اتَّبَعُوْۤا اَهْوَآءَهُمْ ‘‘}.” (In summary)
➌ { ’’ كَمَنْ زُيِّنَ لَهٗ سُوْٓءُ عَمَلِهٖ ‘‘} (his evil deeds have been made attractive to him): The one who makes evil deeds attractive has been left unspecified, because there are many things that make a person’s evil deeds attractive to him, among which are his own desires, human and jinn devils, and the ill effect of his evil deeds. In the passive verb (have been made attractive), all these things that beautify are included.

14, 1. By "evil deed" is meant shirk and disobedience. The meaning is the same as has already been mentioned in several places before: that the believer and the disbeliever, the polytheist and the monotheist, and the righteous and the wicked cannot be equal. For one, there is reward and blessings of Paradise with Allah, while for the other, there is the dreadful punishment of Hell. In the next verse, the outcome of both is being described. First, the beauties and excellences of that Paradise which has been promised to the righteous are mentioned.

Can the one who stands on a clear proof [15] from his Lord be like the one whose evil deeds are made attractive to him and who follow their desires?

[15] By clear proof is meant that pure and clean path which, in the light of divine revelation, is fully visible. That is, one person is journeying through life with complete knowledge and certainty, in the light. The other has nothing but the darkness upon darkness of doubts and conjectures. He is a follower of the desires of his own self. And earning as much wealth as possible in this world is the sole purpose of his life. And for the attainment of this purpose, whatever lawful or unlawful means he uses, all seem good to him. Now the question is: can the way of life of these two persons be the same? Or should their outcomes be the same?