Surah Al-Israa (17) — Ayah 53

(Ayah 53){وَ قُلْ لِّعِبَادِيْ يَقُوْلُوا الَّتِيْ هِيَ اَحْسَنُ… : ’’ نَزَغَ يَنْزَغُ ‘‘} (ف) means to strike a blow, to cause corruption and disorder. In Surah Al-Baqarah, when Allah Almighty mentioned the covenant taken from the Children of Israel, it included this command: «وَ قُوْلُوْا لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا » [ البقرۃ : ۸۳ ] “And speak good to people.” Here, our Ummah is commanded to speak in the best manner, that is, to say the most excellent words. “My servants” refers to the Muslim Ummah, because they are the ones who serve and worship Him. Here, Allah Almighty did not specify to whom the best words should be spoken. This shows that whether it is a Muslim or a disbeliever, a friend or an enemy, it is obligatory to speak in such a way to everyone that no one could say anything better. For this, one must necessarily think before speaking. A scholar said that whenever I said the best thing I could, then reflected on it, I realized that an even better thing could have been said. Here, the harm of not speaking in the best manner is mentioned: when a harsh word slips from the tongue, Satan sows discord and enmity among people. Allah Almighty strongly dislikes Muslims harboring mutual hatred or severing ties. There are many hadiths warning against this. Similarly, not speaking kindly to a disbeliever will result in him becoming even more distant from Islam. Therefore, even in response to his evil, it is obligatory to reply in the best manner. See Surah Al-Mu’minun (96–98). When it is obligatory to respond to a disbeliever’s evil in the best manner, then it is even more necessary to defend against a Muslim’s evil in the best way. Elsewhere, Allah Almighty said that the benefit of responding with the best words and behavior is that even an enemy will become a sincere friend. But this blessing is granted only to the one who is patient and greatly fortunate, whose sign is that he seeks Allah’s refuge from every provocation and anger incited by Satan, and controls himself in times of anger. See Surah Ha Mim As-Sajdah (34–36). For mention of Satan’s open enmity with mankind, see Surah Fatir (6), Al-A’raf (11–27), and the story of Adam and Iblis in Surah Al-Baqarah. The concept of perpetual enmity is evident from {’’كَانَ ‘‘}, and its continuity from the time he refused to prostrate to Adam until the Day of Judgment is proof of this.