سُوْرَةُ الإِسۡرَاءِ
Surah Al-Israa (17) — Ayah 64
وَٱسْتَفْزِزْ مَنِ ٱسْتَطَعْتَ مِنْهُم بِصَوْتِكَ وَأَجْلِبْ عَلَيْهِم بِخَيْلِكَ وَرَجِلِكَ وَشَارِكْهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَوْلَـٰدِ وَعِدْهُمْ ۚ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا ﴿64﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
"And befool them gradually those whom you can among them with your voice (i.e. songs, music, and any other call for Allâh’s disobedience), make assaults on them with your cavalry and your infantry, share with them wealth and children (by tempting them to earn money by illegal ways - usury, or by committing illegal sexual intercourse), and make promises to them." But Satan promises them nothing but deceit.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَٱسْتَفْزِزْ
wa-is'tafziz
And incite
مَنِ
mani
whoever
ٱسْتَطَعْتَ
is'taṭaʿta
you can
مِنْهُم
min'hum
among them
بِصَوْتِكَ
biṣawtika
with your voice
وَأَجْلِبْ
wa-ajlib
and assault
عَلَيْهِم
ʿalayhim
[on] them
بِخَيْلِكَ
bikhaylika
with your cavalry
وَرَجِلِكَ
warajilika
and infantry
وَشَارِكْهُمْ
washārik'hum
and be a partner
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ
l-amwāli
the wealth
وَٱلْأَوْلَـٰدِ
wal-awlādi
and the children
وَعِدْهُمْ ۚ
waʿid'hum
and promise them
وَمَا
wamā
And not
يَعِدُهُمُ
yaʿiduhumu
promises them
ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ
l-shayṭānu
the Shaitaan
إِلَّا
illā
except
غُرُورًا
ghurūran
delusion
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 64) ➊ Derived from {وَ اسْتَفْزِزْ مَنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ مِنْهُمْ …: ’’ اسْتَفْزِزْ ‘‘ ’’فَزٌّ‘‘}, which means light and insignificant. {’’رَجُلٌ فَزٌّ أَيْ خَفِيْفٌ ‘‘} means a light person, that is, whoever you can make light and worthless with your voice, make them so. Shah Rafiuddin (may Allah have mercy on him) translated it as "And mislead whomever you can mislead," because a person becomes misled only after becoming light and worthless.
➋ By the voice of {بِصَوْتِكَ :} (Satan) is meant every voice that invites to disobedience of Allah; this includes music, singing, invitation and encouragement to immorality and every evil deed.
➌ { وَ اَجْلِبْ عَلَيْهِمْ … :} means to draw or bring by pulling, and also refers to the noise made to make a horse run faster. {’’خَيْلٌ‘‘} refers to a group of horses, and also to a group of horsemen. {’’رَجِلٌ‘‘} (foot soldier) is singular. (Qamoos) The meaning intended is the kind.
➍ The partnership of { وَ شَارِكْهُمْ فِي الْاَمْوَالِ وَ الْاَوْلَادِ :} (Satan) in wealth is that it is earned through unlawful means, or spent on unlawful things, for example, earning wealth through interest, bribery, theft, robbery, and fraud, and spending it in the name of other than Allah or on immorality, indecency, and acts of disobedience. Partnership in children is that Satan succeeds in having them raised contrary to the teachings of the true religion, provides them opportunities for adultery and disobedience to Allah, makes them averse to their righteous predecessors, makes the husband and wife forget to supplicate for protection from Satan at the time of intercourse, so that Satan has a share in the offspring born, or makes them give such names to their children that indicate someone other than Allah granted them. The polytheists of Arabia used to name their children Abdul-Uzza, Abdul-Shams, and Abdul-Wadd, etc. In our times, names like Rasool Bakhsh, Hussain Bakhsh, Peer Bakhsh, Ghulam Jilani, and Peeran Ditta, etc., are given, which are polytheistic names. Further, the verses in which the partnership of Satan in these things is mentioned are: Surah Al-An'am (136, 138) and Surah Yunus (54).
➎ { وَعِدْهُمْ :} means make them false promises, for example, that if you commit shirk you will get this benefit, you will get this profit from usurious business, and that since you have wealth and riches in this world, you will get them in the Hereafter as well, and that there is still plenty of time, enjoy yourself now and repent later, etc. In these verses, Allah Almighty has given Satan five commands: {’’ اذْهَبْ ‘‘ ’’ اسْتَفْزِزْ ‘‘ ’’ اَجْلِبْ عَلَيْهِمْ ‘‘ ’’ شَارِكْهُمْ ‘‘} and {’’ عِدْهُمْ ‘‘} All these commands are for threat and rebuke, as He said: «اِعْمَلُوْا مَا شِئْتُمْ » [ حٰمٓ السجدۃ : ۴۰ ] "Do whatever you wish." These commands are not for compliance, because all these are sins and Allah does not command sin.
➏ { وَ مَا يَعِدُهُمُ الشَّيْطٰنُ اِلَّا غُرُوْرًا :} means all the promises of Satan are mere deception. Allah Almighty has stated this concept in several other places as well. See Surah An-Nisa (120), Al-Hadid (14), and Ibrahim (22). Previously, the conversation was addressed to Satan; here, Satan is mentioned in the third person, this shift is to belittle Satan.
➋ By the voice of {بِصَوْتِكَ :} (Satan) is meant every voice that invites to disobedience of Allah; this includes music, singing, invitation and encouragement to immorality and every evil deed.
➌ { وَ اَجْلِبْ عَلَيْهِمْ … :} means to draw or bring by pulling, and also refers to the noise made to make a horse run faster. {’’خَيْلٌ‘‘} refers to a group of horses, and also to a group of horsemen. {’’رَجِلٌ‘‘} (foot soldier) is singular. (Qamoos) The meaning intended is the kind.
➍ The partnership of { وَ شَارِكْهُمْ فِي الْاَمْوَالِ وَ الْاَوْلَادِ :} (Satan) in wealth is that it is earned through unlawful means, or spent on unlawful things, for example, earning wealth through interest, bribery, theft, robbery, and fraud, and spending it in the name of other than Allah or on immorality, indecency, and acts of disobedience. Partnership in children is that Satan succeeds in having them raised contrary to the teachings of the true religion, provides them opportunities for adultery and disobedience to Allah, makes them averse to their righteous predecessors, makes the husband and wife forget to supplicate for protection from Satan at the time of intercourse, so that Satan has a share in the offspring born, or makes them give such names to their children that indicate someone other than Allah granted them. The polytheists of Arabia used to name their children Abdul-Uzza, Abdul-Shams, and Abdul-Wadd, etc. In our times, names like Rasool Bakhsh, Hussain Bakhsh, Peer Bakhsh, Ghulam Jilani, and Peeran Ditta, etc., are given, which are polytheistic names. Further, the verses in which the partnership of Satan in these things is mentioned are: Surah Al-An'am (136, 138) and Surah Yunus (54).
➎ { وَعِدْهُمْ :} means make them false promises, for example, that if you commit shirk you will get this benefit, you will get this profit from usurious business, and that since you have wealth and riches in this world, you will get them in the Hereafter as well, and that there is still plenty of time, enjoy yourself now and repent later, etc. In these verses, Allah Almighty has given Satan five commands: {’’ اذْهَبْ ‘‘ ’’ اسْتَفْزِزْ ‘‘ ’’ اَجْلِبْ عَلَيْهِمْ ‘‘ ’’ شَارِكْهُمْ ‘‘} and {’’ عِدْهُمْ ‘‘} All these commands are for threat and rebuke, as He said: «اِعْمَلُوْا مَا شِئْتُمْ » [ حٰمٓ السجدۃ : ۴۰ ] "Do whatever you wish." These commands are not for compliance, because all these are sins and Allah does not command sin.
➏ { وَ مَا يَعِدُهُمُ الشَّيْطٰنُ اِلَّا غُرُوْرًا :} means all the promises of Satan are mere deception. Allah Almighty has stated this concept in several other places as well. See Surah An-Nisa (120), Al-Hadid (14), and Ibrahim (22). Previously, the conversation was addressed to Satan; here, Satan is mentioned in the third person, this shift is to belittle Satan.
