كَمَثَلِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ ٱكْفُرْ فَلَمَّا كَفَرَ قَالَ إِنِّى بَرِىٓءٌ مِّنكَ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ ٱللَّهَ رَبَّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ 16
Translations
[The hypocrites are] like the example of Satan when he says to man, "Disbelieve." But when he disbelieves, he says, "Indeed, I am disassociated from you. Indeed, I fear Allāh, Lord of the worlds."
Transliteration
Kamathali ash-shaytani idh qala lil-insani akfur falamma kafara qala inni bari'un minka inni akhaafu Allah rabb al-alameen
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah presents the example of Satan's deception of humans: he commands them to disbelieve, and when they comply, he disavows them, claiming to fear Allah. Ibn Kathir explains this as illustrating Satan's ultimate betrayal and cowardice—he leads people to destruction but abandons them on the Day of Judgment. Al-Qurtubi notes this demonstrates the falsehood and hypocrisy of Satan, who himself fears Allah while encouraging others toward sin.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Hashr (59), a Medinan surah. It appears in the context of warning believers against being deceived by those who reject faith. The broader passage (59:14-17) compares those who reject faith to Satan's followers, emphasizing how Satan and his allies ultimately fail and abandon their followers. This was revealed to strengthen the resolve of Muslims facing disbelief and hypocrisy.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The Shaytaan despairs of being worshipped in the lands of the Arabs, but he will busy them with animosity and worldly affairs' (Sahih Muslim 2812). Also relevant: 'Verily, Satan has lost all hope of being worshipped in this land of yours' (At-Tirmidhi), emphasizing Satan's tactics shift when direct worship is impossible.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah warns believers that those who lead others to sin—whether Satan or his human agents—ultimately abandon their followers and seek only to save themselves. A modern reader should recognize that true guidance comes only from Allah and His Messenger, and that alliances built on falsehood and disobedience inevitably collapse.
Related Ayahs
وَٱلَّذِينَ جَآءُو مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا ٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَٰنِنَا ٱلَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِٱلْإِيمَـٰنِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِى قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّا لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
And [there is a share for] those who come after them, saying, "Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful."
سَبَّحَ لِلَّهِ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ
Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth exalts Allāh, and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
مَا قَطَعْتُم مِّن لِّينَةٍ أَوْ تَرَكْتُمُوهَا قَآئِمَةً عَلَىٰٓ أُصُولِهَا فَبِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِيُخْزِىَ ٱلْفَـٰسِقِينَ
Whatever you have cut down of [their] palm trees or left standing on their trunks - it was by permission of Allāh and so He would disgrace the defiantly disobedient.
مَّآ أَفَآءَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦ مِنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْقُرَىٰ فَلِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْيَتَـٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَـٰكِينِ وَٱبْنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ كَىْ لَا يَكُونَ دُولَةًۢ بَيْنَ ٱلْأَغْنِيَآءِ مِنكُمْ ۚ وَمَآ ءَاتَىٰكُمُ ٱلرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَىٰكُمْ عَنْهُ فَٱنتَهُوا۟ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ
And what Allāh restored to His Messenger from the people of the towns - it is for Allāh and for the Messenger and for [his] near relatives and orphans and the needy and the [stranded] traveler - so that it will not be a perpetual distribution among the rich from among you. And whatever the Messenger has given you - take; and what he has forbidden you - refrain from. And fear Allāh; indeed, Allāh is severe in penalty.