Surah Nisa ayat 119 Tafsir Quran 4:119

﴿وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ وَلَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ وَلَآمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ آذَانَ الْأَنْعَامِ وَلَآمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّخِذِ الشَّيْطَانَ وَلِيًّا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَانًا مُّبِينًا﴾
[ النساء: 119]

4:119 And I will mislead them, and I will arouse in them [sinful] desires, and I will command them so they will slit the ears of cattle, and I will command them so they will change the creation of Allah." And whoever takes Satan as an ally instead of Allah has certainly sustained a clear loss.

And I will surely lead them astray from truth with evil whisperings and surely I will fill them with desires I shall cast into their hearts thoughts that life will endure that there will be no resurrection and no reckoning; and surely I will command them and they will cut up the cattle’s ears and this was done to the she-camels they called bahā’ir. And surely I will command them and they will change God’s creation’ substituting His religion with unbelief making lawful what God has made unlawful and making unlawful what God has made lawful. And whoever takes Satan for a patron following him and obeying him instead of God has surely suffered a manifest loss one that is evident since he will end up in the Fire made perpetual for him.

I will lead them wrong, he said, and I will lead them by the nose to an evil line of conduct and arouse in them vain desires and stir up their sinful sensuous appetite. I will command them to receive the pagan superstition and slit and cut the ears of cattle and I will command them to change the course and order of things wherein they were set at the creation. And he who puts himself under the tutelage of AL-Shaytan besides Allah, shall have been a great loser

Shirk Shall not be Forgiven, in Reality the Idolators Worship Shaytan We talked about Allah's statement, إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ ( Verily, Allah forgives not (the sin of ) setting up partners ( in worship ) with Him, but He forgives whom He wills, sins other than that,) before and mentioned the relevant Hadiths in the beginning of this Surah.
Allah's statement, وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَـلاً بَعِيداً ( and whoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, has indeed strayed far away. ) means, he will have taken other than the true path, deviated from guidance and righteousness, destroyed himself in this life and the Hereafter, and lost contentment in this life and the Hereafter.
Juwaybir said that Ad-Dahhak said about Allah's statement, إِن يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلاَّ إِنَـثاً ( They invoke nothing but female deities besides Him (Allah ),) "The idolators claimed that the angels are Allah's daughters, saying, `We only worship them so that they bring us closer to Allah.' So they took the angels as gods, made the shapes of girls and decided, `These ( idols ) resemble the daughters of Allah ( i.e., the angels ), Whom we worship.
"' This is similar to Allah's statements, أَفَرَءَيْتُمُ اللَّـتَ وَالْعُزَّى ( Have you then considered Al-Lat and Al-`Uzza ) وَجَعَلُواْ الْمَلَـئِكَةَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ عِبَادُ الرَّحْمَـنِ إِنَـثاً ( And they make the angels who themselves are servants of the Most Gracious (Allah ) females) and, وَجَعَلُواْ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الْجِنَّةِ نَسَباً ( And they have invented a kinship between Him and the Jinn ).
Allah's statement, وَإِن يَدْعُونَ إِلاَّ شَيْطَـناً مَّرِيداً ( and they invoke nothing but Shaytan, a persistent rebel! ) means, Shaytan has commanded them to do this and made it seem fair and beautiful in their eyes.
Consequently, they are worshipping Shaytan in reality, just as Allah said in another Ayah, أَلَمْ أَعْهَدْ إِلَيْكُمْ يبَنِى ءَادَمَ أَن لاَّ تَعْبُدُواْ الشَّيطَـنَ ( Did I not command you, O Children of Adam, that you should not worship Shaytan ) Allah said that, on the Day of Resurrection, the angels shall proclaim about the idolators who worshipped them in this life: بَلْ كَانُواْ يَعْبُدُونَ الْجِنَّ أَكْـثَرُهُم بِهِم مُّؤْمِنُونَ ( Nay, but they used to worship the Jinn; most of them were believers in them ).
Allah's statement, لَّعَنَهُ اللَّهُ ( Allah cursed him ), means, He expelled him and banished him from His mercy and His grace. لاّتَّخِذَنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِكَ نَصِيباً مَّفْرُوضاً ( I will take an appointed portion of your servants ) means, a fixed and known share.
Muqatil bin Hayyan commented, "From every one thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine will go to the Fire and one to Paradise." وَلأضِلَّنَّهُمْ ( Verily, I will mislead them ) from the true path, وَلأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ ( and surely, I will arouse in them false desires; ) tempting them to feign repentance, arousing false hopes in them, encouraging them to delay and procrastinate with righteous deeds, deceiving them. وَلاّمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ ءَاذَانَ الاٌّنْعَـمِ ( and certainly, I will order them to slit the ears of cattle, ) meaning, slitting their ears to designate them as Bahirah, Sa'ibah, and a Wasilah, as Qatadah and As-Suddi stated. وَلاّمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ ( And indeed I will order them to change the nature created by Allah. ) means tattooing, according to Al-Hasan bin Abi Al-Hasan Al-Basri.
In his Sahih, Muslim recorded the prohibition of tattooing the face, which in one of its wordings states: "May Allah curse whoever does this." It is also recorded in the Sahih that Ibn Mas`ud said, "May Allah curse those who have tattoos and those who do it, who pluck their ( facial ) hairs and the one who does it for them, and those who make spaces between their teeth for the purpose of beauty, changing what Allah has created." He then said, "Why should not I curse whom the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has cursed, when the Book of Allah commands it," referring to the Ayah, وَمَآ ءَاتَـكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَـكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُواْ ( And whatsoever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it )).
Allah's statement, وَمَن يَتَّخِذِ الشَّيْطَـنَ وَلِيّاً مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَاناً مُّبِيناً ( And whoever takes Shaytan as a Wali (protector or helper ) instead of Allah, has surely suffered a manifest loss.) means, he will have lost this life and the Hereafter.
Indeed, this is a type of loss that cannot be compensated or restored.
Allah's statement, يَعِدُهُمْ وَيُمَنِّيهِمْ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمْ الشَّيْطَـنُ إِلاَّ غُرُوراً ( He Shaytan makes promises to them, and arouses in them false desires; ) explains the true reality.
Surely, Shaytan deceitfully promises his supporters and tempts them into believing that they are winners in this and the Hereafter.
This is why Allah said, وَمَا يَعِدُهُمْ الشَّيْطَـنُ إِلاَّ غُرُوراً ( and Shaytan's promises are nothing but deceptions. ) Allah states that on the Day of Return, وَقَالَ الشَّيْطَـنُ لَمَّا قُضِىَ الاٌّمْرُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَعَدَكُمْ وَعْدَ الْحَقِّ وَوَعَدتُّكُمْ فَأَخْلَفْتُكُمْ وَمَا كَانَ لِىَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِّن سُلْطَـنٍ ( And Shaytan will say when the matter has been decided: "Verily, Allah promised you a promise of truth.
And I too promised you, but I betrayed you.
I had no authority over you ), until, إِنَّ الظَّـلِمِينَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ( Verily, there is a painful torment for the wrongdoers. ) Allah's statement, أُوْلَـئِكَ ( of such (people )) refers to those who like and prefer what Shaytan is promising and assuring them of, مَّأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ( The dwelling of such (people ) is Hell), as their destination and abode on the Day of Resurrection, وَلاَ يَجِدُونَ عَنْهَا مَحِيصاً ( and they will find no way of escape from it. ), meaning, they will not be able to avoid, avert, evade or elude the Hellfire. The Reward of Righteous Believers Allah then mentions the condition of the content righteous believers and the perfect honor they will earn in the end.
Allah said, وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَاتِ ( And those who believe and do righteous good deeds, ) meaning, their hearts were truthful and their limbs obedient with the righteous acts they were commanded, all the while abandoning the evil they were prohibited from doing. سَنُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّـتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الاٌّنْهَـرُ ( We shall admit them to Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise )) meaning, they will think of where they want these rivers to flow and they will flow there, خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَداً ( to dwell therein forever ), without end or being removed from it. وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقًّا ( Allah's promise is the truth ), meaning, this is a true promise from Allah, and verily, Allah's promise shall come to pass.
Allah then said, وَمَنْ أَصْدَقُ مِنَ اللَّهِ قِيلاً ( and whose words can be truer than those of Allah ) meaning, none is more truthful in statement and narration than Allah.
There is no deity worthy of worship, or Lord except Him.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to proclaim in his speech,
«إِنَّ أَصْدَقَ الْحَدِيثِ كَلَامُ اللهِ، وَخَيْرَ الْهَدْيِ هَدْيُ مُحَمَّدٍصلى الله عليه وسلّم، وَشَرَّ الْأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا، وَكُلَّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ، وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ، وَكُلَّ ضَلَالَةٍ فِي النَّار»
( The most truthful speech is Allah's Speech, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad.
The worst matters are the newly invented (in religion ), every newly invented matter is an innovation, and every innovation is a heresy, and every heresy is in the Fire.)

(4:119) and shall lead them astray, and shall engross them in vain desires, and I shall command them and they will cut off the ears of the cattle, *147 and I shall command them and they will disfigure Allah's creation.' *148 He who took Satan rather than Allah for his guardian has indeed suffered a man-ifest loss.

And I will mislead them, and I meaning

*147).
The reference here is to a superstitious Arabian custom.
It was customary among the Arabs that after a camel had given birth to five or ten young to slit her ears and let her go in the name of their deity; they considered it forbidden to put her to any work.
Likewise, the male camel that had caused the birth of ten camels was consecrated to some deity.
The slitting of ears symbolized this consecration.

*148).
To alter God's creation in some respect does not mean changing its original form.
If that was meant, human civilization would have to be considered Satanic in its entirety.
For civilization consists essentially of man's putting to use the resources endowed by God.
Hence the alteration of God's creation, which is characterized as Satanic, consists in using a thing not for the purpose for which it was created by God.
In other words, all acts performed in violation either of one's true nature or of the intrinsic nature of other things are the result of the misleading promptings of Satan.
These include, for instance, sodomy, birth control, monasticism, celibacy, sterilization of either men or women, turning males into eunuchs, diverting females from the functions entrusted to them by nature and driving them to perform the functions for which men were created.
These and numerous similar measures are enacted by Satan's disciples in this world, which amounts on their part, to saying that the laws of the Creator were faulty and that they would like to 'reform' them.

 

Shirk Shall not be Forgiven, in Reality the Idolators Worship Shaytan We talked about Allah's statement, إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ ( Verily, Allah forgives not (the sin of ) setting up partners ( in worship ) with Him, but He forgives whom He wills, sins other than that,) before and mentioned the relevant Hadiths in the beginning of this Surah.
Allah's statement, وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَـلاً بَعِيداً ( and whoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, has indeed strayed far away. ) means, he will have taken other than the true path, deviated from guidance and righteousness, destroyed himself in this life and the Hereafter, and lost contentment in this life and the Hereafter.
Juwaybir said that Ad-Dahhak said about Allah's statement, إِن يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلاَّ إِنَـثاً ( They invoke nothing but female deities besides Him (Allah ),) "The idolators claimed that the angels are Allah's daughters, saying, `We only worship them so that they bring us closer to Allah.' So they took the angels as gods, made the shapes of girls and decided, `These ( idols ) resemble the daughters of Allah ( i.e., the angels ), Whom we worship.
"' This is similar to Allah's statements, أَفَرَءَيْتُمُ اللَّـتَ وَالْعُزَّى ( Have you then considered Al-Lat and Al-`Uzza ) وَجَعَلُواْ الْمَلَـئِكَةَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ عِبَادُ الرَّحْمَـنِ إِنَـثاً ( And they make the angels who themselves are servants of the Most Gracious (Allah ) females) and, وَجَعَلُواْ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الْجِنَّةِ نَسَباً ( And they have invented a kinship between Him and the Jinn ).
Allah's statement, وَإِن يَدْعُونَ إِلاَّ شَيْطَـناً مَّرِيداً ( and they invoke nothing but Shaytan, a persistent rebel! ) means, Shaytan has commanded them to do this and made it seem fair and beautiful in their eyes.
Consequently, they are worshipping Shaytan in reality, just as Allah said in another Ayah, أَلَمْ أَعْهَدْ إِلَيْكُمْ يبَنِى ءَادَمَ أَن لاَّ تَعْبُدُواْ الشَّيطَـنَ ( Did I not command you, O Children of Adam, that you should not worship Shaytan ) Allah said that, on the Day of Resurrection, the angels shall proclaim about the idolators who worshipped them in this life: بَلْ كَانُواْ يَعْبُدُونَ الْجِنَّ أَكْـثَرُهُم بِهِم مُّؤْمِنُونَ ( Nay, but they used to worship the Jinn; most of them were believers in them ).
Allah's statement, لَّعَنَهُ اللَّهُ ( Allah cursed him ), means, He expelled him and banished him from His mercy and His grace. لاّتَّخِذَنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِكَ نَصِيباً مَّفْرُوضاً ( I will take an appointed portion of your servants ) means, a fixed and known share.
Muqatil bin Hayyan commented, "From every one thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine will go to the Fire and one to Paradise." وَلأضِلَّنَّهُمْ ( Verily, I will mislead them ) from the true path, وَلأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ ( and surely, I will arouse in them false desires; ) tempting them to feign repentance, arousing false hopes in them, encouraging them to delay and procrastinate with righteous deeds, deceiving them. وَلاّمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ ءَاذَانَ الاٌّنْعَـمِ ( and certainly, I will order them to slit the ears of cattle, ) meaning, slitting their ears to designate them as Bahirah, Sa'ibah, and a Wasilah, as Qatadah and As-Suddi stated. وَلاّمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ ( And indeed I will order them to change the nature created by Allah. ) means tattooing, according to Al-Hasan bin Abi Al-Hasan Al-Basri.
In his Sahih, Muslim recorded the prohibition of tattooing the face, which in one of its wordings states: "May Allah curse whoever does this." It is also recorded in the Sahih that Ibn Mas`ud said, "May Allah curse those who have tattoos and those who do it, who pluck their ( facial ) hairs and the one who does it for them, and those who make spaces between their teeth for the purpose of beauty, changing what Allah has created." He then said, "Why should not I curse whom the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has cursed, when the Book of Allah commands it," referring to the Ayah, وَمَآ ءَاتَـكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَـكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُواْ ( And whatsoever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it )).
Allah's statement, وَمَن يَتَّخِذِ الشَّيْطَـنَ وَلِيّاً مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَاناً مُّبِيناً ( And whoever takes Shaytan as a Wali (protector or helper ) instead of Allah, has surely suffered a manifest loss.) means, he will have lost this life and the Hereafter.
Indeed, this is a type of loss that cannot be compensated or restored.
Allah's statement, يَعِدُهُمْ وَيُمَنِّيهِمْ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمْ الشَّيْطَـنُ إِلاَّ غُرُوراً ( He Shaytan makes promises to them, and arouses in them false desires; ) explains the true reality.
Surely, Shaytan deceitfully promises his supporters and tempts them into believing that they are winners in this and the Hereafter.
This is why Allah said, وَمَا يَعِدُهُمْ الشَّيْطَـنُ إِلاَّ غُرُوراً ( and Shaytan's promises are nothing but deceptions. ) Allah states that on the Day of Return, وَقَالَ الشَّيْطَـنُ لَمَّا قُضِىَ الاٌّمْرُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَعَدَكُمْ وَعْدَ الْحَقِّ وَوَعَدتُّكُمْ فَأَخْلَفْتُكُمْ وَمَا كَانَ لِىَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِّن سُلْطَـنٍ ( And Shaytan will say when the matter has been decided: "Verily, Allah promised you a promise of truth.
And I too promised you, but I betrayed you.
I had no authority over you ), until, إِنَّ الظَّـلِمِينَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ( Verily, there is a painful torment for the wrongdoers. ) Allah's statement, أُوْلَـئِكَ ( of such (people )) refers to those who like and prefer what Shaytan is promising and assuring them of, مَّأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ( The dwelling of such (people ) is Hell), as their destination and abode on the Day of Resurrection, وَلاَ يَجِدُونَ عَنْهَا مَحِيصاً ( and they will find no way of escape from it. ), meaning, they will not be able to avoid, avert, evade or elude the Hellfire. The Reward of Righteous Believers Allah then mentions the condition of the content righteous believers and the perfect honor they will earn in the end.
Allah said, وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَاتِ ( And those who believe and do righteous good deeds, ) meaning, their hearts were truthful and their limbs obedient with the righteous acts they were commanded, all the while abandoning the evil they were prohibited from doing. سَنُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّـتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الاٌّنْهَـرُ ( We shall admit them to Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise )) meaning, they will think of where they want these rivers to flow and they will flow there, خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَداً ( to dwell therein forever ), without end or being removed from it. وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقًّا ( Allah's promise is the truth ), meaning, this is a true promise from Allah, and verily, Allah's promise shall come to pass.
Allah then said, وَمَنْ أَصْدَقُ مِنَ اللَّهِ قِيلاً ( and whose words can be truer than those of Allah ) meaning, none is more truthful in statement and narration than Allah.
There is no deity worthy of worship, or Lord except Him.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to proclaim in his speech, «إِنَّ أَصْدَقَ الْحَدِيثِ كَلَامُ اللهِ، وَخَيْرَ الْهَدْيِ هَدْيُ مُحَمَّدٍصلى الله عليه وسلّم، وَشَرَّ الْأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا، وَكُلَّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ، وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ، وَكُلَّ ضَلَالَةٍ فِي النَّار» ( The most truthful speech is Allah's Speech, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad.
The worst matters are the newly invented (in religion ), every newly invented matter is an innovation, and every innovation is a heresy, and every heresy is in the Fire.)

( And surely I will lead them astray ) far from guidance, ( and surely I will arouse desires in them ) such that to them there is hell or Paradise, ( and surely I will command them and they will cut the cattle’s ears ) what is known as the Bahirah, ( and surely I will command them and they will change Allah’s creation ) Allah’s Religion. ( Whoso chooseth Satan ) whoever worships Satan ( for a patron ) as a Lord ( instead of Allah is verily a loser ) he has been cheated ( and his loss is manifest ) by losing this world and the Hereafter.

Verily, I will mislead them, and surely, I will arouse in them false desires; and certainly, I will order them to slit the ears of cattle, and indeed I will order them to change the nature created by Allah." And whoever takes Shaitan (Satan) as a Wali (protector or helper) instead of Allah, has surely suffered a manifest loss.

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