Surah Al-Hajj Verse 53

وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ وَلاَ نَبِىّ إِلاَّ إِذَا تَمَنَّى أَلْقَى الشَّيْطَـنُ فِى أُمْنِيَّتِهِ فَيَنسَخُ اللَّهُ مَا يُلْقِى الشَّيْطَـنُ ثُمَّ يُحْكِمُ اللَّهُ ءايَـتِهِ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ لّيَجْعَلَ مَا يُلْقِى الشَّيْطَـنُ فِتْنَةً لّلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ وَالْقَاسِيَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِنَّ الظَّـلِمِينَ لَفِى شِقَاقٍ بَعِيدٍ وَلِيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْعِلْمَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبّكَ فَيُؤْمِنُواْ بِهِ فَتُخْبِتَ لَهُ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَهَادِ الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ إِلَى صِرطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

(52. Never did We send a Messenger or a Prophet before you but when he did recite (the revelation or narrated or spoke), Shaytan threw (some falsehood) in his recitation (of the revelation). But Yansakh Allah that which Shaytan throws in. Then Allah establishes His revelations. And Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise:)

(53. That He (Allah) may make what is thrown in by Shaytan a trial for those in whose hearts is a disease and whose hearts are hardened. And certainly, the wrongdoers are in an opposition far-off (from the truth).)

(54. And that those who have been given knowledge may know that it (this Qur'an) is the truth from your Lord, so that they may believe therein, and their hearts may submit to it with humility. And verily, Allah is the Guide of those who believe, to the straight path.)

How the Shaytan threw some Falsehood into the Words of the Messengers, and how Allah abolished that

At this point many of the scholars of Tafsir mentioned the story of the Gharaniq and how many of those who had migrated to Ethiopia came back when they thought that the idolators of the Quraysh had become Muslims, but these reports all come through Mursal chains of narration and I do not think that any of them may be regarded as Sahih. And Allah knows best. Al-Bukhari said, "Ibn `Abbas said,

فِى أُمْنِيَّتِهِ

(in his recitation (of the revelation).) "When he spoke, the Shaytan threw (some falsehood) into his speech, but Allah abolished that which the Shaytan threw in.''

ثُمَّ يُحْكِمُ اللَّهُ ءَايَـتِهِ

(Then Allah establishes His revelations.) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said,

إِذَا تَمَنَّى أَلْقَى الشَّيْطَـنُ فِى أُمْنِيَّتِهِ

(when he did recite (the revelation), Shaytan threw (some falsehood) in it) "When he spoke, the Shaytan threw (some falsehood) into his speech.'' Mujahid said:

إِذَا تُمْنَى

(when he did recite) "When he spoke.'' It was said that it refers to his recitation, whereas,

إِلاَّ أَمَانِىَّ

(but they trust upon Amani) means they speak but they do not write. Al-Baghawi and the majority of the scholars of Tafsir said:

(he did recite) "Reciting the Book of Allah.''

أَلْقَى الشَّيْطَـنُ فِى أُمْنِيَّتِهِ

(Shaytan threw (some falsehood) in it) "In his recitation.'' Ad-Dahhak said:

إِذَا تُمْنَى

(when he did recite) "When he recited.'' Ibn Jarir said, "This comment is more akin to interpretation.''

فَيَنسَخُ اللَّهُ مَا يُلْقِى الشَّيْطَـنُ

(But Yansakh Allah that which Shaytan throws in.) The meaning of the word Naskh in Arabic is to remove or lift away. `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said, "This means, Allah cancels out that which the Shaytan throws in.''

وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ

(And Allah is All-Knower,) means, He knows all matters and events that will happen, and nothing whatsoever is hidden from Him.

(All-Wise.) means, in His decree, creation and command, He has perfect wisdom and absolute proof, hence He says:

لِّيَجْعَلَ مَا يُلْقِى الشَّيْطَـنُ فِتْنَةً لِّلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ

(That He (Allah) may make what is thrown in by Shaytan a trial for those in whose hearts is a disease) meaning, doubt, Shirk, disbelief and hypocrisy. Ibn Jurayj said:

الَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ مَّرَضٌ

(those in whose hearts is a disease) "The hypocrites, and

وَالْقَاسِيَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ

(and whose hearts are hardened.) means the idolators.''

وَإِنَّ الظَّـلِمِينَ لَفِى شِقَاقٍ بَعِيدٍ

(And certainly, the wrongdoers are in an opposition far-off.) means, far away in misguidance, resistance and stubbornness, i.e., far from the truth and the correct way.

وَلِيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْعِلْمَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ فَيُؤْمِنُواْ بِهِ

(And that those who have been given knowledge may know that it is the truth from your Lord, so that they may believe therein,) means, `so that those who have been given beneficial knowledge with which they may differentiate between truth and falsehood, those who believe in Allah and His Messenger, may know that what We have revealed to you is the truth from your Lord, Who has revealed it by His knowledge and under His protection, and He will guard it from being mixed with anything else.' Indeed, it is the Wise Book which,

لاَّ يَأْتِيهِ الْبَـطِلُ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَلاَ مِنْ خَلْفِهِ تَنزِيلٌ مِّنْ حَكِيمٍ حَمِيدٍ

(Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it, (it is) sent down by the All-Wise, Worthy of all praise (Allah).) 41:42

فَيُؤْمِنُواْ بِهِ

(so that they may believe therein,) means, that they may believe that it is true and act upon it.

فَتُخْبِتَ لَهُ قُلُوبُهُمْ

(and their hearts may submit to it with humility.) means, that their hearts may humble themselves and accept it.

وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَهَادِ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

(And verily, Allah is the Guide of those who believe, to the straight path.) means, in this world and in the Hereafter. In this world, He guides them to the truth and helps them to follow it and to resist and avoid falsehood; in the Hereafter, He will guide them to the straight path which leads to the degrees of Paradise, and He will save them from the painful torment and the dismal levels of Hell.