8:48

وَإِذۡ زَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ أَعۡمَٰلَهُمۡ وَقَالَ لَا غَالِبَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ مِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَإِنِّي جَارٞ لَّكُمۡۖ فَلَمَّا تَرَآءَتِ ٱلۡفِئَتَانِ نَكَصَ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيۡهِ وَقَالَ إِنِّي بَرِيٓءٞ مِّنكُمۡ إِنِّيٓ أَرَىٰ مَا لَا تَرَوۡنَ إِنِّيٓ أَخَافُ ٱللَّهَۚ وَٱللَّهُ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ

Waith zayyana lahumu alshshaytanu aAAmalahum waqala la ghaliba lakumu alyawma mina alnnasi wainnee jarun lakum falamma taraati alfiatani nakasa AAala AAaqibayhi waqala innee bareeon minkum innee ara ma la tarawna innee akhafu Allaha waAllahu shadeedu alAAiqabi

And [remember] when Satan made their deeds pleasing to them and said, "No one can overcome you today from among the people, and indeed, I am your protector." But when the two armies sighted each other, he turned on his heels and said, "Indeed, I am disassociated from you. Indeed, I see what you do not see; indeed I fear Allah. And Allah is severe in penalty."

Word by word
  1. وَإِذۡAnd when
  2. زَيَّنَmade fair-seeming
  3. لَهُمُto them
  4. ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُthe Shaitaan
  5. أَعۡمَٰلَهُمۡtheir deeds
  6. وَقَالَand he said
  7. لَاNo (one)
  8. غَالِبَ(can) overcome
  9. لَكُمُ[to] you
  10. ٱلۡيَوۡمَtoday
  11. مِنَfrom
  12. ٱلنَّاسِthe people
  13. وَإِنِّيand indeed,I am
  14. جَارٞa neighbor
  15. لَّكُمۡۖfor you
  16. فَلَمَّاBut when
  17. تَرَآءَتِcame in sight
  18. ٱلۡفِئَتَانِthe two forces
  19. نَكَصَhe turned away
  20. عَلَىٰon
  21. عَقِبَيۡهِhis heels
  22. وَقَالَand said
  23. إِنِّيIndeed,I am
  24. بَرِيٓءٞfree
  25. مِّنكُمۡof you
  26. إِنِّيٓIndeed,I
  27. أَرَىٰsee
  28. مَاwhat
  29. لَاnot
  30. تَرَوۡنَyou see
  31. إِنِّيٓindeed,I
  32. أَخَافُ[I] fear
  33. ٱللَّهَۚAllah
  34. وَٱللَّهُAnd Allah
  35. شَدِيدُ(is) severe
  36. ٱلۡعِقَابِ(in) the penalty
Al-Anfal · 8:48Madinah

Shaytan promised to stand by them, then ran.

The friend who disappears when it counts


His promise
no one can beat youdeeds made to look fair
I am your neighborI'll protect you
then
he fleesI am done with you
What his promises are worth
backuphe has my back
deceptiongone when it matters

Ibn Abbas said Shaytan came in the shape of Suraqah bin Malik and told Quraysh, no one will beat you today, I am your protector. When he saw the angels, he pulled his hand away and fled, saying I see what you do not see, I fear Allah.

The voice that says just this once, nobody will know, you deserve it. It cheers you all the way to the edge. Then the consequences come and it is nowhere. Remember who left them standing alone at Badr.

This urge feels like it's on my side.

The voice that makes wrong look good always leaves when the bill arrives.

Try this

Next time a whisper makes something wrong look appealing, say a'udhu billahi min ash-shaytan and walk away.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 8:47)

And be not like those who come out of their homes boastfully and to be seen of men, and hinder (men) from the path of Allah; and Allah is 'Muhīt' (eneompassing and thoroughly comprehending) all that they do (47)And (remember) when Shaytan made their (evil) deeds seem fair to them and said, "No one of mankind can overcome you this day (of the battle of Badr) and verily, I am your neighbor (for each and every help)." But when the two forces came in sight of each other, he ran away and said "Verily, I have nothing to do with you. Verily, I see what you see not. Verily, I fear Allah for Allah is severe in punishment. (48)When the hypocrites and those in whose hearts was a disease (of disbelief) said: "These people (Muslims) are deceived by their religion." But whoever puts his trust in Allah, then surely, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise (49)

The Idolators leave Makkah, heading for Badr

After Allah commanded the believers to fight in His cause sincerely and to be mindful of Him, He commanded not to imitate the idolators, who went out of their homes

بَطَرًا 

(boastfully) to suppress the truth,

وَرِئَاءَ النَّاسِ 

(and to be seen of men), boasting arrogantly with people. When Abu Jahl was told that the caravan escaped safely, so they should return to Makkah, he commented, "No, by Allah! We will not go back until we proceed to the well of Badr, slaughter camels, drink alcohol and female singers sing to us. This way, the Arabs will always talk about our stance and what we did on that day." However, all of this came back to haunt Abu Jahl, because when they proceeded to the well of Badr, they brought themselves to death; and in the aftermath of Badr, they were thrown in the well of Badr, dead, disgraced, humiliated, despised and miserable in an everlasting, eternal torment. This is why Allah said here,

وَاللَّهُ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ

(and Allah is 'Muhīt' (encompassing and thoroughly comprehending) all that they do.)

He knows how and what they came for, and this is why He made them taste the worst punishment. Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak and As-Suddi commented on Allah's statement,

وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ خَرَجُوا مِن دِيَارِهِم بَطَرًا وَرِئَاءَ النَّاسِ 

(And be not like those who come out of their homes boastfully and to be seen of men,)

"They were the idolators who fought against the Messenger of Allah ﷺ at Badr." Muhammad bin Ka'b said, "When the Quraysh left Makkah towards Badr, they brought female singers and drums along. Allah revealed this verse,

وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ خَرَجُوا مِن دِيَارِهِم بَطَرًا وَرِئَاءَ النَّاسِ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ

(And be not like those who come out of their homes boastfully and to be seen of men, and hinder (men) from the path of Allah; and Allah is 'Muhīt' (encompassing and thoroughly comprehending) all that they do.)

Shaytan makes Evil seem fair and deceives the Idolators

Allah said next,

وَإِذْ زَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ وَقَالَ لَا غَالِبَ لَكُمُ الْيَوْمَ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَإِنِّي جَارٌ لَّكُمْ

(And (remember) when Shaytan made their (evil) deeds seem fair to them and said, "No one of mankind can overcome you today and verily, I am your neighbor.")

Shaytan, may Allah curse him, made the idolators' purpose for marching seem fair to them. He made them think that no other people could defeat them that day. He also ruled out the possibility that their enemies, the tribe of Bani Bakr, would attack Makkah, saying, "I am your neighbor." Shaytan appeared to them in the shape of Suraqah bin Malik bin Ju'shum, the chief of Bani Mudlij, so that, as Allah described them,

يَعِدُهُمْ وَيُمَنِّيهِمْ ۖ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا

(He [Shaytan] makes promises to them, and arouses in them false desires; and Shaytan's promises are nothing but deceptions)[4:120].

Ibn Jurayj said that Ibn 'Abbas commented on this Ayah, (8:48) "On the day of Badr, Shaytan, as well as, his flag holder and soldiers, accompanied the idolators. He whispered to the hearts of the idolators, 'None can defeat you today! I am your neighbor.' When they met the Muslims and Shaytan witnessed the angels coming to their aid,

نَكَصَ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ

(he ran away), he went away in flight while proclaiming,

إِنِّي أَرَىٰ مَا لَا تَرَوْنَ

(Verily, I see what you see not.)"

Ali bin Abi Talhah said, that Ibn 'Abbas said about this Ayah,

 لَا غَالِبَ لَكُمُ الْيَوْمَ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَإِنِّي جَارٌ لَّكُمْ

("No one of mankind can overcome you today and verily, I am your neighbor')

"Shaytan, as well as, his devil army and flag holders, came on the day of Badr in the shape of a Suraqah bin Malik bin Ju'shum, man from Bani Mudlij, Shaytan said to idolators, 'None will defeat you this day, and I will help you.' When the two armies stood face to face, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ took a handful of sand and threw it at the faces of the idolators, causing them to retreat. Jibril, peace be upon him, came towards Shaytan, but when Shaytan, while holding the hand of a Mushrik man, saw him, he withdrew his hand and ran away with his soldiers. That man asked him, 'O Suraqah! You claimed that you are our neighbor?' He said,

إِنِّي أَرَىٰ مَا لَا تَرَوْنَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ ۚ وَاللَّهُ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ

(Verily, I see what you see not. Verily, I fear Allah for Allah is severe in punishment)

Shaytan said this when he saw the angels."

The Position of the Hypocrites in Badr

Allah said next,

إِذْ يَقُولُ الْمُنَافِقُونَ وَالَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ غَرَّ هَٰؤُلَاءِ دِينُهُمْ

(When the hypocrites and those in whose hearts was a disease (of disbelief) said: "These people (Muslims) are deceived by their religion.")

Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn 'Abbas commented, "When the two armies drew closer to each other, Allah made the Muslims look few in the eyes of the idolators and the idolators look few in the eyes of the Muslims. The idolators said,

غَرَّ هَٰؤُلَاءِ دِينُهُمْ

(These people (Muslims) are deceived by their religion.) because they thought that Muslims were so few. They believed, without doubt, that they would defeat the Muslims. Allah said,

وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ

(But whoever puts his trust in Allah, then surely, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.)

Qatadah commented, "They saw a group of believers who came in defense of Allah's religion. We were informed that when he saw Muhammad ﷺ and his Companions, Abu Jahl said, 'By Allah! After this day, they will never worship Allah!' He said this in viciousness and transgression." 'Amir Ash-Sha'bi said, "Some people from Makkah were considering embracing Islam, but when they went with the idolators to Badr and saw how few the Muslims were, they said,

غَرَّ هَٰؤُلَاءِ دِينُهُمْ

(These people (Muslims) are deceived by their religion.)

Allah said next,

وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ

(But whoever puts his trust in Allah), and relies on His grace,

فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ

(then surely, Allah is All-Mighty), and verily, those who take His side [in the dispute] are never overwhelmed, for His side is mighty, powerful and His authority is All-Great,

حَكِيمٌ

(All-Wise) in all His actions, for He places everything in its rightful place, giving victory to those who deserve it and defeat to those who deserve it.