Quran Universe
7:20

فَوَسۡوَسَ لَهُمَا ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ لِيُبۡدِيَ لَهُمَا مَا وُۥرِيَ عَنۡهُمَا مِن سَوۡءَٰتِهِمَا وَقَالَ مَا نَهَىٰكُمَا رَبُّكُمَا عَنۡ هَٰذِهِ ٱلشَّجَرَةِ إِلَّآ أَن تَكُونَا مَلَكَيۡنِ أَوۡ تَكُونَا مِنَ ٱلۡخَٰلِدِينَ

Fawaswasa lahuma alshshaytanu liyubdiya lahuma ma wooriya AAanhuma min sawatihima waqala ma nahakuma rabbukuma AAan hathihi alshshajarati illa an takoona malakayni aw takoona mina alkhalideena

But Satan whispered to them to make apparent to them that which was concealed from them of their private parts. He said, "Your Lord did not forbid you this tree except that you become angels or become of the immortal."

Word by word
  1. فَوَسۡوَسَThen whispered
  2. لَهُمَاto both of them
  3. ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُthe Shaitaan
  4. لِيُبۡدِيَto make apparent
  5. لَهُمَاto both of them
  6. مَاwhat
  7. وُۥرِيَwas concealed
  8. عَنۡهُمَاfrom both of them
  9. مِنof
  10. سَوۡءَٰتِهِمَاtheir shame
  11. وَقَالَAnd he said
  12. مَا(Did) not
  13. نَهَىٰكُمَاforbid you both
  14. رَبُّكُمَاyour Lord
  15. عَنۡfrom
  16. هَٰذِهِthis
  17. ٱلشَّجَرَةِ[the] tree
  18. إِلَّآexcept
  19. أَنthat
  20. تَكُونَاyou two become
  21. مَلَكَيۡنِAngels
  22. أَوۡor
  23. تَكُونَاyou two become
  24. مِنَof
  25. ٱلۡخَٰلِدِينَthe immortals
Al-A'raf · 7:20Makkah

He sold the forbidden thing as an upgrade.

The whisper that promises more

His sales pitch
the treethe one thing banned
pitched as
angels or foreverwhat you are missing
Why the limit exists
to keep you smallHe is holding you back
to protect youthe whisper is a lie

Shaytan wanted to strip them of the blessings and clothing they enjoyed. So he whispered a lie: your Lord only forbade it to stop you becoming angels or living forever. The forbidden thing was dressed up as the key to more.

The ad that says you deserve it. The voice that says one look will not hurt, and that the rule only exists because someone wants you to miss out. Same pitch, new packaging.

Maybe the rule is there to keep me from something great.

The whisper always sells the forbidden thing as the thing I am missing.

Try this

When something tempts you today, ask who is selling it to you and what they want.

Related20:120
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 7:19)

"And O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in Paradise, and eat thereof as you both wish, but approach not this tree otherwise you both will be of the wrongdoers (19)Then Shaytan whispered suggestions to them both in order to uncover that which was hidden from them of their private parts (before); he said: "Your Lord did not forbid you this tree save you should become angels or become of the immortals. (20)And he 'Qāsamahuma': "Verily, I am one of the sincere well-wishers for you both. (21)

Shaytan's Deceit with Adam and Hawwa' and Their eating from the Forbidden Tree

Allah states that He allowed Adam and his wife to dwell in Paradise and to eat from all of its fruits, except one tree. We have already discussed this in Surat Al-Baqarah. Thus, Shaytan envied them and plotted deceitfully, whispering and suggesting treachery. He wished to rid them of the various favors and nice clothes that they were enjoying.

وَقَالَ

(He (Shaytan) said) uttering lies and falsehood,

مَا نَهَاكُمَا رَبُّكُمَا عَنْ هَٰذِهِ الشَّجَرَةِ إِلَّا أَن تَكُونَا مَلَكَيْنِ

("Your Lord did not forbid you this tree save you should become angels...") meaning, so that you do not become angels or dwell here for eternity. Surely, if you eat from this tree, you will attain both, he said. In another Ayah,

قَالَ يَا آدَمُ هَلْ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَىٰ شَجَرَةِ الْخُلْدِ وَمُلْكٍ لَّا يَبْلَىٰ

(Shaytan whispered to him, saying: "O Adam! Shall I lead you to the Tree of Eternity and to a kingdom that will never waste away?")[20:120]. Here, the wording is similar, so it means, 'so that you do not become angels' as in;

يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ أَن تَضِلُّوا

((Thus) does Allah make clear to you (His Law) lest you go astray.)[4:176] meaning, so that you do not go astray, and,

وَأَلْقَىٰ فِي الْأَرْضِ رَوَاسِيَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِكُمْ

(And He has affixed into the earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with you;)[16:15] that is, so that the earth does not shake with you.

وَقَاسَمَهُمَا 

(And he 'Qāsamahuma'), swore to them both by Allah, saying,

إِنِّي لَكُمَا لَمِنَ النَّاصِحِينَ

("Verily, I am one of the sincere well-wishers for you both.") for I was here before you and thus have better knowledge of this place.

It is a fact that the believer in Allah might sometimes become the victim of deceit. Qatadah commented on this Ayah, "Shaytan swore by Allah, saying, 'I was created before you, and I have better knowledge than you. Therefore, follow me and I will direct you.'"