22:52

وَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مِن قَبۡلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٖ وَلَا نَبِيٍّ إِلَّآ إِذَا تَمَنَّىٰٓ أَلۡقَى ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ فِيٓ أُمۡنِيَّتِهِۦ فَيَنسَخُ ٱللَّهُ مَا يُلۡقِي ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ ثُمَّ يُحۡكِمُ ٱللَّهُ ءَايَٰتِهِۦۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٞ

Wama arsalna min qablika min rasoolin wala nabiyyin illa itha tamanna alqa alshshaytanu fee omniyyatihi fayansakhu Allahu ma yulqee alshshaytanu thumma yuhkimu Allahu ayatihi waAllahu AAaleemun hakeemun

And We did not send before you any messenger or prophet except that when he spoke [or recited], Satan threw into it [some misunderstanding]. But Allah abolishes that which Satan throws in; then Allah makes precise His verses. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.

Word by word
  1. وَمَآAnd not
  2. أَرۡسَلۡنَاWe sent
  3. مِنbefore you
  4. قَبۡلِكَbefore you
  5. مِنany
  6. رَّسُولٖMessenger
  7. وَلَاand not
  8. نَبِيٍّa Prophet
  9. إِلَّآbut
  10. إِذَاwhen
  11. تَمَنَّىٰٓhe recited
  12. أَلۡقَىthrew
  13. ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُthe Shaitaan
  14. فِيٓin
  15. أُمۡنِيَّتِهِۦhis recitation
  16. فَيَنسَخُBut Allah abolishes
  17. ٱللَّهُBut Allah abolishes
  18. مَاwhat
  19. يُلۡقِيthrows
  20. ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُthe Shaitaan
  21. ثُمَّthen
  22. يُحۡكِمُAllah will establish
  23. ٱللَّهُAllah will establish
  24. ءَايَٰتِهِۦۗHis Verses
  25. وَٱللَّهُAnd Allah
  26. عَلِيمٌ(is) All-Knower
  27. حَكِيمٞAll-Wise
Al-Hajj · 22:52Madinah

Shaytan throws in confusion, and Allah wipes it away.

Every messenger faced interference; Allah secures His verses


What happens
a messenger speaksor recites
Shaytan
throws something indoubt, falsehood
Allah
removes itand makes His verses firm
Who has the last word
the whisperthrown in
Allah's versesestablished, protected

Ibn Abbas said: when he spoke, Shaytan threw something in, but Allah cancelled what Shaytan threw in. Ibn Kathir mentions a story some commentators told here, but says its chains are weak and he does not regard any of it as sound.

You are reading the Quran and a cynical thought pops up, or a clip makes you doubt what you just learned. The verse says interference is expected, and Allah is the one who clears it away and keeps His words firm.

If doubts come to me while I read, maybe the message is not solid.

Shaytan always throws things in; Allah removes them and keeps His verses firm.

Try this

When a doubtful thought comes today, seek refuge in Allah and keep reading.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

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 (52)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)(53)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 (54)

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,

فِي 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 آيَاتِهِ

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

إِذَا تَمَنَّىٰ أَلْقَى الشَّيْطَانُ فِي 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 تَمَنَّىٰ

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

إِلَّا أَمَانِيَّ

(but they trust upon Amani)[2:78] means they speak but they do not write. Al-Baghawi and the majority of the scholars of Tafsir said:

تَمَنَّىٰ

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

أَلْقَى الشَّيْطَانُ فِي أُمْنِيَّتِهِ

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

إِذَا تَمَنَّىٰ

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

فَيَنسَخُ اللَّهُ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ

(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.

حَكِيمٌ

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

لِّيَجْعَلَ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ فِتْنَةً لِّلَّذِينَ فِي 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 فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ

(those in whose hearts is a disease)(5:52) "The hypocrites, and

وَالْقَاسِيَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ

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

وَإِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ لَفِي 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 أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكَ فَيُؤْمِنُوا 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,

لَّا يَأْتِيهِ الْبَاطِلُ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَلَا 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)

فَيُؤْمِنُوا 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 آمَنُوا إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ 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.