Quran Universe
16:63

تَٱللَّهِ لَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أُمَمٖ مِّن قَبۡلِكَ فَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ أَعۡمَٰلَهُمۡ فَهُوَ وَلِيُّهُمُ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ

TaAllahi laqad arsalna ila omamin min qablika fazayyana lahumu alshshaytanu aAAmalahum fahuwa waliyyuhumu alyawma walahum AAathabun aleemun

By Allah, We did certainly send [messengers] to nations before you, but Satan made their deeds attractive to them. And he is the disbelievers' ally today [as well], and they will have a painful punishment.

Word by word
  1. تَٱللَّهِBy Allah
  2. لَقَدۡcertainly
  3. أَرۡسَلۡنَآWe have sent
  4. إِلَىٰٓto
  5. أُمَمٖnations
  6. مِّنbefore you
  7. قَبۡلِكَbefore you
  8. فَزَيَّنَbut made fair-seeming
  9. لَهُمُto them
  10. ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُthe Shaitaan
  11. أَعۡمَٰلَهُمۡtheir deeds
  12. فَهُوَSo he
  13. وَلِيُّهُمُ(is) their ally
  14. ٱلۡيَوۡمَtoday
  15. وَلَهُمۡand for them
  16. عَذَابٌ(is) a punishment
  17. أَلِيمٞpainful
An-Nahl · 16:63Makkah

Shaytan made their deeds look good. He is a useless ally.

Comfort for the Prophet ﷺ and a warning

How rejection happens
Messengers sentto nations before
but
Shaytanmade wrong look good
becomes
their only helperwho cannot save
What attractive means
it feels rightso it must be
it was made to look nicecheck what's underneath

Ibn Kathir says Allah comforted His Messenger ﷺ: you have an example in your brothers among the Messengers, who were also rejected. The reason was that Shaytan made their deeds attractive to them, and on that Day he will be their only helper and cannot save them.

The ad makes debt look like freedom. The show makes cheating look romantic. Your own mind dresses up a grudge as justice. Wrong rarely looks ugly from the inside.

If something feels good and looks good, it's probably fine.

Shaytan's work is to make wrong look attractive, so I check what is under the shine.

Try this

Pick one thing that looks appealing today and ask honestly: would Allah be pleased with it?

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

By Allah, We indeed sent (Messengers) to the nations before you, but Shaytan made their deeds seeming fair to them. So today he is their helper, and theirs will be a painful torment (63)And We have not revealed the Book to you, except that you may clearly explain to them those things in which they differ, and (as) a guidance and a mercy for a people who believe (64)And Allah sends water down from the sky, then He revives the earth with it after its death. Surely that is a sign for people who listen (65)

Finding Consolation in the Reminder of Those Who came before

Allah says, 'He sent Messengers to the nations of the past, and they were rejected. You, O Muhammad, have an example in your brothers among the Messengers, so do not be distressed by your people's rejection. As for the idolators' rejection of the Messengers, the reason for this is that the Shaytan made their deeds attractive to them.'

فَهُوَ وَلِيُّهُمُ الْيَوْمَ

(So today he (Shaytan) is their helper,) meaning they will be suffering punishment while Shaytan is their only helper, and he cannot save them, so they have no one to answer their calls for help, and theirs is a painful punishment.

The Reason why the Qur'an was revealed

Then Allah says to His Messenger ﷺ that He has revealed the Book to him to explain the truth to mankind in matters which they dispute over. So the Qur'an is a decisive arbitrator for every issue that they argue about.

وَهُدًى

(and (as) a guidance) meaning, for their hearts.

وَرَحْمَةً

(and a mercy) meaning, for the one who adheres to it.

لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

(for a people who believe.) Just as Allah causes the Qur'an to bring life to hearts that were dead from disbelief, so He brings the earth to life after it has died, by sending down water from the sky.

إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَسْمَعُونَ

(Surely that is a sign for people who listen.) meaning those who understand the words and their meanings.