Quran Universe
16:99

إِنَّهُۥ لَيۡسَ لَهُۥ سُلۡطَٰنٌ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمۡ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ

Innahu laysa lahu sultanun AAala allatheena amanoo waAAala rabbihim yatawakkaloona

Indeed, there is for him no authority over those who have believed and rely upon their Lord.

Word by word
  1. إِنَّهُۥIndeed he
  2. لَيۡسَnot
  3. لَهُۥfor him
  4. سُلۡطَٰنٌ(is) any authority
  5. عَلَىon
  6. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  7. ءَامَنُواْbelieve
  8. وَعَلَىٰand upon
  9. رَبِّهِمۡtheir Lord
  10. يَتَوَكَّلُونَthey put their trust
An-Nahl · 16:99Makkah

Shaytan has no power over those who believe and rely on Allah.

Trust in Allah is a real protection

Who is protected
faithbelief in Allah
and
reliancetrust in their Lord
shield from
Shaytanno authority
What his power is
he controls meI'm helpless
no holdon those who trust Allah

Ibn Kathir reports Ath-Thawri's view: Shaytan has no power to make them commit a sin they will not repent from. Others said he has no argument over them. It follows the command to seek refuge before reciting the Quran.

You slip into the same sin again and think, I'm hopeless, he always wins. The verse says the believer who relies on Allah can always come back. He can trip you; he cannot stop you repenting.

Shaytan is stronger than me.

With faith and trust in Allah, Shaytan cannot keep me from returning.

Try this

After your next slip, make tawbah immediately instead of waiting.

Related15:40
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 16:98)

So when you recite the Qur'an, seek refuge with Allah from Shaytan, the outcast (98)Verily, he has no power over those who believe and put their trust only in their Lord (99)His power is only over those who obey and follow him (Shaytan), and those who join partners with Him (Allah)(100)

The Command to seek Refuge with Allah before reciting the Qur'an

This is a command from Allah to His servants upon the tongue of His Prophet ﷺ, telling them that when they want to read Qur'an, they should seek refuge with Allah from the cursed Shaytan. The Hadiths mentioned about seeking refuge with Allah (Isti'adhah), were quoted in our discussion at the beginning of this Tafsir, praise be to Allah. The reason for seeking refuge with Allah before reading is that the reader should not get confused or mixed up, and that the Shaytan would not confuse him or stop him from thinking about and pondering over the meaning of what he reads. Hence the majority of scholars said that refuge should be sought with Allah before starting to read.

إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ لَهُ سُلْطَانٌ عَلَى الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ

(Verily, he has no power over those who believe and put their trust only in their Lord.) Ath-Thawri said: "He has no power to make them commit a sin they will not repent from." Others said: it means that he has no argument for them. Others said it is like the Ayah:

إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ

(Except Your chosen servants amongst them.)[15:40]

إِنَّمَا سُلْطَانُهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ يَتَوَلَّوْنَهُ

(His power is only over those who obey and follow him (Shaytan),) Mujahid said: "Those who obey him." Others said, "Those who take him as their protector instead of Allah."

وَالَّذِينَ هُم بِهِ مُشْرِكُونَ

(and those who join partners with Him.) means, those who associate others in worship with Allah.