35:6

إِنَّ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنَ لَكُمۡ عَدُوّٞ فَٱتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوًّاۚ إِنَّمَا يَدۡعُواْ حِزۡبَهُۥ لِيَكُونُواْ مِنۡ أَصۡحَٰبِ ٱلسَّعِيرِ

Inna alshshaytana lakum AAaduwwun faittakhithoohu AAaduwwan innama yadAAoo hizbahu liyakoonoo min ashabi alssaAAeeri

Indeed, Satan is an enemy to you; so take him as an enemy. He only invites his party to be among the companions of the Blaze.

Word by word
  1. إِنَّIndeed
  2. ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنَthe Shaitaan
  3. لَكُمۡ(is) to you
  4. عَدُوّٞan enemy
  5. فَٱتَّخِذُوهُso take him
  6. عَدُوًّاۚ(as) an enemy
  7. إِنَّمَاOnly
  8. يَدۡعُواْhe invites
  9. حِزۡبَهُۥhis party
  10. لِيَكُونُواْthat they may be
  11. مِنۡamong
  12. أَصۡحَٰبِ(the) companions
  13. ٱلسَّعِيرِ(of) the Blaze
Fatir · 35:6Makkah

He is your enemy, so treat him as one.

Shaytan invites only to the Blaze


His plan
Shaytana declared enemy
invites
his partythose who follow him
toward
the Blazehis only goal
How to see the whisper
just my own thoughtharmless idea
an enemy's invitationoppose it, do not trust it

Ibn Kathir says Shaytan declared his enmity toward the children of Adam when he refused to bow to Adam. So the believer is told to be even firmer against him and not believe the things he dresses up as good.

The voice that says skip prayer, you are tired. The one that says one look will not hurt. It sounds friendly and reasonable. Naming it as an enemy takes away half its power.

Every thought in my head is mine and on my side.

Some whispers come from an enemy who wants me lost. I can refuse them.

Try this

The next time you hear a lazy or harmful whisper today, say a'udhu billah and do the opposite.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 35:4)

And if they deny you, so were Messengers denied before you. And to Allah return all matters (4)O mankind! Verily, the promise of Allah is true. So, let not this present life deceive you, and let not the chief deceiver deceive you about Allah (5)Surely, Shaytan is an enemy to you, so take (treat) him as an enemy. He only invites his followers that they may become the dwellers of the blazing Fire (6)

Consolation in the fact that the previous Messengers were denied, and a reminder of the Resurrection

Allah says: 'Even if these idolators who associate others with Allah disbelieve in you, O Muhammad, and go against the Message of Tawhid that you have brought, you have an example in the Messengers who came before you.' They also brought a clear Message to their people and told them to worship Allah alone, but their people denied them and went against them.

وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأُمُورُ

(And to Allah return all matters (for decision).) means, 'We will requite them for that in full.' Then Allah says:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ ۖ 

(O mankind! Verily, the promise of Allah is true.) meaning the Resurrection will undoubtedy come to pass.

فَلَا تَغُرَّنَّكُمُ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا ۖ 

(So, let not this present life deceive you,) means, 'this life is as nothing in compare to the great good that Allah has promised to His close friends and the followers of His Messengers, so do not let these transient attractions distract you from that which is lasting.'

وَلَا يَغُرَّنَّكُمْ بِاللَّهِ الْغَرُورُ

(and let not the chief deceiver deceive you about Allah.) This refers to Shaytan, as stated by Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him. Meaning, do not let the Shaytan tempt you and divert you away from following the Messengers of Allah and believing what they say, for he is the chief deceiver and arch-liar. This Ayah is like the Ayah that appears at the end of Surah Luqman:

فَلَا تَغُرَّنَّكُمُ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا وَلَا يَغُرَّنَّكُمْ بِاللَّهِ الْغَرُورُ 

(let not then this (worldly) present life deceive you, nor let the chief deceiver deceive you about Allah)(31:33). Then Allah tells us of the enmity of Iblis towards the sons of Adam:

إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَاتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوًّا ۚ 

(Surely, Shaytan is an enemy to you, so take (treat) him as an enemy.) meaning, 'he has declared his enmity towards you, so be even more hostile towards him, oppose him and do not believe the things with which he tries to tempt you.'

إِنَّمَا يَدْعُو حِزْبَهُ لِيَكُونُوا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ السَّعِيرِ

(He only invites his followers that they may become the dwellers of the blazing Fire.) means, 'he only wants to misguide you so that you will enter the blazing Fire with him.' This is a manifest enemy, and we ask Allah, the All-Powerful and Almighty to make us enemies of Shaytan and to make us followers of the Book of Allah and of the way of His Messengers. For He is able to do whatever He wills and He will respond to all supplication. This is like the Ayah:

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ كَانَ مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَفَسَقَ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِ ۗ أَفَتَتَّخِذُونَهُ وَذُرِّيَّتَهُ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِنْ دُونِي وَهُمْ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ ۚ بِئْسَ لِلظَّالِمِينَ بَدَلًا

(And (remember) when We said to the angels: "Prostrate yourselves unto Adam." So they prostrated themselves except Iblis. He was one of the Jinn; he disobeyed the command of his Lord. Will you then take him (Iblis) and his offspring as protectors and helpers rather than Me while they are enemies to you What an evil is the exchange for the wrongdoers.)(18:50)