41:25

۞وَقَيَّضۡنَا لَهُمۡ قُرَنَآءَ فَزَيَّنُواْ لَهُم مَّا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡ وَحَقَّ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلۡقَوۡلُ فِيٓ أُمَمٖ قَدۡ خَلَتۡ مِن قَبۡلِهِم مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ وَٱلۡإِنسِۖ إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ خَٰسِرِينَ

Waqayyadna lahum quranaa fazayyanoo lahum ma bayna aydeehim wama khalfahum wahaqqa AAalayhimu alqawlu fee omamin qad khalat min qablihim mina aljinni waalinsi innahum kanoo khasireena

And We appointed for them companions who made attractive to them what was before them and what was behind them [of sin], and the word has come into effect upon them among nations which had passed on before them of jinn and men. Indeed, they [all] were losers.

Word by word
  1. ۞وَقَيَّضۡنَاAnd We have destined
  2. لَهُمۡfor them
  3. قُرَنَآءَcompanions
  4. فَزَيَّنُواْ(who) made fair-seeming
  5. لَهُمto them
  6. مَّاwhat
  7. بَيۡنَ(was) before them
  8. أَيۡدِيهِمۡ(was) before them
  9. وَمَاand what
  10. خَلۡفَهُمۡ(was) behind them
  11. وَحَقَّand (is) justified
  12. عَلَيۡهِمُagainst them
  13. ٱلۡقَوۡلُthe Word
  14. فِيٓamong
  15. أُمَمٖnations
  16. قَدۡ(that have) passed away
  17. خَلَتۡ(that have) passed away
  18. مِنbefore them
  19. قَبۡلِهِمbefore them
  20. مِّنَof
  21. ٱلۡجِنِّthe jinn
  22. وَٱلۡإِنسِۖand the men
  23. إِنَّهُمۡIndeed,they
  24. كَانُواْwere
  25. خَٰسِرِينَlosers
Fussilat · 41:25Makkah

Close companions who made wrong look right.

Choose who stands beside you


How it worked
close companionsdevils of men and jinn
made attractive
past and futuresins looked like good
ended as
loserslike nations before
Who shapes you
I decide alonefriends do not matter
companions decoratewhat I end up doing

Ibn Kathir says these companions made their past deeds look good to them, and their future too, so they only saw themselves as doing well. He links it to the verse that whoever turns from Allah's remembrance gets a devil for a companion.

The friend who always says you deserve it. The feed that tells you everyone is doing it. The voice that turns a bad night into a funny story. Companions decorate. Notice who is decorating your choices.

I make my own choices; the people around me do not change that.

My companions make some things look beautiful. I need ones who make the right things look beautiful.

Try this

Spend ten minutes today with someone, or something, that reminds you of Allah.

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

And We have assigned for them intimate companions (in this world), who have made fair seeming to them, what was before them and what was behind them. And the Word is justified against them as it was justified against those who were among the previous generations of Jinn and men that had passed away before them. Indeed they (all) were the losers (25)And those who disbelieve say: "Listen not to this Qur'an, and make noise in the midst of its (recitation) that you may overcome. (26)But surely, We shall cause those who disbelieve to taste a severe torment, and certainly, We shall requite them the worst of what they used to do (27)That is the recompense of the enemies of Allah: the Fire. Therein will be for them the eternal home, a recompense for that they used to deny Our Ayat (28)And those who disbelieve will say: "Our Lord! Show us those among Jinn and men who led us astray, that we may crush them under our feet so that they become the lowest. (29)

The intimate Companions of the Idolators make Evil Actions attractive to Them

Allah tells us that He is the One Who send the idolators astray,and that this happens with His will and decree.He is the All-Wise in His actions, when He appoints for them close companions from among the devils of man and jinn

فَزَيَّنُوا لَهُمْ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ

(who have made fair seeming to them, what was before them and what was behind them.) means, they made their deeds attractive to them in the past. As far as the future is concerned, they only see themselves as doing good, as Allah says:

وَمَنْ يَعْشُ عَنْ ذِكْرِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ نُقَيِّضْ لَهُ شَيْطَانًا فَهُوَ لَهُ قَرِينٌ - وَإِنَّهُمْ لَيَصُدُّونَهُمْ عَنِ السَّبِيلِ وَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ مُهْتَدُونَ

(And whosoever turns away blindly from the remembrance of the Most Gracious, We appoint for him a Shaytan to be a companion for him. And verily, they hinder them from the path, but they think that they are guided aright!)(43:36-37)

 وَحَقَّ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقَوْلُ

(And the Word is justified against them) means, the Word of torment, just as it was justified against the nations of the past who did what they did, men and Jinn alike.

إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا خَاسِرِينَ

(Indeed they (all) were the losers.) means, they are all equal in terms of loss and being doomed.

How the disbelievers advised One Another not to listen to the Qur'an, and the Recompense for that

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَا تَسْمَعُوا لِهَٰذَا الْقُرْآنِ

(And those who disbelieve say: "Listen not to this Qur'an...") means, they advised one another not to pay heed to the Qur'an or obey its commands.

وَالْغَوْا فِيهِ

(and make noise in the midst of its) means, when it is recited, do not listen to it. This was the view of Mujahid. "And make noise in the midst of its (recitation)" means whistling and trying to make the Messenger of Allah ﷺ confused when he recited Qur'an, which is what the Quraysh did.

لَعَلَّكُمْ تَغْلِبُونَ

(that you may overcome.) means, this is the practice of these ignorant disbelievers and those who follow in their footsteps, when they hear the Qur'an. Allah commanded us to be different from that, and said:

وَإِذَا قُرِئَ الْقُرْآنُ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ وَأَنْصِتُوا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

(So, when the Qur'an is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive mercy.)(7:204). Then Allah says:

فَلَنُذِيقَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا

(But surely, We shall cause those who disbelieve to taste a severe torment,) meaning, in return for what they do when they hear the Qur'an.

وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَسْوَأَ الَّذِي كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ 

(and certainly, We shall requite them the worst of what they used to do.) means, for their evil deeds.

ذَٰلِكَ جَزَاءُ أَعْدَاءِ اللَّهِ النَّارُ ۖ لَهُمْ فِيهَا دَارُ الْخُلْدِ ۖ جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ - وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا رَبَّنَا أَرِنَا اللَّذَيْنِ أَضَلَّانَا مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنْسِ نَجْعَلْهُمَا تَحْتَ أَقْدَامِنَا لِيَكُونَا مِنَ الْأَسْفَلِينَ

(That is the recompense of the enemies of Allah: the Fire. Therein will be for them the eternal home, a recompense for that they used to deny Our Ayat. And those who disbelieve will say: "Our Lord! Show us those among Jinn and men who led us astray, that we may crush them under our feet so that they become the lowest.") It was reported that 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said, concerning the phrase,

اللَّذَيْنِ أَضَلَّانَا

(those who led us astray): "Iblis and the son of Adam who killed his brother." As-Suddi reported that 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said; "Iblis is followed by everyone who commits Shirk and the son of Adam is followed by everyone who commits a major sin. So Iblis is the one who calls people to every evil thing, such as Shirk and lesser sins." As for the first son of Adam, it is as confirmed in the Hadith:

مَا قُتِلَتْ نَفْسٌ ظُلْمًا إِلَّا كَانَ عَلَى ابْنِ آدَمَ الْأَوَّلِ كِفْلٌ مِنْ دَمِهَا،لِأَنَّهُ أَوَّلُ مَنْ سَنَّ الْقَتْلَ

(No soul is wrongfully killed, but a share of the burden [of that sin] will be upon the first son of Adam, because he was the first one who set the precedent of killing another.)

 نَجْعَلْهُمَا تَحْتَ أَقْدَامِنَا

(that we may crush them under our feet) means, 'make them beneath us in the torment, so that they will be punished more severely than us.'

لِيَكُونَا مِنَ الْأَسْفَلِينَ

(so that they become the lowest.) means, in the lowest level of Hell, as already mentioned in Al-A'raf, where the followers ask Allah to multiply the torment for their leaders:

قَالَ لِكُلٍّ ضِعْفٌ وَلَٰكِنْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

((Allah) said: "For each one there is double (torment), but you know not.")(7:38) i.e., Allah will give each of them the torment and punishment they deserve for their deeds. This is like the Ayah:

الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَصَدُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ زِدْنَـهُمْ عَذَابًا فَوْقَ الْعَذَابِ بِمَا كَانُواْ يُفْسِدُونَ

(Those who disbelieved and hinder (men) from the path of Allah, for them We will add torment to the torment because they used to spread corruption.)(16:88).