19th of Rabi’ Al-Awwal
Suuratul Nuur Verse 21
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يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّبِعْ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ فَإِنَّهُۥ يَأْمُرُ بِٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ ۚوَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ ٱللَّـهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُۥ مَا زَكَىٰ مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ أَبَدًا وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ يُزَكِّى مَن يَشَآءُ ۗ وَٱللَّـهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿٢١
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21. O you who believe! Follow not the footsteps of Shaitan (Satan). And whosoever follows the footsteps of Shaitan (Satan), then, verily he commands Al-Fahsha’, and Al-Munkar. And had it not been for the Grace of Allah and His Mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure from sins. But Allah purifies whom He wills, and Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.
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Tafsir Ibn Kathir Volume 7, Page 50.
Then Allah says:
﴿يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تَتَّبِعُواْ خُطُوَتِ الشَّيْطَـنِ﴾
“O you who believe! Follow not the Khutuwat of Shaytan.”
Meaning, his ways and paths and what he commands,
﴿وَمَن يَتَّبِعْ خُطُوَتِ الشَّيْطَـنِ فَإِنَّهُ يَأْمُرُ بِالْفَحْشَآءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ﴾
“And whosoever follows the footsteps of Shaytan, then, verily, he commands immorality and the evil deeds.”
This is a warning given in the most concise and eloquent manner. `Ali bin Abi Talhah recorded from Ibn `Abbas that the Khutuwat of Shaytan means his deeds. `Ikrimah said that it means his evil whispers. Qatadah said: “Every sin is one of the footsteps of Shaytan.” Abu Mijlaz said: “Vowing to commit sin is one of the footsteps of Shaytan.” Then Allah says:
﴿وَلَوْلاَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ مَا زَكَى مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ أَبَداً﴾
“And had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure from sins.”
Meaning, if He did not help whomever He wills to repent and come back to Him and be purified from Shirk, evil and sin, and whatever bad characteristics each person has according to his nature, no one would ever attain purity and goodness.
﴿وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُزَكِّى مَن يَشَآءُ﴾
“But Allah purifies whom He wills”
Means, among His creation, and He sends astray whomever He wills, leaving him to be doomed in his misguidance and sin.
﴿وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ﴾
“And Allah is All-Hearer”,
means, He hears what His servants say,
﴿عَلِيمٌ﴾
“All-Knower.”
Of who deserves to be guided and who deserves to be misguided.
AnAayahAtATime 