Study the Quran

Tafsir

Scholarly commentary explaining a verse — its context, its meaning and how the scholars have understood it.

Al-Isra 17:53

Word by word

وَقُل لِّعِبَادِى يَقُولُوا۟ ٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ يَنزَغُ بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ كَانَ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ عَدُوًّا مُّبِينًا

And tell My servants to say that which is best. Indeed, Satan induces [dissension] among them. Indeed Satan is ever, to mankind, a clear enemy.

Ibn Kathir (Abridged) English Ma'arif al-Qur'an English Tafsir Muyassar Arabic Tafsir Ibn Kathir Arabic All sources

Ibn Kathir (Abridged)

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

People should speak Good Words with Politeness

Allah commands His servant Muhammad ﷺ to tell the believing servants of Allah that they should address one another in their conversations and discussions with the best and politest of words, for if they do not do that, Shaytan will sow discord among them, and words will lead to actions, so that evil and conflicts and fights will arise among them. For Shaytan is the enemy of Adam and his descendants, and has been since he refused to prostrate to Adam. His enmity is obvious and manifest. For this reason it is forbidden for a man to point at his Muslim brother with an iron instrument, for Shaytan may cause him to strike him with it.

(Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:«لَا يُشِيرَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ إِلَى أَخِيهِ بِالسِّلَاحِ، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَدْرِي أَحَدُكُمْ لَعَلَّ الشَّيْطَانَ أَنْ يَنْزِعَ فِي يَدِهِ فَيَقَعَ فِي حُفْرَةٍ مِنَ النَّار»(No one of you should point at his brother with a weapon, for he does not know whether Shaytan will cause him to strike him with it and thus be thrown into a pit of Fire.) Al-Bukhari and Muslim recorded this Hadith with the chain of narration from `Abdur-Razzaq.

Ma'arif al-Qur'an

Mufti Muhammad Shafi

Commentary

Using foul or harsh language is not correct, even against infidels

The first verse (53) prohibits Muslims from talking harshly to disbelievers. It means that a hard line should not be taken unnecessarily, and should there be the need, even killing would be in order - as succinctly put in two lines of Persian poetry:کہ بےحکم شرع آب خوردن خطاست وگر خون بفتوٰی بریزی رواستWhereas, without an injunction of the Shari` ah, to drink water is a sin,In another case, to shed blood under Fatwa is permissible!

Since it is possible to suppress the aggressive might of disbelievers and their hostility to Islam through fighting and killing (as an inevitable measure of defense), therefore, it is allowed. However, by using foul language and harsh words, neither a castle stands conquered nor anyone guided right, therefore, it has been prohibited. Imam al-Qurtubi said that this verse was revealed in the background of an event relating to Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ . It so happened that someone used foul language against Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ who retaliated harshly and wanted to kill him. This posed the danger of a war breaking out between their two tribes. Thereupon, this verse was revealed.

And according to the interpretation of Imam al-Qurtubi, this verse contains a guideline for Muslims as to how they should address each other. It suggests that they should not speak harshly at the time of mutual difference, for this is a trap door through which the Shaitan pushes them into mutual infighting and disorder.

Tafsir Muyassar

Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Saudi Arabia

وقل لعبادي المؤمنين يقولوا في تخاطبهم وتحاورهم الكلام الحسن الطيب؛ فإنهم إن لم يفعلوا ذلك ألقى الشيطان بينهم العداوة والفساد والخصام. إن الشيطان كان للإنسان عدوًا ظاهر العداوة.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

يأمر تعالى رسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم أن يأمر عباد الله المؤمنين أن يقولوا في مخاطباتهم ومحاوراتهم الكلام الأحسن والكلمة الطيبة فإنه إذ لم يفعلوا ذلك نزغ الشيطان بينهم وأخرج الكلام إلى الفعال ووقع الشر والمخاصمة والمقاتلة فإن الشيطان عدو لآدم وذريته من حين امتنع من السجود لآدم فعداوته ظاهرة بينة ولهذا نهى أن يشير الرجل إلى أخيه المسلم بحديدة فإن الشيطان ينزغ في يده أي فربما أصابه بهاوقال الإمام أحمد حدثنا عبد الرزاق حدثنا معمر عن همام عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لا يشيرن أحدكم إلى أخيه بالسلاح فإنه لا يدري أحدكم لعل الشيطان أن ينزع في يده فيقع في حفرة من نار .أخرجاه من حديث عبد الرزاق .وقال الإمام أحمد حدثنا عفان حدثنا حماد أنبأنا علي بن زيد عن الحسن قال حدثني رجل من بني سليط قال أتيت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو في أزفلة من الناس فسمعته يقول المسلم أخو المسلم لا يظلمه ولا يخذله التقوى هاهنا قال حماد وقال بيده إلى صدره - ما تواد رجلان في الله فتفرق بينهما إلا بحدث يحدثه أحدهما والمحدث شر والمحدث شر والمحدث شر .

Tafsir is provided for educational reference. Paragraph breaks are added for readability — the wording of each commentary is unchanged. For religious guidance, consult a qualified scholar.