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An-Nur (The Light)

Verse 21of 64

۞ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّبِعْ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ فَإِنَّهُۥ يَأْمُرُ بِٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ ۚ وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُۥ مَا زَكَىٰ مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ أَبَدًۭا وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُزَكِّى مَن يَشَآءُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌۭ﴿٢١

Translation (Sahih International)

O you who have believed, do not follow the footsteps of Satan. And whoever follows the footsteps of Satan - indeed, he enjoins immorality and wrongdoing. And if not for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy, not one of you would have been pure, ever, but Allah purifies whom He wills, and Allah is Hearing and Knowing.

Word-by-word meaning

۞ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَاyāayyuhāO you who believe
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnaO you who believe
ءَامَنُوا۟āmanūO you who believe
لَا(Do) not
تَتَّبِعُوا۟tattabiʿūfollow
خُطُوَٰتِkhuṭuwāti(the) footsteps
ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ۚl-shayṭāni(of) the Shaitaan
وَمَنwamanand whoever
يَتَّبِعْyattabiʿfollows
خُطُوَٰتِkhuṭuwāti(the) footsteps
ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِl-shayṭāni(of) the Shaitaan
فَإِنَّهُۥfa-innahuthen indeed, he
يَأْمُرُyamurucommands
بِٱلْفَحْشَآءِbil-faḥshāithe immorality
وَٱلْمُنكَرِ ۚwal-munkariand the evil
وَلَوْلَاwalawlāAnd if not
فَضْلُfaḍlu(for the) Grace of Allah
ٱللَّهِl-lahi(for the) Grace of Allah
عَلَيْكُمْʿalaykumupon you
وَرَحْمَتُهُۥwaraḥmatuhuand His Mercy
مَاnot
زَكَىٰzakā(would) have been pure
مِنكُمminkumamong you
مِّنْminanyone
أَحَدٍaḥadinanyone
أَبَدًۭاabadanever
وَلَـٰكِنَّwalākinnabut
ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
يُزَكِّىyuzakkīpurifies
مَنmanwhom
يَشَآءُ ۗyashāuHe wills
وَٱللَّهُwal-lahuAnd Allah
سَمِيعٌsamīʿun(is) All-Hearer
عَلِيمٌۭʿalīmunAll-Knower

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

A Reminder of the Grace of Allah and a Warning against following the Footsteps of ShaytanAllah says:وَلَوْلاَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ (And had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy on you, and that Allah is full of kindness, Most Merciful.) meaning, if it were not for this, it would have been another matter altogether, but He, may He be exalted, is full of kindness towards His servants and Merciful towards them.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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