Surah Al An'am Tafseer

Every Prophet Has Enemies

Allah says,

وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نِبِيٍّ عَدُوًّا شَيَاطِينَ الاِنسِ وَالْجِنِّ

And so We have appointed for every Prophet enemies -- Shayatin among mankind and Jinn, inspiring one another with adorned speech as a delusion.

Allah says, just as We made enemies for you, O Muhammad, who will oppose and rebel against you and become your adversaries, We also made enemies for every Prophet who came before you. Therefore, do not be saddened by this fact.

Allah said in other Ayat:

وَلَقَدْ كُذِّبَتْ رُسُلٌ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَصَبَرُواْ عَلَى مَا كُذِّبُواْ وَأُوذُواْ

Verily, Messengers were denied before you, but with patience they bore the denial, and they were hurt... (6:34)

and,

مَّا يُقَالُ لَكَ إِلاَّ مَا قَدْ قِيلَ لِلرُّسُلِ مِن قَبْلِكَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو مَغْفِرَةَ وَذُو عِقَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

Nothing is said to you except what was said to the Messengers before you. Verily, your Lord is the Possessor of forgiveness, and (also) the Possessor of painful punishment. (41:43)

and,

وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِىٍّ عَدُوّاً مِّنَ الْمُجْرِمِينَ

Thus have We made for every Prophet an enemy among the criminals. (25:31)

Waraqah bin Nawfal said to Allah's Messenger,

"None came with what you came with but he was the subject of enmity."

Allah's statement,

شَيَاطِينَ الاِنس

(Shayatin among mankind...,

refers to,

عَدُوًّا

(enemies...), meaning,

the Prophets have enemies among the devils of mankind and the devils of the Jinns.

The word, Shaytan, describes one who is dissimilar to his kind due to his or her wickedness. Indeed, only the Shayatin, may Allah humiliate and curse them, from among mankind and the Jinns oppose the Messengers.

Abdur-Razzaq said that Ma`mar narrated that Qatadah commented on Allah's statement,

شَيَاطِينَ الاِنسِ وَالْجِنِّ

(Shayatin (devils) among mankind and Jinn...),

"There are devils among the Jinns and devils among mankind who inspire each other."

Allah's statement,

يُوحِي بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ زُخْرُفَ الْقَوْلِ غُرُورًا

inspiring one another with adorned speech as a delusion.

means, they inspire each other with beautified, adorned speech that deceives the ignorant who hear it.

وَلَوْ شَاء رَبُّكَ مَا فَعَلُوهُ

If your Lord had so willed, they would not have done it;

for all this occurs by Allah's decree, will and decision, that every Prophet had enemies from these devils.

فَذَرْهُمْ وَمَا يَفْتَرُونَ

so leave them alone with their fabrications, (and lies).

This Ayah orders patience in the face of the harm of the wicked and to trust in Allah against their enmity, for, "Allah shall suffice for you (O Muhammad) and aid you against them."

Allah's statement