Translation of the meanings Ayah 17 Surah Al-A‘rāf - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary - The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia

Ayah: 17

ثُمَّ لَأٓتِيَنَّهُم مِّنۢ بَيۡنِ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمِنۡ خَلۡفِهِمۡ وَعَنۡ أَيۡمَٰنِهِمۡ وَعَن شَمَآئِلِهِمۡۖ وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكۡثَرَهُمۡ شَٰكِرِينَ

(17) “Then I shall come to them from their fronts, backs, rights and lefts, and You shall not find most of them thankful”^[1586].

[1586] This shows how purposeful and determined Satan really is in his mission (Ibn al-Qayyim, Badā’iʿ al-Fawā’id, 1/120). Indeed, he came to be successful; when at the beginning he was just guessing (Ibn Kathīr): “Indeed, Iblīs’ assumption about them has come true, so they ˹all˺ followed him, except a group of ˹true˺ Believers. *He does not have any authority over them, but ˹Our Will is˺ only to distinguish those who Believe in the Hereafter from those who are in doubt about it. And your Lord is a ˹vigilant˺ Keeper over all things” (34: 20-21). Such a purposeful enemy should be guarded against with constant vigilance (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr).