'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī
تفسير : (never sent we a messenger or a prophet before thee) o muhammad (but when he) the prophet (recited (the message)) or spoke (satan proposed (opposition) about that which he recited thereof) such that he does not act upon it. (but allah abolisheth) but allah elucidates (that which satan proposeth) on the tongue of his prophet such that he does not act upon it. (then allah establisheth) then he clarifies (his revelations) for his prophet in order that he acts upon them. (allah is knower) of that which satan proposes, (wise) he decrees to abolish it;
Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī
تفسير : and we did not send before you any messenger (rasūl) — this is a prophet who has been commanded to deliver a message — or prophet (nabī) — one who has not been commanded to deliver anything — but that when he recited [the scripture] satan cast into his recitation, what is not from the qur’ān, but which those to whom he [the prophet] had been sent would find pleasing. the prophet (s) had, during an assembly of the [men of] quraysh, after reciting the [following verses from] sūrat al-najm, have you considered lāt and ‘uzzā? and manāt, the third one? [53:19-20] added, as a result of satan casting them onto his tongue without his [the prophet’s] being aware of it, [the following words]: ‘those are the high-flying cranes (al-gharānīq al-‘ulā) and indeed their intercession is to be hoped for’, and so they [the men of quraysh] were thereby delighted. gabriel, however, later informed him [the prophet] of this that satan had cast onto his tongue and he was grieved by it; but was [subsequently] comforted with this following verse that he might be reassured [of god’s pleasure]: thereat god abrogates, nullifies, whatever satan had cast, then god confirms his revelations. and god is knower, of satan’s casting of that which has been mentioned, wise, in his enabling him [satan] to do such things, for he does whatever he will.
Ali ibn Ahmad al-Wahidi
تفسير : (never sent we a messenger or a prophet before thee…) [22:52].
the commentators of the qur'an said: “when the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, saw that his people were shunning him, he was aggrieved by their rejection of the message he brought them and he secretly wished that allah, exalted is he, reveals something to him which would bring him and his people closer to each other, keen as he was to see them accept faith. one day, he sat in one of the congregations of quraysh which attracted a huge number of its members, and he wished that allah, exalted is he, does not reveal to him on that day anything that might repel them from him. allah, exalted is he, revealed to him then surah al-najm (by the star when it stetteth…) [surah 53]. the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, recited it but when he reached (have ye thought upon al-lat and al-'uzza, and manat, the third, the other) [53:19-20], the devil put on his tongue what he had secretly wished and hoped for and said: 'these are the mighty cranes (gharaniq) and their intercession is hoped for'. when the quraysh heard this, they were very pleased. the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, carried on reciting until the end of the surah and then prostrated. all the muslims followed suit and prostrated, and all the idolaters who were present prostrated too. all those who were present, whether muslim or disbeliever, prostrated except al-walid ibn al-mughirah and abu uhyahah sa'id ibn al-'as who were too advanced in age and could not prostrate, but they both grabbed a handful of dust and put their foreheads on it. the quraysh then dispersed, happy with what they heard. they said: 'muhammad has mentioned our idols with complimentary terms. we know that allah gives life and takes it away, he creates and provides sustenance, but these idols of ours will intercede for us with him. now that muhammad has associated them, we are all with him'. that evening, gabriel, peace be upon him, went to the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, and said: 'what have you done? you recited to people that which i did not bring from allah, glorified is he, and you said what i did not say to you'. the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, felt very saddened and was greatly scared of allah. and so allah, exalted is he, revealed this verse, upon which the quraysh said: 'muhammad has regretted what he has mentioned regarding the status of our idols vis-à-vis allah'. and they became even more antagonistic than before”.
abu bakr al-harithi informed us> abu bakr muhammad ibn hayyan> abu yahya al-razi> sahl al-'askari> yahya> 'uthman ibn al-aswad> sa'id ibn jubayr who said: “the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, recited (have ye thought upon al-lat and al-'uzza, and manat, the third, the other) upon which the devil projected on his tongue: 'these are the mighty cranes and their intercession is hoped for'. the idolaters were pleased. they said: 'he has mentioned our idols'. then gabriel, peace be upon him, came to the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, and said: 'read back to me the speech of allah'. when he read it to him, gabriel said: 'as for this i did not bring; this is from the devil'. and so allah, exalted is he, revealed (never sent we a messenger or a prophet before thee but when he recited (the message) satan proposed (opposition) in respect of that which he recited thereof. but allah abolisheth that which satan proposeth. then allah establisheth his revelations…)”.
Sahl al-Tustari
تفسير : we did not send before you any messenger or prophet but that when he recited [the scripture]satan cast [something] into his recitation…he said:that is, if he recites [the scripture] and his lower self notices the recitation, satan casts [somethinginto it], for he has a partnership with the lower self in this, and that noticing of the recitation comes from the desire of the lower self and its lust. however, if [the person reciting] then witnesses the one remembered (madhkūr) instead of the remembrance [itself] (dhikr), the heart will become oblivious of it [the recitation], and he will not witness anything besides his master. consequently satan will become one of his captives. do you not see how if a servant is inattentive (sahā) in his recitation (qirāʾa) or in his remembrance of his lord, mighty andmajestic is he, his heart acquiesces in the basest pleasures (huẓūẓ) of his lower self and thus can the enemy [satan] get at him. Ḥasan said, ‘the whispering (waswās) is of two kinds, one of which is from the lower self and the other from satan. that which persists in coming is from the lower self, and assistance against it is sought through fasting, prayer and propriety (adab). however, that which [comes, but then] withdraws (nabdhan) is from satan, and assistance against it is sought through the recitation of the qurʾān and remembrance [of god] (dhikr).’his words:
