Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (5/349)

As for their having no wish to convey it, that is because it does not befit them. The verb yanbaghī is the present tense of baghā – yabghī, meaning “to seek” or “to desire.” What does not befit an agent is precisely what he neither seeks nor desires—either because he refrains from it or because he is barred from it. Now Satan’s only desire is falsehood and depravity; he has no inclination toward truth and rectitude.

The message brought by the Messenger stands in utter opposition to the devils’ intentions. Nothing on earth has ever contradicted their designs more than the mission of Muhammad and the revelation of the Quran to him. It is therefore impossible for the devils to do something whose opposite alone they desire; and they are also prevented from it, for it is wholly unsuited to them and beyond their reach—just as it does not befit a sorcerer to be a prophet. Likewise, a man known for lying and immorality is, for that very reason, unfit to be a prophet, a judge, a witness, or a mufti, for falsehood and wickedness undermine the very purpose of judgment, testimony, and legal opinion. In the same way, the devils’ innate penchant for lying and corruption is incompatible with their descending with this discourse, which epitomizes truth and justice and contains not a single falsehood or trace of injustice toward anyone.

Then He said:
“nor are they able” (al-Shuʿarāʾ 211).

أَمَّا كَوْنُهُمْ لَا يُرِيدُونَ ; فَلِأَنَّهُ لَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُمْ، (وَيَنْبَغِي) مُضَارِعُ بَغَى يَبْغِي: أَيْ طَلَبَ وَأَرَادَ. فَالَّذِي لَا يَنْبَغِي لِلْفَاعِلِ هُوَ الَّذِي لَا يَطْلُبُهُ وَلَا يُرِيدُهُ، إِمَّا لِكَوْنِهِ مُمْتَنِعًا مِنْ ذَلِكَ، أَوْ لِكَوْنِهِ مَمْنُوعًا مِنْهُ. وَالشَّيْطَانُ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ الْكَذِبَ وَالْفُجُورَ، لَا يُرِيدُ الصِّدْقَ وَالصَّلَاحَ. وَمَا جَاءَ بِهِ الرَّسُولُ مُنَاقِضٌ لِمُرَادِ الشَّيَاطِينِ غَايَةَ الْمُنَاقَضَةِ، فَلَمْ يَحْدُثْ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَمْرٌ أَعْظَمُ مُنَاقَضَةً لِمُرَادِ الشَّيَاطِينِ مِنْ إِرْسَالِ مُحَمَّدٍ، فَنُزُولُ الْقُرْآنِ عَلَيْهِ، فَيَمْتَنِعُ أَنْ تَفْعَلَ الشَّيَاطِينُ مَا لَا يُرِيدُونَ إِلَّا نَقِيضَهُ، وَهُمْ - أَيْضًا - مَمْنُوعُونَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ بِحَيْثُ لَا يَصْلُحُ لَهُمْ ذَلِكَ وَلَا يَتَأَتَّى مِنْهُمْ كَمَا أَنَّ السَّاحِرَ لَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ نَبِيًّا. وَالْمَعْرُوفُ بِالْكَذِبِ وَالْفُجُورِ لَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ - مَعَ ذَلِكَ - أَنْ يَكُونَ نَبِيًّا، وَلَا أَنْ يَكُونَ حَاكِمًا، وَلَا شَاهِدًا، وَلَا مُفْتِيًا ; إِذِ الْكَذِبُ وَالْفُجُورُ يُنَاقِضُ مَقْصُودَ الْحُكْمِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ وَالْفُتْيَا، فَكَذَلِكَ مَا فِي طَبْعِ الشَّيَاطِينِ مِنْ إِرَادَةِ الْكَذِبِ وَالْفُجُورِ يُنَاقِضُ أَنْ تَتَنَزَّلَ بِهَذَا الْكَلَامِ الَّذِي هُوَ فِي غَايَةِ الصِّدْقِ وَالْعَدْلِ، لَمْ يَشْتَمِلْ عَلَى كِذْبَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَلَا ظُلْمٍ لِأَحَدٍ. ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: {وَمَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ} [الشعراء: ٢١١] .