Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Samad [al-Jurjani] (1) informed us: Abu al-Qasim Ali ibn Ahmad al-Khuza‘i narrated to us; al-Haytham ibn Kulayb narrated to us; Abu Isa al-Tirmidhi narrated to us; Muhammad ibn Bashshar narrated to us; Muhammad ibn Ja‘far narrated to us; Shu‘bah narrated to us, from Abu Ishaq, from Abu Abd Allah al-Jadali, from Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said:

“The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was neither obscene nor deliberately obscene, nor was he loud and clamorous in the marketplaces. He did not repay evil with evil; rather, he pardoned and overlooked.” (2)

Abu al-Fadl Ziyad ibn Muhammad al-Hanafi narrated to us; Abu Sa‘id Abd al-Malik ibn Abi Uthman al-Wa‘iz narrated to us; Imad ibn Muhammad al-Baghdadi narrated to us; Ahmad ibn Muhammad narrated to us, from Sa‘id al-Hafiz; Muhammad ibn Isma‘il narrated to us; Umar ibn Ibrahim—that is, the Kufan—narrated to us; Yusuf ibn Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir narrated to us, from his father, from Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“Indeed, Allah sent me to perfect noble character and complete virtuous deeds.” (3)

“And if an evil prompting from Satan should come to you, then seek refuge in Allah. Indeed, He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. Indeed, when those who fear Allah are touched by a prompting from Satan, they remember, and at once they see clearly.” (200–201)

Regarding His saying, Exalted is He, “And if an evil prompting from Satan should come to you”: that is, if a prompting from Satan strikes you, overtakes you, or presents itself to you—a prick. Satanic prompting is whispering. Al-Zajjaj said: “Prompting is the slightest movement that may arise from a human being, and from Satan it is the slightest whisper.”

Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd said: When this verse, “Be forgiving,” was revealed, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “How, my Lord, when there is anger?” Then there was revealed: “And if an evil prompting from Satan should come to you, then seek refuge in Allah.” (4) That is, seek Allah’s protection. “Indeed, He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.”

“Indeed, those who fear Allah”—meaning, the believers—“when they are touched by a prompting from Satan”: Ibn Kathir, the people of Basra, and al-Kisa’i recited it as “tayf,” while the others recited “ta’if,” with a prolonged vowel and hamzah. They are two linguistic variants, like “mayyit” and “ma’it,” both meaning something that comes upon a person.

Some distinguished between them. Abu Amr said: “Ta’if is that which circles around a thing, while tayf is a fleeting visitation and a whisper.” It was also said: “Ta’if is what comes around a person in the form of Satan’s whispering, while tayf is a fleeting influence and touch.”