“And We never sent before you any messenger or prophet except that, when he recited, Satan cast something into his recitation. But Allah abolishes what Satan casts; then Allah makes His verses precise. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. (52)”

His saying, glorified and exalted is He: “And We never sent before you any messenger or prophet except that, when he recited, Satan cast something into his recitation”—the verse. Ibn Abbas, Muhammad ibn Kab al-Qurazi, and other Quran commentators said: When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw his people turning away from him, and found it grievous that they had distanced themselves from what he had brought them from Allah, he inwardly wished that something might come to him from Allah which would bring him and his people closer together, out of his eagerness for them to believe.

One day, while he was sitting among Quraysh, Allah Most High sent down the surah “The Star.” The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, recited it until he reached the words: “Have you then considered al-Lat and al-Uzza, and Manat, the third—the other one?” Satan cast upon his tongue, in accordance with what he had been inwardly entertaining and wishing for: “These are the exalted gharaniq, whose intercession is surely hoped for.” When Quraysh heard this, they rejoiced at it. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, continued his recitation, recited the entire surah, and prostrated at its end. The Muslims prostrated with him, and all the idolaters in the mosque also prostrated. No believer or disbeliever in the mosque remained without prostrating, except al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah and Abu Uhayhah Said ibn al-As. They took a handful of gravel from the valley floor, raised it to their foreheads, and prostrated upon it, because they were elderly men and unable to prostrate.

Quraysh then dispersed, pleased by what they had heard concerning the mention of their gods. They said, “Muhammad has mentioned our gods in the finest terms.” They also said, “We have always known that Allah gives life and causes death, creates, and provides; but these gods of ours intercede for us with Him. If he assigns them a share, then we are with him.”

When evening came, Gabriel came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, “O Muhammad, what have you done? You have recited to the people something which I did not bring you from Allah, glorified and exalted is He!” The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was deeply grieved and greatly feared Allah. Allah then sent down this verse to console him, out of mercy toward him.

Those of the Prophet’s Companions who were in the land of Abyssinia heard of this, and news of Quraysh’s prostration reached them. It was said that Quraysh and the people of Mecca had accepted Islam, so most of them returned to their clans, saying, “They are dearer to us.” But when they drew near to Mecca, they learned that what they had been told about the people of Mecca accepting Islam was false. No one entered except under someone’s protection or in secret.

When this verse was revealed, Quraysh said, “Muhammad regretted what he had said concerning the standing of our gods with Allah, and so he changed it.” The two phrases which Satan had cast upon the tongue of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had become common upon the lips of every idolater; thus, they only increased in evil beyond what they had already been upon, and in harshness toward those who had embraced Islam.

Allah Most High said: “And We never sent before you any messenger”—that is, one to whom Gabriel comes with revelation in plain sight—“or prophet”—that is, one whose prophethood comes through inspiration or dreams. Every messenger is a prophet, but not every prophet is a messenger. “Except that, when he wished”: some said that this means he loved and desired something, and inwardly entertained it, though he had not been commanded to do so. “Satan cast something into his wish”—that is, into what he desired.

It is related from Ibn Abbas that he said: Whenever he spoke, Satan cast something into his speech and found a way to do so. There was no prophet except that he wished