“Indeed, Satan is an enemy to you, so take him as an enemy. He only calls his party so that they may be among the companions of the Blaze. Those who disbelieve will have a severe punishment, while those who believe and do righteous deeds will have forgiveness and a great reward. Is one whose evil deed has been made appealing to him, so that he sees it as good, then like one who is rightly guided? For Allah leaves astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. So do not let yourself perish in grief over them. Indeed, Allah is Knowing of what they do.” (6–8)

“Indeed, Satan is an enemy to you, so take him as an enemy”: that is, oppose him by obeying Allah, and do not obey him. “He only calls his party,” that is, his followers and allies, “so that they may be among the companions of the Blaze,” meaning, that they may be in the Blaze. Then He clarifies the condition of those who follow him and those who oppose him, saying: “Those who disbelieve will have a severe punishment, while those who believe and do righteous deeds will have forgiveness and a great reward.”

Regarding His saying, “Is one whose evil deed has been made appealing to him”: Ibn Abbas said, “It was revealed concerning Abu Jahl and the idolaters of Mecca.”

Sa'id ibn Jubayr said, “It was revealed concerning the adherents of whims and religious innovations.” (1)

Qatadah said, “Among them are the Kharijites, who deem the blood and property of Muslims lawful. As for those guilty of major sins, they are not among them, because they do not deem major sins lawful.”

“Is one whose evil deed has been made appealing to him”: that is, it has been made to seem similar to something else, obscured, and made attractive to him. “His evil deed” means the ugliness of his deed. “So that he sees it as good”: Satan has made it appealing to him through whisperings.

The verse contains an ellipsis, its intended sense being: Is one whose evil deed has been made appealing to him, so that he sees falsehood as truth, like one whom Allah has guided, so that he sees truth as truth and falsehood as falsehood? “For Allah leaves astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills.”

It was also said that its answer is implied in His saying, “So do not let yourself perish in grief over them.” Thus, its meaning is: Is one whose evil deed has been made appealing to him, and whom Allah has therefore led astray, such that you would let yourself perish in grief over him? That is, you grieve over him; so do not let yourself perish in grief over them.

Al-Husayn ibn al-Fadl said: There is transposition in it; its intended sense is: Is one whose evil deed has been made appealing to him, so that he sees it as good—then do not let yourself perish in grief over them. For Allah leaves astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. Grief is intense sorrow over something that has passed and cannot be recovered. The meaning of the verse is: Do not be distressed by their disbelief and destruction if they do not believe.