and to obey him in all inward and outward matters. If anyone received something from Allah that did not need to be weighed against the Book and the Sunnah, he would have no need of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in some part of his religion. This is among the claims of renegades who imagine that some people may stand in relation to the Messenger as al-Khidr did to Moses. Whoever says this is a disbeliever.

Allah Most High has said:

“We never sent any messenger or prophet before you without Satan casting something into his recitation when he recited. But Allah abolishes what Satan casts; then Allah makes His verses firm. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.”

Allah has thus guaranteed the messenger and the prophet that He will abolish whatever Satan casts into his recitation, but He has not guaranteed this to the inspired man. Hence the alternative reading recited by Ibn Abbās and others:

“We never sent any messenger, prophet, or inspired man before you without Satan casting something into his recitation when he recited.”

It is possible—and Allah knows best—that this wording was not part of the recited revelation, since He did not guarantee that whatever Satan casts into the inspired man’s recitation would be abolished. Such abolition of what Satan casts is assured only for prophets and messengers, for they are protected against anything Satan casts becoming established in what they convey from Allah Most High. Such protection is not assured for anyone else, even if he is among Allah’s pious friends. It is not a condition of being one of Allah’s pious friends that a person never make mistakes for which he is forgiven; rather,