exalted is He:

“And when Satan made their deeds seem fair to them and said, ‘No one among mankind can overcome you today, and I am your protector.’”

And He, the Most High, says:

“He makes them promises and fills them with false hopes, but Satan promises them nothing but delusion.”

However, it is Allah who casts fear of the believers into the hearts of the disbelievers; Satan does not choose this. The Most High says:

“You indeed inspire greater fear in their hearts than Allah.”

And He says:

“When your Lord revealed to the angels, ‘I am with you, so strengthen those who believe. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve.’”

And He says:

“We will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve because they have associated partners with Allah.”

In the report of Qurtubah, Gabriel said:

“I am going to them and will make their fortress quake around them.”

Thus, it is Allah who instils fear and terror in the disbelievers and hypocrites, in support of the believers.

However, those among the early generations who expressed that interpretation meant that Satan frightens those who outwardly profess Islam, so they ally themselves with the enemy and thereby become hypocrites. It is only the hypocrites who fear the disbelievers because Satan frightens them, as the Most High says:

“They swear by Allah that they are indeed of you, but they are not of you; rather, they are a people who are afraid.”

And the Most High says:

“But when fear comes, you see them looking at you, their eyes rolling like someone overcome by death,”

and the subsequent verses, up to His words:

“They wish they were out in the desert among the Bedouins, asking about your news.”

Both interpretations are therefore correct in meaning. However, the expression “his allies” refers to those whom Satan makes objects of fear, not those whom he makes afraid, as indicated by the context of