(1) See: al-Tabari, Tafsir, 10/51; Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, 2/352. Al-Shanqiti (may Allah show him mercy) explains: The verse, “His authority is only over those who befriend him” (Q 16:100), explicitly affirms that Satan does possess influence over his own followers, an idea reinforced by the exception in “Indeed, My servants—you have no authority over them, except those who follow you of the deviant” (Q 15:42). Other passages appear to deny him any authority, such as: “Iblis proved true his assumption about them, so they followed him—except for a group of the believers—yet he had no authority over them” (Q 34:20-21), and his own admission: “Satan will say, once the matter is decided: ‘Allah promised you the promise of truth, and I promised you then broke my promise; I had no authority over you…’” (Q 14:22). The reconciliation is that the authority affirmed for him differs from the authority denied, in two respects: 1. The affirmed authority is his power to mislead through beautifying falsehood; the denied authority is the authority of proof, for Iblis had no argument with which to compel them—he merely invited and they complied without evidence. In the Quran the word sultan often means “proof.” 2. Allah never gave him intrinsic power over them; rather, they empowered him by obeying him and joining his faction. He did not subjugate them by force, for “the stratagem of Satan has always been weak” (Q 4:76); his sway over them was by their own choice. Both aspects of this answer are stated by Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah show him mercy). See: al-Shanqiti, Daf‘ Iham al-Idtirab, 10/120-121; and Ibn al-Qayyim, ‘Uddat al-Sabirin, pp. 21-22.