And when He made clear to them the corruption of their deeds due to the corruption of their intentions, as a means of repulsion from it, He increased the repulsion by indicating the command to constantly remember it, with an emotional appeal not connected to anything mentioned. He said: ﴿And when﴾. Thus, it is known that the intended meaning is certainly: remember that and remember when. He further increased the repulsion by mentioning the clear enemy and alerting them that everything He commands them is merely an illusion with no reality to it, just as what the devil had suggested to them in this matter. He said: ﴿The devil beautified for them﴾, meaning: the distant enemy from goodness, ﴿their deeds﴾ which they perfected in their claim of opposing the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him. This was because he appeared to them in the form of Suraqa ibn Malik ibn Ja'sham al-Kinani when they feared that his people, the Banu Kinana, would follow them to their families with evil, as there was between them what necessitated that. This almost discouraged them from proceeding. ﴿And he said﴾, deceiving them within themselves, ﴿No one can overcome you﴾, and the subject of the negation is the news of ﴿No﴾; otherwise, its subject would have been established as it would then resemble an addition. ﴿Today, among the people﴾, and he deceived them regarding those they left behind with his saying: ﴿And indeed, I am a protector for you﴾ from being followed by Kinana with something you dislike. He marched with them to Badr, encouraging them and singing for them, and he empowered them with this apparent statement to what he whispers to them in their chests. ﴿So when the two groups saw each other﴾, meaning: each group saw the other, and Gabriel, peace be upon him, saw in the armies of Allah, ﴿he retreated﴾, meaning: he turned back walking in reverse, and his plot was nullified, and the effects of his whispering were undone. ﴿On his heels﴾, meaning: to his back. They said: Where is Suraqa? They did not think of anyone but Suraqa. He passed by and did not answer them nor did he turn to them. ﴿And he said﴾, meaning: with the tongue of his state or his words, whether they heard him or did not hear him: ﴿Indeed, I am free from you﴾. Then he justified his disavowal from them by saying: ﴿Indeed, I see﴾, meaning: with the eye of my sight, ﴿what you do not see﴾, meaning: of the angels and the wrath that is descending upon you. Harith ibn Hisham said to him while his hand was in his hand: By Allah, we see nothing but spies from Yathrib! He resumed his statement, confirming their denial of that: ﴿Indeed, I fear Allah﴾, meaning: the One who encompasses everything in power and knowledge, that He may destroy me along with you by hastening punishment. ﴿And Allah﴾, meaning: the Greatest King, ﴿is severe in punishment﴾. They used to say: Suraqa has been defeated by us. He said: I have heard that you say such! By Allah, I did not know of your march except when I heard of your defeat. They used to deny him until they embraced Islam, and they realized that what had deceived them was the devil. This is well-known in the histories, and it is more appropriate than to be interpreted merely as whispering. In the hadith: "Iblis has never been seen smaller, more insignificant, or more enraged than on the Day of Arafah; for what he sees of the descent of mercy, except what was seen on the Day of Badr."