Tafsir for verse: 24:21
۞ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَتَّبِعُواْ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِۚ وَمَن يَتَّبِعۡ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ فَإِنَّهُۥ يَأۡمُرُ بِٱلۡفَحۡشَآءِ وَٱلۡمُنكَرِۚ وَلَوۡلَا فَضۡلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَرَحۡمَتُهُۥ مَا زَكَىٰ مِنكُم مِّنۡ أَحَدٍ أَبَدٗا وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُزَكِّي مَن يَشَآءُۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٞ ٢١ ﴿21
21O you who believe, do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Whoever follows the footsteps of Satan, (should know that) he orders (one to commit) shameful acts and evil deeds. Had it not been for the grace of Allah upon you, and His mercy, not a single person from you would have ever attained purity. But Allah purifies whomsoever He wills. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
AI-Assisted Translation: This translation was produced by AI agents carefully trained over several months and thoroughly reviewed. It does NOT replace the scholarship of traditional scholars and is intended as a step in the right direction to make classical tafsir more accessible. There may still be inaccuracies—please report them promptly so we can improve the translation quality.

Commentary

Al-fahsha and al-fahisha: what is excessively ugly. Abu Dhuaib said: "The co-wives of the haram are jealous of each other, they have a sound like the sound of the boiling pot, as if they are... the co-wives of the haram are jealous of each other." The pronoun refers to the pots. Al-nashij: the sound, like al-najij. It is said: the pot made a nashij and the weeper made a nashij. A wound that is nasij: it bleeds. The 'ba' indicates association. Al-nashil: the cooked meat that is taken out of the pot. Al-dhara'ir: the wives of a man, because each of them desires harm for the other. Al-harami: related to the haram, like the body in the language of the sanctity of Mecca. Al-tafahush: excess in ugliness. Al-ghir: jealousy, or the throbbing and shouting, which is more suitable for the comparison. This means: her jealousy has become excessive. Al-munkar: what the souls reject and turn away from and do not accept. It was read: steps, with the 'ta' opened and closed. And it was read: 'zakka' with emphasis, and the pronoun refers to Allah, the Exalted. If it were not that Allah has favored you with the purifying repentance, no one among you would have been purified from the filth of the sin of slander until the end of time. But Allah purifies the repentant by accepting their repentance when they are sincere in it. He is All-Hearing of their words, All-Knowing of their inner thoughts and sincerity.

Explore Other Scholars on This Verse

Compare different scholarly perspectives on Surah An-Nur verse 21

Al-ZamakhshariAbū al-Qāsim Maḥmūd ibn ʿUmar al-Zamakhsharī
Learn more about Al-Zamakhshari
1661 / 2978