Tafsir for verse: 8:48
وَإِذۡ زَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ أَعۡمَٰلَهُمۡ وَقَالَ لَا غَالِبَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ مِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَإِنِّي جَارٞ لَّكُمۡۖ فَلَمَّا تَرَآءَتِ ٱلۡفِئَتَانِ نَكَصَ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيۡهِ وَقَالَ إِنِّي بَرِيٓءٞ مِّنكُمۡ إِنِّيٓ أَرَىٰ مَا لَا تَرَوۡنَ إِنِّيٓ أَخَافُ ٱللَّهَۚ وَٱللَّهُ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ ٤٨ ﴿48
48When the Satan made their deeds look beautiful to their eyes, and said, “None of the people can overpower you today, and I am a protector for you.” But, when the two groups faced each other, he turned back on his heels and said, “I am quit of you. I am seeing what you do not see. I am scared of Allah, and Allah is severe in punishment.”
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Commentary

And remember when Satan adorned for them their deeds which they performed in opposing the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him. He whispered to them that they would not be overcome and that they were invincible. He deceived them into thinking that following the steps of Satan and obeying him would protect them. So when the two groups met, Satan withdrew and disavowed them. This means that his scheme was nullified when the soldiers of Allah descended. Al-Hasan, may Allah have mercy on him, said that this was in the form of whispering and he did not appear to them. It is said that when Quraysh gathered to march, they recalled the enmity between them and Banu Kinana from previous wars, which made them hesitant. Then Satan appeared to them in the form of Suraqa ibn Malik ibn Jusham, the poet from Kinana, who was one of their nobles, with a group of devils and a banner. He said: 'No one will overcome you today, and I will protect you from Banu Kinana.' When he saw the angels descending, he withdrew. It is said that his hand was in the hand of Al-Harith ibn Hisham. When he withdrew, Al-Harith said to him: 'Where are you going? Are you abandoning us in this situation?' He replied: 'I see what you do not see,' and he pushed Al-Harith in the chest and left. They were defeated, and when they reached Mecca, they said: 'The people have been defeated by Suraqa.' This reached Suraqa, and he said: 'By Allah, I did not realize your march until your defeat reached me.' When they embraced Islam, they knew that it was Satan. In the hadith: 'Satan was never seen smaller, more humiliated, or more enraged than on the Day of Arafah due to what he sees of the descending mercy, except on the Day of Badr.' It was narrated by Malik in Al-Muwatta from the narration of Talhah ibn Ubaydullah ibn Kuraiz as a disconnected report, and through Malik, it was narrated by Abdul Razzaq, Al-Tabari, and Al-Bayhaqi in Al-Shu'ab, and Abu Al-Nadr ibn Ismail ibn Ibrahim Al-Ajli narrated it separately from Malik. Talhah is the son of Abdullah ibn Bakir, and Kuraiz is a diminutive form. It was mistakenly mentioned in the rites by Al-Nawawi that Talhah ibn Abdullah is one of the ten, which is an error. If you say: 'Why was it not said:

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