Surah Al-Isra, Ayah 53 (17:53)

ٱلْإِسْرَاء

وَقُل لِّعِبَادِى يَقُولُوا۟ ٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنَ يَنزَغُ بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ …

Quran 17:53 is ayah 53 of Surah Al-Isra (“The Night Journey”), a Meccan surah of 111 ayahs. It is in Juz 15, on page 287 of the Madani Mushaf.

17:53
وَقُللِّعِبَادِىيَقُولُوا۟ٱلَّتِىهِىَأَحْسَنُ ۚإِنَّٱلشَّيْطَٰنَيَنزَغُبَيْنَهُمْ ۚإِنَّٱلشَّيْطَٰنَكَانَلِلْإِنسَٰنِعَدُوًّامُّبِينًا٥٣
waqul liʿibādī yaqūlū allatī hiya aḥsanu inna l-shayṭāna yanzaghu baynahum inna l-shayṭāna kāna lil'insāni ʿaduwwan mubīnan

And tell My servants to say that which is best. Indeed, Satan induces [dissension] among them. Indeed Satan is ever, to mankind, a clear enemy.(53)

Word by word

  1. وَقُلwaqulAnd say
  2. لِّعِبَادِىliʿibādīto My slaves
  3. يَقُولُوا۟yaqūlū(to) say
  4. ٱلَّتِىallatīthat
  5. هِىَhiyawhich
  6. أَحْسَنُ ۚaḥsanu(is) best
  7. إِنَّinnaIndeed
  8. ٱلشَّيْطَٰنَl-shayṭānathe Shaitaan
  9. يَنزَغُyanzaghusows discord
  10. بَيْنَهُمْ ۚbaynahumbetween them
  11. إِنَّinnaIndeed
  12. ٱلشَّيْطَٰنَl-shayṭānathe Shaitaan
  13. كَانَkānais
  14. لِلْإِنسَٰنِlil'insānito the man
  15. عَدُوًّاʿaduwwanan enemy
  16. مُّبِينًاmubīnanclear

Tafsir (commentary) of 17:53

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English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

People should speak Good Words with Politeness

Allah commands His servant Muhammad ﷺ to tell the believing servants of Allah that they should address one another in their conversations and discussions with the best and politest of words, for if they do not do that, Shaytan will sow discord among them, and words will lead to actions, so that evil and conflicts and fights will arise among them. For Shaytan is the enemy of Adam and his descendants, and has been since he refused to prostrate to Adam. His enmity is obvious and manifest. For this reason it is forbidden for a man to point at his Muslim brother with an iron instrument, for Shaytan may cause him to strike him with it. (Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«لَا يُشِيرَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ إِلَى أَخِيهِ بِالسِّلَاحِ، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَدْرِي أَحَدُكُمْ لَعَلَّ الشَّيْطَانَ أَنْ يَنْزِعَ فِي يَدِهِ فَيَقَعَ فِي حُفْرَةٍ مِنَ النَّار»

(No one of you should point at his brother with a weapon, for he does not know whether Shaytan will cause him to strike him with it and thus be thrown into a pit of Fire.) Al-Bukhari and Muslim recorded this Hadith with the chain of narration from `Abdur-Razzaq.

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