Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nur Verse 21

Mufti Taqi Usmani

O 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.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

O believers! Do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Whoever follows Satan’s footsteps, then ˹let them know that˺ he surely bids ˹all to˺ immorality and wickedness. Had it not been for Allah’s grace and mercy upon you, none of you would have ever been purified. But Allah purifies whoever He wills. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

Ruwwad Translation Center

O you who believe, do not follow the footsteps of Satan; whoever follows the footsteps of Satan, he only enjoins indecency and evil acts. Were it not for Allah’s grace and mercy upon you, none of you would have ever been purified. But Allah purifies whom He wills, and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

A. J. Arberry

O believers, follow not the steps of Satan; for whosoever follows the steps of Satan, assuredly he bids to indecency and dishonour. But for God's bounty to you and His mercy not one of you would have been pure ever; but God purifies whom He will; and God is All-hearing, All-knowing.

Abdul Haleem

Believers, do not follow in Satan’s footsteps- if you do so, he will urge you to indecency and evil. If it were not for God’s bounty and mercy towards you, not one of you would ever have attained purity. God purifies whoever He will: God is all hearing, all seeing.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

O Ye who believe! follow not the footsteps of the Satan. And whosoever followeth the footsteps of the Satan, then he only urgeth to indecency and abomination. And had there not been the grace of Allah upon you and His mercy, not one of you would ever have been cleansed; but Allah cleanseth whomsoever He Will and Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

O ye who believe! follow not Satan's footsteps; if any will follow the footsteps of Satan, he will (but) command what is shameful and wrong; and were it not for the grace and mercy of Allah on you, not one of you would ever have been pure; but Allah doth purify whom He pleases; and Allah is One Who hears and knows (all things).

Abul Ala Maududi

O Believers, do not follow in Satan's footsteps, for he will incite to indecency and wickedness any who will follow him. If Allah had not shown His Brace and mercy to you, none of you would have been able to cleanse yourself, for it is Allah alone Who cleanses whom He wills, and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

Ahmed Ali

O you who believe, do not follow in the footsteps of Satan, for he who follows in the footsteps of Satan will be induced by him to what is shameful and forbidden. But for the grace of God and His mercy upon you none of you would have escaped undefiled; but God makes whosoever He will grow in goodness, for God is all-hearing and all-knowing.

Ahmed Raza Khan

O People who Believe! Do not follow the footsteps of the devil; and whoever follows the footsteps of the devil – so he will only bid the indecent and the evil; and were it not for Allah’s munificence and His mercy upon you, none of you would ever become pure – but Allah purifies whomever He wills; and Allah is All Hearing, All Knowing.

Ali Quli Qarai

O you who have faith! Do not follow in Satan’s steps. Whoever follows in Satan’s steps [should know that] he indeed prompts [you to commit] indecent and wrongful acts. Were it not for Allah’s grace and His mercy upon you, not one of you would ever become pure. But Allah purifies whomever He wishes, and Allah is all-hearing, all-knowing.

Ali Ünal

O you who believe! Do not follow in the footsteps of Satan. Whoever follows in the footsteps of Satan, (let him know well that) Satan insistently calls to all that is indecent and shameful, and all that is evil. Were it not for God’s bounty on you, and His mercy, not one of you would have ever attained purity; but God purifies whomever He wills. God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

Amatul Rahman Omar

O you who believe! do not follow the footsteps of satan. He that follows the footsteps of satan (should remember that) he (- satan) surely enjoins immorality and indecency. But for the grace of Allâh and His mercy (that rests) upon you, not one of you would ever have been pure, but Allâh purifies him who wishes (to be purified). And Allâh is All-Hearing, All- Knowing.

English Literal

You, you those who believed, do not follow the devil`s foot steps, and who follows the devil`s foot steps, so that he truly orders/commands with the enormous/atrocious deeds , and the defiance of God and His orders/obscenity , and where it not for God`s grace/favour/blessing on you and His mercy (there would) not (be) from one from you ever (E) (that) purified/corrected , and but God purifies/corrects whom He wills/wants/intends, and God (is) hearing/listening, knowledgeable.

Faridul Haque

O People who Believe! Do not follow the footsteps of the devil; and whoever follows the footsteps of the devil – so he will only bid the indecent and the evil; and were it not for Allah’s munificence and His mercy upon you, none of you would ever become pure – but Allah purifies whomever He wills; and Allah is All Hearing, All Knowing.

Hamid S. Aziz

And but for the grace of Allah upon you, and His mercy, and that Allah is kind and compassionate....

Hilali & Khan

O you who believe! Follow not the footsteps of Shaitan (Satan). And whosoever follows the footsteps of Shaitan (Satan), then, verily he commands Al-Fahsha' [i.e. to commit indecency (illegal sexual intercourse, etc.)], and Al-Munkar [disbelief and polytheism (i.e. to do evil and wicked deeds; to speak or to do what is forbidden in Islam, etc.)]. And had it not been for the Grace of Allah and His Mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure from sins. But Allah purifies (guides to Islam) whom He wills, and Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And were it not for Allah’s grace on you and His mercy -- and that Allah is Compassionate, Merciful.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

O you who believe! do not follow the footsteps of the Shaitan, and whoever follows the footsteps of the Shaitan, then surely he bids the doing of indecency and evil; and were it not for Allah's grace upon you and His mercy, not one of you would have ever been pure, but Allah purifies whom He pleases; and Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

O ye who believe! Follow not the footsteps of the devil. Unto whomsoever followeth the footsteps of the devil, lo! he commandeth filthiness and wrong. Had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy unto you, not one of you would ever have grown pure. But Allah causeth whom He will to grow. And Allah is Hearer, Knower.

Muhammad Sarwar

Believers, do not follow the footsteps of satan; whoever does so will be made by satan to commit indecency and sin. Were it not for the favor and mercy of God, none of you would ever have been purified. God purifies whomever He wants. God is All-hearing and All-knowing.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Believers, do not follow in the steps of satan, for those who follow the steps of satan, he bids to indecency and dishonor. But for the bounty of Allah to you, and His Mercy no one of you would ever have been purified; but Allah purifies whom He will; Allah is the Hearer, the Knower.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

O you who believe! Follow not the Khutuwat of Shaytan. And whosoever follows the footsteps of Shaytan, then, verily, he commands Al-Fahsha' and the evil deeds. And had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure from sins. But Allah purifies whom He wills, and Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.

Wahiduddin Khan

O you who believe, do not follow in the footsteps of Satan, and whoever follows in the footsteps of Satan should know that he enjoins only indecency and evil. But for the grace of God and His mercy upon you, not one of you would ever be purified; but God purifies whom He pleases. God is all hearing and all knowing.

Talal Itani

O you who believe! Do not follow Satan’s footsteps. Whoever follows Satan’s footsteps—he advocates obscenity and immorality. Were it not for God’s grace towards you, and His mercy, not one of you would have been pure, ever. But God purifies whomever He wills. God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

Tafsir jalalayn

O you who believe, do not follow in the steps of Satan, that is, his ways of making things seem attractive. For whoever follows in the steps of Satan, assuredly he, the one being followed, enjoins indecency, that is, [he enjoins] vile acts, and what is reprehensible, if followed, according to the Law. And were it not for God's bounty to you and His mercy not one of you, O band [of accusers], would ever have grown pure, after the calumny of which you spoke, that is to say, [not one of you] would have ever been reformed or purified from this sin by repenting of it. But God purifies whom He will, from sin, by accepting his repentance from him, and God is Hearer, of what you have said, Knower, of your intentions.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُوا لَاا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ

O you who believe! Follow not the Khutuwat of Shaytan.

meaning, his ways and paths and what he commands,

وَمَن يَتَّبِعْ خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَإِنَّهُ يَأْمُرُ بِالْفَحْشَاء وَالْمُنكَرِ

And whosoever follows the footsteps of Shaytan, then, verily, he commands immorality and the evil deeds.

This is a warning given in the most concise and eloquent manner.

Ali bin Abi Talhah recorded from Ibn Abbas that
خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ
(the Khutuwat of Shaytan),

means his deeds.

Ikrimah said that;

it means his evil whispers.

Qatadah said;

"Every sin is one of the footsteps of Shaytan."

Abu Mijlaz said;

"Vowing to commit sin is one of the footsteps of Shaytan."

Then Allah says;

وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ مَا زَكَا مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ أَبَدًا

And had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure from sins.

meaning, if He did not help whomever He wills to repent and come back to Him and be purified from Shirk, evil and sin, and whatever bad characteristics each person has according to his nature, no one would ever attain purity and goodness.

وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُزَكِّي مَن يَشَاء

But Allah purifies whom He wills,

means, among His creation, and He sends astray whomever He wills, leaving him to be doomed in his misguidance and sin.

وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ

and Allah is All-Hearer,

means, He hears what His servants say,

عَلِيمٌ



All-Knower.

of who deserves to be guided and who deserves to be misguided