Fussilat · Makki · ayah 36 of 54

Fussilat 41:36

وَإِمَّا يَنزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ نَزْغٌ فَٱسْتَعِذْ بِٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ

“And if there comes to you from Satan an evil suggestion, then seek refuge in Allāh. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Just as you choose the better reply, a jab comes to undo it; the answer is to run to the One who alone hears everything.

A reflection

The Hearer they doubted

Fussilat contains a scene preserved in Sahih al-Bukhari. Three men sat by the Kaaba, two from Quraysh and one from Thaqif, and argued about whether Allah hears. One said: He hears if we speak aloud, and not if we whisper. Another said: if He hears some of it, He hears all of it. An ayah of this surah came down about them (41:22).

Against that background, the close of this passage is heavy with emphasis. Not merely 'He is hearing, knowing'. The Arabic doubles it: He, He alone, is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. A classical spiritual writer notes that the emphasis answers exactly those who doubted His hearing.

Now bring it into the moment the ayah describes. Someone has insulted you, and you are trying to answer with something better. The ego insists on two things. First, that nobody else saw the wrong, so you must defend yourself or it will stand. Second, that you are the centre of this scene, and your reply will decide everything.

The ayah shrinks both claims. You are not the only witness. The One who heard the whisper at the Kaaba heard every word said to you. You are not the judge either. He knows the jab that is pricking you and the harm done to you, down to its last detail.

Pride wants to be its own defender. Humility can afford to step back, because the case is already being heard by Someone who misses nothing.

The full entry has 6 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.