Qaf · Makki · ayah 27 of 45

Qaf 50:27

۞ قَالَ قَرِينُهُۥ رَبَّنَا مَآ أَطْغَيْتُهُۥ وَلَـٰكِن كَانَ فِى ضَلَـٰلٍۭ بَعِيدٍ

“His [devil] companion will say, "Our Lord, I did not make him transgress, but he [himself] was in extreme error."”

Saheeh International

Essence

The companion who whispered for a lifetime disowns the man before his Lord: I did not make him overflow; he had already wandered far.

A reflection

The friend who dared you, in the head's office

Two fourteen-year-olds stand by a fire alarm at break. One has been daring the other all week. Go on. Nobody will know. It will be a laugh. The other finally presses it. Twenty minutes later, in the head teacher's office, the first boy is calm and earnest. 'I told him not to, miss.'

The boy who pressed the alarm looks at his friend as if he has never seen him before.

That look belongs to this ayah. For a lifetime the qarīn, the companion joined to him, kept close. Most commentaries identify him here as the devil assigned to him. Several early reports gloss his words in two simple ones: he disowned him. He whispered, encouraged, and made the wrong road look like an adventure. Now, before the Lord of the worlds, he says: Our Lord, I did not make him transgress.

The Quran describes this pattern more than once. Satan is like one who tells a man to disbelieve, and when he does, says: I am free of you (59:16). On the Day itself he will say: I had no authority over you, except that I called you and you answered me. So do not blame me; blame yourselves (14:22).

One great commentator draws the lesson plainly. Allah reports this exchange to teach His servants how they will disown one another on that Day.

This is a hard truth about companionship of every kind. The voice that pushes you towards wrong is never loyal. It wants the act, not you. When consequences arrive, it is the first to step back.

So look at who dares you. A friend whose encouragement always runs towards what you would regret. A group chat that cheers the cruel joke. An online voice that rewards the outrage. Ask one question of each. When this goes wrong, will they stand beside me, or say 'I told him not to'?

Keep close to companions who will still be beside you after the alarm has gone off.

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.