The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 478
CH. 27 AN-NAML PT. 19 الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلوةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكُوةَ Who observe Prayer and pay. 4 وَهُمْ بِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ the Zakāh, and have firm faith in the Hereafter. اِنَّ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِالْآخِرَةِ زَيَّنَّا لَهُمْ As to those who believe not. 5 in the Hereafter, We have made their deeds appear beautiful to them, so they are wandering blindly. 2815A 6. It is they who shall have a grievous torment, and they alone it is who shall be the greatest losers in the Hereafter. أَعْمَالَهُمْ فَهُمْ يَعْمَهُونَ أُولَبِكَ الَّذِيْنَ لَهُمْ سُوءُ الْعَذَابِ وَهُمْ في الْآخِرَةِ هُمُ الْاَخْسَرُونَ 2:4; 8:4; 14:32; 31:5. '16:23; 17:11; 34:9. prominent characteristics of the Quran to which repeated reference has been made in it, viz. (1) that it is a guidance and (2) that it gives good tidings to the believers. These characteristics signify that the Quran contains all those rules of conduct, precepts and ordinances which are required for man's moral and spiritual development and progress, and are essential for the achievement of the goal of human life, and that it also holds out to believers the promise that if they acted upon its teaching they will enjoy prosperity, prestige and power in this world and the pleasure and nearness of God in the life to come. 2815A. Commentary: Elsewhere in the Quran we have: "Satan made all that they did seem fair to them" (6:44) and "And when Satan made their deeds seem fair to them" (8:49). It is clear from these two verses that it is Satan who makes evil and mischievous deeds of evildoers look beautiful in their eyes. But in the verse under comment it is stated that God makes the deeds of disbelievers appear beautiful to them. Thus there seems to be a contradiction between the present verse and vv. 6:44; 8:49. But in no contradiction reality there is because it is a law that if a person pursues an evil course, thinking that he is not accountable for what he does he begins to justify his conduct as good and proper and so it begins to appear to him in that light. This, in fact, is the consequence of his own conduct but inasmuch as it comes about in accordance with a divine law, it is attributed to God, because it is God Who has ordained that disbelief in the Hereafter should 2392 result in evil deeds appearing beautiful in the eyes of disbelievers; otherwise God only commends good