Tafsir of Al-A'raf 7:17

This refers to the four directions from which an enemy typically launches an attack. The intended meaning is: "I will surely entice them and lead them astray to the best of my ability." However, he likens his enticement and whispering to them to the state of an enemy approaching those he opposes from any direction possible. Therefore, he did not mention "above" or "below," as there is no approaching from those directions. Thus, the speech is a form of metaphorical representation (isti'arah tamthiliyyah). The phrase "I will sit in wait for them" is, as has been said, a reinforcement of this metaphor.

Some scholars did not interpret the speech as a metaphor and excused the omission of the direction of "above" by noting that mercy descends from it, and the omission of "below" by noting that approaching from there is terrifying. This excuse regarding the first point was reported by more than one narrator from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), and it was also narrated from Ikrimah and Al-Sha'bi. The excuse regarding the second point was attributed by Al-Tabarsi to the same scholar (Ibn Abbas). It is not implausible under this interpretation that the speech is still a metaphor, with the difference between the two approaches being that the omission of these two directions in the former is due to their non-existence in the metaphorical object, while in the latter, it is due to their non-existence in the thing being represented.

Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abi Hatim, and Abu al-Shaykh reported from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that "from before them" refers to the Hereafter, because it is ahead and coming, and what is such is as if it were before one's hands. "And from behind them" refers to the worldly life, because it is past in relation to the Hereafter, and because it is perishable, abandoned, and left behind. "And from their right and from their left" refers to their good deeds and their bad deeds. The interpretation of the right as good deeds and the left as bad deeds stems from the practice of placing what is beloved on the right and what is not on the left, as the poet said: "O Buthaynah, did you place me in your right hand so I would rejoice, or did you put me on your left?" Al-Asma'i said: "It is said, 'He is with us on the right,' meaning in a good position, and on the left is the opposite." Under this view, the speech may contain metaphors, allegories, or metonymies.

A parallel to this is what has been said: "From before them" means from where they know and are able to protect themselves; "from behind them" means from where they do not know; "and from their right and their left" means from where it is easy for them to know and protect themselves but they fail to do so due to their lack of vigilance and caution, and from where it is not easy for them to do so.

Some of the sages of Islam said: There are four powers in the human being:

1. The Khayali (imaginative) power, in which perceived things are gathered; its place is the front of the brain, and it is indicated by "from before them."
2. The Wahmi (estimative) power, which judges non-perceptible things with judgments appropriate for perceptible ones; its place is the back of the brain, and it is indicated by "from behind them."
3. The Shahwani (appetitive) power; its place is the liver, which is to the right of the human, and it is indicated by "from their right."
4. The Ghadabi (irascible/angry) power; its place is the heart, which is on the left side, and it is indicated by "from their left." The Shaytan cannot cast whispers without utilizing one of these powers. In my view, this is a type of isharah (allusion), as is evident. Others have said differently.

The verb was connected to the first two (the directions) with the preposition min (from) because it is directed toward them from those sides, and to the latter two with the preposition 'an (from/on), because one who comes from those sides is like one veering away from them or passing by their side. A similar usage is their saying, "I sat 'an (on) his right." Al-Qutb, in explaining this, based his view on what some sages said: min is for connection and 'an is for separation. The effect of the Shaytan on the two powers of the brain is the acquisition of false beliefs—such as polytheism, anthropomorphism, and the denial of attributes—which are imprinted upon and connected to the human soul. In the appetite and anger, the effect is the acquisition of evil deeds; these are separated from the soul and eventually vanish. Thus, he used the connective min for the first two directions and the separative 'an for the latter two. It has also been said that the right and left were specifically paired with 'an because there are two angels there, necessitating the avoidance of those sides, though this view is subject to scrutiny, as is evident.

Some have claimed that the verse serves as evidence that the Accursed one cannot enter the body of the son of Adam and permeate it, for if that were possible, he would have mentioned it in the context of hyperbole. The tradition, "The Shaytan circulates in the son of Adam like blood," is by way of analogy/representation, requiring no literal mention. Reflect on this.

"And You will not find most of them grateful."

That is: obedient. He said this out of conjecture, as was reported from Al-Hasan and Abu Muslim, based on the Almighty’s saying: "And Iblis had already proven true his assumption about them." This is because he saw that the soul has nineteen powers: the five external senses, the five internal senses, the appetitive, the angry, and the seven vegetative powers (attracting, retaining, digesting, expelling, nourishing, growing, and reproductive). All of these call the soul toward the world of bodies, and there is nothing calling toward the world of spirits except one power: the intellect. What can one do against a multitude? "I see a thousand builders cannot suffice against one destroyer; how then with a builder behind whom are a thousand destroyers?"

It is reported from Al-Jubba'i that he heard this from the angels, and thus stated it as a certainty. It is also said that he saw it before the Preserved Tablet.

The verb wajada (found) is either:

1. In the sense of "encountered," in which case it takes one object (aktharahum) while shakirin is a circumstantial qualifier (hal).
2. In the sense of "known," in which case it takes two objects, the second of which is shakirin.

The sentence is either conjoined to that which was sworn upon or it is a new statement (isti'nafiyyah). It was not made a consequence of what preceded because its content is also a result of [human] nature, not merely his misleading. The reason for expressing it as "most of them" is clear.