Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:168

The Order to eat the Lawful Things, and the Prohibition of following the Footsteps of Shaytan After Allah stated that there is no deity worthy of worship except Him and that He Alone created the creation, He stated that;

يا أيها الناس كلوا مما في اﻻرض حﻼﻻ طيبا وﻻ تتبعوا خطوات الشيطان

O mankind! Eat of that which is lawful and good on the earth, and follow not the footsteps of Shaytan (Satan). Allah stated that He is the Sustainer for all His creation, and He mentioned a favor that He granted them; He has allowed them to eat any of the pure lawful things on the earth that do not cause harm to the body or the mind. He also forbade them from following the footsteps of Shaytan, meaning his ways and methods with which he misguides his followers, like prohibiting the Bahirah (a she-camel whose milk was spared for the idols and nobody was allowed to milk it), or Sa'ibah (a she-camel let loose for free pasture for the idols and nothing was allowed to be carried on it), or a Wasilah (a she-camel set free for idols because it has given birth to a she-camel at its first delivery and then again gives birth to a she-camel at its second delivery), and all of the other things that Shaytan made attractive to them during the time of Jahiliyyah. Muslim recorded Iyad bin Himar saying that Allah's Messenger said that Allah the Exalted says,

إن كل مال منحته عبادي فهو لهم حﻼل وفيه وإني خلقت عبادي حنفاء فجاءتهم الشياطين فاجتالتهم عن دينهم وحرمت عليهم ما أحللت لهم

`Every type of wealth I have endowed My servants is allowed for them...' (until), `I have created My servants Hunafa' (pure or upright), but the devils came to them and led them astray from their (true) religion and prohibited them from what I allowed for them.' Allah said:

إنه لكم عدو مبين

he is to you an open enemy. warning against Satan. Allah said in another instance:

إن الشيطن لكم عدو فاتخذوه عدوا إنما يدعو حزبه ليكونوا من أصحب السعير

Surely, Shaytan is an enemy to you, so take (treat) him as an enemy. He only invites his Hizb (followers) that they may become the dwellers of the blazing Fire. (35:6) and,

أفتتخذونه وذريته أولياء من دونى وهم لكم عدو بيس للظلمين بدﻻ

Will you then take him (Iblis) and his offspring as protectors and helpers rather than Me while they are enemies to you! What an evil is the exchange for the Zalimin (polytheists, and wrongdoers, etc). (18:50) Qatadah and As-Suddi commented on what Allah said:

وﻻ تتبعوا خطوات الشيطان

(...and follow not the footsteps of Shaytan (Satan), Every act of disobedience to Allah is among the footsteps of Satan. Abd bin Humayd reported that Ibn Abbas said: "Any vow or oath that one makes while angry, is among the footsteps of Shaytan and its expiation is that of the vow. '' Allah's statement:

إنما يٲمركم بالسوء والفحشاء وأن تقولوا على الله ما ﻻ تعلمون