Tafsir of An-Nahl 16:98

{فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْآنَ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ}

Having mentioned righteous deeds and the promise of reward for them, He connected it with His saying: {So when you recite the Qur’an, seek refuge in Allah}, signaling that seeking refuge is among the righteous deeds for which Allah grants abundant reward.

The meaning is: "When you intend to recite the Qur’an, seek refuge," similar to His saying: {When you rise for prayer, wash your faces} (Al-Ma'idah: 6), and like your saying: "When you eat, mention the name of Allah."

If you ask: Why is the intention to perform an action expressed using the word for the action itself?

I say: Because the action occurs upon the intention and will without delay, and in accordance with it; thus, it is strongly linked to it and has an evident connection.

It is narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him):

"I recited to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: 'I seek refuge in the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing from the accursed Satan.' He said to me: 'O son of Umm ‘Abd, say: A‘ūdhu billāhi min ash-shayṭān ar-rajīm (I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan). This is how Gabriel (peace be upon him) taught it to me, from the Pen, from the Preserved Tablet.'"

{لَيْسَ لَهُ سُلْطَانٌ}

Meaning: He has no authority or dominion over the allies of Allah. This means they do not accept from him, nor do they obey him in what he desires of them regarding following his footsteps.

{إِنَّمَا سُلْطَانُهُ}

Over those who take him as an ally and obey him.

{بِهِ مُشْرِكُونَ}

The pronoun refers to their Lord. It is also permissible for it to refer to Satan, meaning: because of him, his deception, and his whispering.

{وَإِذَا بَدَّلْنَا آيَةً مَّكَانَ آيَةٍ ۙ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يُنَزِّلُ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُفْتَرٍ ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ}