The Almighty described the state of messengers and prophets (ptt) to us when He revealed that when humanity enters into His Presence, they derive the power of mercy from being in this situation. So, the prophets were the most merciful towards creation due to their unceasing existence in God’s Presence. A prophet wishes people to be guided out of compassion for them.
God says: “Every time we sent an envoy or an apostle before you (Mohammad), and this envoy or apostle had a wish, the devil would throw (suspicion) into their wish, but Al’lah duplicates what the devil throws in, and Al’lah confirms His own revelations: Al’lah is Omniscient and Wise. (He acts thus) that He may render Satan’s insinuations a temptation for those who hold a disease in their hearts and whose hearts have been hardened. Certainly, wrongdoers are distant (from Al’lah) and in opposition (to the truth). And (He acts thus) that those to whom knowledge has been given may learn that it (the Qur’an) is the truth from your Provider, and thus their hearts may be made humbly open to it and they will believe in it. Al’lah will surely guide those who believe to the straight path.”
The Holy Qur’an,
Fortress 22, Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage), verse 52-54
“Every time we sent an envoy or an apostle before you (Mohammed), and this envoy or apostle had a wish…”: this means that any such an envoy or apostle would have had a wish, which was to guide people, and so the Almighty only sends apostles if they wish to lead people to the right path. This desire comes out of the tenderness, mercy, and clemency towards creation that their spirit acquires by their closeness to God. Had our master Mohammad (cpth) not had such worthiness and a high claim, he would not have been charged with His mission.
God described His messenger by saying that he was “…one who is solicitous over you and who is clement and merciful to true believers.”
The Holy Qur’an,
Fortress 9, At-Tawba (Repentance), verse 128
When people draw near to their Provider wholeheartedly, they will derive mercy from Him that makes them wish to guide people. So, each messenger and apostle wanted to show people the right way. This was due to the sympathy and the compassion their hearts had towards all of creation.
Therefore, the wish of the messenger (cpth) was to reach people’s hearts to give them guidance and for their own happiness, just as a lenient mother wishes nothing for her children except their safety and pleasure.
But whenever a messenger begins to show people the right way, the devil comes and creates suspicions within them.
“…the devil would throw (suspicion) into their wish…”: that is, he whispers in the heart of the person whom the messenger wants to guide. Guiding people is the aim of the messenger (cpth), but the devil approaches these people and sends his whispers into their hearts;
“…but Al’lah duplicates what the devil throws in …”: that is, the Almighty shows a copy of the devil’s insinuations to the messenger so that they can be refuted for the truthful disciple. The Almighty shows this disciple the truth through their entering into His presence (glory to Him) and makes them witness the reality of what the devil has whispered;
“…and Al’lah confirms His own revelations...”: in this way, the apostle clarifies the truth logically so that doubts vanish, and perfection, what is right, and the true interpretation take their place in the spirit of this disciple;
And “…Al’lah confirms His own revelations…”: here referring to the true call in the heart of the truthful man who really seeks to know the truth;
“…Al’lah is Omniscient…”: of creation;
“…and Wise.”: meaning that He gives each one what is appropriate for them. Due to His scientific knowledge of the truth of any person, He copies what insinuations the devil creates;
“that He may render Satan’s insinuations a temptation for those who hold a disease in their hearts …”: and the Almighty does that in order to excise the wickedness that exists in their spirits so that they may really repent after this treatment and become believers;
“…and whose hearts have been hardened…”: in reference to those whose hearts do not relent when they are reminded of God.
“…Certainly, the wrongdoers are distant and in opposition…”: their saying is illogical. They always oppose the messenger, Mohammad (cpth), due to the lusts that exist in their spirits, and the love of this world that dwells in their hearts. The oppressors become far from their Creator, because of the bad deeds they have committed. They obeyed Satan instead of Al’lah, so they became far from Him; they became misled and strayed from the right way and deprived themselves from happiness and nearness to God.
“…those to whom knowledge has been given may learn that it (the Qur’an) is the truth from your Provider, and thus their hearts may be made humbly open to it and they will believe in it. Al’lah will surely guide those who believe to the straight path”: if a person thinks of their beginning and their end and realizes that there is no God except Al’lah, they will ascertain that the prophet’s sayings are really derived from God’s, in the same way that they will know that the devil’s whispering is actually a kind of goodness and mercy, as it alerts the believer and drives out the malice from the spirits of those who oppose from afar.
But if man neglects his thinking, his situation will become critical.
There is always an angel calling you like so: “You, man or woman! Think of your origin. You were but semen that was created from fruit.”
The believer’s heart will be quelled; i.e. they will feel calm and reassured, so that they surrender to God because they see that all His actions include nothing other than goodness; and surely He will guide them to the path of righteousness.
Thus, the devil’s intention is viperous, but the Almighty fulfills it for him in a way that leads to goodness. He makes the devil’s insinuations into a cure for wicked spiritual ailments. For this whisper is a means that helps in bringing out the evil that exists in the spirit of this person who is in opposition, who is ill-hearted and far from God, and who is hardhearted. It allows them to be transformed by what wrongdoings they commit. After that, they will be subject to treatment; that is, after the evilness comes out of their spirits, there will be medicine and bitter treatment for them.
So the devil’s deed is like a laxative which takes the malice out of the sick spirit.
Accordingly, ‘duplication’ here means ‘copying’ and ‘confirmation’. For the believer, it is done to make them firm of belief, so that they rush to do what is right and fair; but for the malicious one who is in opposition, it serves to clear out the field of his spirit, healing it of its malignancy so that treatment becomes possible thereafter.