Context from Tafheem: Having vividly described the eternal regret of those who followed false gods and leaders into Hellfire, the discourse now turns to address all of humanity with a fundamental command. It calls people to abandon the corrupt practices and prohibitions invented by misguided leaders and to partake freely and lawfully of the pure provisions God has created.

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سورة البقرة (Surah Al-Baqarah)

آية 168

القرآن: يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ كُلُوا مِمَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ حَلَالًا طَيِّبًا وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ ۚ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ
Translation: O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth [that is] lawful and good and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.

Explanation (Tafheemul Quran):
Maududi explains that this is a universal address (“O mankind”) breaking all barriers of nation or creed. It contains a positive command and a negative warning.

1. The Positive Command:
   · “Eat from whatever is on earth…”: This grants a general permission for all wholesome things God has provided. It asserts the original principle: the gifts of creation are for human benefit.
   · “…[that is] lawful (halalan) and good (tayyiban)…”: This sets the two conditions. Halal means permitted by divine law (not prohibited like carrion, blood, pork, etc.). Tayyib means wholesome, pure, and obtained through legitimate means (not through theft, fraud, or usury). This connects material consumption to moral and spiritual purity.
2. The Negative Warning:
   · “…and do not follow the footsteps of Satan.” Maududi states that Satan’s “footsteps” include all the ways he leads humanity astray. In this context, it refers specifically to:
   · Declaring the lawful (halal) as forbidden (haram) without divine authority.
   · Encouraging indulgence in the impure and unlawful.
   · Instigating extravagance, wastefulness, and ingratitude for God’s provisions.
   · “…Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.” This reminds humanity that Satan’s goal is their ruin. Following his suggestions in matters of consumption and morality is to side with an open adversary against one’s own well-being.

آية 169

القرآن: إِنَّمَا يَأْمُرُكُم بِالسُّوءِ وَالْفَحْشَاءِ وَأَن تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
Translation: He only orders you to evil and immorality and to say about Allah what you do not know.

Explanation (Tafheemul Quran):
This verse details the specific nature of Satan’s commands, explaining what “following his footsteps” entails:

1. “He only orders you to evil (al-su’)…”: This refers to all forms of sin, corruption, and wrongdoing that harm oneself and society.
2. “…and immorality (al-fahsha’)…”: This denotes particularly shameful, obscene, and lewd acts that violate public decency and modesty.
3. “…and to say about Allah what you do not know.”: Maududi emphasizes this as the gravest of Satan’s prompts. It includes:
   · Inventing lies about God: Attributing false sons or partners to Him.
   · Fabricating religious laws: Declaring things lawful or forbidden without divine proof, which is a form of speaking on God’s behalf without knowledge. This was a common practice of pagan priests and Jewish rabbis criticized earlier in the surah.
   · Superstition and baseless rituals: Attributing false powers or divine sanctions to invented practices.

Maududi concludes that this verse exposes Satan’s strategy. He not only pushes people toward blatant sin but, more insidiously, corrupts religion itself by encouraging people to legislate in God’s name without revelation. This leads to the oppression of human conscience and the burdening of people with man-made restrictions on God’s lawful provisions—the very opposite of the permission granted in verse 168.

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Summary from Tafheemul Quran Perspective (Verses 168-169):

These two verses establish a core Islamic principle for human life:

1. Freedom within Divine Limits: Humanity is granted a wide range of permissible, good things to enjoy. The default position is permissibility, not restriction.
2. War against Artificial Restrictions: They condemn the human tendency (inspired by Satan) to create unnecessary religious taboos and burdens, and to mix pure provision with immorality.
3. The Comprehensive Enemy: Satan is identified as the source of both moral depravity and religious corruption. True well-being requires rejecting his whispers in both spheres—by avoiding clear sins and by not speaking about religion without divine knowledge.
   This passage liberates the believer’s mindset: live a life of grateful, lawful enjoyment of God’s blessings, free from self-imposed or culturally imposed shackles that have no basis in divine revelation.