Transliteration:( Yaaa ayyuhal lazeena aamanud khuloo fis silmi kaaaffatanw wa laa tattabi'oo khutuwaatish Shaitaan; innahoo lakum 'aduwwum mubeen )
208. O you who believe! Enter into Islam as a whole [482] and do not follow the footsteps [483] of the devil. Surely, he is your open enemy [484].
This verse was revealed regarding Hazrat Abdullah ibn Salaam, a former Jewish leader who, after accepting Islam, continued avoiding camel meat, thinking it was still preferred to do so.
🔹 Allah revealed this verse to clarify that Islam must be accepted fully, without giving priority to the rules of any previous religion.
🔹 A complete believer is one who fully adopts the commands of Islam.
Actions like shaving the beard, or imitating non-believers’ clothing, weaken Islamic identity.
🔹 Islam requires a complete internal and external transformation.
🔹 Just like one wouldn’t drink pure water from a filthy glass, the Qur’an should not be read while imitating the appearance of disbelievers.
🔹 Imitating other religions is akin to following the devil’s path.
Since Shaytan is a clear enemy, copying religious practices of others is falling into his trap.
🔹 Examples include:
Avoiding camel meat out of Jewish reverence
Skipping cow sacrifice to please Hindus
Reducing or stopping Azaan in mixed areas
All these are serious sins, as they show preference for other beliefs over Islam, which pleases Shaytan.
The tafsir of Surah Baqarah verse 207 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Baqarah ayat 204 which provides the complete commentary from verse 204 through 207.
(2:208) Believers! Enter wholly into Islam[226] and do not follow in the footsteps of Satan for he is your open enemy.
226. God demands that man should submit, without reservation, the whole of his being to His will. Man’s outlook, intellectual pursuits, behaviour, interaction with other people and modes of endeavour should all be completely subordinate to Islam. God does not accept the splitting up of human life into separate compartments, some governed by the teachings of Islam and others exempt.
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