إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْءَاخِرَةِ زَيَّنَّا لَهُمْ أَعْمَٰلَهُمْ فَهُمْ يَعْمَهُونَ
16:23; 17:11; 34:9.
Commentary:
Elsewhere in the Quran we have: "Satan made all that they did seem fair to them" (6:44) and "And when Satan made their deeds seem fair to them" (8:49). It is clear from these two verses that it is Satan who makes evil and mischievous deeds of evildoers look beautiful in their eyes. But in the verse under comment it is stated that God makes the deeds of disbelievers appear beautiful to them. Thus there seems to be a contradiction between the present verse and vv. 6:44; 8:49. But in reality there is no contradiction because it is a law that if a person pursues an evil course, thinking that he is not accountable for what he does he begins to justify his conduct as good and proper and so it begins to appear to him in that light. This, in fact, is the consequence of his own conduct but inasmuch as it comes about in accordance with a divine law, it is attributed to God, because it is God Who has ordained that disbelief in the Hereafter should result in evil deeds appearing beautiful in the eyes of disbelievers; otherwise God only commends good and righteous deeds and has made disbelief, transgression and disobedience hateful and repugnant (49:8).
16:23; 17:11; 34:9.
From vv. 6:44 and 8:49 it is clear that it is Satan who makes evil and mischievous deeds of evil-doers look beautiful in their eyes. But in the verse under comment it is stated that God makes the deeds of disbelievers appear beautiful to them. It is a natural law that when a person pursues an evil course, thinking that he is not accountable for what he does, he begins to justify his conduct as good and proper, and thus it begins to appear to him in that light. This, in fact, is the consequence of his own conduct but inasmuch as it comes about in accordance with a Divine Law, it is here attributed to God.