AND THUS it is that against every prophet We have set up as enemies the evil forces from among humans as well as from among invisible beings that whisper unto one another glittering half-truths meant to delude the mind.
98 But they could not do this unless thy Sustainer had so willed: stand, therefore, aloof from them and from all their false imagery!
Asad Translation Note Number :
Lit., "embellished speech" or "varnished falsehood" (Lane
III, 1223) "by way of delusion" - i.e., half-truths which
entice man by their deceptive attractiveness and cause
him to overlook all real spiritual values (see also
{25:30-31}). - Regarding my rendering of jinn as
"invisible beings", see note [86] above and Appendix III.
The term shayatin (lit., "satans"), on the other hand, is
often used in the Qur'an in the sense of evil forces
inherent in man as well as in the spiritual world (cf.
2:14 , and the corresponding note). According to several
well-authenticated Traditions, quoted by Tabari, the
Prophet was asked, "Are there satans from among men?" -
and he replied, "Yes, and they are more evil than the
satans from among the invisible beings (al-jinn)." Thus,
the meaning of the above verse is that every prophet has
had to contend against the spiritual - and often physical
- enmity of the evil ones who, for whatever reason,
refuse to listen to the voice of truth and try to lead
others astray.