The Quran

121

وَلا تَأكُلوا مِمّا لَم يُذكَرِ اسمُ اللَّهِ عَلَيهِ وَإِنَّهُ لَفِسقٌ ۗ وَإِنَّ الشَّياطينَ لَيوحونَ إِلىٰ أَولِيائِهِم لِيُجادِلوكُم ۖ وَإِن أَطَعتُموهُم إِنَّكُم لَمُشرِكونَ

Muhammad Asad

Hence, eat not of that over which God's name has not been pronounced: for this would be sinful conduct indeed. And, verily, the evil impulses [within men's hearts] whisper unto those who have made them their own¹ that they should involve you in argument [as to what is and what is not a sin]; and ifyou pay heed unto them, lo! you will become [like] those who ascribe divinity to other beings or forces beside God.²

Lit., "the satans whisper unto those who are near to them (ila awliya'ihim)". For my above rendering of shayatin as "evil impulses", see note 10 on 2:14 and note 31 on 14:22.
I.e., "your own evil impulses are trying to draw you into argument as to what does and what does not constitute a sin in order to make you lose sight of God's clear ordinances in this respect; and if you follow their arbitrary, deceptive reasoning, you will elevate them, as it were, to the position of moral law-givers, and thus ascribe to them a right that belongs to God alone."