Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 17 Al-Isra, Ayat 47-47

نَحۡنُ اَعۡلَمُ بِمَا يَسۡتَمِعُوۡنَ بِهٖۤ اِذۡ يَسۡتَمِعُوۡنَ اِلَيۡكَ وَاِذۡ هُمۡ نَجۡوٰٓى اِذۡ يَقُوۡلُ الظّٰلِمُوۡنَ اِنۡ تَتَّبِعُوۡنَ اِلَّا رَجُلًا مَّسۡحُوۡرًا‏  ﴿17:47﴾

(17:47) We are well aware of what they wish to hear when they listen to you and what they say when they confer in whispers, when the wrong-doers say: "You are only following one who is bewitched."53

Notes

53. This refers to those devices which they conspired against the message of the Prophet (peace be upon him). They would secretly listen to him, and then hold consultations in order to counteract this. Sometimes it so happened that they suspected that someone had been influenced by the Quran. Then they would sit together and try to dissuade him, saying: How is it that you have been influenced by a person who himself is bewitched by some enemy and talks like this?