His saying: "And do not follow the footsteps of Satan; indeed, he is to you a clear enemy."

[The first viewpoint]

1502 - My father narrated to me, Hassan ibn 'Abd Allah al-Misri narrated to us, al-Sari ibn Yahya narrated to us, from Sulayman al-Taymi, from Abu Rafi', who said: I became angry with my wife and said: "She is, for a day, a Jew, and for a day, a Christian, and every slave she possesses is free, if my wife is not divorced." So I came to 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar, who said: "This is merely one of the footsteps of Satan." Similarly, Zaynab bint Umm Salamah—who was the most learned woman in Medina at the time—and the daughter of 'Asim ibn 'Umar said the same thing.

[The second viewpoint]

1503 - 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Khalaf ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Himsi narrated to us, Muhammad ibn Shu'ayb narrated to us, Shayban ibn 'Abd al-Rahman narrated to us, Mansur ibn al-Mu'tamir narrated to us, from Abu al-Duha, from Masruq, who said: 'Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud was brought an udder [of an animal] and salt, and he began to eat, but a man from the people refrained. Ibn Mas'ud said: "Offer it to your companion." He said: "I do not want it." He said: "Are you fasting?" He said: "No." He said: "What is the matter with you?" He said: "I have vowed never to eat an udder again." Ibn Mas'ud said: "This is one of the footsteps of Satan, so eat and make expiation for your oath."

[The third viewpoint]

1504 - Abu Sa'id al-Ashajj narrated to us, Abu Khalid narrated to us, from Dawud, from al-Sha'bi regarding a man who vowed to slaughter his son. He said: Masruq gave him a legal opinion, saying: "It is from the footsteps of Satan," and he redeemed him with a ram.

[The fourth viewpoint]

1505 - Hajjaj ibn Hamzah al-Khashshab narrated to us, Shababah narrated to us, Warqa' narrated to us, from Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid regarding His saying: "And do not follow the footsteps of Satan," he said: His strides, or he said: His mistakes.

1506 - Abu 'Abd Allah al-Tehrani narrated to me, Hafs ibn 'Umar informed us, al-Hakam ibn Aban narrated to us, from 'Ikrimah: "The footsteps of Satan," he said: The promptings of Satan.