|
THE SWORN ENEMY OF MANKIND
Whoever you may be, there is an enemy who is a devoted threat to you,
who wishes for you eternal torment, having dedicated his whole existence
to that end. That enemy is Satan. That is, Satan whom Allah cursed and
expelled from His presence. He is your greatest foe. Nor is he a mere
myth or legend, but a real being.
He has been in existence throughout human history. Millions who lived
and died have succumbed to his wiles and been thrown into the flames,
and continue to do so. He makes no distinctions among his victims: young
or old, male or female, a head of state or beggar... He is against all
human beings.
He is watching from afar and hatching his plots, even as you are reading
this text. He has but one desire: to lure you, and as many people as possible,
to Hell.
For him to succeed in his aim, it is not necessary that he succeed in
tempting people to worship him, or to engage in outrageous acts of perversions.
Neither does he necessarily wish to lead people to deny Allah. He himself
has not done so. His only wish is to keep human beings away from the truth
of the religion of Allah, as espoused in the Qur'an; to prevent them from
worshipping Allah sincerely; and, as a result, to ensure they will ultimately
have been doomed to eternal torment. Even, at times, by employing the
guise of piety, he will make reference to the name of Allah, that he may
lead people astray from the truth of the religion. That ruse alone is
sufficient for him to drag people with him into the pit of Hell. And,
no matter what means he employs, that is the inevitable end for those
who choose to follow him:
It is written of him that if anyone takes him as a confidant, he will
mislead him and guide him to the punishment of the Searing Blaze. (Surat
al-Hajj, 4)
Iblis' Rebellion Against Allah
In the Qur'an, "Satan" is the term applied to those beings who will strive
until the Last Day to divert mankind from the path of Allah. The ancestor
of all these satans is Iblis, the one who originally rebelled against
Allah, at the time of the creation of the Prophet Adam (as).
According to the Qur'an, when Allah had created the Prophet Adam (as),
he commanded the angels to prostrate themselves before him. Iblis, though,
who was one of the jinn, refused to bow before Adam (as). Rather, he insisted
that he was superior to this human being, a disobedience and great insolence
for which he was finally expelled from the presence of Allah.*
However, before departing from Allah's presence, he requested a respite,
a period of time in which he could lead human beings astray, into error
as he was himself. Thus, Allah allotted him the time until the Day of
Judgment to pursue his plot. It was then that his war against mankind
began. Allah related these developments in the Qur'an as follows:
We created you and then formed you and then We said to the angels, "Prostrate
before Adam," and they prostrated-except for Iblis. He was not among those
who prostrated. [Allah] said, "What prevented you from prostrating when
I commanded you to?" He [Iblis] replied, "I am better than him. You created
me from fire and You created him from clay." He [Allah] said, "Descend
from Heaven. It is not for you to be arrogant in it. So get out! You are
one of the abased." He [Iblis] said, "Grant me a reprieve until the day
they are raised up." He [Allah] said, "You are one of the reprieved."
He [Iblis] said, "By Your misguidance of me, I will lie in ambush for
them on your straight path." [Iblis said,] "Then I will come at them,
from in front of them and behind them, from their right and from their
left. You will not find most of them thankful." He [Allah] said, "Get
out of it, reviled and driven out. As for those of them who follow you,
I will fill up Hell with every one of you." (Surat al-A`raf, 11-18)
Therefore, after having been expelled from Allah's presence, Iblis entered
upon his struggle. He insinuated himself among humanity that he might
deceive them and cause them to go astray. His first ruse was to mislead
the Prophet Adam (as) and his wife, then abiding in Paradise, succeeding
in tempting them to rebel against Allah. This occurrence, at the dawn
of human history, is here described in the Qur'an:
[Allah said,] "Adam, live in the Garden, you and
your wife, and eat of it wherever you like. But do not go near this tree
lest you become wrongdoers." Then Satan whispered to them, disclosing
to them their private parts that had been concealed from them. He said,
"Your Lord has only forbidden you this tree that you not become like the
angels or achieve immortality." He [Satan] swore to them, "I am a sincere
counselor to you." So he enticed them to commit the act by means of deception.
Then, when they tasted of the tree, their private parts were disclosed
to them, and they began to stitch together leaves of the Garden that they
may cover themselves. Their Lord called out to them, "Did I not forbid
you this tree and say to you, 'Satan is an avowed enemy to you?' " They
said, "Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves. If you do not forgive us and
have mercy on us, we will be among the deceived." He said, "Go out from
here as enemies to each other! You will live on Earth and have enjoyment
for a time." He said, "On it you will live, and on it die, and from it
you will be brought forth." (Surat al-A`raf, 19-25)
The Prophet Adam (as) had repented to Allah and was forgiven by Him.
Nevertheless, Iblis continued with his war on humanity. As is revealed
in the Qur'an, in Surat al-MaŽida, Satan also deceived one of the Prophet
Adam's (as) two sons, causing him to kill his brother. (Surat al-MaŽida,
27)
From that time onward, Iblis has deceived a great many people, luring
them into his ranks. He has also many supporters from among jinn. The
jinn who followed him have also set out, as he, to insinuate themselves
among humans, in order to lead them astray and to cause doubt in their
hearts (Surat an-Nas, 4). These jinns, as well as the human beings who
also follow Iblis, have given him the title "Satan." (The root of the
Arabic word "Shaytan" means, "to be far removed," and is a title for every
impetuous and rebellious creature who has been expelled from the presence
of Allah.)
For that reason, "Satan," mankind's worst enemy, is rather a legion of
jinns and human beings, under the leadership of Iblis. These jinns and
human beings seek to cause humanity to stray onto that path they themselves
have strayed onto, the path of Iblis. Because the jinns among the satans
are invisible, they can approach humans without their being aware of it,
and place thoughts in their minds that may cause them to turn from the
path of truth. Human satans, on the other hand, move about openly among
the people, fomenting suggestions with the intent of leading them into
error. Moreover, as such a person may be one regarded as a close personal
friend, he may also be a "man of ideas," widely respected in society.
Believers are taught the following prayer in the Qur'an, to protect them
from this danger:
Say: "I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind, the King of mankind, the
God of mankind, from the evil of the insidious whisperer who whispers
in people's breasts, from among the jinn and mankind." (Surat an-Nas,
1-6)
Because Satan is a foe with the ability to approach man so deceptively,
all need to take especial care in order to avoid him. The first precondition
in this regard is to acknowledge Satan's existence. Once this point is
recognized, we can then consider Satan's purpose to be founded on the
most peculiar and incongruent form of logic. At the root of his logic,
subsequently employed by all those who follow in his footsteps, is pride
and arrogance.
Satan's Peculiar Logic
The reason for Iblis' rebellion against Allah is set out in the Qur'an
with the following account:
He said, "What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you to?"
He [Iblis] replied, "I am better than him. You created me from fire, and
You created him from clay." (Surat al-A`raf, 12)
Iblis refused to bow before a human being because he regarded himself
as superior. However, the premise on which he bases that rejection is
unfounded, and refers to superficial criteria. He maintains that he was
created from fire, while man is from clay, implying that the former is
superior in substance to the latter. In other words, the entire basis
of his arrogance is founded on the supposed physical difference in composition
between the two substances. The fact is, however, that Allah created both
man and Iblis, whatever the material. It is completely irrational, and
astounding impudence, that a created being would rebel against the command
of its Creator, by claiming the substance from which it was created to
be superior to another, though also created by the same Creator. However,
the extreme envy Iblis felt towards man, as well as the false sense of
his own superiority, prevented him from perceiving that fact, causing
him to rebel against Allah's command, for having insisted on a mere physical
difference. Iblis' errant notions can be further discerned from other
portions of the Qur'an, where he is referred to as regarding himself special
and superior:
He said, "I will not bow before a human being whom You have created out
of dried clay formed from putrid black mud." (Surat al-Hijr, 33)
Iblis does not deny that Allah created him. That is not the cause of
his rebellion. On the contrary, he himself admits that it was Allah Who
had created him. However, by insisting instead, "I am imbued with greater
potential than a human being; you created me from fire and him from mud,"
he is afflicted, clearly, with pride. There is absolutely nothing logical
in his rebellious stance before Allah.
Another verse which reveals Iblis' defective logic reads as follows:
When We said to the angels, "Bow before Adam!" they all bowed, except
Iblis. He said "What! Am I to prostrate to one You have created out of
clay?" (Surat al-IsraŽ, 61)
The last verse clearly shows Iblis' impudence and delusion. The elevation
of the Prophet Adam (as)'s status, by which Iblis considered himself slighted,
because of not wanting to humble himself before any other, led him to
this terrible jealousy. Thus he became disobedient towards Allah:
He said, "Iblis, what prevented you prostrating to what I created with
My own Hands? Were you overcome by arrogance or are you one of the exalted?"
He [Satan] said, "I am better than he. You created me from fire, but You
created him from clay." (Surah Sad, 75-76)
The evil considerations behind Iblis' refusal to bow before the Prophet
Adam (as) is also observable among all those who refuse to accept the
word of Allah, in other words, among the human satans. These are people
who have rejected the prophets, humans just like themselves, though messengers
of Allah. They insisted instead that there ought to be some superiority
evident in anyone they should receive as a messenger of Allah, claiming
such superiority needed to be based on political or material power. An
example of such demands can be found among the unbelievers from the time
of the Prophet Muhammad (saas). According to the Qur'an:
They say, "Why was this Qur'an not sent down to one of the more powerful
men from the two cities?" (Surat az-Zukhruf, 31)
Alternatively, unbelievers also demanded to witness proof of supernatural
power through some miracle in order to believe in the messenger. Several
examples of such demands are related in the Qur'an:
They say, "We will not believe you until you make a spring gush out from
the earth for us; or have a garden of dates and grapes which you make
rivers come pouring through. Or make the sky, as you claim, fall down
on us in lumps; or bring Allah and the angels here as a guarantee; or
possess a house built out of gleaming gold; or ascend up into heaven-and
even then we will not believe in your ascent unless you bring us down
a book to read!" Say: "Glory be to my Lord! Am I anything but a human
messenger?" (Surat al-IsraŽ, 90-93)
This is a point those who opposed the messengers and waged war against
them were unable to accept. Unbelievers are unable to accept a normal
human being like themselves as having been imparted the role of messenger.
This envy and haughty rebellion is founded on the same perverted belief
as Iblis' when he refused to prostrate himself before the Prophet Adam
(as). The following verse refers to the way in which most people have
been unable to find the path to salvation, for just that reason:
Nothing prevents people from believing when guidance comes to them but
the fact that they say, "Has Allah sent a human being as Messenger?" (Surat
al-IsraŽ, 94)
A curious enigma governs Iblis' rebellion. Iblis is an entity possessed
of knowledge, having himself witnessed to the existence of Allah. He has
knowledge of the angels, and is cognizant of man's creation. He is also
aware of Allah's greatness and might, as well as of the torment of Hell.
The mystery of the illogic of Iblis, and of all those who follow him,
is in their propensity to oppose the commandments of Allah, thereby becoming
unbelievers, despite first-hand knowledge of the existence and oneness
of Allah. This is a most puzzling phenomenon. With such knowledge available,
Iblis should have been of the most profound faith. His degree of awareness
should lead him to be eternally obedient and reverent to Allah. Yet, Iblis
embarked on a course of action that not even the person least aware of
such facts would have been courageous enough to do.
The mystery of Iblis' irrationality does not end there. Despite committing
a sin so great as to incite others to deny Allah, he nevertheless admits
to fearing Him. This indicates a particularly diseased pattern of thought:
They are like Satan when he says to a human being, "Disbelieve,"
and then when he disbelieves, says, "I wash my hands of you. Truly I fear
Allah, the Lord of all the worlds." (Surat al-Hashr, 16)
Another verse reveals that, after Satan had incited the unbelievers against
the believers, he then abandoned them, then confessing to his fear of
Allah:
When Satan made their actions appear good to them, saying, "No one will
overcome you today for I am at your side." But when the two parties came
in sight of one another, he turned right round on his heels saying, "I
wash my hands of you. I see what you do not see. I fear Allah. Allah is
severe in retribution." (Surat al-Anfal, 48)
On the one hand, Iblis admits to the existence of Allah, and to His infinite
might and wisdom, yet, on the other, knowingly rebels against Him, being
an extreme contradiction.
Similarly, all who reject the commandments of Allah, as revealed in the
Qur'an, interpreting His commands according to his personal desires, or
seeks to demonstrate that the divine law is invalid, is guilty of the
same error as Iblis. Like Iblis, they are aware of the existence of Allah,
but fall into exactly the same failure of logic as he.
Due to his disobedience, Iblis was disgraced and ultimately expelled
from his place in the presence of Allah. Iblis, who rebelled out of pride
and arrogance, was humiliated in a way so distasteful to his character.
Therefore, before leaving Allah's presence, he requests Allah to be allotted
a specific a period of time. He does not demand such a period that he
may seek Allah's forgiveness, to turn back towards Him and express his
repentance. Rather, his aim is to ignorantly seek retribution by dragging
as many as he can into the same humiliation.
Thus it was that Satan's animosity and war against mankind was incepted.
However, it must not be forgotten that Allah created Satan, with all these
propensities, and that he is a factor under our Lord's command. In other
words, Satan has no power independent from Allah. Nevertheless, according
to the deviant belief, widespread due the ignorance of today's societies,
a power struggle exists between Satan and Allah. Therefore, according
to this opinion, when Satan manages to turn people away from the true
path, he will have gained the victory over Allah (Allah is surely beyond
that).
The truth is, however, that Satan is only able to carry out all that
he does by the permission of Allah. Due this same fact, though, Satan
is at times able to influence a great majority of human beings. Yet, he
can do nothing without Allah's leave. The period of time requested by
Satan, that is, the respite granted by Allah, is related as follows in
the Qur'an:
"He [Satan] said, "My Lord, grant me a reprieve until
the Day they are raised again." He [Allah] said, "You are among the reprieved."
(Surat al-Hijr, 36-37)
In another verse, the respite accorded to Satan is described as follows:
He [Satan] said, "Do you see this creature you have honored over me?
If You reprieve me till the Day of Rising, I will be the master of his
descendants except for a very few." He [Allah] said, "Go! And as for any
who follow you, your repayment is Hell, repayment in full!" (Surat al-IsraŽ,
62-63)
As can be discerned from these verses, Satan acts under within the confines
of the will of Allah. He is aware that Allah is the Lord of the Worlds.
Indeed, while declaring that he will insinuate suggestions into human
beings, Satan swears on the greatness of Allah:
He [Satan] said, "By Your might, I will mislead all of them." (Surah
Sad, 82)
Before expelling Satan from His presence, Allah announced the following:
"Stir up any of them you can with your voice and rally against them your
cavalry and your infantry and share with them in their children and their
wealth and make them promises! The promise of Satan is nothing but delusion."
(Surat al-IsraŽ, 64)
In the pages that follow, we shall examine the tactics which, by Allah's
permission, Satan employs. However, there is one key point which ought
not to be forgotten:
Satan has no power beyond that granted to him by Allah. Satan's function
is to be a means whereby human beings destined for Hell end up in the
place appointed for them. Those who follow Satan are unworthy of Allah's
Paradise, being morally lower even than animals. Allah reveals this truth
in the verses of His Book:
We created many of the jinn and mankind for Hell. They have hearts they
do not understand with. They have eyes they do not see with. They have
ears they do not hear with. Such people are like cattle. No, they are
even further astray! They are the unaware. (Surat al-A`raf, 179)
In addition, Satan has no influence over those devout servants of Allah.
Because Allah prevents it, Satan's influence is incapable of diverting
believers from the true path. Allah protects those of His servants who
devote themselves to Him, and who do not deify others besides Him, from
the perverting effects of Satan.
He [Satan] has no authority over those who believe and
put their trust in their Lord. (Surat an-Nahl, 99)
The Prophet Muhammad (saas) stated the same, and further warned the Muslims,
in his Last Sermon, of the insidious snares of Satan:
Beware of Satan, for the sake of your religion. He has lost all hope
that he will ever be able to lead you astray in grave issues, so beware
of following him in minor aspects. (Sahih Bukhari)
In conclusion, like all other beings, Satan has been charged with a role
by Allah. That role is to be a means by which the believers, whom Allah
has created for His Paradise, and others, created for Hell, may be distinguished
from each another. Therefore, this means serves as a purging. Those with
diseased or corrupt hearts are kept from or separated from the believers,
by means of Satan. A verse of the Qur'an has revealed that Satan's influence
will effect only the following sort of people:
[It is] so that He can make what Satan insinuates a trial for those with
sickness in their hearts and for those whose hearts are hard-the wrongdoers
are entrenched in hostility. (Surat al-Hajj, 53)
Furthermore, the difficulties which Satan seeks to inflict upon believers
also offer an opportunity by which they may draw closer to Allah in this
world, and increase their faith:
And [it is] so that those who have been given knowledge will know it
is the truth from their Lord and believe in it and their hearts will be
humbled to Him. Allah guides those who believe to a straight path. (Surat
al-Hajj, 54)
|
