Don't drift away!
Whispers and numerous fantasies assail a person day and night; he is surprised by some and rejects others. What causes a person’s imaginings to rise and fall? What deprives him of peace and stability? Why do dark thoughts come to us, and why do disturbing dreams visit us, ruining our rest and spoiling our lives?
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The accursed Satan is the affliction and trial that looms over humanity. Satan promises humans ruin and destruction, and a bleak future, while reminding them of a painful past. He ruins their present joyful moments, turning happiness into sorrow and hope into pain, thereby increasing the misery of Adam’s children. He rejoices when he disturbs their sleep, keeping them awake at night so they cannot rest, and unsettling them during the day so they find no peace. He corrupts people’s livelihoods: he causes one man to divorce his wife, drives another away from his friend, plunges a third into financial loss, makes a son disobey his parents so he fails in life, causes a manager to oppress his employees so he fails in his duties, and prevents a wealthy person from giving to the poor so he fails in his endeavors.
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Allah, the Exalted, says: “Satan promises you poverty and orders you to immorality, while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty. And Allah is all-Encompassing, All-Knowing.”
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said in a hadith narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas’ud: “Satan has a whispering for the son of Adam, and the angels have a whispering. As for the whispering of Satan, it is incitement to evil and denial of the truth. As for the whispering of the angels, it is incitement to good and affirmation of the truth. So whoever finds that, let him know it is from Allah, and let him praise Allah. And whoever finds the other, let him seek refuge in Allah from Satan.”
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Satan is tasked with corrupting the land and its people. He never rests, so we do not find relief from him, nor does he tire, so people do not find respite from his evil.
Satan comes to the worshipper in his place of prayer and leads him astray. He comes to the grateful person in his gratitude and causes him to deny Allah’s favors. He comes to the wealthy person regarding his wealth and makes him greedy and stingy. He comes to the person who is dutiful to his parents and makes him disobedient and harsh.
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Speaking of Satan makes you uneasy and your limbs tremble. For whom you speak sees you, and whom you write about hears you. Allah, the Exalted, says: “Indeed, he [Satan] sees you, he and his tribe, from where you do not see them. Indeed, We have made the devils allies to those who do not believe.” Mujahid explained: “Jinn and devils.”
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Satan is more knowledgeable than us and better informed. He was once more devoted to worship than us, but he deviated, disobeyed, and became arrogant. He compared his creation to that of Adam, and his skewed scales tipped in favor of his superiority over Adam. He said: “What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?” He replied: “I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay.”
Then, when he was expelled from the mercy and pleasure of Allah, he asked for respite not to repent, but to make the children of Adam taste the bitterness of being expelled from Allah’s mercy and pleasure. He said: “He said, ‘My Lord, then reprieve me until the Day they are resurrected.’ [Allah] said, ‘So you are of those reprieved until the Day of the Time Well Known.’ [Satan] said, ‘My Lord, because You have put me in error, I will surely make [disobedience] attractive to them on earth, and I will mislead them all. Except for Your chosen servants among them.’ [Allah] said, ‘This is a path upon Me straight. Then come to them from before them and from behind them and from their right and from their left. And You will not find most of them grateful.’”
Ibn Abbas explained regarding the verse: “Then come to them from before them and from behind them and from their right and from their left”: “As for ‘from before them,’ it means from their good deeds. As for ‘from behind them,’ it means the affairs of their Hereafter. As for ‘from their right,’ it means from their good deeds. As for ‘from their left,’ it means from their bad deeds.”
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Satan threatens the children of Adam with the tools and means at his disposal, as well as his experience and knowledge. The capabilities and potential of human beings are limited. Had it not been for Allah’s grace, the path would have led us astray. Had it not been for His mercy toward us, the waves would have swept us away. Therefore, we must cling to supplication, hope, and asking Allah, the Exalted, to keep us upon the true religion and not deviate from the straight path. Allah, the Exalted, says regarding the one who was saved and entered Paradise: “And if not for the favor of my Lord upon me, I would have been among the detained.” Ibn Kathir explained: “Meaning, had it not been for Allah’s grace upon me, I would have been like you in the depth of Hell, where you are, detained with you in punishment. But He favored [me], showed me mercy, guided me to faith, and directed me to His Oneness.”
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When you understand, you will know. And when you know, you must realize that Satan, despite his strength, is weak; despite his knowledge, he is ignorant; and despite his dominance, he is under the sovereignty of Allah, the Exalted. Allah, the Exalted, says: “Indeed, his authority is only over those who take him as a friend and those who are associates with him.” Mujahid explained: “They obey him.”
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