Assalaamualaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu...
>
> The dawn of evil started with the arrogance and rebellious nature of Iblees
>
> Shaitan’s (also referred to as Satan) enmity with man started when Allah
> (SWT) created the first man, Adam (alaihis salaam). Satan was from amongst
> the “jinn” who have been created with the ability to obscure themselves from
> human sight, and who constitute a world of their own. Allah says in the Holy
> Quran:
>
> "And (remember) when We said to the angels: ‘Prostrate yourselves unto
> Adam.’ So they prostrated themselves except ‘Iblis’ (Satan). He was one of
> the jinn; he disobeyed the command of his Lord" (Quran, Al-Kahf: 50).
>
> “….And they prostrated except Iblis (Satan), he refused and was proud and
> was one of the disbelievers (disobedient to Allah)” (Quran, Al-Baqarah: 34).
>
> Satan’s arrogance – reinforced by his false logic, and jealousy – prevented
> him from obeying Allah’s command. As Allah tells us in the Quran, Satan
> said, "I am better than him (Adam), You created me from fire, and him You
> created from clay" (Quran, Al-Aaraf: 12).
>
> Iblees asks for reprieve until Day of Judgement
>
> When Satan refused to obey Allah’s commands, Allah asked him for the reasons
> of disobedience of the Lord or the worlds. Allah says in the Quran:
>
> (Allah) said: "O Iblees (Satan)! What is your reason for not being among the
> prostrators?"
> (Iblees (Satan)) said: "I am not the one to prostrate myself to a human
> being, whom You created from sounding clay of altered black smooth mud"
> (Quran, al-Hijr:32 – 33).
>
> The subsequent dialog stated in the Quran is as follows:
>
> (Allah) said: "Then, get out from here, for verily, you are Rajeem (an
> outcast or a cursed one)." (Tafseer At-Tabaree).
> "And verily, the curse shall be upon you till the Day of Recompense (i.e.
> the Day of Resurrection)" (Quran, al-Hijr: 34 – 35).
>
> Then Iblees asked for a respite until the Day of Resurrection, and Allah
> granted him that. Allah says:
>
> (Iblees (Satan)) said: "O my Lord! Give me then respite till the Day they
> (the dead) will be resurrected."
> Allah said: "Then, verily, you are of those reprieved,
> "Till the Day of the time appointed" (Quran, al-Hijr: 36 – 38).
>
> When Iblees was certain that he was doomed, he resolved to mislead whomever
> he could from the slaves of Allah, so that they would be with him in Hell.
> Allah says:
>
> (Iblees (Satan)) said: "O my Lord! Because you misled me, I shall indeed
> adorn the path of error for them (mankind) on the earth, and I shall mislead
> them all.
> "Except Your chosen, (guided) slaves among them" (Quran, al-Hijr: 39 – 40).
>
> Iblees’ / Satan’s ultimate goal
>
> After Allah gave him the reprieve until the Day of Judgment, he made
> misleading man as his primary goal. Allah told us about that in the Quran,
> “(Iblees) said: ‘Because You have sent me astray, surely, I will sit in wait
> against them (human beings) on Your straight path. Then I will come to them
> from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and
> You will not find most of them as thankful ones (i.e. they will not be
> dutiful to You)’” (Quran, Al-Aaraf: 16,17).
>
> He has such confidence in ensnaring his victims that he openly declares his
> strategy of approaching them from all sides and making them succumb to his
> temptations. The first victims of Satan were Adam (alaihis salam) and Hawwa.
> Allah says, “Then the Shaitan (Satan) made them slip there from (the
> Paradise), and got them out from that in which they were. We said: "Get you
> down, all, with enmity between yourselves. On earth will be a dwelling place
> for you and an enjoyment for a time" (Quran, Al-Baqarah: 36).
>
> “and an enjoyment for a time" is what Satan makes the most of. He has
> decided to make the world appear beautiful and attractive and works on ways
> to lure man, limit his perspective to the gains, pleasures and enjoyment of
> this world alone, and make him forget the path that Allah (SWT) has chalked
> out for all human beings during their stay here.
>
> Satan’s ultimate goal is to make people go astray and eventually to turn
> them into disbelievers, or polytheists at a minimum. The manner in which
> Satan pursues that goal varies in accordance with the interests and
> inclinations of his victims. For example, he uses piety to attack the pious;
> scholarly disciplines to attack scholars; false reasoning and logic for
> those who take pride in being knowledgeable, and ignorance to attack the
> ignorant. Allah (SWT) Has warned us in the Holy Quran:
>
> “O Children of Adam! Let not Shaitan (Satan) deceive you, as he got your
> parents (Adam and Hawwa’ (Eve)) out of Paradise,” (Quran, Al-Aaraf: 27).
>
> ". . . and follow not the footsteps of ‘Shaitan’ (Satan). Surely he is to
> you an open enemy" (Quran, Al-Anaam: 142).
>
> So, Allah has made it clear to mankind that Satan is their enemy and Satan’s
> goal is to divert mankind from the goal that Allah established for them,
> which is to follow and worship Allah by obeying His commands. Satan’s goal
> is to make mankind disobey Allah and divert them to the hell fire in the
> hereafter, which will also be Satan’s abode. Allah says in the Quran:
>
> “Surely, Shaitan (Satan) is an enemy to you, so take (treat) him as an
> enemy. He only invites his Hizb (followers) that they may become the
> dwellers of the blazing Fire” (Faatir 35:6).
>
> Shaitan is the source of all evil
>
> Everything that happens among the sons of Adam of kufr (disbelief of the
> Truth), murder, enmity, hatred, the spread of immorality and fornication,
> the public wanton display of women’s beauty, drinking alcohol, worshipping
> idols and other major sins, is all the work of Satan to corrupt mankind and
> to drive people from following the way of Allah and drag them to the Fire of
> Hell with him. So, let’s remember that when we find ourselves around evil or
> being lured by it, Satan is engaged in his work and our task is to fend off
> his plans. Allah says in the Quran: “And if an evil whisper from Shaitan
> (Satan) tries to turn you away (O Muhammad) (from doing good), then seek
> refuge in Allah. Verily, He is the All Hearer, the All Knower” (Quran,
> Fussilat: 36).
>
> Ways in which Satan approaches us
>
> Satan approaches man through stealthy means. Allah (SWT) cautions us in the
> Quran with this verse:
>
> “Verily, he and Qabiluhu (his soldiers from the jinn or his tribe) see you
> from where you cannot see them” (Quran, Aal-e-Imran: 27).
>
> The following are some of the ways in which Satan approaches man to invite
> him toward evil.
>
> Provokes rebelliousness – After establishing the supremacy of one’s ego in
> one’s heart, Satan encourages the person to become rebellious and to reject
> the laws and rules established by Allah the All Mighty. He leads men to
> their suspicion, questioning and argumentation in sheer obduracy. In a world
> where human weakness from temptations and weakness of faith abound, Satan
> influences man into ignoring and belittling the words of Allah stated in the
> Quran. He thus overly engages man into running after the worldly goals at
> the expense of violating divine commandments. Let’s not forget that when we
> engage in this form of rebellion where our hearts start to ignore or reject
> the truth, we risk doing exactly what Satan did, as we see from the verse
> where Allah said, “… except Iblees (Satan), he refused and was proud and was
> one of the disbelievers (disobedient to Allah)” (Quran, al-Baqarah: 34).
> Let’s ensure, therefore, that our actions and thoughts do not lead us to
> rebel against Allah’s message that He revealed to His Messenger.
>
> Weakens one’s faith and Eeman in Al-Qadr (Allah’s Divine Will) – Believing
> in Allah’s will is an integral part of a Muslim’s faith. Another common way
> for the Satan is, therefore, to make us compare our situations with those
> around us and leads us to feeling discontented with Allah’s will. Satan thus
> diverts our attention from accepting the will of Allah to focusing on those
> who may have more of this life’s luxuries and thus arousing feelings of envy
> and jealousy. He also presents this life as the sole prize that cannot be
> missed and thus induces in us discontentment with our present situations in
> life.
>
> As Muslims, let’s ensure that we do not let Satan play with our imagination,
> conjuring up rosy pictures of the unattainable, making us visualize what
> could have been or should have been our destiny thus weakening our faith in
> Al Qadr. As Muslims, we should never forget Allah’s “will” in the ultimate
> determination of our destinies. We should also remember the Day of Judgment
> when all accounts will be settled and appropriate dues will be paid. “And
> only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full”
> (Quran, Aal-e-Imran: 185). Also, as Allah says in the Quran, “And you cannot
> will unless (it be) that Allah wills the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind,
> jinn and all that exists)” (Quran, al-Takweer: 29).
>
> Instills feelings of pride and Ar-Riya (showing off) – When one does good
> deeds, Satan is quick to instill feelings of pride followed by the desire to
> show off one’s virtues or achievements (also referred to as Ar-Riya). He
> diverts his victim’s mind from vying for the deed’s rewards from Allah to
> expecting praise to flow from people instead. As Muslims, let’s not forget
> that the payoff that we desire for our deeds reflects the nature of the
> intention of doing those deeds. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) says: "The
> most fearful thing I fear for you is Minor Shirk". He (Peace be upon him)
> was asked about it, and he said: "It is (Ar-Riya’) showing off". Then, he
> (Peace be upon him) explained it saying, "A man stands in prayer, performs
> it more beautifully and properly than ever, because he notices someone
> looking at him" (Imam Ahmed).
>
> Induces conceit in a person who has accomplishments to his credit – Satan
> also induces false confidence in a person making him feel that he has
> reached perfection or that he is far better than others. This leads to
> vanity, self-admiration and distancing one from reality. As a result, the
> person starts viewing others patronizingly. We should, therefore, constantly
> remember Allah and look for opportunities of doing good deeds. Most of us
> know the story of the prostitute from the nation of Children of Israel who
> saved a dog from dying thirsty and as a result of that deed was entered in
> paradise. Similarly, we also know the story of the lady who trapped her cat
> and made her die of hunger and as a result was sent to hell fire. This is
> why the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “…one of
> you may do the deeds of the people of Paradise until there is nothing
> between him and it but a cubit, then the decree overtakes him and he does a
> deed of the people of Hell and enters it. And one of you may do the deeds of
> the people of Hell until there is nothing between him and it but a cubit,
> then the decree overtakes him and he does a deed of the people of Paradise,
> and enters it” (al-Bukhaari (3208) and Muslim (2643) from Ibn Mas’ood).
>
> Uses laziness and procrastination to keep one away from good deeds – We
> should realize that when Satan fails to make us rebel against the key truths
> of Islam, he uses other tactics to distance us from our basic obligations by
> using the tools of laziness and procrastination, and belittling in our minds
> the importance of those obligations. For example, even though many Muslims
> recognize the obligation to pray regularly, they fail to follow through in
> getting regular in such worships. In one of the hadiths narrated by Abu
> Hurayrah, he mentioned that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of
> Allah be upon him) said: “The Shaitan ties three knots at the back of the
> head of any one of you when he goes to sleep, striking each knot and saying:
> “You have a long night ahead, so sleep.” If he wakes up and remembers Allah,
> one knot is undone. If he does wudoo’, two knots are undone. If he prays,
> all the knots are undone, and he starts the day energetic and in a good
> mood. Otherwise, he starts his day in a bad mood and feeling lazy”
> (al-Bukhaari (3269) and Muslim (776)).
>
> Sets one Muslim against another – Satan works on a common human weakness
> related to making one quickly assume something negative about the other. He
> thus infuses suspicion and doubt in the hearts of Muslims making them think
> badly about one another, and provoking them against one another. For
> example, Satan considers sowing the seeds of discord between a husband and
> wife as one of his greatest achievements. The Prophet (S.A.W.S) said: "Iblis
> places his throne upon water; he then sends detachments (for creating
> dissension between people); the nearer to him in rank are those who are most
> notorious in creating dissension. One of them comes and says: “I did so and
> so.” And he says: “You have done nothing.” Then one amongst them comes and
> says: “I did not spare so and so until I sowed the seed of discord between a
> husband and a wife.” Satan goes near him and says: “You have done well.” He
> then embraces him” (Sahih Muslim and narrated by Jabir Ibn ‘Abdullah).
>
> Pushes obligatory deeds to the background – Within Islam, obligatory duties
> take precedence as they establish the Muslim’s identity and foundation of
> belief. When Satan’s efforts to influence the staunch believer hit a dead
> end, he attempts to make the ‘recommended’ lawful deeds appear more inviting
> than ‘obligatory’ duties thus pulling the believers away from the obligatory
> duties of Islam. For example, helping and supporting parents and family
> members is more important than helping friends. Similarly, praying the five
> obligatory prayers in congregation is more important than praying Taraweeh
> prayers. We should, therefore, be careful in not sacrificing the obligatory
> deeds at the expense of the less important deeds.
>
> Finally, at the end, whom do we blame and what will Satan say?
>
> So, at the end – on the Day of Judgment – when we are all made to account
> for what we had done in this life, we won’t be able to blame Satan for the
> bad deeds that we did because of how he had incited us. Rather, this is what
> Satan will say on the Day of Judgment (as Allah tells us in the Quran):
>
> “And Shaitan (Satan) will say when the matter has been decided: ‘Verily,
> Allah promised you a promise of truth. And I too promised you, but I
> betrayed you. I had no authority over you except that I called you, and you
> responded to me. So blame me not, but blame yourselves. I cannot help you,
> nor can you help me. I deny your former act in associating me (Satan) as a
> partner with Allah (by obeying me in the life of the world). Verily, there
> is a painful torment for the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers)’”
> (Quran, Ibraaheem: 22).
>
> There’s much to ponder about in this verse. Here are the key points:
>
> Satan knows the real truth of Allah’s message. We know this because he will
> say, “Verily, Allah promised you a promise of truth…” He will continue to
> say later, “I deny your former act in associating me (Satan) as a partner
> with Allah (by obeying me in the life of the world).”
> Satan will mock us by pushing the burden back on us. He would say, “…I
> called you, and you responded to me…”
> Satan would not even accept the blame and instead will put the blame on us.
> He would say, “…So blame me not, but blame yourselves…”
>
> The remedy – ways to protect ourselves
>
> In spite of all the tactics that Satan uses to mislead mankind, he is not
> able to hurt those of Allah’s slaves who are aware of Satan’s tactics, and
> use their defenses provided them by Allah to ward off those tactics. Allah
> says in the Quran:
>
> "(Iblis (Satan)) said: ‘By Your Might, then I will surely mislead them all.
> Except Your chosen slaves amongst them (i.e. faithful, obedient, true
> believers of Islamic Monotheism).’” (Quran, Saad: 82-83).
>
> Allah said to Satan:
>
> "Certainly, you shall have no authority over My slaves, except those who
> follow you of the Ghawun (Mushrikun and those who go astray, criminals,
> polytheists, and evil-doers)” (Quran, Al-Hijr: 42).
>
> The following are some of the defenses that we can use to keep Satan from
> exerting his influence over us.
>
> Ignore Satanic whispers (waswaas) – One of the effective ways to ignore
> Satanic whispers is to first be aware of them and then once recognized, to
> ignore them. So, we should be quick to recognize that when we feel being
> driven by our temptations to do bad or succumb to a feeling of laziness or
> procrastination to do good, we should ignore that waswaas. It is worth
> quoting here what Ibn Hajar al-Haythami (may Allah have mercy on him) said
> about dealing with waswasah in his book al-Fataawa al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kubra
> (1/149). This is what he said: “He was asked about the problem of waswasah
> (insinuating whispers from the Shaitan), and whether there is a remedy for
> it. He replied that there is an effective remedy for it, which is to ignore
> them completely, no matter how frequently they may come to mind. When these
> whispers are ignored, they do not become established; rather they go away
> after a short time, as many people have experienced. But for those who pay
> attention to them and act upon them, they increase until they make him like
> one who is insane or even worse, as we see among many of those who have
> suffered from them and paid attention to them and to the devil whose task it
> is to insinuate these whispers, whom the Prophet (peace and blessings of
> Allah be upon him) warned us against…, as was explained in Sharh Mishkaat
> al-Anwaar.
>
> In al-Saheehayn there is a report which supports what has been mentioned
> above, which is that whoever suffers from waswaas should seek refuge with
> Allah and turn away from the waswaas. So think about this effective remedy
> which was taught by the one who does not speak of his own whims and desires
> to his ummah, and understand that whoever is deprived of this is deprived of
> all goodness, because waswasah comes from Satan, according to scholarly
> consensus, and Satan has no other desire than to make the believers go
> astray, make them confused, make their life a misery, and cause them
> distress to the extent that they leave Islam without realizing it.
>
> Faith and Trust in Allah – Allah says in the Holy Quran: "Verily! He (Satan)
> has no power over those who believe and put their trust only in their Lord
> (Allah)" (Quran, An-Nahl: 99). The message, therefore, is clear and that is
> to direct our attention not to what works in helping Satan in his goals but
> to do what our Creator wants for us. Allah says in the Holy Quran: "And
> whoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to
> get out (of every difficulty). And he will provide him from (sources) he
> never could imagine" (Quran, At-Talaq: 2-3).
>
> Fearing Allah and not His Creation – Another weapon used by Satan is that of
> inducing fear in the hearts of weak human beings. He tries to frighten the
> believers with apprehension of various consequences and difficulties in
> following the Straight Path. Allah tells us in the Quran: “Shaitan (Satan)
> threatens you with poverty and orders you to commit Fahsha (evil deeds,
> sins, illegal sexual activities, etc.) whereas Allah promises you
> forgiveness from Himself and Bounty, and Allah is All-Sufficient for His
> creature’s needs, All-Knower” (Quran, al-Baqarah: 268).
>
> Allah warns us that one of Satan’s tactics is to make us fear His creation.
> He says in the Quran: "It is only Shaitan (Satan) that suggests to you the
> fear of his Auliya’ (supporters and friends (polytheists, disbelievers in
> the Oneness of Allah and in His Messenger Muhammad); so fear them not, but
> fear Me, if you are (true) believers" (Quran, Aal-e-Imran: 175).
>
> Recite Dhikr – We should use Allah’s remembrance (Dhikr-Allah) to ward off
> waswaas. Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said that “…when the
> Shaitan hears dhikr (remembrance of Allah) he slinks away, and Laa ilaaha
> ill-Allah is the best of dhikr, and the most effective remedy for warding
> off waswasah is to remember Allah a great deal.”
>
> Obtaining Islamic knowledge (from the Right Sources) –Taking heed of Satan’s
> ways and becoming aware of his plans and goal can help us to be alert to his
> influence or persuasion and keep our defenses up. For this, it is essential
> to acquire Islamic knowledge from the right sources. It is very difficult
> for Satan to approach those dedicated to learning. Let us reflect upon what
> Imam Shafai said: "All humans are dead except those who have knowledge; and
> all those who have knowledge are asleep except those who do good deeds; and
> those who do good deeds are deceived except those who are sincere; and those
> who are sincere are always in a state of worry."
>
> Taking refuge and shelter in Allah – Allah says in the Holy Quran: "And if
> an evil whisper comes to you from Shaitan (Satan), then seek refuge with
> Allah. Verily, He is All-Hearer, All-Knower" (Quran, Al-Aaraf: 200). One of
> the other ways to seek refuge from Satan is to recite the last two chapters
> of the Holy Quran, namely Surat Al-Falaq (The Daybreak) and Surat An-Nas
> (Mankind), by supplicating for Allah’s Protection, and seeking the Most
> Merciful’s forgiveness for one’s sins constantly.
>
> Being thankful to Allah for the gift of Eeman and seeking His Protection for
> it – Let us remember that the confidence Satan expressed in his success to
> mislead people, stems from his assurance that most people are ungrateful to
> their Creator, Lord and Master Allah the All Mighty. Allah says in the Quran
> that Satan claimed: “. . . and You will not find most of them as thankful
> ones (i.e. they will not be dutiful to You).” (Quran, Al-Aaraf: 17). It is,
> therefore, man’s ingratitude to Allah that Satan banks upon in getting man
> off track. So one of the antidotes to Satanic whispers is to be in a state
> of constant consciousness of Allah (SWT), and thankfulness for all His
> Blessings upon us.
>
> To conclude, as and when we fall to our temptations to commit the wrong,
> let’s remind ourselves that even Satan knows the truth, yet he is determined
> to make us earn Allah’s anger. However, at the end – on the Day of Judgment
> – he will simply say, “…So blame me not, but blame yourselves…”
>
> The dawn of evil started with the arrogance and rebellious nature of Iblees
>
> Shaitan’s (also referred to as Satan) enmity with man started when Allah
> (SWT) created the first man, Adam (alaihis salaam). Satan was from amongst
> the “jinn” who have been created with the ability to obscure themselves from
> human sight, and who constitute a world of their own. Allah says in the Holy
> Quran:
>
> "And (remember) when We said to the angels: ‘Prostrate yourselves unto
> Adam.’ So they prostrated themselves except ‘Iblis’ (Satan). He was one of
> the jinn; he disobeyed the command of his Lord" (Quran, Al-Kahf: 50).
>
> “….And they prostrated except Iblis (Satan), he refused and was proud and
> was one of the disbelievers (disobedient to Allah)” (Quran, Al-Baqarah: 34).
>
> Satan’s arrogance – reinforced by his false logic, and jealousy – prevented
> him from obeying Allah’s command. As Allah tells us in the Quran, Satan
> said, "I am better than him (Adam), You created me from fire, and him You
> created from clay" (Quran, Al-Aaraf: 12).
>
> Iblees asks for reprieve until Day of Judgement
>
> When Satan refused to obey Allah’s commands, Allah asked him for the reasons
> of disobedience of the Lord or the worlds. Allah says in the Quran:
>
> (Allah) said: "O Iblees (Satan)! What is your reason for not being among the
> prostrators?"
> (Iblees (Satan)) said: "I am not the one to prostrate myself to a human
> being, whom You created from sounding clay of altered black smooth mud"
> (Quran, al-Hijr:32 – 33).
>
> The subsequent dialog stated in the Quran is as follows:
>
> (Allah) said: "Then, get out from here, for verily, you are Rajeem (an
> outcast or a cursed one)." (Tafseer At-Tabaree).
> "And verily, the curse shall be upon you till the Day of Recompense (i.e.
> the Day of Resurrection)" (Quran, al-Hijr: 34 – 35).
>
> Then Iblees asked for a respite until the Day of Resurrection, and Allah
> granted him that. Allah says:
>
> (Iblees (Satan)) said: "O my Lord! Give me then respite till the Day they
> (the dead) will be resurrected."
> Allah said: "Then, verily, you are of those reprieved,
> "Till the Day of the time appointed" (Quran, al-Hijr: 36 – 38).
>
> When Iblees was certain that he was doomed, he resolved to mislead whomever
> he could from the slaves of Allah, so that they would be with him in Hell.
> Allah says:
>
> (Iblees (Satan)) said: "O my Lord! Because you misled me, I shall indeed
> adorn the path of error for them (mankind) on the earth, and I shall mislead
> them all.
> "Except Your chosen, (guided) slaves among them" (Quran, al-Hijr: 39 – 40).
>
> Iblees’ / Satan’s ultimate goal
>
> After Allah gave him the reprieve until the Day of Judgment, he made
> misleading man as his primary goal. Allah told us about that in the Quran,
> “(Iblees) said: ‘Because You have sent me astray, surely, I will sit in wait
> against them (human beings) on Your straight path. Then I will come to them
> from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and
> You will not find most of them as thankful ones (i.e. they will not be
> dutiful to You)’” (Quran, Al-Aaraf: 16,17).
>
> He has such confidence in ensnaring his victims that he openly declares his
> strategy of approaching them from all sides and making them succumb to his
> temptations. The first victims of Satan were Adam (alaihis salam) and Hawwa.
> Allah says, “Then the Shaitan (Satan) made them slip there from (the
> Paradise), and got them out from that in which they were. We said: "Get you
> down, all, with enmity between yourselves. On earth will be a dwelling place
> for you and an enjoyment for a time" (Quran, Al-Baqarah: 36).
>
> “and an enjoyment for a time" is what Satan makes the most of. He has
> decided to make the world appear beautiful and attractive and works on ways
> to lure man, limit his perspective to the gains, pleasures and enjoyment of
> this world alone, and make him forget the path that Allah (SWT) has chalked
> out for all human beings during their stay here.
>
> Satan’s ultimate goal is to make people go astray and eventually to turn
> them into disbelievers, or polytheists at a minimum. The manner in which
> Satan pursues that goal varies in accordance with the interests and
> inclinations of his victims. For example, he uses piety to attack the pious;
> scholarly disciplines to attack scholars; false reasoning and logic for
> those who take pride in being knowledgeable, and ignorance to attack the
> ignorant. Allah (SWT) Has warned us in the Holy Quran:
>
> “O Children of Adam! Let not Shaitan (Satan) deceive you, as he got your
> parents (Adam and Hawwa’ (Eve)) out of Paradise,” (Quran, Al-Aaraf: 27).
>
> ". . . and follow not the footsteps of ‘Shaitan’ (Satan). Surely he is to
> you an open enemy" (Quran, Al-Anaam: 142).
>
> So, Allah has made it clear to mankind that Satan is their enemy and Satan’s
> goal is to divert mankind from the goal that Allah established for them,
> which is to follow and worship Allah by obeying His commands. Satan’s goal
> is to make mankind disobey Allah and divert them to the hell fire in the
> hereafter, which will also be Satan’s abode. Allah says in the Quran:
>
> “Surely, Shaitan (Satan) is an enemy to you, so take (treat) him as an
> enemy. He only invites his Hizb (followers) that they may become the
> dwellers of the blazing Fire” (Faatir 35:6).
>
> Shaitan is the source of all evil
>
> Everything that happens among the sons of Adam of kufr (disbelief of the
> Truth), murder, enmity, hatred, the spread of immorality and fornication,
> the public wanton display of women’s beauty, drinking alcohol, worshipping
> idols and other major sins, is all the work of Satan to corrupt mankind and
> to drive people from following the way of Allah and drag them to the Fire of
> Hell with him. So, let’s remember that when we find ourselves around evil or
> being lured by it, Satan is engaged in his work and our task is to fend off
> his plans. Allah says in the Quran: “And if an evil whisper from Shaitan
> (Satan) tries to turn you away (O Muhammad) (from doing good), then seek
> refuge in Allah. Verily, He is the All Hearer, the All Knower” (Quran,
> Fussilat: 36).
>
> Ways in which Satan approaches us
>
> Satan approaches man through stealthy means. Allah (SWT) cautions us in the
> Quran with this verse:
>
> “Verily, he and Qabiluhu (his soldiers from the jinn or his tribe) see you
> from where you cannot see them” (Quran, Aal-e-Imran: 27).
>
> The following are some of the ways in which Satan approaches man to invite
> him toward evil.
>
> Provokes rebelliousness – After establishing the supremacy of one’s ego in
> one’s heart, Satan encourages the person to become rebellious and to reject
> the laws and rules established by Allah the All Mighty. He leads men to
> their suspicion, questioning and argumentation in sheer obduracy. In a world
> where human weakness from temptations and weakness of faith abound, Satan
> influences man into ignoring and belittling the words of Allah stated in the
> Quran. He thus overly engages man into running after the worldly goals at
> the expense of violating divine commandments. Let’s not forget that when we
> engage in this form of rebellion where our hearts start to ignore or reject
> the truth, we risk doing exactly what Satan did, as we see from the verse
> where Allah said, “… except Iblees (Satan), he refused and was proud and was
> one of the disbelievers (disobedient to Allah)” (Quran, al-Baqarah: 34).
> Let’s ensure, therefore, that our actions and thoughts do not lead us to
> rebel against Allah’s message that He revealed to His Messenger.
>
> Weakens one’s faith and Eeman in Al-Qadr (Allah’s Divine Will) – Believing
> in Allah’s will is an integral part of a Muslim’s faith. Another common way
> for the Satan is, therefore, to make us compare our situations with those
> around us and leads us to feeling discontented with Allah’s will. Satan thus
> diverts our attention from accepting the will of Allah to focusing on those
> who may have more of this life’s luxuries and thus arousing feelings of envy
> and jealousy. He also presents this life as the sole prize that cannot be
> missed and thus induces in us discontentment with our present situations in
> life.
>
> As Muslims, let’s ensure that we do not let Satan play with our imagination,
> conjuring up rosy pictures of the unattainable, making us visualize what
> could have been or should have been our destiny thus weakening our faith in
> Al Qadr. As Muslims, we should never forget Allah’s “will” in the ultimate
> determination of our destinies. We should also remember the Day of Judgment
> when all accounts will be settled and appropriate dues will be paid. “And
> only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full”
> (Quran, Aal-e-Imran: 185). Also, as Allah says in the Quran, “And you cannot
> will unless (it be) that Allah wills the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind,
> jinn and all that exists)” (Quran, al-Takweer: 29).
>
> Instills feelings of pride and Ar-Riya (showing off) – When one does good
> deeds, Satan is quick to instill feelings of pride followed by the desire to
> show off one’s virtues or achievements (also referred to as Ar-Riya). He
> diverts his victim’s mind from vying for the deed’s rewards from Allah to
> expecting praise to flow from people instead. As Muslims, let’s not forget
> that the payoff that we desire for our deeds reflects the nature of the
> intention of doing those deeds. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) says: "The
> most fearful thing I fear for you is Minor Shirk". He (Peace be upon him)
> was asked about it, and he said: "It is (Ar-Riya’) showing off". Then, he
> (Peace be upon him) explained it saying, "A man stands in prayer, performs
> it more beautifully and properly than ever, because he notices someone
> looking at him" (Imam Ahmed).
>
> Induces conceit in a person who has accomplishments to his credit – Satan
> also induces false confidence in a person making him feel that he has
> reached perfection or that he is far better than others. This leads to
> vanity, self-admiration and distancing one from reality. As a result, the
> person starts viewing others patronizingly. We should, therefore, constantly
> remember Allah and look for opportunities of doing good deeds. Most of us
> know the story of the prostitute from the nation of Children of Israel who
> saved a dog from dying thirsty and as a result of that deed was entered in
> paradise. Similarly, we also know the story of the lady who trapped her cat
> and made her die of hunger and as a result was sent to hell fire. This is
> why the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “…one of
> you may do the deeds of the people of Paradise until there is nothing
> between him and it but a cubit, then the decree overtakes him and he does a
> deed of the people of Hell and enters it. And one of you may do the deeds of
> the people of Hell until there is nothing between him and it but a cubit,
> then the decree overtakes him and he does a deed of the people of Paradise,
> and enters it” (al-Bukhaari (3208) and Muslim (2643) from Ibn Mas’ood).
>
> Uses laziness and procrastination to keep one away from good deeds – We
> should realize that when Satan fails to make us rebel against the key truths
> of Islam, he uses other tactics to distance us from our basic obligations by
> using the tools of laziness and procrastination, and belittling in our minds
> the importance of those obligations. For example, even though many Muslims
> recognize the obligation to pray regularly, they fail to follow through in
> getting regular in such worships. In one of the hadiths narrated by Abu
> Hurayrah, he mentioned that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of
> Allah be upon him) said: “The Shaitan ties three knots at the back of the
> head of any one of you when he goes to sleep, striking each knot and saying:
> “You have a long night ahead, so sleep.” If he wakes up and remembers Allah,
> one knot is undone. If he does wudoo’, two knots are undone. If he prays,
> all the knots are undone, and he starts the day energetic and in a good
> mood. Otherwise, he starts his day in a bad mood and feeling lazy”
> (al-Bukhaari (3269) and Muslim (776)).
>
> Sets one Muslim against another – Satan works on a common human weakness
> related to making one quickly assume something negative about the other. He
> thus infuses suspicion and doubt in the hearts of Muslims making them think
> badly about one another, and provoking them against one another. For
> example, Satan considers sowing the seeds of discord between a husband and
> wife as one of his greatest achievements. The Prophet (S.A.W.S) said: "Iblis
> places his throne upon water; he then sends detachments (for creating
> dissension between people); the nearer to him in rank are those who are most
> notorious in creating dissension. One of them comes and says: “I did so and
> so.” And he says: “You have done nothing.” Then one amongst them comes and
> says: “I did not spare so and so until I sowed the seed of discord between a
> husband and a wife.” Satan goes near him and says: “You have done well.” He
> then embraces him” (Sahih Muslim and narrated by Jabir Ibn ‘Abdullah).
>
> Pushes obligatory deeds to the background – Within Islam, obligatory duties
> take precedence as they establish the Muslim’s identity and foundation of
> belief. When Satan’s efforts to influence the staunch believer hit a dead
> end, he attempts to make the ‘recommended’ lawful deeds appear more inviting
> than ‘obligatory’ duties thus pulling the believers away from the obligatory
> duties of Islam. For example, helping and supporting parents and family
> members is more important than helping friends. Similarly, praying the five
> obligatory prayers in congregation is more important than praying Taraweeh
> prayers. We should, therefore, be careful in not sacrificing the obligatory
> deeds at the expense of the less important deeds.
>
> Finally, at the end, whom do we blame and what will Satan say?
>
> So, at the end – on the Day of Judgment – when we are all made to account
> for what we had done in this life, we won’t be able to blame Satan for the
> bad deeds that we did because of how he had incited us. Rather, this is what
> Satan will say on the Day of Judgment (as Allah tells us in the Quran):
>
> “And Shaitan (Satan) will say when the matter has been decided: ‘Verily,
> Allah promised you a promise of truth. And I too promised you, but I
> betrayed you. I had no authority over you except that I called you, and you
> responded to me. So blame me not, but blame yourselves. I cannot help you,
> nor can you help me. I deny your former act in associating me (Satan) as a
> partner with Allah (by obeying me in the life of the world). Verily, there
> is a painful torment for the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers)’”
> (Quran, Ibraaheem: 22).
>
> There’s much to ponder about in this verse. Here are the key points:
>
> Satan knows the real truth of Allah’s message. We know this because he will
> say, “Verily, Allah promised you a promise of truth…” He will continue to
> say later, “I deny your former act in associating me (Satan) as a partner
> with Allah (by obeying me in the life of the world).”
> Satan will mock us by pushing the burden back on us. He would say, “…I
> called you, and you responded to me…”
> Satan would not even accept the blame and instead will put the blame on us.
> He would say, “…So blame me not, but blame yourselves…”
>
> The remedy – ways to protect ourselves
>
> In spite of all the tactics that Satan uses to mislead mankind, he is not
> able to hurt those of Allah’s slaves who are aware of Satan’s tactics, and
> use their defenses provided them by Allah to ward off those tactics. Allah
> says in the Quran:
>
> "(Iblis (Satan)) said: ‘By Your Might, then I will surely mislead them all.
> Except Your chosen slaves amongst them (i.e. faithful, obedient, true
> believers of Islamic Monotheism).’” (Quran, Saad: 82-83).
>
> Allah said to Satan:
>
> "Certainly, you shall have no authority over My slaves, except those who
> follow you of the Ghawun (Mushrikun and those who go astray, criminals,
> polytheists, and evil-doers)” (Quran, Al-Hijr: 42).
>
> The following are some of the defenses that we can use to keep Satan from
> exerting his influence over us.
>
> Ignore Satanic whispers (waswaas) – One of the effective ways to ignore
> Satanic whispers is to first be aware of them and then once recognized, to
> ignore them. So, we should be quick to recognize that when we feel being
> driven by our temptations to do bad or succumb to a feeling of laziness or
> procrastination to do good, we should ignore that waswaas. It is worth
> quoting here what Ibn Hajar al-Haythami (may Allah have mercy on him) said
> about dealing with waswasah in his book al-Fataawa al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kubra
> (1/149). This is what he said: “He was asked about the problem of waswasah
> (insinuating whispers from the Shaitan), and whether there is a remedy for
> it. He replied that there is an effective remedy for it, which is to ignore
> them completely, no matter how frequently they may come to mind. When these
> whispers are ignored, they do not become established; rather they go away
> after a short time, as many people have experienced. But for those who pay
> attention to them and act upon them, they increase until they make him like
> one who is insane or even worse, as we see among many of those who have
> suffered from them and paid attention to them and to the devil whose task it
> is to insinuate these whispers, whom the Prophet (peace and blessings of
> Allah be upon him) warned us against…, as was explained in Sharh Mishkaat
> al-Anwaar.
>
> In al-Saheehayn there is a report which supports what has been mentioned
> above, which is that whoever suffers from waswaas should seek refuge with
> Allah and turn away from the waswaas. So think about this effective remedy
> which was taught by the one who does not speak of his own whims and desires
> to his ummah, and understand that whoever is deprived of this is deprived of
> all goodness, because waswasah comes from Satan, according to scholarly
> consensus, and Satan has no other desire than to make the believers go
> astray, make them confused, make their life a misery, and cause them
> distress to the extent that they leave Islam without realizing it.
>
> Faith and Trust in Allah – Allah says in the Holy Quran: "Verily! He (Satan)
> has no power over those who believe and put their trust only in their Lord
> (Allah)" (Quran, An-Nahl: 99). The message, therefore, is clear and that is
> to direct our attention not to what works in helping Satan in his goals but
> to do what our Creator wants for us. Allah says in the Holy Quran: "And
> whoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to
> get out (of every difficulty). And he will provide him from (sources) he
> never could imagine" (Quran, At-Talaq: 2-3).
>
> Fearing Allah and not His Creation – Another weapon used by Satan is that of
> inducing fear in the hearts of weak human beings. He tries to frighten the
> believers with apprehension of various consequences and difficulties in
> following the Straight Path. Allah tells us in the Quran: “Shaitan (Satan)
> threatens you with poverty and orders you to commit Fahsha (evil deeds,
> sins, illegal sexual activities, etc.) whereas Allah promises you
> forgiveness from Himself and Bounty, and Allah is All-Sufficient for His
> creature’s needs, All-Knower” (Quran, al-Baqarah: 268).
>
> Allah warns us that one of Satan’s tactics is to make us fear His creation.
> He says in the Quran: "It is only Shaitan (Satan) that suggests to you the
> fear of his Auliya’ (supporters and friends (polytheists, disbelievers in
> the Oneness of Allah and in His Messenger Muhammad); so fear them not, but
> fear Me, if you are (true) believers" (Quran, Aal-e-Imran: 175).
>
> Recite Dhikr – We should use Allah’s remembrance (Dhikr-Allah) to ward off
> waswaas. Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said that “…when the
> Shaitan hears dhikr (remembrance of Allah) he slinks away, and Laa ilaaha
> ill-Allah is the best of dhikr, and the most effective remedy for warding
> off waswasah is to remember Allah a great deal.”
>
> Obtaining Islamic knowledge (from the Right Sources) –Taking heed of Satan’s
> ways and becoming aware of his plans and goal can help us to be alert to his
> influence or persuasion and keep our defenses up. For this, it is essential
> to acquire Islamic knowledge from the right sources. It is very difficult
> for Satan to approach those dedicated to learning. Let us reflect upon what
> Imam Shafai said: "All humans are dead except those who have knowledge; and
> all those who have knowledge are asleep except those who do good deeds; and
> those who do good deeds are deceived except those who are sincere; and those
> who are sincere are always in a state of worry."
>
> Taking refuge and shelter in Allah – Allah says in the Holy Quran: "And if
> an evil whisper comes to you from Shaitan (Satan), then seek refuge with
> Allah. Verily, He is All-Hearer, All-Knower" (Quran, Al-Aaraf: 200). One of
> the other ways to seek refuge from Satan is to recite the last two chapters
> of the Holy Quran, namely Surat Al-Falaq (The Daybreak) and Surat An-Nas
> (Mankind), by supplicating for Allah’s Protection, and seeking the Most
> Merciful’s forgiveness for one’s sins constantly.
>
> Being thankful to Allah for the gift of Eeman and seeking His Protection for
> it – Let us remember that the confidence Satan expressed in his success to
> mislead people, stems from his assurance that most people are ungrateful to
> their Creator, Lord and Master Allah the All Mighty. Allah says in the Quran
> that Satan claimed: “. . . and You will not find most of them as thankful
> ones (i.e. they will not be dutiful to You).” (Quran, Al-Aaraf: 17). It is,
> therefore, man’s ingratitude to Allah that Satan banks upon in getting man
> off track. So one of the antidotes to Satanic whispers is to be in a state
> of constant consciousness of Allah (SWT), and thankfulness for all His
> Blessings upon us.
>
> To conclude, as and when we fall to our temptations to commit the wrong,
> let’s remind ourselves that even Satan knows the truth, yet he is determined
> to make us earn Allah’s anger. However, at the end – on the Day of Judgment
> – he will simply say, “…So blame me not, but blame yourselves…”
