"Whatever response you are about to undertake requires a great deal of wisdom. It may appear to you that your response is justified but is it an act of goodness? Does it produce good or does it result in harming someone else even though you are justified in doing so logically and rationally?"
To non-Muslims, he is known as SATAN. To Muslims he is known as SHAITAN. Before he became Shaitan his name was IBLIS, a Jinn living in heaven. He had risen in rank due to his piety. He is not a ‘fallen angel’ because he was created from ‘smokeless fire’ while the angels are created from ‘nur’ (pure light).
His objection to the creation of Adam is based on logic and reasoning, thus making him the Father of Logic and Reasoning. Though his argument was valid, they were misplaced because they went against the Divine Decree of Allah.
Satan existed even before Adam (a.s.). He is familiar with every aspect of righteousness, thus his ability to establish a false sense of righteousness within you. Being created from fire, he has the hallmarks of pride and arrogance.
In the Tasfir of Qurtubi, one gets to know the power he wields. Imagine, he knows the ins-and-outs of creation and is familiar with every trodden path. On being expelled by Allah, he said, “For leaving me to stray I will lie in ambush for them on Your Straight Path. I will approach them from their front, their back, their right, their left, and then You will find most of them ungrateful.” (Surah A’raf 7: 16-17). It is thus obvious that we enjoy no respite whatsoever.
When the Soulless state of Adam was left for period of time by Allah to undergo transformation Iblis appeared. Out of curiosity, anger, and hatred, he wanted to know what was great about this man who had replaced him. He (Shaitan) then circled this ‘fermenting smelly lump’ of clay to find out. In a Hadith, it is mentioned that he (Iblis) went in through the nose of Adam and came out at his rectum (anus). He then told the angels who were present that they did not need to fear Adam; that there was nothing great about this man, and that he (Iblis) could handle him easily.
Now take a moment to reflect upon this. Iblis and his hosts can excess any human being at will. Every ‘believer’ has at some point in his/her life fallen prey to his ‘whispers’. Surah Nas describes this. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said he flows within you like your blood circulating throughout your body. Many have succumbed to his intellectual arguments, his reasoning, and his inspiration. He is a Master at Justification. The Qur’an states that on the Day of Judgement he will deny any responsibility of misleading anyone, saying that it was their own choice. The Leaders of Quraish were misled by him at the Battle of Badr. He came to them in the form of a man and promised them support against Muhammad and the Muslims. However, during the Battle of Badr, on seeing the Angel Gabriel and his host, he quietly slipped away leaving the pagan Quraish to fend for themselves. [refer to Ahadith and Tafsir Qur’an].
There is not a SINGLE SECOND that goes by without being inspired by Shaitan. If you ever receive any ‘ilham’ do check it out because nine out of ten times it came from him! To identify these whispers all one has to do is to take a few steps backward and ask yourself: “Is there any real good coming out of these inspirations? Does it involve only doing good or does it involve what you need to do as a response of an issue you are facing, due to some harm or inconvenience caused you?”
Has anyone come to you, saying that so and so said such and such about you? That is the greatness of Shaitan. He gets others to do the dirty work for him. He often gets a person to backbite, slander or speculate about others and in the process causes you to join the conversation and, in the process, lose your accumulated rewards. He is indeed the ‘Master Whisperer’.
Of course, he has done good. In Ahadith, he taught Ibnu Mas’ud the significance of Ayatal Kursi (The Throne of Allah). Only when the Prophet (s.a.w.) pointed out who it was did Ibnu Mas’ud (r.a.) know that it was Shaitan. He is indeed the ‘Master of Deception’. Many have received his rewards alongside additional baggage destined for Hell. These recipients have struck lotteries or enriched themselves through ill-gotten gains, only to suffer consequences later on in life. To this effect the Qur’an does state that there is some good in gambling but ultimately more harm? (Surah Baqarah 2:219).
He is the Master of Pride and Arrogance. Like a PUFFER FISH, he bloats you up with pride and arrogance. Even when you are wrong, you are made to feel right. We all experience it daily. People have difficulty admitting they were wrong; they have difficulty saying that are sorry. He is also the Master of Righteousness. If he (Shaitan) is unable to defeat you the corrupt way, he then adopts the Righteous Path. He causes you to feel pride over your religious knowledge and ability to fulfill your obligations to Allah. Self-Righteousness is indeed a double-edged sword! Instead of wearing the cloak of humility, we go around wielding the sword of righteousness, striking anyone in our path.
If you stand in front of a mirror, one of Shaitan’s cronies will tell you that you look beautiful even though you look old. Its amazing and amusing to see many believing that they still look young. No matter how much Botox or facial surgery you undertake, you cannot escape the divine decree of Allah. Shaitan has a Companion that keeps you company throughout your life. The Qur’an describes him as your QARIN. He is your duplicate. The day you are born, you have angels and one devil (qarin) keeping you company. Most start of right but end up the wrong way. It depends on your Destiny (Qada’ and Qadar).
The only way Shaitan can get to you is through your ‘nafs’ (ego, animalistic desires, pride, and arrogance etc.). This has been clearly mentioned in the Qur’an and Ahadith. Shaitan is actually powerless but succeeds in degrees through your weaknesses. To overcome this situation, one needs to acquire spiritual power through the ‘Remembrances of Allah’ (Zikrullah). It establishes a shield protecting you from falling, and even should you fall, you will be forgiven and helped to stand up again just as Adam did. If you do not possess spiritual power, you are lost! Keep in mind that this world is Shaitan’s playground. He has domain over it to a great extent. You may think that your religious knowledge will keep you safe. Sad to say, this is an erroneous belief. Only turning to Allah and seeking refuge in Him can you hope to be safe.
The key factor here is to ask yourself every time you are inspired whether the act or deed you are about to perform complies with the Prophet’s advice of “doing good”. Whatever response you are about to undertake requires a great deal of wisdom. It may appear to you that your response is justified but is it an act of goodness? Does it produce good or does it result in harming someone else even though you are justified in doing so logically and rationally? This is the difference between Inspiration (Ilham) from Allah and Inspiration (Ilham) from Shaitan. Shaitan NEVER offers you any sincere advice or help because he has vowed to deceive and mislead mankind until Judgement Day. In life, you have the choice of becoming a rose garden or a rubbish dump. You have the choice of living like a donkey under the protection of a master (Allah), or living free in the wild like an animal following your whims and fancies. (10 March, 2025)
