Saturday 4 August 2018

WHAT ARE THE TRAPS (TRICKS) OF SATAN?


*WHAT ARE THE TRAPS (TRICKS) OF SATAN?*

ASSEMBLED BY MALLAM ABBA ABANA, KUBWA, ABUJA, NIGERIA

http://variousislamicdawadocuments.blogspot.com

https://web.facebook.com/abba.abana

emails:gonidamgamiri@yahoo.com; abba.abana@gmail.com

SATURDAY 22ND DHU AL QEDA 1439 AH– 4TH AUGUST 2018 CE

Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah. As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu

Praise be to Allaah; we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (Sallalhu alaihi Wasalam) is His slave and Messenger.

*PREAMBLE*

The Satan (Shaitan) is dangerous, but his agents among human beings are more dangerous than him.

Some people on the social media are nothing but the agents of the "Iblis". They post what will lead people to commit some sins misbehaviors; Or to make mockery women as nothing but sexual items.

Anyone who posts materials like the following is an agent of the Shaitan.

1. Promiscuity, profane and immoral pictures.

2. Those who make mockery of women by posting some ladies pictures showing their sexual shapes.

3. The ladies who post their Photoshop and edited pictures just to attract men.

Any man who is found of posting sexual explicitly or that has sexual tendency is a loose and immoral person. I wonder if they have mothers, sisters and wives that would see what they post into social media stream. How can you as a man be depicting ladies as if they are nothing but sexual tools.

All is lack of proper upbringing and lack of *'’Eeman"*. No any moral person will ever play with women affairs as such. They are our mothers, wives, sisters and daughters. Let us respect them.

(Part No 1)

*CRUCIAL IN THE LIFE OF A MUMIN – BELIEVER* - *THE TRAPS (TRICKS) OF SATAN?*

Let us see in brief detail as an explanation of what Satan does; what kind of tricks and traps he uses to deceive people.

*1.0 THE ACTIVITIES OF SATAN*

In various places in the Quran, what kind of activities Satan does and will do are pointed out in the verses. For instance:

When We said to the angels, "Prostrate yourselves to Adam" they prostrated themselves, but not Iblis: he refused. Then We said: "O Adam! Verily, this is an enemy to thee and thy wife: so let him not get you both out of the Garden so that thou art landed in misery. "There is therein (enough provision) for thee not to go hungry nor to go naked" "Nor to suffer from thirst nor from the sun's heat." But Satan whispered evil to him: he said "O Adam! Shall I lead thee to Tree of Eternity and to a kingdom that never decays?" In the result, they both ate of the tree, and so their nakedness appeared to them: they began to sew together, for their covering, leaves from the Garden: thus did Adam disobey his Lord, and allow himself to be seduced. But his Lord chose him (for His Grace): He turned to him, and gave him guidance. (Holy Quran Chapter Taha, 116-122)

(١١٥) وَإِذۡ قُلۡنَا لِلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕڪَةِ ٱسۡجُدُواْ لِأَدَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓاْ إِلَّآ إِبۡلِيسَ أَبَىٰ (١١٦) فَقُلۡنَا يَـٰٓـَٔادَمُ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا عَدُوٌّ۬ لَّكَ وَلِزَوۡجِكَ فَلَا يُخۡرِجَنَّكُمَا مِنَ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ فَتَشۡقَىٰٓ (١١٧) إِنَّ لَكَ أَلَّا تَجُوعَ فِيہَا وَلَا تَعۡرَىٰ (١١٨) وَأَنَّكَ لَا تَظۡمَؤُاْ فِيہَا وَلَا تَضۡحَىٰ (١١٩) فَوَسۡوَسَ إِلَيۡهِ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ قَالَ يَـٰٓـَٔادَمُ هَلۡ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَىٰ شَجَرَةِ ٱلۡخُلۡدِ وَمُلۡكٍ۬ لَّا يَبۡلَىٰ (١٢٠) فَأَڪَلَا مِنۡہَا فَبَدَتۡ لَهُمَا سَوۡءَٲتُهُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخۡصِفَانِ عَلَيۡہِمَا مِن وَرَقِ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ‌ۚ وَعَصَىٰٓ ءَادَمُ رَبَّهُ ۥ فَغَوَىٰ (١٢١) ثُمَّ ٱجۡتَبَـٰهُ رَبُّهُ ۥ فَتَابَ عَلَيۡهِ وَهَدَىٰ

Behold! We said to the angels: "Bow down unto Adam": they bowed down except Iblis: he said "Shall I bow down to one whom Thou didst create from clay?" He said "Seest Thou? This is the one whom thou hast honored above me! If Thou wilt but respite me to the Day of Judgment, I will surely bring his descendants under my sway all but a few!" Allah said: "Go thy way; if any of them follow thee, verily Hell will be the recompense of you (all)― an ample recompense. "Lead to destruction those whom thou canst among them, with thy (seductive) voice; make assaults on them with thy cavalry and thy infantry; mutually share with them wealth and children; and make promises to them. But Satan promises them nothing but deceit. "As for My servants, no authority shalt thou have over them." Enough is thy Lord for a Disposer of affairs. (Holy Quran Chapter al-Isra, 61-65)

۬ا (٦٠) وَإِذۡ قُلۡنَا لِلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕڪَةِ ٱسۡجُدُواْ لِأَدَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓاْ إِلَّآ إِبۡلِيسَ قَالَ ءَأَسۡجُدُ لِمَنۡ خَلَقۡتَ طِينً۬ا (٦١) قَالَ أَرَءَيۡتَكَ هَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى ڪَرَّمۡتَ عَلَىَّ لَٮِٕنۡ أَخَّرۡتَنِ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ لَأَحۡتَنِكَنَّ ذُرِّيَّتَهُ ۥۤ إِلَّا قَلِيلاً۬ (٦٢) قَالَ ٱذۡهَبۡ فَمَن تَبِعَكَ مِنۡهُمۡ فَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ جَزَآؤُكُمۡ جَزَآءً۬ مَّوۡفُورً۬ا (٦٣) وَٱسۡتَفۡزِزۡ مَنِ ٱسۡتَطَعۡتَ مِنۡہُم بِصَوۡتِكَ وَأَجۡلِبۡ عَلَيۡہِم بِخَيۡلِكَ وَرَجِلِكَ وَشَارِكۡهُمۡ فِى ٱلۡأَمۡوَٲلِ وَٱلۡأَوۡلَـٰدِ وَعِدۡهُمۡ‌ۚ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا (٦٤) إِنَّ عِبَادِى لَيۡسَ لَكَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ سُلۡطَـٰنٌ۬‌ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِرَبِّكَ وَڪِيلاً۬ (٦٥)

(Iblis) said: "O my Lord! because Thou hast put me in the wrong, I will make (wrong) fair-seeming to them on the earth, and I will put them all in the wrong― "Except Thy servants among them, sincere and purified (by thy grace). (Holy Quran Chapter al-Hijr, 39-40)

(٣٨) قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَآ أَغۡوَيۡتَنِى لَأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمۡ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَأُغۡوِيَنَّہُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ (٣٩) إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنۡہُمُ ٱلۡمُخۡلَصِينَ (٤٠)

The Satan threatens you with poverty and bids you to conduct unseemly. (Holy Quran Chapter al-Baqara, 268)

(٢٦٧) ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ يَعِدُكُمُ ٱلۡفَقۡرَ وَيَأۡمُرُڪُم بِٱلۡفَحۡشَآءِ‌ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغۡفِرَةً۬ مِّنۡهُ وَفَضۡلاً۬‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ وَٲسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ۬ (٢٦٨)

(The pagans), leaving Him, call but upon female deities: they call but upon Satan the persistent rebel! Allah did curse him, but he said: "I will take of Thy servants a portion marked off. "I will mislead them and I will create in them false desires; I will order them to slit the ears of cattle and to deface the (fair) nature created by Allah." Whoever, forsaking Allah, takes Satan for a friend, hath of a surety suffered a loss that is manifest. Satan makes them promises, and creates in them false desires; but Satan's promises are nothing but deception.( Holy Quran Chapter an-Nisa, 117-120)

(١١٦) إِن يَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦۤ إِلَّآ إِنَـٰثً۬ا وَإِن يَدۡعُونَ إِلَّا شَيۡطَـٰنً۬ا مَّرِيدً۬ا (١١٧) لَّعَنَهُ ٱللَّهُ‌ۘ وَقَالَ لَأَتَّخِذَنَّ مِنۡ عِبَادِكَ نَصِيبً۬ا مَّفۡرُوضً۬ا (١١٨) وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمۡ وَلَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمۡ وَلَأَمُرَنَّهُمۡ فَلَيُبَتِّڪُنَّ ءَاذَانَ ٱلۡأَنۡعَـٰمِ وَلَأَمُرَنَّہُمۡ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلۡقَ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ وَمَن يَتَّخِذِ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنَ وَلِيًّ۬ا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ فَقَدۡ خَسِرَ خُسۡرَانً۬ا مُّبِينً۬ا (١١٩) يَعِدُهُمۡ وَيُمَنِّيہِمۡ‌ۖ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا (١٢٠)

(Part No 2)

*2.0 SATAN MAKES SINS SEEM NICE*

Satan has made their deeds seem pleasing in their eyes. (Holy Quran Chapter an-Naml, 24)

(٢٣) وَجَدتُّهَا وَقَوۡمَهَا يَسۡجُدُونَ لِلشَّمۡسِ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ أَعۡمَـٰلَهُمۡ فَصَدَّهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ فَهُمۡ لَا يَهۡتَدُونَ (٢٤)

There are various verses that have the same meaning. For instance, Holy Quran Chapter al-An’am 43, Holy Quran Chapter al-Anfal 48, Holy Quran Chapter an-Nahl 63, Holy Quran Chapter al-Ankabut 48, Holy Quran Chapter al-Hijr 39…

The greatest activity of Satan is to present sins as nice and attractive things to people. For instance, when two people argue, they may fight; such a minor argument may end up in a murder because no mind is present in fury. When fury overwhelms a person, he cannot think reasonably. In the end, one of the parties may go to the grave and the other to prison.

If they think reasonably, they will not suffer such consequences. However, Satan showed them their bad deeds as good deeds and caused such a distressing outcome.

The presentation of sins as good deeds by Satan can be likened to this: Someone puts bad things in good packing and makes people eat them as if they are sweet.

The following is stated in another verse:

Is then one who is on a clear (Path) from his Lord, no better than one to whom the evil of his conduct seems pleasing, and such as follow their own lusts? (Holy Quran Chapter Muhammad, 14)

(١٣) أَفَمَن كَانَ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍ۬ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ كَمَن زُيِّنَ لَهُ ۥ سُوٓءُ عَمَلِهِۦ وَٱتَّبَعُوٓاْ أَهۡوَآءَهُم (١٤)

The believer has a ‘bayyina’ from his Lord. Bayyina has meanings like, evidence, proof and sign. An unbeliever does bad deeds. Those bad deeds are decorated by Satan and they seem nice. For instance, Satan deceives him by a trick like, “What is the harm of drinking alcohol; man should take pleasure from the world. “ Such people act in accordance with their desires and pleasures.

The ideology of “hedonism”in the Antique Age philosophy is nothing but acting in accordance with desires and pleasures. The followers of this ideology are plentiful today.

The philosophical school called hedonism sees the world from the point of view of desires and pleasures. Their aim is to satisfy their senses and to take pleasure. Today, many people are affected by this ideology of Satan; they regard all kinds of sins as permissible and virtually cease to be human.

(Part No 3)

*3.0 SATAN KEEPS PEOPLE BUSY WITH FALSE DESIRES*

I will mislead them and I will create in them false desires… (Holy Quran Chapter an-Nisa, 119)

(١١٨) وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمۡ وَلَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمۡ وَلَأَمُرَنَّهُمۡ فَلَيُبَتِّڪُنَّ ءَاذَانَ ٱلۡأَنۡعَـٰمِ وَلَأَمُرَنَّہُمۡ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلۡقَ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ وَمَن يَتَّخِذِ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنَ وَلِيًّ۬ا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ فَقَدۡ خَسِرَ خُسۡرَانً۬ا مُّبِينً۬ا (١١٩)

Satan keeps people with false dreams and desires. People who travel in the desert sometimes see a mirage and they think it is real; they run toward it. However, they run toward a dream. Similarly, Satan makes people spend time with false ideologies and dreams. For instance, a wrong ideology emerges and many people follow it. In fact, it will not be useful for them and it will not make them happy. For instance, the ideology of positivism became dominant in the 19th century and it affected the humanity deeply. According to that ideology, one should not believe in things that cannot be proved; since things like spirit, angel, the hereafter that religions mention cannot be proved, they should not be heeded. That ideology puts forward this view: “From now on, temples, churches, mosques, synagogues, etc should be replaced by laboratories; clergymen should be replaced by scientists and the principles of belief should be replaced by the results obtained by science. Ironically, many people all over the world, including the people living in the Islamic world, were influenced by that ideology.

As a matter of fact, not everything consists of matter. Even in man, spirituality is on the foreground more than matter. There are thousands of feelings in man that have no relation with matter. A book does not consists of letters only; it is full of meaning; the universe is full of meaning, too.

I discussed these issues with a philosopher years ago. I said to him, “We make use of philosophy but philosophy is not everything. For instance, philosophy cannot explain how creation took place.” He said,

“I do not use the word ‘creation’. I prefer to use formation, instead.”

I said, “Suppose that you left the classroom and the blackboard was clean; when you returned, there were nice pictures and meaningful sentences on the board; would you regard it as formation or would you say, “who wrote them and who drew them?”

He said, “I believe in science. I accept that science cannot explain this issue but I believe that it will be explained scientifically even if it is hundreds of years later…”

He could not get rid of believing even when he escaped from belief. He did not believe in Allah but he believed in “science”. He did not accept a pre-eternal Allah but he could not get rid of accepting matter as pre-eternal…

Satan makes people believe in such false ideologies and dreams; he prevents people from seeing the truths.

(Part No 4)

*4.0 THE NONSENSE OF SATANIC VERSES*

“Did Satan and jinn bring anything to the Prophet as they brought some things to soothsayers and mediums? That is, did they intervene in the revelation in any way?” This issue has been on the agenda from time to time since the beginning of Islam. A similar approach is present in the claims of Makkan polytheists about the Prophet stating that he was a soothsayer or mad. That is, they say, “Satan sometimes whispers to him those things.”

This verse of the Quran is an answer than can silence them:

“No evil ones have brought down this (Revelation): It would neither suit them nor would they be able (to produce it). Indeed they have been removed far from even (a chance of) hearing it..” (Holy Quran Chapter ash-Shuara, 26: 210-212)

(٢٠٩) وَمَا تَنَزَّلَتۡ بِهِ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينُ (٢١٠) وَمَا يَنۢبَغِى لَهُمۡ وَمَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ (٢١١) إِنَّهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلسَّمۡعِ لَمَعۡزُولُونَ (٢١٢)

That is, to bring something like that is contrary to the nature of Satan. Shaytan’s have mischief and aberration in their nature; they will never state things that order what is good that prohibit what is bad and that guide people to the right way. Suppose that they wanted to do so, they would be dismissed from the sky by angels and heavenly catapults.

There exists a fine point in the fact that they were prevented from listening to the Quran when it was revealed:

If Shaytan’s could have listened to it, they would have informed the soothsayers about it. Then, they would have said, “What was sent to Muhammad was sent to such and such a soothsayer” and trust in the revelation would have been unsettled. However, as it is stated by this verse: “"He (alone) knows the Unseen, nor does He make any one acquainted with His Mysteries― "Except an messenger whom He has chosen: and then He makes a band of watchers march before him and behind him,”, guarding angels watched when the message was sent down to the Prophet. (Holy Quran Chapter al-Jinn, 26-27)

One of the wisdoms behind the fact that the angels observed is to prevent Satan from trying to seem to the Prophet in the form of an angel. One of the issues that devilish people who want to make people doubt the divine revelation bring forward through “the revelation” they take from their own Shaytan’s is the trash of “Satanic verses” or “the event of Gharaniq.

They try to support their ideas through the following verses: “Never did We send an messenger or a prophet before thee but when he framed a desire, Satan threw some (vanity) into his desire: but Allah will cancel anything (vain) that Satan throws in, and Allah will confirm (and establish) His Signs: for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom:

That He may make the suggestions thrown in by Satan, but a trial for those in whose hearts is a disease and who are hardened of heart: verily the wrongdoers are in a schism far (from the Truth): And that those on whom knowledge has been bestowed may learn that the (Qur'an) is the Truth from thy Lord, and that they may believe therein, and their hearts may be made humbly (open) to it: for verily Allah is the Guide of those who believe to the Straight Way.” (Holy Quran Chapter al-Hajj, 52-54)

Zamakhshari, an interpreter (mufassir), mentions the following narration while explaining those verses:

The tribe of Hazrat Prophet had turned away from him; his relatives had not supported him; they had opposed him. The Messenger of Allah had been disturbed by their turning away from him and desired them to become Muslims. Therefore, he did not want anything that would drive them away from him to be revealed so that they would tend to become Muslims and give up their obstinacy. When he was together with people from his tribe and he was in such a state, the chapter of an-Najm was sent down. He started to recite: When he was reading the verses “Have ye seen Lat an Uzza? And another, the third (goddess) Manat?” (an-Najm, 53: 19-20),

(١٨) أَفَرَءَيۡتُمُ ٱللَّـٰتَ وَٱلۡعُزَّىٰ (١٩) وَمَنَوٰةَ ٱلثَّالِثَةَ ٱلۡأُخۡرَىٰٓ (٢٠)

Satan intervened his thoughts causing him delusion. The Prophet said, “These are the exalted Gharaniq, whose intercession is hoped for” by mistake. The Messenger of Allah did not notice that he said so. Then, he noticed it thanks to his attribute of innocence. (There is also a narration stating that Jibril warned him). Or according to another narration, Satan uttered that couplet. People heard that couplet. When the Prophet prostrated at the end of the chapter, the polytheists who were there prostrated complacently.

The narration that led the enemies of the religion to the claim of “satanic verses” and that became known as “Gharaniq” is what is explained above.

Now, let us deal with the content of this narration in various aspects:

1. It is a clear contradiction for those who reject the divine revelation to try to use the Quran as evidence.

2. That Zamakhshari quotes this narration does not mean that he accepts it. It is possible that he quoted it as a piece of information.

3. This narration was not accepted as true by most interpreters.

4. The information that the chapter of an-Najm was recited and that the polytheists prostrated together with the Muslims at the end of the chapter exist in hadith collections but the sentence about Gharaniq does not exist.

For instance, the following is reported in the Sahih of Bukhari from Ibn Mas’ud:

“The first chapter in which a verse of prostration was sent is the chapter of an-Najm. When this chapter was sent down, the Messenger of Allah prostrated. The people who were there prostrated, too. However, I saw a man take a handful of soil from the ground and prostrate on it.” (Bukhari, Tafsir, 53/4)

5. In one of the narrations reported by Zamakhshari, it is stated that Satan uttered that statement. Even if there were something like the event of Gharaniq, it was an intervention in order to sabotage the recital of the Prophet. As a matter of fact, today when a person makes a speech, his opponents can shout slogans.

6. When Yaqut al-Hamawi describes Uzza in his book, Mu’jamu’l-Buldan, he quotes the poem mentioning Gharaniq and say polytheists recited that poem when they circumambulated the Kaaba. Then, this statement does not belong to the Prophet; it is Satanic delusion belonging to polytheists.

7. The beginning of this chapter indicates clearly that this narration is wrong:

Nor does he say (aught) of (his own) Desire. It is no less than inspiration sent down to him. (Holy Quran Chapter an-Najm, 53: 3-4)

(٢) وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰٓ (٣) إِنۡ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحۡىٌ۬ يُوحَىٰ (٤)

As it is understood from the views quoted above, there is no indication showing that Satan intervened in the revelation in the narration that is tried to be made famous as “the Event of Gharaniq”. However, the religion is a testing. It is stated in the verse that it was a mischief (fitnah). (Holy Quran Chapter al-Hajj, 53) Fitnah lexically means to put metals like gold and silver into fire to understand whether they are fake or not. As a result of this testing, people with diamond spirits like Abu Bakr will be distinguished from people with coal spirits like Abu Jahl.

(Part No 5)

*5.0 SATAN MAKE PEOPLE CONFUSE DREAM AND REALITY*

The most important and dangerous delusion of Satan is related to the issues of belief. He carries it out by making people confuse dream and reality.

A person can sometimes dream unbelief and polytheism. For instance,

“What would happen if there were more than one god?”

“what if everything ends with death? What if there is no hereafter?”

“What if qadar binds us?…”

To dream those things does not mean to accept them.

Islamic scholars have determined this criterion: “to dream unbelief is not unbelief.” When man dreams to eat something, his stomach is not filled; when he dreams to have a fortune, he does not become rich; similarly, when he dreams unbelief, he does not become an unbeliever.

The dirt seen on the mirror is not dirt; the image of a snake on the mirror will not bite; the image of the fire on the mirror will not burn. Similarly, the dirty memories related to unbelief that come from outside without based on a person’s will do not harm a person.

When the Prophet was asked about the delusion caused by Satan, he said,

Does a thief enter a house in which there is nothing? That is what belief is. (Muslim, Iman, 211)

The answer of the Prophet mentions a principle that relieves the people who suffer delusions. That is, the delusions that come to the heart and that disturb the heart do not harm belief; on the contrary, they prove belief because the heart of the person who is exposed to delusions is disturbed by them; that is, he does not accept those delusions. It shows the belief existing in him.

(Part No 6)

*6.0 SATAN APPROACHES FROM FOUR DIRECTIONS TO CONFUSE*

When Satan did not prostrate, he was dismissed from divine mercy. Since he was punished because of man, he wanted authority from Allah in order to disturb and deviate him. When he was given the authority, Satan said:

He said: "Because thou hast thrown me out of the Way, lo! I will lie in wait for them on Thy straight Way. "Then will I assault them from before them and behind them, from their right and their left: nor wilt Thou find, in most of them, gratitude (for Thy mercies). (Holy Quran Chapter al-A’raf, 7: 16-17)

(١٥) قَالَ فَبِمَآ أَغۡوَيۡتَنِى لَأَقۡعُدَنَّ لَهُمۡ صِرَٲطَكَ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمَ (١٦) ثُمَّ لَأَتِيَنَّهُم مِّنۢ بَيۡنِ أَيۡدِيہِمۡ وَمِنۡ خَلۡفِهِمۡ وَعَنۡ أَيۡمَـٰنِہِمۡ وَعَن شَمَآٮِٕلِهِمۡ‌ۖ وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكۡثَرَهُمۡ شَـٰكِرِينَ

What is first understood from those sentences of Satan is that he tries to do his best in order to make man deviate from the way to Allah. Satan is very ambitious and determined regarding the issue. Satan is the greatest obstacle on the way to Allah.

Satan sits on the way of Islam for man and says to him,“Will you abandon the religion of your ancestors?” He does not heed what Satan says and becomes a Muslim. Then Satan sits on the way of migration and says to man, “If you leave your country, wou will be lonely.” He does not heed what Satan says and migrates. Then, he sits on the way of jihad and says to him, “If you go to the war, you will be killed; your property will be shared by others; your wife will marry someone else.” He overcomes this last obstacle, too. Then, he proceeds. (Holy Quran Chapter Nasai, Jihad, 4: 19)

(١٨) يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا يَحِلُّ لَكُمۡ أَن تَرِثُواْ ٱلنِّسَآءَ كَرۡهً۬ا‌ۖ وَلَا تَعۡضُلُوهُنَّ لِتَذۡهَبُواْ بِبَعۡضِ مَآ ءَاتَيۡتُمُوهُنَّ إِلَّآ أَن يَأۡتِينَ بِفَـٰحِشَةٍ۬ مُّبَيِّنَةٍ۬‌ۚ وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ‌ۚ فَإِن كَرِهۡتُمُوهُنَّ فَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تَكۡرَهُواْ شَيۡـًٔ۬ا وَيَجۡعَلَ ٱللَّهُ فِيهِ خَيۡرً۬ا ڪَثِيرً۬ا (١٩)

Fakhraddin Razi reports the following in his tafsir:

The angels felt pity for man when they saw the resoluteness of Satan and said, “How can man get rid of Satan when he has surrounded him from four directions?”

God Almighty said to them,

“There are two more directions as down and up. If man opens his hands upward and asks from me in modesty? Or if he prostrates in awe? I will forgive his sins of seventy years.”

The approaching of Satan from the front, back, right and left can be understood in different ways.

For instance, there is the Doomsday and the hereafter in front of man; Satan makes him deny them. There is the world behind him; Satan makes him turn toward the world. When he approaches from the right, he tries to prevent man from doing good deeds and charities.

For instance, when man wants to give sadaqah, he tries to prevent him by saying, “In fact, you need this and that; why do you give money to that beggar?” Or, he acts upon the principle of the lesser of the two evils; he keeps man busy with small charities to prevent him from doing big charities. He acts as if he wants the goodness of man but prevents him from doing charities. For instance, he persuades a man who can do big charities and serve believers to lead his own life and prevents others from benefitting from him.

When Satan approaches from the left, he makes man see bad deeds as good deeds by decorating them; he wants to make man spiritually dirty through the stains of sins.

From another point of view, the four directions can be understood as follows: the front as dream and imagination, the back as delusion and groundless fear, the right as lust and the left as wrath.

Satan keeps the imagination of man busy with wrong and superstitious things. As it is known, man first imagines and then he does things. For instance, before a thief burgles a house, he burgles it imaginatively many times; then, he burgles it in reality. Every sin starts with imagination.

Satan used delusion and groundless fear to prevent good deeds and charities. For instance, when a person wants to give an important portion of his property away as charity, Satan steps in and says to him, “what if you lose your work and become needy in the future? What if this or that happens?...”, causing him to make calculations; thus, he may prevent good deeds and charities.

Lust is related to the desires of man. Satan deceives man regarding ranks, fame, satisfying pleasures, etc.

Wrath is related to the fury of man. There is a saying, “There is no mind in the fury.” When fury is active in man, the mind becomes deactivated; that person becomes ready to do any madness due to the encouragement of Satan. For instance, when the cow of a person enters his neighbor’s garden and eats one or two tomatoes, his neighbor utters such bad words that a reasonable mind will not approve them; or, he acts so foolishly that even a child does not behave like that. Sometimes, it may continue until one of them kills the other. One of them goes to the grave and the other to prison; he lives regretfully until the end of his life.

Shaqiq Balhi, a great saint, says the following, which can be regarded as the interpretation of the verse above:

“I am attacked by Satan from four directions every morning. When he comes from the front, he says, “Do whatever you want. Allah is the Forgiver and the All*Compassionate.” I answer him uttering this verse:

Tell My servants that I am indeed the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful; And that My Penalty will be indeed the most grievous Penalty. (Holy Quran Chapter al-Hijr, 15: 49-50)

(٤٨) ۞ نَبِّئۡ عِبَادِىٓ أَنِّىٓ أَنَا ٱلۡغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ (٤٩) وَأَنَّ عَذَابِى هُوَ ٱلۡعَذَابُ ٱلۡأَلِيمُ (٥٠)

When he approaches from behind, he frightens me mentioning the possibility of the risk of poverty for me and my family. Then, I read him the following verse:

There is no moving creature on earth but its sustenance depends on Allah... (Holy Quran Chapter Hud, 11:6)

(٥) ۞ وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ۬ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ رِزۡقُهَا وَيَعۡلَمُ مُسۡتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسۡتَوۡدَعَهَا‌ۚ كُلٌّ۬ فِى ڪِتَـٰبٍ۬ مُّبِينٍ۬ (٦)

When he approaches from the right, he tries to praise and elevate me mentioning my good deeds; he says, “There is no one who worships like you in the world.” I silence him by reading the following verse:

...So persevere patiently: for the End is for those who are righteous. (Holy Quran Chapter Hud, 11: 49)

(٤٨) تِلۡكَ مِنۡ أَنۢبَآءِ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ نُوحِيہَآ إِلَيۡكَ‌ۖ مَا كُنتَ تَعۡلَمُهَآ أَنتَ وَلَا قَوۡمُكَ مِن قَبۡلِ هَـٰذَا‌ۖ فَٱصۡبِرۡ‌ۖ إِنَّ ٱلۡعَـٰقِبَةَ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ (٤٩)

(That is, it is necessary to see the end of it, not today. When a person sets out to go somewhere, he is not regarded to be successful until re reaches his destination. For instance, if a person who drives to Ankara from Istanbul has an accident in the last kilometer, he cannot reach his destination.)

When he approaches from the left, he shows me the beauties and the lustful pleasures of the world; he tries to arouse my pleasures. Then, I remind him the following divine statement:

…And between them and their desires, is placed a barrier ―. (Holy Quran Chapter Saba’, 54)

(٥٣) وَحِيلَ بَيۡنَہُمۡ وَبَيۡنَ مَا يَشۡتَہُونَ كَمَا فُعِلَ بِأَشۡيَاعِهِم مِّن قَبۡلُۚ إِنَّہُمۡ كَانُواْ فِى شَكٍّ۬ مُّرِيبِۭ (٥٤)

(That is, the people of Hell are terrified when they are exposed to the torture of Hell; there will be no desires left for them. For instance, when the most beautiful meals are put before a person who undergoes torture, he will not desire them.)

When I recite them, Satan returns without obtaining anything.”

(Part No 7)

*7.0 SATAN TRIES TO STEAL MAN’S BELIEF*

Satan is a thief; he tries to steal the most valuable jewel of man in his heart, that is, his belief. Today, the doubts that are seen almost everywhere regarding belief prove that Satan works very hard to this end. For 70 years, a delusion like, “Religion is the opium of the people” was one of the fundamental principles of a state that was based on communism. In that system, a war had been declared against “what is sacred”. Nowadays, religion is in a more respectable state worldwide. However, the delusions of Satan regarding the issue are not over.

Satan insists on stealing the belief of man. He insists until the last minute. Even in football, there may be surprises in the last minute; similarly, Satan works hard to steal even the belief of people who have taqwa through his delusions in their deathbed and to send them from this world as deniers.

Theoretically, it is possible for Satan to steal the belief of a person but people who have strong belief get ready for the last minute throughout their life; therefore, their belief is under protection; even if Shaytan’s come with their armies, they will not be able to do anything to them. Their belief is not in their mind only; it is in the depths of their hearts; Shaytan’s cannot penetrate into those depths.

(Part No 8)

*8.0 SATAN LEADS PEOPLE TO FIRE*

The one who was created out of fire will end up in fire. However, he does not want to be alone in fire; he wants to have many people, who were sent to the earth as vicegerents, with him in fire!

If anyone withdraws himself from remembrance of Most Gracious, We appoint for him an evil one to be an intimate companion to him. Such (evil ones) really hinder them from the Path but they think that they are being guided aright! At length when (such a one) comes to Us, he says (to his evil companion): "Would that between me and thee were the distance of East and West!" Ah! Evil is the companion (indeed)! When ye have done wrong, it will avail you nothing, that day, that ye shall be partners in punishment!. (Holy Quran Chapter az-Zukhruf, 43:36-39)

(٣٥) وَمَن يَعۡشُ عَن ذِكۡرِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ نُقَيِّضۡ لَهُ ۥ شَيۡطَـٰنً۬ا فَهُوَ لَهُ ۥ قَرِينٌ۬ (٣٦) وَإِنَّہُمۡ لَيَصُدُّونَہُمۡ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَيَحۡسَبُونَ أَنَّہُم مُّهۡتَدُونَ (٣٧) حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَنَا قَالَ يَـٰلَيۡتَ بَيۡنِى وَبَيۡنَكَ بُعۡدَ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقَيۡنِ فَبِئۡسَ ٱلۡقَرِينُ (٣٨) وَلَن يَنفَعَڪُمُ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ إِذ ظَّلَمۡتُمۡ أَنَّكُمۡ فِى ٱلۡعَذَابِ مُشۡتَرِكُونَ (٣٩)

It is understood that the bodies of those who follow Satan will burn in fire and their spirits will burn in repentance. However, this last repentance will not be of any use; they will not be able to be saved from fire.

It is necessary to be protected from Satan so as not to suffer such a disastrous end. First, it is necessary to know the ways of protection from Satan and then to apply them. In the next chapter, the way of protection from Satan will be explained. To apply them is up to the volitional resoluteness of the individual. A person who does not use the medicine he has cannot be cured. If one does not apply the means of protection from Satan, they will not be of any use

(Part No 9)

*9.0 SUMMARY OF WHAT ARE THE TRAPS (TRICKS) OF SATAN; HIS KNOWLEDGE ABOUT MAN’S ACTIONS AND HIS ACTIVITIES ON MANKIND?*

The Traps (Tricks) Of Satan on Mankind include the following and more:

1) Human Dead Hearts,

2) Satan’s False Hopes Misleading Mankind,

3) Satan’s Strategies on Mankind: To Make You a Rejecter (Kafir),

4) The Three Open Doors of Iblees (The Devil); Babul Ghadab - The Door of Anger,

5) The Three Open Doors of Iblees (The Devil); The Door of Desires,

6) The Three Open Doors of Iblees (The Devil); The Door of Ghaflah (Negligence,

7) Satan’s Strategies on Mankind: To Commit Bid’ah,

8) Satan’s Strategies on Mankind: To Commit Major Sins,

9) Satan’s Strategies on Mankind: Minor Sins,

10) Satan’s Strategies on Mankind: Wasting Worldly Time,

11) Satan Makes People Worship Invalid Gods,

12) Satan’s Strategies on Mankind: An All- Out Attack on mankind,

13) Satan Uses Demagoguery ,

14) Satan Keeps People Busy With Meaningless Things and Nonsense,

15) Satan Wants To Interfere In the Nature Created By Allah,

16) Satan Causes Delusions in Prayer (Salah, Satan Makes People Yawn,

17) Satan’s Strategies on Mankind: Taking Lesser Of Two Good Deeds,

18) Satan Tries To Prevent People from Prostrating,

19) Satan Makes Man Look from a Wrong Point Of View,

20) Satan Leads People to Aberration under The Disguise Of Impartiality,

21) Satan Leads People to Imitate Others, Satan Utters Grandiose and Flowery Words,

22) Satan Subverts the Criteria of Value,

23) Satan Drives a Wedge between People,

24) Satan Does Not Let Man Confess His Mistakes, Satan Frightens People,

25) Satan Leaves People in the Lurch,

26) Satan Encourages People to Drink Alcohol and To Gamble,

27) Satan Proceeds To the Target, Step By Step,

28) Satan Leads People to Wrong Conclusions by Acting Upon Some Truths,

29) Satan Leads People to the Precipice,

30) Satan Makes Sins Seem Nice,

31) Satan Keeps People Busy With False Desires,

32) Satan makes people forget,

33) Satan proceeds to the target step by step,

34) Satan strives against prophets also,

35) Satan deceives scholars also,

36) The nonsense of Satanic Verses,

37) Satan approaches from four directions,

38) Satan tries to steal man’s belief,

39) Satan leads people to fire

REFERENCES

https://questionsonislam.com/article/what-are-traps-tricks-satan

http://islamicpamphlets.com/traps-of-satan-2

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-satan-uses-people-set-traps-you-michael-bryan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1UJPkbMf5s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyLzOs1en74

https://mylifebygogogoff.com/2017/01/3-traps-that-satan-uses-to-destroy-the-saints-and-how-to-avoid-them.html

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/derrick-de-lise/the-devils-greatest-trick_1_b_9195612.htm

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2002762

http://www.alminbar.com/khutbaheng/19.htm

http://www.questionsonislam.com/article/what-are-traps-tricks-satan

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