confronting our worst enemy – shaytan

7/27/2019 Confronting our Worst Enemy – Shaytan

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Confronting our Worst Enemy – Shaytanhttp://islamicspiritualityk.wordpress.com/category/spirituality/

Posted in Acquiring Sacred Knowledge ['ilm], Nafs, Our Spiritual Enemies, Spirituality, Taqwa with

tags angels, iblis, satan, sayyidina adam a.s., Shaytan on February 15, 2012 by Islamic Spirituality

مبلإلشطاخطوتبعوكافلسفدخوآمولذي أيهيا[2:208]

احبررزعلوصيلحللرلاعل

[37:180-182]

In the month of Ramadan,many of us may have heard that Allah swt chains up all of the Shayateen

and many of us may have felt in the month of Ramadan that in addition to many many reasons thiscertainly was a major reason why we felt closer to Allah swt, why we had the ability to engage in

more ibadah and then this brings the question that since the month of Ramadan has ended and that

Shaytan and the Shayateen have been unchained and unleashed and again they are being musallat;

are coming upon us – how is it that we can protect ourselves from Shaytan.

In the month of Ramadan, Allah swt Gave us 29 or 30 days of training how we can control and

subdue are Nafs. Those of us who spent that month properly you would now be much stronger viz-

a-viz our Nafs – now we should think how to make ourselves stronger viz-a-viz Shaytan. Anycase,

in the Deen of Islam, the second the month of Ramadan ends the month of Shawwal begins. from

the 1st of Shawwal begins what are known as the “Ash-har-ul Hajj – the months of Hajj. A person

can make niyyah and leave their home from the very first of Shawwal and make the journey for Hajj. Originally before the Muslim Ummah was blessed with the invention of Airplanes or airtravel,

when people would travel for Hajj they would leave weeks or months in advance. And, one of the

ultimate features of Hajj is Rami which means the pelting and stoning of Shaytan and one of the

climaxes of Hajj is this repudiation of Shaytan. So, it means that in these months of Hajj, this month

of Shawwal we should think how we should protect ourselves from Shaytan.

Now Shaytan is unseen; the unheard. Normally people don’t like to talk about him; but any good

strategist knows that you should know your enemy; you should study your enemy

And Allah swt has said this in the Qur’an-e-Karim,

كافلسفدخوآمولذي أيهياthat O you who believe! you should enter the Deen of Islam entirely

وعبتوطخاطشلAnd you should not follow the whisperings – mechanisms of Shaytan

إلبمthat Indeed his is a clear/open/manifest/die-hard enemy to you!

[2:208]

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Shaytan’s Enmity for us

The way we normally explain this to people is that we don’t appreciate and understand how much

enmity Shaytan has. Imagine if there is someone who you think is your enemy or somebody who

you think is your family’s enemy or perhaps you think that hitler was the enemy of Jews – infinitely

more than any of the enmities that have ever existed between any two human beings; infinitely

more than that is Shaytan’s enmity for each and every believer. The enmity that Shaytan has for amo’min is more than the enmity that hitler had for the Jews; more than – had for the cambodians;

more than slovedon Milošević had for the Bosnian Muslims – more than anyone you think alive on

this earth have enmity for the Muslims – infinitely more than any human being can have anmity –

Shaytan has enmity for the mo’mineen.

And how long has he had this enmity for?

He has had this hatred and hasad; enmity and jealousy; spite and malice for millions of years!

Allahu akbar kabira

Now, in this day and age if someone has an dushman [enemy] – they think and talk to their friend to plan some defensive strategy. So why not plan some defensive strategy against the biggest

Dushman that we have which is Shaytan.

So it is important for us to reflect upon – Who is Shaytan? How did he become Shaytan? What

exactly is his relationship with us? And how can we protect ourselves and preserve ourselves from

Shaytan.

All of you are very familiar of the famous story of how Iblees became Shaytan. I would just

highlight a few points of that. Allah swt has Mentioned this story in many different places in the

Qur’an-e-Karim, but most importantly Allah swt has Mentioned a lengthy dialogue that takes place

between Him and Shaytan in three places in the Qur’an – Surah Suaad, Surah Al-Hijr and Surah

A’raaf.

The Story of Shaytan

As all of you know Allah swt Created Sayyidina Adam alayhisalaam and then He called all of the

angels to witness that act of creation and make Sajdah to Adam a.s. then Allah swt also called one

representative from the Jinn whose name was Iblis. He was called so that he could be an

ambassador of all the Jinns and also because he had spent so many years prior to this event in

ibadah in worship that Allah swt had Let him hang out with the angels. Sometimes he is referred to

in Arabic as “Taoos-ul-Malaika – Companion/Likeness/Comrade of the angels”. And as all of youknow Allah swt Commanded all of those present in that gathering to Make Sajdah to Adam a.s.

The angels, because its not in their ability to disobey a direct command – certainly when Allah swt

Created Adam a.s. the angels asked that O Allah what are you doing? this is some type of creation

that is going to create fasaad on earth! this is a creation that also has the propensity and potential for

evil in it, why would You create such a creation when You have us the angels who have only good!

this is a type of creation whom You are Giving and endowing with freewill and the freedom to

disbelieve and disobey in You – why would You want to create such a creation when You have us

who always believe and obey You – so certainly they asked these questions but when Allah swt’s

Direct Order and Command came to make Sajdah – all of the angels, because that is the way they

are they have the freedom to think and to ask and question but they don’t have the freedom todisobey Allah swt – so automatically they obeyed and fell into Sajdah.



Iblis being Jinn had that freedom to disobey and he chose to exercise that freedom and he didn’t

make sajdah to sayyidina Adam a.s.

How did Allah swt Express this act of Iblis not making Sajdah, He swt said in Qur’an:

لافيمكاتب أى[2:34]

أىthe first word means: he rejected; he denied; he refused the commandment of Allah swt

بتAnd then he had takabbur on top of that – very important – many times people think that Shaytan

refused the commandment because he had takkabur. No.

- Shaytan refused the command because he had hasad; he had envy for sayyidina Adam a.s.

- After refusing, Allah swt Mentions that he had takabbur – this is a particular type of takabbur and

this is that type of takabbur that when a person disobeys Allah swt they feel justified in doing so;

they feel they have a valid reason and excuse in doing so and therefore they feel absolutely no

shame; remorse or regret whatsoever in that act of disobedience.

- If someone were to ask them that why are you doing this when Allah swt Wants you to do it

otherwise? Why are you doing this when the Quran and the Sunnah say otherwise? They give their

reasons and they feel justified in doing so! this is a particular type of takabbur

First lesson derived from this verse:

- Many times the most common lesson that people mention in this ayah is that Shaytan was

worshipping for millions of years and those millions of years of ibadat didn’t help him at all and

that doesn’t make such an impact on our hearts because we are not people who worship millions of

years anyway! so if that is the lesson to be learnt that if you have a lot of ibadah even that wouldn’t

help you – most of the young men and women would think that oh i don’t even have lots of ibadah

anyway

- The Second Lesson:

What is going to happen to us if we choose to reject and deny the commandments of Allah swt andwe feel justified and remorseless in doing so. That is the asl link that Shaytan is trying to make;

Shaytan wants that human beings should become like him – that means that not only should they

become disobedient and distant from Allah swt, they should feel justified and proud in doing so.

Whether they do so in the name of Modernism; they do so in the name of

Reformism/Secularism/Liberalism/Nationalism/Marxism, they go all the way and do so in the name

of Agnosticism and Atheism – but they should feel absolutely content and proud and firm on their

disobedience! They should have a deep, intellectual philosophical grounding for their disobedience

– which makes them absolutely disobey Allah swt without any hesitation and without any regret –

thats what Shaytan wants because that is his Satanic Attribute.

So, Allah swt Says in the ayah that:



أىthat he denied and rejected the commandment of Allah swt

بتAnd he had takabbur.

So, what was the result of that?

اكميفالAnd, interestingly Shaytan does not disbelieve in Allah swt at this moment. Its not that he becomes

an Atheist; he is looking at Allah swt, he cannot be in a state of Atheism or agnosticism because he

is in the ro’iyyat, deedaar of Allah swt but he is called among the kafireen because knowing Allah

swt exists and disobeying Him is the ultimate type of Kufr – its even more ultimate than Atheism

and Agnosticim! This is the kind of Kufr that Shaytan wants the mo’min to fall into. Because the

mo’min believes that Allah swt Exists, just like Shaytan knew Allah swt Exists!

So, the Shaytanic Kufr is to know Allah swt Exists, but to disobey Him. And that is what Allah swt

Mentions in this Ayah:

اكميفالthat he became eternally, permanently amongst the Kafirs.

Then, lets look at these different conversations and dialogues that take place between Allah swt and

Shaytan

Dialogues between Allah swt & Shaytan

So, first in Surah Suad, Allah swt Asks Iblis:

بتأ أ كملاعل[38:75]

Is it that you have adopted takabbur or are you amongst the people who view themselves to be

higher and exalted – a’ali

So, Shaytan responds:

مخ أاthat I am better than him

[38:76]

i.e. he gives a justification. What you say in Urdu, “thak jawab deina” . Now can you imagine,

Allah swt ko thak jawab deina? Shaytan did it with his words, me and you do it with our lives.

- Allah swt has the Muazzin call out, ‘As-Salatu khairun min an-naum’, hum thak jawab deitey

hain, we keep sleeping!

- Allah swt Says in Qur’an,



قلاكلفورلوأ س[33:21]

that you have in the Prophet لى a beautiful example, hum thak jawab deitey hain

– we like to adopt a different type of lifestyle. We have our own views as to what is beautiful; wehave our own dictates and mandates of Fashion, culture and society

Atleast Shaytan was honest about it; atleast Shaytan verbally said it.

How is he better? he said:

تقخماthat You Made me from fire

تقخمand You Made him from the elements of the earth -

You made me from the elements of Fire – thermal energy; and he’s made up of the elements of earth

– Calcium in his bones and iron in his blood and magnesium and zinc and copper and all of that –

So, I’m better

اthen, Allah swt Responded

مهفاخجthat Exit from My Company! Leave My Presence! Leave My Auspicious Court!

فرIndeed you are repudiated!

Then, Allah swt added:

إتعل

that Indeed upon you is My Curse – means that I Pick you up and Put you outside the reach of MyMercy! Never ever will My Mercy Ever Focus itself upon you again

لييوإلىUntil the End of Time; until the Day of Judgment

Then, Shaytan responded:

ارظفلإويوثعبي

that O my Rabb! Give me some respite until that Day in which You will Resurrect all of humanity



[38:76-79]

The Mufassiroon write that since at that moment Shaytan used the word, “ر” - my Rabb – that is

why his dua was accepted. He made dua the same way the Ambiya made dua – with the word

“rabb” and saying Rabbi, My Rabb. A lot of duas of the Ambiya-e-karaam have been mentioned in

the Qur’an-e-Karim and they all called upon Allah swt with this word ‘Rabb”.

So, this is such a word that even Iblis, when he uses it, Allah swt Grants his dua – this is also a

lesson for us – the mo’mineen – that Ya Allah swt, hum bi toh bil aakhir Aap ko Rabb ke hi naam se

pukaartey hain; agar iblis ne ‘ain nafarmani ke waqt aap ko Rabb se pukaara Aap ney usko bi

mohlat dia; tu agar hum gunah ke baad aap ko Rabb se pukaartey hain, hamein bi muaaf kerdein –

this is the power of the word Rabb!

Iblis called upon Allah swt with this word Rabb and Allah swt Said:

افميظلyou are amongst the people who have been given respite; stay – you will not be touched – until theDay of Judgment

لعولويوإلى[38:80-81]

until that Day whose time has been appointed and known to Allah swt

But, Iblis was Iblis – almost like a spoiled child when they get what they want from their parents

they go back to their naughtiness! So, he called upon Allah swt with this Dua; he got what he

wanted; Allah swt said okay you have been given respite.

Then, Shaytan said:

ازعبفHe swore by the Izzat of Allah swt! Allahu akbar – this is the most level of Kufr that you can

imagine! Me and you could never dream like this - that we would disobey Allah swt and then

looking at Allah swt, invoke Allah swt’s Izzat – the Honour and Sanctity and Maqam of Allah swt.

Iblis looks at Allah swt and says زعبف

هيوغ عأI will distract and destroy and despoil all of humanity!

So, if you want to understand how much of any enemy he is, this is his moment of declaring his

enmity for me and you! Looking at Allah swt, and swearing by the izzat of Allah swt! Allahu akbar

Then, Shaytan even said, a strange thing:

إدابهمصل

Except those who are

داب



Your Ibaad, who are Your worshipful servants

همfrom all of that humanity

those who have Ikhlaasلصن

[38:82-23]

Even he knew, at that ultimate moment of enmity that he won’t be able to distract and lead astray

those people who have two characteristics – Ibadat and Ikhlaas. Anybody who has that, even

Shaytan felt that he wouldn’t be able to distract them.

Another Conversation between Allah swt & Shaytan

In another conversation, very similar to this, Allah swt Mentions in Surat-ul-Hijr. I will just mentionto you the extra part of this conversation, most of the conversation is the same. Here, after Shaytan

mentions this, the same thing:

هيوغ عأإدابهمصل

that I will distract all of them, except those among them who are your worshipful servants and those

who are people of Ikhlaas.

The exact same words. One ayah later, Allah swt Responds to him:

إدابللهاطإمعبميال[15:42]

إداب(that, Know Shaytan that) Indeed! My servants

للهاطthat you will not have any ability or power over them

إمعبميال –

إExcept from those human beings;

بعمن

those who will follow you

لايمن



from those who are distracted and astray and deluded

…to be continued, inshaAllah

confronting our worst enemy – shaytan

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