The Divine Education Model in the Family of the Prophets (Part 7)
Teaching Five: Revealing the Truth of Satan’s Relationship with Man
This experiment also revealed Satan’s inherent and hostile relationship with man. Satan is a constant enemy of man who was commissioned by Allah to mislead man through temptation. From the very beginning, he demonstrated his ability to deceive man [even despite divine warnings] by tempting Adam (PBUH). Therefore, Allah Almighty has always warned man against the evil of Satan and his followers, because they are enemies who have hatred rooted in their nature and constantly try to strengthen evil and false grounds in man. The Holy Quran warns about this: “یأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ كُلُوا مِمَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ حَلَالًا طَيِّبًا وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ” Translation: “O people! Eat from what is on the ground, halal and pure! And don’t follow Satan’s steps! Because he is your obvious enemy.” [1]
And also says, “إِنَّمَا يَأْمُرُكُم بِالسُّوءِ وَالْفَحْشَاءِ وَأَن تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ.” Translation: “He (Satan) only commands you to do evil and abominations (and also orders) to attribute to Allah that which you do not know.” [2]
There are two dangerous points in Satan’s enmity with man:
1. Allah has given Satan and his followers a special ability so that they can cling to humans and penetrate their souls.
2. He injects his temptations directly into the hearts of humans.
As stated in a hadith from the Prophet (PBUH): “إن الشَّيْطَانَ يَجْرِي من ابن آدم مَجْرَى الدَّمِ.” Translation: “Satan flows in the son of Adam like the flow of blood in the veins.” [3]
The Holy Quran also refers to this fact: “إِنَّهُ يَرَاكُمْ هُوَ وَقَبِيلُهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا تَرَوْنَهُمْ” Translation: “Indeed, he (Satan) and his companions see you from where you do not see them.” [4]
Satan’s Enmity with Man and the Necessities of This Enmity
One of the necessities of Satan’s constant enmity towards us is that we should beware of him, because we must beware of the enemy and be safe from his evil and not trust him, because the enemy intends to harm and harass the one with whom he is enmity. This is exactly what Satan pursues with his enmity towards man. The harm that Satan wants for man is to mislead and divert him from the true religion (Islam) and disobey Allah. There is no act uglier and more harmful than creating an obstacle between man and obedience to Allah. This enmity of Satan is clear and obvious, and for this reason, Allah has described him in the Quran with this phrase: “إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ” Translation: “Surely, he (Satan) is to you a clear enemy.” [5]
Imam Qurtubi (MABH) says in his interpretation of this verse, “Allah Almighty has announced that Satan is an enemy and his word is true; therefore, it is obligatory on a wise person to be aware of this enemy that has been clearly declared since the time of Prophet Adam (PBUH).” Satan has spent his entire existence and life ruining the states of the children of Adam, and Allah has also ordered us to beware of him, as He says, “وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ.” Translation: “And do not follow the footsteps of Satan! Because he is your obvious enemy [6].”
And also says: “إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَاتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوّاً إِنَّمَا يَدْعُو حِزْبَهُ لِيَكُونُوا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ السَّعِيرِ.” Translation: “Indeed, Satan is your enemy, so consider him an enemy (and do not be unaware of his cunning and deceit for a moment, and do not follow his temptations). [7] He calls his followers to become the inhabitants of the burning fire of Hell.” This is the ultimate warning of open hostility. [8]
The purpose of being wary of Satan is to be cautious and avoid his harm through constant vigilance and avoiding factors that achieve his goals of misguidance and deception. Below we will explain some of Satan’s tools and means to mislead man.
Satan’s tools to mislead man
Satan uses several methods to mislead man, the most important of which are
1. Making false actions seem beautiful in the eyes of man so that the person considers them good, attractive, and acceptable, while in reality, the action is ugly, wrong, and contrary to the Sharia. Through this external adornment, Satan encourages the hesitant person to commit a false act, and if the person is already engaged in that act, he forces him to consolidate and continue it. The Holy Quran has explained this method of Satan in the following verse: “فَلَوْلا إِذْ جَاءهُمْ بَأْسُنَا تَضَرَّعُواْ وَلَكِن قَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ” Translation: “Why should they not, when our punishment comes upon them, humble themselves and seek forgiveness? But their hearts are hardened, and Satan has made their deeds seem fair to them.” [9]
