Hadeeth
Sixteen: The Muslim’s Struggle and His Devil
From
‘Iyaad ibn Himaar al Mujaashi‘ee (radiyallaahu ‘anhu) who said that
Allaah’s Messenger () said:
Indeed
my Lord ordered me to teach you that which you do not know, from that which He
taught me this day, (instructing me): ‘The wealth which I confer upon a
servant is all lawful for him, and I created all My servants having natural
inclination to the true way but the devils came to them and turned them away
from their (true) Religion, and they forbade for them that which I made lawful
for them, and they ordered them to associate in worship with Me that for which I
sent down no authority.’ Allaah looked upon the people of the earth and hated
them, the Arabs and the non-Arabs, except for some remnants of the People of the
Book, and He said: ‘I sent you only to put you to the test and to tests others
through you, and I sent down to you a Book which cannot be washed away by water,
which you will retain and recite whilst asleep and whilst awake.’ Allaah
ordered me to destroy the Quraysh so I said: ‘O my Lord they would break my
head just as bread is broken.’ So He said: ‘Turn them out just as they
turned you out, and fight them and We shall aid you, and spend and We shall
provide for you. Send an army and We will send five more like it. Fight along
with those who disobey you. The people of Paradise are three: The ruler who is
just, who spends in charity and is guided to do good; and a man who is merciful
and kind hearted towards every relative and Muslim; and the chaste one who does
not beg despite having a family to support. The people of the Fire are five: The
weak who does not have the will to avoid evil; those amongst you who are merely
followers (of others), they do not seek after family or wealth; and the
dishonest whose greed cannot be concealed even in the case of minor things; and
a man who will betray you morning and evening with regard to your family and
your wealth (He also mentioned miserliness or telling lies) and the person of
evil manners and foul speech.’[1]
So
this is very ancient conflict, continuing since the time when Allaah, the One
free and far removed from all defects, created Aadam, ‘alaihis-salaam,
and what occurred between him and Satan is well known. This conflict will be
intensified or diminished depending on the servant’s closeness to or distance
away from his Lord. Consider also his () saying: Satan has despaired that those
who pray should worship him, but he (seeks to) provoke animosity between them.[2]
So
let this be a warning for us, and its opposite be glad tidings! We must not
leave any way for Satan to enter upon our hearts through our actions, granting
him neither full nor partial access! Indeed his deceptions are many and his
traps abundant.[3]
So
beware of this, O servant of Allaah, and do not let Satan trap you with his
snares and his tricks, and your impregnable fortress against him is:
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Notes:
[1] Reported by
Muslim (Eng. Trans. 4/1488/no.6853).
[2] Hadeeth
no.39 of this book.
[3] Refer to my book al-Muntaqan Nafees min Talbees Iblees and Mawridul Amaan min Masaayidish Shaitaan and may Allaah through His grace and favour make easy its completion.