Page 55 - Faith: The Way to Happiness

Satan, the Voice of Misery

What makes Satan dangerous is his determination to divert
people from the path of Allah, this is his goal. He has sworn an oath
to this effect. For this purpose he will make whatever effort he can
and try every possible method. Allah tells us about Satan's determi-
nation in this matter in the Qur'an:
He [Satan] said, "By Your misguidance of me, I will lie in
ambush for them on your straight path. Then I will come at
them, from in front of them and behind them, from their
right and from their left. You will not find most of them
thankful." (Surat al-A‘raf: 16-17)
Another dangerous aspect of Satan is that he acts with guile
while doing all this. He approaches people differently using a vari-
ety of methods according to their weaknesses and defects. He has a
d i ff e rent method, diff e rent tactics for each individual person. He
carries out all his activities with provocations cunningly whispered
in people's ears. He plunges them into doubt, drives them into
empty fancies and makes them waste time by engaging in worthless
pursuits. Allah warns us in the Qur'an that Satan will try to divert
and deceive people:
[Satan said,] "I will lead them astray and fill them with
false hopes. I will command them and they will cut off cat -
tle's ears. I will command them and they will change
Allah's creation." Anyone who takes Satan as his protector
in place of Allah has clearly lost everything. He makes
promises to them and fills them with false hopes. But what
Satan promises them is nothing but delusion. (Surat an-
Nisa': 119-120)
Satan always tries to bring people harm and loss. The source of
people's never ending woes and troubles and the physical damage
they suffer from these are the misgivings and empty fantasies which

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