Page 15 - Satan: The Sworn Enemy of Mankind

The Sworn Enemy of Mankind

prieved." He [Iblis] said, "By Your misguidance of me, I
will lie in ambush for them on your straight path." [Iblis
said,] "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." He [Allah] said, "Get out
of it, reviled and driven out. As for those of them who fol-
low you, I will fill up Hell with every one of you." (Surat al-
A`raf, 11-18)
Therefore, after having been expelled from Allah's presence,
Iblis entered upon his struggle. He insinuated himself among hu-
manity that he might deceive them and cause them to go astray. His
first ruse was to mislead the Prophet Adam (as) and his wife, then
abiding in Paradise, succeeding in tempting them to rebel against
Allah. This occurrence, at the dawn of human history, is here de-
scribed in the Qur'an:
[Allah said,] "Adam, live in the Garden, you and your wife,
and eat of it wherever you like. But do not go near this tree
lest you become wrongdoers." Then Satan whispered to
them, disclosing to them their private parts that had been
concealed from them. He said, "Your Lord has only forbid-
den you this tree that you not become like the angels or
achieve immortality." He [Satan] swore to them, "I am a sin-
cere counselor to you." So he enticed them to commit the act
by means of deception. Then, when they tasted of the tree,
their private parts were disclosed to them, and they began
to stitch together leaves of the Garden that they may cover
themselves. Their Lord called out to them, "Did I not forbid
you this tree and say to you, 'Satan is an avowed enemy to
you?' " They said, "Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves.
If you do not forgive us and have mercy on us, we will be

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