Page 26 - Satan: The Sworn Enemy of Mankind

SATAN: THE SWORN ENEMY OF MANKIND
Falling into such ignorance, however, is one of the gravest errors
one can commit. Because, with a small number of believers being the
exception, Satan has brought the great majority of humanity com-
pletely under his control. Without even realizing it, they are leading
just the sort of lives Satan wishes them to, thus following him to Hell.
What such people ought to do, however, is inform themselves appro-
priately of Satan, and regard him as their enemy. Allah has com-
manded this in Surah Fatir:
Satan is your enemy so treat him as an enemy. He summons
his followers that they will be among the people of the
Searing Blaze. (Surah Fatir, 6)
Being cognizant of Satan, and understanding the nature of his an-
imosity, is part of the first steps towards salvation. That being the case,
one must first come to know Satan's characteristics, and the tactics he
employs. These traits, referred to in some detail throughout the many
verses of the Qur'an, are developed under the several following head-
ings:

He Is Devious and a Liar
First and foremost, Satan conceals the truth in order to lead peo-
ple away from the path of salvation. The best way of doing so is by im-
parting devious falsehoods to people. He attempts to attract them to
his ranks by means of lies and empty promises. For example, he will
promise heightened prestige, increased wealth, more sex, a life of ease,
or even higher status in the Hereafter. However, as he himself will
admit in the Hereafter, he has lied and made false promises:
When the affair is decided Satan will say, "Allah made you a
promise, a promise of truth, and I made you a promise but
broke my promise. I had no authority over you, except that I

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