Page 45 - Satan: The Sworn Enemy of Mankind
P. 45

Satan's Tactics
         harsh words, and making barbed and veiled comments, he seeks to
         divide the believers. A person of faith may be confronted with this
         danger at any time, if he drops his guard against Satan. For, as our
         Prophet (saas) has also said, "anger comes from the devil" (Abu
         Dawud). For that reason, believers are warned of this menace in the
         Qur'an, and are commanded to say what is best to one another, as
         well as being reminded that Satan is their enemy:
             Say to My servants that they should only say that which is
             best. Satan wants to stir conflict among them. Satan is an
             outright enemy to man. (Surat al-Isra´, 53)
             Satan wants to stir enmity and hatred among you by means
             of wine and gambling, and to debar you from remembrance
             of Allah and from prayer. Will you not then give them up?
             (Surat al-Ma´ida, 91)




             He Makes People Believe He Is Sincere
             Counsel to Them
             Satan wishes to wreak destruction continuously upon man,
         whom he considers his principal enemy, while never disclosing his
         enmity towards him. On the contrary, he approaches him in the
         guise of a helper, who wishes to offer advice. After having made a
         person believe his intentions are good, he then brings him under his
         control. And, recognizing a person's weaknesses, he presents temp-
         tations to exploit those vulnerabilities.
             That same cunning led the Prophet Adam (as) to commit the
         mistake that caused him to be expelled from Paradise. Satan ap-
         proached the Prophet Adam (as) and his wife in the guise of a friend,
         and swore to them that he was offering them sound advice:
             Then Satan whispered to them, disclosing to them their pri-

                                        43
   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50