Page 45 - Satan: The Sworn Enemy of Mankind
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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-
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