Page 49 - Satan: The Sworn Enemy of Mankind

Satan's Tactics

others and doubted; false hopes deluded you until Allah's
command arrived. The Deluder deluded you about Allah."
(Surat al-Hadid, 14)
This tactic is both subtle and very deceptive. Because, on this
occasion Satan has prepared a snare by laying himself directly across
the person's straight path (Surat al-A`raf, 16). However, people who
fear Allah as required will not fall into Satan's trap. Allah gives peo-
ple who fear Him the clarity of understanding to allow them to
reach the true path and to distinguish between good and evil:
You who believe! If you fear Allah, He will impart you with
the faculty of discernment, and erase your bad actions from
you and forgive you. Allah's favor is indeed immense.
(Surat al-Anfal, 29)
Another method by which Satan deceives people, by employ-
ing the name of Allah, is to encourage them to sin while referring to
Allah's capacity to forgive. Of course, Allah is great in compassion,
and will forgive the sins of any of His servants who repent sincerely.
However, if one excuses himself by saying, "anyway, Allah will for-
give me," only then to commit a sin, he is headed on a most perilous
path. Due to this rationalization, his heart may harden, and he may
become insensitive, and ultimately lose his fear of Allah. Referring
to those who sin knowingly, saying, "We will soon be forgiven,"
(Surat al-A`raf, 169) the Qur'an reveals an example of Satan decep-
tion by way of the name of Allah.

He Seeks to Demoralize the Believers
Satan hopes that, in time, the believer will weaken, waiting pa-
tiently for him to drop his guard. Minor concessions, which gradu-
ally lead the person away from higher spirituality, soon results in a

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