Page 54 - Satan: The Sworn Enemy of Mankind

SATAN: THE SWORN ENEMY OF MANKIND
vealed in a verse of the Qur'an, Satan told the Prophet Adam (as) the
lie that, "shall I show you the way to the Tree of Everlasting Life
and to an imperishable kingdom?" (Surah Ta Ha, 120), promising
him material property. For that reason, Allah issued several warn-
ings to the believers, against the inordinate love of material wealth.
This is revealed as follows in a verse of the Qur'an:
Here you are then: people who are called upon to spend in
the Way of Allah and then some of you are tight-fisted! But
whoever is tight-fisted is only tight-fisted to himself. Allah
is Rich and you are poor. If you turn away, He will replace
you with a people other than yourselves and they will not
be like you. (Surah Muhammad, 38)
Whoever he or she may be, whether a rich businessman or a
beggar, every penny a person fails to spend in a manner compatible
with Allah's good pleasure has, though he be unaware of it, one
with whom he shares the ownership of his property. Allah has made
Satan the co-owner of the property of the unbelievers. This shared-
ownership is referred to in the Qur'an in the following way:
"Stir up any of them you can with your voice and rally
against them your cavalry and your infantry, and share
with them in their children and their wealth, and make
them promises! The promise of Satan is nothing but delu-
sion." (Surat al-Isra´, 64)
The Prophet Muhammad (saas) warned the believers against
such deception on the part of Satan:
"There are two impulses in the soul, one from an angel which
calls towards good and confirms truth; whoever finds this
let him know it is from Allah and praise Him. Another im-
pulse comes from the enemy which leads to doubt and denies
truth and forbids good; whoever finds this, let him seek

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