Page 59 - Satan: The Sworn Enemy of Mankind
P. 59
Satan's Tactics
fails to develop, and a major opportunity to attain the Hereafter is
wasted. For that reason, a believer must be on his guard against Satan
as he spends in the cause of Allah, and, as with every other religious
observance, perform it with pure intent, and seek only the good pleas-
ure of Allah. Believers are warned of this pitfall in the Qur'an:
You who believe! Do not nullify your charity by demands
for gratitude or insulting words, like him who spends his
wealth, showing off to people and not believing in Allah
and the Last Day. His likeness is that of a smooth rock
coated with soil, which, when heavy rain falls on it, is left
stripped bare. They have no power over anything they have
earned. Allah does not guide disbelieving people. (Surat al-
Baqara, 264)
He Seeks to Turn People Away
from the Verses of Allah
Being committed to conforming to Allah's book is a significant
undertaking. The penalty for ignoring this responsibility is com-
mensurately severe. As we know, Satan's foremost aim is that man
suffer such a punishment.
One who turns away from the Qur'an, under the influence of
Satan, also turns away from Allah. Because, the Qur'an is the word
of Allah, and a source of light for the believer, throughout the course
of his life.
Withdrawing from the teachings of the Qur'an is a grave pitfall
to be avoided by believers. Because idolaters and unbelievers are al-
ready neglectful of the Qur'an, as they are blind to its truths, it is im-
possible for them to draw any further away from it. However, if
believers, that is, those who have faith in the verses of the Qur'an,
live in the manner set out according to them, distance themselves
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