Page 94 - Satan: The Sworn Enemy of Mankind

SATAN: THE SWORN ENEMY OF MANKIND

as an excuse for not going to war:
And a group of them said, "People of Yathrib, Your position
is untenable so return!" some of them asked the Prophet to
excuse them, saying, "Our houses are exposed," when they
were not exposed; it was merely that they wanted to run
away. (Surat al-Ahzab, 13)
One who has sincerely submitted himself to Allah will certainly
not seek an excuse by which to not join in striving in the way of
Allah. Only one who has not fully submitted to Allah, and has not
fully comprehended His might, will seek such a discharge. The re-
luctance displayed by the hypocrites in the time of our Prophet
(saas), when the call to war was made, clearly demonstrated the
cunning effects of Iblis upon their hearts.

They Deceive Themselves
Another action impossible to understand from among the hyp-
ocrites, who are Satan's minions, is their tendency to imagine they
have deceived Allah. This self-delusion of theirs is described as fol-
lows in the Qur'an:
They think they deceive Allah and those who believe.
They deceive no one but themselves but they are not aware
of it. (Surat al-Baqara, 9)
Here we encounter a rather astonishing truth. It is hugely irra-
tional for one to imagine he has deceived Allah, He Who created
him. Because, Allah is He Who knows "what the heart contains"
(Surah Fatir, 38) and "your secrets and what is even more con-
cealed" (Surah Ta Ha, 7). This sort of thinking on the part of the hyp-
ocrites, though quite inexplicable, is nothing but self-deception.

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