Page 71 - True Wisdom Described in the Qur'an

69
Obstacles to Wisdom

Satan is the enemy of human beings. He wants to divert people
from the right path and in doing so cause them to face harm in
this world and the next. One strategy he resorts to in achieving
his aim is to occupy people’s minds with groundless suspicions,
and unfounded and illogical issues, so that he can prevent them
from thinking straight and behaving rationally. Such attempts
on the part of Satan are explained thus in the Qur’an:
[Satan said:] "I will lead them astray and fill them with
false hopes…" (Surat an-Nisa’: 119)
Satan, in pursuit of his aim, continues to whisper "varnished
falsehoods" to people till the end of their lives and tries to pre-
vent them from using their reason. He strives to make them for-
get Allah’s infinite power and to distance them from the Qur’an.
But, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Satan does not possess any
strength of his own. Allah created him as He did all of creation.
Satan also submitted to Allah; he cannot do anything without
Allah’s permission. Allah tells us that He reprieved Satan till
Judgement Day to test people, see which ones would comply
with him and turn away from the truth and which ones would
show loyalty to Allah by not being fooled by Satan’s ploys:
He [Satan] said: "My Lord, grant me a reprieve until the
Day of Resurrection". He [Allah] said: "You are among
the reprieved until the Appointed Day". Satan replied:
"I swear by your might, that I will mislead all of them
except for Your chosen servants". (Surah Sad: 79-83)
At the same time Allah in His verse: "… Satan’s scheming is
always feeble" (Surat an-Nisa’: 76) draws attention to the fact
that Satan’s traps and his innuendoes are based on extremely un-
sound logic. Also, according to the previous verse, He informs us
that Satan has no effect on sincere believers. As is declared in an-