Beware Of the Tricks of Iblis! [The accursed] – Part 1
By Hafiz Abu’l-Faraj Ibn Jawzi (rahimahullah)
Know that desires and urges were built into humans in order for them to seek beneficial things. Anger was instilled in them so they would use it to repel harm. And a human’s intellect tames him and orders him to be fair in that which he seeks and avoids.
The devil entices the human to be excessive in general. So a wise person must be cautious of this enemy who has declared his animosity since the time of Adam (alayhissalaam), and has dedicated his life to the corruption of the Adam’s (alayhissalaam) children. Allah (the Mighty and the Majestic) has cautioned from the devil. He said:
“and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy. He only orders you to evil and immorality and to say about Allah what you do not know.” [al-Baqarah 2:169]
“Satan threatens you with poverty and orders you to immorality” [Al-Baqarah 2:268]
“and Satan wishes to lead them far astray.” [al-Nisa’ 4:60]
“Satan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through intoxicants and gambling and to avert you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. So will you not desist?” [al-Ma’idah 5:91]
“Indeed, he is a manifest, misleading enemy.” [al-Qasas 28: 15]
“Indeed, Satan is an enemy to you; so take him as an enemy. He only invites his party to be among the companions of the Blaze (Hell-fire).” [Fatir 35:6]
“and be not deceived about Allah by the Deceiver [i.e., Satan].” [Luqman 31:33]
There are numerous warning of this nature in the Qur’an.
Warning from the Trials of lblis and his Deceptions
It must be known that Iblis is occupied with deception, and yet, he was the first to be deceived. He rejected the clear order to prostrate (to Adam alayhissalaam), and he dwelled into who was of better origin (him or Adam).
He said: “You created me from fire and created him from clay [i.e. earth].” [al-A’raf 7: 12]
Then he objected to the King the Most Wise saying:
“Do You see this one whom You have honored above me?” [al-Isra’ 17:62]
The meaning of what he said was: why have You honored him?! The essence of this objection was: what You have done was not wise. Then the devil followed (this objection) with arrogance, he said:
“I am better than him (Adam)” [al-A’raf 7: 12]
Then he refused to prostrate. So he dishonored himself with a curse and punishment; while attempting to do the exact opposite.
When the devil suggests to a human to do something then he must be extremely cautious and should respond saying: “you are pretending to give me advice by ordering me to fulfill my lusts. How could your advice be genuine when you have failed to abide by this advice yourself?! And how can I trust the advice of an enemy. Leave! Your suggestion has no place here.”
Afterwards, the devil will seek the assistance of the nafs (the human self) because he is encouraging (it to fulfill) its lusts. At this point, intellect should be invited to the household of contemplation in order to think about the end result of sinning. Perhaps (Allah’s) assistance will dispatch its soldiers to defeat the army of lusts.
‘Iyad lbn Himar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reported that Allah’s Mes senger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said: “O people, Allah (the Mighty and the Majestic) commanded me that I should teach you which you do not know and which He has taught me today. (He has instructed thus): The property which I have conferred upon a servant of Mine is lawful for him. I have created My servants as one having a natural inclination to the worship of Allah but it is the devils who turn them away from the right religion, and makes unlawful what has been declared lawful for them. He commands them to ascribe partnership with Me, although he has no justification for that. And verily, Allah (the Mighty and the Majestic) looked towards the people of the world and He showed hatred for the Arabs and the non-Arabs, except for some remnants from the People of the Book.”
Jabir [Ibn Abdullah] (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reported that Allah’s Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said: “Iblis places his throne upon water; he then sends detachments (for creating dissension); the nearer to him in rank are those who are most notorious in creating dissension. One of them comes and says: ‘I did such and such.’ And he says: ‘You have done nothing.’ Then one amongst them comes and says: ‘I did not spare so and so until I separated him from his wife.’ Iblis brings him near to him and says: ‘You have done well.‘” [Muslim 4/2166/2812].
Jabir (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reported that Allah’s Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said: “Iblis has given up on being worshipped by those who perform prayer. [All lblis can achieve is] to entice conflict among them.” This Hadith was reported by Muslim alone.
In another version of the Hadith: “Iblis has given up on being worshipped by those who perform prayer in the Arabian Peninsula” [Muslim 4/2167/2813].
Anas lbn Malik (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reported that Allah’s Mes senger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said: “The devil puts his nose and mouth on the heart of the child of Adam. When he mentions Allah, the devil retreats. If he forgets Allah the devil swallows his heart.” Abu Nu’aym in al-hilyah, 6/268
‘Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) said: ‘Once the devil approached a group of men gathered for remembrance (of Allah). He attempted to scatter them but failed. So he approached a different gathering where worldly matters were being discussed. He enticed animosity among them until they began fighting each other. The men from the first group jumped to stop the fighting among the second group, and hence, they were scattered (from their gathering of remembrance)” [Ahmad in al-Zuhd page 196].
Qatadah said: ‘One of Iblis’s devils is called Qubqub. Iblis has ordered him to rest for forty years.’ Whenever a youth enters this path (of righteousness), Iblis tells Qubqub: ‘There he is, I have been preparing you for this type of youth. Deceive and seduce him.’ (lbn Al-Jawzi in Dhamm ai-Hawti, 145.)
Thabit Al-Bunani said: ‘It was reported to us that once Iblis manifested himself before Prophet Yahya (‘alayhis-salaam).’ On serving that he had numerous ropes on him, Yahya (alayhissalaam) inquired: “O lblis! What are these ropes that I see on you?”
He replied: “These ropes are the various lusts with which I strike on the children of Adam.” Yahya asked: ‘Does there exist a rope for me too?‘ Satan said: ‘Yes.’ When you satiate yourself with food, you experience weightiness and it is for this reason you become disinclined to perform prayers, remembrance and supplications. Hearing this, Yahya (alayhissalaam) vowed: By Allah! Never shall I eat to my fill, ever again. Iblis responded by pledging: And by Allah, never shall I give advice to a Muslim, ever again.’ [Ahmad in al Zuhd page 96].
Al-Harith Ibn Qais said: ‘If the devils comes to you while praying and said: “You are showing off”, then make your prayer longer.’ [Ibn Al-Jawzi in Dhamm al-Hawti, 131].
Wahb Ibn Munabbih (rahimahullah) said: ‘There was a worshipper from the Children of Isra’il who was the most dedicated to worship among people of his generation. During his time, there were three brothers who were called upon to battle. They had only one sister, and she was never married. They did not know under whose care they could leave their sister. Then they agreed to leave her with the worshipper because he was trusted to them. So they went to him and asked him to leave their sister with him until they returned from battle. He refused and sought refuge with Allah from them and from their sister.’ The brothers insisted until they convinced him. He said: ‘place her in a house near my monastery. The brothers then left her there and went to battle.’
For sometime thereafter, the worshipper used to bring her food down from his monastery, leave it at his doorstep and close the door.
Then he would climb back to his monastery and call her to get her food. She would then leave her house to get the food.
The devil told him that it is not appropriate for the girl to leave her house during the day, and that somebody might see her when she is walking out during the day and become attached to her. So the worshiper began walking to her house and leaving the food at her doorstep but without talking to her. This continued to happen for sometime.
Again the devil came to him and convinced him to take the food and leave it inside her room. So he began to do so, and this continued to happen for a while.
Then again, one day the devil told the worshiper: ‘YOU should talk to her and keep her company because she is feeling very lonely.’ So the worshiper began talking to her from the top of his monastery, and continued to do so for sometime.
Then the devil came to him and said: it would be better if you come down from your monastery to talk to her, or to go to her house. This would make her feel even less lonely. So he did, and this continued to happen for a while.
The devil then came to him and convinced him to come nearer to her doorstep so she would not have to sit outside her house talking to him. So he did, and this continued to happen for sometime.
Then the devil came to him and convinced him to enter her house so that nobody sees her at all. So he began visiting her his entire day.
The devil continued to beautify her in the eyes of the worshiper until he touched her thigh and kissed her. Then he had relations with her and got her pregnant, and she delivered a boy.
The devil came to him and said: “When the brothers come back and find out that their sister had a child you will become defamed. You should slaughter the baby. And she will not reveal what hap pened out of fear of her brothers.” So the worshiper did.
Later the devil came to him and said: “Do you think that she will keep the secret after you kill her own child? Take her, kill her and bury her next to her son.” So he killed her, buried her and covered the grave with a big rock. He then returned to his monastery to worship.
Later the brothers came back and inquired about their sister. The worshiper said that she had passed away. They cried and told them she was a great woman and pointed them to her grave. The brothers visited the grave, mourned their sister and asked for her forgiveness. They stayed for a few days at her grave then left.
Then the devil came to the brothers and made them see a dream. In that dream they were told that the worshipper had killed their sister and the proof was that she was buried in a different location (i.e. under the rock inside the house).
When the brothers woke up they started talking to each other and found out that they all had seen the same dream. They thought that there must be some truth in it. So they went and uncovered the grave that the worshiper had pointed to, and found it empty. Then they went inside the house and found the rock as mentioned in the dream. On digging underneath the rock they found their sister’s dead body along with that of the child.
So they went to the worshiper and forced him to disclose the secret of what happened. He went ahead and told them the whole story. The three brothers took him to the king’s court and he was given the punishment of execution.
While the worshiper was being dragged to his execution spot, the devil came to him and said: “Listen! I am the devil and it was me who was in communication with you since this whole thing started and not your inner thoughts. Now I can get you out of this trouble if you want. I am the one who put you in this trouble in the first place and I can get you out of it.” The worshiper asked: “What should I do?” He said: “Prostrate to me and I will save you.”
The worshiper prostrated to the devil and as soon as he did so, the devil ran away and the worshiper was executed.
“[The hypocrites are] like the example of Satan when he says to man, ‘Disbelieve.’ But when he disbelieves, he says, ‘Indeed, I am disassociated from you. Indeed, I fear Allah, Lord of the worlds.”‘ [al-Hashr (59):16] Ibn Al-Jawzi in Dhamm al-Hawd, 134.
