There Is Nobody Among You In Whom There Is No Devil

Hazrat Maseehullah Khan رحمه اللّٰه mentioned, “The plot of Shaytaan is to disturb the mind”.

Hazrat Hasan Basari رحمه الله said: Two thoughts roam over the soul – one thought from Allah Ta’ala and another from the devil. Allah Ta’ala shows mercy on a servant who stops at the time of the latter thought. If the soul follows low desires and passions, the devil gets the upperhand. If it follows the habits of angels, it becomes the resting place of angels. For this reason, the Nabi صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم said: There is nobody among you in whom there is no devil. The companions asked :
O Messenger of Allah Ta’ala, does it reside in you too? He said : There is also devil in me, but Allah Ta’ala helped me to overcome it and it has become submissive to me. It does not order me but good.

The devil works havoc through the medium of sexual passion. Who so follows it finds the devil as his guide. When he returns to Zikr, the devil goes behind and the angel gives incentive to good works. In the battle-field of the soul, there is constant clash between the soldiers of the devil and angels till it gets upperhand. After victory, the soul remains in peace and the devil becomes submissive.

The sage Ata-b-Ziyad said : The devil enters a soul as a thief enters a house. If there is anything in the house, the thief takes it away. If there is nothing in the house, the thief leaves it. In other words, the devil does not enter a soul which is free from sexual passion and evil desires. Allah Ta’ala says to the devil: You have got no control over My servants’ 16 :32. He who follows the dictates of passion is a slave of passion and not of Allah Ta’ala. For this reason, He gave control of the devil over him.

Allah Ta’ala says: Have you seen one who has taken up his passion as his deity?

One day Hazrat Amr-b-A’s asked the Nabi صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم: O Messenger of Allah Ta’ala, the devil enters into my Quran- reading in prayer. He said : He is a devil called Khanzab. When you feel it, seek refuge to Allah Ta’ala and spit thrice to your left side. He said that Allah Ta’ala relieved him from it after he did it.

There is in another Hadith that there is a devil in ablution called Walhan. He said : Seek refuge from him to Allah Ta’ala. Allah Ta’ala says : Seek refuge from the machinations of the devil—16:98.
Hazrat Mujahid said by explanation of this verse that it is a broad sign in soul. When one remembers Allah Ta’ala, the devil flees away disappointed. When he is heedless, the devil takes seat in his soul. Allah Ta’ala’s Zikr and devil’s contrivance are like light and darkness which can not live together. The Nabi صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم said: The devil places his trunk in the soul of man. When he remembers Allah Ta’ala, he goes away, and when he is heedless, he catches hold of his soul.

Vol-Ill The Book of Destructive evils