Due to the imminent arrival of
Ramadan, I thought it would be beneficial to talk about the approaches that Satan
uses against us, at every moment of our lives to get us away from the
remembrance of Allah (Zikrullah). Insha-Allah, this can be for all of us -
myself first - a humble reminder and contribute to our spiritual preparation
for the month of Ramadan, the aim being, of course, that when the time comes, Insha-Allah, we maximize the best of
these blessed days.
We can read in the Holy Quran the
following words which Allah addressed to Satan:
“Excite
with your voice whoever you can among them, and assault them with your cavalry
and your infantry, and become a partner in their wealth and their children and
make promises to them." But Satan promises them nothing but deceit. As for
My (believing) servants, you have no power over them. And your Lord is sufficient
to protect them!” (17: 65-66)
This verse contains information
relative to the main routes used by Satan and his allies to exert power over
the human being and thus mislead him from the Straight Path. They often act:
- Through what man perceives through his sense organs, as
mentioned in the verse in question: “Excite with
your voice…”
-
Through the negative impact of his acts of disobedience: “…assault them with your cavalry and your infantry…”;
verily, all those who acts in disobedience to Allah make up the cavalry and
infantry of Satan.
- Via natural impulses that inhabit him, those innate
qualities that make his character and the feelings he develops from his own
individual or his surroundings: “...become a
partner in their wealth and their children…”
-
Via suggestions addressed directly to his conscience and
mind: “...make promises to them…”
Satan can thus infiltrate and
access the human heart by internal or external ways, exposed or concealed.
Hence the need for the believer to exercise constantly for increased vigilance
with respect to the multiple assaults of his sworn enemy, whom the Quran mentions
the words thereof, in these terms:
“‘Because You have put me in error’,
said (Satan), ‘I will surely sit in wait for them on Your straight path., then I
will come to them from before them and from behind them and on their right and
on their left, and You will not find most of them grateful (to You).’” (7: 17-18).