Say, ‘In God’s grace and mercy let them rejoice.’ That is better than all they accumulate. (Qur’an, 10:58)

Today is one of the happiest days for millions of Muslims all over the world. While we’re sad to see the blessed month of Ramadan go, we’re so grateful for having completed a month of intense fasting and detoxification; a month meant to cleanse our hearts, minds and bodies so we can be closer to God with our souls and spirits. We experienced a special sweetness of faith during this past month, and now we celebrate with family and friends, fun festivities, delicious food and sweets of all kinds.

As we rejoice and celebrate, we can also remember that we have another happy camper celebrating too. He was locked up during Ramadan, and he just gained his freedom. For the last month, he’s been watching millions of Muslims fill up the masajid, pray intensely during the night, supplicate fervently to Allah, give abundantly in charity, and feel more motivated to do good than ever before. He saw Muslims who would drink often now stopped drinking; people who didn’t feel like praying before want to pray regularly; believers who never opened the Qur’an throughout the year choose to read it and contemplate its meanings. He saw Muslims who envied and hated one another stand side by side in prayer and become the closest of brethren. Before, they were held back by his whispers and their sins, distractions, temptations. Now that weight is lifted, so they picked up speed and worship became easier and more enjoyable. So, he was chained and they were freed. He was restrained so we could be liberated.

Have you seen people who live for a cause? They eat, sleep, breathe and die for their work. Imagine if these people were prevented from living their passion; and not only that, but imagine that they watched all their life’s efforts being destroyed right before their eyes. They have no control and can’t change what happened. It would probably make them sad, frustrated and angry. If they were given the power and freedom again, they could at least rebuild what was destroyed and fix what was broken.

Of all non-human creation, Satan is probably the most passionately committed to his cause. Yet, his mission in life is not to build, but to destroy. His sole purpose is to mislead and deviate and burn, as is his nature. Speaking to God, he said, “I swear by Your might! I will tempt all of them, except Your sincere servants,” (Qur’an, 38:82-3). So now that he’s liberated, he’s not just walking towards us casually; he’s coming back with a vengeance.

Fasting is designed by God to increase our taqwa. While taqwa is often translated as God-consciousness, its linguistic root connotes protection from harm. Fasting is a shield that protects us from harming ourselves and others, that protects us from the harmful effects of our sins. It’s a shield that protects us from getting burned by Satan’s tricks, and ultimately, from getting burned by the Fire. One of Satan’s tactics is to make us indulge in our physical pleasures, cravings, and desires in the most unbridled way.  He wants to ignite the animalistic tendencies within us and make us pursue these pleasures as ends in and of themselves, not as means for livelihood and lawful well-being.

Out of God’s mercy, He restricts our access to these two pleasures during fasting so that they don’t consume us and define our being. Through fasting, our relationship with these desires becomes less obsessive and animalistic, and more tamed and disciplined. So, when the month-long training is over and we’re back on the battlefield with Satan, his avenues to our hearts and minds are tightened and restricted. If we choose to broaden those pathways and re-indulge in our desires again, we invite him back into the very veins that run through our bodies; but if we feed these instinctual appetites in moderation and through the proper channels, we loosen Satan’s grip and become freed to nurture a deeper spiritual relationship with God throughout the year.

God says in the Qur’an, “O Believers, do not follow in Satan’s footsteps—if you do so, he will urge you to indecency and evil; and if it were not for God’s grace and mercy towards you, not one of you would ever have attained purity. God purifies whoever He wills; and God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” (24:21)

During the blessed month of Ramadan, we may have gained more spiritual awareness, clarity and focus, and even felt a deep desire to become better Muslims, believers, and worshipers. Let’s not allow those feelings to dissipate and disappear just because Ramadan has passed. While the shade of Ramadan has left, the shade of God’s Mercy is everlasting. If God purifies whomever He wills, let’s also do our part in pursuing and recommitting to the path of purification. As Khurram Murad says, “The initial desire and ensuing effort to do and become good, is part of the continuing process of self development, a process that may begin at any point in life that you choose and continue till your last breath.” ((In the Early Hours: Reflections on Spiritual and Self Development, p. 10.))

So, before we get caught up in our busy lives and demands of family, work, or school again, now is the time to inculcate the good practices and habits we gained from Ramadan—no matter how small. Perhaps you didn’t used to pray sunan and voluntary prayers, and now you do. Maybe you would pray late often, and you found yourself praying more on time. Perhaps you would flirt a little much with the ladies, and during Ramadan you had some self-control. Maybe you were used to hearing or seeing shameful things, and you found it improper to do so during Ramadan. Perhaps you tried performing night prayers for the first time, and you absolutely loved it. Or maybe you didn’t feel the need to make du`a’ (supplication) before, but you poured your heart out to Him one night and felt an amazing, healing effect. Or maybe, like many people, you would think about food most of the day and fasting made you focus on more important matters like nourishing your soul.

What else? What other positive changes did you experience? Keep reflecting on your special moments and changes during Ramadan and hold on to those. Keep nurturing these feelings, habits and practices. Continue to fast, pray, read Qur’an, and forgive. Continue to shine with love, patience, and empathy. Give a little more than before, and don’t give up on yourself or on God’s mercy. Remember that Satan wants to take you away from God’s remembrance and bury you under layers of darkness and fleeting pleasures, but God is calling you to purity and peace, and to what gives you life.

So make this Eid a memorable one. Be happy and rejoice in God’s bounties and blessings, and start pursuing the endless opportunities for rising to greater spiritual heights.

I heard this quote from a shaykh (religious scholar) quite a long time ago, and it was only until this Ramadan that I understood it.

Although this blessed month of Ramadan is one in which so many opportunities for change and personal growth are presented to us, many of us are still experiencing the same struggles and issues that we faced pre-Ramadan.

That is, we find ourselves trapped in the same unfavourable circumstances (which may in fact be getting worse) or indulging in the same sins and poor habits that we hoped would magically disappear in Ramadan – but which have not. Instead, we find that we have not changed much, or we have changed very little. We may even have started this Ramadan with soaring levels of iman (faith), only to later find ourselves back down to our natural baselines – perhaps even lower, since now we are also disappointed that we have not met our Ramadan goals.

Shaytan had been working on us all year and we expected, just like that, that the month of Ramadan would stop our spiritual coffees stirring. That we would be completely, and immediately, cleansed of the satanic imprint left on our souls.

Alhamdulillah (all praise be to God), I am sure that a blessed few of us truly have been purified this month. Yet many of us have found our spiritual cups of coffee still stirring. We have found ourselves stumbling over our personal spiritual blocks and feeling distant from Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He), or completely unworthy of the immense forgiveness He (swt) offers us this great month.

I have often found myself in such a situation, but what makes this Ramadan unique for me is that for the first time I have asked myself: could it be that although the shayateen (devils) are locked up this month, I have always been my own shaytan?  

This realization was pivotal, and taking personal responsibility was both humbling and freeing. Humbling because I realized that truly, this month there is no-one to blame for my own unfavourable actions but myself; freeing because I now feel empowered to sit in the front seat of my life and do the hard personal work that is clearly needed.

As such, my perception of Ramadan has slightly changed. I now view it in a more realistic sense; I probably will not have a character overhaul this month, my circumstances may not get better (and may even get worse), I may carry on with the same sins that seem to always hold me back, and I may not feel the taqwa (God-consciousness) that this month is supposed to cultivate. (( “O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.” Qur’an, 2:183 ))

Although it may not seem like it, thinking this way has been very healthy for me. Instead of viewing Ramadan as a machine which I enter as my sinful, faulty self and come out completely transformed into the ideal Muslim I hope to be (whatever that looks like), I now view it as a training ground. It is a launch pad from which I will be thrust into the rest of the year with some new spiritual equipment to fight my personal demons as well as those from among the jinn.

My coffee may still stir, but without a doubt, this month has slowed down the rate. Insha’ Allah (God willing), once the devilish spoon is returned, the momentum will be weakened while my grip on the spoon continues to strengthen.

And Allah (swt) knows best.

Minor Sins

The fourth attack of Shaytan (Satan) is to get us to commit minor sins. Here you get to see how sneaky Shaytan really is. If Shaytan can’t get someone to be a kaafir (disbeliever), and he can’t get someone to do bid`ah (innovation in the religion), and he can’t get someone to commit major sins, then the next step is minor sins. Minor sins are called as-saghaair. An example would be having envy towards someone, or having a problem with someone and not trying to fix it.

Now, someone may be listening right now and thinking, “Well I’m all right; I don’t commit big sins, only minor sins.” This is how Shaytan gets you. The Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) gave an example of the saghaair when he said, in an authentic hadith (narration), that there was a group of people who went to the desert where they wanted to make a fire. Each of them found little pieces of wood, which they collected together, and thus they were able to make the fire. The Prophet ﷺ said that this is how minor sins work. They keep throwing the minor sin on the pile until it becomes a major sin. That’s why the scholars said that if someone persists in committing a minor sin it will become a major sin over time.

Wasting Time

The fifth attack of Shaytan, if he doesn’t succeed in the other traps, is that he gets people to fall into what is called al-mubaahat, permissible things.  For example, chatting online with someone of the same sex. Not with the opposite sex, because when you chat with the opposite sex then this is khalwa (seclusion).  According to the scholars you are alone with that person, and one can fall into a relationship very easily. Let me give you a proof of this. Last week, when you went home maybe you were chatting online with someone of the opposite gender. As you were chatting, suddenly your mother or father walked into the room and asked what you are doing. What do you say? “Oh, I’m just checking the score of the last basketball game.” If you don’t think it’s that bad then print out the conversation and let your parents read it.

The Prophet ﷺ defined sin as something that you don’t want people to know about, something that embarrasses you. He said, البر حسن الخلق. Righteousness is good behavior.

How many brothers and sisters pray, fast, and dress properly, but are rude and mean to others? We have to have the complete package, not one or the other. How many sisters who don’t wear hijab have told me that when they come to the masjid the other sisters put them down? She is trying to take a step to get closer to Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) and people look at her like she has a virus. On the other hand, we also can’t say we have good behavior and nothing else.

So, in our example let’s say you are chatting with someone of the same gender, which is permissible. But you’re talking about nothing for five or six hours. Talking is permissible, but in this case it’s a waste of time.

The same is true for video games—as long as it’s not Tomb Raider. For those of you who don’t know, Tomb Raider is a video game where a scantily dressed woman is the main character. But Muslims will play this game and say, “Oh, it’s only a video game.”

Another example is Vice City. I was talking about this video game in the khutbah (sermon). When it came out, I was warning parents about it and the kids were really mad at me. In this game there is a man who is living the life of an ex-convict who is a drug dealer. He takes over the neighborhood by selling his drugs. Along the way (not to offend anyone here) he pulls over and engages in a relationship with a prostitute. But the brothers who were playing the game said, “But you can’t see anything, the car just shakes.” SubhanAllah (glory be to God)! Such behavior is very offensive. Not only is it representative of the completely anti-intellectual climate which is now permeating the United States, but do you realize why most women are forced into prostitution? Poverty and drug addiction.

I was an educator, and I did my practicum in the worst school that I could think of because I wanted to make a difference in society as a university student. There were children there who were the children of prostitutes. Imagine the cognitive disorders they have. Imagine the type of exploitation they are exposed to every night. Imagine the impact left on them from seeing their mothers and fathers committing acts of prostitution. Yet, we’ve made it a game, for fun. The social ramifications of prostitution on people are outstanding. If you want to understand prostitution, look at Fir`oun (Pharoah). Why did Fir`oun say that he would kill the men and let the women live? What were those women going to do? Become prostitutes. This is indicative of what we call a Fir`ounic society. But now it’s become a game, it became fun. It’s like those of us who grew up with Star Wars, playing with lasers and so forth. Because of movies, magazines and books we’re used to seeing guns and lasers blow up things without ever seeing the results; therefore, the war in Iraq right now has no real impact on the American mind. But when people actually see the pictures of the outcome, they’re shocked.

Shaytan tries to get us to waste our time with these kinds of things that have no benefit and no reward, according to the fiqh (jurisprudence). Another example is shopping. Masha’Allah, nowadays our sisters and brothers have a new bid`ah: qiyaam an-nahar (standing in the day). You know in Islam we have qiyyamul layl where we stand in the night and pray. You’ll find them standing in the mall, rushing to 75% off sales. If you went to the same person and suggested that they stand in the night and pray they would say, “Oh, it’s too difficult. I can’t do it.” But for nine or ten hours a day in the mall they don’t mind. Why? Because they see the immediate rewards and benefits of their shopping.

Imam Al Ghazaali mentioned a beautiful poem in which a man says, “I am asleep in the night and I can hear the weak pigeons crying on the weak branch. Am I not stronger than pigeons that I can get up and cry in front of Allah (swt)?” How can the Muslims be the leaders of the world when they can’t even push a 3.5oz blanket off their bodies to stand and ask Allah (swt) for His help and guidance?

I’m sure all of us, myself first, are guilty of wasting time. This is a big trick of Shaytan because if you’re doing something and you’re not getting rewarded or punished, then Shaytan is winning. We take a lesson from this that as Muslims we have to be proactive; we can’t not be in park. We should not be neutral and doing nothing.

Surat Al-Fatiha Series: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII | Part IX | Part X | Part XI | Part XII | Part XIII | Part XIV| Part XV | Part XVI | Part XVII | Part XVIII | Part XIX | Part XX | Part XXI | Part XXII | Part XXIII | Part XXIV | Part XXV

Iblees told  Allah (swt) his plan:

[Shaytan] said, “Because You have put me in error, 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].” (Qur’an 7:16-17)

When Shaytan blamed Allah by saying, “Because You have put me error,” this was a mistake in his belief in the qadr (decree) of Allah (swt). If done on purpose, a mistake in `aqidah (belief) is kufr (disbelief in Allah). There’s a hadith (record of the words of the Prophet ﷺ, peace be upon him) that mentions this in Sahih Bukhari:

In the time of Bani Israel (the people of Israel), a man lived with a roommate who didn’t pray. When he encouraged his roommate to pray, the roommate just said he didn’t feel like praying. The man went back later and tried to encourage his roommate again but received the same response. Finally, the third time the man came to his roommate and said, “If you don’t pray, Allah (swt) will never forgive you.”

The Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) said that Allah (swt) will resurrect these two people and will bring forward the one who didn’t pray and ask him, “Why didn’t you pray?” The man will say, “Wallahi (I swear by Allah), I loved You but I was weak. I believed in You but I was weak.” Allah (swt) will say, “I forgive you.” Then Allah (swt) will bring forward the righteous man who was advising his friend and ask, “Why did you tell him I wouldn’t forgive him?” Why does Allah (swt) ask him that? Because in our belief anyone who dies believing in Allah (swt) and the Prophet ﷺ  as the last Prophet insha’Allah (God willing) will go to Paradise (although some later than others). Allah (swt) can forgive any sin except shirk (associating partners with Him) for whomever He wants (Qur’an 4:116); this is part of our `aqidah (belief). We also know that if someone repents from shirk, Allah (swt) will forgive it. So, saying that Allah (swt) will never forgive someone is a mistake in our belief.

When Iblees said Allah (swt) misguided him, this was a mistake in his belief because he attributed misguidance to Allah (swt). We don’t find misguidance amongst the names or attributes of Allah (swt). Allah (swt) doesn’t misguide people; human beings choose to be misguided. Like Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an, “…and when they deviated, Allah caused their hearts to deviate,” (Qur’an 61:5).

So, Iblees gives us his plan. Have anyone of you heard of the repo-man? The repo-man is a person who comes and takes your car if you don’t make your car payment. Subhan’Allah (glory be to God) when I was in college, I received credit card offers all the time, with very high credit limits. Now that I’m married with children and a job, alhamdullilah (praise be to Allah), I haven’t gotten one credit card offer. Why is that? Because they want to catch you when you’re young; because they know that most college students can’t control their desires. College students tend to spend money that they can’t pay the bill for when it comes. People will come to your house and take your iPod, your laptop, and the best of whatever they can find. So the job of the repo-man is to take the most valuable commodity you have. Shaytan works the same way.

Iblees is coming for us, and when he comes to us, he’s coming to take the most valuable commodity we have. We might be worried that Iblees is coming to take our Lexus, or our PS3, or our concert ticket. But Shaytan is not interested in taking all that. He will come to take our Islam. How many of us feel that we’re lucky to be Muslim? When we hear this, we should think, subhan’Allah, my treasure is my deen (faith). If you want to know how valuable Islam is, go to Surah Al ‘Araf (Qur’an 7). Even when the people enter Paradise, they realize their greatest blessing is Islam and they say:  “Praise to Allah, who has guided us to this; and we would never have been guided if Allah had not guided us,” (Qur’an 7:43).

How many of us have felt this value for our deen, knowing that Iblees, the “repo-man”, wants this most valuable of things from us? That’s why when you’re sitting in a philosophy class and you start having doubts remember that Iblees’s primary target is your faith.

How do people treat the most valuable commodity that they have, like the Mona Lisa? How many of you have been to the Louvre before? If you visit museums, you see the “priceless antiquities” have lasers and other security devices. If you cross the wrong line, helicopters and police come after you. Do we protect our Islam the way these priceless commodities have been protected?  Do we protect our Islam knowing that this enemy is constantly trying to take it from us? This is a very important point, because in the ayah (verse) Shaytan uses two forms of emphasis (laam at-tawkeed and nun at-tawkeed) to say, “Wallahi I will definitely take them off the straight path!”

What is the remedy for this in Surah Al Fatiha? “Ihdina as-siraat al-mustaqeem (guide us to the straight path),” (Qur’an 1:6) That’s why  Allah (swt) made it an obligation to read Surah Al Fatiha at least seventeen times a day, because we have an enemy coming after us at all times, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. That’s why we need this du`a’. Now when we say it, we should feel as if we need to say this to protect ourselves.

Then Shaytan continued. He said: “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].” (Qur’an 7:17)

Now, maybe after hearing this, some of us will still think, “Hey, I’ve got Norton Anti-Virus, I’m good. Shaytan can’t get me.” As I said earlier, this is the person who Shaytan got. Abdullah ibn Masood radi Allahu `anhu (may Allah be pleased with him) related a hadith related by Imam Ahmed with a strong isnad (chain of narration). He said, “One day we were sitting with the Prophet ﷺ and he drew a straight line. He said, “This is the way of Allah (swt).” Then the Prophet ﷺ drew lines perpendicular to this straight line and he said, “On every one of these lines is a Shaytan calling you to his path.” So there’s a Shaytan calling Muslims to get high, calling Muslims to hang out with the opposite gender, calling Muslims to commit acts of homosexuality. On every one of these ways there’s a Shaytan telling you that communism or secularism or nationalism is better than Islam. These are the things that you will hear in your universities. Shaytan will work on you in every way that you can think of, especially in concepts (i.e. how you think about life). Suhban’Allah, the Prophet ﷺ pointed at the first straight line that he drew and he read this verse from Surah Al An`am, “And this is My path, which is straight, so follow it; and do not follow [other] ways, for you will be separated from His way. This has He instructed you that you may become righteous.” (Qur’an 6:153)

When we go to the Qur’an we notice something interesting. Whenever Allah (swt) uses the word “darkness”, or words that symbolize misguidance, He uses those words in the plural form. But, whenever He uses words to symbolize guidance, like “light”, He uses those words only in the singular form. For example, Allah (swt) says, “Allah is the protector of those who believe. He brings them out from darknesses into the light. And those who disbelieve – their allies are Taghut. They take them out of the light into the darknesses. Those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide eternally therein,” (Qur’an 2:257).

Another example is in the sixth chapter of the Qur’an where Allah (swt) says, “And is one who was dead and We gave him life and made for him light by which to walk among the people like one who is steeped in darknesses, never to emerge therefrom? Thus it has been made pleasing to the disbelievers that which they were doing,” (Qur’an 6:122). This verse was sent when `Umar (ra) accepted Islam. Why does Allah (swt) use light in the singular and darkness in the plural? Because Allah (swt) wants to show us that guidance can only be obtained by traversing siratul mustaqeem (the straight path) and there’s only one straight path: “Say, ‘Indeed, the guidance of Allah is the [only] guidance; and we have been commanded to submit to the Lord of the worlds,’” (Qur’an 6:71).

However, the ways to be misguided are innumerable.

Surat Al-Fatiha Series: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII | Part IX | Part X | Part XI | Part XII | Part XIII | Part XIV| Part XV | Part XVI | Part XVII | Part XVIII | Part XIX | Part XX | Part XXI | Part XXII | Part XXIII | Part XXIV | Part XXV

We praise Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) and we ask that the peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) and those who follow his way until the end of time.

Insha’ Allah (God willing), today we’ll continue with our tafsir (exegesis) of Surah Al Fatiha and its effects on the life of a Muslim (Qur’an 1). In Surah Al-Anfal, the eighth chapter of the Qur’an, Allah (swt) tells the Prophet ﷺ and the believers to “gather all you can of strength and be prepared,” (8:60). In Surah An-Nisaa Allah (swt) says, “O you who have believed, take your precaution…” (Qur’an 4:71).

Today we want to talk about how Surah Fatiha prepares us for our greatest enemy. If you want to know how great this enemy is, go to the Qur’an. In about 3 or 4 verses in the Qur’an, Allah (swt) discusses relationships. Half of the verses discuss relationships with human beings. The other half deals with our relationship with this enemy.

When Allah (swt) talks about dealing with people in the Qur’an, it’s really interesting. For example in the seventh chapter of the Qur’an verse 199, Allah (swt) says, “Hold to forgiveness and order to what’s right and turn away from the ignorant people,” (Qur’an 7:199). Sometimes stupid people bother you. Those of you who have little brothers and sisters may know this. Sometimes people bother us because of their ignorance, so Allah (swt) tells us how to deal with these people: turn away from them. In Surah Furqan Allah tells us, “And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace,” (Qur’an 25:63). When they met the ignorant, foolish or insulting people they say salaam (peace).

Also if you go to Surah Fussilat, Allah (swt) says, “Good and evil are not the same. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend,” (Qur’an 41:34). The word idfa’ is interesting. If you go to a grocery store in an Arab country, you’ll see the word idfa’ on the door: push. Allah (swt) is telling us to give back, push back, with something better. This is our means of da’wah (calling to Islam). One of the means to repel is to give back better, because usually when someone bothers you, what’s the logical conclusion? It’s retaliation. So Islam came to change the people.

I remember when I first became Muslim in Oklahoma I was in the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA), and there was this guy named Dennis. We used to call him Dennis the Menace, because he was a menace. I went to middle school and high school with Dennis. One day Dennis was walking across the campus and he saw me. He hadn’t seen me in about eight years. He came up to me and said, “Will, is that you?”

I said, “Yeah, it’s me. How are you doing, Dennis?”

Dennis said, “Man, what are you doing with all these Arabs?”

I told him I became Muslim and he was in a state of shock. For him, Will and Islam was just not a realistic formula. He asked me some questions about Islam, “How did you become Muslim? Do you hate Jesus?” Then while we were talking he said something really stupid and ignorant. He said, “You know, I had a chance to go to a Muslim country when I was in the service. But I didn’t go to that Muslim country because they don’t have any alcohol. But there was another Muslim country where they do have alcohol, so I chose to go to that one. And while I was there I used to get bent every night.”

I thought to myself, “Man, this guy is like a savage. This guy will never become Muslim.” We were nice to him though, and we maintained our composure.

About three months later Dennis called me. He was doing his degree in communications and needed to do a radio show on Islam, so he asked to interview me. He interviewed me over the phone and I answered some questions about Islam. Then, as is the sunnah (tradition) of all college students, I got a job in telemarketing. Every college student has to work as a telemarketer at least once. I was doing 17 hours that semester and the MSA used to have a Wednesday night program in the masjid. The brothers contacted me and said, “Some guy named Dennis came through looking for you.” I thought, “Ok, that’s interesting.” The next week they called me and said the same thing. And every week after that they would call me and tell me a guy named Dennis came looking for me. Subhan Allah (glory be to God), eventually Dennis became Muslim. So, from my experience with him I learned the importance of “push back with that which is better.”

So, when dealing with people Allah (swt) tells us to give back that which is better, or to be patient, or to turn away from them all together. Usually, the verses right after these verses that talk about human relationships talk about how to deal with this enemy. This enemy is so great that Allah (swt) doesn’t let you show him any kindness. Allah (swt) doesn’t let you turn away from him. Allah (swt) doesn’t let you do anything with him to bring about any type of warmth in the relationship. In every verse in the Qur’an where Allah (swt) talks about this enemy in this way He gives you only one option: seek refuge with Allah against this enemy. Allah (swt) didn’t tell you to attack him, or try to fight him. Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an: “So when you recite the Qur’an, [first] seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan (Satan), the expelled [from His mercy],” (Qur’an 16:98).

Shaytan is the enemy that we’re talking about. Nowhere in the Qur’an will you find Allah (swt) telling us to take anyone as an enemy except Shaytan. Even in regards to those people who fought the Prophet ﷺ, like Abu Sufyan and his wife Hind, Allah (swt) said, “But if they repent, establish prayer, and give zakah (charity), then they are your brothers in religion…” (Qur’an 9:11). No such leeway is given to the devil, Shaytan.

Tonight we are going to talk about how Surat Al Fatiha will help us repel the attacks of Shaytan.

Maybe someone thinks, “I don’t have any problems with Shaytan.” If you think that, then you’ve got a problem. The one who thinks he doesn’t have a problem with Shaytan is the one Shaytan has the biggest control over.

This example is important for the brothers and sisters to see how married couples should act. As related by Imam Bukhari, one time the Prophet ﷺ was walking with his wife Aisha radi allahu `anha (may God have mercy on her) at night. She became jealous about something, and the Prophet ﷺ told her, “Your shaytan overtook you, Aisha.” She asked him, “Ya Rasool Allah (O Messenger of Allah), does everyone have a shaytan?” He said, “Yes.” She asked, “Even you?”

Subhan Allah, this is the Prophet ﷺ she’s asking. Sometimes when brothers are married to sisters and the sisters ask questions, brothers get upset. This happens a lot. When I was Imam, people used to call me up and say, “I want to divorce my wife.” When I asked why they would say, “She asked me a question.”  What is she supposed to do? Sometimes a sister will ask a brother a question and he’ll say, “You don’t respect me! You don’t give me my haq (rights), you’re supposed to make sujood (prostration) to me…” and so on. As Imam Siraj says, whipping the woman with the shari`ah (law). Yet Aisha (ra) felt comfortable asking the Prophet ﷺ a question.

She asked him, “Even you have a devil?” This is the Prophet ﷺ. He could have easily gotten offended, but of course he didn’t because he was the Prophet ﷺ. He said, “Yes, even me. Except, Allah (swt) helped me to make my Shaytan Muslim.” This hadith (record of the words of the Prophet ﷺ) is sahih in Al-Bukhari.

One lesson we take from this is that everyone has a devil. Everyone.

In another hadith related by Al-Bukhari, the Prophet ﷺ was in ‘itikaf (seclusion in the masjid). Even though he was in ‘itikaf the Prophet ﷺ was so good to his wife Safiyyah (ra) that he walked her out to the front door. As they were walking some people saw them from far away. The Prophet ﷺ said to them, “Hey, this is my wife, Saffiyah.”

Nowadays on campus we see so many guys and girls walking together. Are we not shyer than the Prophet ﷺ? Do we feel that we are better than the Prophet ﷺ? The Prophet ﷺ was shyer than us, and still Allah (swt) told him that He will forgive all his sins. Shouldn’t we be even shyer than the Prophet ﷺ?

So the Prophet ﷺ told the people that he was walking with his wife Safiyyah and they said, “Subhan Allah, Messenger of Allah! How could we ever think you were walking with a girl?”

The Prophet ﷺ answered, “I was worried because shaytan travels through the sons of Adam like blood in their veins.”

Some ahadith say that every time one of the children of Adam has a child, Shaytan also has a child.

It’s mentioned in the book “My Dear Beloved Son” by Imam Al-Ghazaali that Hatim al-Asamm was the student of Sheikh Shaqeeq al-Balkhi for about 33 years. Shaqeeq said to Hatim, “You’ve studied with me for over thirty years. What have you learned from me?”

Hatim said, “Alhamdullilah (praise be to God), I’ve learned eight things.”

His teacher said, “La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah (there’s no power or strength except from Allah), you’ve only learned eight things in 30 years?”

Hatim said yes and began to list the eight things. One of the things he said was:

I learned that Allah (swt) tells us in the Qur’an to do something and I see everyone doing the opposite. Allah says that Shaytan is an enemy, so take him as an enemy (Qur’an 35:6). I see all the people fighting each other, and realize that these people are doing the opposite of what Allah ordered them to do. They are taking everything else but Shaytan as their enemy.

I’m sure there are some brothers and sisters tonight in this room who have problems with each other. Ask yourselves, when was the last time you woke up in the morning and said, “Today I will take Shaytan as an enemy.” Probably the answer is never. This means you’re sleeping. As Denzel said, “You’ve been bamboozled.” You’ve been tricked.

Your enemy has a strategy, that’s why Allah (swt) didn’t allow you to make any type of concessions to him. When Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal was dying his sons were telling him to say the shahada (declaration of faith), but he was saying, “No, no, no!”

Afterwards he regained his consciousness and they asked him, “Why were you saying no?”

He said, “When you were telling me to say the shahada, Shaytan came to me and said, ‘You made it. You beat me, you won. You’re successful, you’re an Imam of the Sunnah, you wrote the musnad, you’re the big Shiekh. Don’t worry.’ I was saying, ‘No! Not until I die.’”

Shaytan is your enemy and everyone has a Shaytan. Before computer science was even invented, this shaytan was programmed to destroy you. He knows your weaknesses, he knows where you’re soft, he knows how to make us fall in traps and he knows the right time and the right place to do it. He has hikmah (wisdom) and evil.

When Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyyah talks about Shaytan you feel as if Shaytan is a person. He says Shaytan is saabir (patient) and persistent. He will wait for you to do something good and then later on he’ll do something to make you lose it. His objective and goals are clear. He knows how to attack.

Tonight, insha’ Allah, we’ll talk about three things:

1. What is Shaytan? Who is Shaytan?
2. The three doors that Shaytan uses to get to you. Everything has an entrance. Shaytan has three means of getting to the servants of Allah (swt).
3. The Seven Habits of Highly Destroyed People. Shaytan has a seven-system plan of destroying you. Ibn Qayyim al Jawziyyah mentions that once Shaytan gets through one of those three doors, he starts to operate according to a very strategic system in order to destroy you. We’ll talk specifically about what Shaytan wants.

What is Shaytan? Who is Shaytan?

Shatana means to be far away from something. This is the root word for Shaytan. Shaytan is far away from khayr (goodness) and far away from the mercy of Allah (swt).

People have a lot of theories about who Shaytan is. Probably the most common theory is that he’s a fallen angel. This is due to Christian thought and the fact that many Muslims are weak in the Arabic language. This is not the correct assessment of who Shaytan is.

Allah (swt) mentions in Surah Baqarah, “And remember when We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate before Adam’; so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers,” (Qur’an 2:34).

When many people read this verse, they believe that Ibless (Shaytan) was an angel, because Allah (swt) said He ordered all the angels to prostrate to Adam and all of them did so except Iblees. People think that since Iblees was with the angels and also ordered to prostrate, he must have been an angel. The word illa (except) is called harf al istithnaa (preposition denoting exception). For example, we say la illaha illa Allah (There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah). Now let me show you this in English. If I said, “All of the sisters came into the room and sat down, except Suhaib stood up.” Am I a sister? No, I’m a brother. We can say, “All of the students came into the room and began to study, except the teacher who was writing on the board.” Is the teacher a student? No.

So when Allah (swt) says all the angels prostrated except Iblees it doesn’t mean Iblees was an angel. It means he was there. Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyyah said that Iblees had the physical form of an angel, but he was a jinn. Allah knows best. This isn’t an opinion that’s based on a proof in the Qur’an.

Another proof that Iblees wasn’t an angel is in the eighteenth chapter of the Qur’an. Allah (swt) says, “And remember when We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate to Adam,’ and they prostrated, except for Iblees. He was of the jinn…” (Qur’an 18:50). There is a weak narration from Ibn Abbas that says that Iblees was an angel who became a jinn, but it’s not widely adopted.

Now we want to talk about the history of Iblees, his means of attack, and some of remedies in Surah al Fatiha. After that we’ll talk about the three doors and the seven habits.

History of Iblees

In order to understand the history of Iblees we have to go to the story of Adam `alayhi as-salaam (peace be upon him) which we mentioned earlier. In Sahih Bukhari as well as Ibn Kathir’s Al Bidayah Wa Al Nihayah (The Beginning and the End) we read the story of how Adam (as) was created.

Allah (swt) took different colors of clay from all over the world and made Adam (as). Adam was shaped as a clay figure with nothing inside him. Iblees used to see Adam and say, “You’ve been created for something great.” Iblees even used to go inside Adam through his mouth and look at him from the inside. This tells you that Iblees knows and understands you. As Iblees was doing that he was becoming jealous. He was wondering, “Why? What is this thing for? I don’t understand why this thing has been created, but it must be for something noble.” Why did he say this? Because Allah (swt) made Adam (as) with His own Hands in a very beautiful way. This is why Muslims don’t put holes in their faces, eyes and stomachs or get tattoos. We feel that Allah (swt) created us in an honorable way.

After Allah (swt) created Adam, He commanded the angels to make sujood (prostration) to him. Someone might ask if this sujood was ‘ibadah (worship). It was not. This was the sujood of ‘ihtiraam (respect). Hasan Al Basry said that when they prostrated to Adam (as) the obedience was to Allah (swt), and the respect was to Adam (as). We know that Allah (swt) ordered Iblees to prostrate along with the angels, but he refused and he was arrogant and he became from the kuffar (disbelievers).

Last time we didn’t have time to finish discussing all the aspects of purification of the soul, but one of the things we were going to talk about was al-hasad (envy). Hasad means more than envy. For example, if I see a brother who has a nice walkman, and I say to myself, “I wish Allah didn’t give him that walkman and He gave it to me.” That’s hasad. Envy means I wish I had it and he had it. But hasad means I wish I had it and he didn’t have it. The ‘ulema (scholars) said that the first sin that ever took place in the history of the world was the hasad that Iblees had for Adam.

If you go to the seventh chapter of the Qur’an, Allah (swt) starts to have a discussion with Iblees:

[ Allah ] said, “What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?”

[Satan] said, “I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay.”

[ Allah ] said, “Descend from Paradise, for it is not for you to be arrogant therein. So get out; indeed, you are of the debased.”

(Qur’an 7:12-13)

Allah (swt) tells Iblees to get out because he was arrogant. We take another point about arrogance from here: when someone is arrogant it takes them away from Allah (swt). As soon as it was manifest from Iblees’s actions that he was arrogant, Allah (swt) told him to get out of Paradise. It’s the same with us. If we have arrogance in our hearts we are not going to be close to Allah (swt).

What happened next? What did Iblees do? No one thinks of this word in the context of Iblees. He made du`a’ (supplication to Allah). Iblees made du`a’! He supplicated to his Creator. Can you imagine? Iblees, the one who causes you to miss fajr (dawn prayer); Iblees, the one who causes you to look at nasty things on the internet; Iblees, the one who causes us to lose control with our wives sometimes; Iblees, this enemy, the antithesis of truth, is making du`a’.

He [Iblees] said, “My Lord, then reprieve me until the Day they are resurrected.” (Qur’an 15:36)

What is the main job of Iblees? It’s to invite people to do shirk (to worship something other than Allah). But what does he say here? Does he say, “My enemy, then reprieve me…”? No. He said, rab-by (my Lord). Subhan Allah, here is Iblees in the Qur’an admitting that Allah (swt) is the Lord of everything. That’s why in the du`a’ he said rab-by, like in Surah Fatiha we address Allah as rab-bil ‘aalameen (the Lord of the worlds). The number one job of Iblees is to take people away from the worship of Allah (swt), but right in the Qur’an he’s admitting that Allah (swt) is the true Lord.

Then Allah (swt) responds:

“[ Allah ] said, “Indeed, you are of those reprieved.” (Qur’an 7:15)

What’s the lesson here? How many of us are sinners? All of us are sinners.

Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyyah mentions one of the goals of Shaytan. He says that before you commit a sin you have this intellectual struggle: to sin or not to sin, that is the question. Shaytan comes to you and says, “Don’t you believe Allah is ar-Rahman (the Most Merciful)? Allah is so merciful. It’s ok to sin. Don’t worry, be happy.”

So the person struggles, and he says, “Istaghfir Allah (God forgive me), I can’t believe I’m about to commit this sin, I’m a Muslim. How can I be sinning like this?”

And Iblees continues to say, “Don’t worry about it, aren’t you from ahl al-sunna wal-jamaa’a (the people of the Sunnah)?”

And the person says, “Yes, yes I am.”

And then Shaytan says, “Well, in Aqidah Tahawiyyah in the seventeenth rule it say that Allah’s Mercy is wide. Do you have a problem with your aqidah (Islamic belief) now?”

“Oh, no, I believe Allah is merciful!”

And then the person will go and commit the sin. Then after they are done they realize they made a mistake. Ibn Qayyim says that in this moment Iblees will come again, and he will say, “You are not good enough to come to Allah (swt). Allah is shadeed al-‘iqaab (the One who is strong to punish). He’s not going to forgive you, look what you did! How can you raise your hands? How can you go to the masjid? You’re a sinner.” Look how Iblees switched it.

So we can take a lesson here, that Allah (swt) even answered the du`a’ of Iblees. Is anyone here worse than Iblees? Shaytan said, “My Lord give me reprieve…” and Allah responded, “Indeed, you are of those reprieved.” Allah answered the du`a’ of Iblees. What about you and me? This is a really amazing point in the Qur’an. Sometimes we feel that we’ve sinned too much, or that Allah (swt) doesn’t hear our du`a’, or that our du`a’ is going nowhere. Here’s Iblees making du`a’ and Allah (swt) answers it immediately.

The Prophet ﷺ said that when you make du`a’ four things happen:

• The first is that your du`a’ is answered.
• The second is that, because Allah is al-‘Aleem and al-Hakeem (the All Knowing and the All Wise), He knows that what you’re asking for isn’t good enough for you. My daughter is an example. We don’t like her to watch too much TV because of the effect on the mind, but for her language development alhamdullilah, we let her watch a little TV. If we leave my daughter she will watch TV all day, and she begs us to let her do this. But it’s not good for her. It’s the same with us. Allah (swt) says, “…But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not,” (Qur’an 2:216). So Allah (swt) answers your du`a’ with something different because He knows it’s better for you. Like the single brothers and sister who keep asking Allah (swt), “Please, please, please let me marry so and so.” But maybe what you think will please you will do the opposite. Allah (swt) gives you what He knows is best for you.
• The third is that by your du`a’ Allah (swt) removes some ibtilaa (trial/test) from you in this life. Maybe some problem or sickness was going to hit you in this life, and instead of answering your du`a’ Allah (swt) removed this from you.
• The last one is summarized in the verse: “And the Hereafter is better for you than the first [life],” (Qur’an 93:4). Allah (swt) delays what you ask for in order to give it to you in the Hereafter.

So Iblees, the one who Allah (swt) has cursed, made du`a’ and Allah (swt) answered him. You and I are not as far away from Allah (swt) as Iblees, so all we have to do is raise our hands and make du`a’ to Him.

After Allah (swt) told Iblees that he’s been given respite, Iblees told Allah (swt) everything about himself. He told Allah (swt) his plan. Of course, he doesn’t have to tell Allah (swt) anything because Allah (swt) already knows. But Allah (swt) allowed this to happen so that we can know the plot of Shaytan.

by Sabeen Mansoori

The light is red. It seems to have been red for an eternity. The minutes tick slowly forward as the heat of the sun mercilessly beats down. Is it broken? You are so late! Not a single vehicle is passing through the intersection. It seems to be red for everyone. The empty intersection shimmers like a mirage before your eyes. Surely it must be malfunctioning. The person in the car next to you mouths a curse and as if on a cue you complain, “It’s never going to turn green.” The instant the words leave your lips, as if by magic, the light turns green and you are free to go.

How many times do we try our best not to complain but the circumstances seem truly impossible and whining just seems the natural, acceptable thing to do? We rarely question these slips of the tongue, especially because everyone around us is doing the same. But these sighs, eye rolls and snippets of ingratitude chip away at our iman (faith). They are a subtle form of arrogance. The thought process behind the complaints is that I am so special that all lights should turn green as I approach. The carefully crafted car commercials are a true indicator of what our hearts desire. In the commercials there are rarely any stop lights.  The cars zoom by or climb to heights that no mortal can actually drive to; leaving all the ordinary people in the dust. Confetti falls and flags wave in the breeze as music blares in the background.

This message of hedonistic self-fulfillment is the greatest trap of Shaytan (Satan). When he promised Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (may He be glorified and exalted) that he would take us down with him to hellfire his strategy was already set. He did not ask for a few years to operate. He asked for our entire testing period.

“(Satan) said, “Reprieve me until the Day they are resurrected.”  (Qur’an, 7:14)

What worked for him would work for humans, since we are mere mortals crafted from clay. If he could make us arrogant and ungrateful, than the descent to moral depravity and the fall from the favor of Allah (swt) would be simple. There are those, however, who escaped from his devious designs and made it safely through this life and were guaranteed Paradise. Most eminent among them was the second Khalifah `Umar bin Khattab radi Allahu `anhu (may Allah be pleased with him).

The Prophet ﷺ (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “O Ibn Al-Khattab! By Him in Whose Hands my life is! Never does Satan find you going on a way, but he takes another way other than yours,” (Sahih Bukhari). Subhan’Allah—glory be to God—the life of Umar (ra) is an amazing story of the love of Allah (swt) and His Messenger ﷺ. That love is stamped forever on the pages of history through his success in this world and in the Hereafter. But why did Shaytan consider him a hopeless case? Why was the Shaytan, who whispers to us day and night, afraid to even go near `Umar?

`Umar (ra) was a source of strength for the Muslims from the day he accepted Islam to the day he returned to his Lord.  Verses of the Qur’an were revealed that agreed with his opinion. During his ten years as the khalifah (caliph) the Muslim state grew to an unprecedented degree as the empires of Persia and Rome toppled. `Umar (ra) had much to be proud of, but he never let arrogance taint and destroy any of his deeds. He led a simple, humble life and even at the moment of death asked his son to put his face on the ground.

If we look into his achievements as a sahabi (companion) and as a khalifah and then we read his words his greatness becomes apparent. From `Amir ibn Rabi`a: “I saw `Umar pick up a straw from the ground and say, “Would that I were this straw! Would that I were nothing! Would that my mother never bore me!”

He walked the streets of his city for fear that Allah (swt) would hold him to account. From Dawud ibn `Ali: “If a sheep dies on the shore of the Euphrates I fear lest Allah ask me to account for it on the Day of Resurrection.”

Once `Umar (ra) called people to the Masjid and when they all assembled, `Umar stood on the pulpit and said, “I had some aunts and I would take their goats or sheep to this valley and I would come back at the end of the day and they would give me a handful of dates or raisins and I would have a miserable day.” Then he came down from the pulpit. Abdul Rahman ibn ‘Awf (ra) said, “You haven’t done more than belittle yourself.” `Umar (ra) replied, “Woe to you son of ‘Awf! My nafs [lower self] was telling me that you are Ameer ul-Mu’mineen so who is better than you? So I wanted to teach myself a lesson and let it know who it is.”

How could Shaytan influence his nafs when he never let it stray for a moment? He reined in his ego before it had a chance to become inflated. It is reported that `Umar ibn al Khattâb (ra) said: “Bring yourselves to account before you are brought to account, and weigh your deeds before they are weighed,” (At-Tirmidhî).

It would have been so easy for `Umar (ra) to let his achievements instill in him a sense of false pride but he always considered himself nothing but a slave of Allah (swt). Presidents and kings rule for a few years and have memorials and statues built in their honor and books written eulogizing on their greatness. They write memoirs listing and elaborating on their terms in office. `Umar (ra) who was assassinated while in salah (prayer) was worried about completing his salah even as the blood poured out of his body! He was irritated with Ibn Abbas (ra) because while trying to comfort him Ibn Abbas (ra) used words of praise. `Umar (ra), whose example we can only read about and tremble at his greatness, was with his last breaths anxious about being saved from the fire:

“When `Umar was stabbed, he showed signs of agony. Ibn `Abbas, as if intending to encourage `Umar, said to him, ‘O Chief of the believers! Never mind what has happened to you, for you have been in the company of Allah’s Apostle and you kept good relations with him and you parted with him while he was pleased with you. Then you were in the company of Abu Bakr and kept good relations with him and you parted with him (i.e. he died) while he was pleased with you. Then you were in the company of the Muslims, and you kept good relations with them, and if you leave them, you will leave them while they are pleased with you.’ `Umar said, (to Ibn “Abbas), ‘As for what you have said about the company of Allah’s Apostle and his being pleased with me, it is a favor Allah did to me; and as for what you have said about the company of Abu Bakr and his being pleased with me, it is a favor Allah did to me; and concerning my impatience which you see, is because of you and your companions. By Allah! If (at all) I had gold equal to the earth, I would have ransomed myself with it from the Punishment of Allah before I meet Him,’” (Sahih Bukhari).

Shaytan was smart enough to realize early on that it would be useless to waste time trying to deceive `Umar (ra). Shaytan’s time is much better spent riding with us. Ibn Qayyim described Shaytan as patient. He can wait for years till his whispers convince someone to boast about an act of goodness they had done. Sadly for many of us he only has to wait a few seconds before we utter some words of arrogant impatience.

The reality is that we can only pay lip-service to the greatness of `Umar (ra). There is little chance that we will adopt his ascetic lifestyle and attain the high stature of humility that he achieved.  One small step that it is possible for us to take is to eliminate the whining from our lives and become content with what Allah (swt) has blessed us with. This could be as simple as accepting the seemingly interminable thirty seconds at the light, or the greater challenges that we face in our relationships, finances and health. We cannot convince Shaytan to take another street but we can gradually nurture our level of patience so that we make his journey as miserable as possible. If Allah (swt) wills, the light will still turn green and opportunities to do good will open up before our eyes.

The number one (if not the only) leading factor to deviation from good, whether in the religious sense or not, is Shaytan (Satan). Shaytan comes at a person from every angle and sugar coats the evil so he or she may fall, sometimes unknowingly. One of my favorite examples of such wicked and subtle ways in which Shaytan will get to a person is from my own past experience. I used to tell myself (in my early years in college), “Well, there is nothing else to do on a Friday night, plus I am not drinking!” Sound familiar? Do we use this line to tell ourselves it is ok to hang out at the bar or the dance club? Or do our friends use the famous line, “Dude, since you don’t drink, do you mind being the designated driver?” How about telling yourself, “Well, we need a quite place to study” while sitting alone with someone from the opposite gender him in a room with the door closed. How long are you going to talk about calculus, chemistry, or psychology before you drift off talking about this, that, and the other? Have you not heard the story of Barsisa, the worshipper who Shaytan destroyed methodically and brought from the high of worshipping Allah to the low of prostrating to Shaytan himself?

Shaytan is relentless brothers and sisters, and we must open our eyes, minds, and hearts to the strategies and the whispers of the Shayateen (devils) of both ins (humans) and jinn that cause us to fall into sin. Shaytan has vowed to lead us astray as Allah says,

“For he had said, “I will surely take from among Your servants a specific portion. And I will mislead them, and I will arouse in them [sinful] desires, and I will command them so they will slit the ears of cattle, and I will command them so they will change the creation of Allah.” (Qur’an, 4:118-119)

And do not think that Shaytan will leave a person alone after he or she sins. He will keep one in that cycle and make it seem unbreakable. The familiar line “I have done so much I will never be forgiven” is fed to us every time we think about breaking free form sin. This is one of the most vicious ways in which Shaytan keeps us in his grasp; he makes us doubt the mercy and forgiveness of Allah. Shaytan will also make our repentance seem exceptionally monumental by using the poisonous line,“There is just way too much to know and it is so hard to keep up with it all.” Another tactic that Shaytan uses to discourage us and lead us astray is the false assumption that the only ones who enter paradise are the scholars. Brothers and sisters, being a good Muslim is easy to achieve. Abbas related that a man asked the Prophet ﷺ, “Tell me what should I do to be admitted to Paradise?” The Prophet answered, “Worship Allah associating nothing with Him, observe Salat, pay Zakah (Alms) and strengthen the ties of kinship.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

Let us look at a prime example of a young person who stayed on the right path, fueled by his belief in Allah. Yusuf (peace be upon him) is known for his beauty and as a young and virile man he was a servant in the house of the Aziz (royalty) of Egypt. He lived in the same house as the wife of the Aziz, a woman who was taken by the beauty of Yusuf and became overpowered by her desires for him:

“And she, in whose house he was, sought to seduce him. She closed the doors and said, “Come, you.” (Qur’an, 12:23)

Imagine this brothers and sisters. This young man, full of vigor and hormones, was not only being approached but rather aggressively sought after by a woman who would let him have his way with her. Yusuf could have justified this in so many ways and the people would have probably excused him saying “He is young” or “He is a servant” and would not know any better. He could have, but he did not and he said:

“He said, ‘[I seek] the refuge of Allah. Indeed, he is my master, who has made good my residence. Indeed, wrongdoers will not succeed.'” (Qur’an, 12:23)

Instead of all the excuses to do wrong, he had all the excuses to do what is right. He sought refuge in Allah and asked for His support in this ordeal and then he used the logic, decency, and faithfulness to his master to prevail for, surely, wrong-doers will never succeed.

So let us treat this issue at the root and let us follow what Allah tells us:

“And if there comes to you from Satan an evil suggestion, then seek refuge in Allah . Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing” (Qur’an, 41:36).

Also in the last few chapters of the Qur’an is a beautiful surah we can recite:

“Say, ‘I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, The Sovereign of mankind, The God of mankind, From the evil of the retreating whisperer – Who whispers [evil] into the breasts of mankind – From among the jinn and mankind”‘ (Qur’an, 114).

Have you ever had a moment when you feel the bile rising in your throat, face flushed, and nostrils flaring? Your hands are balled into fists, and you could strike – you’re filled with that sudden urge to destroy something. It might be a vase, a plate in your hand or your cell phone – easily chucked a couple hundred feet, hurled out a window or shattered into a million pieces on the pavement.

Maybe this scenario isn’t something you can relate to – for you, it might be getting behind the wheel and hitting the gas, the sound of tires screeching and the smell of burned rubber filling the air. Or you might be one of the volcano types which erupt with profanity and all sorts of hurtful words until there is nothing left.  Or you can be the type that does not say anything, internalizing the feeling of anger until they get an ulcer.

It’s perfectly normal to get angry.  After all, we are human – we have emotions and are impacted by our day-to-day dealings and disappointments. Anger is a human emotion that all of us possess, but like any other human vice, anger needs to be controlled so that it doesn’t control you. Anger can range from mild irritation to intense fury and rage. So what is the prescribed manner to display anger? How does one keep anger in check?  What are the prescribed ways to manage anger?

It is important to discuss how to approach anger because if anger is not properly dealt with, it can cause other problems internally or externally. For instance, if anger is internalized it can cause hypertension (high blood pressure) or depression. Externally one will witness violence and destruction; the ripples of anger linger and taint a person’s character as well.

The sudden spark of anger that ignites into a flame is attributed to Satan provoking man to lose control.  In a narration of a hadith, Atiyah bin Arwah reports the Prophet ﷺ as saying, “Anger is prompted by Satan who has been created from fire“ (Abu Dawud). Furthermore, the Prophet has been quoted about anger in the following ahadith:

“Beware of anger, for it is a live coal on the heart of the descendant of Adam. Do you not notice the swelling of the veins of his neck and the redness of his eyes? So when anyone experiences anything of that nature he should lie down and cleave to the earth” (Tirmidhi).

“If one of you becomes angry while standing he should sit down. If the anger leaves him, well and good; otherwise he should lie down” (Tirmidhi).

Performing ablution is another method of anger management. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Anger comes from the devil, the devil was created of fire, and fire is extinguished only with water; so when any of you is angry, he should perform ablution” (Abu Dawood).

Next time you feel a little hot under the collar here a few suggestions on how to keep that little spark from becoming an all-consuming fire:

• First of all seek refuge from Satan. The du`a’ that is recommended is “auoodhu billahee minashaythan irajeem,” which translates to “I seek refuge in Allah from the Satan, the stoned,” as noted in Bukhari and Muslim.
• Try changing your physical position. If you are standing, sit down.
• Finally, if that fire is starting turn into an all-out forest fire, make wudu (ablution) and put it out.

I also have a few personal suggestions that I have found helpful, as I tend to be on the fiery side: drinking water helps, stepping away from the situation and cooling down, and I personally enjoy meditation through yoga and isolation. Also, any means to get out the frustration is good: exercising, martial arts, sports, etc.

I would like to end with two ahadith that I found very inspiring:

The Prophet ﷺ said, “When Allah created His creations, He wrote on His Throne: ‘My Mercy has preceded My Anger'” (Bukhari).

The Prophet ﷺ said, “The strong is not the one who overcomes the people by his strength, but the one who controls himself while in anger,’ (Bukhari).