Ramadan Message 2008 - Day 16 (Lessons from Shaitan)

Learning from Shaitan?

MuslimMessage Writes:

The Shaitan is an enemy, run from him, but also learn from him. How do we learn from the Shaitan? By listening to him and by watching his actions. On one occasion, the Prophet said, “Shaitan has indeed spoken the truth, even though he is a compulsive liar.” So we present from the Prophet (peace be upon him) some of the instructive lessons from the encounter of Shaytan with previous prophets.

Abdullah Ibn Umar (RA) noted that, “When Noah boarded the ship, he saw an old man whom he had never met before; so he asked him: ‘What brought you here?’

He replied: ‘I came to target the hearts of your companions, so their souls would be with me, but their bodies with you.’

Noah replied to him: ‘Get out, you enemy of Allah.’

Iblis then said: ‘People have been destroyed by five things. I will discuss three with you, but keep the other two from you.’

Thereupon, Allah revealed to Noah; that he would not need to know the three things, and advised him to order Iblis to discuss the other two.

So Iblis said: ‘The two things that destroy people are envy and cupidity (greed for gain); I was cursed because of envy, and it was out of cupidity that the whole of Paradise became licensed to Adam, so I made him commit that sin, and be expelled from it.” (Source: Talbis Iblis)

Shaitan also approached Musa (peace be upon him) as if he was sincere. Ibn ‘Umar (RA) said: “Iblis met Moses and said: ‘0 Musa, you are the one whom Allah chose to carry His Message, and spoke directly to; as for me, I have sinned, and I want to repent, so please seek forgiveness for me from your Lord.’

Moses made the supplication to his Lord who said: ‘0 Musa. I have fulfilled your request’.

When Moses met Iblis again, he told him: ‘You are ordered by the Lord to prostrate to the grave of Adam and your repentance will be accepted’.

Iblis displayed his pride and arrogance again, and said angrily: ‘I refused to prostrate him (Adam) while he was alive, yet you want me to do it now that is dead’.

He then added: ‘0 Musa, you have a right on me for seeking repentance for me with your Lord; so I advise you to remember me in the following three situations, so I would not be effective:

 When you are in a state of anger; for my revelation (inspiration) is in your heart, my eyes in your eyes, and I circulate in you like the blood in your veins.

 When you meet the enemy in jihad; because I come to the Mujahid and keep reminding him of his children and his wife until he withdraws from fighting.

 Never sit together with a foreign woman who has no Mahram with her, because I will be her messenger to you, and your messenger to her.”

(Source: Akam Al-Marjan)