Part 20

So Satan went down and blew under the feet of Aiyub 1 until they were so swollen, which left him disabled. His wife who was nursing him, reminded him about the change of his condition when the Divine Decree fell upon him; but he said to her: ‘We were enjoying our life in good grace for seventy years, so be patient to survive the bad days for another seventy’. His tribulation lasted seven years’.

‘Isa (Jesus) 34’s encounter with Satan

Abu Bakr Al-Baghandi reported, on the authority of Sufyan bin ‘Uyainah 2 who said: “’Isa #4, son of Mary, met Satan who told him: “You are the one who, out of the greatness of Lordship, you spoke while you were a child in your cradle, and none has spoken at that age before you.”

‘Isa #4 replied: ‘Rather the Lordship and Greatness are to God Who made me speak, and will make me die and live again.’

Satan said: ‘You are the one who, out of the greatness of your Lordship, you resurrect the dead?’

‘Isa 34) said: ‘Rather the Lordship and Greatness are to Allah Who will make me die and those whom I resurrected, and will make me live again.”

' dkam al-marjan (211).

Satan said: ‘By Allah, you are the God of the people of the skies and people of the earth’ thereupon, Jibreel (Gabriel) ## struck him with his tail, so he ended up in the hom of the sun'.

In this chapter, I have related stories from the stories of the children of Isra’il which are permitted as narrations; indeed, it was reported by alBukhari, on the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amru that the Prophet 3 had said: “Convey my teachings to people, even if it were a single sentence, and tell others the stories of Banu Isra’il (which have been taught to you), for it is not sinful to do so. But whosoever tells a lie about me, intentionally, will surely take his place in the (Hell) Fite.”” The stories of the children of Isra’il are divided into three sections:

One section was disproved by the Qur’an, so we disapprove of it; another section was approved by the Qur’an, so we approve of it; and a third section was neither approved nor disproved by the Qur’an, so we do likewise. This last section is perhaps the one referred to by the Prophet 4 in his tradition: “Do not believe the people of the Scriptures and do not disbelieve them; say: we believe in Allah, and what has

been revealed to us, and what has been revealed to you”.

Ibn ‘Abbas # explained this Hadith, by saying: “Do not ask advice from the people of the Scriptures; they will not guide you to the Right Path as they themselves have been misguided, and you could end up disbelieving something true or believing something false.”

Tbn Battal said, on the authority of Al-Muhlab: “The prohibition is about asking the people of the Scriptures about an issue which has no text for reference, because our Shar’ (Divine Law) is self-sufficient;

1 dkam al-marjan (213).

? Recorded by al-Bukhari.

3 Recorded by al-Bukhari.

4 Fath al-bari (13/334), al-Hafidh said: ‘This Hadith was transmitted by Abd alRazzak, with a good chain of authority.

and if there is not text to referred to, then a. careful study and insight into case is more appropriate than asking them’”.

The Prophet’s encounter with Satan

Abu al-Darda’ -& reported: “Once as the Prophet 38 stood up (to pray), we heard him say: ‘I seek refuge in Allah.’ Then he said: ‘I curse you with Allah’s curse’ three times, then he stretched out his hand as though he were taking hold of something. When he finished the prayer, we said: ‘Messenger of Allah, we heard you say something during the prayer, which we have not heard you say before, and we saw you stretch out your hand’. He replied: ‘Allah’s enemy, Iblis, came with a flame of fire to put it in my face, so I said, three times: ‘I seek refuge in Allah from you,’ Then I said three times: ‘I curse you with Allah’s full curse.’ But he never retreated on (any one of these) three occasions. Thereafter I meant to seize him. I swear by Allah that had it not been for the supplication of my brother, Sulayman %8, he would have been bound and made an object of sport for the children of Madina.”

Abu Hurayrah said: “Once the Prophet # offered a prayer and said: ‘Satan came in front of me and tried to interrupt my prayer, but Allah gave me the upper hand over him and I choked him. No doubt, I thought of tying him to one of the pillars of the mosque until you would get up in the morning and see him. Then I remembered. the statement of Prophet Sulayman, ‘My Lord! Bestow on me a kingdom such as shall not belong to any other after me.’ Then Allah made him (Satan) return with his head down (humiliated).”

Al-Nas@’i reported that ‘Aishah #4 said that the Prophet # was offering salah when Satan came to him, so he 4 overpowered him and choked him, until, as he ¥ said: I felt the coldness of his tongue in my hands.”

' Fath al-bari (13/334).

? Recorded by Muslim 3 Recorded by al-Bukhari.

In another narration: “I choked so strongly until he (Satan) said: “You have hurt me, You have hurt me.’ So I let him go.”

Yahya related to me from Malik that Yahya ibn Sa‘id had said: ‘When the Messenger of Allah 3 was taken on the Night Journey, he saw an evil jinni seeking him with a torch of fire. Whenever the Messenger of Allah 38 turned, he saw him. Jibril (Gabriel) 38 asked him: ‘Shall I teach you some words to say? When you say them, his torch will be put out and will fall from him.’ The Messenger of Allah % replied: “Yes, indeed.’ Jibril said: ‘Say, ‘I seek refuge with the Noble Face of Allah and with the Complete Words of Allah which neither the good person nor the corrupt can exceed, from the evil of what descends from the sky and the evil of what ascends in it, and from the evil of what is created on the earth and the evil of what comes out of it, and from the trials of the night and day, and from the visitations of the night and day, except for one that knocks with good, O Merciful One!”

' Recorded by Imam Malik, in al-muwatta’; al-Nasa’i, on the authority of Ibn Mas‘ud 2, and Imam Ahmad and Abu Ya‘la.

Chapter Four: Satan’s contact with mankind

Ibn Jarir al-Tabari said: “A shaytan, in the language of the Arabs, tefers to any rebel among the Jinn, mankind, animals, etc.”

Likewise, Allah 3€ has said: (In this way, We have appointed as enemies to every Prophet Shaytans (devils) from both mankind and from the jinn)’.

He 3% appointed devils among animals as He 3 did among the jinn and mankind. Aslamah Al-‘Adwa reported that ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab 2s once rode a horse which started moving prancingly; he began striking it but its prancing increased, so he dismounted and said: ‘I was riding a devil; I nearly lost control of myself’.

Any type of rebel was called a shaytan (devil) because of the separation and dissimilarity of his morals and normal acts from those of his race, and his remoteness from good.’

When Allah 8€ created Adam 8), He # ordered the Angels to prostrate to him; they all prostrated because they (do not disobey Allah in respect of any order He gives them and carry out what they are ordered to do) but there was a creature (Satan) among them who was not of their species; since they were created from light, and he was created from fire. Therefore, his origin betrayed him in the moment of trial; he refused to prostrate to Adam #4), claiming that he

‘ Surat al-An’am, verse 112. 2 Jami’ al-bayan (1/49).

was more dignified than him. He was, thereby, comparing between the origins of both, but forgetting the Divine Command to prostrate, so he said: €I am better than him. You created me from fire but You created him from clay)’.

How astonishing! He confirms that the Creator is Allah 3%, he also confirms that the one who gives life and death is Allah 8, when he said: (Grant me a reprieve until the day they are raised up); but does knowledge have any benefit when it is not followed by action? Nay, it will rather have evil consequences on the person, on the Day of Judgement. Thereupon, the Divine Command came for the expulsion and the curse: (He said: ‘Get out from here, you are accused. The curse will be on you till the Day of Reckoning)’. From that moment, enmity has become established between Satan and Adam, and so he sought gratification in his thirst for revenge.

He immediately thought of an evil plan and said: (Lord, grant me reprieve until the Day they are raised up)’; Sayyid Qutb said: “He sought reprieve until the Day of Resurrection, but did not regret his disobedience in the presence of the Creator, nor repent to Him 3& and seek atonement for his major sin; but rather to avenge himself of Adam and his offspring for the Curse he received from Allah 3% and the expulsion from His Mercy. He linked the Curse of Allah 3 to Adam, without considering his disobedience to Allah 3%.’

After receiving assurance of his stay until the Day of Resurrection — when Allah € told him: (You are among the reprieved until the Day whose time is know he started giving away the details of his evil

' Surat al-A’raf, verse 12.

? Surat al-Hijr, verse 34, 35.

> Surat al-Hijr, verse 36.

* Fi dhilal al-Quran (4/2141).

plan, and spoke of his aspired aims, without any fear; so he said: (My Lord, because you misled me, I will make things on the earth seem good to them and I will mislead them all, every one of them, except Your Servants among them who are sincere.)

Sayyid Qutb, may Allah 8 have mercy upon him, said: “Therefore, Satan defined the field of the battle (i.e. the earth) €I will make things on the earth seem good to them) and defined his preparation on it (i.e. making bad things seem good, and attracting people to the false beautiful image of evil to indulge in it), Therefore, whenever a person commits evil deeds, it is usually out of deception by Satan, who changes their reality and makes them seem so attractive. People should be aware of the Devil’s work, and be cautious whenever they see so much embellishment of something, or notice themselves having too much desire for certain worldly things; because Satan is there; except if they worship Allah sincerely, for he (Satan) has no power over sincere worshippers.