Part 21

Satan has vowed to be the permanent enemy of mankind, so he makes his first attack at the birth of any human being to warn him of long harsh battle where there is neither peace nor truce. Abu Hurayrah 4 said: “The Prophet 4¢ said: ‘When any human being is born, Satan touches him on both sides of the body with his two fingers, except Jesus, the son of Mary, whom Satan tried to touch but failed to, for he touched the placenta-cover instead.”!

It is for this reason that any newly born person initially starts with a scream when Satan pricks him. Abu Hurairah # related that the Prophet % said: “Any newly born baby cries from the moment of his birth when Satan begins to prick him; except Jesus and his mother #8” Abu Hurairah 4 added: ‘You may recité the verse: {I have placed her and her children in Your safekeeping from the accursed Satan)’.

' Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim. ? Surat al-‘Imran, verse 36.

But, was ‘Isa #1 (Jesus) the only one to have been protected from Satan’s impulse or were all the prophets as well?

Al-Nawawi said: “Al-Qadi ‘Ayad said all the prophets share this, epecially ‘Isa #8.”

The distinction between the enmity of mankind and that of Satan

(Make allowances for people, command what is right, and turn away from the ignorant. If an evil impulse from Satan provokes you, seek refuge in Allah. He is All-Hearing, All-Seeing)';

and He 4¢ said:

(Ward off evil with what is better. We know very well what they express. Say: ‘My Lord, I seek refuge with You from the goadings of the devils, and [ seek refuge with You, my Lord, from their presence)’.

And He 8 also said:

(Repel a bad action with something better, and if there is enmity between you and someone else, he will be like a bosom friend. None will obtain it but those who are really steadfast. None will obtain it but those who have great good fortune. If an evil urge from Satan eggs you on, seek refuge in Allah. He is the AllHearing, the All-Knowing.)”

Al-Hafidh Ibn Kathir said: “These are three verses, having no fourth one in their meaning, in which Allah 3 Commands His Servants to confront the enemy among mankind with benevolence and goodwil, in

' Surat al-A’raf, verses 199, 200. ? Surat al-Mu’minun, verse 96, 97. > Surat Fussilat, verses 34 — 36.

the hope that his original nature returns him to friendship and purity; and He 3 Commands them to seek refuge in Him %€ from the Devil who neither accepts compromise nor benevolence, since his evil intentions are to destroy mankind because of his lasting enmity with the father of mankind, Adam s!,

Whispering misgivings about 7awheed

tawhid is the basis of Islam and its lofty structure; it is the secret behind the victories of the Muslims, and upon it the Islamic empire was established. It is tawhid that produces men, because it forms the core of Islam. Therefore, almost all the Devil’s attack is aimed at this particular, lofty foundation of Islam.

Abu Hurayrah 4 said: “The Prophet 4 said: ‘Satan comes to one of you and says: ‘Who created so-and-so?’ Till he says: ‘Who has created your Lord?’ So, when he inspires such a question, one should seek refuge in Allah and give up such thoughts.”

Satan’s knots; the way to undo them

Abu Hurayrah 4 reported that the Prophet 3 said: “During your sleep, Satan knots three knots at the back of the head of each of you, and he breathes the following words at each knot, ‘The night is long, so keep on sleeping,’ If that person wakes up and celebrates the praises of Allah, then one knot is undone, and when he performs ablution, the second knot is undone, and when he prays, all the knots are undone, and he gets up in the morning lively and cheerful, otherwise he gets up dull and gloomy’*.

Al-Nawawi said: “The scholars have differed about these knots; so it was said that they are real ones (i.e. knots of sorcery which prevent man from rising). Allah 3 said: (and from the evil of women who

' Tafsir ibn Kathir.

? Recorded by al-Bukhari. > Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

blow on knots)’. Therefore, it is a word he says to prevent the Muslim from rising for salah; it is an effect similar to sorcery. It was said they are the knots of Satan who whispers in the mind of a Muslim, as if telling him that the night is very long, in order to delay salah until the last part of the night.”

Those three knots are inflicted only on the negligent who sleep without mentioning the Name of Allah 4€ nor recite Ayat al-Kursi.

If one says that the context of the Hadith generally includes the

negligent and others, we (the author) say that the general context of

this Hadith has been specified by the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah 2 about

reciting Ayat al-Kursi when going to bed; it is also the opinion of Al-

Hafidh Ibn Kathir who said: “It is possible to say that the Hadith refers

to people who do not recite Ayat al-Kursi to keep Satan away from 993

Al-Nawawi said, interpreting the statement (and he gets up in the moming lively and cheerful): “Being happy that Allah 3% has helped him succeed in obeying Him 3%, looking for His Reward, along with the Blessings he receives from Him % in all his affairs, and for helping

him overcome the devilish insinuations of Satan’.

Al-Hafidh Ibn Kathir said: “It appears that in the night prayer there is a feeling of cheerfulness and liveliness, even if the worshiper does not conjure any of it.”

I say: This is true; for it is felt only but the person experiences it and sensed the closeness of Allah 4 in these moments.

Al-Nawawi said, interpreting the statement (otherwise he gets up dull and gloomy): “Because of the knots of Satan and his effects on him. It is clear from this Hadith that whoever neglects dhikr, wudu’ and salah

? Sharh Muslim (6/65).

3 Fath al-bari (3/27).

4 Sharh Muslim by al-Nawawi (6/66). 5 Fath al-bari (3/26).

(supplication, ablution and prayer) then he is among those who get up dull and gloomy.”"

Al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar said: “The secret behind starting the night prayer with a short two raka‘at is a prompt initiative to undo the knots of Satan.”?

This is a good interpretation, except that another Hadith by ‘Aishah does not mention these two short raka‘at: “The Messenger of Allah never exceeded eleven raka ‘at in Ramadan or in any other months; he used to offer four raka‘at — do not ask me about their magnificence and length, then four raka‘at — do not ask me for their magnificence and length, and then three raka ‘at.”*

The objective of Satan is to keep a Servant of Allah away from offering the night prayer, and inflict him/her with laziness and negligence in order to control him/her during the day as well. These are the evil schemes of the Devil to control mankind, but what is the way to nullify them and foil his planning?

1. To perform wudu’ before going to bed. It was confirmed in the two Sahih books that the Prophet 3% said to Al-Barra’ bin ‘Azib: “When you go to bed, perform ablution as you do for salah”.

' Sharh Mustim (6/67).

2 Fath al-bari (3/27).

> Transmitted by al-Bukhari, on the authority of Abu Salma ibn Abd al-Rahman. * Recorded by al-Bukhari (1/357) and Muslim (17/32).

> Fath al-bari (3/25).

3. To join your hands together and recite al-Mu‘awidhat (Surat al-Falaq and Surat al-Nas), you blow in them, then you pass them over your body, as quoted in the Hadith of ‘Aishah <'.

4. To recite the last two verses in Surat al-Baqara, as quoted in the Hadith of Abu Mas‘ud al-Ansari who said: “The Prophet 4% said: ‘If one recites the last two verses of Surat al-Baqara at night, it is sufficient for him (for that night)’. Al-Nawawi said: “It was said that it meant that it should be sufficient for his night prayer, or as a safekeeping from Satan, or from any misfortunes, but it could also mean from all of them.” Ibn alQayyim said: “They (the last two verses of Surat al-Baqara) are sufficient to safeguard him from anything that might harm him.”

5. You should recite a Surah from the Qur’an, as narrated by Shidad bin Aws directly from the Prophet #: “If a Muslim recites a Surah from Allah’ Book when he goes to bed, Allah will put an angel in charge of him, and nothing which may harm him will come near him till he wakes.”

6. You should recite Ayat al-Kursi with insight, for it safeguard you from Satan until you wake; this is confirmed in Sahih alBukhari, on the authority of Abu Hurayrah #, and by alTirmidhi, on the authority of Abu Ayyub, and also by Ibn Hibban, on the authority of Ubai ibn Ka‘b.

8. To put your right hand under your right cheek and lay on your right side and say: “In Your Name, O Lord, I place my side,

’ Recorded by al-Bukhari (11/125).

? Recorded by al-Bukhari (7/318) and Muslim (2/92). 3 Sharh Muslim (6/91).

4 Al-wabil al-sayyib (91).

5 Recorded by al-Tirmidhi.

6 Al-Bukhari (11/119) and Muslim (7/46).

and in Your Name I rise. If You hold my spirit, have mercy upon it, and if You release it, safeguard it with You safeguard Your pious Servants.””

You should also say: “In the Name of Allah, I have laid my

side for Allah. O Allah, forgive mé my sin, drive away my

devil, free me from my responsibility, and place me in the

Then you should remember Allah until sleep overcomes you; Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah said: “The Prophet 4 said: ‘When a person goes to bed, he is approached by ani angel and a devil; the angel says: “Terminate with goodness; while the devil says: ‘Terminate with evil.’ So if he remembers Allah until he sleeps, the angel drives away the devil, and stays to guard him. When the person wakes up, he is again approached by an angel and a devil; the angel says: ‘Begin with goodness’; while the devil says: ‘Begin with evil.’ If he says: ‘Praise to Allah Who gave life to my self after its death, and did not make it die during its sleep. Praise to Allah Who keeps a firm hold of the heavens and the earth, preventing them from vanishing away; and if they vanished, no one could then keep hold of them. Praise to Allah who keeps hold of the sky to prevent it from falling on the earth — only with His Permission.” The Angel then drives away the devil, and stays to guard him.” *