Satan in The Battle of Badr - Mankind and Satan

Satan in The Battle of Badr

Let us shed light on the way Satan instigated the disbelievers to fight the believers during the Battle of Badr: the Noble Qur’an relates to us this story through the glorious Ayah saying (what means):

“And [remember] when Satan made their deeds pleasing to them and said, ‘No one can overcome you today from among the people, and indeed, I am your protector.’ But when the two armies sighted each other, he turned on his heels and said, ‘Indeed, I am disassociated from you. Indeed, I see what you do not see; indeed I fear Allah. And Allah is severe in penalty.’” [Al-Anfâl, 8: 48]

That was the role that Satan played during the Battle of Badr, he started by sowing the seeds of arrogance in the hearts of the disbelievers, telling them:You will defeat and triumph over the Muslims, you are great in number and powerfully equipped; compared to you they are few, you will definitely conquer them, and I am with you to champion you.

He kept on swelling their souls with vanity, beguiling them with the illusory belief that they are strong and that they are absolutely victorious, till they believed him and set off to fight the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and the believers. 

When the disbelievers reached the battlefield and fighting became inevitable, Satan looked and saw the power of faith, and the mightiness of the believers, and the support that Allah gave them, thereof he scrammed away, leaving behind his allies, whom he promised before that none would overcome them. He thus fled fast and away, saying as the Noble Qu’an relates (what means):

“Indeed, I see what you do not see; indeed I fear Allah. And Allah is severe in penalty.” 
[Al-Anfâl, 8: 48]

Some say how come that the devil says: “I fear Allah”, and if he really does fear Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, why does he sin? And why this persistence in sinning? And what can scare Satan, while he is already shut out from the Mercy of Allah, damned, outcast, and dwelling eternally in Hell, together with all his followers?

The answer is that Satan fears the torment awaiting him in the Hereafter, such fear overwhelms him, despite all what he commits in worldly life. He disavows all sins committed through him; he tries to wash his hands of any responsibility for a sin before Allah. Therefore, The Truth, Blessed and Exalted is He, says (what means):

“[The hypocrites are] like the example of Satan when he says to man, ‘Disbelieve.’ But when he disbelieves, he says, ‘Indeed, I am disassociated from you. Indeed, I fear Allah, Lord of the worlds.’” [Al-Hashr, 59: 16]

In this manner Satan would try to free himself of any responsibility for luring mankind into disbelief and sin. Even on Resurrection Day when Satan shall stand in the presence of Allah he will cast the blame on man, trying to shirk his responsibility. The Truth, all praise and glory is to Him, gives us a picture of this scene in His Saying (what means):

“And Satan will say when the matter has been concluded, ‘Indeed, Allah had promised you the promise of truth. And I promised you, but I betrayed you. But I had no authority over you except that I invited you, and you responded to me. So do not blame me; but blame yourselves. I cannot be called to your aid, nor can you be called to my aid. Indeed, I deny your association of me [with Allah] before. Indeed, for the wrongdoers is a painful punishment.’” [Ibrahîm, 14: 22]

Satan, who decks out fair to people committing all kinds of sins and atheism, comes on the Day of Judgment disavowing what he has done, trying to cast all the blame on man, saying: “I had no authority over you except that I called you, so you responded to me, and had not your selves been inclined to disbelieving and committing sins, I would not have been able to derive you into disobeying Allah. Hence blame me not, for you have no one to blame but yourselves, because you have given ears to my whisperings, while I had no subjugating power over you to force you to sin”, which is true, because the devil does not have the power to force man into disobeying Allah, Whose Majesty reigns Supreme.

Source: (Book) Mankind and Satan