ADAM’S GUILT….AND SATAN’S GUILT(2/2) - Mankind and Satan

 

Some people may ask: if Allah has relented towards them so why were they obliged to repent? The answer is that Allah’s Legislation of repentance had to precede repentance itself…His Saying, “He turned to them so they could repent,” means that He legislated for them repentance.

He said to them that if you committed a sin or a guilt repent; and as long as Allah, be ever gloried His Majesty and Might, asked them to repent they should turn to Him in repentance and Allah will accept it from them. The legislation of repentance is not only a mercy towards the sinner but also to the community at large. Had Allah, all glory is to Him, closed the door of repentance then whoever has committed sins would sink deeper in sins, as long as repentance is not accepted. And as long as a sin leads to eternity in Hellfire, then whoever commits one sin will consequently fill his life with sins, for there is no hope for him in ever winning Paradise. So, he will decide to take his share of worldly life, and consequently the whole community will suffer

because every sinner will sin even more.

The entire humanity suffers from the spread of sin and not only the individual. Thus, by legislating repentance, Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, has mercy on the entire humanity against the spread of sins. Because the first sin does not cast man eternally into Hellfire, provided that man repents and returns to Allah. Therefore, man should never persist in sin but he should hurry to righteousness and repent to Allah and perform more good deeds, to have his sins forgiven. This way hope in attaining Paradise remains and also remains the wish for goodness, thus the community prospers and it becomes filled with blessings. Indeed, repentance is a mercy on the entire humanity.

But Satan rejected the Commands of Allah and he worsened it by his will to lure mankind into sin. He said as the Noble Qur’an relates to us (what means):

“[Satan] 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].’” (Al-A‘râf, 7: 16-17)

Satan did not admit his sin, but rather he insisted on it and threatened that he would do such and such things, a persistence in disobedience. On the other hand Adam and Eve admitted their sin which is a very important point that we should heed, so that people who dare and sin beware of. They should not justify disobedience or sin by contradicting the Command of Allah, claiming that time or circumstances have changed.

For example, to the dealers in bank interests, which involves a suspicion of usury, we say: do not claim that Ribâ (usury) is not unlawful and that taking interests is an international system and that the whole world transacts business through it and that time has changed…to the end of what we hear nowadays. By such words of yours you remove yourself from the domain of Allah’s Mercy to the domain of expulsion from His Mercy, all praise and glory is to Him.

But rather say: O Lord, we have failed to overcome ourselves, please forgive us and have mercy on us . This way you have accused yourself of weakness, negligence and injustice and you have kept yourself within the domain of belief. But by rejecting the Judgment of Allah and by claiming that Ribâ is not unlawful you have walked out of belief to disbelief, Allah forbid.

When man commits a sin he should neither try to justify its commission nor defend it and claim that it is lawful. Nor say that circumstances have changed and that the legal ruling must have also changed. Because this involves a rejection of Allah’s Command, which pulls man out of belief to disbelief, and from mercy to damnation. And that is the difference between the sin of Adam and that of Satan.

Satan disobeyed and was puffed up with pride, whereas Adam disobeyed but he admitted his sin. When Adam and Eve confessed their guilt, Allah taught them the way of repentance. Had not Allah, The Most Exalted and EverMajestic, taught them, they would not have known how to repent. For repentance occurred by an inspiration from Allah, all praise and glory is to Him:

“They said, ‘Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers.’” (Al-A‘râf , 7: 23)

Then Allah, Whose Majesty reigns Supreme, said (what means):  

“(Allah) said: ‘Get down, some of you an enemy to some others. And for you on the earth is a place of settlement and enjoyment for a time.” (Al-A‘râf, 7: 24) 

We should observe the Ayat that relates to us the act of descent. In another Ayah, The Truth, all praise and glory is to Him, says (what means):

“(Allah) said: ‘Get you down, both of you, together, some of you are an enemy to some others.’” (Tâ-Hâ, 20: 123)

And in another Ayah, Allah says (what means):

 

“We said, ‘Go down from it, all of you.’” (Al-Baqarah, 2:38)

The addressees are Adam, Eve and Satan, and enmity here is preexistent between mankind and Satan. But His Saying, “Get you down, both of you, together, some of you are an enemy to some others,”  shows that enmity is between two parties: Adam and Eve are one party, and Satan is the other party. So, we have two groups: Adam, Eve and their offspring are one group against the group of Satan and his offspring. All the Ayat perfectly agrees.

We have to understand that when Allah says, “Some of you are an enemy to some others,”

 there will be a struggle and enmity between the offspring of Adam and the offspring of Satan, and that the struggle (between the two parties) will last as long as worldly life continues only and will not extend to the Hereafter. But as to the devil and man, there is a lasting struggle as long as the lifetime of each in this world, and not the lifetime of this world. When the devil dies or man dies the struggle between them comes to an end. 

 

Source: (Book) Mankind and Satan

The Start of Sin - Mankind and Satan

The Start of Sin

But what did Satan do? He hungered to throw down Adam and Eve into sin, so what did he do? Allah, all praise and glory be is Him, says:

“But Satan whispered to them to make apparent to them that which was concealed from them of their private parts.’” (Al-A‘râf, 7: 20)

The Saying of the Truth “waswas” (to whisper evil) signifies that the dialogue passed in whispers. Al-Waswasah [devilish insinuation or evil whispering ] is temptation to do evil, for the one who calls to goodness does not care if he spoke loudly; but calling to evil and sin is only spoken in hushed tones.

Al-Waswasah in Arabic language is the ringing sound of gold. The ringing of gold and jewels is a sound that attracts people, tempts them and engages their attention. In Waswasah (evil whispering) there must be temptation, because if you wanted to turn people away from the Law of Allah you must lure them with winning some worldly pleasure.

Here we must pause to interpret the Saying of Allah, “But Satan whispered to them” because the common misconception is that Satan first tempted Eve and then Eve tempted Adam and adorned to him sin until he ate from the tree and were it not for Eve, Adam would have remained in paradise! 

We reply be saying that Allah, all praise and glory is to Him, has cleared Eve of that lie. The part of the Ayah saying what means: “But Satan whispered to them ” is a proof that Satan has adorned sin to Adam same as Eve. In other words, Satan misled both Adam and Eve, and Eve was not the one who tempted Adam but Satan allured them together.  

But what was Satan’s aim from this evil whispering? His aim was that Adam and Eve disobey their Lord and be punished as he was punished by expulsion from Allah’s Mercy. The punishment here was the appearance of the shameful (private) parts of Adam and Eve. The shameful parts are the parts that make you feel shame to look at. Because the innate nature of man makes him feel shame to have his private parts disclosed before people. 

Before Adam and Eve ate from the tree none of them had ever seen the private parts of the other, not even his own private parts. Adam neither saw his own private parts nor those of Eve. Also, Eve neither saw her own private parts nor those of Adam. Allah has screened them both from each other. 

Scholars have exerted themselves in trying to know how the private parts of Adam and Eve were screened from themselves. Some said that they had coverings over them. Other said that the nails of Adam and Eve were long, reaching their feet, and they covered the private parts then by sin these nails disappeared.

We should not concern ourselves with this, for Allah, all praise and glory is to Him, screened the private parts of Adam and Eve however He willed. By a strong light, because when light is strong we cannot see things through it. Light when weak allow us to distinguish things and when strong hides them from us. Whether Allah, all praise and glory is to Him, screened the private parts of Adam and Eve by cloth or nails or a light, the important thing is that the private parts were screened before their eyes.

Source: (Book) Mankind and Satan

On The Doors of Masjids - Mankind and Satan

On The Doors of Masjids

The devil sits on the doors of Masjids (mosques) and at the places of worship and remembering Allah. He tries to seduce people not to offer Salat, and when The Azan [the Call to Prayer] is pronounced he strives to allure mankind with every lure to divert them from going to Salat. He reminds man of worldly concerns and keeps whispering to him evil insinuations. He frightens him by insinuating that perhaps if he went to Salat he might lose a good bargain or money or benefit, suggesting that work is also an act of worship…etc. till he diverts him from remembering Allah and from Salat.

There is a story narrated on the authority of Imam Abu Hanifah (may Allah be pleased with him) who was known by issuing fatwas (legal rulings) concerning legal problems, thus a man once came to him and said: 
“I have lost my money, I buried it somewhere in the earth but the torrents poured down and hid the place of the money and removed the rock I have put as a sign to the place and I do not know what to do?”

Imam Abu Hanifah said: “How can I give you a legal opinion concerning this matter?”

But the man insisted, so Imam Abu Hanifah said to him: “Go tonight after the ‘Isha’ Prayer [Evening Prayer] and stand before your Lord and spend the night in prayer until the crack of dawn…. and then tell me what has happened.”

At the time of the Fajr [Dawn] Prayer the man came cheerful and said: “I have found my money.” Abu Hanifah asked him: “How?” The man said: “I was just about to stand up for Prayers when I remembered the place of the money and when did the flood pour down and how did it proceed. Thus I measured the distance and estimated it and thus I learned the location of the money.”  So, Abu Hanifah (may Allah be pleased with him) smiled and said: “By Allah I knew that the devil will never leave you spend the night in the company of Your Lord.”

                

Thus, when the devil learned that this man would spend the night offering Prayers before his Lord he hurried to guide him to the place of the money to prevent him from continuing his prayers and from keeping himself engaged in remembering Allah, and that is one of the meanings of the Ayah saying (what means):

“[Satan] said, ‘Because You have put me in error, I will surely sit in wait for them on Your straight path.’” (Al-A‘râf, 7: 16)

And that is what we shall discuss in the next chapter, if Allah wills, when talking in detail about the ways the devil employs in tempting mankind and how he waylays them in the Masjids and places of worship to distract their attention and hinder them from remembering Allah and from performing Salat.  

The Noble Qur’an continue to cite Satan’s words, who said what means:

“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].” (Al-A‘râf, 7: 17)

On contemplating this glorious Ayah we will find that the devil has specified four directions from which he can come to man: right and left, in front and behind. But directions are six: right and left, in front and behind, above and below (man), so why does the devil come to man from all directions and leaves two directions: from above and below?

The answer is that “above” is towards heaven, the place of the ascent of supplications and good deeds to Allah, all praise and glory is to Him, whereas “below” is the place of prostration and submission to Allah, The Most Exalted and Ever-Majestic, and Satan can never get near both. For Satan can never approach the place of prostration before Allah and submission to Him and also the place of the ascension of prayers and good deeds. For these are the two blessed places of every believer, surrounded by angels and are never approached by devils.

But we must pause before the part of the Ayah saying what means: “And You will not find most of them grateful.”

Who told Satan that most of the people will not be thankful to Allah for His Blessings and Grace upon them? Allah, all praise and glory is to Him, says what means:

“And Allah is full of bounty to the people, but most of the people do not show gratitude.” (Al-Baqarah, 2: 243)  

Was Satan given knowledge of the Unseen which made him learn that most of people would not be thankful? Or was he so sure of himself that he said such words?

Satan certainly does not know the Unseen nor was he given of knowledge what made him say that most of the servants of Allah would not be thankful. He also did not have the mastery that made him absolutely confident that this would happen because of his temptation of mankind.

The Noble Qur’an reveals to us how did Satan say such words. Allah, all praise and glory is to Him, says what means:

“And Iblees had already confirmed through them his assumption, so they followed him, except for a party of believers. And he had over them no authority except [it was decreed] that We might make evident who believes in the Hereafter from who is thereof in doubt. And your Lord, over all things, is Guardian.” (Saba’, 34: 20-21)

Hence, what Satan said was only a conjecture for he certainly did not possess any knowledge of the Unseen nor knew what would happen in the future.

Then came the Verdict of The Truth, all praise and glory is to Him, on Satan and those who follow him, as says the Lord of Honor and Sovereignty in His Noble Book what means:

“[Allah] said, ‘Get out of it, reproached and expelled. Whoever follows you among them – I will surely fill Hell with you, all together.’” (Al-A‘râf, 7: 18)

Thus, Satan was expelled from Allah’s Mercy and from paradise or from any place where he can be near Allah. He became humiliated and accursed. Not only him but also whoever follows him from jinn and mankind. The destiny of them all would be eternity in Hellfire. Allah, The Most Exalted and EverMajestic, has prepared for each of His servant, from mankind and jinn, a place in Paradise and another in Hellfire. So that if all creatures disobeyed Hellfire would contain them all and if all creatures obeyed Paradise would be spacious enough for them all. On Resurrection Day the righteous people would inherit – above what Allah has prepared for them in Paradise – the places that were allotted to those upon whom Allah has passed the sentence of torment in Hellfire on Resurrection Day, we seek refuge with Allah from such an end.

After Allah has reprieved Satan till Resurrection Day, He wanted to fortify Adam and make him aware of the trial he was about to face. To show him how Satan is his foe and how he would lure him into sin, and how his promises are false and how he would never honor a promise. The Truth, Blessed and Exalted is He, willed to realize this through a practical experience that Adamand Eve (peace and blessings be upon them) would undergo, so that when they descend on the earth this experience would serve to immunize them against diabolic misleading and temptation. Allah, all praise and glory is to Him, says what means:

“And We said, ‘O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in paradise and eat therefrom in [ease and] abundance from wherever you will. But do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers.’” (Al-Baqarah, 2: 35)

Thus, Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, has prepared the place of trial to Adam and Eve in a garden provided with all means of comfortable living, without fatigue or toil. He gave them abundant food from various kinds of fruits and abundant drink, and opened before them all the blessings they might wish for. Allah allowed them all the fruits of that garden except one tree, which He forbade them to come near.

It was a comfortable life rich with endless lawful blessings and the forbidden was the least of all, only one forbidden tree. Allah, all praise and glory is to Him, warned Adam and Eve against their enemy Satan and asked them not to listen to him because he only wishes them evil and never wishes them any goodness. Allah warned them saying what means:

“So We said, ‘O Adam, indeed this is an enemy to you and to your wife. Then let him not remove you from paradise so you would suffer.’” (Tâ-Hâ, 20: 117)

But what happened? In spite of all warnings and although the lawful things are many and the forbidden is only one tree, Satan succeeded by his temptation to cause Adam and Eve to fall into sin.

Some interpreters say that Eve was the one who first fell into sin then led Adam into it. That she was the reason behind Adam’s departure from the garden, is that true? Was Eve the one who bore the first sin that led to Adam’s departure from the garden, or is it false? What is the truth? And what did truly happen?

Before answering these questions we sum up what we have discussed in this chapter: Satan was blown up with pride and his conceited self made him reject the Command of Allah, all praise and glory is to Him, and he said: “You created me from fire, and You created him from clay.” (Sâd, 38: 76) by which he wanted to alter the Command of Allah, thus Allah cursed him and cast him out of His Mercy and made him one of the dwellers of Hellfire together with all who follow him. But Satan pursued a doorway to tempt Adam and his offspring. His doorway is that Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, is All-Mighty, All-Rich, beyond need of all His creatures, neither those who stray into wrong harm Him nor those who believe benefit Him.

Through that inlet Satan crept in to tempt the Children of Adam. Allah, all praise and glory is to Him, made worldly life an abode of trial therefore temptation is a must so that Allah tests true faith and they become witnesses over themselves on Resurrection Day.

Allah willed that Adam should pass through a practical experience of satanic temptation and misguidance to warn him and teach him what he would confront in worldly life…so how did this experience go on?

Source: (Book) Mankind and Satan