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SHAYTAN - THE ARCH ENEMY OF MANKIND
When Allah created Adam and asked the angels to prostrate to him, every
one complied except Shaytan
(Iblis). Allah expelled him but
on his request allowed him a
determined time. Shaytan's
enmity with Adam and his progeny
started from that time. He vowed
to distract them all from the
right path.
Shaytan's strategy is to first obstruct man in his virtuous deeds. If the
man is not trapped in the devil
designs, he will next try to
influence his intention. For
example, if a man wants to give
charity, Shaytan will scare him
of poverty but if still he gave
charity, he will encourage the
man to openly remind the person
about it so that the person will
not get any thawab for the
charity.
Is'te'aza is seeking protection from Allah
against Shaytan. The verbal portion is by saying “Auzu Billahe
Minashshaytanir Rajeem”
translated as “I seek protection
from Allah against Shaytan, the
banished one”
Hence, one should recite “Is'te'aza” before performing any virtuous even
recommended deeds.
Even the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) was asked
by Allah to recite the Du'a as
stated in Surah al-Mu'minun Ayah
97 and 98, “Say, 'Lord, I seek
your protection against the
strong promptings of the devils
(Shaytan). I seek your
protection should they approach
me.'”
According to the traditions of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.), protection from Shaytan
is specially recommended on
three occasions; in the company
of a strange woman, while one is
angry, and at the time of
dispensing justice.
We cannot see Shaytan but he sees us as stated in Surah al-A'raf Ayah 27, “Children of Adam, do not let Shaytan seduce you ,
as he caused your parents to be
expelled from the garden
(Paradise) . Shaytan and those
like him see you but you do not
see them.”
Shaytan does not force man to commit sins, he misguides and lures man
towards the evil. If a man is
pious, he will return to Allah
and seek His protection and is
saved from Satanic actions. But
if the man is not pious, he will
be trapped in Shaytan's network.
Man is independent in his
decision for any action and
answerable on the Day of
Judgment.Surah Ibrahim Ayah 22 says, “When the decree of Allah is issued, Shaytan
will say, “Allah's promise to
you was true, but I, too, made a
promise to you and disregarded
it. I had no authority over you.
I just called you and you
answered. Do not blame me but
blame yourselves.”
It is Allah's justice that if He had given Shaytan access to the mankind
then He has kept the door of
repentance open for the mankind.
According to a tradition of
Behar-ul-Anwar volume 3, the
Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) had said, “Whoever repents one year before his death, Allah will forgive him. Then
he said, “If he repents even one
month before death he will be
forgiven.” He said further, “If
he repents one day before his
death he is forgiven.” Lastly,
he said, “Even one day is too
much, if repents before seeing
the death, Barzaq and the angel
of death, he will be forgiven.”
The Mercy and Forgiveness of
Almighty Allah may be realized!
Shaytan's only purpose is to deprive mankind from faith on Allah and the
Day of Judgment or at least he
may not perform any virtue and
continue in doing prohibited and
bad deeds.
Protection (Is'te'aza) should not be only on our tongue but it should be
from the depth of our souls. If
we only recite Is'te'aza by
tongue and continue to disobey
Allah, it has no effect.
Seeking protection from Allah against Shaytan (Is'te'aza) may have three
situations; one may recite 'Auzu
Billahe Miashshaytanir Rajeem'
without knowing its meanings and
also not from the bottom of ones
soul; next, one may know the
meaning but without effecting
the soul, which may be evident
from the Shaytani acts; lastly
one knows the meaning of
Is'te'aza recited from the
bottom of his heart and being
fully aware of the Might and
Exaltation of Allah. This is the
true Is'te'aza.
Source: The Glorious Qur'an |
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