SHAYTAAN: BEAUTIFYING DISOBEDIENCE AND SIN
Assalamualaikum Wa Rahmatulahi wa Barakatu
Insha'Allah everyone is well and in a high/consistent state of emaan! I am just currently working on some personal posts and insha'Allah I promise I will have them all out soon!! For the time being, I want to share some excellent Ramadaan reminders that we can all reflect upon! Oh and by the way..it's that time of year again! Please do visit here to nominate my blog as one of your favourites (hee hee, well, insha'Allah it actually is one of your favourites lol) !
In the story of Aadam (alaihi salam) shaytaan beautified disobedience for him.
He (Iblees) said,
“O Aadam! Shall I lead you to the Tree of Eternity and to a kingdom that will never waste away?” [Qur'an (20): 120]
He said,
“Your Lord did not forbid you this tree save that you should become angels or of the immortals.” [Qur'an (7): 20]
Indeed the life of humankind is limited as to its strength and man strives to prolong both which are openings for shaytaan into the world of man whereby he (shaytaan) can enter and beautify disobedience to him (man).
In the battle of Badr, shaytaan beautified the deeds of the polytheists for themselves:
“And be not like those who come out of their homes boastfully and to be seen of men, and hinder (men) from the Path of Allah. And Allah is encircling and thoroughly comprehending all that they do. And (remember) when shaytaan made their (evil) deeds seem fair to them and said, ‘No one of mankind can overcome you this Day (of the battle of Badr) and verily, I am your neighbor (for each and every help).’ But when the two forces came in sight of each other, he ran away and sad, ‘Verily, I have nothing to do with you. Verily! I see what you see not. Verily! I fear Allah for Allah is severe in punishment.’” [Qur'an (8): 47-48]
The cores of satanic beautification are false promises and glimmering hopes. Just as Aadam (alaihi salam) was promised eternal life and rule likewise were the polytheists promised victory:
“He (shaytaan) makes promises to them, and arouses in them false desires; and shaytaan’s promises are nothing but deception.” [Qur'an (4): 120]
Satanic beautification has a numbing effect because it is veiled with compassion, sympathy and love. He swore to Aadam (alaihi salam) and his wife that he was their sincere adviser:
“And he (shaytaan) swore by Allah to them both (saying): ‘Verily, I am one of the sincere well-wishers for you both’” [Qur'an (7): 21]
This is the sunnah of shaytaan which Iblees and his party have been pursuing against (Bani Aadam) the children of Aadam (alaihi salam) for centuries.
He did this to Aad and Thamud:
“And Aad and Thamud! And indeed their destruction is clearly apparent to you from their (ruined) dwellings; shaytaan made their deeds fair-seeming to them, and turned them away from the (Right) Path, though they were intelligent” [Qur'an (29): 38]
He also deceived Sheeba and her kingdom:
“I found her and her people worshiping the sun instead of Allah, and shaytaan has made their deeds fair-seeming to them, and has barred them from Allah’s way so they have no guidance.” [Qur'an (27): 24]
It was also the case with Quraish during a military raid at (the battle of) Badr, as mentioned before.
This has been his way with every nation throughout every century:
“By Allah, we indeed sent (Messengers) to the nations before you [O Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam)] but shaytaan made their deeds fair-seeming to them. So he (shaytaan) is their Wali (friend, protector and helper); today theirs will be a painful torment.” [Qur'an (16): 63]
And the Saying of Allah,
“Ibless said `O my Lord! Because you misled me, I shall indeed adorn the path of error for them (mankind) on the earth, and I shall mislead them all. Except Your chosen, (guided) slaves among them.” [Qur'an (15: 39-40]
Iblees establishes the courtyard of his battle on earth using his tools of beautification: beautification of ugliness. The gullible see his false attraction and it leads them to sin.
Thus man does not commit evil nor perpetuate disobedience except that shaytaan beautifies it for him in shades and colours showing him a false reality and its wickedness. So the people should be warned that whatever a matter appears beautiful to them or whenever they find a longing desire in themselves, shaytaan will already be there.
From this we can look to the prophetic guidance on the issue of a Muslim’s behavior with the opposite sex, when for example a man sees a woman whom he becomes attracted to.
On the authority of Abu Kubshah al-Anamazi who said:
The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) entered upon his companions then left and performed ghusl (then he, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, returned after performing ghusl), so we said “O Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam), what happened? He (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) replied: ‘So- and- so passed by me and a desire for women entered into my heart so I went to one of my wives and had relations with her, so you should do likewise, for the best of actions which you can do is go to what is lawful.’” [Reported by Ahmad in his Musnad (4/231) and others. I say: Its chain is hasan]
So women are the ropes of shaytaan. Perhaps shaytaan beautifies acts of disobedience for man, so one must try to subdue shaytaan and drive away his deception. This has come from the clear Sunnah. The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said:
“Indeed the woman appears in the form of shaytaan and leaves in the form of shaytaan. So if one of you should see a woman who he likes, then he should go to his family and that will repel what is in him.” [Reported by Muslim in his Saheeh, Abu Dawud in his Sunan (2151), al-Bayhaaqi (7/90) and Ahmad in his Musnad (3/330, 341, 348, 395) Through the authority of Abu az-Zubayr through the authority of Jaabir back to the messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam). I say: The isnaad is Saheeh as Abu az-Zubayr has been judged in reporting hadeeth directly]
Thus the Sunnah uncovers the reality which shaytaan aims to obliterate when he beautifies an unlawful action for man. When explaining about the tongue some poets say:
“If they say it is forbidden then say too, it is forbidden, Aah! But the delectations lie in the forbidden.”
The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said:
“Whenever a man sees a woman who he becomes attracted to then he should go and stay with his wife, for indeed there is within her the like of the first.” [Reported by ad-Daaraamee (2/146) and others and it is established by what preceded it.]
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