messengers from angels and mankind, and what He favors in certain
times and places. Allaah Almighty favored Makkah over all other places
and made Madeenah, the abode of the Prophet's migration, next to
Makkah in preference, then Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) the abode of the
majority of prophets. Allaah Almighty also favored certain months,
days and nights more than others. The number ofmonths are twelve, as
mentionedin the Book of Allaah, when He Almighty created heaven and
earth. Among them are four sacred months, i.e. Thul- Qi'dah,
Thul-Hijjah, and Muharram, whichare successive, and the month of Rajab
that comes between Jumaada Al-Aakhirah and Sha'baan. The best day on
which sun rises is Friday; the Night of Al-Qadr is better than a
thousand months. Thus, you should hold estimable what Allaah Almighty
esteemed.
The people of knowledge have maintained that good deeds are multiplied
in times and places which are favored by Allaah, and that the same
applies to bad deeds, which will be regarded more grievous. The proof
of this from Allaah's Book is His saying (which means): {They ask you
about the sacred month – about fighting therein. Say, "Fighting
therein is great [sin], but averting[people] from the way of Allaah
and disbelief in Him and [preventing access to] al-Masjid al-Haraam
and the expulsion of its people therefrom are greater [evil] in the
sight of Allaah. And fitnah is greater than killing." And they will
continue to fight you until they turn you back fromyour religion if
they are able. And whoever of you reverts from his religion [to
disbelief] and dies while he is a disbeliever – for those, their deeds
have become worthless in this world and the Hereafter, and those are
the companions of the Fire, they will abide therein eternally.} [Quran
2:217]
Allaah Almighty Says concerning Al-Masjid Al-Haraam (the Sacred
Mosque), (what means): {Indeed, those who have disbelieved and avert
[people] from the way of Allaah and [from] al-Masjid al-Haraam, which
We made for the people – equal are the resident therein and one from
outside; and [also] whoever intends [a deed] therein of deviation [in
religion] or wrongdoing – We will make him taste of a painful
punishment.} [Quran 22:25]
Do not wrong yourselves in theseSacred Months. Be committed to the
limits defined by Allaah Almighty, fulfill Allaah's obligations, shun
His prohibitionsand fulfill the rights of your Lord and the rights of
people! Know that Satan has taken upon himself to use all might and
means in order to seduce all of Allaah's servants, except those who
are sincerely devout to Allaah.
Satan is keen to distract man from goodness and to divert his
attention from Allaah's religion and to entice him to commit evil. If
Satan notices that man is inclined to do good, he will try
todiscourage him and hinder him from doing it, leaving no effort
ormeans. If he fails, he will soon tryanother and so forth.
Satan starts with seducing man to commit the most destructive sins. If
he fails, he will try with less dangerous sins. Once he succeeds in
seducing man into sin, he will delude him to procrastinate in
repentance and will lead him to think little of sins, and that one
will someday give it up, while such a day may not come. After
underestimating sins, one becomes easily led to more grievous ones,
until he eventually gets out of the boundsof religion. The Prophet
referred to this gradual degradation into sins when he said: "Beware
of minor sins, whose example is like a people who went to the middle
of a valley and gathered sticks, each returning with a stick of wood
(enough) to cook their bread. When a person is given to committing
sins which he belittles, they will (accumulate and thus) lead to his
ruin."
We should beware of the tricks ofthe Satan and his evil plans, since
he takes different approaches to seduce men, either through sowing
doubts in their souls concerning Allaah's Oneness, diverting them from
performing the prayer and leading them to hold it insignificant,
inducing them to withhold Zakaah or to spend it in ways other than its
predefined channels of distribution, tempting them to indulge in acts
and sayings that render their fasting void, hindering them from
performing Hajj by leading them to procrastinate until death overtakes
them without performing it, trapping them to ungratefulness and
maltreatment of their parents and severing the relations with their
relatives, luring them to untrustworthiness by committing deception
and betrayal, enticing them to seek for money and earn it through
illegal means, including taking usury, bribe, etc. After Satan seduces
man, he abandons him in the most critical moment when he becomes in
dire need of a helper. Listen to Allaah's saying concerning Satan's
deluding Aadam and Eve when they lived inParadise and were permitted
to eat from all its fruits except the fruits of a certain tree; Allaah
Says(what means): {And "O Aadam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise
and eat from wherever you will but do not approach thistree, lest you
be among the wrongdoers."} [Quran 7:19]
Satan tempted them saying as Allaah Says (what means): {But Satan
whispered to them to make apparent to them that which was concealed
from them of their private parts. He said,"Your Lord did not forbid
you thistree except that you become angels or become of the immortal."
And he swore [by Allaah] to them, "Indeed, I am to you from among the
sincere advisors."} [Quran 7: 20-22]
Meaning that he degraded them from the superior rank of obedience.
Listen to the Satan's deception of the Quraysh when he urged them to
go to Badr to fight the believers and then relinquished them; Allaah
Says (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
Ifear Allaah. And Allaah is severe inpenalty."} [Quran 8:48]
Listen to the Satan's forsaking man after deluding him as Allaah 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 Allaah, Lord of the worlds."
So the outcome for bothof them is that they will be in theFire,
abiding eternally therein. And that is the recompense of the
wrong-doers.} [Quran 59: 16-17] and also Allaah Says (what means):
{And Satan will say when the matter has been concluded,"Indeed, Allaah
had promised youthe promise of truth. And I promised you, but I
betrayed you.But I had no authority over you except that I invited
you, and youresponded to me. So do not blame me; but blame yourselves.
I cannot be called to your aid, norcan you be called to my aid.
Indeed, I deny your association ofme [with Allaah] before. Indeed, for
the wrongdoers is a painful punishment."} [Quran 14:22]
When you feel in yourselves a reluctance to perform good deeds and
carelessness towards your bad deeds, it is a result of the seduction
of the Satan. When you feel like that, you should seekAllaah's
protection from Satan, asin doing this you can achieve salvation.
Allaah Says (what means): {And if an evil suggestion comes to you from
Satan, then seek refuge in Allaah. Indeed, He is Hearing and Knowing.
Indeed, those who fearAllaah – when an impulse touches them from
Satan, they remember [Him] and at once theyhave insight.} [Quran 7:
200-201]
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