4b] Beware of the evil plans of Satan

4b]
One can also drive away evil plans of Satan by constantly remembering
Allah by saying "SubhaanAllah" (glory be to Allah), "Alhamdulillaah"
(praise be to Allah) "Allahu Akbar" ( Allah is the Greatest) "Laa
ilaaha illa Allah" (None has the right to be worshipped except Allah)
e.t.c. The Prophet saws said:
"Whoever says, "La ilaaha illa Allah wahdahu laa shareeka lahoo,
lahul-mulk, walahul-hamdu wa huwa alaa kulli shay'in qadeer," (
meaning: There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. He isOne
without any partner. To Him belongs sovereignty and praise andHe has
power over all things) hundred times a day, that will be enough for
him as a protection from Satan for the whole day. it is also as if he
has freed a slave and one hundred good deeds will be recorded for
him."
Making Jihaad in the way of Allah, attending gatherings of knowledge
and where good deeds aredone, keeping away from gatherings of play
which Satan attends and in whichhe causes enmity, hatred and misery
also protect from the evil plans of Satan.
Further, foremost of the things that protect one from the devilish
plans of Satan is Tawheed (belief inIslamic monotheism), putting one's
trust in Allah and being sincere in worshipping Him. Allah says,
"Certainly, you (Satan) shall have no authority over My slaves except
those who follow you and those who go astray (the criminals,
polytheisms and evil-doers)."(Al-Hijr 15:42)
Therefore, dear Muslims, beware of Satan's footsteps and evil plans. Allah says,
"O you who believe! Enterperfectly in Islam and follow not the
footsteps ofSatan. Verily, he is to you aplain enemy. Then if you
slide back after the clear signs have come to you, then know that
Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise."(Al-Baqarah 2:208-209)
Brothers in faith! Fear Allah as He should be feared and know that
Satan calls man to all evil things and prevents him from doing any
good deed. The first thing that Satan calls to is disbelief inAllah.
If one responds to him, he has surrendered his affairs to him, Satan
will then lead him to all evil and destructive things in this world
and the Hereafter. But if man does not respond to him when he invites
him to disbelief, he calls him to bid'ah (innovations in matters of
religion), for a person who indulges in bid'ah does notgenerally
repent from it, because he regards that aspart of his religion, and
this gladdens Satan. If Satan is unable to make him indulge in bid'ah,
he invites him to committing major sins, then to minor ones. If he
does not succeed in doing that, he distracts him from doing
recommendable deeds with indulgence in lawful things and engage him
with matters that are of no concern to him.
Satan by his nature, searches man's mind and looks for his preferences
inorder to approach him through that and make him commit sins through
what he has inclinations to. Allah says,
"O mankind! Verily! The promise of Allah is true. So let not this
present life deceive you and let not the chief deceiver [Satan]
deceive you about Allah. Surely, Satan is an enemy to you, so treat
him as an enemy. He only invites his followers that they may become
the dwellers of the blazing Fire."(Faatir 35:6-6)
Furthermore, Satan is pleased by sins that man regards as
insignificant, therefore beware of him. The Prophet said:
Satan has lost hope that people would worship himin the Arabian
peninsula, but he is pleased to sow discard among you."/

4a] Beware of the evil plans of Satan

4a]
All these devilish tricks of Satan that Allah informed us about are
but weak tricks that get weakened and eliminated by Eemaanand seeking
the protectionof Allah. He says,
"Ever feeble indeed is the plan of Satan." (An-Nisaa 4:76)
Allah also says of him,
"Verily! He has no power over those who believe and put their trust in
their Lord (Allah). His power is only over those who obey and follow
him (Satan) andthose who join partner with Him (Allah)"(An-Nahl
16:99-100)
He, indeed has no power over the believers who puttheir trust in Allah.
This enemy, whom we believe in his existence, whose impacts we feel
and the result of whose evil deeds we know has laid in wait for men in
ways that lead to good deeds in order to prevent them from doing it.
Allah says,
"(Satan) said: Because youhave sent me astray, surely. I will sit in
wait against them (human beings) on Your Straight Path. Then I will
come to them from their front and rear, their right and left, and You
will not find mostof them as thankful ones."(Al-A'raaf 7:16-17)
Brothers in faith! We can not prevent the evils of Satan, or render
his plans ineffective or escape from his traps except by
seekingAllah's protection. Allah says,
"And whoever holds firm to Allah (i.e. follows Allah's religion and
obeys all that Allah has ordered practically), then He is indeed
guided to the right path."(Aal-'Imraan 3:101)
Brothers in Islam! Allah has explained to us that this avowed enemy
leads man to sin and destructiveacts and then abandon him. He has made
shirk (associating partners to Allah in acts of worship) fair seeming
to the peoples of Noah, 'Aad, Thamood; made sodomy fair seeming to the
people of Prophet Loot and made different kinds of sins fair-seeming
to many others, but when the repercussions of their evil deeds came
upon them, hedisowned and abandoned them. Allah says,
"(Their allies deceived them) like Satan, when he says to man:
'Disbelieve in Allah!' But when (man) disbelieves in Allah, Satan
says: 'I am free of you, I fear Allah, the Lord of all the worlds'. So
the end of both will be that, they will be in the Fire abiding
therein. Such is the recompense of the wrong-doers"(Al-Hashr 59:16-17)
As for the Day of the Resurrection, Satan will stand on a mountain of
fire and deliver a speech tohis followers as Allah informs:
"Verily, Allah promised you a truth. And I promised you, but I
betrayed you. I had no authority over you except that I called you and
you responded to me. So blame me not but blame yourselves. I can not
help you nor can you help me. Ideny your former act in associating me
as a partner with Allah( by obeying me in the life of the world).'
Verily, there is a painful torment to the wrong-doers."(Ibraheem
14:22)
After this speech, nothing more will be heard except sighing in a high
and low tone, regret, crying and wailing. Then Allah will say:
"Remain you in it with ignominy! And speak you not to Me."(Al-Mu'minoon 23:108)
Dear brothers! Evil of Satancan also be averted by seeking refuge with
Allah from him. Allah says,
"And if an evil whisper from Satan tries to turn you away (from doing
good), then seek refuge in Allah. Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the
All-Knower."(Fussilat 41:36)
In the hadeeth, it is reported that two men abused each other in the
presence of the Messenger of Allah and the face of one of them turned
red (out of severe rage). The Messenger of Allah said:
'I know a word that if thisman says it, his anger will go away. It is,
'A'oodhu billaahi minash-shaytaanir-rajeem." (I seekrefuge with Allah
from Satan, the accursed".
One can also prevent the evil plan of Satan by observing the prayers
in congregation. Allah says,
"Verily, As-Salaah (prayer) prevents from Al-Fahsha (i.e. great sins
and every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse) and Al-Munkar(i.e.
disbelief, polytheism and every kind of evil wicked deed)".
(Al-Ankaboot 29:45).
The Prophet also said:
"whoever observes fajr prayer in congregation shall remain under
Allah's protection until evening, so, do not let Allah found you
wanting in fulfilling His rights upon you".
Evils of Satan can also be prevented by reading Aayatul-Kursiy (Qur'an
2:255), Sooratul-Ikhlaas (Chapter 112) Al-Mu'awwidhatayn (Chapters 113
and 114) and Sooratul-Ghaafir (Chapter 40) at the end of each prayer.
One should also be reciting the Qur'aan frequently, for, themore he
recites, the more he protects himself from Satan.
Likewise is paying Zakaat, making voluntary charity and spending in
the good cause. The Prophet saws said:
"Charity erases sins as water blows out fire." When a Muslim is
cleansedof all his sins, he is then saves from a great evil.:->

Human Kindness in Islam

Nasiruddin was the slave of a king, and very fond of hunting. One day
he came across a very pretty baby deer and picked it up and rode away.
The mother deer saw Nasiruddin take her baby and followed him
anxiously. Nasiruddin, pleased with the baby dear, was thinking about
presenting it to his children to play with. Aftera time, he chanced to
look back and saw the mother deer following him, her expression full
of grief. He noticed too that she did not seem to care about her own
safety. Moved to pity, Nasiruddin set the baby deer free. The mother
deer nuzzled and licked her baby fondly andthe two deer leapt
happilyaway into the forest. But many times the mother deer looked
back at Nasiruddin, as if to expressher thanks.
That night Nasiruddin dreamt that the revered Prophet (صلى الله عليه
وسلم) was addressing him: 'Nasiruddin, your name has been entered in
the list of Allah , and you will one day have a kingdom. But remember
that when you are king you will also have many responsibilities. Just
as youhave shown mercy to the deer today, you should be merciful to
all Allah's creatures. You should not forget your people by falling
into a life of luxury.'
This dream came true and Nasiruddin did become king, Amir Nasiruddin
Subaktagin, father of Sultan Muhammad .
The moral of the story is that if we wish Allah to be merciful to us,
we must beeager to show mercy to allthe living creatures of the earth.
When a flower blooms, its colour and scent first touch the garden near
it, and then spread. In the same way, a Muslim 's acts of human
kindness should first touch those nearest to him, his family and his
neighbours.

Moderation in Human Relations

"Love your friend moderately lest he becomes your enemy one day, and
hate your enemy moderately lest he becomes your friend one day!"
Tirmidhi
When we get extremely close to people and lower our guard by letting
them know every detail of our life, trusting them with everything, a
day can come when we regret because they can hold us ransom with what
they know about us if the friendship is broken f…or some reason.
At times we cannot correctpeople because we have allowed them to get
so close to us that they would use against us some of what they know
of us.
Similarly when we dislike someone, we should neveroppress them or do
something unbecoming of a true believer as a day may come when a
strong friendship is developed between us and we are embarrassed by
past actions.
Amazing piece of advice which is worth pondering over and making good
useof in our lives. An enemy can become a very great friend or
relative and a friend can become a fierce enemy.
"The Almighty is all able tocreate between you and your enemies a
strong bond of friendship for indeed Allah is All Able, Allah is Most
Forgiving Most Merciful"