Some of Satan’s important schemes

 

Thirteenth indication

This consists of three points.

First point

One of the most deceitful stratagems of Satan is that he deceives shortsighted people with constricted hearts and narrow minds concerning the comprehensiveness and greatness of the truths of belief. He says, “It is said that a single Being executes lordship over and administers all particles and galaxies and other existent things and beings in all their states. How can one believe in such an extraordinarily great, incomprehensible matter? How can one comprehend it within one’s heart and mind?” By taking advantage of human weakness and limited understanding, he awakens a feeling of unbelief.

THE ANSWER: The reality which silences this scheme of Satan is God is the All-Great. Its true answer is also God is the All-Great. One of the purposes for the frequent repetition of God is the All-Great among the marks of Islam is to eradicate this stratagem. For the limited power and narrow mind of the human being can see such infinitely great truths in the light of God is the All-Great and confirm them. They can sustain these truths on the strength of God is the All-Great and situate them within the sphere of this blessed mark. True human beings speak to their hearts, when they begin to doubt, as follows:

It is clearly observed that the universe is administered and directed in the most orderly fashion. In fact, such an extraordinary work requires a wonderful art and an infinitely amazing organization for its existence and maintenance. This can be explained in two ways. Either an All-Powerful, All-Willing Eternally Besought One, to Whose existence all particles of the universe testify, can accomplish this most astonishing affair, or every being, rather, every particle of the universe, should have absolute divinity, all-encompassing knowledge, and limitless power so that the perfectly balanced, extraordinarily ordered, and most distinctively adorned existence and direction of the universe is possible. In the first way this tremendous matter is wonderful but easy to explain, while the second, which is the way of unbelief and associating partners with God, is infinitely unreasonable and inconceivable.

In short, if one does not accept the most reasonable existence of a single, infinitely great, and omnipotent Lordship, then one will feel obliged to follow a most unreasonable, inconceivable way. Even Satan cannot offer the way of impossibility, denying the reality of the infinite Grandeur, Which is absolutely required for the existence and administration of the universe.

 

Second point

Another of Satan’s important schemes is that he calls on human beings not to admit their faults so that he can bar the way of imploring forgiveness and seeking refuge in God for them. He also provokes the egotism of the human carnal soul in order that the soul may defend itself like a lawyer, holding itself exempt from all faults.

An evil-commanding soul which heeds Satan does not want to see its faults. Even if it sees them, it explains them away in various ways. As stated in the adage, The eye of contentment is blind to faults, a person who considers their soul in approving terms does not see their faults. Since they do not see their faults, they do not admit them. Consequently, they neither implore God for forgiveness nor seek refuge in Him, and so become the playthings of Satan. If a noble prophet like the Prophet Joseph, upon him be peace, says, I do not claim myself free of error, for assuredly the human soul always commands evil, except that my Lord has mercy (12: 53), how can one trust one’s carnal, evil-commanding soul?

One who accuses their own soul sees their own faults. One who sees and admits their own faults implores God for forgiveness. One who implores God for forgiveness seeks refuge in God from Satan and committing faults. One who seeks refuge in God is saved from Satan’s evils. Not seeing one’s faults is a fault greater than the former ones committed. Non-admission of one’s faults is a grave defect. If one sees a fault, then it ceases to be a fault. The one who admits their fault deserves forgiveness.

 

Third point

One of the Satanic plots which corrupts human social life is that Satan causes people to veil all the merits of a believer because of a single evil committed by the believer. The unfair ones who heed this scheme of Satan feel enmity towards that believer. However, when God Almighty weighs up the deeds of the responsible beings with absolute justice on His supreme scales on Judgment Day, He will judge measuring the goods deeds against their evil deeds. Furthermore, since there are many more causes that lead to evil and committing such acts is easier, He may sometimes eliminate many evils because of one single good deed.

So, we should act in this world in accordance with that Divine justice. If a person’s good deeds or merits are greater than their evil acts, either in terms of quality or quantity, that person is worthy of love and respect. More than that, we should consider them with an attitude of forgiveness on account of any one single merit they may have. However, due to the innate tendency to injustice in their nature and through the incitement of Satan, the human being can forget a hundred merits of a person because of one single evil, and feel hostility towards their Muslim brother or sister, thus earning a sin. Like a fly’s wing which covers the eye, concealing the mountain from it, due to their feeling of hatred and grudge, the human becomes blind and forgets the virtues of other believers, be they as great as a mountain, because of an insignificant evil act, and is hostile towards them, becoming an instrument of corruption and disorder in human social life.

Through another scheme similar to this one, Satan corrupts sound and straightforward thinking, and destroys sound reasoning about the truths of belief. It is as follows:

Satan attempts to destroy a positive judgment based on hundreds of proofs concerning a truth of belief through a minor negative indication. Yet, it is an established principle that a single positive proof demonstrating the existence or truth of something is preferable to a hundred denials. The statement of a witness in favor of the existence or occurrence of something is preferred to a hundred claims of its non-existence or non-occurrence. Consider this truth by means of the following comparison:

There is a palace with hundreds of doors. If one of its doors is opened, people can enter the palace and open the other closed doors. If all of its doors are open with the exception of only a few, no one can claim that that the palace cannot be entered.

Thus, the truths of belief are that palace. Each proof is a key that opens a door. If one of the doors remains closed, the truths of belief cannot be abandoned and denied. Satan, however, presents to the view a door which has remained closed due to some reasons or because of heedlessness or ignorance, and causes all the positive proofs to be disregarded. Saying, “This palace cannot be entered; rather, it is not a palace, and there is nothing in it,” he deceives people.

So, O poor human who is afflicted by Satan’s schemes! If you desire a healthy religious, personal, and social life, and want sound thinking, correct viewpoints, and a pure, sound heart at rest, weigh up your deeds and whatever occurs to your mind and heart on the scales of the explicit, fundamental principles and precepts of the Qur’an and the elevated Sunna of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings. Always take the Qur’an and the elevated Sunna as your guide, and saying, “I seek refuge in God from Satan, eternally rejected (from God’s Mercy),” seek refuge in God Almighty.

In conclusion, the above thirteen Indications are thirteen keys. With these keys, open the gate of the fortified stronghold of the following sura of the Qur’an of miraculous exposition, which explains, I seek refuge in God from Satan, eternally rejected (from God’s Mercy):

 

I seek refuge in God. In the Name of God, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate.

Say: “I seek refuge in the Lord of humankind,  the Sovereign of humankind, the Deity of humankind, from the evil of the sneaking whisperer (the Satan), who whispers into the hearts of humankind, of the jinn and humankind.”

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Enter it and find safety.

All-Glorified are You. We have no knowledge save what You have taught us. Surely You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

And say: “My Lord! I seek refuge in You from the promptings and provocations of the satans. I seek refuge in You, my Lord, lest they be present with me.”

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi