Shaytan whispers: In our daily lives, we often encounter various challenges and obstacles that test our patience, faith, and resolve. Among these challenges, one stands out as the most insidious and dangerous: Shaytan, the Whisperer of evil. He is not an enemy we can see or confront directly, but his influence is ever-present, subtly pushing us toward actions and thoughts that lead us away from the path of righteousness.
Understanding Shaytan’s tactics and knowing how to protect ourselves from his whispers is crucial for every Muslim striving to live a life pleasing to Allah. In this article, we delve into the nature of Shaytan’s deception, the spiritual and practical ways to counteract his influence, and the importance of seeking refuge in Allah to safeguard our faith.
Understanding Shaytan’s role in Our Lives
It’s true, isn’t it? You can fool many people much of the time. You can even deceive yourself for a while. But you cannot deceive Allah. No matter how much we pretend, we cannot mislead the One who created us. Allah knows every leaf that falls from every tree, and He counts every hair on our heads
Others may see us as pious, kind, and caring. “What a good Muslim,” they say. But deep down, we know the truth. We know the jealousy that drives us or the laziness that keeps us from doing what is right. We are aware of the backbiting, the bad thoughts, and Allah Almighty knows all this too. Yet, He still wishes well for us and continues to call us toward Him.
In the Holy Qur’an, we read:
{Say: I seek refuge with the Lord and Cherisher of humankind, the King (or Ruler) of humankind, the God of humankind, from the mischief of the Whisperer (of evil), who withdraws (after his whisper), the same who whispers into the hearts of humankind, among Jinn and among humankind.}
(An-Nas 114:1-6)
Perhaps it is not surprising that this is the very last surah of the Qur’an. After we have listened to the entire Revelation, with its complete history of Islam, and received words of encouragement, advice, and warnings for every situation in life, Almighty Allah concludes His Book with a warning. He warns us to beware of the Whisperer—Shaytan, the Devil. Listening to him can bring our whole house of goodness crashing down. Following his whispers can destroy all the good we do.
The Subtle Whispers of Shaytan
Allah calls us toward Him, guiding us in virtue and goodness. He is forever forgiving, pardoning our sins, and giving us countless chances to become better Muslims. On the other hand, Shaytan does the opposite. He tells us we are worthless, that we will never be good Muslims because of our flaws. He brings us down, making us feel depressed even when we have no reason to be. He makes us doubt our good deeds, leading us to think we acted out of selfishness.
And it is the subtlety of his approach that makes it so dangerous. He “whispers” to us when we are alone, urging us to do evil. He whispers to us to stay in bed just five minutes longer, causing us to miss the Dawn Prayer. He whispers doubts about our friends or tempts us to lie to our family. He whispers that it’s harmless to converse with the opposite sex or to cheat and steal. Shaytan is indeed our very worst enemy.
Fighting an enemy we can see is much easier. We know what they look like and can prepare to combat them, like soldiers ready for battle. But taking on an unseen enemy like Shaytan is far more difficult. He is clever, using our weakest points against us. If Allah has gifted us with good looks, Shaytan encourages pride and vanity, leading us to misuse our appearance for harmful purposes. If we possess intelligence, he tempts us to boast about our cleverness. If we are strong, he pushes us to use that strength to harm others.
Shaytan not only whispers to us, urging us to delay doing good and to quickly commit wrongs, but he also tells lies. He convinces us that we are no good, that we will never achieve the lofty goals of Islam, so why bother trying? He tells us we are ugly, fat, stupid, and unliked by others, making us question every good thing we do.
There is more. Shaytan whispers directly into our hearts, but he also uses others to do his whispering. Our best friends may tempt us to do wrong. It seems harmless when they suggest staying at the mall for just half an hour longer, delaying the Afternoon Prayer. We feel comforted when friends encourage us to stay out later than our parents allow, even though we know they will worry. They tell us to associate with the wrong crowd, listen to harmful music, or try things “just once,” even though they are haram.
Shaytan is truly our very worst enemy. He even deceives non-Muslims, convincing them that Islam is a religion of evil and violence.
The Power of Seeking Refuge in Allah
But let us not forget that Allah is in control of all things. It is when we forget this that we become vulnerable to Shaytan’s whisperings. Allah created the heavens and the earth and everything in between. Nothing can resist His power. As long as we entrust all that we do to Allah’s power and protection, nothing can harm us. As Muslims, we begin our conversations “in the name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate.” We start all our endeavors with “if Allah wills it.” And when we need help, we cry out, “I take refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan.”
Islam is both sensible and practical. Allah presents us with no difficulty that we lack the resources to overcome. He tests no soul beyond its capacity. Recognizing Shaytan as merely a talker, a whisperer, is halfway to defeating him. By being faithful to prayer and the traditions of our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), we learn to overcome his whispering. By surrounding ourselves with good friends and listening to wise counsel, we grow stronger in combating our weaknesses. During Ramadan, we learn to subdue the body and subject it to our will. The body cannot control us. Connecting with Allah is the way to become truly strong. And when we are close to Allah, nothing—not even our very worst enemy—can overcome us.
By Idris Tawfiq
