Grasping  Faith in the Qur'an (2)

What kind of a creature is Satan?

Satan is one of the jinns created by Allah. Allah has ordered all angels to
bow against Adam after He created Adam. Only Satan among them, has not
obeyed Allah's order because he was boastful and has said:

"(Iblis) said: "O my Lord! because Thou hast put me in the wrong, I will
make (wrong) fair-seeming to them on the earth, and I will put them all in
the wrong." (Surat al-Hijr, 39)

Satan who was expelled out of the presence of Allah has asked Allah to be
given time until the Judgment Day to keep men away from Allah's path and to
deviate all of them. Satan will try to deviate men during this time period
from Allah's path and he will try everything to achieve this. Therefore,
Satan is the greatest danger for each man's afterlife and is each man's
biggest enemy.

How does Satan reach people?

By what methods does he try to have them stray from their course?

Allah mentions that Satan secretly causes doubt in hearts, in the Qur'an
with the verses: "From the mischief of the Whisperer (of Evil), who
withdraws (after his whisper)." (Surat an-Nas, 4)

"(The same) who whispers into the hearts of Mankind." (Surat an-Nas, 5)

This is the most hideous tactic of Satan. Most men cannot realize that the
thoughts in his mind are from Satan. He thinks all these are his own
thoughts. For instance, someone who has just learned religion is an
important aim of Satan. He may make the religion seem difficult for this
person. Or Satan may tell him that what he has already done is enough and
more is not needed. This person may think that all these are true. Or Satan
may give feelings like fear, anxiety, stress, discomfort to people and
weakens their energy. He tries to prevent them from doing good and
charitable deeds and thinking healthily.

In the meantime, it must not be forgotten that at the root of all evil,
wars, massacres and indecencies in the world, there is the influence of
Satan on men.

Does Satan have an independent power of his own?

The most important point we should know about Satan is this: Satan has no
power of his own. Like all other creatures, he has been created by Allah
and
is under the control of Allah. He can do nothing that Allah may not desire.
Satan is pursuing his task of causing deviations of men under the
permission
of Allah. Thus, Allah is testing in this worldly life he has created to
test
people who will obey Satan and who will not? Allah conveys this truth as
follows:

"But he had no authority over them,- except that We might test the man who
believes in the Hereafter from him who is in doubt concerning it: and thy
Lord doth watch over all things." (Surah Saba' 34:21)

On whom Satan has no influence?

Satan cannot have any influence on true believers. Allah tells us of this
truth in the 99th and 100th verses of the Surah Nahl as follows: "No
authority has he over those who believe and put their trust in their Lord."
(Surat an-Nahl, 99)

"His authority is over those only, who take him as patron and who join
partners with Allah." (Surat an-Nahl, 100)

Harun Yahya