Fortune Tellers and Diviners

By that we know one of the greatest mistakes that the masses make when they believe that some people, like fortune tellers and soothsayers, know the unseen. We see them going to them and asking them about things that were stolen or crimes that were committed. And they ask them about things that have not happened yet to themselves and their children. Both the questioner and the questioned will be thwarted. 

The knowledge of the unseen rests only with Allah. Allah does not disclose any of it except to whom He chooses of his righteous servants: "He is the Knower of the Unseen, and He reveals unto none His secret, Save unto every messenger who He has chosen, and then He makes a guard to go before him and a guard behind him that He may know that they have indeed conveyed the messages of their Lord. He surrounds all their doings, and He keeps count of all things" (al-Jinn 26-28).

To believe that a certain person has the knowledge of the unseen is a sinful and wrong belief that goes against the authentic Islamic belief that only Allah has the knowledge of the unseen. To go to some people to ask for a verdict that involves the unseen is a very great sin. It is recorded in Sahih Muslim and Musnad Ahmad, on the authority of one of the wives of the Prophet (peace be
upon him), that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,

"Whoever goes to a diviner and asks about something, his prayer will
not be accepted for forty days." To believe in what they say is disbelief. Abu Huraira reported, as recorded Musnad Ahmad, in that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever goes to a diviner or soothsayer and confirms what they have said, then he has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad."

In Sharh al-Ageeda at-Tahaawiya it states, "The astrologers fall under the category of diviners according to some scholars while others only say that its meaning applies to them also. And if that is the case for the one who asks the question, what (do you think) will be the case with respect to the one who is being asked?. Meaning that if the one who just asks the question will not have his prayer accepted for forty days and if the one who confirms what the diviner says becomes an unbeliever, what do you think is the ruling concerning the diviner or soothsayer?

Questioning the diviner for the purpose of testing him

Ibn Taimiya is of the opinion that to question the diviner in order to test him, uncover his true situation and distinguish between his false and true  statements is permissible. His proof is in the hadith that is in the two books of Sahihs: The Prophet (peace be upon him) questioned ibn Sayaad. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) asked him, "What comes to you?. He answered, "Sometimes a truthful person and sometimes a liar comes to me." He then asked him, "What do you see?" He answered, "I see a throne upon the water." The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "I have concealed something from you." He said, "It is al-Dukh.. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "May you be disgraced. You will never raise above your rank. You are nothing but a brother of the soothsayers.. You can see that the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked him those questions to show his true situation to the people.

Astrologers: These are the people who use the stars or the celestial bodies to
predict the affairs of the earth. This is a practice that is prohibited by the Book and the sunnah. In fact all of the messengers of Allah have prohibited it.

.And a wizard shall not be successful to whatever point of (skill) he may attain. (Taha 69). And Allah also said, .Have you not seen those unto whom a portion of the Scripture has been given, how they believe in idols (Ar., jibt) and false deities (Ar., taaghoot). ( al-Nisa 5 1). Umar ibn al-Khattab said that the jibt is magic..

A Misconception: Some people allege that the astrologers, soothsayers, fortune tellers and others are sometimes truthful. Their being truthful in many situations is just a form deception of mankind. As they usually make a general statement that can be interpreted in numerous ways. When the event occurs, they interpret their statement in the way that would make it seem correct.

Other times when they are correct, it is the result of acumen and a keen eye. Other times it comes from the jinn who meet them and give them some news they stole from the heavens. In the two Sahihs and in Musnad Ahmad it is related from Aisha that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was asked about diviners. He said, "They have nothing." They said, "But sometimes they give some words that turn out to be true." He answered her, "Those words of truth are from what the jinn stole. He says them into the ears of his patron and mixes with it one hundred lies.."

If the information they give that is correct is related to something similar to the name of a thief or knowing the name of a person and his family members before the first meeting with him, this could all be done through some trickery. This could be done by having an assistant who gets information from the people or is able to listen to their discussions before the time of the meeting. Or it could be from the acts of the devils as devils knowing about things that happened the past is not something strange or marvelous.

The soothsayers are the messengers of Satan Ibn al-Qayyim has written, Fortune-tellers and soothsayers are messengers of Satan. This is so because the polytheists hasten to them. They rush to them in anticipation when anything important is happening and they believe in their words. They take them as the decider of their affairs and they are pleased with their rulings. This is the same behavior that the followers of the messengers [of Allah] have towards the messengers. They believe that [these fortune tellers] have knowledge of the unseen. 

They inform them about the unseen things that no one else knows about. So for the people who make idolatry through them, they are in the place of messengers. In reality, the fortune tellers and soothsayers are truly the messengers of Satan. He sends them to his party of polytheists and makes them appear like truthful messengers until his party responds to them, in order to take them away from the messengers of Allah.

They consider their messengers to be the truthful ones who have knowledge of the unseen. Since there is such a great difference and contradiction between the two, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,  "Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and believers in what he says, he has disbelieved in what has been revealed to Muhammad"

So people are of two categories: followers of the fortune tellers and followers of the [true] messengers [of Allah]. One person cannot be of both the latter and the former. In fact, the further he goes from the Messenger (peace be on him) by the amount he gets closer to the fortune teller. And he denies the Messenger by the amount that he believes in the fortune-teller.'

Whoever studies the history of the different peoples in the world will recognize that the diviners and magicians have been given a position similar to that of the messengers. But they are messengers of Satan. It was the soothsayers and magicians that their people listened to. They determined what would be lawful and what would be prohibited. They took the people.s wealth. And they ordered the people to perform different types of rituals and worship that were pleasing to Satan. And they ordered the cutting off of family relations and violating people.s honor. Al-Aqqad has discussed these topics in his book Iblees

The Obligation of the Muslim Nation Towards Them

What the astrologers, fortune tellers, magicians and diviners claim is a great misguidance that should not be taken lightly. It is to be rejected and stopped. It is an obligation upon those whom Allah has given His religion and taught them His book and the sunnah of His Prophet to eradicate this misguidance through speech, by showing the falsity of their claims with clear proofs. And those who have power must use that power to physically stop those who claim the knowledge of the unseen, such as fortune tellers, soothsayers, palm readers, people who read tea cups and so on. 

They must be stopped from spreading their diseases in the magazines and newspapers. Anyone who shows their material publicly must be punished for the evil that they do. Allah blamed the Children of Israel for failing to prevent the wrong that they saw among themselves,

"They did not prevent the evil that was being done" (al-Maaidah 79). And the Prophet has said, as Abu Bakr narrated and is recorded in the books of sunan, "Verily, if a people see an evil and do not put an end to it, then Allah might afflict them all with a general affliction."

Jinn and Unidentified Flying Objects

Many times we hear about the sightings of unidentified flying objects (UFOs). Perhaps a week cannot go by without hearing of one person or a group of people who have reported a sighting. They are seen either flying through the skies or stationed for a time on earth. Some people have reported a creation different from that of humans emerging from the vehicles. Some have even claimed that the creature have asked them to join them on the vessels and so on. 

This claim has not just been made by unknown or obscure people but even well-un known and famous  people have made such claims, such as the ex-President of the United states, jimmy carter, who claimed to have witnesses a UFO in Georgia in 1973. He began a special study of the existence of other creatures awho have began to invad earth. He even had a discussion with a scientist who believers in other creatures. Along with president Carter was frank price, his scientific advisor. Then carter watched a film detailing the most recent researches on creatures that live in outer space. The one who
presented that film was the Head of the Department of Astronomy of Cornell University, Carl Sagan. Sagan is the expert that the Space Administration turns to with any question concerning creatures living in outer space.'

It was also reported in a Kuwaiti journal that Mao Tse Tung believed that beings other than humans lived on other planets. The author of that report mentioned that about 61% of the American youth are convinced that UFOs do exist and, according to American newspapers, about a half a million Americans have actually witnessed such UFOs Some of them even had direct contact with the UFOs Recently film producer Steven Spielburg made a movie entitled Close Encounters of the Third Kind which cost 22 million dollars to produce. 

This film was made after he collected together all of the information about the sighting of and contacts with UFOs The film was first shown in the White House and the first person to see it was the President. After that film came out, the Space Administration was convinced that it is a must to research this matter more. In 1979, they devoted one million dollars for such research. They started a secret project called SITY and they set up special instruments to determine if there were creatures invading the earth from outer space.

After the above, we can conclude the following

1. There is no scope to deny the existence of strange creatures that are not human. Sightings of such creatures have come through continuous reporting over the past twenty centuries, in fact over the last one hundred centuries. I researched this topic for some time and found an article reporting such on a weekly basis or even more often. 

2. People are confused concerning the exact explanation for what these beings and flying objects might be, especially since the speed of their vehicles seems to be much greater than what humans have been able to manufacture.

3. I am certain that those beings are from the species of the jinn that reside on this earth and which we have been discussing throughout this book. We have already mentioned their superior abilities, including their speed of movement above the speed of sound or light. Similarly, they have been given the ability to take on different shapes and they are able to appear in front of humans in different shapes.

And by that, by the grace of Allah, it has been made clear to us the reality of these beings. We can feel the loss and confusion of those people who do not have the knowledge that we possess. Therefore, we can spend our mental and monetary resources on researches that will be beneficial.

Some people have asked about the reason why these beings and UFOs seem to be appearing in our times while they did not appear in past times. The response is that the jinn use, in their schemes, whatever happens to be the mode of the day. During this time, scientific progress is the fad of the day. Therefore the jinn mislead them by the use of this medium that interests them. Today people are beginning to explore space and the possibility of life in outer space. [Hence, the jinn are appearing in the form of UFOs and space creatures in order to mislead and deceive mankind.]

THE WEAPONS OF THE BELIEVER IN HIS WAR AGAINST SATAN

1. Caution and care

This evil enemy of the human is always anxious to mislead mankind. He does this through a number of means, many of which we have discussed in the previous chapters. One must beware of this enemy. One must be aware of his goals and his stratagem in order to be victorious over him. If man is heedless about these affairs, then Satan can attack him through any means that he pleases. Ibn al-Jauzi made an exceptionable parable about this battle between man and Satan. He said in Talbees,

The heart is like a fort that is surrounded by a wall and the wall has gates from which it can be torn down. In it lies the mind. The angels frequent that fort and next to that fort are places where the desires lie. And the devils enter
into this surrounding area without being prevented from doing so. And the war exists between the inhabitants of the fort and the inhabitants of the surrounding areas. 

The devils never stop circling the fort and looking for an opening where the guard is heedless and from where he can tear down the fort. It is obligatory for the guards to be completely aware of all of the gates of the fort that must be guarded as well as all of its weak points from which destruction can come. The guard cannot take a break because the enemy never takes a break. A man said to al-Hasan al-Basri, "Does Iblees sleep?" He answered, "If he were to sleep we could then have a rest."

The fort is lit by the remembrance of Allah and faith in Him. In it is a polished looking glass through which [the guardians] can then see anything that passes by. The first thing that Satan does is to blow smoke into the fort tobmake its walls black. This causes rust and damage in the fort. Sound thought repels Satan and remembrance of Allah cleans the looking glass. The enemy has carriages and sometimes they are able to enter the fort. The guards may come upon them and force them to leave. Perhaps they may enter due to the heedlessness or carelessness of the guards. Perhaps, due to the smoke and the rust, Satan enters through any way and he is not perceived. Perhaps the guard is injured by the heedlessness or is taken prisoner and led to the following of the desires. And perhaps he becomes like the jurist who does evil."

2. Sticking to the Book and the sunnah

The greatest thing that can be used as a defense against the devils is sticking to the Book and the sunnah, by one.s knowledge and by one.s actions. The Book and the sunnah present the straight path, and it is Satan who struggles to steer us from this straight path. Allah says in the Quran,

"And He (commands you, saying:) This is My straight path, so follow it. Follow not other ways, lest you be parted from His way. This has He ordained for you, that you may ward off evil. (al-Anaam 153). The prophet (peace be upon him) explained this verse. He once drew a straight line with his hand and said, "This is the straight of Allah." Then on its left and on its right he drew other lines and he said, "These paths all have satan calling (people) to them" And then he recite the above verse.

Allah says in the Quran, "Oh you who believe, Come, all of you, into submission (unto Him); and follow not the footsteps of Satan. Lo! He is an open enemy for you" (al- Baqara 208). The Arabic word al-silm in that verse refers to Islam while some say it means obeying Allah and Muqaatil says it refers to all acts in which there is righteousness. From that we see that it is an order to apply all of the branches of Islam and all the aspects of its laws according to one.s abilities; and the verse prohibits the following of the footsteps of Satan. Whoever enters completely into Islam is far away from the steps of Satan. 

Whoever does not follow any part of Islam has, in fact, followed in some of the footsteps of Satan. Therefore any kind of allowing what Allah has prohibited or vice-versa is a following of Satan. Eating any forbidden and foul foods is all part of following in the footsteps of Satan that has been declared prohibited for us. "O mankind! Eat of that which is lawful and wholesome in the earth, and follow not the footsteps of the devil. Lo! he is an open enemy for you. (al-Baqara 168).

Sticking to the Book of Allah and his sunnah in one.s words and actions will rebuke Satan and will greatly infuriate him. It is recorded in Sahih Muslim, Musnad Ahmad and Sunan Ibn Maja on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

"When the son of Adam reads a verse of prostration and then prostrates, Satan departs from him and cries, saying, .Woe to me. The son of Adam was ordered to prostrate and he did so and, therefore, he will be granted paradise. I was ordered to prostrate and disobeyed and, therefore, I will get the hell-fire."

3. Taking refuge and shelter in Allah

The best way to take shelter from Satan and his soldiers is to seek refuge and aid in Allah from the accursed Satan. Allah has power over Satan. If the slave seeks refuge in Him, how can Satan get to him? Allah says, "Keep to forgiveness and enjoin kindness, and turn away from the ignorant. And if a slander from the devil wounds you, then seek refuge in Allah. Lo! He is Hearer, Knower" (al-Araaf 199-200).

Allah even ordered the Messenger (peace be upon him) to seek refuge from the suggestions of the devils and from having them present with him.

"And say: My Lord! I seek refuge in You from suggestions of the evil ones. And I seek refuge in You, my Lord, lest they be present with me. (al-Muminoon 98-99). This invocation is asking that we don.t fall prey to what they whisper to us and we do not follow such whispers up. Allah has ordered us to seek refuge in Him from the Satanic enemy from which there is no other escape, since he does not accept acts of kindness and courtesy. He only desires the destruction of humans due to his enmity for them.

Ibn Katheer, in his commentary to the Quran, states This means to seek shelter in Allah and to adhere to Him in the face of any possible evil. The meaning of "I seek refuge in Allah from the outcast Satan," is to seek shelter in the protection of Allah from the outcast Satan, such that he will not harm one in one.s religion or worldly life. [It is seeking refuge in Allah such that] Satan should not revent one from doing what one has been ordered to do or to push one to do some act that one has been prohibited to do. Verily, Satan does not turn from the person except through the aid of Allah. 

The devils from among the humans can be dealt with in a kind fashion, as has been ordered by Allah. And this kind treatment may stop them from the evil that they plan on doing. But such bribery will not work with the devils from among the jinn because they are a different type of creation. He does not accept bribes nor is he affected by kind behaviour. This is because he is evil by nature. The only source that can help one against him is his Creator.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) would often seek refuge in the Lord from Satan, in different ways and on many different occasions. After the opening invocation of the prayer he used to say, "I seek refuge in Allah, the Hearer, the Knower, from the accursed Satan and from his 'puffing up, 'spitting,' and .evil suggestion." The four compilers of the Sunan related that hadith. These words are interpreted in the following manner: 'puffing, up' means death by strangling; 'sputtering' means pride; and the latter refers to poetry.

Seeking refuge upon entering bathrooms

When one enters the lavatories, one should seek refuge from the male and female devils. It is reported in the two Sahihs that  Anas ibn Malik related that whenever the Prophet (Peace be upon him) would enter the place to relieve oneself, he would say,

"Oh Allah, I seek refuge in You from the male anf female evil jinn." It is recorded in  Musnad Ahmad and sunan Abu Dawud ,with a sahih chain, that Zaid ibn Arqam related that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "These privies are frequented by him. So when one of you enters the privy, he should say, 'I seek refuge in Allah from the male and female evil jinn."

Seeking refuge during the time of anger

A hadith states that durin the prophet's time there were two men who were caught   extreme anger such that it appeared to the narrators of the hadith that one of them was going to cut off the other's nose due to his anger. The prophet (peace be upon him) said, "I know a statement, that if he were to say it what troubles him of anger would leave him." The people asked, "What is it, oh Messenger of Allah?" He replied, "Oh Allah, I seek refuge in you from the accursed satan." (This was recorded by al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud and Ahmad, and the wording is that of Ahmad.) 

The prophet (peace be upon him) taught one of his companions to say,
"Oh Allah, creators of the Heavens and Earth, the knower of the seen and the Unseen, There is no God Beside you, Lord of every thing and Master over it,  I seek refuge in you from the evil of my own soul, and from the evil of satan and his partners that they may perertrate harm against me or pass that on to another Muslim."

Seeking refuge during the time of sexual intercourse

We have also been encouraged to seek refuge at the time that a man goes to his wife, by saying, "In the name of Allah. Oh Allah, keep us away from satan and keep satan away from what you provide us." Should it be that a child shall come fro them, satan will never harm it. This was recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim. [ Seeking Refuge Upon Entering a Vally or a Strange land]
     
When a person enters a valley or a strange land , it is necessary for him to seek refuge in Allah and not in the jinn and the devils as the people used to do during the days of ignorance. They used to say, " I seek refuge in the leader of this vally from the foolish ones of his people." The result was that they would magnify the jinn and then the jinn would harm them. Allah relates,
"And indeed individuals of humankind used to invoke the protection of individuals of the jinn, so that they increased them in revolt (against Allah)" (al-jinn 6). 

In other words, the jinn increased their transgression. But the Muslim has been shown by the prophet (peace be upon him) what to say instead, upon reaching a new place or valley, "If one of you reaches a place (to stay), he should say, 'I seek refuge in the perfect word of Allah from the evil of what He created,' in that case no harm will come to him from that place until he mounts to leave from there." 

This was related by Ibn Maja with a sahih chain.' Seeking refuge in Allah from Satan upon hearing the braying of donkey The prophet (peace be upon him) said, "If a donkey brays, then seek refuge in Allah from the outcast satan." previously we stated that if a donkey brays at night it is because he has seen a satan.

Seeking refuge in Allah before reciting the Quran

The prophet (peace be upon him) said, "If a donkey brays, then seek refuge in Allah from the out cast satan". Previously we stated that if  a donkey brays at night it is because he has seen a satan.

Seeking refuge in Allah before reciting the Quran

 Allah says, "And when you recite the Quran, seek refuge in Allah from satan, the outcast. Lo! he has no power over those who believe and put their trust in their Lord" (al-Nahl 98-99) . Ibn al-Qayyim discussed the wisdom behind seeking refuge in Allah from satan while reading the Quran. He stated,

1.The Quran is a healing for whatever is in the hear; it removes whatever comes from satan, be it his evil whisperings  luts or evil desires. It is the antidote to what satan has put into the heart. So first the person is asked to reject whatever is in his heart from the acts of satan. Therefore, the medicine will find the heart free and can take its proper place and have its proper affect. As is said in poetry, "Her desire came to me before I knew the desire/And it met my heart empty so it took root therein."So this healthy medicine comes to the heart and cleans it from what can damage it. And it becomes successful therein.

2.The Quran is the source of the guidance, knowledge and good in the heart of the reader, in the same way that water is the source of that brings forth plants. Satan is a fire that burns down the plants, one by one. For every good plant that springs in the heart, satan attempts to destroy it and burn it down. and Allah orders us to seek refuge in him in order for him to ruin what satan is attempting to do. The first point stated above deals with the benefits of the Quran while this point actually deals with the preservation and remaining of the Quran in the heart.

3. The angels descend upon the one who reads the Quran and listen to its recitation. This has been related in a hadith in which Usaid ibn Hudhair was reciting the Quran and he saw a canopy with lamps in it. The prophet (peace be upon him) told him that those were angels. And the devils are the opposite of the angels and are their enemies. The one who reads the Quran has been ordered to ask Allah that he should be put far away from his enemy, the devils, until he is in the midst of only angels. This situation cannot possibly be occupied by both the angels and the devils at the same time.

4. Satan tries to disturb the one who reads the Quran, with his steeds and feet until he reader is void of the meanings of the Quran. The reader should try to ponder over and understand the words of Allah. Satan tries to come between his heart and the meaning of the Quran. Thus the reader is not able to benifit from the Quran.Therefore we have been ordered to seek refuge from this satan when we are about to read the Quran.

5. The reader of the quran is in a private conversation with Allah. And Allah listens closer to his words when recite in a pleasant way than a singer listens to her song. The song of satan is poetry and music. The reader has been ordered to seek refuge from satan so satan will be removed from the private conversation and Allah will listen to the person's recital.

6. Allah has stated that whenever He sent a Messenger or a Prophet, Satan has always tried to interfere in what he is preaching by bringing words or ideas that do not originate with Allah. The early scholars all agreed that this meant that when one is reciting, Satan throws some words or such into the recital. If this was done with respect to the Prophets, what must be the case with respect to others? This is why the reciter sometimes will make mistakes.
And why he sometimes gets confused and cannot recite properly. Or his mind and his heart becomes confused. When he begins to recite, he might find one of these, if not all of them, occurring.

7. Whenever a person contemplates the doing of a good deed, Satan becomes even more anxious in his attempts to come between the person and the good deed, to prevent the person from doing the good deed. [Therefore, we are asked to seek refuge in Allah in order for satan to be prevented from stopping us from this good deed.]

Invocations for one's children and family

The prophet (peace be upon him) used to pray for his grandsons, al-Hasan and al-Husain, by saying, "I seek refuge for you two by Allah's perfect words, from every satan and evil suggestion (Ar., haama) and from every evil (iaama). Then he said, "This is how my father Abraham used to invok for Ishmael and Isaac." Recorded in the two sahihs. Abu Bakr al-Anbari said, Al-Haamat is the singular of al-hawam. It is used for every evil inspiration. And al-lamat is al-mulama but it is stated in the text as lamat to match with hamat and be easier on the tongue."

The best of invocations are the last two surahs of the Quran

The best words to make invocations with are surah al-Falaq and surah al-Nass. Uqban ibn Amr narrated that the prophet said, "The people did not make invocation like these two: 'Say, 'I seek refuge in the Lord of Daybreak,' and 'say, ' I seek refuge in the Lord of Mankind." (Recorded by al-Nasaai)

A great understanding

Once of the early scholars said to his student, "What would you do if satan entices you to sin?" He said, "I would struggle against him." "And if he returns?" "I would struggle against him," the student repeated. "And if he returns again?" The student again says, "I would struggle against him." The scholars told him. "This can take forever. What if you are passing by some sheep and their watchdog starts barking at you, preventing you from passing, what would your action be?" The student answers  "I would wear it down by struggle and repel it. "The teacher then says, "This is a lengthy process. If you go instead to the owner of the sheep, he will be able to make the dog desist." This is a great lesson narrated by ibn al-jauzi and that is that seeking refuge and shelter with Allah is the strongest way to refuge satan and to get far away from him. This ia what the mother of Mary did when she said,
"Lo! I crave your protection for her and for her offspring from satan the outcast" (ali-Imraan 36).

A misconception

Some people say, "We seek refuge in Allah but we still feel satan coming to us and urgings us to evil or preoccupying us while we are in the prayers." The reply to this is that seeking refuge in Allah is like a sword that is in the hands of a warrior. If his arm is strong, he is able to penetrate and kill his enemy. If his arm is weak, he may leave no mark at all on his opponent, even if it is a very sharp sword. The same is the case with seeking refuge from satan. If one is pious and God-fearing, this invocation becomes like a fire that bums satan. If the person is of weak faith, one whose faith is mixed with evil, then this weapon hardly harms Satan whatsoever. Ibn al-Jauzi has drawn the following parallel,

The likeness of Iblees with a pious person and with one of weaker faith is like the [following two men]: A man who sits to eat a meal. A dog comes to partake of the food. The man shouts at the dog and he flees. And there is another man for whom a dog comes to eat from his plate and he also shouts at the dog, but it has no affect. The first man is like a pious man whom Satan comes to but is repelled by his invocation. The second is like one whose faith is mixed with evil, when he seeks refuge in Allah, Satan does not leave him. And we seek refuge in Allah from Satan.'

Therefore, the Muslim who wants safety in Allah from Satan and his plots must work to increase his faith and he must turn to Allah for help and security. And there is no power or strength except Allah.

4. Being busy with the remembrance of Allah

Remembrance of Allah is one of the greatest acts that will save the person from Satan. We shall present the hadith in which John came to the Tribes of Israel with five commands. One of them was, "And I order you to make remembrance of Allah for its example is like that of a man who is being chased quickly by an enemy until he reaches a protected fort. He then protects himself from the enemy. Similarly, the servant does not protect himself except by the remembrance of Allah"

Ibn al-Qayyim said that if that were the only benefit of the remembrance of Allah, then the slave should always be remembering Allah and never let his tongue leave from His remembrance. The person does not protect himself from his enemy except through the remembrance of Allah. Satan does not enter unless one becomes neglectful and falls into his ambush. But if he remembers Allah again, Satan will be defeated, humiliated and made small like a small sparrow or a small fly. This is why it is called the withdrawing whisperer. In other words, it whispers into the souls of men, but when Allah is remembered it is turned away. Ibn Abbas said that Satan perches in the heart of the son of Adam. If he is forgetful or neglectful, Satan whispers to him. If he remembers Allah, Satan withdraws.'

According to ibn al-Qayyim, the devils enclose humans and are greatest enemies. What do you think of a person who is surrounded by his greatest enemies who are bent on his destruction. All of them attack him with whatever evil and harm they can. The only way to be safe is to be safe from all of them, and that is through the remembrance of Allah. And ibn al-Qayyim records the hadith that was related by Abdurahman ibn Samra. He said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) went out to them. He stood among them and said,

I saw something amazing yesterday. I saw a man from my community having the angel of death coming to him to take his soul. Then came good dealings with his parents (to intercede for him) and the angel of death left him. And
I saw a man whose punishment in the grave was being laid out for him. Then came his ablutions and he was rescued by them. Then I saw a man from my community who had been surrounded by devils. Then came the remembrance of Allah and the devils were driven away from him. And I saw a man of my community who was surrounded by the angels of punishment, then there came
his prayers and he was rescued from their hands. And I saw a man from my community who was panting from thirst. When he got close to them, he was prevented from every jug of water and they were taken away from him.

Then came his fasting of the month of Ramadhan and, therefore, he drank and was satisfied. I saw a man from my community and I saw prophets sitting in groups. Every time the man went to the circles he was driven away. Then came his washing from major defilement, and they took him by his hand and sat him besides me. And I saw a man from my community, in front of him was darkness, behind him was darkness, on his right was darkness, and on his
left was darkness, and above him was darkness, and below him was darkness. And he was lost in the darkness. Then there came his pilgrimage and lesser pilgrimage and they him out of the darkness and entered him into light.

And I saw a man from my community who was being burned by a fire. Then there came his charity and it formed a cover between him and the fire. And it provided a shade over his head. And I saw a man from my community who was talking to the believers, but they would not talk to him. Then there came his keeping of family relations and it said, .Oh gathering of Muslims, he kept together family ties so speak with him.

'Therefore, the believers talked to him and they shook his hand. And I saw a man of my community who was encircled by the angels who throw the disbelievers into Hell. Then there came hi.s ordering the good and forbidding the evil, so he was rescued from their hands. And he was entered among
the angels of mercy. And I saw a man from my community who was kneeling and between him and Allah there was a curtain. Then there came his good character and he was taken by his hand and permitted to be with Allah. 

And I saw a man from my community whose recorded deeds were taken from his left  hand. Then there came his fear of Allah and he took his papers and had them placed on his right side.  And I saw man from my community who was thrown in the fire . Then there came his tears that he creied out of fear of Allah and he was rescued from that. And I saw a man from my community standing along a path that was shuddering in the same way that a limb of a palm tree shudders on a stormy night. Then there came his good thoughts about Allah and the shuddering was stopped.

And I saw a man from my community crawling on the path [over the hell-fire]. Sometimes he was crawling on it and sometimes he was hanging from it. Then there came his prayers upon the Prophet and he was made to stand on his feet and he passed over it. And I saw a man from my community who came to the doors of paradise and they were closed in front of him. Then there came his testifying that there is no god except Allah and the doors were opened for him and he entered into paradise.

[Ibn al-Qayyim then stated,] This hadith was recorded by al-Haafidh  Abu Musa al-Madeeni in his book At-Targheeb fi al-Khisaal al-Manjiya wa at-Tarheeb min al-Khilaal al-Mardiyya. In fact, this hadith is the basis of his book and the rest of the work is just a commentary on this hadith. He says that this hadith is very good. It was related by a Amr ibn Bariz, Ali ibn Zaid ibn Jadaan and Hilal Abu Jabalah from Saeed ibn al-Musayyab. Ibn Taimiya also thought highly of this hadith. It is reported to me that he used to say,
"Supporting narrations show that it is authentic"

The important portion of the hadith [for our purpose] is, "I saw a man from my nation who had been surrounded by devils. Then came the remembrance of Allah and the devils were driven away from him." This is consistent with the hadith of al-Harith al-Ashari which states, "I order you to the remembrance of Allah. It is like a man who is being quickly chased by his enemies until he finds a safe fortress to be in and he has protected himself from them." In the same way, the remembrance of Allah protects one from satan.

The person never completely protects himself from satan except through the remembrance of Allah. At-Tirmidhi records on the authority of Anas ibn Malik that the prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever says (meaning, upon leaving his house), 'In the name of Allah. I trust in Allah. There is no power or might except in Allah,' it is said, to him, 'You have been guided, defended and protected.' And he will be protected from satan. And satan will say to another devil, 'What can we do with a man who has been guided, defended and protected " This was also related by Abu Dawud and an-Nasai. At-Tirmidhi said the hadith is hasan.

And it is confirmed that the prophet (peace be upon him) said, "whoever repeats one hundred times in a day, 'There is no god except Allah, the One who has no partner, whoes is the dominion and the praise, and who has power over all things,' will be protected from satan until he evening." 

And sufyan mentioned from Abu az-Zubair on the authority of Abdullah ibn Dhamra that kaab said that when a man leaves his home and says, "In the name of Allah"an angels will say, "You have been guided." And if he says, "I trust in Allah," the angels says, "You have been protected " And when he says, "There is no power or might except in Allah," the angels says, "You have been guarded." Then the devils say to each other, "Go back, you have no way to him. How could you have a way to someone who has been sufficed, guided and guarded?"

Abu Khilaad al-Misri said, .When a person embraces Islam, he enters into one fort. When he enters the mosque, he has entered into two forts. And whoever sits in an assembly that is making remembrance of Allah, he has entered into three forts."

Al-Haafedh Abu Musa related in the above-mentioned book that Abu Imraan al-Jauni related that Anas said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'If a person lies on his side in his bed and says, .In the name of Allah,' and
recites surah al-Fatiha, then he will be safe from the evil of the jinn and humans and of everything."

In Sahih al-Bukhari it is related from Muhammad ibn sireen on the authority of Abu Huraira that he was put in charge of the zakat and a man came and started taking from the food. [This hadith was mentioned earlier.] On the
third occasion, Satan told Abu Huraira,"I will teach you some words by which Allah will benefit you." He taught him to read the verse of the throne upon going to bed. The Prophet (peace be upon him) commented that he had told
the truth although he is a liar.

Al-Haafedh Abu Musa records from Abu al-Zubair on the authority of Jaabir that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "When a person goes to his bed, an angel and a devil are promptly with him. The angel says, 'Seal
your day with good.' And the devil says, 'Seal your day with evil.'If  he remembers Allah until he is overcome with sleep, the angel drives the devil away and he spends the night guarding him. 

When he gets up, the angel and Satan are promptly with him. The angel says, .Begin the day with good.' The devil says, .Begin the day with evil.' If the person says, 'Praise be to Allah, the one who gave my soul life after its death and He did not kill it in its sleep. Praise be to Allah, the One who clings on to [the soul] that has had death determined for it and sends the others [back to the person] again for a determined period.

Praise be to Allah, the One who holds the heavens and the earth from perishing. And if they were to perish, none would be able to hold them after him, Praise be to Allah, the One who holds the skies from falling on the earth,
except by His permission. Then the angel drives away Satan and protects him during the day?

And in the two Sahihs, it is recorded from Ibn Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "When one of you goes to his wife and says, 'In the name of Allah. Oh Allah, ward off satan from us and ward off satan from what you shall provide us,' then if they are given a chiled from that union, Satan will never harm it." Al-Haafez Abu Musa also related that al-Hasan ibn Ali said, "I am the guarantor for anyone who relates these twenty verses that Allah will protect him from every oppressive devil and from every rebellious devil and from every harming predatory animal and from every assaulting robber. The verses are: the verse of the throne, three verses from surah al-Araaf, from .Verily, your Lord is Allah who created the Heavens and the earth. (al-Araf 54-57),

the first ten verse of al-Saffaat, three verses from surah al-Rahmaan (verses 33-35), and the ending of surah al-Hashr (verses 21-24)."

Muhammad ibn Abaan said: While a man was praying in the mosque, something by his side startled him. It said, "You will face no harm from me. I came to you for the sake of Allah. Go to Urwah and ask him, .What do you say to seek refuge from Iblees?" He (Urwah) said, "Say: I believe in Allah, the tear the One. And I have disbelieved [and denied] the false gods and idols. And I stick to the firm handhold that has no break to it. And Allah is all-hearing, all-seeing. Allah is sufficient and suffices. Allah hears him who calls upon Him. And there is no end beyond Allah."

Bishr ibn Mansur said: Wuhaib ibn al-Warid said: A man went to the cemetery during part of the night. He said, "I heard a sharp voice. Then a bed was brought and laid out. Something came until it sat upon it. His soldiers gathered around him. Then he screamed, saying, 'Who will rid me of Urwah ibn al-Zubair?' None of them responded to him until one of them said, 'I will take care of him for you.' He turned toward Madinah and I was watching. Then he returned soon. He said, 'There is no way to get to Urwah.

And he said, 'Woe to you, I found that he said some words in the morning and in the evening. With those words, we cannot get to him." The man continued saying, "When the morning came, I told my family to prepare my trip for Madinah I came to Madinah and asked about Urwah until I was guided to him. He was an old man. I said, 'What is it that you say in the morning and in the evening?' He refused to tell me. Then I told him what I had seen and heard. He answered, "I do not know except that I say in the mornings, .I have believed in Allah, the Great and disbelieved in the false gods and idols. And I cling to the firm handhold that has no break in it. And Allah is all-hearing, all-knowing." In the mornings, I say it three times. And in the evenings, I say it three times."

Abu Musa recorded on the authority of Muslim al-Bateen that the Angel Gabriel said to the Prophet (peace be upon him), 'Verily an afree (devil) plots against you. So when you go to bed, say, 'I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah which neither the pious nor the corrupt can exceed, from the evil of what descends from the sky and the evil of what ascends to it, and from the evil of what the earth sheds and the evil of what comes forth from it, and from the evil of the trials of night and day, and from the visitations of night and day, except for one that comes knocking with good, Oh Most Merciful One."

It is also stated in the Sahih that Satan flees from the call to prayer. Suhail ibn Abu Saleh said: My father sent me to the Tribe of Haaritha and with me was a young boy, my companion. Someone called his name out from behind a wall. He looked over the wall and did not see anyone. When I mentioned that to my father, he said, "If I knew that you would encounter such a thing, I would not have sent you. But if you ever hear a voice, make the call to prayer as I heard Abu Huraira narrate from the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) who said, 'When the call to prayer is made, Satan flees and he loudly emits gas."  Another narration states, "If he hears the call to prayer, he turns
and loudly passes wind until he cannot hear the call"

Al-Haafez Abu Musa also recorded from the hadith of Abu Raja that Abu Bakr related that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Be excessive in saying .There is no god but Allah," and in asking forgiveness, for Satan says, "I
destroy them by sins and they destroy me by saying, "There is no god but Allah," and by asking forgiveness. When I see that among them, I destroy them by their desires until they reckon that they are guided and they no
longer ask for forgiveness.

He also mentions from Ibrahim ibn al-Hukm from his father on the authority of Ikrima who said: While a man was travelling  he passed by a man who was sleeping. He saw two devils with that man. The traveller heard one of the devils say to his companion,"Go and destroy that sleeping person.s heart." When he came close to him, he returned and said, "He fell asleep with some verses so we have no path to him." The other devil went to the sleeper to confirm it. When he came close to him, he returned. 

He said, "You are correct." Then they both left. The traveller went to wake the person who was sleeping to inform him of what he had seen from the devils. He asked the sleeper, "Tell me upon what verses you slept?" The man said, .On this verse, 'Lo! Your Lord is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days, then mounted He the Throne. He covers the night with the day, which is in haste to follow it, and has made the sun and the moon and
the stars subservient by His command. His verily is all creation and commandment. Blessed be Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. (al-Araaf 54)."

Abu al-Nadhr Haasim ibn al-Qaasim said, "I saw [some jinn] in my house. " It was said, "0 Abu al-Nadhr, move from our neighbourhood " That was difficult for me, so I wrote to ibn Idrees, al-Muhaarabi and Abu Usaamah in Kufah. Al-Muhaarabi wrote back to me, .There was a well in Madinah and they would cut the rope for the bucket. 

A group of riders stopped there and they complained to them about that. They called for a container of water and they said these words [given below] and then they poured that water into the well. A fire came out of the well. It was extinguished at the top of the well." Abu al-Nadhr said, "So I took a container of water and then I stated those words. I went to the corners of the house and sprinkled that water over them. 

They cried out to me, 'You are burning us. We will move from you.' Those words were, 'In the name of Allah, we begin our evening in the name of Allah, the One for whom nothing is prevented; by the power of Allah that no one can possibly reach or which never does any wrong; and by Allah.s authority, the forbidding, we seek a covering; and by all His excellent names, I am a seeker of refuge from the deceivers and from the evil of the devils of both man and jinn; and [I seek refuge] from the evil of every open and hidden [evil]; and [I seek refuge] from what comes in the night and takes root in the day and what takes root in the night and comes out in the day; and from the evil of what is created, both animate and inanimate; from the evil of Iblees and his soldiers; from the evil of every walking creature whose forelock You have taken; 

verily, my Lord is on a straight path; I seek refuge in Allah from whatever Musa sought refuge from, and Jesus and Abraham who fulfilled his covenant; and from the evil of what is created, both animate and inanimate; from the evil of Iblees and his solders and the evil he wants. I seek refuge in Allah, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, from the accursed Satan. 

In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. 'By those [angels] arranged in rows, by those [angels] who drive the clouds, by those [angels] who bring the Book, verily, your God is indeed one, Lord of the heavens and of the earth, and of all that is between them, and Lord of every point of the sun. srisings. Verily, We have adorned the near heaven with the stars and to guard against every rebellious devil. They cannot listen to the higher group for they are pelted from every side, outcast. And theirs is a constant torment, except such as snatch away something by stealing, and they are pursued by a flaming fire of piercing brightness' (al-Saaffaat 1-10)."

This is some of what is related in reference to the Prophet.s statement to the person, "One protects himself from Satan through the remembrance of Allah."

I would like to end this topic with a hadith that was not mentioned by ibn al-Qayyim. This hadith shows that remembering Allah in every affair will make Satan despised, belittled, disparaged and defeated. Imam Ahmad related that Tameema heard from one of the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) who related that he was riding behind the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Prophet.s donkey stumbled. 

The companion said, "Perish Satan!" The Prophet said, "Do not say, 'Perish Satan,' for in that case you give him some honor and he said, .By my strength it fell down.' If you said, 'In the name of Allah,' Satan would have been belittled until he became like a fly." Ibn Katheer said only Ahmad related it and it has a good Chain.

5. Sticking to the Muslim community

What makes the Muslim even farther away from Satan and his tricks is living in the lands of Islam and choosing for oneself a pious group of companions that will support him along the truth and encourage him to it. They will keep him from evil deeds and will remind him of good deeds. Unity and togetherness adds strength to strength and is a special strength. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

"Certainly, Satan is with the one and is farther away from the two. Whoever of you desires the felicity of paradise, should stick to the community."  And "community. means the community of the Muslims with their imam. And there is no value in a community in Islam except for those communities that stick to the Book of Allah and the sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him). And it is stated in a hadith,

"There are not three persons in a city or desert except that they must establish the prayer, otherwise they are overcome by Satan. Stick to the community for the wolf eats the sheep that is remote from the pack."

Abu Dawud also recorded in his Sunan from Muaawiya ibn Abu Sufyan
that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Verily the people before you of the Book split up into seventy-two groups. This nation will split up into seventy-three groups. Seventy-two of them will be in the fire. One of them will be in paradise: the one of the community."

6. Uncovering designs and plans of Satan

It is upon the Muslim to discover the way of Satan in misleading mankind and to uncover Satan.s ways and to show them to the rest of mankind. The Quran does this, as did the Prophet (peace be upon him). They did so in the best manner possible. The Quran showed us the way in which Satan deceived Adam. And the Prophet (peace be upon him) informed his companions about how the devils listened to the news of the skies and passed that on to the diviners and soothsayers along with a hundred lies to go with it.

He clarified that for them in order for them not to be deceived by something similar to it. He also explained to them how Satan whispers to them in order to ruin their prayers and worship. He also explained to them how Satan makes them think that their ablutions had become invalid when that was not really the case. He also described to them how the devils separate a man from his wife. He also told them how Satan makes one think about who created this and that until he thinks about who created Allah.

7. Differing from Satan

Satan appears in the form of a sincere advisor and claims that he is giving sincere advice to humans. It is incumbent upon the person to do the opposite of what he orders and to say to him, .If you were to advise anyone, you should advise yourself. You have put yourself in the Hell-fire. And you have earned the wrath of Allah. How can anyone advise another when he does not advise himself?" Al-Haarith ibn Qais said, .If Satan comes to you while you are praying, and says, 'You are showing off,' then rebuke him and make it even longer!." This was his insight, may Allah have mercy on him. If we are aware that there is some act that is pleasing to Satan or is one of his characteristics, then we must act in a contrary manner. For example, if Satan eats with his left hand, then we must eat with our right hand. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

Also the Prophet (peace be upon him) told us that we should take a short nap at midday because Satan does not do so. He said, .Take a short nap because Satan does not take a short nap."

The Quran has warned us about extravagant spending. It has counted the one who spends extravagantly as a brother of Satan. This is true because Satan loves the wasting of wealth and its spending where it is not needed. And under the heading of extravagance comes the owning of more furniture and bedrooms than one needs. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

"Bedding for the man, bedding for his wife, bedding for a guest, and the
fourth bedding is for Satan." Concerning this aspect, the Prophet (peace be upon him) has also instructed us about the food that we drop. We should not leave it for Satan. We should remove the dirt from it and eat it. He (peace be on him) said,

"Verily, Satan is present with you in every affair, he is even present with you when you take your meals. So if a portion of food should fall, then wipe off any dirt that may be upon it and eat it and do not leave it for Satan. And when one is finished, he should lick his fingers for he does not know wherein may lie the blessings.. This was related by Muslim in his sahih.

The transportation of the devils and their lodging

The transportation in the form of camels, horses and donkeys in the olden days, and in the form of cars and other similar vehicles in the present day are for the benefit of mankind. However, if the owner of a car does not have use for it and passes by a people who need it for transportation and he does not allow them to use it, then it is a vehicle of the devils. It is stated in a hadith,

"There will be camels for the devils and houses for the devils. As for the camels of the devils, I have already seen them. One of you goes out with
an animal that he has made fat and passes by his brother who is in need of a lift, and he does not give him a ride. As for the houses of the devils I have not seen them yet." Perhaps the meaning of the houses of the devils in that hadith are the modern day auto-mobiles. People ride them and are always passing up their brothers who need rides without stopping for them.

The horses and animals that are counted among the horses of Satan are those on which bets and wagers are made. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,

"Horses are of three. kinds: the horses of the Merciful One (Allah), the horses of Satan, and the horses of man. The horse of the most Merciful is the horse that is dedicated to fighting in the way of Allah. Therefore, its feeding, dung, urine and everything related to it are considered good deeds. The horse of Satan is that horse on which the people bet and gamble. The horse of man is that which is used for breeding and which is a protection against poverty."

Haste is from satan.

A characteristic loved by Satan is haste which leads humans make mistakes. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, .Deliberateness is from the Merciful and haste is from Satan." It is obligatory upon us to differ from Satan in this characteristic and to act in a manner that is pleasing to the Merciful one. The Messenger of Allah also said to one of his companions,


"You have two characteristics that and His Messenger love:clemency and deliberateness."Yawning From among the actions loved by Satan is yawning. It is for this reason that the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered us to restrain yawns as much as possible. He said, "Yawering is from Satan. If one of you yawns, restrain it as much as you can. If one of you says, Ah! While  yawning, . Satan laughs at him." (This hadith was recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) This is because yawning is a sign of laziness. Satan is pleased and rejoices when the human becomes lazy. Due to laziness, his actions and sacrifices that raise him in Allah's sight become less.

8. Repentance and seeking forgiveness

Quick repentance and returning to Allah whenever one is seduced by Satan aids the servant against the plans of Satan. This is a characteristic of the pious servants of Allah. Allah says, Lo! those who ward off evil, when a glamour from the devil troubles them, they do but remember (Allah) and behold they then see [what is right]" (al-Araaf 201). 

This verse as been explained as being in reference to thinking about or actually committing sins. They then remember the punishment of Allah and the reward from Allah in case of good deeds and Allah's promise, so they repent and return quickly to Him and they seek refuge in Him. "And behold they then see," means that thev stand by the right the and correct what they have done. This points to the fact that satan plots to make the person blind from the truth and his eyes and heart become covered by desires and doubts.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Verily, Satan said, 'By your honor, Oh Lord, your servants will never be free from my seductions as long as their souls are in their bodies.' And the Lord said, "By My Honor and Grandeur, I will not stop to forgive those who ask for my forgiveness."

That is the case for those servants who return to Allah soon after their deed and repent. In this matter they have a perfect example in their father Adam. When Adam ate from the tree, he was given words of repentance from his Lord and he repented. Adam and his wife both turned to Allah, saying,

"Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not and have not mercy on us, surely we are of the lost. (al-Araaf 23).

As for the devotees and allies of Satan, Allah says about them, "Their brethren plunge them further into error and cease no". (al-Araaf 202). .Their brethren" here refers to the brothers of the devils among the humans, as in the verse,

"Lo! The squanderers were ever brothers of the devils. (al-Israa 27). They obey and listen to the devils and accept what they order. And "plunge them further into error," means that they adorn the sins and make them look good, as in the verse, "Do you see not that We have set the devils on the disbelievers to confound them with confusion"(Maryam  83).

9. To put an end to the suspicious aspects and the questionable matters by which Satan enters into the soul

YOU should never allow yourself to be in a doubtful or questionable situation. When that is the case, you should tell others about what is happening, to make the matter clear to them. And you should not to allow Satan to whisper into the souls of the Muslims. On this matter, the Prophet (peace be upon him) has set a perfect example for us. Earlier we mentioned the hadith from al-Bukhari and Muslim in which Safiya bint Hayy came to visit and talk to the Prophet (peace be upon him) while he was making seclusion in the mosque. She got up to go back home and the Prophet (peace be upon him) also got up to walk her back home. Her apartment was in the house of Usama ibn Zaid. Two men of the Ansar passed by. When they notice the Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him), they passed by quickly. 

The Messenger of Allah informed them that that was his wife Safiyyah bint Hayy. They glorified Allah, implying that they could not have any suspicion with respect to the Messenger of Allah and he told them, .Satan flows in the human like the flowing of the blood. I was afraid that he would forge some evil lie in your hearts or say something to you."

Al-Khattabi said, "From the beneficial points of that hadith is that it is preferable for a person to be cautious concerning any disliked act that may lead to doubts or bring some thought to the hearts. He should himself show to the people that he is free of any suspect act." It has been related that al-Shafi  said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) feared that something would occur to them in their hearts and they would think about it and be led astray or out of Islam. Hence, the Prophet (peace be on him) said that to them out of apprehension for them and not for himself.' Allah has guided us to speak well among each other in order to prevent Satan from putting enmity and hatred between us. 

Allah says in the Quran, "Tell My bondsmen to speak that which is kindlier. Lo! Satan sows discord among them. Lo! Satan is for man an open foe"(al-Israa 53). Some people are very lax with respect to this order from Allah. They
speak to their brother in some ambiguous fashion or call him by a nickname that he does not like and from that Satan enters to cause discord between them instead of love and closeness.

The cure for being possessed Previously it was mentioned that Satan is the cause of what is known as possession or the .touch of the jinn." Here we shall try to make clear the cause of possession and its cure. The causes of being possessed Ibn Taimiya explained,

Possession of the human by the jinn can occur from desires, lusts, passions and zealousness in the same way that a human is in accord with another human. And it also occurs, and this is the majority case, due to hatred
and revenge. For example, one of the humans harms a jinn or the jinn thinks that the human was trying to harm them  by urinating on some jinn or throwing hot water on them or a human might kill a jinn, even though the human may not have realized that. Among the jinn is ignorance and wrongdoing and, therefore, they get revenge from humans above and beyond what is just. And it could occur from the horseplay or simply evil acts of the jinn in the same way the evil is done by the foolish of the humans.*