LOVE OF MATERIAL WORLD AND PACTING WITH SHAYTĀN

By

Ibn Abdillaah As-sudaisiy Al-Iloori

22nd November, 2016

When someone loves worldly things and he pursues it at all cost, there is no doubt, shaytān would become his close friend, advising him to disobey His Lord in order to become rich, famous and powerful. He takes shaytān's admonitions because he is desperate to acquire worldly materials. It would get to a stage that he would be ready to sacrifice anything just to please shaytān. That is why you see people using human parts or sacrificing human beings (even close relatives) for rituals. They become very wicked, cruel and inhuman in their desperate ambitions. By the time he is completely destroyed by his evils, shaytān would be the first to mock and disown him. Allāh says:

كَمَثَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلْإِنْسَانِ اكْفُرْ فَلَمَّا كَفَرَ قَالَ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِنْكَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ

The hypocrites are like the example of Satan when he says to man, "Disbelieve." But when he disbelieves, he says, "Indeed, I am disassociated from you. Indeed, I fear Allāh , Lord of the worlds. [Q59:16]

Allāh says in one of the verses of the Qur'ān that the power of shaytān is not on those who truly believe and rely in Allāh. But the power of shaytān is on those who patronize him and those who worship him beside Allāh (Suratu Nahl, Q16: 99-100). We should rely only on Allāh for our needs and acquire worldly things in a halāl way within limitations. Shaytān in his antics lure Children of Adam with worldly things that would not last. They end up sacrificing their Deen for wealth, fame and political appointments. Allāh has warned us many times not to be deceived by worldly materials (eg. Q35:5), yet, many people have failed to yield to the warnings. Allāh declared that shaytān is our enemy and we should deal with him in that manner, yet, a lot of people make him their best friend. Allāh says:

(إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَاتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوًّا ۚ إِنَّمَا يَدْعُو حِزْبَهُ لِيَكُونُوا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ السَّعِيرِ)

Indeed, Satan is an enemy to you; so take him as an enemy. He only invites his party to be among the companions of the Blaze (hell fire)

May Allāh guide us against shaytān and its agents in the society.