Human beings have been created very differently from other creatures. With their physical and spiritual properties they have ascended to the level of "most honorable of all creatures." Along with this superiority come some responsibilities: it is for this reason that human beings have been ordered to follow the path assigned to them. The greatest test on this path is Satan, who can mislead one, causing one to lose the path of glories. Satan was put to the test by God, a test which he failed because of his disobedience and opposition to God. Moreover, Satan tried to defend himself by making up excuses, and prepared the way to his doom with his successive mistakes. He was thrown from the throne of God, and he lost all he possessed.

Although Adam, upon him be peace, was just a part of the test that led to his downfall, Satan, due to his egotistical nature, blamed Adam for the deprivation of God's mercy, suddenly becoming his archenemy. From then on, Satan was immune to all good deeds and attacked man using all his evil faculties.

The greatest aim of Satan, who failed to obey the Almighty, is to cause human beings to lose their standing, as had once previously happened to him.

A believer tries to take precautions against this fierce enemy and to protect him/herself from the mischief and traps of Satan. If one can ward off Satan's attacks, one is safe from his evil. However, if one overcomes the temptations and therefore starts to obey Satan, one will feel uneasiness and unhappiness in their heart. A person in this situation goes against their conscience and goes through an inner deformation. If one can pull oneself together after this turmoil and turn to God, the Most Gracious and Most Merciful, with a petition for forgiveness, one can nullify Satan's attempts to divert one away from God.

Satan is a sworn enemy that has been created by God as a means of testing, and life is a process comprised of struggles with this enemy and the ego, his abettor, inside human beings.

The Nature of Satan

Satan was created from fire that can penetrate the body. This fire has the property of spreading into the pores of human beings, and burning and poisoning them. With such a nature, Satan can penetrate a human being, poisoning their spiritual world, and burning them to ashes. Satan said to God, You created me from fire, and him from clay, as an excuse for his refusal to acknowledge human superiority (Qur'an 38:76, 7:12). Satan will burn a person's spiritual world to ashes, just as the fire he is created from does.

Satan is one of jinn that were created from the same fire. The following verse expresses this fact:

Behold! We said to the angels: "Bow down to Adam." They all bowed down except Iblis. He was one of jinn. He broke the command of his Lord. Will you then take him and his progeny as protectors rather than Me? And they are enemies to you. Evil would be the exchange for the wrongdoers. (18:50)

Satan was also told to obey the order given to angels, but he failed to do his duty and carry out the order to bow down before Adam and to accept his superiority, and thus Satan lost. The second part of the verse expresses the error that one would make if one were to abandon God, rather befriending Satan and his progeny.

Stressing the point that one should focus on the harm that Satan may inflict rather than on his nature, al-Ghazzali says, "Various things are asked of Satan, such as 'Is he an ephemeral being? Is he not a physical being? If he is, how can he enter the human body?...' which are points that are not worth mentioning. Discussing the nature of Satan is like asking the size, length, and shape of a snake instead of telling someone that there is a snake in their clothes. A person who is told the latter will immediately look for ways to rid themselves of the danger. Similarly, one who hears of Satan, who is more harmful than snakes, should take the necessary precautions, without considering whether he is a physical being or not."[1]

The Purpose of Satan's Creation

Not only does the creation of Satan have a purpose, but all of the other things around us have a purpose. The Heaven, the earth and all between were created for a reason (Qur'an 38:27). There is no creation without purpose. Thus, there must be many reasons behind of the creation of Satan.

Said Nursi talks of these purposes:

"The creation of evil is not ugly and evil; the commitment of evil is ugly and evil. Creation and invention can be evaluated as to their outcome. Since the commitment of an act is a particular instance, the particular outcome needs evaluation. For example, there are a thousand outcomes of rain and they are all good. If some people are harmed because they misuse their will, they cannot say 'there is no grace in rain' or 'the existence of rain is evil.' Perhaps rain has become evil for the person who utters these words, due to their negligence or mistake. Likewise, the creation of fire is beneficial. However, if some people are harmed because they abuse fire, they cannot say, 'the creation of fire is evil'; fire was not created for only that person's use. Maybe that particular person put his hands in the fire that cooked his food and was harmed by that which was created as beneficial.

"Therefore, the creation of evil, of harmful things, and of the devils in the universe is not evil or ugly; these things serve very important purposes. For example, as the devils do not tempt the angels, the angels cannot achieve a higher status. Their ranks cannot change. The same is true for animals. In the world of mankind, promotions and demotions are limitless. All the prophets and saints are examples of promotion and elevation, while all the Nimrods and pharaohs are examples of decline and demotion."[2]

Thus, the creation of evil and evil ones is not evil or ugly, but committing evil deeds is evil and ugly. The existence of Satan and his abettors is not bad and evil; what is evil is becoming their plaything and becoming satanic.

Having become the archenemy of Adam and his descendants, Satan swore that he would mislead them (Qur'an 7:11-17, 15:40). He was from this point on the eternal enemy of human beings, struggling to deprive them of everything and to cause them all kinds of trouble. A person who has to fight such a fierce enemy must always be on the alert and make use of his/her faculties effectively in order to live according to the purpose of creation. Thus, due to the existence of Satan, people must live a more careful and heedful life.[3]

In short, people have the potential power, talent, and ability to perform either good or bad actions when they are born into this world as a "potential human being" (i.e one who will become truly human by fulfilling their duty to the Lord). One's choice of transformation from potential human to fulfilled human depends on the use of one's innate power, talent, and ability, according to God's will. Satan tries to lead such a person from the correct path. While a person's good deeds form a part of their promotion to fulfilled human, their resistance to Satan's promptings to carry out evil deeds, which thus reinforces the will, forms the other. People grow through this struggle, their talents develop, their senses are purified, their tendencies toward evil diminish, while those for good increase. Thus, a person ascends to the rank of "the highest of creatures," a rank reserved solely for humans in the hierarchy of existence. Therefore, people should oppose Satan both in belief and in deed, and follow God, not Satan in all acts. In this way, a person can achieve the highest rank of humanity through the struggle with this archenemy.

The Disobedience of Satan

In the Holy Qur'an, the name used for Satan is Iblis in the context before descending to the earth and when he is tested through Adam. Iblis lived with the angels before humans were created. Although he was different in nature from the other angels, he lived alongside them. Perhaps others like him, created from fire, lived there too. One day God gave the angels an order. Although the angels composed the majority, others like Satan were also being addressed. The following verses are concerned with this event:

And certainly We created you, then We fashioned you, then We said to the angels: Prostrate to Adam. So they did prostrate except Iblis; he was not of those who prostrated. God said: "What prevented you from prostrating yourself when I commanded you?" He said: "I am better than he; You created me from fire, and him from clay." God said: "Go down from Paradise, then. It is not given you to be arrogant therein. Get out; you are indeed one of the lowly." Satan said: "Give me respite, until the Day when they shall be resurrected." God said: "You are one of those who are granted respite." Satan said: "Because you have thrown me out of the way, I will lie in wait for them on Your straight path. Then I will assault them from before them and behind them, from their right and their left; and You will not find most of them thankful." God said: "Go from here, despised and vanquished. I will fill Hell with all who follow you." (7:11-18)

Satan was being tested when he was ordered to bow down before Adam and thus his emotions and his essence, i.e his true identity and nature, surfaced. When the divine order came, his reaction was first to oppose the order by not bowing down, being arrogant and vain, and he then went on to declare his arrogance and defiance. He tried to exculpate himself in all his conceit. In addition, he stated, "I am better than he," using this as an excuse for his arrogance, rebellion and defiance.

All that Iblis had to do was bow down and obey. However, he got caught up in false arguments and made invalid comparisons. He thought that Adam (pbuh) consisted simply of clay and being obsessed with the "matter" of creation, he failed to understand, or more simply, he did not want to understand, that God can create an entirely different being from clay, giving the creature life with His own breath.

This test turned Satan inside out and all the flaws in his nature became apparent. At no point during his test did he manage to do what he was supposed to, and he was continuously degraded because he misused his abilities. In the end he shut himself away from the seeds of good and beauty contained in him, seeds that could have been receptive to development, rather letting many bad characteristics gather inside.

Satan receives assistance from human beings and jinn who are receptive to evil, unable to tame their ego, and those who have unclear consciences. He deceives them with specious words, and then goes on to use them for his evil purposes. Not only do they assault ordinary people, they even assault the prophets:

Likewise we made for every messenger an enemy – evil ones among men and jinn. They inspire each other with flowery discourses. If your Lord had so planned (and had not let them), they would not have done it. So leave them alone with their intentions. The hearts of those who have no faith in the Hereafter will incline toward their flowery discourses. They will delight in it and persist in their crimes. (Qur'an 6:112-113)

Interpreting these verses, Ibn Abbas emphasizes the existence of devils among both humans and jinn, stating that sometimes the devils among jinn use those among the humans to deceive people. Likewise, the Prophet (pbuh) asked Abu Dharr: "Have you taken refuge with the Lord from the devils among the humans and jinn?" Abu Dharr asked in reply, "Can humans be devils?" The Prophet answered, "They can. They are even more dangerous than those among jinn."[4]

The last chapter of the Qur'an, an-Nas (Mankind), expresses that there are devils among humans and jinn. It is also stated that Satan acts in mischief and whispers evil into the hearts of mankind. Although such people might look human, they have changed their identity. They serve the same goals as Satan does. Thus, they have metaphorically become devils. 

Some Prominent Characteristics of Satan

Satan has intentionally killed off his innately good faculties, those that are receptive to good, and developed those related to evil. He has filled himself entirely with defiance and has left no room for belief. Just like an enraged person filled with fury, evil has covered all of Satan's life, rendering him one with evil and ready to commit any evil.

Hostility, Revenge, and Hatred

Satan's hostility to humans is apparent. He declared war on Adam and his progeny, because Adam was responsible for the emergence of the seeds of rebellion and defiance that were buried in Satan. Irreverently replying to God, he says:

Shall I prostrate myself before one You have created from clay? If you would reprieve me until the Day of Resurrection, I will certainly destroy his progeny except for a few. (Qur'an 17:61-62)

Our Lord apprizes us of his hostility that consists of rage, revenge, and hatred, and mentions the need for us to treat him as an enemy:

Satan is an enemy of yours, so regard him as an enemy. He only calls upon his partisans that they may be companions of the Blazing Fire. (Qur'an 35:6)

Satan urges people to fight others by using jealousy, the feeling of revenge that emerges from jealousy, hatred, and rage. He stirred these emotions in Joseph's, upon him be peace, brothers to such an extent that they threw him into a well (Qur'an 12:10-18).

Satan's plan is to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants and gambling, and to hinder you from the remembrance of God and from prayer. Will you then abstain? (5:91)

 Iblis corrodes the social structure through means like intoxicants and gambling, which are described as the abominations of Satan's handiwork (5:90). The effects of intoxicants and gambling are obvious: families break up, many inhuman incidents take place, and innumerable events paralyze social life, all of which clearly demonstrate social miseries.

It is important to know that Satan is a fierce enemy and that we should be on the alert against him. In fact, whether he is regarded as a serious enemy or not, he will drag his adherents into the blazing fire and never into bliss.

Treachery and Dissention

Treachery is one of the most prominent characteristics of Satan. Treachery, which means the betrayal of trust and the violation of faith, is a branch of dissention. Satan whispers in the ears of people, inciting them to do the most despicable things and making evil seem innocent. When he obtains his goal, he vanishes. He did the same things to Adam and Eve, upon them be peace; he addressed them like an advisor, swore that he was a sincere advisor and then vanished when they had tasted of the forbidden fruit (Qur'an 7:20). Instead of helping them to overcome forthcoming incidents, he left them without help, and without a friend.

Verily, this is how Satan leads man down a precipice and then leaves him in the lurch. (25:29)

 He never befriends people for their own good; he only does so to lead them into trouble. When the situation becomes desperate, he does not hesitate to betray people.

Satan is lonely, and leads people into loneliness. He leaves them friendless, weak, lonely, and forlorn. He is treacherous even to the humans and jinn whom he manipulates as he wishes. He openly declares that he will not help his adherents:

And Satan will say when the matter is decided: "It was God who gave you a promise of truth. I too promised, but broke my promise to you. I had no authority over you. I just called you, and you listened to me. Then do not reproach me, but reproach yourselves. I cannot help you, nor can you help me. I rejected your former act in associating me with God before." Such wrongdoers surely deserve a grievous penalty. (Qur'an 14:22)

Satan is the first hypocrite and the mentor of all those who follow. In a way, people have learned how to be hypocritical, how to break their word and how to deceive from Satan; they have developed their potential ability to commit evil through his guidance.

Like Satan, when he said to man: "Disbelieve"; but when he disbelieved, he said: "I am quit of you. Indeed, I fear God, the Lord of the worlds." Thereupon, their end together was to be in the Fire, to dwelling therein forever. That is the reward of the wrongdoers. (Qur'an 59:16-17)

Suggestion and Slyness

The chapter an-Nas in the Qur'an describes Satan as waswas and khannas. Waswas means one who whispers, softly inspiring evil and all that is bad and useless to the heart, and one who is very skilled in so doing. This noun is attributed to Satan, who is very adept at this matter. Because of this much-used skill of his, Satan, who has become the embodiment of evil, is associated with whispers.

The word khannas means somebody who disappears or tiptoes away when God is remembered, and one who does this in a skillful manner.[5]

Why Satan is described as being waswas and khannas becomes clear when we take into consideration the following meanings: Satan is somebody who secretly whispers despicable or useless things into the minds and hearts of people, who persists in his suggestions to deceive, who leads astray by means of various strategies, and who instills confusion into hearts.

Disobedience and Adamancy

The beginning of Satan's end was his rebelliousness, and what made the end unavoidable was his adamancy. He did not bow down to Adam and he failed to keep his word. Rebelliousness, i.e opposition to God's orders, was his first mistake. When he heard the order, he resisted, became arrogant, and disobeyed. When God asked what had prevented him from bowing down, he dared say that he was better than humans, that he was created from fire while people were created from clay. He could not possibly have felt regret that he had not bowed down because he went on to talk in an insolent manner to God; this was his second mistake. He first rebelled and then he persisted in his rebellion. If he had not persisted in his disobedience, he could have been saved. In contrast, when Adam understood his mistake, he returned to God and was forgiven. Satan, on the other hand, took the opposite path. He did not accept his mistake, but rather tried to defend himself and his actions. He knowingly persisted in his mistake. That is why disobedience comes to mind when opposition to God is discussed, and Satan comes to mind when rebelliousness is discussed. Abraham, upon him be peace, drew attention to this particular side of Satan when he invited his non-believing father to the religion of unity:

Father, do not worship the Devil, for the Devil has been rebelling against the Merciful. (Qur'an 19:44)

Following Satan, who disobeyed God, and befriending him is an attribute of a disbeliever. Adhering to the disobedient Satan causes people to be disobedient to God. Devils are the friends and superiors of those who have no faith:

We have made the devils friends to those who do not believe. (Qur'an 7:27)

There is a close relation between disbelief and Satan. The Qur'an says,

Have you not seen how We sent the devils against the disbelievers to keep inciting them (to sin)? (19:83)

Devils assault those hearts that are without faith. Disbelievers are more inclined to evil-doing, satanic behavior. Since such people are only inclined toward deviltry, the devils can lead them wherever they want.[6]

Satan threatens people with poverty and tries to make them forego charitable actions (Qur'an 2:268). He orders them to commit all things evil. He uses flowery language to deceive people (Qur'an 6:112). He tries to prevent people from praying; people who are performing prayers are doing the thing that Satan hates most.

Prayer surely forbids the foul act and abomination. (Qur'an 29:45)

Satan has many attributes, all of which he implements to achieve his aim. He adorns the path of error (Qur'an 15:39). He makes man fear his friends (Qur'an 3:175). His good attributes have all withered away; in their stead, he has gathered all the bad ones, developing them. Satan has two more qualities. He is the accursed (mel'un) and the expelled one (rajim); he was despised, and driven away from God's presence.[7]

A Qur'anic Warning

The Qur'an warns believers about Satan and his mischief in several ways. For example, in the Qur'an we are ordered not to follow in the steps of Satan and not to worship him; it is stressed that he is the apparent enemy to humans. One of the most important warnings of the Qur'an is that if one neglects the Qur'an and lives a life of indulgence, then one is sending out an invitation to Satan.

If anyone withdraws himself from the Qur'an, the wise word of God, Most Gracious, We appoint for him an evil one, to be an intimate companion to him. Such evil ones really hinder them from the Path, but they think that they are being guided aright! (43:36-37)

Moreover, the Qur'an points to the fact that spendthrifts are brothers of the devils (17:27).

The safest way and most important way to keep away from Satan's mischief, whispers, and suggestions is remembrance of God. Never forgetting God is a guaranteed way to escape the mischief of Satan.

And if a temptation from Satan troubles you, seek refuge in God; He is truly All-Hearing, All-Knowing. Indeed, those who fear God, when a visitation from Satan afflicts them, will remember (God's commands), and behold they will see clearly. But their brethren will plunge them further into error, and (then) they will not desist. (7:200-202)

Satan has taken hold of them, and so caused them to forget the mention of God. Those are the party of Satan (58:19)

Satan in the Hadith

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) talked about Satan when it was necessary, stressing the precautions that needed to be taken against him, the harms he may inflict, and the need to seek refuge with God.

Satan Circulates in the Veins of People

Safiyya, may God be pleased with her, the wife of the Prophet (pbuh) says: "The Prophet was praying in retreat. One night I visited him. We spoke and then I rose to go back home. He escorted me to the door. Meanwhile, two men were passing by. When they saw the Prophet (pbuh), they started to walk faster. The Prophet (pbuh) called to them: 'Stay where you are. This is my wife Safiyya ibn Huyay.' 'O Prophet, glory be to God,' they said. The Prophet said, 'Satan circulates in the veins of people indeed. I was afraid Satan could whisper evil ideas to you.'"[8]

According to this, created from smokeless fire that can penetrate body, Satan can enter people's bodies, affect their nerves, and travel in their veins.

Satan's Use of Rage to Put People into Disarray

The Prophet (pbuh) says, "Rage is from Satan and he is created from fire. Water puts out fire. When one of you is enraged, they should make ablution."[9]

One day, two people addressed each other harshly in the presence of the Prophet (pbuh). One of them flushed with rage. The Prophet said that he knew some words that will end the anger of a person when recited and went on to recite, "I seek protection in God from Satan the outcast."[10]

The Prophet (pbuh) related that one who overcomes his or her anger is victorious against the one he or she is angry with, against that person's devil and his or her own devil.[11]

Satan Enters Dreams

The Prophet (pbuh) said of dreams, "A good dream is from God, and a bad dream is from Satan. So whoever sees (in a dream) something he dislikes, then he should spit (without saliva), three times on his left and seek refuge with God from Satan, then it will not harm him."[12] In another hadith the Prophet (pbuh) warns us, "If any of you has a bad dream, he should not tell anyone that Satan has played with him."[13]

Devils Roam at Night

The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Do not let your children or your animals out from the time the sun sets until the darkness of the night disappears because devils are abroad from sunset to sunrise."[14]

In another hadith the Prophet (pbuh) said, "When night falls (or when it is evening), stop your children from going out and do not let your animals out for water, for the devils are abroad at that time. But when a certain part of the night has passed, you can let them out and close the doors, saying God's Name, for Satan does not open a closed door. Fasten the mouth of your water container and say God's Name; cover your containers and utensils and say God's Name. Cover them by placing something across them, and extinguish your lights."[15]

These hadiths teach us how to live in this world with one eye on the Hereafter. God is to be remembered when worldly duties, such as closing doors, covering the mouths of water-containers and pots are performed; the Prophet (pbuh) shows us that the only means of being safe from Satan's mischief is to take refuge in God. In a hadith that supports this idea, the Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said, "If a person mentions God's name when he enters his house and when he eats, Satan says to his partisans, 'There is no shelter or food for you here.' If he does not mention God's name when entering his house then Satan says to his brethren, 'You've now found shelter.' If that person does not mention God's name when he is eating, Satan says, 'You've found both shelter and food.'"[16]

Some Other Points

Satan interrupts eating and drinking. The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Satan is with you at every moment, even when you are eating. If a morsel of food falls on the ground, clean the part that has been soiled and eat it; you cannot know where the blessing is in a meal."[17]

The Prophet (pbuh) also mentioned Satan when discussing the issue of singing songs of lamentation. Umm Salama relates: "I had sworn that if my husband was to die alone in a faraway land that I would cry so as to be legendary. I would also have a woman to help me out. The Prophet (pbuh) said, 'Do you want to invite Satan, whom God has sent away, to your place?' Therefore, I cried no more."[18]

The Prophet (pbuh) emphasized that haste is a satanic characteristic, and encouraged people to be more careful, saying, "Thinking before committing an action is from God; haste is from Satan."[19]

Some hadiths order men not to be alone with a strange woman. The Prophet (pbuh) said, "A man should not stay alone with a woman because their third companion is Satan."[20]

Associating the braying of donkeys with Satan and the crowing of cocks with God, the Prophet (pbuh) said, "When you hear the crowing of cocks, ask for Gods Blessings for their crowing indicates that they have seen an angel. And when you hear the braying of donkeys, seek refuge with God from Satan for their braying indicates that they have seen a Satan."[21]

The Prophet (pbuh) also talked of the connection between camels and Satan: "Do not pray in the stables of camels because camels are from Satan,"[22] and points to the fact that camels may harm people as an outcome of their nature.

In short, the Prophet (pbuh) points to Satan and deviltry in many of his hadiths. Sometimes he mentions the real Satan and sometimes he metaphorically associates the unpleasant dispositions of some creatures with Satan; this is because Satan's primary task is to do harm.

Means of Protection from Satan

The following are the necessary precautions to stay far from the evil of Satan:

Reading the Qur'an

God speaks of the Holy Qur'an:

O men! There has come to you indeed an admonition from your Lord and a healing for what is in the breasts and a guidance and a mercy for the believers. (10:57)

According to this verse, the Qur'an is a piece of advice that warns people of evils and sins, a healing that cures all kinds of physical and spiritual ailments, a guidance that prevents people from going astray and that keeps them on the true path, a mercy that attracts God's forgiveness when read, understood, lived, and used as a means for others to live.

The Prophet (pbuh) urged believers to read the Qur'an saying, "Do not turn your houses into graves. Surely Satan runs away from the house in which al-Baqara is recited."[23]

Being God-Conscious and Refraining from Sins

Of the traits that God loves most is taqwa (God-consciousness) and of people, He loves those who fear Him most. His purest and clearest message for taqwa to those who fear Him is the Holy Qur'an. People can prevent themselves falling to the lowest ranks and become travelers in the highest ones through taqwa. Taqwa means making use of every opportunity to do good deeds and staying or trying to stay away from evil deeds.[24]

When Satan assails those who live by taqwa, their rank in life protects them from this danger. It is like a prayer performed properly that covers great flaws.

This fact is explained by the following verse:

When a thought of evil assaults those who fear God, they bring God to remembrance and they see aright. (7:201)

In such a situation, they examine themselves, think where they made a mistake, notice Satan's traps, take necessary precautions, and take refuge in God.

Those who do not live their lives along these lines do not have this advantage. Satan can deceive and lead to their destruction at any moment. They follow Satan, becoming among those whom the Qur'an calls "the brothers of Satan."

But their brethren (evil ones) plunge them deeper into error, and never relax (their efforts). (7:202)

Praying

The Prophet (pbuh) explained in a hadith qudsi[25] that God orders as follows: "I declare war on whoever becomes an enemy to my righteous servant who prays properly. He cannot accost me with a better thing than the compulsory prayers. That servant of mine continues to get nearer with supererogatory prayers. Then I love him. When I love someone, I become his ears that hear, his eyes that see, his hands that hold, and his feet that walk. If he asks for something, I will give it. If he seeks refuge with Me, I will protect him."[26]

God protects those who pray to Him, calling them My servants. Performing the compulsory prayers fully and observing supererogatory prayers devoutly will bring God's love. For a man loved by God to be deceived by Satan's traps is all but impossible, because God sides with him and protects him from all evil. That person always sees the truth, sides with the truth, and continues his life on the Straight Path. That person is a servant that Satan cannot influence. This fact slips off Satan's tongue:

(Iblis) said: "O my Lord! because You have 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. Except Your servants among them, sincere and purified (by Your Grace)." And God said, "This (way of My sincere servants) is indeed a way that leads straight to Me. For over My servants no authority shall you have, except such as put themselves in the wrong and follow thee." (Qur'an 15:39-42)

Care in Eating and Drinking

One of the practical precautions against Satan is being careful when eating and drinking.

Having a balanced diet is perhaps the first condition of leading a healthy, comfortable, economic, and energetic life. An unbalanced diet does not only have negative effects on our daily lives, but also on our religious lives. It entails undesirable things, such as too much sleep, negligence, talking unnecessarily, laughing too much, absentmindedness, slowness in mental functions, and reluctance toward prayers.

To be able to control lust, one of Satan's deadliest weapons, one should decrease one's calorie intake. This must be the reason why the Prophet (pbuh) recommended that those who can afford to should get married, and those who cannot should fast.[27]

Seeking Refuge with God

Seeking refuge with God is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about protection from Satan; the Prophet (pbuh) is addressed in two places in the Qur'an:

If a suggestion from Satan assails your (mind), seek refuge with God; for He hears and knows (all things). (7:200)

 The importance of the issue is further emphasized in another verse that teaches us a prayer:

And say, "O my Lord! I seek refuge with You from the suggestions of the Evil Ones. And I seek refuge with You O my Lord! lest they should come near me." (23:97-98)

Reciting "I seek refuge from the Satan the outcast, in the name of the most Beneficent, the Merciful," is a means of seeking God's protection from Satan.

Satan devises plans to fill our minds with evil ideas, no matter when and where we are. He whispers all kinds of things to us when we are praying. He tries to engage us in non-Qur'anic matters. He tries to prevent us from pondering the meanings of verses. Therefore, God tells us to seek refuge with Him before we start reading the Qur'an, and warns in the following verse that Satan may whisper evil during the recital of the Qur'an:

When you read the Qur'an, seek God's protection from Satan the Rejected One. (16:98)

Reciting "I seek refuge from the Satan the outcast, in the name of the most Beneficent, the Merciful," was an important part of the life of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings. At every point in his life, he would either recite it or pray that God would hear and listen to all petitions. We would like to give an example of some of his prayers:

"Should Satan visit one of you and start asking 'Who created this? Who created that?' and end up with 'Who created God?' seek refuge with God and leave that situation."[28]

The Prophet (pbuh) said, "There are suggestions both from Satan and from an angel for mankind. Satan suggests evil, denies truth, while the angel suggests good and confirms truth. Whoever hears the angel's suggestion in his conscience should know it is from God. He should thank God for that. Whoever hears the other should seek refuge with God from Satan the Rejected One." Then he read this verse: Satan promises you poverty and bids you to commit indecency (Qur'an 2:268).[29]

Abu Bakr asked, "O Prophet, will you tell me a prayer I can read night and day?" The Prophet (pbuh) answered "Recite, 'O the Tamer and Owner of everything, the Creator of the Heaven and the earth out of nothing, He who knows both the obvious and the hidden! I testify that there is no god but Allah and I seek refuge with Him from the evils of my ego and Satan and from his leading me into shirk (associating partners for God).' And read this in the morning, in the evening, and when you go to bed."[30] 

The Prophet (pbuh) also sought refuge from Satan's deception on his deathbed. Where he sought refuge from falling from heights, being buried under rubble, drowning or being burnt by fire he also prayed, "I seek refuge with You on my deathbed."[31]

When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, entered the masjid he would say "I seek God's protection from Satan the Rejected One." The hadith continues as follows: "If one recites this prayer when one is entering a masjid, Satan says that 'he is now safe from me.'"[32]

The Prophet (pbuh) said, "If anyone of you, on having sexual relations with his wife, says: 'O God! Protect me from Satan, and prevent Satan from approaching the offspring you will give me,' and if it happens that your wife conceives, Satan will neither harm the child nor be given power over it."[33]

Two Qur'anic chapters, al-Falaq and an-Nas, are called "al-mu'awwazatayn" and when chapter al-Ikhlas is included, all three are called al-mu'awwazat, which means a chapter that provides refuge. When the Prophet (pbuh) felt uneasy, he would recite these three chapters before he went to bed, blow on his hands, rub them over his body from his head down, repeat these actions three times.[34]

Seeking God's protection from Satan is also an expression of trust in God. Seeking His protection from his archenemy shows our trust in Him. A believer knows God is omnipotent. This idea is clearly conveyed in this verse:

Surely he has no authority over those who believe and rely on their Lord. (19:99)

[1] Al-Ghazzali, Ihya' al-'Ulum al-Din [Reviving the Religious Sciences], 3:47.

[2] Nursi, The Letters, The Twelfth Letter.

[3] Gülen, Essentials of the Islamic Faith, 88.

[4]  Nasa'i, Isti'aze 48; Hanbal, 5:178-265.

[5] al-Isfahani, Mufradat, HNS.

[6] Yazir, Hak Dini Kur'an Dili, 3:21-48.

[7] Ibn Manzur, Lisan al-Arab, RCM.

[8] Bukhari, Bed'u'l-Khalq, 11.

[9] Hanbal, 4:226.

[10] Bukhari, Adab, 76.

[11] Ibn Hajar, 10-535.

[12] Muslim, Ru'ya, 1-2.

[13] Muslim, Ru'ya, 14-16.

[14] Muslim, Ashriba, 98.

[15] Bukhari, Bed'u'l-Khalq, 11.

[16] Muslim, Ashriba, 103.

[17] Abu Dawud, At'imah, 50.

[18] Muslim, Janaiz, 10.

[19] Tirmidhi, Birr, 66.

[20] Tirmidhi, Rada, 16.

[21] Bukhari, Bed'u'l-Khalq, 11.

[22] Abu Dawud, Tahara, 72.

[23] Muslim, Musafirin, 212.

[24] Gülen, Key Concepts in the Practice of Sufism, 46.

[25] A Prophetic saying whose meaning was directly revealed by God.-Ed.

[26] Bukhari, Riqaq, 38.

[27] Bukhari, Sawm, 10.

[28] Bukhari, Bed'u'l-Khalq, 11.

[29] Tirmidhi, Tafsiru'l-Qur'an, 36.

[30] Tirmidhi, Da'awat, 14.

[31] Abu Dawud, Witr, 32.

[32] Abu Dawud, Salat, 2:18.

[33] Muslim, Nikah, 116.

[34] Bukhari, Fada'il al-Qur'an, 15

The researcher and writer Mehmet Şeker answers the critical question: What or who exactly is Satan then? He states how Satan has been described in the Qur'an and the hadiths and how man should protect himself against his archenemy.