Do Good and Disregard Shayṭān

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

“وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ”

(Qur’ān 05:02)

“Wa ta‘āwanū ‘ala l-birri wa t-taqwā wa la ta‘āwanū ‘ala l-lithmī wa l-‘udwān”, “And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.” Ṣadaqa Llāhu l-‘Aẓīm.

This is the blessed order of Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla: Help each other in doing goodness. Help each other. Do good. Do not do evil. Do not make enmity. Help each other. This is the order of Islam and Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla, for people to live a good life. Do good. Help. If you cannot do good, at least do not do evil.

If people do this, they will live in paradise both here and hereafter. But shayṭān does not leave people alone. He says, “Do not do good. Why do you do good to them? What is the benefit in that? What do you get out of it? Will you benefit from it? No, there is no benefit.” How is there not? There is, in fact. But shayṭān does not see that good, and does not show it. He shows goodness as harm. He makes evil appear as good and beneficial. He thinks that what he achieves by deceiving or oppressing people is a profit. However, it is not a profit but a direct harm to oneself. The person harms himself before anyone else. The more evil he does, the more harm he does to himself. The more good a person does, that goodness is to himself. Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla rewards every good deed, down to the smallest atom-like deed, and raises his rank. Whoever does evil, the harm of every evil he does, down to the smallest atom-like deed, returns to him.

May Allāh ﷻ protect us. May Allāh ﷻ give alertness. Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla has given mankind mind so that he can think. If he thinks about this, he wouldn’t harm anyone. He would certainly want to do goodness. But people do not use their minds. They have left their minds somewhere else. They do whatever shayṭān says. May Allāh ﷻ protect us from his evil. May it be a means for goodness insha’Allah. Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq.

Al-Fatiha.

• Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbani 

18 January 2025/ 18 Rajab 1446

Fajr Prayer, Akbaba Dergah