Shaitan – his tricks, his traps, and how to defeat him

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Suhbah

7th December 2009, Monday

Shaitan – his tricks, his traps, and how to defeat him

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana began by reciting AUZUBILLAHI MINASY SYAITAN NIRRAJEEM, and urged us to recite this frequently and constantly, especially at the commencement of any and every act. Why? We must seek Allah’s protection, as shaitan is a devastating enemy, whose sole intention in his cursed existence, is to seek your destruction and suffering, he delights when we fall into oceans of misery and punishment.

• ALLAH has sent 124 000 Prophets as Warners to warn Mankind. To warn Mankind about what? To warn Mankind about shaitan’s tricks and traps, that will land you into eternal ruin! So we must take this warning very seriously, as billions of humans have been duped by shaitan, and are now in endless regret in their graves! Maulana says that once you have been snared in shaitan’s trap, it is very difficult to save yourself. That is why ALLAH sent so many Prophets (and now, Shaykhs) to warn us again and again!

• Shaitan’s first step is to win our trust (just like what he did to Nabi Adam alaihi salam). He potrays himself as our Advisor and Friend, inviting us to a life of endless enjoyment and freedom.

• Shaitan then whispers to us, a whispering that is very familiar to us all: Discard old things, and replace them with new ones! Discard old clothes (they are out of fashion, he says), discard old furniture (spend on new stuff), discard old values (old-fashioned, he says), discard your old way of thinking (be modern) and discard our old beliefs and values.

• Shaitan dangles FREEDOM to Mankind, freedom from old ways and restrictive beliefs and practices. He persuades you to change your wardrobe, your lifestyle, your understanding and your passions.

• Shaitan tells you, that it is the NEW YEAR (we are leaving 2009 behind), so we must buy new things and experience new things in this New Year. We must celebrate the leaving behind of a miserable 2009, and welcome a new beginning in 2010.

• Yet Maulana says, in doing so, you forget one very important fact. You are getting OLDER, not NEWER (Younger), in the New Year! Shaitan wants you to always feel young, to feel that DEATH is very far away, and to forget about the approach of DEATH, and to be concerned with celebrations and always seeking new things. So shaitan cheats Mankind, by making them feel younger and younger (with new clothing/cars/houses/gadgets etc).

• So you forget about DEATH, the Last Day that you will be on this earth, after which your worldly existence and all its contents (clothes/cars/houses etc), cease to be of any value to you, forever. If you had been one who had busied yourself with all these worldly playthings, you are one of the Heedless ones, your life will be taken by force from you, and you will enter you grave, and dwell there, in tormented regret. But those who had sought to please ALLAH always, would surrender their souls blissfully and enter into endless happiness.

• All of shaitan’s advice has only ONE intention – that you should be snatched from light and thrown into darkness. Anyone who obeys shaitan has lost his honour (becomes disgraced), and anyone who obeys ALLAH has gained everlasting honour and safety.

• ALLAH reminds you: “Oh My Servants, don’t forget that you are My Servant, and I am asking from you to be My Best Servant! Why is it that you are occupying youself in this life with nonsense (ie following the advice of shaitan)?” Maulana says, “Listen to this advice from ALLAH, and bow to him in submission, serve ALLAH! That is true honour for you!” The greatest honour for a human being, is to be ALLAH’s servant!

• For example, ALLAH commands us to eat HALAL food, as that is clean food, fit for us, his honoured servants. Pigs eat dirty food, hence they are also dirty creatures. It is not a restriction on our freedom that we are not allowed to eat HARAM food, but it is a Honour for us, as such food is unworthy of being consumed by a pure human being. But shaitan whispers to us….be FREE from all this…do as you please….follow the modern trend of things….don’t follow olden ways.

• Maulana saya that FREEDOM, in reality, means to be FREE of shaitan’s influence and to be free of the Ego that controls us. That is real freedom! Nowadays, even people with PhDs and doctorates, shaitan rides on them, like a man riding his horse. That means, they are ruled/commanded, not by ALLAH, but by their Ego/Shaitan, who will lead them to Jahannam!

• A human who eats haram, will be raised in his grave, as a person covered and living in sewage/faeces, as he lived in haram (dirtiness) and will be raised in dirtiness.

• Maulana ends by quoting a hadees, “Religion is about giving good advice to people.,” So this is good advice: Be clean ones, do not follow shaitan. Remember DEATH, prepare for it, and try to be the BEST servant that you can be, before DEATH comes.

Fatihah.