The Exalted Allah said:
"He created man from dry clay like pottery, and He created the jinn from a smokeless flame of fire. So which of the favors of your Lord will you deny?" (al-Raḥmān 55:14-16)
"And We did certainly create man out of dry clay from molded mud. And the jinn We created before from scorching fire without smoke." (al-Ḥijr 15:26-27)
It is narrated from ʿĀʾisha that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"The angels were created from light, the jinn were created from fire, and Adam was created from what has been described."
Most exegetes (mufassirūn) said: The jinn were created before the Prophet Adam. Before them, there were creatures on earth called 'ḥinn' and 'binn' (beings between jinn and humans). Allah set the jinn upon them, and the jinn killed them and drove some of them out from the earth, then settled on the earth themselves.
Al-Suddī narrated from Ibn Masʿūd and some of the Companions (ṣaḥāba) that after Allah created whatever He willed, He turned to the Throne and appointed Iblīs as commander over the angels on earth. Iblīs was from a tribe of angels called 'jinn', and they were called so because they were guardians of Paradise. While Iblīs was a guardian of Paradise, he thought to himself: "Allah made me commander over the other angels because I am superior to them. He did this due to a merit in me."
Al-Ḍaḥḥāk narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās: "After the jinn caused corruption and shed blood on earth, Allah sent Iblīs with an army of angels against them. Iblīs and his army killed them and exiled them to the islands in the sea."
Muḥammad b. Isḥāq narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās: "Before he sinned, Iblīs was called Azāzīl. He lived on earth and was the most devout and knowledgeable among the angels. He was from a tribe of angels called jinn."
Ibn Abī Ḥātim narrated from Saʿīd b. Jubayr: "Iblīs was called Azāzīl, and he was among the four-winged and most noble of the angels."
Al-Ḥajjāj narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās: "Iblīs was among the most noble and highborn of the angels. He was the guardian of the Gardens, and the management and control of the sky of the world was entrusted to him. He was the commander of the earth."
Ṣāliḥ, the freedman of Tawʾama, narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās: "Iblīs managed the affairs between the earth and the sky."
Qatāda narrated from Saʿīd b. al-Musayyab: "Iblīs was the chief of the angels in the sky of the world."
Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī said: "Iblīs was never an angel, not even for a moment. He is of jinn origin, just as Adam is the origin and ancestor of humanity, he is the origin and ancestor of the jinn."
Shahr b. Ḥawshab and others said: "Iblīs is among the jinn who were expelled by the angels. The angels expelled them, took some captive, and brought them to the heavens."
They said: When Allah wanted to create Adam to live on earth, and his progeny after him, He shaped his body. At that time, Iblīs (Azāzīl), the chief and most devout of the jinn, came and circled Adam's body. Seeing that it was hollow, he thought Adam would not be able to do anything and considered him a mere creature. He addressed Adam's body: "If I am set over you, I will destroy you; if you are set over me, I will rebel against you." When Allah breathed His spirit (rūḥ) into Adam, He commanded the angels to prostrate to him. At that moment, Iblīs was overcome with envy and refused to prostrate, saying: "I am better than him. You created me from fire and him from clay." He disobeyed the command and objected to the Mighty and Majestic Allah, spoke wrongly, and was cast away from his Lord's mercy. He fell from the rank he had attained through worship. Iblīs resembled the angels but was not of their kind, for he was created from fire, while the angels were created from light. In his moment of greatest need, his nature betrayed him, and he returned to his origin of fire. "So the angels prostrated, all of them entirely, except Iblīs; he was arrogant and became of the disbelievers (kāfirīn)." (Ṣād 38:73-74)
We said to the angels: "Prostrate to Adam." So they prostrated, except for Iblīs. He was of the jinn and departed from the command of his Lord.
O children of Adam! Will you take him and his descendants as allies instead of Me, while they are enemies to you? What a wretched exchange for the wrongdoers! (al-Kahf 18:50)
Thus, Iblīs fell from the highest realms. Allah forbade him from living there. He was thus humiliated, abased, and expelled, and he and the jinn and humans who follow him descended to earth, threatened with Hellfire. He will strive to mislead the children of Adam by every means and at every opportunity. As the Exalted Allah said:
"Do you see this one whom You have honored above me? If You delay me until the Day of Resurrection, I will surely bring his descendants under my sway, except for a few."
Allah said: "Go, and whoever of them follows you—indeed, Hell will be the recompense of you, an ample recompense."
"And incite whoever you can among them with your voice, assault them with your horses and foot soldiers, become a partner in their wealth and their children, and promise them." But Satan does not promise them except delusion. "Indeed, over My servants there is for you no authority. And sufficient is your Lord as Disposer of affairs." (al-Isrāʾ 17:62-65)
This story will be explained in detail in the section on the creation of the Prophet Adam. In short, the jinn were created from fire, but like humans, they eat, drink, and reproduce. Some of them are believers (muʾmin), and some are disbelievers (kāfir). As the Exalted Allah informs us about them:
"And [mention, O Muhammad], when We directed to you a few of the jinn, listening to the Qur'an. And when they attended it, they said, 'Listen quietly.' And when it was concluded, they went back to their people as warners. They said, 'O our people, indeed we have heard a [recited] Book revealed after Moses confirming what was before it which guides to the truth and to a straight path. O our people, respond to the Messenger of Allah and believe in him; Allah will forgive for you your sins and protect you from a painful punishment. But he who does not respond to the caller of Allah will not cause failure to Allah upon earth, and he will not have besides Him any protectors. Those are in manifest error.'" (al-Aḥqāf 46:29-32)
"Say, [O Muhammad], 'It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and said, "Indeed, we have heard an amazing Qur'an. It guides to the right course, and we have believed in it. And we will never associate with our Lord anyone. And [it teaches] that exalted is the nobleness of our Lord; He has not taken a wife or a son. And that our foolish one has been saying about Allah an excessive transgression. And we had thought that mankind and the jinn would never speak about Allah a lie. And there were men from mankind who sought refuge in men from the jinn, so they [only] increased them in burden. And they had thought, as you thought, that Allah would never resurrect anyone. And we have sought [to reach] the heaven but found it filled with powerful guards and burning flames. And we used to sit therein in positions for hearing, but whoever listens now will find a burning flame lying in wait for him. And we do not know [therefore] whether evil is intended for those on earth or whether their Lord intends for them a right course. And among us are the righteous, and among us are [others] not so; we were [of] divided ways. And we have become certain that we will never cause failure to Allah upon earth, nor can we escape Him by flight. And when we heard the guidance, we believed in it. And whoever believes in his Lord will not fear deprivation or burden. And among us are Muslims [in submission to Allah], and among us are the unjust. And whoever has become Muslim—those have sought out the right course. But as for the unjust, they will be, for Hell, firewood.'" (al-Jinn 72:1-17)
We have explained the tafsir (Qur'anic exegesis) of this surah. The entire story is at the end of Sūrat al-Aḥqāf. We have also mentioned the relevant hadiths there. The group of jinn who came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and listened to his recitation of the Qur'an were from the jinn of Nusaybin. Some narrations say they were from the jinn of Basra. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) was leading his Companions (ṣaḥāba) in prayer in Batn al-Nakhla, a region near Mecca, when they came to him and listened to his recitation of the Qur'an. Then, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) spent the night conversing with them, answering their questions and requests. He commanded them to do certain things and forbade them from others. When they asked him for provisions, he said:
"Every bone over which the name of Allah has been mentioned will be found to have more meat than before, and every animal dropping is fodder for your mounts." The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade people from using bones and animal droppings for istinjāʾ (ritual cleansing), saying, "These are the provisions of your brothers among the jinn." He also forbade urinating on roads, as they are the dwellings of the jinn.
The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) recited Sūrat al-Raḥmān to the jinn who came to him, and when he reached the verse, "So which of the favors of your Lord will you deny?" they responded: "No, our Lord, we do not deny any of Your favors. All praise is due to You."
When the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) recited Sūrat al-Raḥmān to people and they did not respond, he praised the jinn over them, saying: "The jinn responded better. Whenever I recited to them, 'So which of the favors of your Lord will you deny?' they would reply, 'No, our Lord, we do not deny any of Your favors. All praise is due to You.'"
There has been disagreement about whether the believing jinn will enter Paradise, or whether those among them who obey Allah will be rewarded by not being punished in Hell. According to the soundest opinion, they will enter Paradise. The following Qur'anic verses provide a general indication of this:
"But for he who has feared the position of his Lord are two gardens. So which of the favors of your Lord will you deny?" (al-Raḥmān 55:46-47)
Allah, by this, has shown His favor to them. If the believing jinn were not to enter Paradise, Allah would not have reminded them of the blessings He has bestowed upon them. This is an independent and sufficient proof for us in this matter. Allah knows best.
Al-Bukhārī narrated from Abū Saʿsaʿa that Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī said to him:
"I see that you love sheep and the desert. If you are among your sheep in the desert and call the adhān (call to prayer), raise your voice, for every jinn, human, and thing that hears the voice of the muʾadhdhin will testify for him on the Day of Resurrection."
Abū Saʿīd said: "I heard this directly from the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him)." As for the disbelieving jinn, the devils (shayāṭīn) are among them. The leader of the devils is Iblīs, the enemy of the Prophet Adam (peace be upon him), the ancestor of humanity. Both Iblīs and his progeny have been set against Adam and his descendants. Allah has guaranteed to protect those who have iman (faith) in Him, affirm His prophets, and follow their sharia (sacred law) from Iblīs and his progeny. As Allah said:
"Indeed, over My [believing] servants there is for you no authority. And sufficient is your Lord as Disposer of affairs." (al-Isrāʾ 17:65)
"And Iblīs had already confirmed through them his assumption, so they followed him, except for a party of believers. And he had over them no authority, but [We did that] that We might make evident who believes in the Hereafter from who is thereof in doubt. And your Lord, over all things, is Guardian." (Sabaʾ 34:20-21)
"O children of Adam! Let not Satan tempt you as he removed your parents from Paradise, stripping them of their clothing to show them their private parts. Indeed, he sees you, he and his tribe, from where you do not see them. Indeed, We have made the devils allies to those who do not believe." (al-Aʿrāf 7:27)
"[Mention] when your Lord said to the angels, 'Indeed, I am going to create a human being from clay, from molded black mud. So when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My [created] soul, then fall down to him in prostration.' So the angels prostrated—all of them entirely, except Iblīs; he refused to be with those who prostrated. [Allah] said, 'O Iblīs, what is [the matter] with you that you are not with those who prostrate?' He said, 'Never would I prostrate to a human whom You created out of clay from molded black mud.' [Allah] said, 'Then get out of it, for indeed, you are expelled. And indeed, upon you is the curse until the Day of Recompense.' He said, 'My Lord, then reprieve me until the Day they are resurrected.' [Allah] said, 'So indeed, you are of those reprieved until the Day of the time well-known.' [Iblīs] said, 'My Lord, because You have put me in error, I will surely make [disobedience] attractive to them on earth, and I will mislead them all except, among them, Your chosen servants.' [Allah] said, 'This is a path [of return] to Me [that is] straight. Indeed, My servants—no authority will you have over them, except those who follow you of the deviators. And indeed, Hell is the promised place for them all. It has seven gates; for every gate is of them a portion designated.'" (al-Ḥijr 15:28-44)
Allah has narrated this story in the surahs al-Baqara, al-Aʿrāf, al-Ḥijr, al-Isrāʾ, Ṭāhā, and Ṣād. We have explained these surahs in our tafsir. Praise be to Allah. We will also discuss this topic in the story of the Prophet Adam, God willing. In short, Allah will allow Iblīs to live until the Day of Resurrection to test His servants. As the Exalted Allah said in a verse:
"But he had over them no authority, except that We might make evident who believes in the Hereafter from who is thereof in doubt. And your Lord, over all things, is Guardian." (Sabaʾ 34:21)
"And when the matter is concluded, Satan will say, 'Indeed, Allah had promised you the promise of truth. And I promised you, but I betrayed you. But I had no authority over you except that I invited you and you responded to me. So do not blame me; but blame yourselves. I cannot be called to your aid, nor can you be called to my aid. Indeed, I deny your association of me [with Allah] before. Indeed, for the wrongdoers is a painful punishment.' And those who believed and did righteous deeds will be admitted to gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein by permission of their Lord; their greeting therein will be, 'Peace!'" (Ibrāhīm 14:22-23)
As is clear from the Qur'anic text, the accursed Iblīs is alive and will remain so until the Day of Resurrection. His throne is upon the sea, and he sits upon it, sending his cohorts to sow evil and discord among people. The Exalted Allah said:
"Indeed, the plot of Satan is ever weak." (al-Nisāʾ 4:76)
Before committing disobedience, Iblīs was called Azāzīl. According to al-Naqqāsh, his kunya was Abū Kirdūs. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked Ibn Sayyād, "What do you see?" Ibn Sayyād replied, "I see a throne upon the water." The Prophet responded, "Be abased! You cannot exceed your limit." The Prophet understood that Ibn Sayyād's unveiling was a satanic unveiling aided by Iblīs, and that he saw Iblīs's throne upon the sea. He said, "Be abased! You cannot exceed your limit," meaning you cannot go beyond your lowly and base nature.
The proof that Iblīs's throne is upon the sea is the following hadith:
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from Jābir b. ʿAbdullāh that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Iblīs's throne is upon the sea. Every day he sends out his cohorts. Those among them who cause the greatest discord among people have the highest rank with him."
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from Jābir b. ʿAbdullāh that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Iblīs's throne is upon the sea. He sends out his cohorts, and they cause discord among people. The greatest among them in his eyes is the one who causes the most discord among people."
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from Jābir b. ʿAbdullāh that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) asked Ibn Saʿīd:
- What do you see?
- I see a throne upon the water (or Ibn Saʿīd replied: I see a throne upon the sea, surrounded by snakes).
- That is the throne of Iblīs.
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from Jābir b. ʿAbdullāh that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Satan has despaired of being worshipped by those who pray, but he strives to cause discord among them."
Muslim narrated from Jābir b. ʿAbdullāh that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Satan sets his throne upon the water, then sends out his cohorts among people. The closest to him in rank are those who cause the most discord among people. One of them comes and says, 'I kept working on so-and-so until I left him in such and such a state.' Iblīs says, 'You have done nothing.' Another comes and says, 'I kept working on so-and-so until I separated him from his wife.' Iblīs brings him near and says, 'You have done well.'"
We have narrated this hadith in the tafsir of the verse: "But the two of them learn from them that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife." (al-Baqara 2:102) That is, through sorcery acquired from human and jinn devils, friends and lovers can be separated. For this, Iblīs thanks his cohorts who strive to separate people, praising those who do what Allah has condemned and dislikes. May Allah's curse be upon him. As a shield against all evil and its causes, Allah revealed the Muʿawwidhatayn (the two protective surahs). Especially this surah is a shield against evil:
"Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, the Sovereign of mankind, the God of mankind, from the evil of the retreating whisperer—who whispers [evil] into the breasts of mankind—from among the jinn and mankind."
Al-Bukhārī and Muslim narrated from Ṣafiyya bint Ḥuyayy that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Indeed, Satan circulates in the human being as blood circulates." Ḥāfiẓ Abū Yaʿlā al-Mawṣilī narrated from Anas that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Satan places his nose upon the heart (qalb) of the son of Adam. If the son of Adam remembers Allah, Satan withdraws. If he forgets Allah, Satan devours his heart. This is the whispering, retreating Satan."
Remembering Allah is thus an elixir that drives Satan away from the heart, and in this is a lesson for people. As Allah said: "And remember your Lord when you forget." (al-Kahf 18:24)
The companion of Moses said: "None made me forget to remember it except Satan." (al-Kahf 18:63)
The Exalted Allah said: "But Satan made him forget to mention his master." (Yūsuf 12:42)
That is, the cupbearer forgot the instruction of the Prophet Joseph to mention him before the king. Satan made him forget, so Joseph remained in prison for several more years. For this reason, in the following verse Allah said:
"And the one who was freed remembered Joseph after a time." (Yūsuf 12:45)
Some have read the word 'ummat' in this verse as 'ammat', meaning 'to forget'. That is, "the one who was freed from prison remembered Joseph after forgetting him." As we explained in our tafsir, the cupbearer is the one who forgot to mention Joseph. Allah knows best.
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from Redīf: The Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) mount stumbled, and I said, "Satan's nafs..." The Prophet said to me: "Do not say 'Satan's nafs'. For when you say that, Satan grows in pride and says, 'I brought him down by my strength.' But if you say, 'In the name of Allah,' he shrinks until he is as small as a fly."
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from Abū Hurayra that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"If one of you is in the mosque and Satan comes to him, Satan despairs of him as one despairs of a runaway mount. When the mount stops, the person restrains and reins it."
Abū Hurayra said: "You see this too: when a person is restrained, he leans this way and that, and does not remember Allah. The one who is forced does not mention Allah, the Mighty and Majestic."
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from Abū Hurayra that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"The evil eye is real. It is brought about by the envy of Satan and the son of Adam."
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās:
"A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: 'O Messenger of God, something comes to my mind that I would rather fall from the sky than speak of it.' The Prophet said: 'Allāhu Akbar! Praise be to Allah who has reduced Satan's plot to mere whispering.'"
Al-Bukhārī narrated from Abū Hurayra that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Satan comes to one of you and says, 'Who created this? Who created that?' until he says, 'Who created your Lord?' When it comes to this, let him seek refuge in Allah and stop such thoughts."
The Exalted Allah said:
"Indeed, those who fear Allah—when an impulse from Satan touches them, they remember [Him] and at once they have insight." (al-Aʿrāf 7:201)
"And say, 'My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the incitements of the devils, and I seek refuge in You, my Lord, lest they be present with me.'" (al-Muʾminūn 23:97-98)
"And if an evil suggestion comes to you from Satan, then seek refuge in Allah. Indeed, He is Hearing and Knowing." (al-Aʿrāf 7:200)
"So when you recite the Qur'an, [first] seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the expelled. Indeed, he has no authority over those who have believed and rely upon their Lord. His authority is only over those who take him as an ally and those who through him associate others with Allah." (al-Naḥl 16:98-100)
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal and the authors of the authentic Sunan narrated from Abū Saʿīd that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say:
"I seek refuge in Allah, the All-Hearing, All-Knowing, from the accursed Satan, from his madness, his puffing, and his pride." Al-Bukhārī and Muslim narrated from Anas that when the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) entered the toilet, he would say:
"I seek refuge in Allah from the male and female devils and from evil things."
Many scholars said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would seek refuge in Allah from the male and female devils when entering the toilet.
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from Abū Hurayra that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When one of you goes to relieve himself, let him cover himself. If he cannot find anything to cover himself, let him make a mound of sand and relieve himself behind it. For Satan plays with the backsides of the children of Adam. Whoever takes precautions to cover himself does well, but if he cannot, there is no blame upon him."
Al-Bukhārī narrated from Sulaymān b. Ṣard: Two men cursed each other in the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). We were sitting there. One of them, his face red and angry, cursed the other. The Prophet said:
"I know a word that if he were to say it, his anger would go away. If he said, 'I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan,' his anger would go away."
Those present said to the man: "Do you not hear what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says?" He replied: "I am not mad."
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from Ibn ʿUmar that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Do not eat or drink with your left hand, for Satan eats and drinks with his left hand."
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from ʿĀʾisha that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"If a person eats with his left hand, Satan eats with him; if he drinks with his left hand, Satan drinks with him."
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from Abū Hurayra: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw a man drinking standing up, he said:
- Vomit!
- Why?
- Would you like a cat to drink with you?
- No.
- A being worse than a cat, that is, Satan, drank with you.
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from Abū Hurayra that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"If a person knew what entered his stomach when drinking standing up, he would surely vomit." Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from Ibn Zubayr: I asked Jābir b. ʿAbdullāh about this hadith: "If a person, upon entering his house and eating, mentions the name of Allah, Satan says to his helpers, 'You have no place to spend the night or food here.' If he does not mention Allah's name when entering, Satan says, 'You have found a place to spend the night.' If he does not mention Allah's name when eating, Satan says, 'You have found both a place to spend the night and dinner.'" Did you hear this from the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him)? Jābir replied, "Yes, I heard it."
Al-Bukhārī narrated from Ibn ʿUmar that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"When the edge of the sun appears, stop praying until it has fully risen and become clear. When the edge of the sun sets on the horizon, stop praying until it has fully set and disappeared. Do not pray at the times of sunrise and sunset, for the sun rises and sets between the two horns of Satan."
Al-Bukhārī narrated from Ibn ʿUmar: I saw the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) pointing to the east and saying: "There is the source of tribulation. Tribulation comes from the direction of the horn of Satan." In the Sunan, it is narrated that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade people from sitting between shade and sunlight, saying: "This is where Satan sits." Scholars have given various interpretations of this hadith, but the best is that when a person sits at the intersection of shade and sunlight, his nature is disturbed, and Satan desires this, for his own nature is disturbed. This is the meaning that settles in the mind. For this reason, the Exalted Allah said:
"Its spathes are like the heads of devils (shayāṭīn)." (al-Ṣāffāt 37:65)
According to the soundest opinion, what is meant here is devils, not snakes, for the ugliness of devils is imprinted in souls, just as the beauty of angels is, even if people do not desire it. For this reason, Allah said: "Its spathes are like the heads of devils."
When the women saw the beauty of the Prophet Joseph, they said:
"Perfect is Allah! This is not a man; this is none but a noble angel." (Yūsuf 12:31)
Al-Bukhārī narrated from Jābir that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"When night falls (after sunset) or part of the night has come, keep your children inside, for the devils spread out at that time. After an hour has passed from the night prayer, then let your children go out. O believer, when you close your door, mention the name of Allah (say: Bismillāhir-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm), extinguish your lamp with the basmala, tie your water skin with the basmala, and cover your vessel with the basmala, even if only with a stick placed across it."
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from Jābir that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"When night falls (after sunset), close your doors, cover your vessels, tie your water skins, and extinguish your lamps. For Satan does not open a locked door, break closed vessels or tied water skins. Small sinners (i.e., mice) try to set houses on fire against their owners."
Al-Bukhārī narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"If one of you wakes from sleep and makes ablution, let him wash his nose three times, for Satan spends the night in his nostrils."
Al-Bukhārī narrated from Abū Wāʾil that ʿAbdullāh said: "A man who spent the night sleeping (without praying) was mentioned to the Prophet. The Prophet said: 'That is a man in whose ears Satan has urinated.'"
Al-Bukhārī narrated from Abū Hurayra that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"When the call to prayer is made, Satan turns and flees, passing wind, so as not to hear the call. When the call is finished, he returns. When the iqāma is pronounced, he turns and flees again. When the prayer begins, he returns and tries to distract the worshipper, saying, 'Remember this, remember that,' until the person does not know how many rakʿas he has prayed. In that case, he should perform the prostration of forgetfulness (sujūd al-sahw)."
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from Anas that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Keep your rows close and straight, for Satan enters the gaps."
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from Anas b. Mālik that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Keep your rows close and straight, draw near to each other, and align your necks. By Him in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, I see Satan entering the gaps in the rows like small birds."
Al-Bukhārī narrated from Abū Saʿīd that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"If something passes in front of one of you while praying, let him prevent it. If it tries again, let him prevent it. If it tries again, let him kill it, for it is none other than Satan."
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from Abū ʿUbayd Ḥājib Sulaymān:
"I saw ʿAṭāʾ b. Yazīd al-Laythī standing in prayer. I wanted to pass in front of him, but he pushed me back."
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī:
The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) stood for the morning prayer. I stood behind him and followed him. He began to recite, but made a mistake. After completing the prayer, he said:
"You should have seen me and Iblīs. I grabbed his throat with my hand and tried to strangle him, so much so that I felt the coldness of his saliva between these two fingers (indicating his thumb and forefinger). If it were not for the supplication of my brother Solomon, Iblīs would have been tied to one of the pillars of the mosque, and the children of Medina would have played with him in the morning. If any of you can prevent something from coming between himself and the qibla, let him do so."
Al-Bukhārī narrated from Abū Hurayra: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed a certain prayer. Afterward, he said: "Satan appeared before me and tried to spoil my prayer, but Allah gave me power over him."
"He said, 'My Lord, forgive me and grant me a kingdom such as will not belong to anyone after me. Indeed, You are the Bestower.'" (Ṣād 38:35)
Yes, the Prophet Solomon said this.
When explaining this verse in our tafsir, we also narrated the following from al-Bukhārī: Al-Bukhārī narrated from Abū Hurayra that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"A strong demon (ifrit) from among the jinn attacked me last night to interrupt my prayer, but Allah enabled me to overcome him. I wanted to tie him to one of the pillars of the mosque so that you could all see him in the morning, but I remembered the supplication of my brother Solomon: 'My Lord, forgive me and grant me a kingdom such as will not belong to anyone after me. Indeed, You are the Bestower.' (So I drove him away like a dog.)"
Muslim narrated from Abū al-Dardāʾ: The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up to pray. During the prayer, we heard him say, "I seek refuge in Allah from you." Then, three times, "I curse you with the full curse of Allah," and he stretched out his hand as if to seize something. After completing the prayer, we said:
"O Messenger of God, we heard you say something in prayer that you never said before, and we saw you stretch out your hand as if to seize something."
He replied:
"The enemy of Allah, Iblīs, brought a burning ember to throw in my face. I said three times, 'I seek refuge in Allah from you.' Then I said, 'I curse you with the full curse of Allah.' But he did not retreat. I wanted to seize him. By Allah, if it were not for the supplication of my brother Solomon, Iblīs would have been tied up so that the children of Medina could play with him in the morning."
The Exalted Allah said:
"So let not the worldly life delude you, and be not deceived about Allah by the Deceiver (Satan)." (Luqmān 31:33)
"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." (Fāṭir 35:6) Satan spares no effort to mislead humans in all their states, movements, and stillness. Ḥāfiẓ Abū Bakr b. Abī al-Dunyā wrote a book on this subject called 'The Traps of Satan', which contains many benefits.
In the Sunan of Abū Dāwūd, it is narrated that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say in supplication:
"O Allah, I seek refuge in You from Satan harming me at the time of death." In some reports, Satan is said to have declared: "By Your might and majesty, I will continue to mislead humans as long as their souls remain in their bodies." In response, the Exalted Allah said:
"By My might and majesty, I will continue to forgive them as long as they seek My forgiveness."
The Exalted Allah said in a verse:
"Satan threatens you with poverty and orders you to immorality, while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing." (al-Baqara 2:268)
Allah's promise is true and real. Satan's promise is false and baseless.
According to the narrations of al-Tirmidhī, al-Nasāʾī, and Ibn Ḥibbān, Ibn Masʿūd reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Indeed, both Satan and the angel prod the son of Adam. Satan's prod is to incite evil and deny the truth. The angel's prod is to encourage good and affirm the truth. Whoever feels the angel's prod, let him know it is from Allah and praise Allah. Whoever feels the other, let him seek refuge in Allah from Satan." After saying this, the Prophet recited the verse:
"Satan threatens you with poverty and orders you to immorality, while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing." (al-Baqara 2:268)
When discussing the virtues of Sūrat al-Baqara, we said that Satan flees from a house in which it is recited. When discussing the virtues of Āyat al-Kursī, we said that whoever recites it at night, Satan does not approach him until morning.
Al-Bukhārī narrated from Abū Hurayra that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Whoever says, 'There is no god but Allah, alone, without partner. To Him belongs the dominion, and to Him belongs all praise, and He is over all things competent,' one hundred times, will have the reward of freeing ten slaves, one hundred good deeds will be written for him, one hundred sins erased, and he will be protected from Satan until evening. No one will do a better deed except one who does more than this."
Al-Bukhārī narrated from Abū Hurayra that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Satan strikes the sides of every human at birth, except for Jesus, son of Mary. When he tried to strike him, he struck the veil instead."
Al-Bukhārī narrated from Abū Hurayra that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Yawning is from Satan. If one of you feels like yawning, let him suppress it as much as possible. For if he says 'ha' while yawning, Satan laughs at him."
In another narration, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"If one of you feels like yawning, let him suppress it as much as possible, for Satan enters through the open mouth." Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from Abū Hurayra that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Indeed, Allah loves sneezing and dislikes yawning. If one of you yawns and says 'ha ha', Satan laughs from within him."
Al-Bukhārī narrated from ʿĀʾisha: She asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about turning one's head during prayer. He replied: "This is theft. Satan steals from your prayer."
Al-Bukhārī narrated from Abū Qatāda that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"A good dream is from Allah, and a bad dream is from Satan. If one of you sees a frightening dream, let him spit to his left and seek refuge in Allah from its evil, and it will not harm him."
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from Abū Hurayra that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Let none of you point a weapon at his brother, for he does not know—perhaps Satan will snatch it from his hand and he will fall into the Fire because of it."
The Exalted Allah said:
"And We have certainly beautified the nearest heaven with stars and have made [from] them what is thrown at the devils and have prepared for them the punishment of the Blaze." (al-Mulk 67:5)
"Indeed, We have adorned the nearest heaven with an adornment of stars and as protection against every rebellious devil. They cannot listen to the exalted assembly [of angels] and are pelted from every side, repelled, and for them is a constant punishment, except one who snatches [some words] by theft, but a burning flame pursues him." (al-Ṣāffāt 37:6-10)
"And We have certainly placed within the heaven great stars and have beautified it for the observers. And We have protected it from every accursed devil except one who steals a hearing and is pursued by a clear burning flame." (al-Ḥijr 15:16-18) "The devils did not bring down the Qur'an. It is not for them, nor are they able. Indeed, they, from [its] hearing, are removed." (al-Shuʿarāʾ 26:210-212)
The Exalted Allah relates that the jinn said: "And we have sought [to reach] the heaven but found it filled with powerful guards and burning flames. And we used to sit therein in positions for hearing, but whoever listens now will find a burning flame lying in wait for him." (al-Jinn 72:8-9)
Al-Bukhārī narrated from ʿĀʾisha that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"The angels who are in the clouds discuss what will happen on earth. The devils overhear some words and pass them to the soothsayers like the rattling of a bottle, adding a hundred lies to each true word."
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke of the attributes of Iblīs in this way. He also spoke of the attributes of the angels. ʿĀʾisha narrated: When people asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about soothsayers, he said: "They are nothing." They said: "O Messenger of God, sometimes they say things that come true." He replied: "That is a true word snatched by a jinn and delivered to the soothsayer, who then adds a hundred lies to it."
Al-Bukhārī narrated from Abū Hurayra that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"When Allah decrees a matter in heaven, the angels beat their wings in submission to His command, sounding like a chain on a rock. When fear is removed from their hearts, they say, 'What has your Lord said?' Those who answer say, 'The truth, and He is the Most High, the Most Great.' The eavesdropping jinn and devils hear this. They are stacked one above the other (Sufyān, the narrator, interlaced his fingers to demonstrate). They hear the word and pass it down to those below them, until it reaches the lowest. Sometimes a burning ember overtakes the eavesdropper before he can pass it on; sometimes he passes it on before being struck. Then, the recipient adds a hundred lies to the true word, and people say, 'Did he not tell us such and such on such and such a day?' Thus, the eavesdropper confirms the true word he heard from heaven."
The Exalted Allah said:
"And whoever is blinded from the remembrance of the Most Merciful—We appoint for him a devil, and he is to him a companion. And indeed, they avert them from the way [of guidance] while they think that they are [rightly] guided. Until, when he comes to Us [at judgment], he says [to his companion], 'Oh, I wish there was between me and you the distance between the east and west—how wretched a companion.'" (al-Zukhruf 43:36-38)
"And We appointed for them companions who made attractive to them what was before them and what was behind them." (Fussilat 41:25)
"His [evil] companion will say, 'Our Lord, I did not make him transgress, but he [himself] was in extreme error.' [Allah] will say, 'Do not dispute before Me, while I had already presented to you the warning. The word will not be changed with Me, and never will I be unjust to the servants.'" (Qāf 50:27-29)
"And thus We have made for every prophet an enemy—devils from mankind and jinn, inspiring to one another decorative speech in delusion. But if your Lord had willed, they would not have done it, so leave them and that which they invent." (al-Anʿām 6:112-113)
Earlier, when discussing the attributes of the angels, we narrated from Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal and Muslim from Ibn Masʿūd that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Each of you has been assigned a companion from among the jinn and a companion from among the angels."
They asked:
- Even you, O Messenger of God?
- Even me. But Allah has helped me against him, so my jinn companion only advises me to do good.
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Each of you has been assigned a companion from among the devils." They asked:
- Even you, O Messenger of God?
- Yes, even me. But Allah has helped me against him, and he became Muslim.
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from ʿĀʾisha: The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) left my side one night. I became jealous. When he returned and saw my behavior, he asked:
- What is the matter, O ʿĀʾisha? Are you jealous?
- Would a woman like me not be jealous of a husband like you?
- Has your shayṭān seized you?
- O Messenger of God, do I have a shayṭān with me?
- Yes.
- Does every person have a shayṭān with him?
- Yes.
- Even you?
- Yes, but my Lord helped me against him, and he became Muslim.
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from Abū Hurayra that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"The believer subdues his shayṭān as one of you subdues his camel on a journey."
The Exalted Allah relates that Iblīs said: "Because You have put me in error, I will surely sit in wait for them on Your straight path. Then I will come to them from before them and from behind them and on their right and on their left, and You will not find most of them grateful to You." (al-Aʿrāf 7:16-17)
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from Sabra b. Abī Sakīf that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Indeed, Satan sits in the paths of the son of Adam to mislead him. First, he sits on the path of Islam, saying, 'Will you become Muslim and leave your religion and the religion of your forefathers?' But the son of Adam does not obey him and becomes Muslim. Then he sits on the path of hijra, saying, 'Will you emigrate and leave your land and sky? The condition of the emigrant is like a horse tied to a rope.' But the son of Adam does not obey him and emigrates. Then he sits on the path of jihad, which is striving with one's life and wealth, saying, 'Will you fight and be killed? Your wife will be married by another, and your wealth will be divided among others.' But the son of Adam does not obey him and goes forth to jihad. Whoever does this, it is incumbent upon Allah to admit him to Paradise. Whoever is killed in this cause, it is incumbent upon Allah to admit him to Paradise. Whoever drowns in this cause, it is incumbent upon Allah to admit him to Paradise. Whoever's mount breaks his neck and kills him in this cause, it is incumbent upon Allah to admit him to Paradise."
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite the following supplications every morning and evening:
"O Allah, I ask You for well-being in this world and the Hereafter. O Allah, I ask You for forgiveness and well-being in my religion, my worldly affairs, my family, and my wealth. O Allah, conceal my faults and grant me security from my fears. O Allah, protect me from in front of me, behind me, on my right, on my left, and from above me, and I seek refuge in Your greatness from being swallowed up from beneath me." Among the narrators, Wakīʿ said that being swallowed from beneath means being swallowed by the earth.