Juz 8- Juz Gems
Assalaamu Alaykum! Tonight, our beloved mashaayikh will recite the last section of Surat al An’aam and continue onto Surat Al-A’raaf. Surat Al-A’raaf is a Meccan surah which details Adam, Eve, and Shaytan’s descent into this world. It is filled with powerful imagery describing the conversation the inhabitants of hell are having with the inhabitants of heaven. Iblis, the avowed enemy of humanity describes his new mission as he descends to Earth, debased and humiliated:
قَالَ فَبِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لَأَقْعُدَنَّ لَهُمْ صِرَاطَكَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ ﴿١٦﴾ ثُمَّ لَآتِيَنَّهُم مِّن بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَعَن شَمَائِلِهِمْ ۖ وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكْثَرَهُمْ شَاكِرِينَ ﴿١٧﴾
“[Satan] said, "Because You have put me in error, I will surely sit and 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],”’ (Surat Al-A’raaf, verses 16-17).
When Iblis was asked why he refused to prostrate to Adam, he replied, “I am better than him. You have created me from fire, and him from clay,” (7:13). This instance represents the first act of racism in human history and shows us how imbedded and prevalent this disease of the heart is which we need to actively eradicate from ourselves and society.
Satan describes all the directions in which he will attack us- from before them, behind them, on their right and on their left. Going deeper into this verse, we find that these symbolic directions represent different situations we find ourselves in. When Satan attacks us from behind, he tries to remind us of a shameful past or our former glory. The past sins may shame us, make us despair, and prevent us from trying to come closer to our Lord. Our past glory may deflate us: “Remember when you used to fast every Monday and Thursday? You’ll never get back to doing that again- what’s the point in trying? You’re too busy now.”
When Satan attacks us from in front, the best way to imagine it is an advertisement on tv. The commercial will point to something we may lack in our lives (soft hands), make us desire having it, then present a product that will deliver on that promise (lotion). Satan uses the same tactics, but then the product he suggests is displeasing to Allah. “You deserve to have a good time with your friends. Everyone else gets to go out while you feel lonely at home. Why don’t you sneak out of the house while your parents are asleep? They’ll never know.” He may also attack us from in front by causing us to doubt the Hereafter.
Satan attacking us from our right and left can be symbolically interpreted as tempting us to sin (our left) or convincing us that our good deeds won’t be accepted by Allah (our right). When Satan whispers into our ears that our prayer or wudu isn’t good enough and that one should redo it, this can lead to religious scrupulousness and causes great anxiety surrounding our acts of worship. If you find yourself in this camp, remember that Allah does not wish to impose hardship on you (5:6).
One of the most striking aspects of Satan’s agenda is that he doesn’t mention attacking us from above. Al-Hakam bin Abban said that `Ikrimah narrated from Ibn `Abbas concerning the Ayah, "He did not say that he will come from above them, because the mercy descends from above,'' (Tafseer Ibn Kathir). Knowing that Ramadan is a month in which the major Shayateen are chained and Allah’s mercy is descending upon His believers, make it a goal this month to fortify yourself against the temptations of Satan. Knowing his tactics is the first step- creating the right boundaries in your life and expressing gratitude to Allah will help you in dispelling the whispers of Shaytan. May Allah increase us in taqwa every day of our lives and use Ramadan as the springboard for this lifelong journey!