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Each predator has unique skills and behaviors that enable them to be an effective hunter, but the deadliest predator of all isn’t one of these.
We pretty much associate predators with teeth, claws, and venom. But in a song entitled “Ground on Down” I hear in one line “I believe in a few things, Divinity and grace, but even when I’m on my knees I know the devil preys”. Now if you look up these lyrics it will read as “prays”, p-r-a-y-s. That is not my interpretation. I hear it as p-r-e-y-s. That’s because I am fully aware that Satan is a master predator on this Earth. He possesses no claws, no flesh-tearing teeth, has no venom, and is not a physical threat to any on this earth. All he has is his voice. He will use that voice to lie, manipulate, and convince the human race that God alone is not enough.
[17:64] “You may entice them with your voice, and mobilize all your forces and all your men against them, and share in their money and children, and promise them. Anything the devil promises is no more than an illusion.
[4:119] “I will mislead them, I will entice them, I will command them to (forbid the eating of certain meats by) marking the ears of livestock, and I will command them to distort the creation of GOD.” Anyone who accepts the devil as a lord, instead of GOD, has incurred a profound loss. [4:120] He promises them and entices them; what the devil promises is no more than an illusion.
[5:91] The devil wants to provoke animosity and hatred among you through intoxicants and gambling, and to distract you from remembering GOD, and from observing the Contact Prayers (Salat). Will you then refrain?
[7:20] The devil whispered to them, in order to reveal their bodies, which were invisible to them. He said, “Your Lord did not forbid you from this tree, except to prevent you from becoming angels, and from attaining eternal existence.”
[7:22] He thus duped them with lies. As soon as they tasted the tree, their bodies became visible to them, and they tried to cover themselves with the leaves of Paradise. Their Lord called upon them: “Did I not enjoin you from that tree, and warn you that the devil is your most ardent enemy?”
[17:53] Tell My servants to treat each other in the best possible manner, for the devil will always try to drive a wedge among them. Surely, the devil is man’s most ardent enemy.
[58:19] The devil has possessed them, and has caused them to disregard GOD’s message. These are the party of the devil. Absolutely, the party of the devil are the losers.
[35:6] The devil is your enemy, so treat him as an enemy. He only invites his party to be the dwellers of Hell.
Though Satan is powerful and ruthless, he recognizes that God alone possesses any power.
[59:16] They are like the devil: he says to the human being, “Disbelieve,” then as soon as he disbelieves, he says, “I disown you. I fear GOD, Lord of the universe.”
[14:22] And the devil will say, after the judgment had been issued, “GOD has promised you the truthful promise, and I promised you, but I broke my promise. I had no power over you; I simply invited you, and you accepted my invitation. Therefore, do not blame me, and blame only yourselves. My complaining cannot help you, nor can your complaining help me. I have disbelieved in your idolizing me. The transgressors have incurred a painful retribution.”
Praise be to God for all the practices of submission. Praise be to God for the revelation of the Quran. These are the tools or weapons gifted to us by the Most Gracious to fight back against the master predator. May God continue to guide and protect us against the lies and whispers of the rejected devil for “even when we are on our knees we know the devil preys.”
[7:200] When the devil whispers to you any whisper, seek refuge in GOD; He is Hearer, Omniscient.
[23:97] Say, “My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the whispers of the devils. [23:98] “And I seek refuge in You, my Lord, lest they come near me.”
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[41:36] When the devil whispers an idea to you, you shall seek refuge in GOD. He is the Hearer, the Omniscient.
Man is not made to be idle. The common phrase, “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop” reminds us that when we are lazy and idle, wicked thoughts may enter our minds. Satan and his minions are sneaky whisperers.
Our brain is idle when we do not have anything to think about. And this may lead to dangerous consequences. When you do not think for yourself, you allow others to influence you. That is the reason why much emphasis is laid on education. A truly educated person should be able to discriminate between right and wrong and should be able to work for good. Education trains us to think rationally, it inculcates in us values of life.
We should always engage our minds in healthy thoughts that will be useful to us and society alike. If our ideas, actions, and thoughts are good and are beneficial to society then we can make our world a better place to live. We must maintain a positive attitude even in times of adversity when our minds are disturbed. On the contrary, if we let adversity push us into idleness, our minds can fall victim to evil ideas. The growth of terrorism around the world in recent times may be due to such victimization of the mind.
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