In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The story of our mother Hawwa (Eve).
Hawwa and the deception of Iblis.
Regarding the story of our mother Hawwa.
Allah the Almighty recounts for us the whispering of Satan to her and to our father Adam, peace be upon him.
Allah the Almighty said:
"Then Satan whispered to them to reveal to them..."
“Then Satan whispered to them that he might manifest unto them that which was hidden from them of their shame, and he said: Your Lord forbade you from this tree only lest ye should become angels or become of the immortals.” (7:20)
“Then Satan whispered to them that he might manifest unto them that which was hidden from them of their shame, and he said: Your Lord forbade you from this tree only lest ye should become angels or become of the immortals.” (7:20)
"...unless you become angels,"
"...or become of the immortals."
So, what is the whispering of Satan?
Do the devils among mankind use it as well?
And how do we detect it?
Al-Tahir Ibn 'Ashur, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
"Whispering (waswasa)..."
"...is speech spoken in secret, heard only by the one close to the speaker."
This is one of the signs of whispering.
Among its other signs as well,
is what Al-Tahir Ibn 'Ashur mentioned when he said:
"Satan’s suggestion is called 'whispering'..."
"...because he cast into them a subtle enticement through speech he directed at them,"
"...or an agitation within their own selves,"
"...like the behavior of a deceitful, cunning swindler,"
"...who hides his words from those present,"
"...so that they do not spoil his deception by exposing its harms."
Thus, he cast words to them in the form of hushed speech,
to delude them into thinking he was a sincere advisor to them,
and that he was whispering out of discretion.
This is another sign.
It is that Satan, in his whispering,
does not speak in the presence of everyone,
because he knows there are those who would expose this whispering.
So he only speaks in the presence of those who cannot refute him,
or he ensures those who would expose the truths of the devils are absent in the depths of prisons.
Then he unleashes the media,
which plays the role of Satan,
to corrupt people's lives and lead them astray.
The third important sign
is that he presents himself in the guise of a sincere advisor.
Iblis did this with our father Adam and our mother Hawwa.
And Pharaoh did it when confronting the call of the Prophet of Allah, Musa (Moses), peace be upon him.
Allah the Almighty said:
“And Pharaoh said: Suffer me to kill Moses, and let him cry unto his Lord. Lo! I fear that he will alter your religion or that he will cause confusion in the land.” (40:26)
“And Pharaoh said: Suffer me to kill Moses, and let him cry unto his Lord. Lo! I fear that he will alter your religion or that he will cause confusion in the land.” (40:26)
Thus, the justification for killing Musa and the callers to the truth exists in every age,
and it is: "I fear for you and for your religion,"
while they are the ones corrupting your entire life.
So, how can you protect yourself from the whispering of the devils among jinn and mankind?
Sayyid Qutb, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
"As for the whispering of Satan,"
"we do not know how it occurs,"
"because we do not know the essence of Satan,"
"so that we might grasp the modalities of his actions,"
"or his connection to man,"
"and the manner of his seduction."
"However, we know through the truthful report,"
"which is the only reliable source we have regarding this unseen realm,"
"that seduction toward evil,"
"occurs in one form or another,"
"and that the suggestion to commit the forbidden,"
"takes place in one manner or another."
"And that this suggestion and that seduction,"
"rely on the innate points of weakness in man."
"And that this weakness,"
"can be guarded against through faith and dhikr (remembrance of Allah),"
"until Satan has no authority over the believer who is constant in remembrance,"
"and his weak plot has no effect at that point."
For faith in Allah and frequent remembrance,
are the path to salvation from the devils of jinn and mankind.
Allah the Almighty said:
“And when thou recitest the Qur'an, seek refuge in Allah from Satan the outcast.” (16:98)
“Lo! he hath no power over those who believe and put trust in their Lord.” (16:99)
“His power is only over those who make a friend of him, and those who ascribe partners unto Him (Allah).” (16:100)
But how can you detect the whispering of the devils among jinn and mankind?
Be alert, O Hawwa,
to the style of address the devils among jinn and mankind use with you.
They use the same method Iblis used with our father Adam and our mother Hawwa.
As Allah said about Iblis:
“And he swore unto them (saying): Lo! I am a sincere adviser unto you.” (7:21)
Al-Tahir Ibn 'Ashur, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
"His emphasis in informing them that he was a sincere advisor to them, using three forms of emphasis,"
"is evidence of the extent of Adam and his wife's doubt regarding his sincerity toward them,"
"and the signs of hesitation he saw in them regarding his truthfulness."
He only doubted his sincerity,
because they found what he was commanding them to do,
to be contrary to what Allah had commanded them,
whose desire for their well-being they knew by innate nature.
One of the most dangerous methods of the devils among jinn and mankind against you and all people,
is the falsification of facts.
It is deception (talbis).
It is what Iblis did with our father Adam and our mother Hawwa.
Ibn Jarir al-Tabari said:
"That whispering,"
"was his saying to them,"
“Then Satan whispered to them that he might manifest unto them that which was hidden from them of their shame, and he said: Your Lord forbade you from this tree only lest ye should become angels or become of the immortals.” (7:20)
"...or become of the immortals."
And his swearing an oath to them regarding that.
And Al-Tahir Ibn 'Ashur, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
"Iblis deluded Adam and his wife,"
"that they were capable of becoming angels,"
"if they ate from the tree."
"This is part of his trickery and deception,"
"as Adam and his wife were not insightful regarding the realities of things,"
"nor did they know the extent possible in the transformation of entities and the evolution of existents."
"They used to witness the favor of the angels in the sight of Allah the Almighty,"
"and their proximity and the extent of their power."
"So Iblis tempted them to become angels,"
"if they ate from the tree."
All Iblis did was falsify the truth.
He clothed the truth in the garment of falsehood,
and falsehood in the garment of truth.
Satan did not come to say to man:
"Eat from the forbidden tree,"
"so that Allah becomes angry with you,"
"and expels you from your paradise,"
"and casts you down to the abode of misery."
Rather, he said to him:
"In eating from the tree lies your happiness, your bliss, and your good."
He said to him:
"If you eat from the tree,"
"you will attain great dominion,"
"and eternal life,"
"and you will be transformed into an angel that cannot perish."
And as an increase in leading them astray and further deception of Adam,
he swore to him and his wife that he was truthful in what he said,
and that he was a sincere advisor to them,
offering them good,
and guiding them to the true path.
So beware, O Hawwa, of the deception of the devils among jinn and mankind against you.
We will continue in a future meeting, if Allah wills.
And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.