Mu‘ath came on time to meet Shaykh Yoosuf as usual to learn something new about adherence to Islam. Shaykh Yoosuf met him with much affection and cheerfulness and they sat together. Shaykh Yoosuf began to speak, saying, “How are you, Mu‘ath?”
Mu‘ath replied with a smile, “Very well, Shaykh Yoosuf. And you?”
Shaykh Yoosuf replied, “Praise be to Allah! I am in the best of conditions. We will go directly to our topic today because it is serious and extremely important.”
Mu‘ath straightened up and said expectantly, “Shaykh Yoosuf, what is this topic?”
Shaykh Yoosuf replied in a grave voice, “It is the barriers or obstacles of adherence to Islam that the practicing Muslim faces on his way to Allah The Almighty. The first of these obstacles is the devil. Listen, Mu‘ath! It is an eternal enmity and everlasting hatred and incessant temptation until the coming of the Hour. These words briefly express the feelings that the devil harbors for us since his expulsion from Paradise. He was expelled from it, and rather expelled from the Mercy of Allah The Almighty when he refused to prostrate himself to our ancestor Adam and behaved arrogantly. Ever since that moment, Satan harbors enmity toward the children of Adam and tries his best to bar them from the path of their Lord and overturn them in Hell, as will be done to him on the Day of Resurrection – Allah willing.
The devil has no direct authority over man, but he takes advantage of man's ignorance and the ardent desire of his soul to gratify its needs. So, the devil beautifies the ideas and actions that agree with its inclination, persistently whispers and tempts it, which in turn exerts pressure on the heart till it submits to it and takes the decision that complies with its whim.
Therefore, Allah The Almighty warned us against following the devil and informed us that he beautifies the action for the soul gradually so as not to confront stiff resistance. Allah The Almighty says (what means): {O you who have believed, do not follow the footsteps of Satan. And whoever follows the footsteps of Satan - indeed, he enjoins immorality and wrongdoing.} [Quran 24:21] Allah The Almighty reminds us of the role of the devil, and He Says (what means):
{And Satan had made pleasing to them their deeds and averted them from the path.} [Quran 29:38]
{Satan promises them and arouses desire in them. But Satan does not promise them except delusion.} [Quran 4:120]
{But Satan whispered to them to make apparent to them that which was concealed from them of their private parts.} [Quran 7:20]
The Quran alerts us that the devil, in crucial moments and after beautifying evil deeds for man until he commits them, deserts him. Allah The Almighty says (what means):
{And [remember] when Satan made their deeds pleasing to them and said, “No one can overcome you today from among the people, and indeed, I am your protector.” But when the two armies sighted each other, he turned on his heels and said, “Indeed, I am disassociated from you. Indeed, I see what you do not see; indeed I fear Allah. And Allah is severe in penalty.”} [Quran 8:48]
{[The hypocrites are] like the example of Satan when he says to man, “Disbelieve.” But when he disbelieves, he says, “Indeed, I am disassociated from you. Indeed, I fear Allah, Lord of the Worlds.”} [Quran 59:16]
On the Day of Judgment, the devil will remind his followers that he had no authority over them, but he just invited their souls to evil and they answered him. Allah The Almighty says (what means): {And Satan will say when the matter has been concluded, “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.”} [Quran 14:22]