Satan and Other Adversities

By Imam Abdullah El-Amin, MMNS

We Say ALLAH is Rabbil al ameen.  (Lord of all the worlds.)  Ruler of everything we can see and that which we cannot see.  The Boss over everything…including Satan.  Including Satan???   Does this mean ALLAH OK’s Satan’s antics?  Does this mean He tells him it is OK to wreck havoc on Adam all over the world?  If ALLAH is the boss of Satan, does this mean ALLAH OK’s Satan’s lying, stealing, murdering, and cheating?   If ALLAH is the boss of Satan too, why or how does Satan run rampant in the society?

ALLAH gives the answer in the creation of Adam:

“And behold, We said to the angels: ‘Bow down to Adam;’ and they bowed down.  Not so Iblis; he refused and was haughty – he was of those who reject faith.”2:34.

Satan’s job is to wreak havoc in the land.  When ALLAH told the angels to bow to Adam, Iblis, who was among the angels, refused.  When questioned as to why he wouldn’t bow, he told ALLAH, “I am better than he.  You made me from fire and him from dirt.” 7:12.

That’s good to know too because the important thing is not what Satan thinks of us, but rather what ALLAH says of us.  Adam is above Satan IF he (Adam) does the right thing as laid out in the Qumran.  Otherwise he can be reduced to the lowest of the low.  Mankind has the ability to follow and worship anything or anybody he/she chooses.  This is why we can use Satan as a tool to further our own salvation, rather than seeing him as an awesome figure to be feared.  All we have to do is simply use his existence as another reminder to follow our Creators guidance.  After all, since ALLAH loves us and wishes us success, the existence of Satan can only be for our good as long as ALLAH’S instructions are followed.

One very important part of our religion (Al-Islam) that is different from many other religions is that we can’t blame Satan for any of our adversities.  The Muslim can’t say “the Devil made me do it” as some other religions might say.  Since we are above Satan, when he comes to us with his sin we need only to look him in the eye and say NO!

Thoughts on human morality are generating keen interest from many different sections of our country.  As part of a poll conducted on the American people, a sampling was asked what they thought was the most pressing problem facing the country today.  The overwhelming majority said the moral climate of the country was our biggest problem.  Many respondents said that we don’t seem to value goodness any more.  The next most frequent answer was the environment.

Both of these areas are the responsibility of Adam.  First Adam was created to follow God.  He was created to be moral and he accomplishes this by worshipping ALLAH.  This makes his life better as well as his family and the society as a whole.  Next, as custodian of the earth, Adam has the job of protecting the environment.  We can’t (shouldn’t) pollute the oceans or the land.  We also shouldn’t pollute the air with foul language and foul deeds to our brother or sister.

So don’t sit around full of doom and gloom about the existence of Satan.  Instead thank ALLAH for giving you the opportunity to get stronger, enhance your faith, and prove that the book (Qur’an) is right.  You couldn’t do that if it were not for the existence of Satan and other adversities in your life.  You would be just like a cow or sheep.  Just eat grass and sleep.  But since you have so much more to gain, you must also give more to get it.  So thank ALLAH for all He gives you – for it is all good.

The Peace be on you, As-Salaam-Alaikum,
Al Hajj Imam Abdullah Bey El-Amin

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