The Quranic Terminology: Steps of the Devil

Was published in Arabic in October 27, 2015

Translated by Ahmed Fathy

Firstly: The Quranic meaning of forbidding the following of the steps of the devil

1- One of the most significant and worthy-of-reflecting terminologies in the Quranic text is term ''steps of the devil''.

2- We, human beings, are never able to see the devils incarnated in any material form. Devils can see human beings: "O Children of Adam! Do not let Satan seduce you, as he drove your parents out of the Garden, stripping them of their garments, to show them their nakedness. He sees you, him and his clan, from where you cannot see them. We have made the devils friends of those who do not believe."(7:27). Hence, we cannot see the steps of the devils; how come then that we are ordered not to follow the footsteps of Satan and his progeny of devils? This is explained by the Quranic fact that every human being has his/her own devil that is urging them to commit sins. Devils whisper into our minds unholy thoughts and heretical notions as well. Accordingly, devils make the wrong appear right and vice versa in our minds. Devils are like souls; they have no material bodies for us to see. They whisper into our minds and souls. If a human being follows such whisperings by mind and action; the devil dominates such a human being soul and mind. A believer should seek refuge in the Almighty before reciting/reading the Quran: "When you read the Quran, seek refuge with God from Satan the outcast. He has no authority over those who believe and trust in their Lord. His authority is only over those who follow him, and those who associate devils as gods with the Almighty."(16:98-100). We conclude then that those human souls dominated by the devils feel blind and deaf, metaphorically, as far as the Quranic text is concerned. The alternative is following the steps of the devils: "Whoever shuns the remembrance of the Most Gracious and His Book, We assign for him a devil, to be their companion."(43:36). Such a devilish companion makes one removed body and mind and soul from Quranic guidance, and one feels simultaneously that one is guided well enough: "They hinder them from the path, though they think they are guided."(43:37). This person might remain dominated by the devil assigned to him/her until it is too late to repent and remorse in the Afterlife and Day of Judgment: "Until, when He comes to Us, he will say, "If only there were between me and you the distance of the two Easts." What an evil companion!"(43:38).

3- We have to bear in mind that devils never cease to deviate humans and never lose hope or determination. Satan has said to God the following: "He said, "Because you have lured me, I will waylay them on Your straight path. Then I will come at them from before them, and from behind them, and from their right, and from their left; and you will not find most of them appreciative.""(7:16-17). The Satanic plan or scheme to deviate the children of Adam continues until the end of days or the end of the universe. God will say, in the day of Judgment, to those who have been all their lives following the steps of the devils from one generation to another, by devilish revelation of the so-called hadiths, diabolical idols and shrines/tombs: "Did I not covenant with you, O Children of Adam, that you shall not serve the devil? That he is your sworn enemy? And that you shall serve Me? This is a straight path. He has misled a great multitude of you. Did you not understand? This is Hellfire, which you were promised. Roast in it today, because you persistently disbelieved."(36:60-64). Devils assigned to every human being know quite well the psychological state of people and how to tempt them in every possible manner. For instance, if a believer loves Muhammad the Prophet too much, devils might make such a person's love be turned into deification and worship. This goes against the Quran of course. A devil might turn a believer's piety into religiosity, bigotry, and fanatic behavior. Devils can make all deviant persons go on in their evil ways and justify them by myriads of ways especially using creed: this happens now with the fabricated faiths of Sunnite/Salafi/Wahabi people who turned terrorism into a religion of their own that has nothing to do with the only real Islam : the Quran.

4- Devils tempt humans gradually and sometimes using bad heretical notions under the guise of motto of faith/tenets. Devilish revelation is responsible for the so-called hadiths that have led to the emergence of the fabricated, earthly, human-made creeds that sanction coercion, terrorism, and corruption under the banner of Islam: the creeds of Sufis, Sunnites, and Shiites, and their branching doctrines and sub-creeds. Such people who sank deep into these falsehoods are described in the Quran as foes and enemies of the prophets and as human devils; i.e., those who lie to God by ascribing to Him falsehoods and deny verses of the Quran: see 6:21, 6:93, 6:112, and 6:116.

5- To prevent people sinking deep into such level of falsity leading to Hell, God orders us not to follow the steps of the devil, starting by seeking refuge in God before reading the Quran and asking so sincerely and fervently for God's guidance. Following one step of the devil might lead us to follow other steps of Satan who makes a deviant person sees wrongdoing as something good: "What of him whose evil deed was made attractive to him, and so he regards it as good? God leads astray whomever He wills, and He guides whomever He wills. Therefore, do not waste yourself sorrowing over them. God knows exactly what they do."(35:8). This is exemplified by those who commit crimes, sins, injustices and justify them by creed/religion and under the pretext of following the steps of 'good' or 'devout'  ancestors or forefathers. This leads such people to be associates of the devils: "…We have made the devils friends of those who do not believe. And when they commit an indecency, they say, "We found our parents doing this, and God has commanded us to do it." Say, "God does not command indecencies. Are you attributing to God what you do not know?"Say, "My Lord commands justice, and to stand devoted at every place of worship. So call upon Him, and dedicate your faith to Him alone. Just as He originated you, so you will return." Some He has guided and some have deserved misguidance. They have adopted the devils for patrons rather than God, and they assume that they are guided."(7:27-30).  

Secondly: Types of orders in the Quran of not following the steps of the devils:

1- In the following verse, we perceive an order to us to observe peace and shunning the devils and their steps: we are to shun all thoughts leading to violence and injustice: "O you who believe! Enter into peace, wholeheartedly, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan; he is to you an outright enemy."(2:208). Another example is fighting (or jihad) is permissible only in self-defense not to raid and commit aggression: "And fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not commit aggression; God does not love the aggressors."(2:190), compare the same style of order in (2:208). When in battle, once an enemy resorts to peace, one cannot kill him: "Whoever kills a believer deliberately, the penalty for him is Hell, where he will remain forever. And God will be angry with him, and will curse him, and will prepare for him a terrible punishment. O you who believe! When you journey in the way of God, investigate, and do not say to him who offers you peace, "You are not a believer," aspiring for the goods of this world. With God are abundant riches. You yourselves were like this before, and God bestowed favor on you; so investigate. God is well aware of what you do."(4:93-94). Hence, devils try of make humans follow the steps of evil by killing peaceful people contrary to the divine order in these two Quranic verses. Let alone those so-called companions of the Prophet Muhammad who, after his death, killed one another and killed hundreds of thousands of people in their conquests unjustly and in aggression dedicated to material gains. These wars were never for the sake of God' religion, but for money and thus for the sake of Satan.

2- God says in the Quran: "O people! Eat of what is lawful and good on earth, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. He is to you an open enemy. He commands you to do evil and vice, and to say about God what you do not know."(2:168-169), and in this example, we are ordered not to follow the steps of the devils by prohibiting legal and permissible foods. This is adding legislations foreign to Islam. This is self-deification. One cannot add rules not found in Islam: the Quran. This adding of fabrications is the source of the devilish creeds of Sunnites, Shiites, and Sufis. Devils order humans to commit evil deeds and add notions not linked really to God's religion by lying to God by ascribing sayings (hadiths) to God and Prophet Muhammad. Such oral traditions eventually written since the second century A.H. and onwards (until now) are considered as part and parcel of creeds of Sunnites, Shiites, and Sufis who call anyone as apostate if one denies such traditions coming from ancestors. They refuse following the Quran and favor ancestral traditions: "And when it is said to them, "Follow what God has revealed," they say, "We will follow what we found our ancestors following." Even if their ancestors understood nothing, and were not guided?"(2:170). Following ancestors blindly makes people akin to cattle herd whose animals do not think: "The parable of those who disbelieve is that of someone who calls upon someone who hears nothing except screaming and yelling. Deaf, dumb, and blind-they do not understand. O you who believe! Eat of the good things We have provided for you, and give thanks to God, if it is Him that you serve.He has forbidden you carrion, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and what was dedicated to other than God. But if anyone is compelled, without desiring or exceeding, he commits no sin. God is Forgiving and Merciful."(2:171-173). Hence, it is devilish to forbid food not made unlawful by God. God warns the mortal deities of mane-made creeds who hide truths of the Quran and spread falsehoods under the name of Islam: "Those who conceal what God revealed in the Book, and exchange it for a small price-those swallow nothing but fire into their bellies. And God will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them, and they will have a painful punishment. It is they who exchange guidance for error, and forgiveness for punishment. But why do they insist on the Fire? That is because God has revealed the Book in truth; and those who differ about the Book are in deep discord."(2:174-176).

3- To assert all the above-mentioned fact of not forbidding foods, we quote this verse: "Among the livestock are some for transportation, and some for clothing. Eat of what God has provided for you, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. He is to you an outright enemy."(6:142).

4- As for the notion of forbidding fornication, we quote the verse: "O you who believe! Do not follow Satan's footsteps. Whoever follows Satan's footsteps-he advocates obscenity and immorality. Were it not for God's grace towards you, and His mercy, not one of you would have been pure, ever. But God purifies whomever He wills. God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing."(24:21). Hence, steps of the devil here lead to all actions leading to fornication and adultery: let us quote the following verses "…that you do not come near indecencies, whether outward or inward…"(6:151), "And do not come near adultery. It is immoral, and an evil way."(17:32). One might be tempted to commit small mishaps and mistakes, and atone for them by doing good deeds and repentance, but it is important not to commit the major sin of fornication: "If you avoid the worst of what you are forbidden, We will remit your sins, and admit you by a Gate of Honor"(4:31) and "To God belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth. He will repay those who do evil according to their deeds, and recompense those who do good with the best. Those who avoid gross sins and indecencies - except for minor lapses-your Lord is of Vast Forgiveness. He knows you well, ever since He created you from the earth, and ever since you were embryos in your mothers' wombs. So do not acclaim your own virtue; He is fully aware of the righteous."(53:31-32).

Lastly:

 A true believer would not follow the steps of the devils; true believers know that devils are their enemies: "Satan is an enemy to you, so treat him as an enemy. He only invites his gang to be among the inmates of the Inferno."(35:6). "Satan promises you poverty, and urges you to immorality; but God promises you forgiveness from Himself, and grace. God is Embracing and Knowing."(2:268). Finally, God says nothing but the Truth.