All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. We seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan. Peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and companions.
Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) warns us repeatedly in the Quran that Shaytan is a clear and perpetual enemy to humanity. His sole purpose is to divert people from the worship of Allah alone and the adherence to His Straight Path, ultimately leading them to the Fire. (إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَاتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوًّا إِنَّمَا يَدْعُو حِزْبَهُ لِيَكُونُوا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ السَّعِيرِ – “Indeed, Shaytan is an enemy to you; so take him as an enemy. He only invites his party to be among the companions of the Blaze.” – Surah Fatir 35:6).
Understanding the insidious methods of Shaytan is therefore a crucial aspect of a believer’s spiritual defense. The esteemed Islamic scholar Imam Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (رحمه الله, d. 751 AH), a towering figure whose works are deeply rooted in the Quran and Sunnah according to the understanding of the Salaf us-Salih, outlined the primary, progressive strategies Shaytan employs in his relentless war against mankind.
In his profound work, Madarij al-Salikin (Levels of the Seekers), Ibn al-Qayyim explains that Shaytan approaches the son of Adam step-by-step, starting with the most severe trap. If he fails to ensnare the person in the first trap, he moves to the second, and so on, down the hierarchy of misguidance. He only proceeds to a lesser trap if the person successfully navigates the more severe one.
By recognizing this progression of evil, believers can better identify Shaytan’s whispers (Waswas), fortify their hearts, seek timely refuge in Allah, and strengthen their adherence to the protective guidance of the Quran and authentic Sunnah.
Let us delve into these seven progressive traps, as expounded by Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (رحمه الله):
This is Shaytan’s grand objective and the gravest form of misguidance he seeks to achieve. If he can lead a person to disbelief (Kufr) in Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), His Lordship, His exclusive right to worship (Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah), His perfect names and attributes (Tawhid al-Asma’ wa al-Sifat), His messengers, or the clear tenets of Islam, or to commit Shirk (associating partners with Allah in worship or belief), he has achieved the ultimate victory against that individual. A person who dies upon Kufr or major Shirk is eternally damned to the Hellfire, and no good deeds will benefit them.
How Shaytan Operates:
How to Protect Yourself:
If, by Allah’s grace, a person holds fast to the rope of Iman and Tawhid, Shaytan is defeated in this most critical battle and moves to the next, less severe but still destructive, trap.
If Shaytan fails to make a person a disbeliever or a polytheist, he attempts to corrupt their religious practice and belief from within by introducing innovations (Bid’ah). Bid’ah is defined as introducing into the religion something that has no basis in the Quran or the authentic Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), whether it is in creed (‘Aqidah) or acts of worship (‘Ibadah).
How Shaytan Operates:
The danger of Bid’ah is immense because it is a direct challenge to the completeness of Islam and a hidden form of misguidance that often goes unrecognized by the one committing it. The Prophet (peace be upon him) explicitly warned: “Whoever introduces into this matter of ours [Islam] that which is not from it will have it rejected.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari, 2697, and Muslim, 1718). And he said: “Every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Hellfire.” (Sunan an-Nasa’i, authenticated by Shaykh al-Albani).
Examples of Bid’ah:
How to Protect Yourself:
If Shaytan fails to trap a person in innovation by the grace of Allah, he moves down to the next level.
If Shaytan cannot corrupt a person’s fundamental belief or introduce innovations into their religion, he tries to lead them into committing major sins (Kaba’ir). These are grave offenses that carry specific severe warnings, curses, or punishments mentioned in the Quran or authentic Sunnah, such as murder, Zina (illegal sexual intercourse), Riba (usury), theft, magic, consuming intoxicants, severe disobedience to parents, or backbiting and slander.
How Shaytan Operates:
Allah warns us about Shaytan’s deceptive promises related to sin:
“Shaytan threatens you with poverty and orders you to immorality, while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.”
(Surah Al-Baqarah 2:268)1
How to Protect Yourself:
If a believer, by Allah’s mercy, is protected from major sins or sincerely repents from them, Shaytan descends to the next trap.
If Shaytan fails to ensnare a person in major sins, he tries to make them fall into minor sins (Sagha’ir) and, more dangerously, encourages persistence in them. Minor sins are acts of disobedience that are not explicitly tied to severe punishments in the texts, but they are still violations of Allah’s commands.
How Shaytan Operates:
The danger here lies in accumulation and persistence. The Salaf us-Salih understood this well. They said: “There is no minor sin with persistence, and no major sin with seeking forgiveness.” Repeatedly committing a minor sin hardens the heart and can turn the minor sin into a major one.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) illustrated the danger of neglecting minor sins with a powerful analogy:
“Beware of belittling sins, for indeed, their example is like that of some people who camped in a valley, and they began to come one by one with a stick (of firewood) until they gathered enough to cook their food. Indeed, whenever the minor sins are gathered upon a person, they destroy him.”
(Musnad Ahmad 22304, authenticated by Shaykh al-Albani)
Just as collecting small twigs can build a large, destructive fire, accumulating minor sins can destroy a person’s faith and lead them to ruin.
How to Protect Yourself:
If a believer remains vigilant, repents often, and avoids persistence in minor sins, Shaytan moves to his fifth, subtler trap.
If Shaytan cannot lead a person into sins, he tries to consume their time and energy with permissible (Mubah) activities that offer no spiritual or significant worldly benefit, thereby distracting them from more important matters related to worship, productivity, and preparing for the Hereafter.
How Shaytan Operates:
The Quran warns against wasting life on vain pursuits:
“And of the people is he who buys the amusement of speech to mislead [others] from the way of Allah without knowledge and takes it as a joke. Those will have a humiliating punishment.”
(Surah Luqman 31:6) – While interpreted in various ways, the verse includes diversion through useless and distracting speech or entertainment.
Examples of Excessive Mubah:
How to Protect Yourself:
If a believer overcomes this trap by effectively managing their time and prioritizing the Hereafter, Shaytan moves to a highly subtle trap targeting those who are already committed to good deeds.
This trap is particularly insidious as it targets sincere and active believers. If Shaytan cannot stop them from doing good deeds, he tries to divert their efforts towards actions that are good and permissible in themselves but are of lesser reward or lower priority compared to other available good deeds. His aim is to prevent the person from achieving the highest levels of spiritual excellence and reward.
How Shaytan Operates:
This trap requires a deep understanding of the priorities in Islam (Fiqh al-Awlawiyyat) based on the Quran and Sunnah. As the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught, deeds have ranks: “The best deeds are those done regularly, even if they are small.” (Sahih Bukhari 6464, Muslim 783). Also, fulfilling obligations is always superior to voluntary acts.
Ibn al-Qayyim (رحمه الله) explains that only those with true Basirah (insight), deep beneficial knowledge (‘Ilm Nafi’), and wisdom can consistently navigate this trap and correctly discern which action is most pleasing to Allah or most beneficial in a given situation. This trap is a sign that the believer has overcome the preceding, more severe levels of misguidance.
Examples of Being Trapped:
How to Protect Yourself:
If, by Allah’s grace and guidance, a person manages to escape all these traps by adhering to knowledge, wisdom, and righteous prioritization, Shaytan resorts to his final, external strategy.
If Shaytan fails to misguide a person internally through disbelief, innovation, sin, distraction, or misprioritization, he unleashes his external forces. This involves inciting his allies from among disbelievers, hypocrites, innovators, and devils from among both mankind and jinn to physically, verbally, or emotionally harm and persecute the steadfast believer.
How Shaytan Operates:
This trap is a test of faith and is unavoidable for those who strive sincerely for the sake of Allah and adhere firmly to His Deen, particularly those who enjoin good and forbid evil. Allah mentions this reality:
“And thus We have made for every prophet an enemy - devils from mankind and jinn, inspiring to one another decorative speech in delusion.”
(Surah Al-An’am 6:112)
The prophets (عليهم السلام), who were the best of humanity, faced the most severe persecution from the enemies of Allah. This demonstrates that experiencing opposition and hardship for the sake of truth is a sign of following in the footsteps of the messengers and the righteous.
Types of Opposition:
How to Protect Yourself:
These seven progressive traps highlight the cunning and persistent nature of Shaytan’s efforts to misguide mankind, ranging from the most severe forms of disbelief to the subtle diversions aimed at the most righteous. Understanding these methods, as meticulously detailed by Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (رحمه الله) based on the texts of the Quran and Sunnah, is essential for every believer.
Key Takeaways to Defend Against Shaytan’s Traps:
Ultimately, our success in navigating Shaytan’s traps depends entirely on the mercy and guidance of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى). We must constantly strive, seek knowledge, act righteously, and turn to Him in repentance and supplication.
We conclude by seeking refuge in Allah from Shaytan and his evil designs, with the supplication taught in the Quran:
وَقُل رَّبِّ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيَاطِينِ * وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ رَبِّ أَن يَحْضُرُونِ
"And say, 'My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the incitements of the devils, and I seek refuge in You, my Lord, lest they be present with me.'"
(Surah Al-Mu’minun 23:97-98)
This explanation is derived from the insights of Imam Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (رحمه الله) in Madarij al-Salikin, with elaboration based on the general principles of the Quran and Sunnah as understood by Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah.
And Allah knows best.
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