said, "What prevented you from prostrating when I com-
manded you to?" He (Iblis) replied, "I am better than
him. You created me from fire and You created him from
clay."
He (Allah) said, "Descend from Heaven. It is not for you to be
arrogant in it. So get out! You are one of the abased." (Surat
al-A'raf: 11-13)
Allah tells us in the Qur'an that Shaytan blamed human be-
ings for his fallen condition and asked Allah for a period of time—
ending at the Day of Judgment—in which he would begin his
work of tempting man from the right path.
He said, "Grant me a reprieve until the day they are raised
up."
He (Allah) said, "You are one of the reprieved."
He said, "By Your misguidance of me, I will lie in ambush for
them on Your straight path. Then I will come at them, from in
front of them and behind them, from their right and from
their left. You will not find most of them thankful."
He (Allah) said, "Get out of it, reviled and driven out. As for
those of them who follow you, I will fill up Hell with every
one of you." (Surat al-A'raf: 14-18)
Shaytan's target is all humanity beginning with believers who
strongly embrace Allah's religion. His desire is to draw as many
people as possible to be with him in the Fire. He tries to prevent
people from worshipping Allah sincerely from the heart, to take
people away from Allah's deen and from the Qur'an and, as a re-
sult, to draw them into endless punishment.
And those with faith are aware that their greatest enemy,
Shaytan, is always working; while they are trying to obey the com-
mands of Allah as best they can, they are always wary of Shaytan's
games and tricks. They are awake to the apprehension and
Harun Yahya
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