1.24. THE DECEPTION OF SHAYTAN WITH THOSE WHO LOVE SOMETHING
Demons appear to polytheists in the images of those they worship, commanding and prohibiting them.
One of those who says he is a ‘witness’ and is associated with the Sufi paths said: ‘Indeed (the one who is loved) addresses him internally in the voice of the ‘witness’. So among them is the one who prays at night and that (beloved Shaykh) comes face-to-face with him in order that he sees him in the light. And among them is he who sees [the beloved Shaykh] in the ‘state of audience’ (same?) and outside of it, they think that they are being addressed and through that they come across a kind of increase in their hearts. That is because they are imagining [their beloved figures] in their souls, and perhaps Shaytan is appearing in their image, and so they encounter in their souls an address from this image. Then they say: ‘We were addressed by so- and-so.’Even If this speaker exists,who is actually speaking to him? So the criterion is here that speech is only from the whispers of Shaytan and the self.
They are addressed with good things as a bribe from (Shaytan) to them, and he will not address them with what they know is falsehood so that maybe they might flee from him. Rather Shaytan Addresses one of them with what he thinks is true. When a monk is pleased with himself, at times he sees in his self an image of the Trinity. Perhaps he may be addressed by them since he had imagined them before that. So when his self becomes polished with being pleased, they appear to him. The believer who loves Allah and His Messenger see the Messenger in his dreams in proportion to his faith, just as was expanded upon at another point in this text.
A great number of ascetics and worshipers aid the disbelievers and they allege that they are ‘commanded’9 to do that and spoken to about it. They think that Allah is the one who commanded them to do that, while in fact Allah is far removed from that. The only ones who would command them with that are the self, Shaytan and what- ever is in their souls of polytheism. Therefore if he was one whose religion was sincerely for the sake of Allah, then truly nothing of that would appear to him. For indeed this could not happen except to someone who has polytheism in his worship or commits some innovation. This definitely does not befall someone who is sincerely adhering to the Sunnah.
Therefore ‘visions’ have three categories:
1. A vision from Allah;
2. A vision from related by the self;
3. A vision from Shaytan.
As such, if anything occurs to the self of a person, in that case the three categories should alert him. And due to this there are three cases: divine (Rahmani), self-induced (nafsani) and Satanic (Shaytani).
And what takes place of the types of ‘divine disclosure’ (mukashafa) and supernatural disposal of affairs’(tasarruf are three categories as well- angelic, self-induced and Satanic. For indeed the angels, self, Shaytan and the heart (paid) of the believer have strength. So whatever is from an angel or the heart of a believer, then it is true; and whatever is from Shaytan and the whispers of the self, then it is falsehood.
This has caused a large number of groups to be in doubt about these matters, for they did not distinguish between the saints of Allah and the enemies of Allah. Rather they began thinking about those who were types of polytheists and disbelievers in most cases people of the Book that they were pious, saints of Allah.
Rather they began thinking about those who were types of polytheists and disbelievers in most cases people of the Book that they were pious, saints of Allah. The discussion of this has been elaborated upon elsewhere.
Due to the above, there were those among them who saw it as permissible to fight the Prophets, those who thought that they were better than the Prophets, and other types. That is because they ex- perienced what they thought were miracles of saints when in fact what took place were Satanic and self-induced visions, disclosures, and supernatural affairs. So they thought that they were from among the saints,when the matter was actually there verse.The Root Of this is that they devoted themselves to worshiping what their Selves loved and with regards to the acts of worship which Allah loves and is pleased with, they did not love or want to perform them only. They thought that when they worshiped Allah in the manner He and His Messenger commanded it lowered them from a position of authority. So they produced strong love, devotion, worship, longing and asceticism, however it contained polytheism and innovation.
Love (mahabba) for the Oneness of Allah only takes place for the sake of Allah alone and those who follow His Messenger, as Allah said:
“Say: If you love Allah then follow me. Allah will love you and forgive your sins (Al-‘Imran (3): 31)
That is why the people of imitation have Jihad and good intentions (niyya) in their love they love for the sake of Allah and get angry for the sake of Allah. And they are firm upon the religion of Ibrahim (alayhis-salam):
“And those who were with him when they said to their people: ‘Indeed we are free from you and what you worship besides Allah. We reject you and enmity and anger has appeared between us and you forever until you believe in Allah alone5” (al-Mumtatanah (60): 4).
Their love had polytheism in it and they did not imitate the Mes- senger or those who fight in the path of Allah. Thus it was not a sincere love and it was coupled with faith in the Oneness of Allah. Due to this Abu Talib al-Makkl named his book ‘The Nourishment of the Hearts in Dealing with the Beloved and a Description of the Path of the Adherent towards the Station of Faith in the Oneness of Allah. And Allah, glorified is He, knows best.
By Shaykhu’l-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah
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