Eliminating the whispers of Satan regarding the issue of creation
Selections from the Book The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him …
Written by Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi...
Episode (17)
Thinking about the principle of creation without guidance from revelation is an entry point for Satan's whispers. Satan—may Allah curse him—does not leave any way to confuse the son of Adam without pursuing it. This includes what the Prophet (peace be upon him) explained about the whispers of Satan that come to a person regarding creation, leading them to question who created Allah—Exalted is He above such questions—and what one should do when faced with such thoughts. Al-Bukhari reported from Anas that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “People will not stop asking questions till they say, 'This is Allah, the Creator of everything, then who created Allah?’”. Ibn Hajar added that in another narration about the beginning of creation, it is stated: “Who created your Lord?” and it was added: “When he gets that length the man should seek refuge in Allah and stop thinking about it”. In another version reported by Muslim: “Whoever experiences this should say: ‘I believe in Allah’”, with another narration adding: “and His messengers”. Abu Dawood and An-Nasa’i reported additional details: “He should say: {Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One, (1) Allah, the Eternal Refuge. (2) He neither begets nor is born, (3) Nor is there to Him any equivalent." (4)} [Al-Ikhlas: 1-4], then spit to his left, and seek refuge with Allah”. Another narration states: “If one of you experiences this, let him say: ‘I believe in Allah and His messenger,’ for this will remove it.”
These are doubts that Satan casts upon the son of Adam, and almost no one is safe from encountering them. Therefore, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) alerted to these doubts so that a Muslim would not fall into them, and he clarified the way to rid oneself of them. He explained that they are whispers from Satan intended to disrupt one’s faith and draw one into a whirlpool of delusion.
Abu Dawood narrated from Abu Huraira that some people came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said; Messenger of Allah! We have thoughts which we cannot dare talk about and we do not like that we have them or talk about them. He said: ''Have you experienced that?'' They replied: yes. He said : ''that is clear faith''. Ibn Abi Shaiba narrated from Ibn Abbas that a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: 'I have thoughts of such a nature that I would rather be reduced to charcoal than speak about them”. The Prophet Muhammad replied, 'Praise be to Allah who has reduced [the devil] to no more than evil prompting!'''.
Al-Khattabi then explained that ''clear faith'' refers to what is so great in their hearts that they hesitate to speak of it, which prevents them from accepting what Satan throws at them. Otherwise, it would not have been so significant to them that they rejected it. It is not meant that the whispering itself is clear faith, but rather it is from Satan and his scheming.
Ibn Abbas also explained how to treat satanic whispering. Abu Zamil reported: I asked Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) about something I found in my heart. He asked, “What is it?” I replied, “By Allah, I will not speak of it.” He then asked, “Is it something of doubt?” I said, “Yes.” He said, “No one has escaped from that until Allah Almighty revealed: {So if you are in doubt, [O Muhammad], about that which We have revealed to you, then ask those who have been reading the Scripture before you.} [Yunus: 94]. He told me: “When you find something in yourself, say: {He is the First and the Last, the Ascendant and the Intimate, and He is, of all things, Knowing.} [Al-Hadid: 3].
Ibn al-Qayyim comments on this narration by saying: He guided them with this verse to the falsity of the endless chain through the obviousness of reason, showing that the chain of created things, in its beginning, ends with a First with nothing before Him, just as it ends in its end with a Last with nothing after Him. His Being is the elevation with nothing above it, and His Immanence is the encompassing with nothing beyond it. If there were something before Him that was affecting Him, that would be the "Lord" the Creator, and the matter must end with a Creator who is uncreated, independent of others, while everything else is dependent on Him. He is self-sufficient, and everything else exists through Him. He is self-existent, and everything else exists through Him. He is eternal with no beginning, while everything else exists after non-existence, enduring through Him. He is ''The First" with nothing before Him, "The Last" with nothing after Him, ''The Manifest" with nothing above Him, and ''The Hidden" with nothing beyond Him.
Episode references:
- Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi, The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him, pp. 141-145.
- The Story of Creation, Al-Kharaan, p. 19-20.
- To Allah belong the best names, Al-Jalil, p. 180-181.
For further information and review of the sources for the article, see:
The Book of The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him on the official website of Sheikh Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi
