Thirteenth Ramadan Lecture Presented by Al-Sayyid Abdul Malik Badruddin Al-Houthi, 1444 A.H.

Thirteenth Ramadan Lecture Presented by Al-Sayyid Abdul Malik Badruddin Al-Houthi, 1444 A.H.

Shaytan (5)
the symbol of evil
the entry points he exploits and the means of protection against his influence

I seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan, the outcast.

In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Praise is to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. I believe that there is no god but Allah, the Sovereign and the Manifest Truth, and that Muhammad, our master, is His servant, Messenger, and Last Prophet.

O Allah, confer Your salat and blessings upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad as You conferred Your salat and blessings upon Ibrahim and the Family of Ibrahim. You are Owner of Praise, Owner of Glory! And be pleased with Muhammad's good companions and all Your righteous servants and mujahidin.

O Allah, guide us and grant us acceptance, for You are All-Hearing, All-Knowing; accept our repentance, for You are the Relenting and the Merciful.

Brothers and sisters, peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.

In the context of discussing the danger of Shaytan to humans, his methods and ways of influencing them, and his deep-seated malice towards human society and his intense enmity towards Adam and his descendants throughout generations, as well as the details provided by the Quran regarding this matter, we spoke in light of the blessed verse, {'Share with them in wealth and children.'} This blessed verse comes after Allah's saying:

{'He said, "Do you see this one you honoured above me? If you delay my end until the Day of Judgment, I will certainly take hold of his descendants, except for a few." Allah responded, "Go! Whoever of them follows you, Jahannam will surely be the reward for all of you, an ample reward. And incite whoever you can of them with your voice, mobilize against them all your cavalry and infantry, share with them in wealth and children, and make them promises." But Shaytan promises them nothing but delusion. "You surely have no authority over My servants." And sufficient is your Lord as a trustee'}.

In light of the blessed verse, when Allah (Glory be to Him) said, {'Share with them in wealth and children,'} we spoke yesterday about how Shaytan primarily relies on exploiting and utilizing the material and human capabilities and potentials of those whom he has successfully tempted among humans to serve his own goals:

• First, he seeks to tempt them into practicing bad deeds that cause them humiliation, torment, and misery, strip them of their human dignity, and lead them into Jahannam. (We seek refuge in Allah.) He does not need to work hard to fund his huge, evil project to corrupt humans, ruin their lives, tempt them, and lead them into misery and destruction. Indeed, he does not need to make any effort in that regard, nor does he need to lose a single penny or any amount of money. He does not have to go through any trouble for it. This means that he drives humans to be the ones who fund the wicked deeds and carry out those evil acts that serve his goals in corrupting them, causing them misery, and leading them towards torment (We seek refuge in Allah).
• Then, he aims to corrupt the reality of humans' lives, spreading corruption, crime, injustice, and evil deeds that have negative effects on humans themselves, their circumstances, and their stability. These evil deeds can also lead to negative effects that extend to all areas of their lives, resulting in harmful consequences, health hazards, insecurity, social evils, and more. As a result, all the negative consequences fall upon humans themselves, for they are the ones who are affected and who suffer.

Unfortunately, the wide-reaching impact on people's lives extends as a result of this response by many humans. Some humans even turn into devils, as we mentioned in light of the blessed verse, {'devilish humans and jinn'}. The sphere of devilish actions and activities expands into human reality, reaching some individuals who turn into devils and move to corrupt and tempt other people. They deviate and become corrupted, and after that, they assume this role within society, among other humans (We seek refuge in Allah). They make serious efforts in this direction, and they try to thrive within communities and target people at both personal and collective levels: They engage in general and collective activities as well as personal activities—they might target you. Some individuals can be easily tempted by some of human devils, and they perform this thoroughly. But in some cases, human devils and jinn devils need to collaborate to mislead certain individuals. Jinn devils seize the opportunity during their solitary moments, when they are alone, to continue what the human devils started. Thus, human devils also act through temptation and other methods to corrupt others, while jinn devils come to complete this role through temptation, adornment, whispering, and other methods. This is a very serious situation.

In certain stages, devilish activity increases according to this collaboration between human devils and jinn devils. In this period , the means and capabilities that promote corruption, misguidance, and falsehood have multiplied. They target the human soul, aiming to influence it significantly through the tools and technologies of the era. So the danger is now greater, and humans need to realize that and strive to protect themselves from this danger.

The entry points for Shaytan to influence humans

There are entry points for Shaytan to influence a human with the help of human devils or jinn devils. The foremost and most dangerous entry point is heedlessness and forgetfulness of Allah (Glory be to Him): Humans need to consciously and consistently remember Allah in their hearts, minds, thoughts, and souls. They should remember Allah, His greatness, His promise of reward and punishment, His majesty, and the magnitude of His dominion. They should keep remembering their responsibility before Him, His blessings upon them, and the fact that He is their Lord, their Creator, the Guardian of their blessings, and their ultimate destination. They should keep remembering that He is constantly watching over them, never neglecting them even for a moment.

If a person becomes heedless of Allah and forgets Him, this has an impact on him and weakens his immunity against devilish influences and attempts to sway him, whether from jinn or human devils. This is why Allah (Glory be to Him) says about the munafiqin, {'Shaytan has taken hold of them, causing them to forget the remembrance of Allah'}. This is because he sees it as a means to exert complete control over them and have a significant influence on them: their forgetfulness and heedlessness of Him.

One of the most dangerous entry points, which opens the doors for devilish influence from jinn and human devils, is to distance oneself from the guidance of Allah (Glory be to Him) and to ignore it. When your connection to the guidance of Allah is not strong and when you become indifferent and neglectful towards it, this leads to very serious consequences for you. The guidance of Allah has a significant impact:

• in purifying the soul at the educational level,
• in raising awareness,
• and in strengthening and solidifying the state of Taqwa and spiritual immunity within the soul.

It makes you attain a vigilant spirit and a conscious mind that is alert to the schemes of Shaytan. This makes you carry the spirit of enmity towards Shaytan and seek refuge in that. Therefore, when a person turns away from the guidance of Allah, becomes indifferent, negligent, and neglectful, it opens the way for influence upon him and even unleashes devils upon him, as mentioned in the blessed verse: {'And whoever turns away from the remembrance of the Merciful, We appoint for him a devil, and he then becomes to him a companion'}.

It is a very serious state: This becomes the alternative to the guidance of Allah (Glory be to Him). If you do not take Allah's guidance as your companion and build a strong relationship with it based on sticking to what it guides to, following it, adhering to it, accepting it, understanding it, and paying attention to it, instead of turning away from it, this is a very serious state. Your companion—the alternative to the Quran, the alternative to the remembrance and guidance of Allah, the Almighty—becomes a devil. Your companion becomes one of the devils, accompanying and influencing you in many situations, as it is mentioned in the verse, {'And he then becomes to him a companion.'} The devil benefits from being your constant companion, and thus he continues to work relentlessly to influence you. He takes advantage of any opportunity in the circumstances of your life to trap you because he lives with you in many situations and circumstances. He recognizes opportunities and understands the state in which he sees opportunities to influence you, be it a state of anger, a state of content, a state of temptation, or a state of attraction and inclination towards desires and lusts.

He is present to seize the opportunity and get you into trouble at any moment. This might be carried out by a devil from the jinn or even from humans. In some cases, the two may come together, accompanying you here and there and collaborating against you. It is an extremely dangerous state.

However, your connection to the guidance of Allah (Glory be to Him) and His remembrance—the kind of connection that is based on seeking guidance and following, embracing, accepting, and understanding it—protects you and keeps you away from the influence of devils. This also grants you Allah's care, support, and help.

By keeping your soul purified, you develop a love for goodness and truth, and you detest and hate evil deeds—you avoid them. The innate faith-based instinct within you—often referred to as conscience—grows stronger. As a result, this has a positive impact on your inclination towards good deeds, and it helps you avoid any shortcomings, mistakes, transgressions, or slips, leading you to return to Allah (Glory be to Him) and to refrain from such actions.

One of the dangerous entry points for devilish influence on humans is neglecting important deeds. Top on the list are those deeds that have to do with maintaining your spiritual well-being and strengthening your faith motivation. This can be achieved through practices such as the five daily Salat , which serve multiple purposes, including:

• remembrance of Allah, the Almighty,
• reinforcing your spiritual faith within yourself,
• purifying and refining your emotions and conscience,
• keeping you away from corrupting and tempting environments,
• and allowing you to live in the spiritual atmosphere of faith, where you turn to Allah (Glory be to Him).

This is especially true when you turn to Allah with your tongue, heart, and conscience while performing Salat. This holds great significance for your soul.

Neglecting Salat subjects your spiritual well-being to significant risks. That is why it is narrated about the Prophet (PBUH&F) that 'Shaytan remains afraid and fearful of the believer as long as he preserves the five daily Salat. But when he neglects Salat, Shaytan dares to approach him and throws him into major sins.' Shaytan approaches the believer with awe and fear, not daring to tempt him greatly when he sees his devotion and sincere turn towards Allah. 'But when he neglects them'—this can be first marked by various practices of negligence, such as heedlessness, neglect, leniency, and preoccupation with trivial matters that lead to missing a certain prayer until it is too late for that prayer. This also can take the form of performing them without devotion or seriousness, and this can eventually escalate to complete neglect and negligence, even in some obligatory acts, such as the Fajr prayer or other obligations. This is a dangerous state for a person. Then, 'Shaytan dares to approach him and throws him into major sins': He throws him into grave sins and extremely dangerous transgressions.

One of the dangers for humans that opens the doors to the influence of Shaytan, as we mentioned before, is getting carried away and following the footsteps of Shaytan.

It is an extremely dangerous state for a person: He starts to take things easily and unleash himself into some issues that have an impact on him and represent a devilish step that leads to another step.

• For example, some people may fall into forbidden relationships through modern means such as mobile phones, communication devices, the internet, and social media. It may start with flirting, for instance, then engaging in bad conversations that involve transgressions and tempt one into them, and eventually leading to committing indecency and evil crimes (We seek refuge in Allah). These are steps that break down barriers, stain souls, and tarnish the purity of one's self.
• Or, for example, some individuals involve themselves by starting with watching pornographic websites or channels that broadcast obscene and immoral scenes. By doing so, they defile themselves, undermine their self-purification, and prepare themselves for the subsequent steps, becoming attracted to what is even worse. This continues until they become entangled in heinous, ugly, and repugnant crimes. (We seek refuge in Allah.)
• In other behaviours related to materialistic desires, a person may gradually justify his actions for himself, little by little, until he engages in significant betrayal or engage in serious forbidden acts, or other similar things.
• The same is true for other situations and actions when one neglects and falls short in important responsibilities, the obligations that Allah has commanded us with regarding our religious commitments. In this state of negligence that occurs according to a step-by-step method, if a person opens the door for his inclination, this will drag him to what is more serious than that!

It is necessary to be cautious and vigilant Ie this is a fundamental method that Shaytan relies on to target humans. Then they become affected, to the point where a sin in one matter may have a serious impact on them in another matter. Allah (Glory be to Him) mentioned this in relation to the defeat of the Muslims in the Battle of Uhud: {'Indeed, those of you who turned away on the day when the two armies met—it was Shaytan who caused them to backslide on account of some of what they had earned'}. Shaytan was able to cause them to slip and push them towards defeat. This represented a sin, was dangerous for them, and had negative effects in many aspects. But how was Shaytan able to push them towards defeat? It is mentioned: {'It was Shaytan who caused them to backslide on account of some of what they had earned.'} They earned certain actions that were in violation of Allah's instructions. These actions weakened their faith-related steadfastness in the required situation, which was to remain firm in the struggle for the sake of Allah. It affected their spiritual state and hindered their ability to maintain steadfastness in that crucial situation, thus providing Shaytan with the opportunity to have a stronger influence over them.

One of the very serious dangers that greatly affect humans is evil companions: Evil companions are a category of devils and an extension of devilish activity that affects many people. The evil companion who has a strong connection and intimate friendship with you enters through the doors of that relationship and friendship to influence you:

• in changing your beliefs,
• in pushing you towards certain behaviours,
• in solidifying erroneous concepts,
• in pushing you towards negative positions,
• or in separating you and distancing you from important matters in religion.

Thus, he influences you, thereby preparing you for greater and greater devilish influence.

Shaytan expands his activity through vast networks; as we said at the beginning of the speech, he does not need to work by himself in order to target the sons of Adam on an individual basis. There may be some special tasks that he carries out directly by himself or may have some activities or tours so as to inspect the ambience or some matters in some regions or countries. A part of that, he gets satisfied with monitoring his wide networks through which he gets daily reports of achievements in targeting the sons of Adam towards destruction, misery, and torment—this is his major goal as an avowed enemy.

{'Indeed, Shaytan's schemes are ever weak,'} but against whom?

Throughout history, Shaytan has attempted to target even the prophets, but he failed miserably; it is well known in his story with Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) how he failed. The ritual of stoning the pillars remains one of the legitimate rituals and symbols in Hajj. It serves as a reminder of that stance and urges us to follow the example of Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) in taking a decisive stance against Shaytan, confronting him, and opposing him. When you move on the basis of faith, Shaytan becomes indeed weak before you.

With regard to the ritual of stoning the pillars, it is performed by throwing small stones—not throwing big ones nor using very powerful weapons—to indicate how feeble Shaytan's cunning is, only if faith is involved. In case this faith-based relationship with Allah does exist, it makes you strong before Shaytan, who will be rendered weak.

The Holy Quran demonstrates his weakness in facing not only the prophets but also the muttaqin: Allah (Glory be to Him) says about the muttaqin, {'Surely, when those who are muttaqin are touched by a glamour from Shaytan, they become conscious, and at once they are watchful. But the devils plunge their brothers deeper into sin, sparing no effort'}. Shaytan does not accompany the muttaqin, nor does he stay close to them. They are cautious and alert, which keeps him far away from them. Even when the whispers of Shaytan approach them in some rare cases, they soon become alert. They have a vigilant spirit, alert soul, and a strong bond with Allah (the Almighty), and they remain mindful of Allah and maintain a strong connection to His guidance. That is why they get out of the state of negligence very soon: They do not fall into a state of negligence for long periods—they soon become alert.

{'Surely, when those who are muttaqin are touched by a glamour from Shaytan, they become conscious.'} If some of his whispers approach them—as he, before retreating, tries with them in hope of influencing them—they soon become alert, and this terminates those whispers. That is because they seek refuge in Allah. They take Allah as their refuge from Shaytan, and they make serious and conscious efforts and move in the opposite direction to the whispers of Shaytan, leading the devilish influence to immediately fade away. So he is unable to make them follow what his whispers call for or submit to it, persist in it, and blindly stick to it.

{'And at once they are watchful.'} They become vigilant and maintain a state of consciousness. They realize that as long as those whispers and the state they are in do not align with the guidance of Allah and His teachings, then they are from Shaytan. They immediately realize that they are from Shaytan. They have clear criteria and fundamentals: The right direction is what Allah has commanded and directed them towards, and anything contrary or differing from it or far from it, it is from Shaytan. Therefore, they become alert and refuse to go any further into that, realizing how dangerous this issue is.

As for others, the devils push them further: {'But the devils plunge their brothers deeper into sin'}. They keep pushing them to continue and go further and further, leading them to very bad ends. They drive them towards the end of the path of evil (We seek refuge in Allah).

Important points for protection against the influence of the accursed Shaytan

Regarding the means of protection against devilish influence, there are important points that we must take into consideration, as emphasized in the Holy Quran.

First and foremost is to seek refuge in Allah, turn to Him, and remember Him a lot: Allah (Glory be to Him) says in the Quran, {'And say, "My Lord! I seek refuge in You from the temptations of the devils. And I seek refuge in You, my Lord, that they come near me"'}; He also says, {'And if you are ever spurred by a spurring from Shaytan, then seek refuge with Allah; indeed, He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing'}.

In the reality of human beings, if they are conscious and have conviction that the whispers that lead them away from the instructions and teachings of Allah and do not align with the state of Taqwa and faith, are from Shaytan, then they will become alert and turn to Allah, seeking refuge in Him. To ask Him to be their refuge means to ask Him to protect them, safeguard them, and shield them from Shaytan, his influence, and his presence. This kind of seeking refuge in Allah—which is a sincere and faithful recourse that comes as part of your effort to distance yourself from the influence of Shaytan and obedience to him—provides you with protection, guarding you from the influence of Shaytan, his temptations, and his whispers. This is extremely important, as emphasized by the Holy Quran in several verses and in multiple surahs. It is a significant matter.

One should make a habit of this: He should frequently seek refuge in Allah. He should also understand the meaning of seeking refuge in Allah: It means to make Allah your refuge to protect and shield you from the influence of Shaytan. As one seeks refuge in Allah, he should also turn to Allah. One should not merely say, 'I seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan, the outcast,' while carrying the mentality of persistence in yielding to Shaytan's whispers. That is when Shaytan whispers to you a wrong position, and you want to continue in it. So even if you say with your tongue, 'I seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan, the outcast,' the direction you are on is to continue and persist in what Shaytan whispers to you, whether in a state of anger, contentment, or fear.

Seeking refuge in Allah should be accompanied with turning to Him. {'And say, "My Lord! I seek refuge in You"'}: 'I seek refuge in You to protect me, safeguard me, and shield me from the influence of Shaytan. {'My Lord! I seek refuge in You from the temptations of the devils'}—'from their whispers and temptations that they try to influence me with'. {'And I seek refuge in You, my Lord, that they come near me.'} That is because the presence of the devils can have an impact on a person, especially in situations where he inclines towards negative thinking and engages in negative interactions with temptations or negative positions when in a state of anger—the negative state intensifies in his emotions as he interacts with it. So their approach to the human in such a state—as we compared in previous lectures—is like the approach of heat to heat. Its proportion increases when it gets closer.

Devils are impure, malicious, and filthy. When they come near to a person at a time when negative desires intensify with negative thinking or bad emotions in him, they influence that person in two ways:

• They fuel that negative state, leading emotions to intensify further, whether they are desires, anger, or fears.
• They also affect one's mentality and way of thinking through producing more whispers, bad ideas, and negative thoughts they communicate to the person through unseen means to push those bad thoughts into the human mind.

Their presence is dangerous, so seeking refuge in Allah even from their presence is crucial—that is, to prevent their presence beside you and to keep them away from you completely so that they do not whisper to you or come near you.

As for the human devils, one should stay away from them. There is no need for him to associate with them or listen to them, whether in gatherings where they are physically present or, as in this era, through modern means and technologies, such as satellite channels or social media platforms. A person should distance himself from them completely.

A person should be vigilant regarding the issue of whispers and focus on seeking refuge in Allah in cases where the danger is greater:

• in times of desires and lusts, when a person is overwhelmed by desires, lusts, and inclinations that seem to be leading him towards bad things;
• in times of emotional outbursts and anger, which also tend to make a person go to extremes in his positions and exceed the limits of what is right, whether in his words, actions, or both;
• and fears as well.

In these three cases, a person should be cautious and alert, aware of the steps-based method. One should focus on doing good deeds that increase his faith, righteousness, and self-purification and keep him farther away from the devils and their influence.

Also, one should firmly foster enmity towards Shaytan and all devils within himself: {'Surely, Shaytan is an enemy to you, so take him as an enemy'}. Shaytan is an enemy, but the problem is how many people neglect to consider him as an enemy. Indeed, they don't take him as an enemy! Embed in yourself the enmity towards Shaytan and cultivate it within yourself. This is a possible matter. In reality, humans sometimes harbour animosity towards one another, and they nurture it. Some individuals develop a state of enmity towards a specific person, a certain group, or a particular entity, to the point of extreme animosity. Therefore, a person needs to keep establishing this enmity through the Quran and what it presents to us about Shaytan, his malice, enmity, and what he does to us and strives for. The more enmity you firmly establish within yourself towards him and remain mindful about this—especially in circumstances where he may have an impact on you, as we mentioned in the three cases: desires, emotions, and fears—the greater this will benefit you. Be mindful of that enmity: {'So take him as an enemy.'}

Then strive to engage in actions that anger, oppress, and break Shaytan and that instill a sense of despair in him towards you: Let your faith, your inclination towards and devotion to Allah, your adoption of means of salvation from him, and your adherence to preventive measures against him be visible to him in a way that keeps him away from you and greatly weakens his influence over you. This is an important matter. One should also seek the means of success, and beware of the helpers of Shaytan and his followers so that they do not have an influence over you.

Shaytan, his followers, and their level of influence in human reality

When we contemplate our human reality, we find that Shaytan has made significant progress over generations in influencing many people to the extent that on the Day of Resurrection many humans will be gathered and considered among those who worshipped him. {'Did I not command you, O Children of Adam, not to worship Shaytan, for he is truly your sworn enemy'}. The immense influence of the jinn devils over humans will be evident: {' the Day He will gather them together and say, "O assembly of jinn! Much did you take of men"'}—which means they have misled many! In other verses that come after the verse we mentioned earlier, Allah says, {'He is truly your sworn enemy. And indeed, he led astray numerous multitudes of you. Then, did you not use reason?'}. He has misled many nations and influenced vast numbers of humans to the extent that their obedience to him prevails over their obedience to Allah! They disobey Allah and obey Shaytan. This is an incredibly grave matter that turns into a life journey where obedience to Shaytan prevails over obedience to Allah. It is an extremely dangerous state.

In light of that and this verse, {'Share with them in wealth and children,'} the situation evolves in human reality to the point where the followers of Shaytan, his soldiers, his helpers, and the human devils mobilize themselves to form a large and organized front in human reality and move in the same direction of Shaytan:

• to spread corruption,
• to promote vice,
• to practice injustice against the servants of Allah,
• and to target the Divine Message in its principles, values, and efforts to establish equity and promote justice and great values—they strive to target it and eliminate it.

They direct themselves with all their practices—which are aimed at corruption, misguidance, temptation, and targeting the guidance and teachings of Allah—towards spreading corruption, promoting corruption, and imposing falsehood. They commit the most heinous injustice against the servants of Allah. They operate at such a level not only through whispers or temptations, but also through commands and practical efforts to impose falsehood in the human arena and in human society, just as Allah described the munafiqin: {'The munafiqin, both men and women, are of one another. They command to what is evil and forbid what is good, and they withhold their hands; they forgot Allah, so He forgot them'}. {'They command'} means it is not merely ordinary whispers or ordinary temptations, but rather an active endeavour to impose what is evil—an endeavour to discourage and forbid good deeds.

The Auliya of Shaytan have gone as far as to fight the Divine Message, the truth, and justice for the sake of Shaytan, for the sake of Taghout. They have gone as far as to practice the worst kind of injustice against people, violating their lives, properties, and honour. They move with evil, injustice, tyranny, and criminality in the arena of life, and they use all of that to target people.

Confronting the Auliya of Shaytan is an essential part of confronting him

Therefore, a part of our religious and faith-based commitments in our standing against Shaytan and taking him as an enemy is to stand against his Auliya who move with evil, criminality, injustice, corruption, vice, and falsehood. Humans are the ones who are affected by all of this: Evil affects people, and falsehood targets people and represents a source of danger to them and to their lives. It violates their sanctities and wastes their rights. That is why Allah (Glory be to Him) says in the Holy Quran, {'The believers fight in the cause of Allah, whereas the disbelievers fight in the cause of Taghout. So fight against the Auliya of Shaytan. Indeed, Shaytan's schemes are ever weak'}.

Shaytan's Auliya is a phrase that encompasses all those who support the front of Shaytan: all those who fight from a position that aligns with injustice, crime, aggression, and corruption. It is the front of evil, falsehood, injustice, and tyranny. It is the front that seeks to spread corruption and falsehood among societies and to practice injustice, aggression, and tyranny against societies, which is a clear matter in all times of history. {'The disbelievers'}: the criminals, as it was mentioned in Allah's saying, {'Similarly, We made enemies for every prophet from among the criminals'}—the criminals who commit crimes, whose practices and actions are criminal and whose orientation, tendencies, and actions are criminal, and who plot criminal conspiracies targeting human society.

So standing up to the soldiers and helpers of Shaytan is part of standing up to Shaytan himself and his adversarial activities in reality, for they move along with him to the level that they fight with him—{'whereas the disbelievers fight in the cause of Taghout'}. They fight to impose their falsehood and corruption and assimilate their falsehood far and wide, as they target society with injustice, aggression, tyranny, and evil. That is why an essential part of the conflict with Shaytan requires standing up to his soldiers and helpers in their criminal activities and in their evil deeds, tyranny, aggression, injustice, and falsehood by all the means that Allah guided us to. If they fight for the sake of Thagout and target human societies, we should confront them and stand up to their aggression.

The believers in the human arena, among those who reject to be controlled by Shaytan, are not supposed to obey, submit, or surrender to the Auliya of Shaytan, giving them the chance to commit injustice against them and subject them to extermination, oppression, humiliation, and subjugation. This is not what faith calls for. Rather, they are required to strive in the cause of Allah, and He will help them, as He promised to provide them with His help, support, and assistance: That is why He says, {'So fight against the Auliya of Shaytan. Indeed, Shaytan's schemes are ever weak'}. This is because what strengthens the evil front and enables it to transgress and practice injustice against people is people's inaction, shortcomings, negligence, carelessness, and evasion of their important collective responsibilities to establish justice and stand up to tyrants, oppressors, and criminals.

The vanguard of the Auliya of Shaytan and the responsibility of the Ummah in confronting them

In our era and time, the Zionist Jewish lobby stands at the forefront of Shaytan's Auliya. It is at the forefront and serves as the head of Shaytan's Auliya, leading the criminal, corrupt devilish activities of Shaytan in human society. There are many organized groups of humans working with it, including disbelievers and munafiqin; however, it is at the forefront, carrying out these activities extensively. The Zionist lobby is behind spreading corruption in the world, morally, politically, and economically. It also oppresses and targets societies, causing harm and suffering, violating their sanctities, and targeting their lives. In this era, it stands at the forefront of the Auliya of Shaytan, working to corrupt society and harm people. And, as we have just said, it is followed by many organized groups.

What we are witnessing in Palestine these days (yesterday, the day before, and today) in terms of the attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, worshippers in the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Al-Quds, and those who pray and perform religious retreats in the Al-Aqsa Mosque—what are witnessing in terms of the violation of the sanctity of these holy sites by Zionist Jews is an act of devilish practice. It is one of those crimes committed by the Auliya of Shaytan, which proves their evil, their criminality, their brutality, and the need to confront them.

Here comes the responsibility of Muslims in general to stand with the Palestinian people and work towards taking a clear position that affects the Zionist enemy. {'So fight against the Auliya of Shaytan. Indeed, Shaytan's schemes are ever weak'}. If the Muslim Ummah takes a sincere and serious position with the Palestinian people, as its responsibility requires, the Israeli enemy will be completely defeated. Supporting the Palestinian people through all means of cooperation (through words, positions, voices, and financial assistance) and taking the right position against the Israeli enemy through showing opposition and enmity, holds great importance and falls within the framework of religious and moral obligations.

As others seek to normalize with the Zionist Israeli enemy, there must be a strong position. In the month of Ramadan, the month of Taqwa, there should be an active position, and we should realize that the battle with the Zionist Jewish enemy is part of the struggle against Shaytan. They are the Auliya of Shaytan, and their corruptive and destructive activities through all means and their affiliated networks, consisting of disbelievers and munafiqin, represent the intensified devilish activity today, which even utilizes contemporary methods and technologies. They operate among humans as a front that seeks to impose falsehood, corruption, and injustice. It is part of the struggle against Shaytan to confront his Auliya. {'So fight against the Auliya of Shaytan. Indeed, Shaytan's schemes are ever weak'}. It strengthens your position against Shaytan to be in a state of conflict with him and his Auliya, rather than being in a state of inaction, which makes you more vulnerable to his influence.

Those who respond to Shaytan and their tremendous loss!

In the reality of this world, all those who respond to Shaytan and align themselves with him are losers. Even in their utilization of their capabilities, energies, and abilities in the service of Shaytan, they are heading for great loss. They bear the burdens of sins and the negative consequences when they allow him to share with them in their wealth by engaging in forbidden transactions, engaging in forbidden means of acquiring wealth, or spending money on forbidden things: sinful acts, evils, vices, funding unjust, misleading, and bad activities, or funding criminal and aggressive activities in any field that serves Shaytan's direction.

They are purchasing torment for themselves, paying the price for their own torment. Through their actions, regardless of the form they take (be it in fighting, media activities, or any work that serves Shaytan), they subject themselves to loss. They prepare torment for themselves, willingly buying their own torment (We seek refuge in Allah).

The tremendous loss incurred by all those who respond to Shaytan will manifest itself on the Day of Resurrection, the Day of Gathering, the Day of Reckoning, the inevitable Day of Judgment.

When they are gathered and realize their loss—understanding that they are destined for the Fire, that they have lost the pleasure of Allah and the eternal bliss and joys of Jannah, which is an immensely terrifying loss, and that their destiny is Jahannam, as Allah (Glory be to Him) said in the Holy Quran, {'I will surely fill up Jahannam with you and whoever follows you from among them, all together'}—they will feel the magnitude of their loss.

And they will be gathered, along with Shaytan at the forefront. Before taking them to the Fire, Shaytan will address them with a word mentioned in the Quran: {'And Shaytan said, after the judgment has been passed,'}—the reckoning has come to an end, and the inhabitants of Jahannam are singled out and made ready for their transfer to the fire of Jahannam, finding themselves in a state of absolute certainty about their permanent and terrifying loss—{'"Indeed, Allah has made you a true promise"'}. 'He promised you, if you responded to Him, with His pleasure, Jannah, happiness, success, deliverance from punishment, dignity, honour, and goodness.' How great are the promises that Allah has made! But among the greatest of them is His pleasure, Jannah, eternal happiness, and deliverance from His punishment. Allah's promise is true, and those who responded to Allah, He fulfilled and accomplished His promise. {'Indeed, Allah has made you a true promise.'} 'But you did not respond to Allah.' This is how he will address his companions, his followers, those who responded to him, who did not accept Allah's true promise, who did not believe in His true promise, who did not respond to His true promise.

{'I too made you a promise, but I failed you'}. They responded to his promises that are full of deceit: {'Shaytan only makes them promises and deludes them with hopes. Truly Shaytan promises them nothing but delusion'}—they responded to delusion and empty wishes.

{'I did not have any authority over you. I only called you, and you responded to me'}. It means that 'I did not force you! I did not coerce you or compel you to follow my path. It was merely an invitation, and you are the ones who responded.' {'So do not blame me; blame yourselves. I cannot save you, nor can you save me'}. He says, 'I will not do anything to save you or help you,' adding that they will do nothing for him as well. {'Indeed, I denounce your previous association of me with Allah'}.

Then they will be taken with him to the fire of Jahannam to suffer eternal torment, perpetual burning, a terrifying state, and severe torment (We seek refuge in Allah). It is an immense and dreadful loss! That is the state in which they cry out for destruction when they are thrown into the fire of Jahannam, in its severe torment: {'And there they will cry out for destruction'}. They call for destruction, feeling the tremendous loss and intense remorse. Shaytan is the ultimate loser; he has lost everything. He is the leader of the losers and the greatest loser, and all his followers are losers. They will be the ones who suffer immense and dreadful loss. (May Allah be our refuge!)

The Holy Quran pays a great deal of attention to Shaytan, the struggle with Shaytan, and the danger he poses to humans when they are negligent, when they do not respond to Allah (Glory be to Him), when they are heedless and forgetful. In the Quran, Allah guides us to important deeds that distance us from the influence of Shaytan. The Quran also provides warnings and alerts us to the deeds of Shaytan, his schemes, and the schemes of his followers and Auliya among the jinn and humans.

One should strive to benefit from the recitation of the Quran, to understand it, to derive benefit from it, and to seek refuge in Allah (Glory be to Him). He should constantly turn to Allah for refuge to shield him, guard him, protect him, and keep him away from the influence of Shaytan. One should seek Allah (Glory be to Him) for help. The schemes of Shaytan are weak: {'Indeed, Shaytan's schemes are ever weak.'} His influence on a person is only possible due to a flaw or weakness on the part of that person himself.

We ask Allah (Glory be to Him) to accept our fasting, nights of worship, and good deeds.

O Allah, have mercy on our virtuous martyrs, heal the wounded among us, set free our captives, and grant us victory. You are All-Hearing!

Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.