A guide to exhausting your devil

[Ali Hammuda]

Every human being has been assigned a devil whose sole purpose is to spur him on to trespass.

Did you know that it is possible to exhaust him?

The Prophet PBUH said, ﺇﻥ ﺍﻟﻤﺆﻣﻦ ﻟﻴﻨﻀﻲ ﺷﻴﻄﺎﻧﻪ ﻛﻤﺎ ﻳﻨﻀﻲ ﺃﺣﺪﻛﻢ ﺑﻌﻴﺮﻩ ﻓﻲ ﺳﻔﺮﻩ
“The believer *exhausts* his devil the same way one of you exhausts his camel during travel.”

But how?

Imam Ibnul Qayyim explains. He says,

" ﻷﻧﻪ ﻛﻠﻤﺎ ﺍﻋﺘﺮﺿﻪ ﺻﺐ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﺳﻴﺎﻁ ﺍﻟﺬﻛﺮ ، ﻭﺍﻟﺘﻮﺟﻪ ، ﻭﺍﻹﺳﺘﻐﻔﺎﺭ ﻭﺍﻟﻄﺎﻋﺔ ، ﻓﺸﻴﻄﺎﻧﻪ ﻣﻌﻪ ﻓﻲ ﻋﺬﺍﺏ ﺷﺪﻳﺪ"
“Because every time shaytan makes a suggestion to him, he unleashes upon him whips of remembrances, of turning to Allah, of repentance and obedience! Thus his allocated devil suffers with him enormously."

"ﻟﻴﺲ ﺑﻤﻨﺰﻟﺔ ﺷﻴﻄﺎﻥ ﺍﻟﻔﺎﺟﺮ ﺍﻟﺬﻱ ﻫﻮ ﻣﻌﻪ ﻓﻲ ﺭﺍﺣﺔ ﻭﺩﻋﺔ ، ﻭﻟﻬﺬﺍ ﻳﻜﻮﻥ ﻗﻮﻳًﺎ ﻋﺎﺗﻴًﺎ ﺷﺪﻳﺪًﺍ"
"This is very different to the devil of the rebellious sinner. Such a devil is living a life of comfort and ease. Thus he’s full of energy, powerful and strong.”

He concludes by saying,

ﻓﻤﻦ ﻟﻢ ﻳﻌﺬﺏ ﺷﻴﻄﺎﻧﻪ ﻓﻲ ﻫﺬﻩ ﺍﻟﺪﺍﺭ ﺑﺬﻛﺮ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺗﻌﺎﻟﻰ ﻭﺗﻮﺣﻴﺪﻩ ﻭﺍﺳﺘﻐﻔﺎﺭﻩ ﻭﻃﺎﻋﺘﻪ ، ﻋﺬﺑﻪ ﺷﻴﻄﺎﻧﻪ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻵﺧﺮﺓ ﺑﻌﺬﺍﺏ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺭ ، ﻓﻼ ﺑﺪ ﻟﻜﻞ ﺃﺣﺪ ﺃﻥ ﻳﻌﺬﺏ ﺷﻴﻄﺎﻧﻪ ﺃﻭ ﻳﻌﺬﺑﻪ ﺷﻴﻄﺎﻧﻪ
“Therefore whoever doesn't punish his devil in the life of this world via remembrances, monotheism, repentance and obedience, his devil will punish him in the hereafter in the fire of hell. Thus either you torture him or he will torture you.”

Starting from his next suggestion, let the punishing begin.

[M.I.A.]

...I guess you have not met my sister in law.

Backbiting so she probably gets another free hit.

It's like even her use of knowledge is for a step up on another, welcome to the insolence and competition of mankind.

The last word.

Sometimes it feels as though she is illness personified.

I'd probably stop eating if she walks past, although the conversation from afar is probably enough.

Sometimes I think that by the time you understand the Quran its too late.. Your abode already awaits.

What a person does while asleep cannot be done while awake.

On the flip side iv seen stoners and those intoxicated be just as quick.

And I stopped reading in congregation when the imam started disturbing my prayers...

This is his share.

A place where the devil is easy to beat.

..to be fair the easist way to win in the world is to do it for somebody else.

Nobody reads on purpose.

Allah swt raises and lowers as he wills.


Unless you see him first?


I'd say believe in yourself, they would say destiny is already written..

Ya seen.