I Have Seen the Devil

by Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem

I have seen the devil — indeed, I see him constantly, and not a single devil but devils in the plural. They are there on the television screens, spreading corruption and depravity across the earth, particularly among Muslims. They are the ones who imagine themselves guardians of the Islamic religion, issuing rulings according to their own whims, declaring others infidels however it suits them, and encroaching on the Divine Essence itself by installing themselves in its place, handing out seats in paradise and in hell.

These men appear not only on television screens but also on the screens of the internet in all its forms and colors; we hear them on the radio, and we read their statements. We see them and hear them spitting poison from their mouths, insisting on stirring up strife among Muslims in the service of the enemies of God and of the homeland. Who are these people? They are the extremists among the Islamic sects who transgress against the sanctities of God, poisoning minds, killing souls, destroying property, and permitting themselves to violate the sanctities of Muslims. They call themselves jurists, but Islamic jurisprudence is innocent of them.

And is the devil found among humankind? Have you not heard the words of God, glory be to Him: “And when they meet those who believe, they say, ‘We believe’; but when they are alone with their devils, they say, ‘Indeed, we are with you; we were only mocking’” (al-Baqarah, 14). And His words: “And they followed [instead] what the devils had recited during the reign of Solomon. It was not Solomon who disbelieved, but the devils disbelieved, teaching people magic and that which was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut. But the two angels do not teach anyone unless they say, ‘We are a trial, so do not disbelieve [by practicing magic].’ And they [i.e., people] learn from them that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife. But they do not harm anyone through it except by permission of God. And the people learn what harms them and does not benefit them. But the Children of Israel certainly knew that whoever purchased it would have no share in the Hereafter. And wretched is that for which they sold themselves, if they only knew” (al-Baqarah, 102). And His words: “And thus We have made for every prophet an enemy — devils among mankind and jinn, inspiring one another with elaborate speech in delusion. But if your Lord had willed, they would not have done it, so leave them and that which they invent” (al-An’am, 112).

…they know nothing of the Islamic religion, and their store of knowledge is confined, for the most part, to sayings attributed to the early forebears, to fabricated statements put in the mouth of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and to a handful of Qur’anic verses cited without regard to their context.

This one curses the Sunnis and incites against them, that one curses the Shia and incites against them, while the Arab regimes, Israel, and America look on, comfortable and delighted at the widespread evil this brings upon Arabs and Muslims. These men work hard, diligently, tirelessly, and late into the night for the sake of Sunni-Shia strife, for the sake of internal Islamic warfare, so as to clear the field for those who employ them, shower them with money, and permit them to set up the media outlets needed to spread strife — so as to clear the field for Israel and its Western allies, so that their boots may remain upon the necks of Arabs and Muslims.

These men are closed-minded, gloomy, and benighted; their eyes and ears are shut, and they listen to no one but their own devils. They turn people away from the path of God, they harm Muslims, and they repel people from Islam. The enemies of Islam were unable to distort, besiege, and destroy Islam themselves, so they handed the task over to these devils, who do not hesitate to blow up a mosque over the heads of those inside it, or to bomb a market crowded with shoppers, or a bus carrying laborers searching for a crust of bread for their children. These men have no piety and no fear of God in them, and their hearts are inhabited by nothing but ruin, destruction, and the taking of life.

These men do not merely stir up strife among Muslims; they also encourage Muslims to disavow Islam altogether. There are simple, ordinary people who imagine that these men, with their long beards and their honeyed words steeped in poison, represent Islam, and so they curse the very religion they themselves belong to. And there are people in both East and West who grow fearful of Muslims and incite others to be rid of them before the bodies of these corrupters explode in their markets, their universities, and their means of transport. Their goal is not confined to Shia-Sunni warfare; it extends to spreading hatred of Muslims among the nations of the world.

These men do not represent Islam, which is a religion of knowledge, of work, and of striving [jihad] in every field of life. The Islamic religion is a religion of justice, construction, and progress, resting only on the virtues of sincerity, trustworthiness, courage, fidelity to covenant and promise, and concern for the interests of all people. It is a religion of strength in the service of truth, a religion of support for the wronged, a religion that provides knowledge to the ignorant, a religion of goodness and love among people.

Perhaps it is necessary for a person to know how these men distort the Islamic religion, but following in their footsteps will bring nothing but disgrace, in this world and in the next.

Source: Translated from the original Arabic, “رأيت إبليس” by Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem.