The Primordial Covenant
“Am I not your Lord?” They said, “Yes, we bear witness.” (Qur’an 7:172)
Al-Kabah/The Ancient House of Worship
Allah created every human being with a pure soul. Before being sent into this world, each soul bore witness to the Oneness of its Lord. As Allah says:
“Am I not your Lord?” They said, “Yes, we bear witness.” (Qur’an 7:172)
This means that every soul already knows Allah, loves Him, and recognizes His Majesty. Deep within the heart of every person lies this primordial knowledge (fiṭrah). It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Every child is born in a state of fitrah (the natural state of man, i.e., Islam), then his parents make him into a Jew or a Christian or a Magian.” (Agreed upon).
Allah says:
“I created all My slaves as ḥunafā’ (inclined towards pure monotheism).Then Shayṭān came to them and turned them away from their religion,made unlawful for them what I had permitted,and commanded them to associate others with Me,for which I sent down no authority.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Hadith 2865)
The Soul’s Inclination After Entering the Body
When the pure soul is placed into the body, it becomes nafs (the soul connected to the body). Though the fiṭrah knows and loves Allah, the nafs inclines toward sin and resists submission unless disciplined.
The Qur’an on the Nafs
Allah ﷻ says:
“Indeed, the soul is ever inclined to evil, except those upon whom my Lord has mercy. Indeed, my Lord is Forgiving and Merciful.” (Qur’an 12:53)
This means the default state of the nafs is attraction to desires, arrogance, and heedlessness — unless purified by Allah’s mercy.
Allah also warns:
“But those who feared standing before their Lord and restrained themselves from [evil] desire – Indeed, Paradise will be [their] refuge.” (Qur’an 79:40–41)
The Prophet ﷺ on the Struggle with the Nafs
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ emphasized that the nafs is the greatest challenge:
“The strong one is not the one who overcomes others by his strength, but the strong one is the one who controls himself while in anger.” (Bukhārī 6114, Muslim 2609)
“Your worst enemy is your nafs which is between your two sides.” (Bayhaqī, Shuʿab al-Īmān, 5530 – ḥasan by some scholars.
1. Meaning of the Hadith
The Prophet ﷺ is teaching that the most dangerous and constant enemy a believer faces is the nafs—the inner self that pulls a person toward sin, desires, laziness, and arrogance.The phrase “between your two sides” (بين جنبيك) means inside your chest,
referring to:
Your inner self
Your heart
Your ego/desires
Your thoughts and impulses
So the hadith means:
Your biggest enemy is not outside in the world—it is inside you.
2. Why is the Nafs the Worst Enemy?
Because external enemies attack from outside…but the nafs attacks you from within.It whispers constantly:
“Do this haram, no one is watching.”
“Delay prayer, you can pray later.”
“Be angry, shout at them.”
“Follow your desires.”
“Feel proud, you are better than others.”
Shayṭān whispers from outside,but the nafs desire the whisper.“Shayṭān enters only through the doorway of the nafs.”
Submission vs. Rebellion
Although every soul testified to Allah’s Oneness before creation, many resist obedience once in the body. Allah says:
“And when it is said to them, ‘Bow down [in prayer],’ they do not bow down.” (Qur’an 77:48)
This refusal is not ignorance but arrogance — choosing desires over submission.
The Mercy of Purification
Allah ﷻ has given a path to cleanse the rebellious nafs:
“He has succeeded who purifies it, and he has failed who corrupts it.” (Qur’an 91:9–10)
Thus, the struggle of life is tazkiyat al-nafs (purification of the soul) — through prayer, fasting, dhikr, charity, and patience The obedience of Allah— which restrains the nafs and restores the soul’s original purity and restraining oneself from his disobedience.
The Distraction of Desires
When the soul enters the body and begins its journey in this world, it is veiled by temptations, such as:
The heart → seeking status and pride.
The stomach → chasing food and wealth.
The private parts → seeking unlawful pleasures.To fulfill these desires, many people even deny Allah or turn away from Him. This denial is not due to ignorance, but from arrogance — preferring desires over truth. Such a path leads to Hellfire, where fleeting worldly gains are bought at the price of eternal loss.
The Path to Hell and the Trial of Desires
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Paradise is surrounded by hardships, and Hell is surrounded by desires.” (Bukhārī 6487, Muslim 2822)
Following Shayṭān and chasing unlawful desires (lust, greed, arrogance, gluttony) is the easiest path — but it leads to Hell. On the other hand, resisting temptations, practicing patience, and striving in obedience is difficult — but it leads to Paradise.
Worldly Adornments and the Test of Desires
The Beautification of Worldly Pleasures
Allah ﷻ says:
“Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire — women, children, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, cattle, and fertile land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but with Allah is the best return.” (Qur’an 3:14)
This verse highlights the main attractions Shayṭān uses:
Women → lust.
Children → pride and attachment.
Gold and silver → wealth and luxury.
Status symbols → property, possessions, and prestige.These are not evil in themselves if Allah grants it to you because of your obedience to him— but when they dominate the heart and turn you away from Allah such that you leave Allah to chase after them, they become chains dragging a person toward Hell.
Desires as the Path to Hell
The Prophet ﷺ warned again:
“Paradise is surrounded by hardships, and Hell is surrounded by desires.” (Bukhārī 6487, Muslim 2822)
Chasing wealth, lust, and worldly power is the easy path — but it ends in Hell. Struggling against them with patience and discipline leads to Paradise.
The Balance in Islam
Islam does not forbid wealth, family, or adornments if they are pursued for Allah’s sake and within His limits:Wealth is allowed, but arrogance and hoarding are condemned.
Marriage and family are blessings, but fornication and lust outside marriage are haram.Business and property are permissible, but greed, cheating, and neglecting worship destroy the soul.
The test is not to abandon all pleasures, but to use them correctly to gain Allah's pleasure, without allowing them to replace the love of Allah.
The Higher Adornment
Allah ﷻ reminds us:
“But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for [one’s] hope.” (Qur’an 18:46)
Worldly wealth will perish, but the true adornments — ṣabr (patience), ṣalāh (prayer), dhikr (remembrance), and righteous deeds — endure forever.Those who resist unlawful desires and remain steadfast are promised safety and honor. Though they may face hardship, deprivation, or loneliness, Allah ﷻ protects them.
“Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without an account.” (Qur’an 39:10)
For the Ṣābirūn, even worldly suffering cannot harm them — their souls remain attached to Allah, and their final destination is eternal peace in Jannah.
Shayṭān’s Influence and the Purification of the Prophet ﷺ
Shayṭān’s Connection with Every Human
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Indeed, Shayṭān flows through the son of Ādam like the flowing of blood.” (Bukhārī 2038, Muslim 2175)
This means Shayṭān constantly whispers within every person, urging the heart toward pride, lust, greed, and gluttony — unseen but persistent, like blood flowing in the body.
The Qarīn (Companion Jinn)
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“There is none among you but a companion from among the jinn has been assigned to him.” They asked: “Even you, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “Even me, but Allah helped me against him, and he accepted Islam, so he only commands me to do good.” (Muslim 2814)
For ordinary people → the qarīn tempts constantly toward evil.
For the Prophet ﷺ → Allah subdued his qarīn, so it only guided him to good.
The Chest Opening (Shaqq al-Ṣadr)
When the Prophet ﷺ was a child, angels purified his heart:They split open his chest.
Removed his heart.Extracted a black clot (ḥaẓẓ al-shayṭān — Shayṭān’s portion).
Washed it with Zamzam water in a golden vessel.Filled it with light and wisdom.
Anas ibn Mālik (RA) reported:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was visited by Jibrīl while he was playing with children. He took hold of him, laid him down, split open his chest, removed a clot of blood saying, ‘This was the part of Shayṭān in you.’ Then he washed it with Zamzam in a golden vessel and returned it to its place.” (Muslim 162)
This occurred multiple times in his blessed life, ensuring his heart remained pure and beyond Shayṭān’s reach.
The Difference Between the Prophet ﷺ and Humanity
All humans: Shayṭān flows within them, whispering evil, and their qarīn tempts them toward sin. The Prophet ﷺ: His heart was purified, Shayṭān’s influence removed, and his qarīn subdued. He was divinely protected, the perfect carrier of revelation, and the purest example for mankind.
Final Conclusion
Every soul testified to Allah’s Oneness before entering the world.Once clothed in the body, the nafs inclines toward sin and resists submission—but purification restores it.Life’s test is whether we allow desires and arrogance to blind us, or remain steadfast in patience.Shayṭān beautifies the dunya with lust, wealth, and pride — but these are temporary.True success belongs to the Ṣābirūn, whose reward is eternal peace with Allah. The Prophet ﷺ was uniquely purified and protected, embodying the perfect model of resistance against Shayṭān.
Three important Points
1. “I did not create jinn and mankind except to worship Me.”
Surah Adh-Dhariyat (51:56)
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
Meaning: “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.”
This verse explains the purpose of creation — to recognize, obey, and worship Allah.
2. “The time of prayer has been fixed.”
Surah An-Nisa (4:103)
إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَابًا مَّوْقُوتًا
Meaning: “Indeed, the prayer has been enjoined on the believers at fixed times.”
This shows that prayer times are appointed and mandatory — not optional.
3. “He may test you to see which of you is best in deeds.”
Surah Al-Mulk (67:2)
الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا
Meaning: “He created death and life to test you as to which of you is best in deeds.”
This verse explains that life itself is a test, focused on quality of deeds.
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