Imam Khamenei

Satan's influence on humankind's intellectual and calculative system, elaborated by Ayatollah Khamenei

Shaitan influences our calculation system with threats and temptations. On the one hand, he frightens us. A holy ayah from Sura Aal-e Imran says, "It is only shaitan that suggests to you the fear of his disciples: Be not afraid of them, but fear Me if you have faith" [The Holy Quran, 3: 175]. On the issue of the battle that happened after the Battle of Uhud - there was a rumor saying that the enemy is coming to destroy Muslims and that Muslims are going to lose everything - the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) said, "Those of you who became wounded in the Battle of Uhud today should carry their swords and accompany me. If none of you comes, I will go alone".

The Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) set out to go. Those who had been wounded in Uhud on that day took their swords and accompanied the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.). With a surprise attack, they went and destroyed the enemy who had lain in ambush near Madina, who had started these rumors and who had decided to attack. And then they returned: "And they returned with grace and bounty from Allah and no harm ever touched them" [The Holy Quran, 3: 174]. Then the Holy Quran says, "It is only shaitan that suggests to you the fear of his disciples".

So, one of the things that shaitan does is to cause fear. "Shaitan threatens you with poverty" [The Holy Quran, 2: 268]. He frightens us with poverty. According to an interpretation of this holy ayah, this was a threat. On the other hand, one of the things that he does is to tempt. Shaitan gives certain promises which are deceitful: "Shaitan makes them promises and creates in them false desires, but shaitan's promises are nothing but deception" [The Holy Quran, 4: 120].

He gives promises and awakens desires in people's hearts. He paints a colorful, fake and imaginary future - like a mirage - for the eyes of believers. "But shaitan's promises are nothing but deception". His promises are hollow. On the one hand, he makes threats and on the other hand, he tempts. This is like America's behavior in the present time. This is like the behavior that arrogant powers always show. On the one hand, they make threats and on the other hand, they tempt. These temptations are not only personal. They temp in general ways. They say, "We do this, we do that". But they do not and they lie. This is what shaitan does.

All the things that shaitan does - including tempting and making threats - are for the sake of making our calculation system stop working so that we make wrong calculations. When one's calculation system stops working, things go out of order. Making wrong calculations is one of the greatest dangers. It sometimes threatens man's life and it sometimes threatens his fate. This is because man's power and capabilities are under the domination of his will and his will is under the influence of his calculation system. If his calculation system does not work properly, his will makes a decision and moves towards the direction which is wrong.

In such circumstances, all his power and capabilities move in this wrong direction. This is what we should be careful about. As I said, for a person who does not have a responsibility, taking care has a certain meaning and for you and I who have a responsibility, it has a different meaning. We should take care not to let our calculation system witness a disruption by human and jinn shaitans. We should take care not to misunderstand issues. Shaitan is not only from among jinns. He is not only iblis: "Likewise, did We make for every messenger an enemy - shaitans among men and jinns, inspiring each other with flowery discourses by way of deception" [The Holy Quran, 6: 112].

Shaitans among men and jinns help one another. I would like to stress that one of the mistakes in the area of calculation is that we remain confined to visible and purely materialistic factors. One of the mistakes is to ignore spiritual factors, divine traditions - those which God has informed us about and those that are invisible. This is one of the great mistakes in the area of calculation. God has said, "If you help the cause of Allah, He will help you and make firm your stance" [The Holy Quran, 47: 7].

Can this be said in a clearer way? If you move on the path of God and if you help God's religion, God will help you. This is unchangeable: "You shall not find any change in the course of Allah" [The Holy Quran, 33: 62]. If you move on the path of reviving the divine religion and if you preserve this path, God will help you. This has been said by the Holy Quran with such clarity. This is the divine promise. We have experienced this in practice.

You should know that this era of the history of the Revolution will be one of the most prominent historical eras in the history that will be discussed by future generations. In this materialistic world, in the world of the domination of superpowers and in the world of widespread hostility towards Islam and towards Islamic teachings and values, a system has been created based on Islam and in an area where the agents of deviating powers had exerted more influence than any other area in the world.

This is a strange event. You and I have gotten used to it. This is the same as "If you help the cause of Allah, He will help you and make firm your feet". You will not falter, as we did not. The people of Iran did not falter. There have been so many pressures, so many plots, so many cruelties and so much unfairness, but the people of Iran did not change their minds. This is one of the divine traditions.

Jul 7, 2014

Tags

  • Human mind
  • Islam

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