It is with the Fortress of the Heart, satan is Defeated. [Translated Extract]

Allah, the Glorified states, “Truly those who are pious, when they are touched by a visitation from Satan, they contemplate; so behold, they see.”1 In this verse, there are multiple lessons.

The First

The Glorified’s words “Truly those who are pious, when they are touched by a visitation from shaytan, they contemplate” indicate that their original state is one of being free from the whisper of shaytan. If a fleeting thought does reveal itself, then sometimes it is only to make known the arsenal of faith placed within you.

The Second

He said, “when they are touched” and did not say – when they are taken hold of or when they are seized. Touching is contact without grabbing hold of and without force. The phrase indicates that thoughts of desire and whim are not deep-rooted in their hearts, they touch them in passing and do not seize or grab hold of them like they do disbelievers. Shaytan dominates the disbelievers and stealthily steals from the hearts of the believers the moment their minds slumber over the guarding of their hearts. Yet when they awaken, their hearts dispatch the armies of seeking forgiveness, humility to Allah and poverty before Him. They thus retrieve from shaytan what he stole and seize back what he pillaged.

The Third

In His words “when they are touched by a visitation” there is an indication that it is something temporary. That shaytan cannot come to hearts that are continually awake and alert. He only induces a dream-like vision of heedlessness and desire upon hearts in the moment of their slumber due to oversight. Whoever does not sleep, no dream will appear to him.

The Fourth

He said, “when they are touched by a visitation from shaytan” and did not say – when they are touched by the arrival or lodging of shaytan. Because a visitor has no right to call it home. The evil thought is but a symbolic likeness, not real existence. The Glorified informs thereby, that they are not harmful to the righteous (muttaqeen). What shaytan casts upon their hearts is like the dream you see in your sleep, when you awake, it disappears.

The Fifth

He said “they contemplate (tadhakur)” and did not say – they mention (dhikr). It is an indication that mentioning is not enough in expelling heedlessness when the heart itself is in a state of heedlessness. It is only remembrance deep in the heart with contemplation and meditation that repels heedlessness, even if one does not say anything with their tongue. For the arena of mentioning (dhikr) is the tongue, while that of contemplation (tadhakur) is the heart. When the whisper of desire occurs, it occurs upon hearts not tongues. What expels it is only the contemplation of the heart which purifies the place the thought occurs and extinguishes its effect.

The Sixth

He said, “they (actively) remember” without mentioning what it is they remember. For instance, He did not say they remember Paradise, or the Fire, or punishment, or something else. This is indeed sublime. Effective remembrance to remove the whispers of desires from the hearts of the righteous is different for each person and according to their ranks. For all have consciousness (taqwa) of Allah, whether they be prophets, messengers, the truthful (siddiqeen), friends of Allah (awliya) or the righteous (saliheen). But the taqwa of each varies according to their station. Even the strength of their remembrance varies accordingly. If only the recollection of one thing was mentioned it would only apply to those whose recollection of that thing was effective. If, for example, He mentioned – they remember the reward or they remember previous blessings, others would then miss out on the fruits of the verse. The Glorified willed that nothing be explicitly mentioned regarding what they remember so that all stations be included together. So understand!

The Seventh

The Glorified states, “they remember; so behold (fa-ithaa), they see” and did not say – they remember then (fa) they see. Or He did not say – they remember and after (thumma) they see. Or He did not say – they remember while (wa) they see.

As for the expression – they remember while (wa) they see – it does not hold the meaning that their seeing the right path was because of their remembrance. The purpose of the verse is to indicate that seeing correctly is due to proper remembrance so that the slaves may be motivated to resort to it.

As for His not choosing the words – they remember and after (thumma) they see – it is since this expression also does not carry a strong indication of a relationship between remembering and seeing correctly. It imparts a meaning of there being a delay in their seeing clearly, which is against the gist of the verse. While the purpose of Al-Haqq (swt) in the verse is to convey that the seeing aright immediately follows their remembrance.

Likewise, He did not use the expression – they remember and then (fa) they see – since it holds a meaning of one thing following another (without a relationship of cause and effect). Rather He chose the expression, be He glorified, “they remember; so behold (fa-ithaa), they see.” Thus, He indicated that their foresight never left them, in praise of them and illustrating His favour upon them. Just as you might say – Zaid remembered the matter correctly. That is, the matter was stored away soundly in his mind and he realised it only now. Likewise, the righteous always remained seeing aright. All that occurred was in the moment of the visitation of the thoughts of desire, the light of their entrenched foresight was cloaked. Yet when their hearts awaken, the Glorified expels the heedlessness and the sun of insight shines brightly.

The Eighth

In this verse and other similar ones, there is mercy for the righteous and kindness for the believers. For if He said – those who are righteous, no visitation from Satan touches them – no one would be included in the righteous except the Divinely protected. Al-Haqq (swt) wished to expand the circle of His mercy when He said, “Truly those who are pious, when they are touched by a visitation…” He informs you that the occurrence of negative thoughts upon the righteous does not take them out of the band of the righteous as long as they are as He described them – quick to remember, returning to Him with contemplation.

Another verse that expands the hopes of His slaves and is full of mercy is “Truly Allah loves those who repent, and He loves those who purify themselves.”2 He did not say – He loves those who do not sin. If He had, how few would be included in His love? But Al-Haqq (swt) knew the nature of His slaves and their tendency to heedlessness and what their creation necessitated of opposing desires and predispositions.

The Most Glorious also states, “Allah desires to lighten (your burden) for you, for man was created weak.”3

Some scholars have said it means mankind is incapable of controlling their desires when they are enticed by them. He also states, “He knows you best, from when He brought you forth from the earth…”4 Due to His knowledge of human beings being overpowered by error, He opened the door of repentance, pointed towards it and invited them to enter through it. He promised to receive them there if they repent and accept them if they return to Him.

The Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, “All the children of Adam fall into error, and the best of those who fall in error are those who turn to Allah in repentance.” The Messenger (s) has thus informed you that falling into error is a necessity of your existence, rather it is the essence of your existence.

The Most High also states, “and who, when they commit an indecency or wrong themselves, remember Allah and then seek forgiveness for their sins—and who forgives sins but Allah?—and who do not knowingly persist in what they have done.”5 He did not say something like – those who do no indecency.

The Most Glorious also states, “who shun grave sins and indecencies and who, when they are angry, they forgive.”6 He did not say – those who have no anger. So understand, may Allah have mercy upon you. These are evident secrets and observable matters.

The Ninth

The ninth concerns the clarification of the ranks of those who contemplate amongst the righteous. When an evil thought from Satan touches the righteous, their piety does not let them insist on the disobedience of their Master. Rather it brings them back to Him through their remembrance. Their deep remembrance is of the following types:

One who contemplates the reward (Allah has promised).
One who contemplates the punishment.
One who contemplates the standing (before his Lord) to be judged.
One who contemplates Allah’s previous kindnesses and is ashamed to disobey Him.
One who contemplates Allah’s future blessings upon one and is ashamed to repay it with ingratitude.
One who contemplates the closeness of Allah (swt) to one.
One who contemplates that Al-Haqq (swt) completely encompasses and surrounds one.
One who contemplates that Al-Haqq is glancing at one now.
One who contemplates the covenant one took with Him (before being sent to this world).
One who contemplates the goal of annihilating one’s desires and seeing only Allah (swt).
One who contemplates the harm of disobedience and so shuns it.
One who contemplates the benefits of obedience and its associated honour and so takes its path.
One who contemplates that Al-Haqq (swt) is sustaining and empowering one at every moment.
One who contemplates the grandeur of Al-Haqq (swt) and His majestic authority.

As well as other types of remembrance and they have no limit. We only mentioned what we have to familiarise you with the states of the righteous and motivate you towards some of the stations of those of deep knowledge. So understand.

The Tenth

It is possible that what is meant by “a visitation” in the Most Glorious’s words “Truly those who are pious, when they are touched by a visitation from shaytan…” – is a fleeting doubt or thought occurring via the animal-self (nafs) by the inciting of shaytan. It is called a visitation (tayf) because it wanders about (yateefu) the heart. In another reading (qira’a) of the verse, it is “… when they are touched by a wanderer from shaytan…” Each reading becomes an explanation for the other. The disturbing thought wanders about the heart and if it finds a way to sneak in, it is through a weak point in the fortress of faith, otherwise, it leaves.

The parable of the stations of faith and the light which surrounds them is that of high walls and a fortress surrounding a city. The walls are akin to this light. The fortress is the station of faith whose territory is the heart. Whoever has a fortress of certain belief to surround his heart, who rectifies the stations of his faith, which are like barriers of light, then Satan has no means to reach him nor a place to call home.

Have you not heard the words of the Most High, “As for My slaves, truly you (O shaytan) have no authority over them”?109 That is to say – shaytan has no authority over them since they corrected their slave-hood to Me by not contesting My decrees nor by challenging My managing of affairs. Rather they trusted Me and to Me, they surrendered. Because of that Al- Haqq (swt) took responsibility for their care, their success, and their protection. They directed their worries to Him and He sufficed them from needing any other.

Now, it was said to one of those with intimate knowledge (arifeen), “How is your struggle with shaytan ?”

He replied, “And who is shaytan ? We are a people directing our concern only with Allah. He suffices us against those other than Him.”

I heard our Shaykh, Abu’l Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him saying “When Al-Haqq, be He Glorified, said, ‘Truly shaytan is an enemy unto you; so take him as an enemy’110 – one group understood from it that Allah is requesting enmity with shaytan from them, so they directed their concern and their enmity towards him. But that distracted them from attaining the love of the Beloved (swt). Another group understood that the verse was indicating that Satan is indeed to you an enemy, but I (i.e. I, Allah, in contrast) am your beloved. So, they occupied themselves with attaining Allah’s love and He sufficed them against all others.”

If you have understood, may Allah have mercy upon you, then you have realised that shaytan is too wretched and contemptible in their hearts that they ascribe to him the power to bring about his will. The wisdom in the creation of shaytan is that he be the focus to which disobedience, disbelief, heedlessness, and forgetfulness are attributed. Have you not heard His words “…and nothing made me neglect to mention it, save shaytan…”7 or “This is the work of shaytan”?8 The secret of bringing about shaytan is so that he can be used to clean up the dirtiness of attributing (unpleasantries to Allah). That is why one of those with intimate knowledge said, “Shaytan is the (dirty) rag of this world.”

- Imam Ibn Ata’illah Al-Sakandari
Extracted from The Illumination on Abandoning Self-Direction (Al-Tanwir fi Isqat Al-Tadbir)

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Originally published on the Dhikr Substack.