Published on May 27 2010 

Hudhur recited verses 72 – 75 of Surah Sad, the translation reads: ‘When thy Lord said to the angels, ‘I am about to create man from clay, ‘And so when I have fashioned him in perfection, and have breathed into him of My Spirit, fall ye down in submission to him.’ So the angels submitted, all of them together. But Iblis did not. He behaved proudly, and was of those who disbelieved.’ And delivered a Friday Sermon on the phenomenon of satanic forces and God’s chosen people, His Prophets helped by hosts of angels.

Hudhur said from the beginning of time Satan and man have been contending with each other. In religious account God’s love for Adam (on whom be peace) caused Satan to declare war with him with much ferocity. This enmity was repeated in the era of each Prophet of God and indeed is still being repeated. Prophets of God guide to ways leading to God and Satan has always tried to spoil this process and continues to do so. He frightens and misleads people with all manner of pretext, greed and terror. The Holy Qur’an cites in many places that from the creation of Adam (on whom be peace) Satan started using ploys. From Surah Al Fatiha to Surah Al Nas, God has mentioned Satan to alert believers from his attacks, and has commanded to protect themselves from him through prayer.

The aforementioned verses declare the creation of God’s beloved and His command to angels to completely submit to man and the arrogance of Satan in declining to submit to one who was, in his view, created from lesser matter. When God created man, He put the capacity in him to imbue Divine qualities and thus attain nearness to God, and go on to attain a high point in this nearness where angels would be commissioned to serve him. God sends His Prophets who attain the greatest nearness to Him and as a result the entire system of angels arises to help and support them. God’s special decree comes into action for this purpose. God created man as the most eminent of all creation and pressed the entire creation in his service. When man is granted prophethood he becomes the Adam of his age, imagine the support and succour he would receive in such instance.

During the time of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) he and the believers were bitterly persecuted and the pagans of Makkah marshalled aggression in order to eliminate Islam. In the Battle of Badr it was God’s angels whose help turned the tide in favour of the Muslims. There are several other instances from the time of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) which illustrate that an army of angels was always with him and the believers. Indeed, the Muslims lost their lives as well as suffered from loss of property etc. however; the mob of Iblees (Satan) could never achieve their objective. Those who follow Satan try their utmost to create doubts and suspicions in people’s hearts through murder and mayhem, financial loss, both overtly and covertly putting terror in people’s hearts. Opponents of good fall into the control of Satan because of their arrogance. Their argument is that those who claim prophethood and who call to God are in fact poor and lowly and it is them who are knowledgeable and conversant, how could they then take their bai’at? Hudhur said it is again arrogance of those who do not accept the Imam of the age that is preventing them from accepting him.

When God commanded angels to prostrate to man it was not a literal command for only God is worthy of prostration. This command meant that one who is commissioned by God should be perfectly obeyed and Satan should not be allowed to succeed in his objectives against him. It meant that the Prophet should be helped in making Satan unsuccessful and an awareness of the message of the Prophet and God’s help and succour for him should be inspired in pious-natured people so that they may recognise the truth and join the community of the Prophet. These people would then go through spiritual enhancement and experience God’s help and succour, as a result their life on this earth and their Hereafter is accomplished and they become the recipients of God’s Paradise. The hearts of pious-natured people are enthused and this is when angels declare: ‘So the angels submitted, all of them together…’ Meanwhile the works of Prophet is blessed in extraordinary ways and one can observe the ‘submission’ of pious-natured people and it is this obedience and submission that is the ‘prostration’ to carry the mission of the Prophet further. By becoming most excellent helpers they take his work forward.

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