Yes, these are ‘the footsteps of the Satan’.

Yes, these are ‘the footsteps of the Satan’.[^1] Then the verse refers to one of the most important Divine favours and blessings which are bestowed on man in the path of guidance. It says: “...Had it not been Allah’s grace and His mercy on you, not one of you would have ever been pure.

But Allah purifies whom He pleases; and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” Undoubtedly, Divine grace and bless rescue men from defilements, sins and deviations, because He has conferred, on one hand, the gift of intellect and, on the other hand, the grace of the existence of the Prophet (S) and ordinances that have been sent down by revelation.

Moreover, His special help, and supernatural aids that cover deserving, receptive, and apt men are the most important factors of purification and cleanness. The Qur’anic holy phrase /manyaša’/, as we have said repeatedly, does not mean unreasonable will and desire, but Allah does not do any guidance and does not confer any grace, unless attempt and exertion is carried out by servants.

One who has decided to go this path and tries, Allah will hold his hands, saves him from devils’ temptations and so leads him to the destination. In other words, Divine grace and bless has sometime religious aspect, that has come forth through mission of prophets, revelation of heavenly books, legalization of ordinances, glad tidings and warnings. And it is sometime genetic or inherent, that comes forth through Divine spiritual helps.

The verses in question (out of indication of the sentence ‘man yasha’) mostly concern the second section. Meanwhile, we must pay attention that the words ‘Zakat’ and ‘Tazkiyah’ originally mean ‘to grow’ and ‘to cause to grow’, but in most cases they have been applied in the sense of: ‘to become clean’ and ‘to clean something’. They may have one root, because no growth and development occurs when evils and corruptions are not got rid of.