Its desires and inclinations fall into conformity with that knowledge...
Its desires and inclinations fall into conformity with that knowledge, and its will into conformity with those inclinations, and, as a result, its inward and outward, spiritual and bodily conduct takes shape in accordance with the criteria of reason and wisdom. There are certain stages and stations associated with these satanic, angelic, and divine suggestions whose description is not suitable here.
Some of the noble traditions, like the following one reported in Majma’ al-bayan from al-’Ayyashi, bear out the validity of what has been said: رَوَى العَيَّاشِيُّ بِإسْنَادِهِ عَنْ أَبَانَ بْنِ تَغْلُبَ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: مَا مِنْ مُؤْمِنٍ إلا وَلِقَلْبِهِ فِي صَدْرِهِ أُذُنَانِ: أُذُنٌ يَنْفَثُ فِيهَا المَلَكُ وَأُذُنٌ يَنْفَثُ فِيهَا الوِسْوَاسُ الخِنَّاسُ، فَيُؤَيِّدُ اللهُ المُؤْمِنَ بِالمَلِكِ.
وَهُوُ قَوْلُهُ سُبْحَانَهُ: ﴿وَأَيَّدَهُمْ بِرُوحٍ مِنْهُ.﴾ Al-Ayyashi reports with his chain of transmission from Aban ibn Taghlib from Ja’far ibn Muhammad (S) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (S) said, “There is no believer whose heart does not have two ears: an angel whispers into one of them and into the other the Slinking Whisperer (al-waswas al-khannas).
God confirms the believer with the means of the angel and that is what is meant by this statement of His, subhanahu: And He confirms them with a spirit from Him (58:22).”[^2] This is another tradition from Majma’ al-bahrayn: أَنَّهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: إنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ وَاضِعٌ خَطْمَهُ عَلَى قَلْبِ ابْنِ آدَمَ، لَهُ خُرْطُومٌ مِثْلَ خُرْطُومِ الخِنْزِيرِ، يُوَسْوِسُ لابْنِ آدَمَ أَنْ أَقْبِلْ عَلَى الدُّنْيَا وَمَا لا يُحِلُّ اللهُ.
فَإذَا ذَكَرَ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ خنَسَ. He (i.e. the Prophet) said, “Satan lays his snout, which is like the snout of a pig, on the heart of the son of Adam, and instigates him to turn towards the world (dunya) and that which God has not made lawful. But when he remembers God, Satan slinks away.”[^3] There are other traditions of this kind.
A Simpler Explanation Of The Character Of Waswas Having known through the teachings of the urafa’ that waswas is the work of Satan, as mentioned in the noble tradition being expounded here and other traditions of the kind, we are compelled to explain this matter in a way that is closer to the minds of ordinary people and more appropriate for them.