He launches his assaults from various fronts...

He launches his assaults from various fronts, of which we mention a few: He tries to deter man from worshipping Allah (awj) according to the requirements of revelation by tempting him to act according to his own desires. He influences man’s ability to think rationally so that instead of reaching conclusions based on solid reasoning, he accepts fallacies that only seem to be rational. He influences man’s ability to understand reality as it is.

He skews man’s understanding or convinces him to reject the possibility of understanding such reality. In this way, Satan first corrupts one’s perception of reality, then his ability to comprehend reality, and finally his actions. The Qur`an and ahadith indicate that Satan and his cohorts only have influence over people who have surrendered their devotion to Allah (awj) and who—in…