How does a person recognize the devils of mankind?

Machine translationRead the Arabic original

The questioner : May Allah protect you, O Shaykh. As for me, the Sunnah has made clear to us the devils of the jinn, but how does a person recognize the devils of mankind, and how does he distinguish them among people?

The Shaykh : How?

The questioner : How does a person recognize the devils of mankind, guard against them, and deal with them?

The Shaykh : Anyone who commands you with evil and obscenity and forbids you from righteousness and uprightness is a devil, as Allah Blessed and Exalted is He said:

And whoever follows the footsteps of Satan - indeed, he enjoins immorality and wrongdoing

وَمَنْ يَتَّبِعْ خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَإِنَّهُ يَأْمُرُ بِالْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ

[An-Nur 24:21]

.
And He the Exalted said:

Satan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through intoxicants and gambling and to avert you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer

إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَنْ يُوقِعَ بَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ فِي الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ وَيَصُدَّكُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَعَنِ الصَّلاةِ

[Al-Ma'idah 5:91]

.
So any person from whom you see that he commands you with obscenity and what is wrong and forbids you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer, that is the devil.

The questioner : And if it is the parents?

The Shaykh : Even if it is your parents, but strive to preempt them with advice,

if one man is guided on the right path (i.e. converted to Islam) through you, it would be better for you than (a great number of) red camels.

فَلَأَنْ يهدي الله بك رجلاً واحداً خيرٌ لك من حُمُر النَّعَم

Sahih al-Bukhari 3701

and most people may command what they think is good while they do not know. Yes, that is right.

Source alathar.net

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

Similar fatwas