Explanation of the Author's Statement: His saying, Allah the Exalted said: "It is only that Satan who frightens his allies, so do not fear them, but fear Me, if you are believers"

The Shaykh : He said: "The chapter on the saying of Allah the Exalted:

That is only Satan who frightens [you] of his supporters. So fear them not, but fear Me

إنما ذلكم الشيطان يخوف أولياءه فلا تخافوهم وخافون

[Ali 'Imran 3:175]

" And what is before the verse? "Innamā" is a particle of restriction for the one who frightened the polytheists. And his saying: "Dhālika" is the subject, and "al-Shaytan" can be the predicate of the subject, and the clause is a state (ḥāl) describing Satan. It is also possible that "al-Shaytan" is a description of "dhālika," yes, or an explanatory apposition (ʿaṭf bayān), and "yukhāf" is the predicate of the subject. The meaning of the verse is: This frightening that occurred is only from a Satan who frightens his allies. "Yukhāf" takes two objects; the first object is omitted and the second is present. The implied first object is: He frightens you, his allies. "Yukhāf" means: He instills fear in your hearts regarding them. And "his allies" means: His supporters who spread lewdness and evil. Whoever spreads lewdness and evil is among the allies of Satan, because Satan commands what? He commands lewdness and evil. So whoever supports lewdness and evil is among the allies of Satan. Then this support... and what is related to it... may be great, or it may be less than that. And his saying: "He frightens you, his allies." We said that you must say to yourself: If Satan throws this matter into your heart, you must say to yourself: How many callers to Allah spoke the truth and died in their beds? And how many cowards were killed? Is that not so? Khalid ibn al-Walid (may Allah be pleased with him) was among the bravest people and the most daring in entering battles and battlefields, and yet he died in his bed. So daring to speak the truth and say the truth is not what brings the term of life closer, and silence and cowardice are not what delay the term of life. So as long as this matter is obligatory upon you, and Allah has made it obligatory upon you, and you are in a position where you must do or say it, it is not permissible for you to fear, neither Satan nor the allies of Satan. Otherwise, Satan frightens you, saying: You will be attacked, you will be raided upon, he will do this and do that. But it does not concern you as long as you are carrying out the command of Allah. So trust that Allah the Exalted is with those who fear Him and those who do good. Allah will support you and aid you, and it is known that the party of Allah are the prevailing ones.
And for this reason, He the Glorious and Exalted said: "Lā" is a prohibitive particle. "Do not fear them." To whom does the pronoun refer? To the allies of Satan. So do not fear them. And this prohibition is for prohibition without doubt. Meaning, rather, proceed in what I have commanded you and what I have made obligatory upon you in jihad, and do not fear these people. And when Allah the Exalted is with a person, no one can overpower him. But in reality, we need sincerity of intention, pure devotion, and complete reliance. And for this reason He said: "So do not fear them, and stand by what I have made obligatory upon you." And it is known from this noble verse that Satan has whispers that are fitting in the heart of the son of Adam, among which is frightening them of their enemies. And this is what happened to many people, who became prey to the enemies of Allah, because they feared them as they fear Allah, or perhaps even more than they fear Allah. So they became prey to the enemies of Allah and the allies of Satan. Otherwise, if they had relied upon Allah the Glorious and Exalted and feared Allah before all else, people would have feared them. And for this reason it is said in the proverb: "Whoever fears Allah, everything fears him. Whoever is mindful of Allah, everything is mindful of him. And whoever fears other than Allah, he fears everything." Yes. So a person must rely upon his Lord. We ask Allah to help us and you with this. He said: And it is understood from the noble verse that fear of Satan and his allies is contrary to faith. But is it contrary to its perfection or contrary to its essence? It depends on the situation. If it leads to what necessitates shirk (associating partners with Allah), then it is contrary to the essence of faith. Otherwise, it is contrary to its perfection. Yes.

The questioner : Shaykh.

The Shaykh : Yes

The questioner : ...

The Shaykh : This is a natural fear. And for this reason, when He said: "It was removed from them," this thing, the natural fear of an apparent matter, no one is blamed for it. Allah said about Moses: "Fearing that they might catch him and kill him." Yes.

The questioner : Shaykh.

The Shaykh : Yes

The questioner : When we mentioned that Satan is a substitute (badal), a substitute for the demonstrative noun?

The Shaykh : Explanatory apposition (ʿaṭf bayān).

The questioner : No, when we said substitute (badal).

The Shaykh : No, explanatory apposition (ʿaṭf bayān).

The questioner : What is valid as a substitute (badal), O Shaykh?

The Shaykh : It is valid, because you do not have the rule: "What is valid as explanatory apposition (ʿaṭf bayān) is valid as a substitute (badal), except in specific exceptions."

The questioner : It becomes a substitute (badal) for what, O Shaykh?

The Shaykh : For the demonstrative noun.

The questioner : O Shaykh, regarding the application of shirk (associating partners with Allah) to those who fear the allies, is it taken from the concept of contradiction (mafḥūm al-mukhālafah)?

The Shaykh : Yes, it is taken from his saying: Although the verse does not explicitly state the issue of reality, the verses do not apply to it... but it is an independent category, because that is a hidden fear of an internal matter that has no reality. But this may have a reality, but it causes the person... this is based on the second category, the natural fear that necessitates leaving what? Leaving the obligatory.