Thursday, May 24, 2012

9/24/10, Opinion-Editorial, Finger Lakes Times



Satan Reveals Himself As Man's Immoral Tendencies
By: Sardar Anees Ahmad

Who, or what, is Satan? It may seem futile to discuss a concept that resembles that of fairytales.  Perhaps due to the vivid description and depiction of Satan from individuals such as John Milton, William Blake, etc., many have become accustomed to think of Satan as a physical being. To be clear, Satan, whatever he is, is no monster. For why, despite the prevalence of immorality today, do we not see him as such? As is the case with angels, understanding Satan’s nature requires a sharper eye.

 

A thing is known through its opposite – without “heat”, “cold” does not exist. Similarly, while Islam considers each person to be born sinless, man possesses an ability to do “good” contrasted with his ability to do “bad”. In religious terms, the power that compels one to act morally is angelic and the opposing force is satanic. We understand angels to be independent conscious entities governing various physical and spiritual laws. We also understand Satan to be an independent conscious entity which oversees an entire system opposed to angels.

 

Skeptics argue that the supposed existence of Satan contradicts the notion of a benevolent God. For if God is inherently good, why create an entity designed to lead people astray? Islam acknowledges that in the natural world the phenomenon of evolution requires struggle. That is, species development requires the option of both loss and gain. Islam argues that a parallel exists in the spiritual world. Equipped with the ability to act morally and immorally, man either overcomes his lowly passions or these very desires dominate him. Indeed, the Qur’an (2:169) refers to Satan as “Uthuw”, meaning an enemy that causes one to transgress all limits. Thus self-refinement requires resisting satanic impulses, just as evolutionary progress requires overcoming suffering.

 

In religious terms, those individuals who eliminate, and never succumb to, even the slightest satanic tendencies are termed prophets. In contrast, prophets’ enemies have allowed their satanic potential to overpower them. In this regard, Prophet Muhammad stated, “Satan runs through a person as does blood through the veins.” Muhammad’s companions inquired if Muhammad himself had such a Satan. Muhammad replied he did but it had “submitted” (Bukhari). In other words, Muhammad, being human, had the ability to do both good and bad. Muhammad’s Satan “submitting” means Muhammad had eliminated even the potential for any impious desire. Similarly, the Bible (Matthew 4:8-10) records that Jesus Christ rebuked Satan’s temptations. To be clear, Satan’s attempt to try a person does not imply that person’s morality is suspect. Rejecting such objections levied against Christ, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad remarked, “Do not villains sometimes speak in the presence of kings?” Only if one succumbs to evil temptations is he guilty of immorality. Indeed, the greatness of every prophet of God lies in rejecting every satanic influence despite having the chance to indulge in them.

 

Prophets’ companions also help to understand the nature of Satan. Once, a Muslim became so angry that he turned red and his veins swelled. Muhammad said, “Seek refuge with Allah from Satan the rejected” (Bukhari). Expression of anger can be a moral act if exercised at the appropriate time and with the appropriate measure. “Satan” here indicated the realization of anger to an extent which was unacceptable; the man should have controlled his anger. Similarly, Jesus said to Peter, “Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men” (Matthew 16:23). Here, Christ was pointing out that Peter possessed some worldly desires contrary to his stature.

 

Thus, Satan is man’s inner immoral potential as well as an external conscious being. A skeptic may reject the latter definition, but denying the former would mean denying one’s own existence.

Comments (0)

Write comment

feedShow/hide comment form

busy