Know your Enemy – Shaitan & the Nafs

• Surah Al-A’raf (11–18): Allah swt created and shaped humanity, then commanded the angels to bow before Adam. All complied except Iblis, who was positioned among their ranks.
• وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَاكُمْ ثُمَّ صَوَّرْنَاكُمْ ثُمَّ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَ مَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ لَمْ يَكُنْ مِنَ السَّاجِدِينَ
  Imam al-Sadiq’s Narration: When ordered to bow, Iblis asked to be exempted, offering to worship Allah swt like no angel or prophet ever had. Allah swt rejected this, stating that worship must follow His command, not personal preference.
• Surah Al-Hijr (32–38): When questioned by Allah swt, Iblis refused to bow, arguing he was superior to a human made from clay and dark slime. Consequently, Allah swt expelled and cursed him, but granted his request for a reprieve until an appointed day.
• وَإِذۡ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ إِنِّي خَٰلِقُۢ بَشَرٗا مِّن صَلۡصَٰلٖ مِّنۡ حَمَإٖ مَّسۡنُونٖ (28) فَإِذَا سَوَّيۡتُهُۥ وَنَفَخۡتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِي فَقَعُواْ لَهُۥ سَٰجِدِينَ (29) فَسَجَدَ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ كُلُّهُمۡ أَجۡمَعُونَ (30) إِلَّآ إِبۡلِيسَ أَبَىٰٓ أَن يَكُونَ مَعَ ٱلسَّٰجِدِينَ (31) قَالَ يَٰٓإِبۡلِيسُ مَا لَكَ أَلَّا تَكُونَ مَعَ ٱلسَّٰجِدِينَ (32) قَالَ لَمۡ أَكُن لِّأَسۡجُدَ لِبَشَرٍ خَلَقۡتَهُۥ مِن صَلۡصَٰلٖ مِّنۡ حَمَإٖ مَّسۡنُونٖ (33) قَالَ فَٱخۡرُجۡ مِنۡهَا فَإِنَّكَ رَجِيمٞ (34) وَإِنَّ عَلَيۡكَ ٱللَّعۡنَةَ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ (35) قَالَ رَبِّ فَأَنظِرۡنِيٓ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ يُبۡعَثُونَ (36) قَالَ فَإِنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُنظَرِينَ (37) إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡوَقۡتِ ٱلۡمَعۡلُومِ (38) قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَآ أَغۡوَيۡتَنِي لَأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَأُغۡوِيَنَّهُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ (39) إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنۡهُمُ ٱلۡمُخۡلَصِينَ (40) قَالَ هَٰذَا صِرَٰطٌ عَلَيَّ مُسۡتَقِيمٌ (41) إِنَّ عِبَادِي لَيۡسَ لَكَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ سُلۡطَٰنٌ إِلَّا مَنِ ٱتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ ٱلۡغَاوِينَ (42)بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
  )الْحَمْدُ للهِ( لَمْ تَرَكَ الْعُيُونُ فَتُخْبِرَ عَنْكَ، بَلْ كُنْتَ قَبْلَ الْوَاصِفِينَ مِنْ خَلْقِكَ، لَمْ تَخُلُقِ الْخَلْقَ لِوَحْشَة، وَلاَ اسْتَعْمَلْتَهُمْ لِمَنْفَعَة، وَلاَ يَسْبِقُكَ مَنْ طلَبْتَ، وَلاَ يُفْلِتُكَ مَنْ أَخَذْتَ، وَلاَ يَنْقُصُ سُلْطَانَكَ مَنْ عَصَاكَ، وَلاَ يَزِيدُ في مُلْكِكَ مَنْ أَطَاعَكَ، وَلاَيَرُدُّ أَمْرَكَ مَنْ سَخِطَ قَضَاءَكَ، وَلاَيَسْتَغْنِي عَنْكَ مَنْ تَوَلَّى عَنْ أَمْرِكَ. كُلُّ سِرٍّ عِنْدَكَ عَلاَنِيَةٌ، وَكُلُّ غَيْب عِنْدَكَ شَهَادَةٌ

You are eternal and without end. You are our ultimate goal, and there is no escaping You—our only true refuge is in You. You hold complete control over every creature, and every living being will return to You.

Glory be to You! How grand is Your command! The vast creation we can see is magnificent, yet it is tiny compared to Your actual power. Your visible kingdom fills us with awe, yet it is humble next to the hidden authority we cannot see. Your blessings in this world are vast, yet they are small compared to the blessings of the next world.
وَنَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، وَنَشْهَدُ أَنَّ عليا و أبىنائه المعصومين حجج الله ،
أُوصِيکُمْ عِبَادَاللهِ و نفسي، بِتَقْوَى اللهِ وَطَاعَتِهِ،

Sermon 2:
اَلْحَمْدُ للهِ وَالْحَمْدُ حَقُّهُ كَما يَسْتَحِقُّهُ حَمْداً كَثيراً وَاَعُوذُ بِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ نَفْسى اِنَّ النَّفْسَ لاَمّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ اِلاّ ما رَحِمَ رَبّى وَاَعُوذُ بِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ الشَّيْطانِ الَّذى يَزيدُنى ذَنْباً اِلى ذَنْبى وَاَحْتَرِزُ بِهِ مِنْ كُلِّ جَبّار فاجِر وَسُلْطان جائِر وَعَدُوّ قاهِر اَللّـهُمَّ اجْعَلْنى مِنْ جُنْدِكَ فَاِنَّ جُنْدَكَ هُمُ الْغالِبُونَ وَاجْعَلْنى مِنْ حِزْبِكَ فَاِنَّ حِزْبَكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ وَاجْعَلْنى مِنْ اَوْلِيآئِكَ فَاِنَّ أولياءك لا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
والصلاه والسلام علی حبیب رب العالمین، شفیع المذنبین، رحمه للعالمین ابی القاسم محمد….

Ibn Sina’s approach to raising children centers on four key principles:

• Physical Well-Being: Prioritizing healthy nutrition, sleep, hygiene, and exercise to build a strong foundation for mental and moral growth.
• Moral & Emotional Discipline: Cultivating good habits early through positive reinforcement, protection from extreme negative emotions, and minimal reliance on harsh punishment.
• Social & Structured Learning: Starting formal education around age six in a group environment so children can learn alongside peers and build social skills.
• Individualized Vocational Guidance: Tailoring adolescent training around age 14 to a child’s specific talents and interests to prepare them for a practical career and independence.

In Supplication 25 of Al-Sahifah al-Sajjadiyyah, Imam Zain al-Abidin (a.s.) outlines a holistic approach to parenting focused on three key dimensions:

• Physical Health (Abdan): Praying for his children’s strength, safety, and immunity from disease, ensuring a healthy body to sustain life and worship.
• Spiritual Faith (Adyan): Seeking divine guidance, piety, and steadfast obedience to God so they remain spiritually grounded and protected from sin.
• Moral Character (Akhlaq): Asking for noble manners, emotional maturity, and respectful social conduct so they become a source of virtue and comfort to their family and community.

During conflict and crisis, both universal human values and Islamic principles outline specific ethical duties:

• Humanitarian Support: Donate money, food, and medical supplies through reputable relief agencies to alleviate direct civilian suffering.
• Advocacy & Awareness: Share verified information, speak out against injustice, and support calls for ceasefires and diplomatic solutions.
  
• Universal Empathy: Protect human dignity by standing against bigotry, violence toward non-combatants, and dehumanizing rhetoric.
  
• Spiritual & Moral Actions: Utilize earnest prayer (du’a), fulfill charitable duties (sadaqah/zakat), stand firmly for justice, and maintain community solidarity to combat despair.