Ethics of Islam

Allâhu ta’âlâ is remembered and His Name is mentioned,) the
devil runs away. Otherwise, it continues with its suggestions.”
[This hadîth-i-sherîf shows us also that it is necessary to make
dhikr.] The thing which comes to the heart could be either an
evil suggestion of the devil or an inspiration of an angel. Which
nature it is of, can be judged by its compatibility with Islam. If
this method fails, one should resort to a true religious scholar,
asking him whether it is a good inspiration or an evil suggestion.
One should never ask sham scholars who trade their religion for
money or for worldly ranks. One may also ask a real, devoted
“Shaikh” or a perfect spiritual guide (Murshîd al-kâmil) whose
teachers are all renowned and devoted perfect spiritual guides
themselves and their spiritual link like an unbroken chain
reaches to Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sal-lam’. The
friends of Allâhu ta’âlâ who are called “Qutb al-madâr”, even
though they are very few in number, will always exist until the
time of doomsday. Leader of enlightenment (Qutb al-irshâd)
who is an Islamic scholar of Ahl as-sunnat and a perfect spiritual
guide does not always exist everywhere. Scholars in this capacity
are quite rare, and there is a long interval after each of them.
One should not presume that those sham leaders (fake shaikhs)
who exist everywhere at all times are like those true perfect
spiritual guides. One should be very wary lest one should be
misled by one of these sham leaders (fake shaikhs) and lose
one’s happiness in this world and in the world to come. Things
that come to the heart will taste very bitter to the nafs if they are
compatible with Islam or if they are inspired by an angel.
Otherwise, if the nafs finds them very sweet and one wants to do
them in a hurry, then it should be known that they come from
the devil and they are evil suggestions .
The devil has many tricks. Ten of them are famous:
First: The devil says to a person that Allâhu ta’âlâ does not
need their worships. One should remember the sixty-second âyat
of sûra Baqara of the Qur’ân al-kerîm which purports, “... And
any who believe in Allâhu ta’âlâ and the Last Day, and work
righteousness, shall have their reward...” (2-62)
Second: The devil says to a person that Allâhu ta’âlâ is
Compassionate and Gracious and that therefore He will forgive
you and let you enter Paradise. One should remember the thirtythird
âyat of Sûra Loqman of the Qur’ân al-kerîm, which states,
“Do not be swayed by the Graciousness of Allah,” and the sixtythird
âyat of the Sûra Maryam of the Qur’ân al-kerîm which
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