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The Promised Messiah (as) wrote over 80 books in Arabic, Urdu, and Persian. Excerpts of his collected works have been translated into English and organised by topic. The Review of Religions is pleased to present these excerpts as part of a monthly feature. Here, the Promised Messiah (as) describes the difference between satanic and divine revelation.
This is the sixth part of a multi-part series.
Extracts from The Essence of Islam – Vol. II. pp. 81-89
Satanic Revelation is a Reality
Satanic revelation is a reality which is experienced by some imperfect seekers. There is also self-suggestion, which may be described as confused dreams. He who denies this opposes the Holy Qur’an which affirms that satanic revelation is a fact. God Almighty says that so long as a person’s purification of soul is not complete and perfected he can be the recipient of satanic revelation and can fall within the purview of the verse:
تَنَزَّلُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ أَفَّاكٍ أَثِيمٖ [1]
But the pure ones are immediately warned of a satanic approach. It is a pity that some Christian ministers have gone so far in their writings as to suggest that when Satan took Jesus (as) to a hillock, this was not an external event which could have been witnessed by others and by the Jews and that three times Jesus (as) received satanic revelation which he did not accept. We tremble at hearing this biblical commentary that Jesus (as) should have been subject to satanic revelation… No satanic thought can take possession of a pure heart. If such a stray thought should ever come across their mind, it is quickly rejected and their heart is not stained thereby.
In the Holy Qur’an such a stray thought is named ta’if. It has very little relation with the heart and is like the shadow of a faraway tree. It is possible that Satan the accursed desired to create in the heart of Jesus (as) some slight doubt of this type and he rejected it immediately through his prophetic power… We can affirm that through his prophetic power, and through the light of truth that he possessed, Jesus (as) did not permit the satanic revelation to approach him and immediately occupied himself with its rejection, and as darkness cannot withstand light, Satan was not able to withstand him and ran away. This is the true meaning of:
إِنَّ عِبَادِي لَيۡسَ لَكَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ سُلۡطَٰنٌ [2]
Satan has authority only on those who accept satanic suggestions and satanic revelation. But those who shoot the arrow of light at Satan and wound him from afar and refute him and do not follow him in whatever he might say, are exempt from his authority. But as God Almighty desires to show them the kingdom of the heaven and earth and Satan is a part of the kingdom of earth, it is necessary that in order to complete their observation of the creation they should see the face of this curious creature and should hear his word.
The garment of their transcendence and innocence is not stained thereby in the least. Satan had, mischievously, according to his ancient way, made a request to Jesus (as) which his pure nature immediately rejected and did not accept. This was not at all derogatory of Jesus (as). Do not the wicked sometimes speak in the presence of kings? In the same way, Satan spiritually injected his word into the heart of Jesus (as), but Jesus (as) did not accept it and rejected it immediately. This was a commendable act and to criticise it would amount to foolishness and ignorance of the spiritual philosophy. It is not for every pious person and Sufi to reject a satanic suggestion and to demonstrate its impurity as did Jesus (as) with the whip of his light.
Sayyed Abd al-Qadir Jilani (may Allah be pleased with him) has stated that on one occasion he received a satanic revelation. Satan said to him: ‘Abd al-Qadir, thy worship has been accepted and now all that is forbidden to others is permitted to thee and thou art relieved of the obligation of performing salat.’ Abd al-Qadir said to him: ‘Avaunt Satan; how can that be permitted to me which was not permitted to the Holy Prophet, peace be on him?’ Then Satan disappeared from his golden throne. If a man of God and unique individual like Abd al-Qadir received satanic revelation, how can the common people, who have not yet completed their search, escape it? They have not the eyes of light wherewith they can recognise satanic revelation, as did Sayyed Abd al-Qadir and Jesus (as) (peace be on him). Those soothsayers who abounded in Arabia before the advent of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) received plenty of satanic revelation, and sometimes, on the basis of it, they made prophecies, and the wonder is that some of their prophecies were fulfilled. Islamic literature is full of these stories. He who denies the possibility of satanic revelation rejects the teachings of the prophets (peace be on them), and denies the whole system of prophethood. The Bible has recorded that on one occasion, four hundred prophets received a satanic revelation, which was the work of a white jinn, and on the basis of that revelation, they prophesied the victory of a king, but that king was killed in great humiliation in battle and suffered a great defeat. A prophet who had received his revelation from Gabriel (as) had prophesied that the king would be killed and dogs would eat his body and he would suffer a great defeat. This was fulfilled and the falsehood of the prophecy of four hundred prophets was demonstrated.
Naturally, a question arises that if satanic revelation is so common, then all revelation becomes doubtful, especially as an exalted prophet like Jesus (as) also had such experience. Revelation thus becomes a great trial. The answer is that there is no reason to be disheartened. It is part of divine law that everything valuable has attached to it some things that are false. Genuine pearls come out of the ocean, but there are also false pearls which people manufacture themselves. Commerce in genuine pearls cannot be stopped because false pearls are also available. A jeweller upon whom God Almighty bestows insight recognises at once which pearl is real and which is false. The Imam of the age is the jeweller of the jewels of revelation. He who keeps company with him can easily distinguish between the real and the false. O ye Sufis! And O ye victims of alchemy! step warily in here and remember that true revelation which comes from God Almighty possesses the following characteristics:
Characteristics of True Revelation
1. It is received at a time when the heart of the recipient, being melted through its ache for truth, flows towards God Almighty like clear water. This is indicated in the hadith that the Holy Qur’an was revealed in sorrow and should be studied with a sorrowful heart.
2. True revelation is accompanied by delight and conveys certainty in an unknown manner and penetrates into the heart like an iron nail. Its words are eloquent and free from error.
3. True revelation possesses a certain majesty and strikes the heart with power and descends upon it with force and an awesome voice. False revelation is conveyed in a low voice like the voice of thieves and eunuchs and women inasmuch as Satan is a thief and a eunuch and a woman.
4. True revelation is charged with the power of God Almighty and contains prophecies which are fulfilled.
5. True revelation fosters the recipient’s goodness and purifies him of inner impurities and improves his moral condition.
6. True revelation is borne witness to by all the inner powers of the recipient and it sheds a new and pure light on all his faculties and he perceives a change in himself. His previous life comes to an end and a new life begins for him and he becomes a source of sympathy for mankind.
7. True revelation does not finish when only one phrase for God’s voice has a continuation. He is very Gentle and He talks to him towards whom He is inclined and answers his questions. A recipient of true revelation can receive a response to his supplications at one place and time; though sometimes an interval occurs between two series of revelations.
8. The recipient of true revelation is never a coward and is not afraid to stand up to false claimants of revelation. He knows that God is with him and would humiliate a false claimant.
9. True revelation is the means of acquiring knowledge and understanding for God does not desire to leave its recipient ignorant and without knowledge.
10. True revelation is accompanied by many other blessings. A recipient of true revelation is bestowed honour from the unseen and is given prestige.
—Darurat-ul-Imam, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 13, pp. 483-490
I was young and now I am old, but from the beginning I have been a witness of the fact that God Who has ever been hidden manifests Himself through Islam. If a person truly follows the Holy Qur’an and occupies himself with self-improvement according to its teaching, and lives not like the worldly but like a servant of the faith, and devotes himself to the cause of God and loves His Prophet Muhammad, the Chosen One (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and is free from self-exhibition and arrogance and pride and seeks not his own glory but the glory and greatness of God, and humbles himself to the dust in His cause, the result is that divine converse starts with him in eloquent Arabic.
Divine words are delicious and majestic. They are not the product of one’s own mind; such a product is delivered in a low voice like that of a eunuch or a sick person. But God’s word is full of majesty and is mostly in Arabic and very often in the form of verses of the Qur’an. My experience is that first it strikes the heart forcefully and an echo is thereby produced which then blossoms like a flower, and therefrom issues a holy and delicious series of phrases comprising hidden matters and possessing a majesty and a power and effectiveness whereby it penetrates into the heart like an iron nail and is fragrant with the perfume of God.
These characteristics are attached to it because some ill-natured persons also receive satanic revelation or are deceived by the product of their own minds. God Almighty causes shining light to accompany His word so as to distinguish it from other types.
—Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 23, pp. 314-315
Differences Between Satanic and Divine Revelation
Most ignorant people consider satanic suggestion as the word of God and are unable to distinguish between satanic and divine revelation. It should be remembered that the first condition for divine revelation is that its recipient should become wholly God’s and that Satan should have no part in him. Wherever there is carrion, there also dogs collect. That is why God Almighty says:
هَلۡ أُنَبِّئُكُمۡ عَلَىٰ مَن تَنَزَّلُ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينُ * تَنَزَّلُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ أَفَّاكٍ أَثِيمٖ [3]
But Satan cannot attack one in whom he has no part and who has departed from the low life as if he had died and has become a righteous and faithful servant of God and has turned wholly to Him, as God Almighty has said:
إِنَّ عِبَادِي لَيۡسَ لَكَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ سُلۡطَٰنٌ [4]
Those who belong to Satan and follow satanic ways, Satan runs towards them for they are his prey.
It should be remembered that God’s words possess a blessing and a majesty and a delight. As God is All-Hearing and All-Knowing and Compassionate, He replies to the supplications of His righteous and faithful servants. This supplication and response can extend over several hours. When a servant humbly submits his supplication, he is within a few minutes overcome by a faintness and he receives the response in the veil of this faintness. Then, if he submits another supplication, he again experiences the same condition and finds His response.
God is so Generous and Compassionate and All-Knowing that if a servant supplicates to Him a thousand times, each time he receives a response, but as God Almighty is Self-Sufficient and has regard for wisdom and appropriateness some supplications are not responded to.
Again, Satan is dumb and is not eloquent and so articulate in his speech. Like the dumb, he has no power over an eloquent and prolific speech. He injects a sentence or two into the heart in a smelly way. Since eternity, he has not been given the power to express himself in delicious and majestic words. Nor can he carry on a series of questions and answers for a number of hours. He is also deaf and is not able to respond to every question. He is also helpless and cannot exhibit any power or disclose any hidden matter of high import. Also his throat is hoarse and he cannot speak in a loud and majestic voice. His voice is low like that of eunuchs. You can recognise satanic revelation by these signs.
But God is not like a dumb or deaf or helpless person. He hears and responds. His word is conveyed in a majestic, and loud and awestriking voice. His words are effective and delicious while Satan’s words are delivered in a low, effeminate and doubtful manner; there is no majesty, grandeur, or loftiness in them. Nor can he continue for long as he tires quickly and his words are weak and betray cowardice. God’s word does not get tired and comprises every kind of power and hidden matters of great import and majestic promises and gives off the fragrance of divine glory and greatness and power and Holiness. Satan’s words do not possess these qualities.
Divine revelation possesses an effectiveness; it penetrates into the heart like an iron nail. It creates a holy effect upon the heart and draws the heart to itself and converts its recipient into a person of high courage so much so that if he is cut into pieces with a sharp sword, or is strung up on the gallows, or is afflicted with every possible kind of torment, and is disgraced and defamed, or is put into the fire and is consumed, he would never deny that the word that descends upon him is God’s word. God bestows full certainty upon him and makes him the lover of His own countenance. He values life, honour and property no more than a straw. He never lets go of the garment of God even if the whole world treads him under its feet and he is matchless in his trust, bravery and steadfastness. Those who receive satanic revelation have no such power. They are cowardly because Satan is a coward.
—Haqiqat-ul-Wahi, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, pp. 142-144
If it is asked that as there is no complete security against satanic intervention then how can we trust our dreams that they are from God? Is it not possible that we should deem a dream to be from God and it might be from Satan, or we might deem it to be from Satan and it might be from God? The answer is that a dream which is from God declares itself by its majesty, blessing, greatness and light. That which proceeds from a holy fountain possesses purity and fragrance and that which proceeds from unclean and dirty water immediately announces its origin through its evil smell.
True dreams, which come from God Almighty, are like a holy message which is not accompanied by confused thoughts and possesses an effective power, and the heart is drawn towards it and the soul testifies that it is from God inasmuch as its greatness and majesty penetrate into the heart like an iron nail. Very often it happens that a person sees a true dream and God Almighty shows the same dream, or one like it, as confirmation to some companion of his and thus one dream supports another.
—A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 5, p. 354
ENDNOTES
[1] ‘(They descend) on every great liar and sinner.’ – The Holy Qur’an, 26:223.
[2] ‘Surely thou shalt have no power over My servants.’ – The Holy Qur’an, 15:43.
[3] ‘Shall I inform you on whom the evil ones descend? They descend on every great liar and sinner.’ – The Holy Qur’an, 26:222-223.
[4] ‘Surely thou shalt have no power over My servants.’ – The Holy Qur’an, 15:43.
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