A few facts about Shaitaan’s plot:

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

The eight facts about Shaitaan’s plot:

1.       Shaitaan has ways of deceiving people.

2.       These ways are limited and they never change.

3.       For centuries he has been misleading the people with the same tactics.

4.       He approaches different people from different angles.

5.       We have been informed by Allaah تعالى in the Qur’aan and through His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم about all his many different tactics and how to protect ourselves from them.

6.       His plots are weak.

7.       The strength of Shaitaan is inversely proportional to our Imaan; meaning, the one with weak Imaan will easily fall prey to his plots and whispers. But the ones with strong Imaan will have little or no effects from his plots and whispers.

8.       All this is possible only by Allaah’s Will.

The Shaitaan comes to different people from different angles:

1.       From the angle of money for those who love money.

2.       From the angle of women for those who love women.

3.       From the angle of fame for those who love to be famous, and so on…

﴿قَالَ فَبِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لَأَقْعُدَنَّ لَهُمْ صِرَاطَكَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ * ثُمَّ لَآتِيَنَّهُم مِّن بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَعَن شَمَائِلِهِمْ ۖ وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكْثَرَهُمْ شَاكِرِينَ﴾

{(Iblees) said: “Because You have sent me astray, surely I will sit in wait against them (human beings) on Your Straight Path. Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them as thankful ones (i.e. they will not be dutiful to You).”} [Surah al-A`raaf (7): 16-17]

His plots are weak:

﴿إِنَّ كَيْدَ الشَّيْطَانِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا﴾

{Ever feeble indeed is the plot of Shaitaan.} [Surah al-Nisaa (4): 76]

He calls, and the weak in Faith respond to it:

﴿وَقَالَ الشَّيْطَانُ لَمَّا قُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ وَعَدَكُمْ وَعْدَ الْحَقِّ وَوَعَدتُّكُمْ فَأَخْلَفْتُكُمْ ۖ وَمَا كَانَ لِيَ عَلَيْكُم مِّن سُلْطَانٍ إِلَّا أَن دَعَوْتُكُمْ فَاسْتَجَبْتُمْ لِي ۖ فَلَا تَلُومُونِي وَلُومُوا أَنفُسَكُم ۖ مَّا أَنَا بِمُصْرِخِكُمْ وَمَا أَنتُم بِمُصْرِخِيَّ ۖ إِنِّي كَفَرْتُ بِمَا أَشْرَكْتُمُونِ مِن قَبْلُ ۗ إِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ﴾

{And Shaitaan will say when the matter has been decided (i.e. on the Day of Judgment): "Verily, Allaah promised you a promise of truth. And I too promised you, but I betrayed you. I had no authority over you except that I called you, so you responded to me. So blame me not, but blame yourselves. I cannot help you, nor can you help me. I deny your former act in associating me (Satan) as a partner with Allaah (by obeying me in the life of the world). Verily, there is a painful torment for the Zalimun} [Surah Ibraaheem (14): 22]

Same old tactics:

Even today, Shaitaan is still using the very first deception by which he got our parents, Aadam and Hawwa عليهم السلام, out of the Jannah – the false hope of becoming immortal and living forever:

Allaah تعالى says:

﴿فَوَسْوَسَ إِلَيْهِ الشَّيْطَانُ قَالَ يَا آدَمُ هَلْ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَىٰ شَجَرَةِ الْخُلْدِ وَمُلْكٍ لَّا يَبْلَىٰ﴾

{Then Shaitaan whispered to him, saying: "O Aadam! Shall I lead you to the Tree of Eternity and to a kingdom that will never waste away?"} [Surah Taahaa (20): 120]

Allaah تعالى also says:

﴿فَوَسْوَسَ لَهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ لِيُبْدِيَ لَهُمَا مَا وُورِيَ عَنْهُمَا مِن سَوْآتِهِمَا وَقَالَ مَا نَهَاكُمَا رَبُّكُمَا عَنْ هَـٰذِهِ الشَّجَرَةِ إِلَّا أَن تَكُونَا مَلَكَيْنِ أَوْ تَكُونَا مِنَ الْخَالِدِينَ﴾

{Then Shaitaan whispered suggestions to them both in order to uncover that which was hidden from them of their private parts (before); he said: "Your Lord did not forbid you this tree save you should become angels or become of the immortals."} [Surah al-A`raaf (7): 20]

Narrated Anas bin Maalik رضي الله عنه: Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “The son of Aadam (i.e. man) grows old and so also two (desires) grow old with him*, i.e., love for wealth and (a wish for) a long life.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (6421)]

*Meaning: the desire for the long life and the love of abundant wealth do not depart from a person till he dies.

We see people investing in millions in research for finding a cure for aging. Others spend millions on plastic surgery and cosmetics to look younger.

Allaah تعالى says:

﴿وَلَن يُؤَخِّرَ اللَّـهُ نَفْسًا إِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهَا ۚ وَاللَّـهُ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ﴾

 {And Allaah grants respite to none when his appointed time (death) comes. And Allaah is All-Aware of what you do.} [Surah al-Munaafiqoon (63): 11]

He تعالى also says:

﴿فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً ۖ وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ﴾

{…and when their term comes, neither can they delay nor can they advance it an hour (or a moment).} [Surah al-Nahl (16): 61]