Q. Does Shaitaan know
what crosses our minds of ideas which no one knows except Allaah & thus
whisper to us what is in accordance with our thoughts?
A. Praise be to Allaah.
The sound evidence indicates that the Shaitaan
is close to man, and indeed he flows through him like blood, so he whispers to
him at moments of heedlessness and withdraws from him when he remembers Allaah سُبحانه
وتعالى. Through this constant closeness he
knows what whims and desires occur to man, so he makes them appear attractive
to him and he whispers to him regarding them.
Al-Bukhari (3281) & Muslim (2175)
narrated from Safiyyah bint Huyayy رضي الله عنها
that
the Prophet (صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم) said: "The Shaitaan flows through man like blood.“
Sheikh
ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله)
said:
They smell a good smell or a bad smell
[meaning the angels, who smell a good smell when a person is thinking of a good
deed, as was narrated from Sufyaan ibn …Uyaynah]. But the devils do not need
that [smell] in order to know; rather they even know what is in the heart of
the son of Adam, and they see and hear what he says to himself. Moreover, the
devil has full control over man‘s heart, then when man remembers Allaah سُبحانه
وتعالى
he
withdraws, and when he neglects to remember Him, he whispers to him. He knows
whether he is remembering Allaah سُبحانه
وتعالى or is
neglecting to remember Him, and he knows the whims and desires of his heart and
makes them appear attractive to him.