capture the hearts of people with it. Once they are caught in my trap, I overpower them.”

Hearing this, Sayyiduna Musa عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم asked: “How do you overpower pious people?” Satan said: “When a person becomes proud (due to his deeds), considers his good deeds to be great in number and forgets his sins, then I overpower him, and take hold of him firmly. O Musa عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم! I will warn you of three matters:

1.   Do not adopt the company of a woman alone, who is a non-Mahram (a woman with whom marriage is permissible). This is because, whenever a man is alone with a non-Mahram woman, I am the third present there, and I cause them to fall into sin.

2.   When you make a promise with Allah Almighty, make sure you fulfil it, and be swift in fulfilling it. This is because, whenever someone makes a promise with Allah Almighty, my followers and I stop him from fulfilling it.

3.   When you intend to give charity to someone, act upon it immediately. As soon as a person makes any good intention like this, my followers and I try to tempt him towards desires and stop him from acting upon it.”

After saying this, Satan went away from Sayyiduna Musa عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم. As he left, he said: “Alas! Musa عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم knows of the three traps which I use to misguide people. Now, he will tell the people about them and they will be aware of my plot.” (‘Uyoon-ul-Hikayaat translated, vol. 1, p. 192, ‘Uyoon-ul-Hikayaat Arabic, p. 123)

صَلُّوْا عَلَی الْحَبیب!                                    صَلَّی اللہُ عَلٰی مُحَمَّد

Satan is the third

Dear Islamic brothers! You have heard about how Satan captures people with his traps, overpowering them. One way he does this is by