The Six Doors Through Which The Devil Accomplishes His Objective With You! [With An Explanation Of Each Door]
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
The answer:
Ibnul-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy upon him) mentioned that the devil accomplishes his objective with the son of Aadam from six doors; and they are:
1. The excessive consumption of food
2. Excessive talk
3. Excessive socialising with the people
4. The excessive [unrestrained] gaze
5. Excessive listening
6. Excessive sleep
As for excessive eating, then this is when a person eats more than their bodily requirements. Allaah has prohibited him from this as He said,
يَٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ خُذُوا۟ زِينَتَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ وَكُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ وَلَا تُسْرِفُوٓا۟ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ
'...and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He (Allaah) likes not those who commit excess.'
[Al-Quraan 7:31]
Ibnul-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy upon him) said,
'This is because the excessive consumption of food leads to many types of evil. Indeed, it incites the limbs to disobedience and distracts them from the obedience of Allaah. How many types of disobedience were caused by satiety and excessive eating!? The Prophet (ﷺ) said,
'The son of Aadam has not filled a vessel more evil than his stomach.''
As for excessive speech, then this is when a person loosely uses their tongue for that which does not concern them. And worse than that is to loosely utilise it for that which is unlawful for him.
Ibnul-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy upon him) said,
'This is because excessive speech opens up a number of the doors of evil and all of them are points of entrance for the devil. So resisting from excessive speech closes these doors. How many wars have been instigated through one word?
The Prophet (ﷺ) said,
'And will the people be thrown into the fire on their noses except due to the harvests of their own tongues.'
There comes in At-Tirmidhee that a man from the Ansaar passed away so some of the companions said,
'Tuuba [glad tidings of Paradise] to him.'
So the Prophet (ﷺ) said,
'How do you know this? Perhaps he would speak about that which does not concern him, or perhaps he was stingy with that which would not decrease him.''
As for excessive socialising, then this is when a person does not worry about who he sits with and accompanies. So he sits with the believers, the hypocrites, the obedient, the sinner, the good, and the immoral. It is possible that he sits and associates with the disbelievers and apostates.
Ibnul-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy upon him) stated,
'Excessive socialising is a chronic disease which brings every evil.
How many blessings have been lost on account of socialising and mixing? How much enmity has been caused by it? How much vehemence has it placed in the heart? No one is safe from the evil of socialising with the people except the one that categorises them into four groups:
1. The one whose company is like nourishment. It is indispensable to him day and night. And whenever he needs him, he associates with him. He continuously interacts with them in this manner. And these are the scholars [who possess knowledge] of Allaah, His command, the plots of His enemy, and the sicknesses of the hearts. Those sincere to Allaah, His Book, His Messenger, and His servants.
Thus, socialising with them is always beneficial and advantageous.
2. The one whose company is like medicine, which he uses when he is sick. When he is healthy, he has no need to mix with him. These are the individuals who are indispensable to him for his livelihood, and to establish business dealings and partnerships.
3. Those whose company is like a disease of various strains, weakness and strength. These are the individuals from whom no benefit is gotten as it pertains to the religion and worldly affairs. Mixing with them is a chronic disease.
4. The one whose company is destruction par to eating poison. How many are this type? May Allaah not increase their number. They are the people of misguidance and innovation who block people from the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ), and invite people to oppose it.' Among them are the people of sin and disobedience.
As for the excessive unrestrained gaze, then this is when a person loosely looks at what he has been forbidden from [gazing at].
Ibnul-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy upon him) stated,
'The eye is the scout of the heart. So it sends out its scout to investigate.
When it informs it of a beautiful image, the heart is moved by this, coveting it and pursuing after it. Many times the eye is worn-out by itself and causes fatigue to the one who sent it out [on a mission]. So if the scout is prevented from looking and searching, then the heart will be at ease from the burden of pursuit and desire. Whoever lets his gaze roam freely will be in constant anguish.
The majority of disobedience stems from excessive talk and the excessive unrestrained look. They are the vastest points of entrance for the devil. There are three tremendous benefits of great importance in lowering the gaze from looking at unlawful things:
The first benefit:
The sweetness and delight of faith, which is more pleasing and delicious than what he turned his gaze away from and abandoned for the sake of Allaah. Verily, whoever abandons something for the sake of Allaah, then Allaah will replace it with something that is better.
The second benefit:
In lowering the gaze is the illumination of the heart and precise intuition. Abuu Shujaa' Al-Karamaanee said,
'Whoever establishes his outer form upon the Sunnah and his inner self upon constant consciousness, prevents his soul from lusts, lowers his gaze from forbidden matters, and always eats that which is lawful, then his intuition will not fail him.'
The third benefit:
The strength of the heart, its firmness and courage. So Allaah gives it the authority of insight through its strength, and the authority of proof through its light. And the devil flees from him.'
As for excessive listening, then this is when a person allows his ears to listen to that which is unlawful such as backbiting, tale carrying, and false speech. Listening to music and songs also falls under this; and if they listen to this from women, then it is even more filthy and wicked. This is a vast door and many evils stem from this, as it pertains to the religion and worldly affairs.
وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَشْهَدُونَ ٱلزُّورَ وَإِذَا مَرُّوا۟ بِٱللَّغْوِ مَرُّوا۟ كِرَامًا
'And those who do not bear witness to falsehood, and if they pass by some evil play or evil talk, they pass by it with dignity.'
[Al-Quraan 25:72]
Witnessing evil is attending gatherings of falsehood. And music and drums are from the greatest forms of falsehood.
As for excessive sleep, then this is when a person surpasses the amount of sleep that he requires to rest his body. If he exceeds this, then a number of harms will occur that affect his religion and worldly affairs.
Oversleeping is harmful to the heart, it results in heedlessness with the remembrance of Allaah and it burdens the body, hindering it from the obedience of Allaah. It also causes him to miss out on the benefits of this world. Perhaps it could lead him to being negligent with the five daily prayers and other acts of obedience, as is the case with many people.
These were the issues that you heard being discussed when you were with us:
1. The excessive consumption of food
2. Excessive talk
3. Excessive socialising with the people
4. The excessive [unrestrained] gaze with the eye
5. Excessive listening with the ear
6. Excessive sleep
We have explained these matters with some speech detailing them. And the benefit of knowledge is action. So it is upon you to act upon what I have described.
Therefore, do not eat any food or drink any drink unless your body needs it, without exceeding this. And the level of harm depends upon the amount of excess.
Then refrain your tongue from what does not benefit you in your religion or worldly affairs.
Allaah knows best. May the peace and blessings of Allaah be upon Muhammad, his family, and followers."
[Ad-Durar As-Saniyyah, 14/237-242]
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