The Qur’anic Perception of Personal Development

1. With Allah’s Name, The Merciful Benefactor, The Merciful Redeemer The Qur’anic Perception of Personal Development “The Reality of Satan”

2. Tools For The Search A Holy Qur’an "Scripture uses figurative expressions, figurative speech and abstract symbols to address what is actual and what is scientific, what is very real.” Imam W. D. Mohammed

3. What Is The Reality Of The Jinn?

4. The Reality Of The Jinn 15: 26. We created man from sounding clay from mud molded into shape; 27. And the Jinn race We had created before from the fire of a scorching wind. 55: 14. He created man from sounding clay like unto pottery. 15. And He created Jinn from fire free of smoke:

5. The Reality Of The Jinn “A'isha the wife of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him), reported that one day Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came out of her (apartment) during the night and she felt jealous. Then he came and he saw me (the agitated state of mind) I was. He said: A'isha, what has happened to you? Do you feel jealous? Thereupon she said: How can it be (that a woman like me) should not feel jealous in regard to a husband like you. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: It was your Jinn who had come to you, and she said: Allah's Messenger, is there along with me a Jinn? He said: Yes. I said: Is a Jinn attached to everyone? He said: Yes. I (Aisha) again said: Allah's Messenger, is it with you also? He said: Yes, but my Lord has helped me against him and as such I am absolutely safe from his mischief.”

6. The Reality Of The Jinn Safiyah bint Huyai ra (the wife of Rasulullah pbuh), reported:While Rasulullah (pbuh) had been observing i'tikaf (seclusion in the mosque), I came to visit him one night and talked with him for some time. Then I stood up to go back and he also stood up with me in order to escort me home. (She was at that time residing in the house of Usamah bin Zaid). Two persons from the Ansar happened to pass by them. When they saw her and Rasulullah (pbuh), they began to walk swiftly. Thereupon The Messenger of Allah said to them: "Wait, she is Safiyah bint Huyai." Both of them said: ”O, Messenger, Glorified be Allah." Whereupon he said: "Satan circulates in the body of man like the circulation of blood and I was afraid lest it should instill any evil in your hearts."

7. The Reality Of The Jinn "Scripture uses figurative expressions, figurative speech and abstract symbols to address what is actual and what is scientific, what is very real.” Imam W. D. Mohammed The reality that the term Jinn points to is a phenomena involved in the dynamic operations of the human make up. The essence or nature of the Jinn is Appetites, Desires, Passions and Drives(“fire free from smoke”) before we by, our will and by Allah’s Grace, place them under Allah's authority. Until this state is achieved the Jinn/ our Jinn (our personal weaknesses) remain the access point into our hearts for the real Satan.

8. The Reality Of The Jinn "Scripture is the beginning of the sciences of the psyche. The world of psychology and psychoanalysis got its start in religion and then introduced itself to the secular world.” Imam W. D. Mohammed In the language of psychoanalysis, the term "Shadow" (the Dark Side of our personalities) can be taken as the psychic equivalent of the term Jinn in the Al-Islam.(See Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde)

9. The Reality Of The Jinn Jinn is the name for an idea, a principle and a real influence that is Connate to our human nature. Connate is different than Innate (inborn). Connate means that it’s not in human nature but it comes with the human beings' life; The Jinn is connected with our life just like the Physical Shadow is connected to our bodies. This is one of the significances that we can take from "get you down from here all together” (2: 36). Iblis/Jinn isn't IN Adam (human nature) but he is WITH Adam.

10. Abdullah b. Mas'ud reported that Allah's Messenger (may Allah’s peace be upon him) said: “There is none amongst you who is not attached to a jinn.” The Reality Of The Jinn

11. How Is Satan To Be Perceived?

12. Satan: In Relationship To The Order of Creation “The Satan is real. He is no imaginary creature. That thing exists, and he is not operating in some realm of reality that man is not connected with. He is operating in the realm of reality that man knows.” “Though Satan is a form separate from man, Satan operates in the realm of rational thought, that's why he's so dangerous.” Imam W. D. Mohammed

13. Satan: Origins 18:50. Behold! We said to the angels "Bow down to Adam": they bowed down except Iblis. He was one of the Jinn and he broke the Command of his Lord. “Iblis, to me, he’s not the real Satan. He was the start of it but the Shaytan is the real one. Iblis was the beginning of that, but it got worse because of Iblis' position, then as it got worse the Satan developed from Iblis. His (Iblis’s) error opened up the way for Satan. He degenerated further to what we call the Satan.” Imam W. D. Mohammed Iblis is a precondition in the mind of man for Shaitan

14. Satan: Origins 18:50. ….. “He was one of the Jinn and he broke the Command of his Lord.” “Iblis was a Jinn. Jinn is rational and free like man. Satan is one of the possibilities of independent intelligence.” Imam W. D. Mohammed Jinn Nature + No Regard for Allah’s Order and not inclined to repent = Satan

15. The Reality Of The Jinn 15: 26. We created man from sounding clay from mud molded into shape; 27. And the Jinn race We had created before from the fire of a scorching wind. 55: 14. He created man from sounding clay like unto pottery. 15. And He created Jinn from fire free of smoke:

16. The Reality Of The Satan According to Imam Mohammed, Satan is associated with the intelligent urge that has wisdom and science but it’s dominated by an arrogant spirit against Allah's plan for the life of human beings.

17. What Are Some Of The Incarnations and Manifestations of Satan?

18. The Incarnations and Manifestations Of The Satan Corporate Media Culture; (Corporations = Frankensteinian Psychopath) Promotes diabolic (Anti-Insaan) values through entertainment (Ayn Rand’s Superman “Hickman” (especially comedy, cartoons, pop songs, movies, commercials, etc.). P. 1 “The God-Dog” principle at work according to the needs of industry and commerce. P. 5, 6 Manufacturing and Marketing false desires P. 24, 26 (4: 119: See “Merchants of Cool”; “The Century of The Self”)

19. The Incarnations and Manifestations Of The Satan 45: 23. Do you see such a one as takes as his g’d his own vain desire? A Mind Set that sees only its Passions, Desires, Appetites and Drives as the Authority: This Mind Set leads to Moral positions (in any sphere of endeavor) that are set upon the wrong foundations (e.g., the right to do whatever you wish to do, or the right to be free as you want to be free, as free as any individual wants to be”(p. 34): “Ends justify the means”; “by any means necessary” (p. 9))

20. What Makes The Human Being Susceptible To Satan?

21. Human Susceptibility to The Satan The door of access for Satan into our lives is our desires that are not under the authority of Allah. Even Good Desires: "You would be as G'd” (Bible) playing on Adam's desire to be closer to G'd” (7: 20) (p. 35) At-Tabari: "Would that this could last forever" Then Satan said, “Shall I show you a tree of eternity and a kingdom that will last forever?” (20: 120) Our lack of Awareness or Sensitivity to potentially harmful influences from the culture. (p. 34, See Corporate Media Culture; Movies that illustrate The Satan in his relationship with man “The Devil’s Advocate”, “Amadeus”, “The Fallen”, “Needful Things”; The Boogie Man: Lee Atwater)

22. Human Susceptibility to The Satan Lack of awareness of our own intention towards matters. In this state our motivations, drives, sentiments and aspirations are subject to shift in ways that are not in concert with the Will of Allah for those matters. (p. 17) Allah created man put him in the paradise and there was no trouble until the Satan came into his life and deceived him out of the good form that G’d had put him and his wife, his mate in. Satan came and deceived them out of the clothing that G’d had created him in. The clothing that G’d put the man in was his flesh, that means his flesh was Muslim, his flesh was his friend until the Satan took him out of those clothes and put him in some other things, a thinking that led his nature, his body wrong.” P. 22

23. Human Susceptibility to The Satan “Adam had no sin in his soul the human susceptibility in his intellect is what gave Satan entry in him.” Imam W. D. Mohammed THE MEANING OF THE FOUR DIRECTIONS: • Dimensions of Satan’s Attack Holy Qur’an 17: 17-18 • The Cultural Environment on which the society is “Crucified” (p. 31) • The Psychological Warfare being waged by The Satan against Man (p. 13)

24. What Is The Solution To The Problem Of Satan?

25. Solution To The Problem of The Satan USE YOUR STRENGTH AGAINST YOUR WEAKNESS "And Allah says (4: 76) and fight the schemes of Satan for surely his schemes are weak. And why are they so weak? Because those schemes are dependant upon human weaknesses and if human beings would just use their strength against those schemes, they got the stronger part of themselves against the weaker part. So, all we have to do is come with our strength against our weaknesses. So, ultimately who is the fight between? The fight is between my Muslim position and that in me that threatens that Muslim position. My fight is with myself. And if I bring my strength against my weaknesses, I can overcome.” Imam W. Deen Mohammed “Islam Prophecy & Today’s World” Masjid Bilal Cleveland, Ohio February 1, 1998

26. Solution To The Problem of The Satan BELIEVE IN THE HUMAN SOUL ALLAH CREATED “So what am I saying all this for? Believe in the self that G’d created, this is the self that G’d created. G’d created us to have this human soul that’s powerful. It’s a powerful human soul and if you will give it to G’d you will start to realize a lot of its resources that you can’t realize now.” Imam W. Deen Mohammed “Islam Prophecy & Today’s World” Masjid Bilal Cleveland, Ohio February 1, 1998

27. Solution To The Problem of The Satan RECOGNIZE SATAN’S DAMAGE TO YOUR MORAL LIFE “As man begins to come to grips with the challenge of Satan in the material world or through the commercial life, he’s going to then be in a better situation to see the damage that has been done to his moral life.” P. 26 EMULATE THE PROPHET AND CONQUER YOUR JINN “The Prophet (pbuh) was blessed by G’d, created by G’d in the excellence that G’d wanted and intended for man and he was chosen as the last prophet of G’d and he was destined to perfect his life, that is conquer his jinn. His jinn could not survive in that life without submitting to him. So he said, “Yes, I have a jinn but my jinn submitted.” P. 26

28. Solution To The Problem of The Satan BE UNWILLING TO SERVE SATAN “Allah teaches us with His Holy Book the Qur’an that Satan cannot, Satan does not have power over you except what you give to Satan. You have to be willing that's what it means. If you're not willing Satan can't control you.” P. 35 [The Noble Quran 14:22] “And the devil will say, after the judgment had been issued, "God has promised you the truthful promise, and I promised you, but I broke my promise. I had no power over you; I simply invited you, and you accepted my invitation. Therefore, do not blame me, and blame only yourselves. My complaining cannot help you, nor can your complaining help me.”

29. Solution To The Problem of The Satan CONTINUE IN YOUR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT “Yes, now you know, when Satan makes something for you if you take it you’re in trouble, that’s enough for me. If G’d doesn’t want me to have it, I don’t want it. That’s right. All I have to know is that G’d doesn’t want me to have it, I don’t want it. If I’m weak I’m gonna try and be strong, right? This doesn’t mean that I can obey to the letter perfectly everything G’d wants of me. But I sure feel bad when I’m not obeying. And feeling bad when I’m not obeying makes my good side stronger. And one day I will be better, and better and better and that’s all Allah wants from us that we be better and better and better. Because, we can never be perfect only G’d is perfect.” P. 36

30. Course Conclusions

31. Course Conclusions The central message for “The Sign In Our Selves” was that "Man is the Garden" and the real object of human life is the full expression of our innate potential for living the full life that Allah intends for the human being.

32. Course Conclusions The central message of “The Mandate For Divine Guidance” component was -- “In order to facilitate your personal development you must practice believing in and seeking "Hudaa" (Divine Guidance) from all of its sources and in all of its various forms. Taqwa is the main characteristic we need to cultivate in ourselves in order to be more open to “Divine Guidance”. And--------

33. Course Conclusions 2: 36. Then did Satan make them slip from the (garden) and get them out of the state (of felicity) in which they had been. We said: "Get ye down all (ye people) with enmity between yourselves. On earth will be your dwelling place and your means of livelihood for a time." 37. Then learnt Adam from his Lord words of inspiration and his Lord turned toward him; for He is Oft-Returning Most Merciful. How does the inspiration materialize? “The great Light comes with Guidance for the intellect, when the intellect is guided to enter into the Qur’an that’s when the Qur’an itself is translated out of a gross body into an illuminated body” Imam W. Deen Mohammed (RAA)

34. Course Conclusions The message of this component is-- “The Qur'an is the light to guide to the straight way (The Destiny for Human Beings). Read the Holy Qur’an daily while seeking refuge with Allah from the Satan. And seek to emulate Our Prophet (pbuh) in our daily transactions. Be conscious, always, of Satan’s Strategies and fight his weak schemes with the strength in our Own Selves. Satan (who the People of the Book call "The Prince of Darkness") wants to keep man in the dark so that man can't see the signs of Allah and can’t find the straight way. Satan seeks to delude man about everything in creation but he seeks to delude man most about the Holy Qur’an. So, Read the Qur'an daily and Seek Refuge With Allah from Satan the Rejected Enemy.”