Know Your Enemy

In 216 BCE, the Carthaginian general Hannibal faced off against the Roman Republic’s army led by the generals Consuls Lucius Aemilius Paullus and Gaius Terentius Varro at what is known as the Battle of Cannae during the Second Punic War. Hannibal’s forces were significantly outnumbered by the Romans by almost 2 to 1, but he devised a brilliant strategy based on his deep understanding of Roman military tactics and psychology.

Hannibal knew that the Romans heavily relied on their traditional tactics, which focused on a solid and deep central formation with flanking maneuverability. He cleverly used this knowledge against them. Hannibal positioned his infantry in a convex formation with a very thin line of men in the center, positioning himself behind this thin line. He knew the Romans wouldn’t be able to resist attacking that vulnerable center thinking that once they conquered their center formation, they could break Hannibal’s army in two and overpower each side. Yet this is what Hanibal was hoping for. So when the Roman legions pressed down the center of their line, assuming their plan was working, they failed to realize that Hannibal’s flanks executed a double envelopment, which eventually entirely surrounded the Romans and their army.

The Roman commanders misunderstood their opponent. They failed to grasp Hannibal’s innovative strategy and underestimated his military prowess. Instead of adapting their tactics to counter Hannibal’s maneuvers, they stubbornly stuck to their traditional methods. This led to a devastating defeat for the Romans, where an estimated 70,000 Roman soldiers were killed and another 10,000 or so captured. Hanibal, on the other hand, only lost 8,000 men. Some say Rome lost 20% of their adult male population from the failure of this battle alone.

The Battle of Cannae is a classic example of how failing to properly understand one’s enemy and relying on tradition can lead to utter defeat. While Hannibal’s deep knowledge of Roman military practices and psychology allowed him to exploit their weaknesses and secure a decisive win, the Romans’ lack of understanding and failure to see their shortcomings ultimately resulted in their loss.

This is why it is so critical to know our enemy. To know who we are battling against. Because only when we adequately know the tactics of our enemy can we properly prepare ourselves so that we do not get ourselves annihilated.

The Quran informs us that in this world, our most ardent enemy is Satan.

[17:53] Tell My servants to treat each other in the best possible manner, for the devil will always try to drive a wedge among them. Surely, the devil is man’s most ardent enemy.

 وَقُل لِّعِبَادِى يَقُولُوا۟ ٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ يَنزَغُ بَيْنَهُمْ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ كَانَ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ عَدُوًّا مُّبِينًا

[36:60] Did I not covenant with you, O Children of Adam, that you shall not worship the devil? That he is your most ardent enemy?

 أَلَمْ أَعْهَدْ إِلَيْكُمْ يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ أَن لَّا تَعْبُدُوا۟ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ إِنَّهُۥ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ

Satan’s sole mission in this world is to attempt to lead the human being astray. He has many generations of practice and has been studying us since our creation. He knows our weaknesses and our vulnerabilities. Therefore, it is absolutely critical that we are aware of his tactics and how he goes about trying to deceive us.

Satan in Quran

The Quran has the following information to tell us as forewarning about Satan.

Satan has nothing to lose.

[7:12] He said, “What prevented you from prostrating when I ordered you?” He said, “I am better than he; You created me from fire, and created him from mud.” [7:13] He said, “Therefore, you must go down, for you are not to be arrogant here. Get out; you are debased.” [7:14] He said, “Grant me a respite, until the Day of Resurrection.” [7:15] He said, “You are granted a respite.”

Satan will come from all sides.

[7:16] He said, “Since You have willed that I go astray, I will skulk for them on Your straight path. [7:17] “I will come to them from before them, and from behind them, and from their right, and from their left, and You will find that most of them are unappreciative.”

Satan knows our vulnerabilities and weaknesses.

[7:18] He said, “Get out therefrom, despised and defeated. Those among them who follow you, I will fill Hell with you all. [7:19] “As for you, Adam, dwell with your wife in Paradise, and eat therefrom as you please, but do not approach this one tree, lest you fall in sin.”

Satan temps, deceives, and has no shame in trying to achieve his outcome.

[7:20] The devil whispered to them, in order to reveal their bodies, which were invisible to them. He said, “Your Lord did not forbid you from this tree, except to prevent you from becoming angels, and from attaining eternal existence.” [7:21] He swore to them, “I am giving you good advice.” [7:22] He thus duped them with lies. As soon as they tasted the tree, their bodies became visible to them, and they tried to cover themselves with the leaves of Paradise. Their Lord called upon them: “Did I not enjoin you from that tree, and warn you that the devil is your most ardent enemy?”

After this critical lesson, God warns us to be protected from Satan through righteousness.

[7:26] O children of Adam, we have provided you with garments to cover your bodies, as well as for luxury. But the best garment is the garment of righteousness. These are some of GOD’s signs, that they may take heed. [7:27] O children of Adam, do not let the devil dupe you as he did when he caused the eviction of your parents from Paradise, and the removal of their garments to expose their bodies. He and his tribe see you, while you do not see them. We appoint the devils as companions of those who do not believe.

Then the Quran warns us to be cautious of inherited information, specifically in the form of tradition.

[7:28] They commit a gross sin, then say, “We found our parents doing this, and GOD has commanded us to do it.” Say, “GOD never advocates sin. Are you saying about GOD what you do not know?” [7:29] Say, “My Lord advocates justice, and to stand devoted to Him alone at every place of worship. You shall devote your worship absolutely to Him alone. Just as He initiated you, you will ultimately go back to Him.”

Then the Quran warns us that such people who uphold tradition think they are guided.

[7:30] Some He guided, while others are committed to straying. They have taken the devils as their masters, instead of GOD, yet they believe that they are guided.

The Quran’s depiction of Satan is an entity we must constantly be on guard against. One that is conniving, persuasive, and not to be taken lightly. He duped countless individuals with his tactics, including God’s prophets and messengers. So this is an entity we should be severely cautious of if we want to be successful in our battle against him. And we can guarantee that he is coming for you and your loved ones, no doubt about it.

Satan in Hadith

Now contrast Satan’s depiction in the Quran with how he is depicted in the Hadith. In short, the Hadith does not make Satan seem like an intimidating opponent, which should be taken seriously. Instead, the impression of Satan in the Hadith corpus is of an incompetent bumbling buffoon who can’t tell his elbow from his ear.

“Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘When the call to prayer is pronounced, Satan takes to his heels, farting so that he may not hear the Adhan. When the call is finished, he comes back. And when the Iqamah (second call to prayer) is pronounced, he again takes to his heels, so that he may not hear the Iqamah; and when the Iqamah is finished, he comes back and whispers into the heart of the person (to divert his attention from his prayer) and makes him remember things which he does not recall to his mind before the prayer, and that causes him to forget how much he has prayed.'”

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، – وَاللَّفْظُ لِقُتَيْبَةَ – قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ الآخَرَانِ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ إِذَا سَمِعَ النِّدَاءَ بِالصَّلاَةِ أَحَالَ لَهُ ضُرَاطٌ حَتَّى لاَ يَسْمَعَ صَوْتَهُ فَإِذَا سَكَتَ رَجَعَ فَوَسْوَسَ فَإِذَا سَمِعَ الإِقَامَةَ ذَهَبَ حَتَّى لاَ يَسْمَعَ صَوْتَهُ فَإِذَا سَكَتَ رَجَعَ فَوَسْوَسَ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

Sahih Muslim 389a
https://sunnah.com/muslim:389a

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) once offered the prayer and said, “Satan came in front of me and tried to interrupt my prayer, but Allah gave me an upper hand on him and I choked him. No doubt, I thought of tying him to one of the pillars of the mosque till you get up in the morning and see him. Then I remembered the statement of Prophet Solomon, ‘My Lord ! Bestow on me a kingdom such as shall not belong to any other after me.’ Then Allah made him (Satan) return with his head down (humiliated).”

حَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودٌ، حَدَّثَنَا شَبَابَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ صَلَّى صَلاَةً قَالَ ‏”‏ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ عَرَضَ لِي، فَشَدَّ عَلَىَّ لِيَقْطَعَ الصَّلاَةَ عَلَىَّ، فَأَمْكَنَنِي اللَّهُ مِنْهُ، فَذَعَتُّهُ، وَلَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ أُوثِقَهُ إِلَى سَارِيَةٍ حَتَّى تُصْبِحُوا فَتَنْظُرُوا إِلَيْهِ فَذَكَرْتُ قَوْلَ سُلَيْمَانَ ـ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ ـ رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مُلْكًا لاَ يَنْبَغِي لأَحَدٍ مِنْ بَعْدِي‏.‏ فَرَدَّهُ اللَّهُ خَاسِيًا ‏”‏‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَالَ النَّضْرُ بْنُ شُمَيْلٍ فَذَعَتُّهُ بِالذَّالِ أَىْ خَنَقْتُهُ وَفَدَعَّتُّهُ مِنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ ‏{‏يَوْمَ يُدَعُّونَ‏}‏ أَىْ يُدْفَعُونَ وَالصَّوَابُ، فَدَعَتُّهُ إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ كَذَا قَالَ بِتَشْدِيدِ الْعَيْنِ وَالتَّاءِ‏.‏

Sahih al-Bukhari 1210
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:1210

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas (rad): Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: “Satan comes to one of you in Salat and blows air in his bottom, so he imagines that he has realised air yet he did not. So if he gets that feeling he should not leave his prayer unless he hears the sound (of the air) or smells its odour.” [Reported by Al-Bazzar].

وَعَنِ اِبْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اَللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا; أَنَّ رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ ‏- صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏-قَالَ: { يَأْتِي أَحَدَكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ فِي صَلَاتِهِ, فَيَنْفُخُ فِي مَقْعَدَتِهِ فَيُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ أَحْدَثَ, وَلَمْ يُحْدِثْ, فَإِذَا وَجَدَ ذَلِكَ فَلَا يَنْصَرِفُ حَتَّى يَسْمَعَ صَوْتًا أَوْ يَجِدَ رِيحًا } أَخْرَجَهُ اَلْبَزَّار ُ 1‏ .‏
‏1 ‏- رواه البزار (281)‏.‏

Bulugh al-Maram 83
https://sunnah.com/bulugh:83

Narrated `Abdullah: It was mentioned before the Prophet (ﷺ) that there was a man who slept the night till morning (after sunrise). The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “He is a man in whose ears (or ear) Satan had urinated.”

حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ ذُكِرَ عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم رَجُلٌ نَامَ لَيْلَهُ حَتَّى أَصْبَحَ، قَالَ ‏ “‏ ذَاكَ رَجُلٌ بَالَ الشَّيْطَانُ فِي أُذُنَيْهِ ـ أَوْ قَالَ ـ فِي أُذُنِهِ ‏”‏‏.‏

Sahih al-Bukhari 3270
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3270

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “If anyone of you rouses from sleep and performs the ablution, he should wash his nose by putting water in it and then blowing it out thrice, because Satan has stayed in the upper part of his nose all the night.”

حَدَّثَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ حَمْزَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عِيسَى بْنِ طَلْحَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ إِذَا اسْتَيْقَظَ ـ أُرَاهُ ـ أَحَدُكُمْ مِنْ مَنَامِهِ فَتَوَضَّأَ فَلْيَسْتَنْثِرْ ثَلاَثًا، فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَبِيتُ عَلَى خَيْشُومِهِ ‏”‏‏.‏

Sahih al-Bukhari 3295
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3295

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Allah likes sneezing and dislikes yawning, so if someone sneezes and then praises Allah, then it is obligatory on every Muslim who heard him, to say: May Allah be merciful to you (Yar-hamuka-l-lah). But as regards yawning, it is from Satan, so one must try one’s best to stop it, if one says ‘Ha’ when yawning, Satan will laugh at him.”

حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ بْنُ أَبِي إِيَاسٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدٌ الْمَقْبُرِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْعُطَاسَ، وَيَكْرَهُ التَّثَاؤُبَ، فَإِذَا عَطَسَ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ، فَحَقٌّ عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ سَمِعَهُ أَنْ يُشَمِّتَهُ، وَأَمَّا التَّثَاوُبُ فَإِنَّمَا هُوَ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ، فَلْيَرُدَّهُ مَا اسْتَطَاعَ، فَإِذَا قَالَ هَا‏.‏ ضَحِكَ مِنْهُ الشَّيْطَانُ ‏”‏‏.‏

Sahih al-Bukhari 6223
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6223

Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “When night falls (or when it is evening), stop your children from going out, for the devils spread out at that time. But when an hour of the night has passed, release them and close the doors and mention Allah’s Name, for Satan does not open a closed door. Tie the mouth of your waterskin and mention Allah’s Name; cover your containers and utensils and mention Allah’s Name. Cover them even by placing something across it, and extinguish your lamps. “

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا رَوْحُ بْنُ عُبَادَةَ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عَطَاءٌ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ إِذَا كَانَ جُنْحُ اللَّيْلِ ـ أَوْ أَمْسَيْتُمْ ـ فَكُفُّوا صِبْيَانَكُمْ، فَإِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ تَنْتَشِرُ حِينَئِذٍ، فَإِذَا ذَهَبَ سَاعَةٌ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَحُلُّوهُمْ، فَأَغْلِقُوا الأَبْوَابَ وَاذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ، فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لاَ يَفْتَحُ بَابًا مُغْلَقًا، وَأَوْكُوا قِرَبَكُمْ وَاذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ، وَخَمِّرُوا آنِيَتَكُمْ وَاذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ، وَلَوْ أَنْ تَعْرُضُوا عَلَيْهَا شَيْئًا وَأَطْفِئُوا، مَصَابِيحَكُمْ ‏”‏‏.‏

Sahih al-Bukhari 5623
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5623

Jabir reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Do not let your animals and children go out when the sun sets until the first and the darkest part of the night is over, for the Satan is let loose with the sinking of the sun until the darkest part of the night is over.

وَحَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُونُسَ، حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، ح
وَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو خَيْثَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ لاَ تُرْسِلُوا فَوَاشِيَكُمْ وَصِبْيَانَكُمْ إِذَا غَابَتِ الشَّمْسُ حَتَّى تَذْهَبَ فَحْمَةُ الْعِشَاءِ فَإِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ تَنْبَعِثُ إِذَا غَابَتِ الشَّمْسُ حَتَّى تَذْهَبَ فَحْمَةُ الْعِشَاءِ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

Sahih Muslim 2013a
https://sunnah.com/muslim:2013a

Abu Zubair heard Jabir b. ‘Abdullah (Allah be pleased with him) saying: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) ordered us to kill dogs, and we carried out this order so much so that we also kill the dog coming with a woman from the desert. Then Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) forbade their killing. He (the Prophet further) said: It is your duty the jet-black (dog) having two spots (on the eyes), for it is a devil.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي خَلَفٍ، حَدَّثَنَا رَوْحٌ، ح وَحَدَّثَنِي إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا رَوْحُ بْنُ عُبَادَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، يَقُولُ أَمَرَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِقَتْلِ الْكِلاَبِ حَتَّى إِنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ تَقْدَمُ مِنَ الْبَادِيَةِ بِكَلْبِهَا فَنَقْتُلُهُ ثُمَّ نَهَى النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ قَتْلِهَا وَقَالَ ‏ “‏ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالأَسْوَدِ الْبَهِيمِ ذِي النُّقْطَتَيْنِ فَإِنَّهُ شَيْطَانٌ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

Sahih Muslim 1572
https://sunnah.com/muslim:1572

Occasionally on Reddit or Twitter, you may have come across some video of a person coming face to face with some wild animal, like a bear, moose, or even lion, and the nieve person, rather than realizing the danger they are in, makes light of the situation only to utterly regret their decision.

The tradition depicts Satan as a Mr. Bean like practical joker. As the Hadith are from Satan, why would he do this?

[6:112] We have permitted the enemies of every prophet—human and jinn devils—to inspire in each other fancy words, in order to deceive. Had your Lord willed, they would not have done it. You shall disregard them and their fabrications. [6:113] This is to let the minds of those who do not believe in the Hereafter listen to such fabrications, and accept them, and thus expose their real convictions.

In Sun Tzu’s Art of War, it discusses military and psychological strategies that people can utilize against opponents. One quote that comes from this book is, “Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.” This is the strategy that Hannibal utilized in the Battle of Cannae. He made the Romans think that they could easily defeat him because of their numbers and the preceived weakness they thought they saw in the center of their formation. This made them underestimate his forces and fall right into his trap.

Satan has done the same thing by spreading his narrations in the tradition of Hadith. He makes the masses think he is incompetent and incapable of leading people astray, besides blowing at their buttcheeks to make them think they farted. By doing this, generations of people have put their guard down and underestimated his tactics. They have no clue about his schemes because they have abandoned the warnings God gave us in the Quran.

[2:170] When they are told, “Follow what GOD has revealed herein,” they say, “We follow only what we found our parents doing.” What if their parents did not understand, and were not guided?

God bless @YetAnthrStudent for his Twitter thread which inspired this article.