Save Yourself from Satanic Beautification
Those who are sincere and intellectually awakened can go beyond the outer beautification to grasp the inner reality, and save themselves from Satan’s deception.
Chapter 15 of the Quran records a dialogue between God and Satan (Iblis). At the time of the creation of the first man, Satan became his enemy from day one. Therefore, challenging this act of God, he said, “‘My Lord, since You have let me go astray. I shall make the path of error seem alluring to them on the earth and shall mislead them all, except for Your chosen servants.’ God said, ‘This is the path which leads straight to Me. Surely, you shall have no power over My true servants, except those misguided ones who choose to follow you. Surely, Hell is the place to which they are destined.’” (15:39-43)
In this world, a person, at every moment may come under the influence of Satan. Satan knows the weak points of a person and through them he keeps misleading him. Satan does this by putting a fine veneer on things, that is, presenting evil in the form of good, giving beautiful justifications for wrong deeds.
This is an extremely difficult test. Only those can save themselves from this trial who are sincere, that is, who are selected by God and are able to develop their intellect to the level of being able to counter the beautification of Satan. Whenever Satan sets himself to beautifying some wrong deed, they should be able to see the reality beyond the words; they should be able to go beyond the outer beautification to the inner reality.
In accepting the truth or following the truth it is this Satanic beautification which always acts as an obstacle. What Satan does is to show falsehood in the form of truth. He insinuates into a person’s mind such beautiful explanations or justifications that he starts doubting whether particular attitudes or deeds are wrong. He thinks they are right because of Satan’s presenting things in a beautiful light. Saving oneself from this is not possible without intellectual awakening or intellectual development. Those who make themselves conscious of satanic falsehood by the help of God are God’s special servants. It is people such as these who will be able to save themselves from Satan’s temptation.
