SECOND REMINDER. Yaumul Ahad, 8th day of RAJAB (Sunday 25th March). THE TRAPS OF SATAN ON BELIEVERS). Let's study them and act against them as protection of our eemaan. Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem. Let's continue from the first reminder; Neglecting Obligatory Deeds. “...Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing...” Qur’an 29:45: Satan wants to “...avert us from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer.” Qur’an 5:91: Allah has made certain actions obligatory on every Muslim, the most regular of which is the five daily prayers. Therefore, Satan seeks to make us neglectful of prayers so that we fall further into sin. The Third trap is Gradual Deception: Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) explained to us how idol worship originated, which highlights the gradual and patient approach of Satan. After a group of righteous people died, Satan inspired those around them to erect statues in their honour and as reminder of their righteousness. When that generation passed away and the people had forgotten why the statues were erected, Satan deceived them into believing that their forefathers used to worship them, and that through them, the rains were brought forth. People then began worshipping these statues. This gradual deception is used in many ways. For example, Satan tricks people into committing forbidden sexual acts: it begins with a look, which leads to a thought, then a smile, then a seemingly innocent conversation, then seclusion and eventually, the sin itself. Similarly, in desiring to make people cease their obligatory religious acts, Satan initially convinces people to give up their optional acts of worship, which leads them to become lazy with the obligatory ones. He also tries to trivialise small sins, which eventually leads them down a slippery slope to major sins. Forth trap is Beautifying Evil Deeds: “...And Satan made attractive to them that which they were doing.”Qur’an 6:43: Satan presents sins to people in a favourable light, such as how he deceived Adam and Eve into eating from the tree. Satan whispered to Adam, saying, “ ‘O Adam! Shall I lead you to the Tree of Eternity and to a kingdom that will never waste away?’ ” Qur’an 20:120. “ ‘Your Lord did not forbid you this tree except that you become angels or become of the immortal... Indeed, I am to you from among the sincere advisors.’ So he made them fall, through deception. And when they tasted of the tree… their Lord called to them, ‘Did I not forbid you from that tree and tell you that Satan is to you a clear enemy?’ ” Qur’an 7:20-22 Although Adam was surrounded by many permissible foods, Satan convinced him to eat from the tree which was forbidden. Similarly, Satan tricks people into forbidden acts instead of those which are permitted, such as fornication over marriage, music over the Qur’an, haram income over halal, and into the small percentage of prohibited food and drink over the vast majority that is wholesome and pure. Simple sunnah following into Bid'ah. To be concluded in my evening reminder in shaa Allah. May Allah protect us from any satanic influences. Aameen.