THIRD 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. The fifth trap of Sheitan to be careful about is Arousing Desires “Satan promises them and arouses desire in them. But Satan does not promise them except delusion. Qur’an 4:120: Every human has desires and temptations. Satan plays on this and convinces man to indulge in instant gratification without considering the consequences. This inevitably leads to regret and humiliation, either in this life or on the Day of Judgement. Sixth trap is Wasting Time: If Satan cannot trap someone into sinning, he keeps them busy with trivial acts which have no benefit. Instead of using our time wisely, fulfilling our priorities and reaching high goals, Satan occupies us with useless actions. How to Defeat Satan. “Indeed, Satan is an enemy to you; so take him as an enemy...”Qur’an 35:6: The first step is to recognise Satan as our enemy: if you know your enemy, you can defeat him. Satan’s power consists principally in his ability to deceive, so we need to understand his cunning tactics and approach, in order to better protect ourselves. Seeking Help with Allah. To ask Allah for His protection and to rely on Him alone for help, is a tool in defeating Satan. Surah Al-Falaq and An-Nas of the Qu’ran may be used to regularly seek protection from Satan and we should recite them. We must realise that as long as we are alive, Satan will never give up attempting to mislead us. We must always be on our guard and constantly ask Allah for guidance and protection. Avoid Sinful Environments. When Allah forbade Adam from one particular tree, He did not say, “do not eat from this tree” but rather, “do not come close to this tree.” Qur’an 2:35. We must therefore distance ourselves from anything that may lead to committing sin. Keep Good Companionship. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) advised, “A person is on the path of his close friend, so be careful whom you befriend.” Tirmithi.. Do Good Deeds Keeping busy with religious deeds, especially prayer, is an excellent means of defeating Satan. If one occupies their time with good, they are less likely to be influenced by Satan’s tricks. Conclusion. The battle against Satan can only be won if we are aware of his traps, and if we apply the strategies to defeat him. On the Day of Judgement, Satan will confess to his sins and mischief. He will declare before all of creation that Allah is the One who tells the truth and that he (Satan) is a liar. We ask Allah the Almighty, by His most beautiful Names and sublime Attributes, to forgive our sins and grant us refuge from the traps of Satan. Aameen.