A True Story
She was panic-stricken… Dismayed… Where would she turn? Where would she seek shelter? Her husband was sound asleep in the very same room, knowing nothing of her problem. Meanwhile, she was not able to sleep or even rest, for the moment that she would fall asleep, the devil would come to her, causing nightmares, exhaustion, grief, and distress, until her life had become filled with unhappiness, wretchedness, fear, and a spiritual agony incomparable to the physical pain caused by disease. Her suffering and pain had increased as the devils’ stress also increased. She appealed to her husband, “Oh, my husband! Don’t you feel this? Don’t you see what my situation is, because of what I have witnessed? They attack me and beat me with sticks until I am unable to close my eyelids because of the severe torment of these devils. Do you have a solution to my problem?”
But her husband placated her with polite words, and thought to himself that she may have been hallucinating, or that she was simply acting in order to entice him to pay more attention to her, thinking that it may have been nothing more than the cunning of women. But the days passed by, and the woman really got into a wearisome state. Some women who lived in the same quarter gave her the address of a house where she could find a man of belief. He was known as a saint or holy man during this time, due to the rarity of true believers (although in reality, every believer is a saint). She headed for his house to seek refuge in Al’lah through him, but she was surprised when his wife received her. This was contrary to the manners of those who falsely pretend to be holy men and people with supernatural power, and who are usually quick to directly hunt such victims themselves. When she asked to meet the sheikh, his wife replied:
“He does not meet with women or socialize with them as God has ordered, and a true believer obeys the orders of Al’lah and does not break them.”
The poor woman replied, “But what shall I do?? The devils have exhausted me, and I can’t sleep because of their annoyance. I was hoping that he might have rubbed me down.” She sighed sorrowfully and groaned; her sighs indicated her grief and increasing anxiety, for she thought that the door had been closed to her and that she had no way to escape from her troubles. In the meantime, the believer’s wife went to her husband to tell him about the situation of this poor woman, who was really in a bad and miserable situation. She was bug-eyed and had black circles around her eyes due to fatigue, and seemed to be always expecting unpleasant spiritual surprises. Her face was pale and yellow-colored as the spiritual turbulence she felt was clearly reflected there, and her body had become lean.
Then the wife of the saint came back joyfully and said, “the devils have no power or strength, and the power is Al’lah’s alone: God says: ‘…they can harm none with their magic except by Al’lah’s leave…’
The Holy Qur’an,
Fortress 2, Al-Baqara (The Cow), verse 102
“However, Al’lah gives a free hand to the devils against those who deserve such a remedy. This is because they are capable of doing good, but waste this capability in gratifying their lusts and committing sins and infractions. This means that they mix good acts with evil ones. Thus the devil hurries to them, seeking to encourage them to commit great sins and indecencies so that they will become devils like him. The universe depends on rules and laws which are never wrong: a magnificent strict discipline and definite precision. Similarly, God’s Mercy and justice refuse to leave a person in such a mess when they deviate from the straight path, for God’s mill grinds slowly but surely. He, the Almighty, waits for a suitable opportunity to send them a cure by afflicting them with disasters, hardship, and devilish commands, like those from which you suffer. All of that is a kind of love and mercy from Al’lah to you, to allow you to repent and return to righteousness. The Almighty (glory to Him) says: “And indeed, We will make them taste of the lightest chastisement before the greatest chastisement in order that they may repent and return.”
The Holy Qur’an,
Fortress 32, As-Sajda (The Prostration), verse 21
If you return to righteousness, you will achieve the desired purpose of this cure, whereupon you will recover and feel no more of your suffering.”
Then the poor woman said, “But tell me what I must do in order to return to righteousness so that I can recover, please.”
The believer’s wife answered, “You should get rid of whatever forbidden things may exist in your house, and you should also veil your beauty and anything that may be a temptation for men.”
The woman left the house. She had a feeling of great happiness overwhelming her heart now that the wall of desperation had been broken, she had regained some of her life and vitality. Then she veiled her charms and her face completely. After examining her house, she found that it was exposed to the balcony of her neighbors’ house through the courtyard, and so she plugged up this hole and closed it off completely. Then she threw out all the forbidden things which could have excited temptation and irritated the sexual instinct in both men and women, whether through the sense of hearing, through the sense of sight, or through both. Verily, she was honest in her repentance. When she finished doing these things, she was able to sleep deep, feeling relieved both spiritually and bodily, and she enjoyed a bloom of good health and felicity once again. She found tranquility in her repentance and was peaceful, as she had pleased her Provider and closed all the entrances through which the devils could enter. Her house was located in the upper boulevards of Al-Mohajereen quarter of Damascus city. At that time, she dreamt that the devils had put all their belongings on a donkey after losing hope and despairing of corrupting this truthful repentant. In the dream, they said to her, “Had you told us that you wanted to follow the path of righteousness, we would have not exhausted ourselves or tormented you.” Then, they finally left her house with their belongings packed up on the back of the donkey. She then got up with a feeling of great happiness overflowing her senses. This feeling of gladness never left her, and a strange sense of bliss adhered to her.
Since she had locked all the entrances through which these devils could enter, how would they then remain present in a house whose owners obeyed God’s orders?! Thus, the woman lived a happy and delightful life, free from trouble or sorrow, both pleased herself and pleasing to others.