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Waswasa refers to internal thoughts and suggestions that drive a human toward detrimental actions and futile concepts. It is conceptualized as a form of speech that occurs not via the tongue, but through the projection of meanings directly into the human mind. The term is most frequently associated with the influence of Satan (Shaytan) upon human hearts. In his commentary Rawd al-jinan wa ruh al-jinan, Abu l-Futuh al-Razi states that in addition to Satan, humans and jinn are also capable of instilling waswasa in others. The term appears in numerous places within the Qur'an, particularly in narratives concerning Prophet Adam (a) and Eve (a).

Satan tempts humanity by making vile deeds appear attractive, portraying falsehood as truth, and offering false promises. Furthermore, as noted in Sermon al-Qasi'a, Satan prepares the ground for influence and waswasa in the heart by afflicting man with pride, prejudice, and ignorance, and by rendering him heedless of divine blessings. Religious texts, particularly Qur'anic commentaries, outline various consequences of waswasa, including the failure to perform righteous deeds, incitement to sin, and the fostering of enmity among people.

According to commentators, Satan gains no dominion over either the exterior or the interior of a person through waswasa such that he can force them into sin; rather, Satan's role is merely that of invitation, and mere invitation does not establish dominion or deprive man of free will. However, scholars believe that repeated acceptance of Satan's invitation renders the human subservient, effectively providing the means for Satan's control. Yet, this does not imply that Satan possesses intrinsic dominion; rather, it is the act of the invited individual who, through gullibility, has surrendered his heart to Satan, allowing himself to be driven in any direction.

Definition and Status

Waswasa is defined as a persistent thought or feeling that stimulates and incites a person to perform a specific action.[1] According to Muhammad Mahdi al-Naraqi, thoughts penetrating the heart are termed waswasa if they invite man toward evil, and inspiration (ilham) if they call toward good.[2] The term is primarily applied to the influence of Satan on human hearts, specifically when he distances a servant from closeness to God by insinuating carnal desires.[3] The book Jami' al-sa'adat states that Satan generates waswasa in the human heart, facilitated by seduction (ighwa') and abandonment (khidhlan).[4] According to Dehkhoda, waswasa involves Satan casting evil thoughts or things devoid of benefit into the heart.[5] Waswasa is also characterized as a covert act performed as a form of internal monologue or self-talk (hadith al-nafs).[6] Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i also considers waswasa a mode of speech transmitted to the human mind not via the mouth or tongue, but in an imperceptible manner[7] through the suggestion of meanings.[8]

According to the Encyclopedia of the Qur'an and Qur'anic Studies, the term waswasa occurs five times in the verses of the Qur'an, two instances of which refer to the temptation of Prophet Adam (a) and Eve (a) by Satan.[9] [10] According to Shaykh al-Tabrisi in the Majma' al-bayan commentary, Satan once insinuated thoughts into Adam's heart secretly (waswasa ilayh) and on another occasion approached him under the guise of benevolence (waswasa lah).[11]

Abu l-Futuh al-Razi also states in the Rawd al-jinan commentary that, in addition to Satan, humans and jinn are capable of directing waswasa against others.[12] As mentioned in Tafsir-i namuna, the elders and nobles of the People of Thamud insinuated doubts to create waswasa in the hearts of the people and distance them from Prophet Salih (a).[13]

Methods and Grounds for Satan's Waswasa of Man

Satan employs various foundations and methods to tempt humanity. Based on the words of Imam Ali (a) in Sermon al-Qasi'a, Satan prepares the ground for waswasa by cultivating traits such as pride, prejudice, ignorance, and heedlessness toward divine blessings.[14] It is also said that, based on Qur'anic verses, prolonged aspirations, worldliness, jealousy, and exclusivism are other factors facilitating Satan's influence.[15] Sayyid Qutb also believes that Satan exploits internal human weaknesses to drive individuals toward evil.[16]

Regarding the methods of waswasa, Satan deceives man by embellishing ugly deeds to make them appear beautiful[17] and portraying falsehood as truth.[18] In the view of Makarem Shirazi, Satan's suggestions act as secret and unconscious influences on the human mind, which the Qur'an refers to as iyha' (revelation/suggestion). Satans penetrate the hearts of those predisposed to accept these suggestions; however, man can distinguish these thoughts because, unlike divine inspirations that invigorate the human spirit, waswasa is dissonant with human nature (fitra) and causes distress.[19] Furthermore, false promises, such as the promise of immortality to Prophet Adam (a), are other tools utilized by Satan to deceive man.[20]

Relationship Between Waswasa and Human Freedom and Choice

In the Mafatih al-ghayb commentary by Fakhr al-Razi, it is mentioned that some among the Hashwiyya and the laypeople believe that Satan forces humans who accept his waswasa into committing sin and exercises dominion over them. However, Fakhr al-Razi rejects this view, asserting that Satan never coerces humans into sin through physical compulsion or by seizing control of their reason. In his belief, Satan can only achieve a form of spiritual dominance to incite them toward sin by generating waswasa and stimulating the human heart.[21]

In contrast, commentators such as Tabataba'i, Muhammad Sadiqi Tehrani, and Naser Makarem Shirazi maintain that Satan never possesses dominion over humans but merely invites them to sin. Repeated acceptance of these invitations causes humans to gradually fall under Satan's influence, but this does not equate to a deprivation of choice.[22] Furthermore, Tabataba'i regards Satan's dominion as the result of a mutual transaction between humans and satans; humans follow Satan in pursuit of worldly interests, and Satan utilizes their deception for his own ends.[23]

Consequences of Satan's Waswasa

The consequences of Satan's waswasa in religious texts include incitement to commit sin, the obstruction of righteous deeds, and the fostering of enmity among people. For example, al-Tabrisi writes in the commentary of Qur'an 2:36 that Satan caused Adam (a) and Eve (a) to slip through temptation, and this slip resulted in their descent. This indicates that human sin is the result of Satan's waswasa, and God's will has no part in it. Therefore, Satan's waswasa has a significant impact on the commission of sin.[24]

Another consequence of Satan's waswasa is deterring man from performing good and righteous deeds. Tabataba'i believes that Satan, by instilling the fear of poverty in the heart, prevents man from spending (infaq) lawful wealth, in the hope that by hoarding the wealth, his riches will increase.[25] Moreover, Muhammad Jawad Mughniyya states in al-Kashif commentary that Satan creates enmity and malice among people by beautifying acts such as drinking wine and gambling, and additionally renders man heedless of the remembrance of God.[26]

Ways to Escape Satan's Waswasa

Religious texts outline several doctrinal and practical solutions for escaping Satan's waswasa.[27] For instance, commentators state under Qur'an 7:200 and Qur'an 7:201 that when Satan intends to tempt the human heart, one must beseech God for His protection, for only God is capable of repelling Satan's enmity.[28] Tabataba'i also emphasizes that seeking refuge in God (isti'adha) reinforces the truth that God is the only true sanctuary.[29]

Furthermore, Imam Ali (a) in Sermon al-Qasi'a regards performing acts of worship such as salat, fasting, and Zakat as among the most vital means to counter Satan's suggestions.[30] Also, Muhammad Mahdi al-Naraqi mentions in the book Jami' al-sa'adat that understanding the nature of sin and its consequences in this world and the hereafter aids man in avoiding waswasa.[31]

See Also

Notes

  1. ↑ Anvarī, Farhang-i buzurg-i sukhan, under the entry.
  2. ↑ al-Narāqī, Jāmiʿ al-saʿādāt, Beirut, vol. 1, p. 179.
  3. ↑ Ḥusaynī Dashtī, Maʿārif wa maʿārīf, 1369 SH, vol. 1, pp. 349–350; Anvarī, Farhang-i buzurg-i sukhan, under the entry; Muʿīnī, "Waswasa / Waswās", p. 2307.
  4. ↑ al-Narāqī, Jāmiʿ al-saʿādāt, Beirut, vol. 1, p. 179.
  5. ↑ Dehkhodā, Lughatnāma-yi Dehkhodā, under the entry.
  6. ↑ Ḥimyarī, Shams al-ʿulūm, 1420 AH, vol. 11, p. 13; Ḥusaynī Dashtī, Maʿārif wa maʿārīf, 1369 SH, vol. 1, pp. 349–350.
  7. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1390 AH, vol. 8, p. 44.
  8. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1390 AH, vol. 3, pp. 181–182.
  9. ↑ Muʿīnī, "Waswasa / Waswās", p. 2307.
  10. ↑ Qur'an 7:20 related to Adam and Eve, Qur'an 20:120 related to Adam, Qur'an 50:16, and Qur'an 114:4-5. (Abd al-Baqi, al-Mu'jam al-mufahras, 1414 AH, under w-s-w-s).
  11. ↑ al-Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1372 SH, vol. 3–4, p. 626; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsir-i namuna, 1317 SH, vol. 1, p. 119.
  12. ↑ Abū l-Futūḥ al-Rāzī, Rawḍ al-jinān, 1408 AH, vol. 20, pp. 476–477.
  13. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsir-i namuna, 1372 SH, vol. 6, pp. 237–238.
  14. ↑ Fattāḥī et al., "Marāḥil-i nufūdh-i shayṭān wa rāhkārhā-yi muqābala bā ān bar mabnā-yi taḥlīl-i muḥtawā-yi maḍmūnī-yi khuṭba-yi qāṣiʿa-yi Imām ʿAlī (a)", pp. 19–23.
  15. ↑ Kūshā, "Waswasa", p. 1162.
  16. ↑ Sayyid Quṭb, Fī ẓilāl al-Qurʾān, 1412 AH, vol. 3, p. 1269.
  17. ↑ Mughniyya, al-Kāshif, 1424 AH, vol. 2, p. 324; Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1390 AH, vol. 3, p. 98.
  18. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1390 AH, vol. 8, p. 43.
  19. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsir-i namuna, 1372 SH, vol. 1, p. 574.
  20. ↑ Shukr, "Waswasa-yi shayṭān wa rāhkārhā-yi muqābala bā ān dar Qurʾān", pp. 73–74.
  21. ↑ Fakhr al-Rāzī, al-Tafsīr al-kabīr, 1420 AH, vol. 19, p. 85.
  22. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1390 AH, vol. 12, pp. 47–48; Ṣādiqī Tihrānī, al-Furqān, 1406 AH, vol. 16, pp. 60–63; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsir-i namuna, 1372 SH, vol. 10, p. 327.
  23. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1390 AH, vol. 7, p. 352.
  24. ↑ al-Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1372 SH, vol. 1, pp. 197–199.
  25. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1390 AH, vol. 2, p. 394.
  26. ↑ Mughniyya, al-Kāshif, 1424 AH, vol. 2, p. 122.
  27. ↑ Fattāḥī et al., "Marāḥil-i nufūdh-i shayṭān wa rāhkārhā-yi muqābala bā ān bar mabnā-yi taḥlīl-i muḥtawā-yi maḍmūnī-yi khuṭba-yi qāṣiʿa-yi Imām ʿAlī (a)", pp. 26–29.
  28. ↑ al-Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1372 SH, vol. 4, p. 790; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsir-i namuna, 1371 SH, vol. 7, p. 66.
  29. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1390 AH, vol. 8, p. 381.
  30. ↑ Fattāḥī et al., "Marāḥil-i nufūdh-i shayṭān wa rāhkārhā-yi muqābala bā ān bar mabnā-yi taḥlīl-i muḥtawā-yi maḍmūnī-yi khuṭba-yi qāṣiʿa-yi Imām ʿAlī (a)", p. 28.
  31. ↑ al-Narāqī, Jāmiʿ al-saʿādāt, vol. 1, p. 187.

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