Section: The levels of temptation
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Satan follows man constantly and will not be satisfied until he tempts him and includes him along with his party of losers. Ibn al-Qayyim (R) named the different levels of temptation for man as follows:The first: is polytheism and hostility towards Allah and His Messenger; if he manages to achieve this goal with any of the children of Adam, then he would be satisfied, and all his followers would take a rest from him. It is the first target for Satan; he keeps on trying until he gets him to follow it (polytheism); then that particular man would be among his soldiers, calling for the very same doctrine that Satan preaches.The second: is bid'ah (innovation in Islam); it is more beloved to him than sins, because its harm is in the Religion (Islam) itself. It is a vicious harm; an unrepentant sin because it opposes the Message of the Prophets, and calls against their Revelation. It is the opening for polytheism, so if Satan manages to make a man innovate in Islam, then he makes him follow those people promoting it.The third: is about major sins in their different forms. Satan is always keen to encourage a person to commit a major sin especially in the case of a prominent scholar who has a lot of followers, to keep them away from him, and spread his sins among people to ruin his reputation. Someone would spread the news about the alleged "sinful” scholar, claiming to act in the hope of getting rewards from Allah, while he is working on behalf of Iblis: Allah (SWT) said: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ أَن تَشِيعَ الْفَاحِشَةُ فِي الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ ۚ ﴿١٩﴾ Translation: Indeed, those who like that immorality should be spread [or publicized] among those who have believed will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. [Surat al-Nur, verse 19]This will drive people away from this scholar and from benefiting from his knowledge. Nevertheless, they forget that he can repent of his sins, and Allah (SWT) will accept his repentance, and even change his sins into good deeds, while those who spread filth among Muslims and divulge the sins of others are indeed acting unjustly towards the faithful by spying on them with the intention to dishonour them.But Allah (SWT) is observing everything, even the insight of hearts and minds; so if Satan is unable to achieve anything at this level, he proceeds to the next one:The fourth: is about minor sins, which once gathered together in a person, might destroy him/her. Imam Ahmad narrated, on the authority of Sahl bin Sa'd (Ra), who reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: *Avoid sins which are considered insignificant; for their example is like that of a people who stopped by a river and every member collected a piece of wood until they had enough to make a fire to cook their bread. These (light) sins can be very destructive, once combined, in an individual”. [Fath al-bari (11/329)]"Aishah (RA) reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Avoid sins which are considered insignificant, 'Aishah (RA), for they have one sent by Allah to ask about them”. [Recorded by al-Darimi (2/303), ibn Mājah (2/1417), and it was authenticated by Shaikh al-Albani (513)]Ibn Al-Qayyim (R) said: "But if Satan could not overwhelm him in this level, he moves on to the next one...:The fifth: is occupying him with lawful deeds which neither incur reward nor punishment. Rather, its consequence is the wasted rewards he has missed by having been preoccupied by these things, instead of something rewarding. These lawful things could be excess of sleep, food, drink, clothing or being made sleepless over unbeneficial matters. But if Satan is unable to overwhelm the person at this level, because he was observing his/her time well, with regards to rewards and punishment, he moves on to the next one.The sixth: is to occupy him/her in doing a good deed, if it means keeping him away from a better one in terms of its rewards. One should know that Satan can order people (mainly the pious ones) to do up to seventy acts of goodness, either to attain one act of evil or to let a more rewarding act slip away from them.Only people who are guided by the light of Allah (AJW), by following the Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ), and being keen of performing the deeds which are most beloved to Allah (SWT) are fully aware of the devil's intentions.If Satan felt unable to manipulate a person during these last stages, he dispatches his army of men and Jinn to harm his reputation, defaming him with all sorts of accusations, such as takfeer (i.e. as someone who easily considered sinful people as kaffars (polytheists), or as a kafir himself) and by misguidance; warning people against him, in order to destroy his rise and his reputation as one of the prominent callers to Allah, and prevent people from benefiting from his knowledge.This is clear in our society; in fact, whenever a person clings to his/her religion, and adheres to the guidance of the Prophet (ﷺ), by following his Sunnah, he/she finds himself at the centre of mockery and opposition from his/her relatives, friends, enemies, etc. So his/her only refuge is with Allah (SWT).This is the situation of people who are attached to Islam inwardly and outwardly; they are strangers who received glad tidings from the Prophet (ﷺ) when he said: "Islam came as something strange, and it would revert to its old position of being strange; so good tidings to the strangers." [Recorded by Muslim]