Epigraph
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When Ramadan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are put in chains.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 3277) and Muslim, 1079)
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Presented by Zia H Shah
Satan is mentioned several times in the Quran as part of Adam’s story and otherwise.
I believe that the whole concept of Satan, Devil, Iblis or Shaytan in the Quran and Hadith is a metaphor. The concept needed to be presented as a metaphor, until our understanding of human psychology advanced to a degree, when we could fully understand human vulnerability to sin as a psychological phenomenon, without the agency of an external Satan.
My goal in this post is to present the understanding of the hadith quoted as epigraph here, of different scholars, until the reader reaches the natural conclusion that the whole concept is meant only as a metaphor. Literal understanding of different scholars keeps adding contradictions until one is left with the only choice to take it as a metaphor and understand our thinking and psychology as presented by the modern science.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“That is only because in the month of Ramadan, people are motivated to do good and righteous deeds, through which and because of which the gates of Paradise are opened, and they are discouraged from doing evil, because of which the gates of Hell are closed. The devils are chained up, so they are not able to do what they usually do when people are not fasting, for the one who is chained up is restricted, and they are only able to gain control over the sons of Adam because of whims and desires, so if people refrain from whims and desires, the devils are chained up.” (Majmu‘ al-Fatawa, 14/167)
He also said:
“Hence the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When Ramadan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained up.” The channel through which the devils flow, which is the bloodstream, is restricted, and when it is restricted, people are motivated to do good deeds, because of which the gates of Paradise are opened, and they are motivated to refrain from evil deeds, because of which the gates of Hell are opened. The devils are chained up, and their strength and influence is weakened as a result of their being chained up, so they are not able to do during the month of Ramadan what they do at other times. He did not say that they are killed or that they die; rather he said that they are chained up, and the devil who is chained up can still do harm, but it is less and weaker than it may be at times other than Ramadan. It depends on how perfect or otherwise the fast is; if a person’s fast is perfect, then the Shaytan is warded off in a manner that does not happen in the case of an imperfect fast.” (Majmu‘ al-Fatawa, 25/246) [1]
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Reference
Additional reading
Understanding Satan in the Quran Provides for Progressive Islam
My gift to 1.8 billion Muslims this Ramadan: A better understanding of the Quran
The Story of Adam and A Progressive, Metaphorical Reading of the Quran
Categories: Hadiths, Psychology, Quran