Why is Iblis eager to mislead mankind?

When Allah willed it for Iblees to stay alive until the Day of Resurrection, pride came back to
Iblees once again and he sensed that this was an ideal way to take revenge from Adam and
his offspring. He hates mankind, who are the children of Adam (alaihis-salaam), and he is
hostile towards them because he is cursed and has been banished from the Mercy of Allah
due to his refusal to prostrate to their father, Adam. '(Iblees) said (to Allah), 'Because You
have sent me astray, surely I will sit in wait against them (human beings) on Your Straight
Path. Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and
from their left, and You will not find most of them as thankful ones (i.e. they will not be
dutiful to You).' [(7): 16-17] Ibn Abbas (radhi allahu anhu) commented on, 'Then I will
come to them from before them' raising doubts in them concerning their Hereafter, 'and
(from) behind them', making them more eager for this life, 'from their right', causing them
confusion in the religion, 'and from their left' luring them to commit sins.' This is meant to
cover all paths of good and evil. Shaytan discourages the people from the path of good and
lures them to the path of evil. Al-Hakam bin Abban said that Ikrimah narrated from Ibn
Abbas concerning the Ayah, 'Then I will come to them from before them and behind them,
from their right and from their left,' 'He did not say that he will come from above them,
because the mercy descends from above.'

Iblees is certain that he is one of those who are doomed, and in addition to this, he is
arrogant and ungrateful to his Lord, he thus, resolved to mislead whomever he could of the
slaves of Allah. He is eager to mislead and corrupt, so as to increase the number of his
followers to share in his fate. Iblees knows that his destination is the Fire, and he hopes to
take everyone else with him to Hell, out of envy, hatred, Kufr and stubbornness. 'Surely,
Shaytan is an enemy to you, so take (treat) him as an enemy. He only invites his Hizb
(followers) that they may become the dwellers of the blazing Fire.' [Soorah al-Fatir (35): 6]
Imam Ibn Katheer writes, 'he only wants to misguide you so that you will enter the blazing
Fire with him.’

Seeking Refuge with Allah from the Lures of Shaytan from all Directions
Imam Ahmad narrated that Abdullah bin Umar said, 'The Messenger of Allah (sallalalhu alaihi wa-
sallam) used to often recite this supplication in the morning and when the night falls,
 O Allah! I ask You for well-being in this life and the Hereafter. O Allah! I ask You for pardon and
well-being in my religion, life, family and wealth. O Allah! Cover my errors and reassure me in
times of difficulty. O Allah! Protect me from before me, from behind me, from my right, from my
left and from above me. I seek refuge with Your greatness from being killed from below me.’ Waki
commented (about being killed from below), 'This refers to earthquakes.' [Abu Dawood, An-
Nisaee, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban and Al-Hakim collected this Hadeeth, and Al-Hakim said, 'Its chain
is Saheeh.'] [Quoted from Tafseer Ibn Katheer]

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Taken from As-Sunnah Newsletter - http://www.qsep.com

We ask Allah the Most High, the All-Powerful, to teach us that which will benefit us, and to benefit us by that
which we learn. May Allah grant blessings and peace to our Prophet Muhammad and his family and
companions! (Ameen)