Satan's Power Is Weak

There is one truly important fact about Satan that must here be considered. Satan has no power independent from Allah. Allah created him, and holds him under His control. Satan's enmity is destined to test human beings. Those who imagine that Satan possesses some power independently from Allah are mistaken. They think that Satan is engaged in a struggle against Allah. Yet, the reason why Satan is unwilling that people live according to the religion of Allah is that he knows that it is in this way that he will wreak destruction upon them. There is no question, however, of whether or not Satan is hostile towards Allah. Ultimately, though, he is merely a being created by Allah, and pursues his objective only by His leave. When the time allotted him expires, Satan will be cast into Hell to suffer punishment, together with all those people he caused to stray from the true path.

[Allah said,] "I will fill up Hell with you and every one of them who follows you." (Surah Sad, 85)

What must also not be forgotten is that Satan can exercise no power over believers. He only exercises power over those designated by Allah, in other words, those especially created by Him to be destined for Hell. Satan cannot cause any servant whom Allah has created to be a believer to go astray. All he can do is to be a means whereby a believer commits small errors during this trail that is his life in this world. Satan only has the power to cause those with sickness in their hearts to go astray. This fact is revealed in the Qur'an:

He [Satan] has no authority over those who believe and put their trust in their Lord. He only has authority over those who take him as a friend and associate others with Allah. (Surat an-Nahl, 99-100)

In another verse, it has been revealed that the believers cannot be led astray by Satan:

[Allah said to Satan,] "But as for My servants, you will not have any authority over them." Your Lord suffices as a guardian. (Surat al-Isra´, 65)

Because Satan is also, like man, a created being, infinite wisdom went into his creation, as in all things. For instance, the fact that a great segment of humanity will be cast into Hell, together with Satan, will heighten the gratitude of the believers on the Day of Judgment, and increase their appreciation for the Paradise prepared for them. At the same time, however, Satan brings it about that the hypocrites hidden among the believers be made known. By tempting such diseased hearts under his influence, he causes them to strive against the believers. Unable any longer to conceal themselves among the believers, they are thus discovered for who they are. Believers are also able to more easily identify this group they have been harboring within their midst. Moreover, the faith and nearness to Allah felt by the believers, who were on their guard for Satan's activities, and knew of his influence over the hypocrites, increases when they witness the realization of what had been revealed in the Qur'an:

[It is] so that He can make what Satan insinuates a trial for those with sickness in their hearts and for those whose hearts are hard—the wrongdoers are entrenched in hostility. And [it is] so that those who have been given knowledge will know it is the truth from their Lord and believe in it and their hearts will be humbled to Him. Allah guides those who believe to a straight path. (Surat al-Hajj, 53-54)

Thus the hypocrites act as a means to cleanse the community of the believers. It represents part of the wisdom in Allah allotting a period of time to Satan. Allah sets forth this truth in the Qur'an:

Iblis was correct in his assessment of them and they followed him, except for a group of the believers. He had no authority over them except to enable Us to know those who believe in the Hereafter from those who are in doubt about it. Your Lord is the Preserver of all things. (Surah Saba´, 20-21)

Another point on which the society of the ignorant are unaware is that Satan has no power to compel them. He can only make suggestions. If a person has a sickness in his heart then he is vulnerable to these insinuations. Other than that, Satan has no other power by which to coerce people to do anything. He knows that those who obey him, or even worship him, are actually faltering in complete ignorance. The ultimate avowal on the Day of Judgment that Satan will render onto those who followed him is revealed in the Qur'an:

When the affair is decided Satan will say, "Allah made you a promise, a promise of truth, and I made you a promise but broke my promise. I had no authority over you, except that I called you and you responded to me. Do not, therefore, blame me but blame yourselves. I cannot come to your aid nor you to mine. I reject the way you associated me with Allah before." The wrongdoers will have a painful punishment. (Surah Ibrahim, 22)