They express their negativity and discontent in the secret language of evil

In order to spread the silent language of evil, another method that satan teaches people is negativity. Its basis lies in people's lack of awareness that Allah sees every evil done openly or in secret, and that those who do these deeds will receive the appropriate reward in the Hereafter. The negative personality that accompanies this clouded awareness is where this hidden evil is most frequently encountered. A person who does negative things through satan's intimidations gradually displays a series of unseemly moral qualities, but does so while hiding behind the "silent language of evil," thinking he could not possibly be discovered.

A person in a negative spiritual state has many apprehensions and doubts on his mind stemming from the influence of satan. If he wants to escape from satan's influence and his negative spiritual state, of course, he can immediately find the appropriate answer to all his misgivings in the Qur'an. But he does not consider how easy it is to escape satan's oppression, being preoccupied with his own apprehensions. What draws him into a negative spiritual state are most often vain apprehensions that have nothing to do with the truth. If he examined these silly, mindless and illogical thoughts in the light of the Qur'an, he would soon see that they were invalid, and satan's influence over him would immediately dissipate.

Generally, at the base of these apprehensions occupying a person's mind and draw him into a negative spiritual state is discontent. Despite all the countless blessings and good things that Allah has created, a person's lower self tries to draw him into a moral state wherein he will be discontent, pessimistic and see everything in a negative light. In such a moral condition, an individual may be displeased with whatever he may encounter; this condition will lead him into negativity about conditions in his environment, the behavior of his acquaintances, events that occur, his own spiritual state and behavior and many other things. Sometimes, his discontent is based on not knowing about events that have already occurred and those that have yet to happen—that is, hidden events related to the future (gayb). They become discontent and totally pessimistic when they imagine events with no basis in reality. They say, for example, "What if this happens?" or "Such a result may definitely come out of that."

But these thoughts and the behavior they inspire do not comply with the moral teachings of the Qur'an. For this reason, satan wants to instill this spiritual state in individuals of weak faith or who have sickness in their hearts. When the basis of this discontent lies in these individuals' acquaintances, satan wants to make them perceive this negative spiritual state with a secret language, and in a manner impossible to detect. In ignorant societies that live far from the moral teachings of the Qur'an, people use this language to send others hidden messages of what they mean and what they want from one another. Satan wants to establish this kind of morality among people of faith and make them understand one another by means of secret ritual behavior that is allusive, witty and contains hidden messages. In this way, he distances them from the moral teachings of the Qur'an by drawing them into his own insincerity and moral perversity.

Those who examine satan's invitation will see for themselves its greatest harm. As long as they do not seek Allah's favor and comply with the Qur'an, there will be no dearth of anxiety and discontent in their lives. It becomes impossible for them to derive any pleasure from the blessings of food, drink, sleep and rest. They cannot enjoy love and friendship; and they cannot be joyful, happy or content. In addition, that they cannot find a solution to their spiritual state and the discontent they so openly express puts them under great tension. Since their acquaintances are content and at ease and know nothing of their predicament only increases their tension to an unbearable degree. For this reason, they sometimes harbor hidden anger toward those around them. Because they continually fill themselves with all these apprehensions, their negativity continues to increase.

The negative spiritual state these people experience comes from their total inability to grasp what faith is, and their failure to submit themselves to Allah as they should. For this reason, as the Qur'an tells us, Allah causes a spiritual drought to break over them and gives them unbearable anxiety in their hearts:

When Allah desires to guide someone, He expands his breast to Islam. When He desires to misguide someone, He makes his breast narrow and constricted as if he were climbing up into the sky. That is how Allah defiles those who have no faith. (Surat al-An'am: 125)

In the following pages, we will see how people who come under satan's control use the secret, silent language of evil to express their negativity and regard their actions as justifiable. In this way, we will uncover the game that satan is playing with human beings.

Secret methods of protest done through silence and quietness

Satanic thoughts give rise to a negative personality with a special spiritual state. Keeping silent is one of the most important weapons of people in this spiritual state, who think that being calm and saying nothing is one of the best ways to express the discomfort they feel. In this way, they wish to draw the attention to themselves and make others feel that something is amiss. Their basic aim is to blame others for whatever situation they're in and to have them make restitution. This method is used widely by those whose lives do not conform to the moral teachings of the Qur'an.

Before they say anything, they assume a kind of behavior to make others think that something unusual is going on. When asked them, "What's wrong? Has something upset you? Can I help?" they generally use this spiritual state to save themselves. Then to these well-intentioned questions they give reticent and deliberately perfunctory answers: "It's nothing. It's just your imagination. I couldn't sleep, and I'm tired." Whenever possible, they make no further elaboration but remain silent, giving no details. Occasionally, they enter discussions with a terse sentence and a cold, official manner. They answer "Yes," "No," or "I don't know" in a curt particular tone of voice. When they want to attract the attention of others present, they continue their protests until these people take an interest in them and believe what the protesters want them to think. Once they have the attention they want, they gradually get over what is bothering them and, to give the impression that their emotional state is beyond their control, they behave as if "I'm feeling better now."

Their tone of voice slowly returns to normal after a few questions, interest and "tender loving care" from others. They gradually join in conversations, give the impression (hard as it may be) that they can be a part of the fun and finally, return to their normal state. They can overcome their negativity because they have shown that it was caused by the wrong behavior of others and that they were able to get over it only because these others changed their attitudes.

The fact that these people are sometimes able to draw the attention and interest of their acquaintances is not enough to satisfy their perverse behavior. Satan puts these individuals into this glum, negative spiritual state and makes them behave in a way that reveals that they don't know exactly what they want. In this condition, they cannot change their behavior whether or not people pay them attention . Once such an individual follows satan and begins to display a negative, "protesting" personality, he still has the willpower to escape from this situation if he wishes to—because he has got himself into this situation out of his own will. But it's not clear how his present spiritual state can be corrected. If he becomes lively and talkative and suddenly gives up this insincere behavior and acts with intelligence, it will be clear that he has done this deliberately by altering his behavior. But he does not because satan rules his mind. And, later, even if he wants to free himself from this condition, he chooses to continue his silent protests so that his insincerity will not be discovered. Satan takes advantage of this situation and draws him into another secret evil under the pretense that it will save him.

In such a situation, once again, it is those who listen to satan that who will suffer the greatest harm. They grow unhappy and discontent because of their negative spiritual state; they are always calculating and so cannot behave as their hearts direct them. They deliberately ignore the voice of their consciences; gradually this puts them into a state where they can no longer see the right path nor find any solution to their problems. Allah shrouds the understanding of those who are overwhelmed by satan's intimations and persist in them, and He renders them helpless, struggling desperately in their own insincerity. Then, they are turned into those very silent, self-centered, morose personalities that they used to do deliberately to make their protests. The mental and physical strength of those who have been desensitized and rendered speechless by satan's torments. The Qur'an gives us some examples to show the spiritual state of such individuals:

Allah makes another metaphor: two men, one of them deaf and dumb, unable to do anything, a burden on his master, no matter where he directs him he brings no good, is he the same as someone who commands justice and is on a straight path? (Surat an-Nahl: 76)

Another verse draws our attention to the state of these people:

The worst of beasts in Allah's sight are the deaf and dumb who have no intellect. (Surat al-Anfal: 22)

In the moral teachings of the Qur'an, there is no place for such a silent language, for suggestive behavior or the negative behavior comes from satan's influence. In everything, the believer's measure is the Qur'an. If there is any error, clearly it should be stated intelligently and eloquently, in keeping with the moral teachings of the Qur'an. Moreover, since those with faith take the voice of their consciences as their foundation, they accept every exhortation that agrees with the Qur'an and respond to it with greater acts of goodness.

Hidden betrayal in their eyes and the dark expression on their faces

The eyes are an important measure of sincerity, reflecting every feeling in the human spirit. This characteristic is most evident in the eyes of believers who, along with their words and actions, reveal their fine moral character with their eyes. For this reason, their expressions are very clean, shiny and bright. From their eyes, we can see that have submitted to Allah and are deeply attached to Him, that they are honest, reliable, sincere, intelligent, conscientious and content.

But as for those who have fallen under the influence of satan, the faces cannot possibly display these qualities. Because of the negative spiritual state that satan has inculcated, their faces do not reflect contentment and security. On the contrary, their negative thoughts are reflected in their faces, and their dark, uncomprehending expressions do not reveal what they are thinking. They may believe that they give no sign of the satanic spiritual state within, yet their eyes prove that they nurture no good, positive thoughts. Such faces give the uneasy feeling that we do not know what else is hidden behind them.

These people are of course aware of their negative influence, of the sense of darkness and vileness that they wear on their faces. Perhaps they have entered this state because of something that happened to them, someone else's behavior, or their insincere misinterpretations of totally fabricated ideas. But they make use of these satanic methods to dissimulate their discontent to those around them. Allah tells us in the Qur'an that those whose consciences have been darkened by their evil deeds have faces shrouded by vileness.

But as for those who have earned bad actions—a bad action will be repaid with one the like of it. Debasement will darken them. They will have no one to protect them from Allah. It is as if their faces were covered by dark patches of the night. Those are the Companions of the Fire, remaining in it timelessly, for ever.(Surah Yunus: 27)

The faces of these individuals are indeed dark as night and the way they look is not normal. In their eyes it is very difficult to find comfortable expressions of contentment and peace. Their spiritual state is extremely negative, and their uneasiness and lack of trust in Allah is reflected in their eyes. This tension may cause a physical contraction, so that their eyes become very narrow and dull. Just as their minds are under satan's influence, so are their eyes. Normally, if there is no problem, a person's eyes do not have such a dull and uncomprehending look. The eyes of a normal, honest and sincere individual are wide open, lively and bright. The eyes of such a normal person take on a human understanding; they have a comfortable look, and this person can form relationships.

It is very tiring to look into the eyes of a person under satan's control. To be around someone who produces negative effects makes everyone uncomfortable.

At this point, it should be said that it is totally up to the individual to correct this perverse expression. When he puts aside the apprehensions in his heart and the evil thoughts coming from satan and, in their place, puts good thoughts in accord with the Qur'an, his face's expression—Allah willing—becomes bright and beautiful. Because of his fine moral character and submission to Allah, the light in his face and the way he looks grow even deeper. But, because these people deliberately put on these expressions for a specific purpose, they deliberately avoid the effort it would take to reverse the situation.

In the Qur'an, Allah tells us in many verses that the way a person looks is important in getting to know him, and that facial expressions are an important means of recognizing a hypocrite: "If We wished, We would show them to you and you would know them by their mark..." (Surah Muhammad: 30)

In the Qur'an, Allah gives us examples of the facial expressions of a group of insincere individuals who lived at the time of our Prophet (saas). In this verse, it says that the perversity of the way they looked at our Prophet (saas) was very great: "Those who disbelieve all but strike you down with their evil looks... " (Surat al-Qalam: 51)

But no matter what their facial expressions, people should remember one important truth: Allah sees them at every moment. He tells us this in the Qur'an: "Eyesight cannot perceive Him but He perceives eyesight. He is the All-Penetrating, the All-Aware." (Surat al-An'am: 103) In another verse, He draws our attention to people whose eyes have a judgmental and treacherous look, and to what they have hidden in their hearts:

He knows the eyes' deceit and what people's breasts conceal. (Surah Ghafir: 19)

Those who are immersed in satan's influence, and who secretly nurse unseemly moral qualities in their hearts, may cloak their real intentions and carefully avoid behavior in which these unseemly qualities are displayed. But they will be held responsible in the world to come for the look in their eyes reflecting the satanic spiritual state within them. Even though someone pays careful attention to all his other actions, he may commit a sin simply because of the evil that remains within him and is reflected in his looks. Therefore, he may not win Allah's favor and go to the Garden. (Allah knows the truth). In the Qur'an, Allah reminds us of people who have not accepted their responsibilities in this life and who, therefore, will be full of regret in the life to come. He warns all people about this danger:

... when the Hour comes upon them suddenly, they will say, "Alas for what we neglected there!" They will bear their burdens on their backs. How evil is what they bear! (Surat al-An'am: 31)

Their negative and pessimistic manner

To draw those under satan's insidious control into behaving outside the limits imposed in the Qur'an, satan teaches them several ways of speaking negatively. But they are careful that their manner of speaking should not betray its satanic aspects. One basic characteristic is that at first, their conversation seems positive. From the general scope of what is being said, a listener thinks that the speaker is very edifying and that his words conform to the Qur'an. This is the sense that comes from the general scope of what is being said. But gradually, through subtle methods, a satanic logic takes over that has nothing to do with the Qur'an.

If the speaker wrote down his words on paper, a reader might not detect any satanic sense in the words. But satan supports the speaker with so many details that, even though the words he uses have a positive sense, they leave listeners with just the opposite impression. His various emphases, his tone of voice, the juxtaposition of sentences and topics and even his facial expressions add a very different meaning. When a believer hears this kind of conversation, he realizes that the words do not come from a conscience conforming to the moral teachings of the Qur'an, that there is something satanic hidden in them.

What does satan want to achieve by such negativity? First of all, he wants to stir up strife among believers, to secretly inculcate negative thoughts in them and give them a negative spirit. He wants to destroy the brotherhood and unity among them, prevent them from being content and joyful—and, finally, to distance them from the moral teachings of the Qur'an. He thinks he can achieve these aims by the hidden evil in conversations of those taken under his influence.

But such could not possibly occur among people of sincere faith, who above all, are protected by Allah's mercy. Because of their sincerity and their having made Allah their protector, He protects them from satan's wickedness and of those who follow him. His Presence keeps them constantly on the true path; He gives them superior intelligence, understanding and perception so that they can see and spoil the games that satan plays. In this way, all of satan's efforts will come to nothing.

Those who follow satan despite being around believers are, in fact, very well aware of satan's objectives. However, their following satan serves their very own aims. Because they want to let people around them know that they feel uncomfortable, they use this method that satan has inspired with intention. With the negative manner they put on, they seek to draw attention and interest to themselves; to make others think about them and do what they want. They use satanic methods to secure the same blessings they could have earned honestly by living sincerely according to the moral teachings of the Qur'an and using their intelligence consciously. This is certainly a dead end.

Believers never respond to demands made using satanic methods. Believers are responsible for opposing satan's incitements and for calling on others to accept the moral teachings of the Qur'an. Satan tries to deceive humans with other possibilities and have them believe they can live happily if they follow his methods. But satan promises nothing more than a deception.

Nobody likes a person who always wears a discomforting look, remains determinedly silent, dour and sulky, sees the negative side of everything and looks at things pessimistically. Such a person will never be happy and live a good life until he rids himself of every kind of wickedness, both secret and open, submits to Allah's religion and experiences the contentment of living according to the moral teachings of the Qur'an.

They avoid mentioning all the blessings and good things around them

Eventually, those overpowered by satan's intimations to look at everything negatively become unable to appreciate the countless blessings and good things that surround them. They criticize and try to find fault with everything to the point where only these thoughts occupy their minds. They complain constantly about what makes them unhappy, but never mention the blessings that Allah has created for them to enjoy. They speak about what they see as defects, flaws or deficiencies very fluently but never express of the good things and blessings that Allah has created. That is because, people of this moral who are deeply under satan's influence think only about the things they regard as flawed.

However, they should know that any blessings a person possesses are not his own. A person should never make such a false assertion of ownership. Allah bestows His servants all His blessings, great and small, simply out of His generous will to do so and His endless mercy toward them. Humans have everything they possess because Allah has shown His generosity to them. Allah tells us in the Qur'an about the wrong behavior of a person named Qarun who boasted of the blessings he possessed: "I have only been given it because of knowledge I have." (Surat al-Qasas: 78) Then Allah tells us the kind of end Qarun faced because of this:

We caused the Earth to swallow up both him and his house. There was no group to come to his aid, besides Allah, and he was not someone who is helped. (Surat al-Qasas: 81)

Qarun's fate points to a truth that everyone should consider and learn from. Allah gives countless blessings to His servants on Earth. But most of those who develop a negative personality display such a character because of the courage brought by living in a comforting environment among believers. Their complaints about the many blessings that could make them happy and give thanks to Allah are an indication of their ingratitude. However, if these blessings were to disappear, and they suffered hunger, sickness and other difficulties, they would not be able to bear them. They would then regard the smallest blessing as a great value and would thank Allah for it.

In the Qur'an, Allah has made us responsible for continually remembering and recounting His blessings: "And as for the blessing of your Lord, speak out!" (Surat ad-Duha: 11) In another verse, He announces the multitude of blessings surrounding human beings and reminds us of His mercy:

If you tried to number Allah's blessings, you could never count them. Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat an-Nahl: 18)

No doubt, any logical and intelligent person can see this truth. No special effort is necessary to understand it; one needs only look around. In this case, why do some individuals not aware of these good things? Why do they avoid the enjoyment and joys that these blessings give? This is a result of the influence of satan, who does not want people to lead their lives with the awareness of this truth. For this reason, he distracts his followers with empty apprehensions and diverts them with anxieties. In this way, he wants to lead them to where they think only about these negative things and do not appreciate the mercy that Allah has toward them.

But sometimes satan does not have such a direct influence on people. It is enough for him to draw people into exhibiting the negativity of personality described in this chapter. A person who develops such a misunderstanding of morality finds negativity all by himself: Just to be contrary; he does not speak about the good and avoids edifying conversation. Although he sees the blessings that Allah has created in all their beauty, he deliberately avoids mentioning them. He wants to show his acquaintances that something is making him discontent.

This is one of the messages sent in this insidious, silent language that satan teaches human beings. They pretend not to have heard good news that has made everyone happy; while everyone else greets it with sincere joy, these individuals do not join in the excitement or even say a word. If necessary, they say a few terse words in a cold and uninterested voice. In this way, they send the message that they are unhappy about something, in a very different spiritual state from the others around them, and that even this good news cannot liberate them from their spiritual condition.

However, all this effort is clearly pretense. If he wanted to, this person has the will to snap himself out of that state in a moment. But he does not want to, and is determined to continue in this satanic behavior. Were he to mention all the blessings around him, his negative atmosphere would dissipate. Seeing the truth, he would conform his behavior to the moral teachings of the Qur'an. But because he does not want to do so, he remains deliberately sullen in the heaviness that listening to the voice of satan has cast over him. With the traps he has set, satan convinces people that the evil deeds they have done are good and, by their own will, draws them into a system that will do them harm.

The Qur'an tells us that the ungrateful, who refuse to acknowledge the blessings of our Lord, are actually aware that they are behaving in this way:

Truly man is ungrateful to his Lord and indeed he bears witness to that. (Surat al-'Adiyat: 6-7)

In another verse, Allah says that these individuals are really able to perceive these blessings:

They acknowledge Allah's blessing and then deny it. Most of them are unbelievers. (Surat an-Nahl: 83)

In such a situation, however, one must immediately take refuge in Allah. If he persists in behavior contrary to the moral teachings of the Qur'an, he must remember that Allah may repay him with the pangs of Hell. Such a person should consider his own helplessness compared to the infinite power of Allah, that he needs His mercy; and must adopt a moral attitude that will never permit him the audacity to be so bold.

People who become unable to appreciate the countless blessings that Allah has given may later reach the point where they cannot take pleasure from the blessings they do possess even if they wanted to.

A negative moral character hurts only the person who has it

Looking at the spiritual state of those under the influence of satan and the anxieties they experience as a result, we see clearly how this character they have assumed in order to send hidden messages leads to their own destruction.

Negative thoughts occupy the minds of these individuals for hours, months and years, from which they cannot rescue themselves:

They repeat actions that have given them pangs of conscience, claim that there are wicked people around them, and are determined not to be subject to their consciences. They cause tension among their acquaintances, are resolute in their arrogance. They always think the worst possibility is the most likely one. They do everything in their power not to be liked and afterwards, feel sad and wonder why no one likes them. Looking negatively at everything, they oppose everything and afterwards complain that nothing makes them happy. Taking their worries and apprehensions everywhere they go, they are easily irritated by others. Adopting the attitude that people snub them, they do everything they can to make themselves unattractive and are sorry later.

These are only a few of the traps satan has set for human beings with the negative point of view that he has inculcated in them. Someone who falls under his influence and acts according to this point of view is his own worst enemy. Forgetting that he is under the control of Allah and His infinite mercy, he lives constantly in fear and chaos. Because of his anxious spiritual state, he becomes introverted and prefers to be alone. In this state, he will grow sorrowful and without hope and have spare time to invent imaginary scenarios. Forgetting Allah and adopting a way of thinking that gives preference to other people; he is directed into ways of thinking that gives him ample scope to make himself miserable. A meeting he must attend, a bus he missed or an outfit he doesn't like assumes the dimensions of a disaster. No matter how much he tries to convince himself that he shouldn't care about these things, none of the reasons he comes up with affects him. The spiritual condition he's in makes it impossible to persuade himself. He forgets that everything happens to him with Allah's knowledge; he believes that he must manage people and events by himself. And, seeing that he lacks the strength to do this, he is devastated.

In such a situation, the strongest body cannot stand up to the tension. Thinking that people and events are unrelated to Allah, he cannot see any good; therefore, his point of view is totally negative and he gradually comes to the point where he does not care about anything. He views everything pessimistically. He cannot admit to himself that he no longer believes in happiness or love. And, when he thinks of the situation he's in, his anxieties increase. Having hope is very difficult. If others pay him a compliment, he thinks they are making fun of him; if someone does him a favor, he thinks he's done it to humiliate him. If someone prefers to keep a secret, he thinks that it's a matter that has to do with him. His mind always works in an unhealthy way, and there is no solution to this other than following the moral teachings of the Qur'an and submitting to Allah. The happiest events cannot make anyone happy if he is negative, determined to be unhappy and does not submit to Allah. Allah tells us in the Qur'an about the spiritual state of these people:

Our Lord, our miserable destiny overpowered us. (Surat al-Muminun: 106)

But by Allah's will, every individual has the power to save himself from every kind of wickedness. Allah has revealed this in many verses of the Qur'an. Allah has inspirited in the human lower self both wickedness and the ways to avoid it. Therefore, every individual has this possibility from his creation. Only a person who does not know the Qur'an and does not practice religious morality can despair and say, "It's out of my hands!" Believers know that such helpless words have nothing to do with the morality that comes from faith.

A person can be at ease, joyful and content only if he submits to Allah and draws close to Him. It pleases Allah for an individual to reject negativity and the unhappiness it brings. Allah tells us in the Qur'an that there is no fear or sorrow for those who truly believe:

It is He Who sent down serenity into the hearts of the believers thereby increasing their faith with more faith... (Surat al-Fath: 4)

... Then when guidance comes to you from Me, those who follow My guidance will feel no fear and will know no sorrow. (Surat al-Baqara: 38)