This article is adapted from the book “Awliyāʾ Allāh kī Pahchān” by Abū Ḥamzah ʿAbdul Khāliq Ṣiddīqī.
We now discuss, in the light of Qur'anic verses, who the friends of Shayṭān (Satan) are, so that we avoid befriending them and stay away from them to the best of our ability.
﴿وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ... مَحِيصًا﴾
[Sūrah al-Nisāʾ: 119–121]
"And I will surely mislead them, and surely arouse in them false desires, and I will surely command them so they will slit the ears of cattle, and I will surely command them so they will change the creation of Allah. And whoever takes Shayṭān as a friend instead of Allah has certainly suffered a clear loss. He promises them and arouses desire in them, but Shayṭān does not promise them except delusion. Such are the ones whose abode is Hell, and they will find no escape from it."
﴿وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ... بَدَلًا﴾
[Sūrah al-Kahf: 50]
"And when We said to the angels: 'Prostrate to Adam,' they all prostrated except Iblīs. He was one of the jinn and rebelled against the command of his Lord. Will you then take him and his offspring as allies besides Me, while they are your enemies? What a terrible exchange for the wrongdoers!"
﴿وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ... مَلِيًّا﴾
[Sūrah Maryam: 41–46]
"Mention in the Book the story of Ibrāhīm. He was indeed a man of truth and a Prophet. When he said to his father: 'O my dear father! Why do you worship that which neither hears nor sees and can be of no benefit to you? O my father! Indeed, knowledge has come to me that did not come to you, so follow me; I will guide you to a straight path. O my father! Do not worship Shayṭān. Surely Shayṭān is ever disobedient to the Most Merciful. O my father! I fear that a punishment from the Most Merciful may touch you, and you may become a companion of Shayṭān.' He (the father) said: 'Do you reject my gods, O Ibrāhīm? If you do not desist, I will surely stone you. So, leave me alone for a long time.'"
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا... سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ﴾
[Sūrah al-Mumtaḥanah: 1]
"O you who believe! Do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies, extending to them affection, while they have denied the truth that has come to you. They expel the Messenger and yourselves simply because you believe in Allah, your Lord. If you have gone out for Jihād in My cause and to seek My pleasure, then do not take them as allies. You secretly show them affection, but I know what you conceal and what you reveal. And whoever among you does this has certainly strayed from the straight path."
Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd:
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ once drew a line for us and said: 'This is the path of Allah.' Then he drew several other lines to the right and left and said: 'These are other paths, and on each of these paths there is a Shayṭān calling to it.' Then he recited the verse:
﴿وَأَنَّ هَٰذَا صِرَاطِي مُسْتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ...﴾
'This is My straight path, so follow it and do not follow other paths, for they will scatter you from His path.'"
[Musnad Aḥmad 1/435; Sunan Ibn Mājah, Muqaddimah, 11 – Ṣaḥīḥ according to Shaykh al-Albānī]
Those who are friends or allies of Shayṭān include:
① Those who take Shayṭān as a protector instead of Allah
② Those who worship other than Allah
③ Those who reject the truth and oppose the believers
④ Those who walk on paths diverging from the straight path of Allah
⑤ Those who maintain affectionate ties with the supporters of falsehood
Their fate is Hell, and they are far from Allah’s mercy unless they repent.
We now discuss, in the light of Qur'anic verses, who the friends of Shayṭān (Satan) are, so that we avoid befriending them and stay away from them to the best of our ability.
❖ The Fate of Shayṭān’s Friends
﴿وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ... مَحِيصًا﴾
[Sūrah al-Nisāʾ: 119–121]
"And I will surely mislead them, and surely arouse in them false desires, and I will surely command them so they will slit the ears of cattle, and I will surely command them so they will change the creation of Allah. And whoever takes Shayṭān as a friend instead of Allah has certainly suffered a clear loss. He promises them and arouses desire in them, but Shayṭān does not promise them except delusion. Such are the ones whose abode is Hell, and they will find no escape from it."
❖ Befriending Shayṭān and His Offspring
﴿وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ... بَدَلًا﴾
[Sūrah al-Kahf: 50]
"And when We said to the angels: 'Prostrate to Adam,' they all prostrated except Iblīs. He was one of the jinn and rebelled against the command of his Lord. Will you then take him and his offspring as allies besides Me, while they are your enemies? What a terrible exchange for the wrongdoers!"
❖ Worshipping Others Besides Allah Makes One a Friend of Shayṭān
﴿وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ... مَلِيًّا﴾
[Sūrah Maryam: 41–46]
"Mention in the Book the story of Ibrāhīm. He was indeed a man of truth and a Prophet. When he said to his father: 'O my dear father! Why do you worship that which neither hears nor sees and can be of no benefit to you? O my father! Indeed, knowledge has come to me that did not come to you, so follow me; I will guide you to a straight path. O my father! Do not worship Shayṭān. Surely Shayṭān is ever disobedient to the Most Merciful. O my father! I fear that a punishment from the Most Merciful may touch you, and you may become a companion of Shayṭān.' He (the father) said: 'Do you reject my gods, O Ibrāhīm? If you do not desist, I will surely stone you. So, leave me alone for a long time.'"
❖ Befriending the Allies of Shayṭān Leads to Misguidance
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا... سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ﴾
[Sūrah al-Mumtaḥanah: 1]
"O you who believe! Do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies, extending to them affection, while they have denied the truth that has come to you. They expel the Messenger and yourselves simply because you believe in Allah, your Lord. If you have gone out for Jihād in My cause and to seek My pleasure, then do not take them as allies. You secretly show them affection, but I know what you conceal and what you reveal. And whoever among you does this has certainly strayed from the straight path."
❖ Every Deviant Path Has a Shayṭān Calling Towards It
Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd:
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ once drew a line for us and said: 'This is the path of Allah.' Then he drew several other lines to the right and left and said: 'These are other paths, and on each of these paths there is a Shayṭān calling to it.' Then he recited the verse:
﴿وَأَنَّ هَٰذَا صِرَاطِي مُسْتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ...﴾
'This is My straight path, so follow it and do not follow other paths, for they will scatter you from His path.'"
[Musnad Aḥmad 1/435; Sunan Ibn Mājah, Muqaddimah, 11 – Ṣaḥīḥ according to Shaykh al-Albānī]
Summary
Those who are friends or allies of Shayṭān include:
① Those who take Shayṭān as a protector instead of Allah
② Those who worship other than Allah
③ Those who reject the truth and oppose the believers
④ Those who walk on paths diverging from the straight path of Allah
⑤ Those who maintain affectionate ties with the supporters of falsehood
Their fate is Hell, and they are far from Allah’s mercy unless they repent.
