If you reach a high level of Faith, shaytan tries to decieve you by pretending to be Allah

asalam alaikum

Fundamentals of Tawheed, Bilal Phillips p.141-142

Satan Pretends to be Allah

There is no doubt that many of the mystics (Sufis) who claim to have seen Allah saw something. They often describe spectacular visions of light and possibly even unearthly beings. However, the fact that many mystics often discard basic practises of Islam after such visions shows clearly that what they are involved with is satanic and not divine. Those who declare that they have seen God often claim that they no longer need to pray and fast regularly as common people do, because they have risen spiritually above the plane of the masses.

Sheikh Abdul Qadir al-Jeelaanee (1077-1166 CE), after whom the Qaadiree Sufi order is named, gave an account of an incident whih he once experiened. This incident contains an explanation for both the visions of those who claim to have seen Allah, aswell as the reason why they often discard basic Islamic practises after such visions.

“One day,” he said, “I was deeply involved in worship when all of a sudden I saw before me a grand thorne with a brilliantly shining light surrounding it. A thunderous voice then struck my ears: ‘Oh ‘Abdul-Qaadir, I am your Lord! For you I have made lawful that which I have forbidden for others’.” ‘Abdul-Qaadir asked, “Are you Allah besides whom there is no god?” When there was no answer, he said; “Get away, Oh enemy of Allah.” And with that, the light vanished and dark-ness blanketed him. The voice then said, “‘Abdul-Qaadir, you have succeeded in defeating my strategy because of your understanding of the religion and your knowledge. I have managed to misguide over seventy saintly worshippers by such incidents.”

Afterwards, the people asked ‘Abdul-Qaadir how he realized that it was Satan. He replied, “I recognized that it was Satan by his claim that Allah made lawful for me what He had forbidden to others, because I knew that the divine law revealed to the Prophet (sal Allah alaihi wasalam) could not be cancelled or changed. I also realized who it was when Satan announced that he was my Lord, but was unable to confirm that he was Allah who is without any partner.”

Similarly some people in the past have reported that they have seen the Ka’bah and circled it in visions. Others have reported that a great throne was stretched out before them with a glorious being seated on it and a large number of men were ascending and descending around it. They considered the men to be angels and the glorious being to be Allah, the exalted and glorious, but in fact, it was Satan and his followers.

Consequently, it may be assumed that the basis to claims to seeing, Allah, either in dreams or in broad daylight, can be traced back to Satanic psychological and emotional states. In these states, Satan takes on glorious light forms and claims to those who are experiencing the visions that he is their Lord. Due to their ignorance of pure Tawheed [Monotheism], they accept such claims and thereby go astray.

Ibn Taymiyyah, Tawassul wal Waseelah p28. Riyaadh publications 1984.

جى عبد القادر بعلمه

المرجع: قاعدة جلية : ص 44

المؤلف :شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية

الباب: العلم و فضله

كنت مرة في العبادة فرأيت عرشا عظيما فيه نور، فقال لي: يا عبد القادر أنا ربك و قد حللت لك ما حرمته على غيرك. قال فقلت له : أنت الله الذي لا إله إلا هو؟ اخسأ يا عدو الله.

قال فتمزق ذلك النور فصار ظلمة و قال يا عبد القادر، نجوت مني بفقهك في دينك و علمك بمنازلاتك في أحوالك. لقد فتنت بهذه القصة سبعين رجلا. فقيل له كيف علمت أنه الشيطان؟ قال بقوله لي: لقد حللت لك ما حرمت لغيرك و لقد علمت أن شريعة محمد- صلى الله عليه وسلم – لا تنسخ و لا تبدل و لأنه قال: أنا ربك، و لم يقدر أن يقول أنا الله الذي لا إله إلا أنا

Reference: Qa’idah Jaleeyyah : P. 44

Author: Shaykhul Islaam ibn Taymiyyah

Topic: Knowledge and its Virtues

I was once in worship when I saw a magnificent throne with a light in it. The light said: O ‘Abdul Qaadir, I am your lord and I have made permissible for you what I have prohibited for others.

I said: “Are you Allaah – other than whom there is no other deity?! Away with you O enemy of Allaah!” So the throne crumbled and the light became darkness and said: “O ‘Abdul Qaadir, you have escaped from me because of your understanding of the religion and your knowledge of your status. Indeed I have corrupted seventy men in this way.” He [‘Abdul Qaadir] was later asked: ‘How did you know it was a Shaytaan?” He responded: “He said to me; ‘I have made permissible for you what I have prohibited for others.’ And I knew that Muhammad’s – صلى الله عليه وسلم – legislation does not change and cannot be abrogated, and because he was able to say; ‘I am your lord.’ but was not able to say; ‘I am Allaah – other then whom there is no other deity.”

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