Sūratu’n-Nisā’ [Women] : (4:118–119)

لَّعَنَهُ اللَّهُ ۘ وَقَالَ لَأَتَّخِذَنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِكَ نَصِيبًا مَّفْرُوضًا ۝ وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ وَلَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ وَلَآمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ آذَانَ الْأَنْعَامِ وَلَآمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّخِذِ الشَّيْطَانَ وَلِيًّا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَانًا مُّبِينًا

(Satan is the) one who is accursed by God (excluded from His mercy). Once he said: “Of Your servants I will surely take a share to be assigned to me (by their following me). I will surely lead them astray and surely engross them in vain desires (superstitious fancies and false conceptions); and I will surely command them, and they will surely slit the ears of cattle (to mark them out as meant for their idols and as forbidden to themselves to eat, thus making a lawful thing unlawful); and also I will surely command them and they will surely alter God’s creation.” Whoever takes Satan for a confidant and guardian instead of God has indeed suffered a manifest loss. (An-Nisā’ 4:118–119)

Satan spoke to God Almighty with such insolence—as it is seen in this and other similar speeches of his that are mentioned in the Qur’ān—because:

1. either God, exalted is His Majesty, let him to do so;
2. or, as pointed out by many interpreters of the Qur’ān, these words are the translations of his evil nature, which God Almighy brings to our attention.

Whether those words were uttered by Satan or are God’s translations of his wicked nature, it is certain that Satan is determined to misguide the people who are not sincere in faith. This satanic play or plot, which began before the earthly life of humankind, has been continuing since then. Both Satan himself and his assistants from among jinn and humankind are continuing their ceaseless efforts to deceive people, to cause their deviation with fantasies, to destroy the balance in human life and nature, and to intervene with the order established by God in a negative way.

The preservation of the spiritual balance of humanity is dependent on keeping away from Satan’s path. Likewise, the preservation of the balance of nature or environmental balance is also dependent upon keeping away from the same path.

Those who follow Satan’s way of misguidance are unfortunate ones in great loss, while the others who are able to keep away from it are the fortunate ones close to God.