_Imaam Ibn Qudaamah Al-Maqdisi -rahimahullaah-_
Said:
Know verily- may the mercy of Allāh be upon you that, the similitude of shaitan is like a hungry dog trying to move closer to you, if it happens that, you have nothing in your hand of bread or any sort of food which is beneficial to him, definitely, the dog will stop barking at you by mere saying to him go away or screaming at him.
And if in the other way, you have something of food at hand in the presence of the hungry dog, the dog will never stop chasing you by mere saying to him go away except you tried much efforts.
likewise, in this regard, the heart that is empty of the food of shaitan which is all forms of bad characters and desires, shaitan will certainly run away from him by saying the zikr.
However, as for the Heart that is completely overpowered and controlled by desires and vices, for verily, the zirk will only reach and stop at its surrounding without getting deep into the heart, and the zikr will not fully establish and occupy the depth of the heart, thus, the Shaitan will still find his ways into the depth of the heart despite the zikr because of the presence of desires which serves like food to the shaitan.
Therefore, if one really wants to understand what we mentioned above, he should take a look critically at himself while in salah, he will notice how shaitan is playing with his heart thereby making him to be thinking about the matters of the dunya such as markets, making calculation of some issues and even planning his future goals while in the salah.
Such a person, may try to split a little to his left side as recommended by our beloved Messenger sallallāhu àlayhi wasallam in order to chase away the whispering of the shaitan, but to no avail, he will still find that his heart is still attached to the dunya despite the zikr, this is because of the presence of desires and all form of diseases in his heart.
*11th Rabī’u Ath-thāni, 1438H.*
Allāhu A’alam! Bārakallāhu fīkum!
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