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thumma la-ʾātiyannahum min bayni ʾaydīhim wa-min khalfihim wa-ʿan ʾaymānihim wa-ʿan shamāʾilihim wa-lā tajidu ʾaktharahum shākirīna
Then I will come at them from their front and from their rear, and from their right and their left, and You will not find most of them to be grateful.’
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Al-‘A’raf, Verse 17
17. "Then I will certainly come upon them from before them, and from behind them, and from their right and from their left; and You will not find most of them thankful."
In order to confirm and to complete his statement, Satan added that, not only he will lay wait on their way, but also he will come upon them from the sides of four directions to deceive them. The verse says:
In a tradition, it is narrated from Imam Baqir (as) who, deeply commenting upon the four directions, said: "The purpose of coming 'from before' is that Satan shows the coming world, which man has in front of him, simple and hollow to him.
The purpose of 'from behind' is that he (Satan) invites people to gathering properties and massing wealth, and to niggardliness concerning the payment of the compulsory alms to be abandon in favor of children ad inheritors.
The purpose of 'right side' is that he spoils the spiritual affairs in man's view by creating doubts and dubious things.
And, the purpose of 'left side' is to pretend the material pleasures and lusts beautiful in the view of man." 1
Some Islamic traditions denote that when Satan made an oath that he will lay in wait of man from four sides in order to lead him astray or to bar him, angels, sympathizing with man, said: "O' Allah! how this man will be delivered?" The Lord answered:
As soon as Adam was informed of the domination of Satan, he invoked Allah. Then he was addressed (by Him) not to be worried, because He will count a sin one fold and a good deed ten folds. Besides, the gate of repentance is open to him.3
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