The Promises of Satan the accursed

The accursed and rebellious Satan promises certain things regarding his influence on Man. In the Noble Quran, Chapter 4: the Women,  signs 17-21, we can find what he says he would do to his avowed enemy, the sons of Adam. 

They call upon instead of Him none but female [deities], and they [actually] call upon none but a rebellious Satan.

In these lines Allah tells us about those who worship the Satan and the female deities. Allah forgives every sin if He wills for anyone but He does not forgive Shirk or associating partners with Him in worship when He is alone the One True God. 

Whom Allah has cursed. For he had said, "I will surely take from among Your servants a specific portion.

In this next sign Allah declares that Satan is the one who is accursed. Also we come to know that Satan had rebelled against Allah and became proud of himself telling that he would surely take his portion from Allah's servants.

And I will mislead them, and I will arouse in them [sinful] desires, and I will command them so they will slit the ears of cattle, and I will command them so they will change the creation of Allah ." And whoever takes Satan as an ally instead of Allah has certainly sustained a clear loss.

Satan continues to tell that he will

1. Mislead the people 
2. Arouse sinful desires in them
3. Command them to mutilate the animals
4. Command them to change the Creation of Allah

We can clearly observe how he is adamantly doing all this around us. The people who do not have a strong connection with their Creator are easy traps for Satan. He is misleading them to dangerous levels, people are now engaging in things that no one had ever imagined, they are prey to the false world of promises and they are not hesitant to change what is natural and gifted by God.

Satan promises them and arouses desire in them. But Satan does not promise them except delusion.

But after informing us that Satan will trap us through all these doors Allah clearly says that all his promises are but a delusion. They will lead you nowhere. They will just make a fool out of you and you will suffer disaster and harm.

The refuge of those will be Hell, and they will not find from it an escape.

Such people who will follow the footsteps of Satan will be thrown in Hell along with him. His promises will not avail anything good for them and they will meet a very bad end.

But this is not as gloomy as it seems because in the next few signs we are given reassurance by Allah:

But the ones who believe and do righteous deeds - We will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. [It is] the promise of Allah , [which is] truth, and who is more truthful than Allah in statement.

Allah is telling us that this will not happen to those who are the pious, the righteous ones, those who like goodness and those who do good deeds. Allah will reward them with Paradise. As opposed to the promises of delusion, the Promise of Allah is True and He never breaks His Promise.

What Quran says about Jihad

 Reference: The Noble Quran

Surah At Tauba sign 20

The ones who have believed, emigrated and striven in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives are greater in rank in the sight of Allah . And it is those who are the attainers [of success].

Here is a good description of Jihad. It may require fighting in Allah's cause, as a form of self sacrifice. But its essence consists in 

1. a true and sincere Faith, which so fixes its gaze on Allah, that all selfish or wordly motives seem paltry and fade away,

1. and an earnest and ceaseless activity, involving the sacrifice (if need be) of life, person, or property, in the service of Allah. Mere brutal fighting is opposed to the whole spirit of Jihad, while the sincere scholar's pen or preacher's voice or wealthy man's contributions may be the most valuable forms of Jihad. 

And in Surah Hajj sign 78 Allah says: 

And strive for Allah with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty. [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. Allah named you "Muslims" before [in former scriptures] and in this [revelation] that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over the people. So establish prayer and give zakah and hold fast to Allah . He is your protector; and excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper.

Jihad applies to all true and unselfish striving for spiritual good.

Further we come to know that Jihad, one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted terms in Islam, can be carried out through knowledge, wisdom and all the means and capabilities that one is bestowed with to spread the Word of Allah, the message of Islam.

As stated in sign 52 of Surah Al Furqan:

So do not obey the disbelievers, and strive against them with the Qur'an a great striving.

 The distribution of Allah's signs being universal, the Prophet ﷺ of Allah pays no heed to carping critics who reject Faith. He wages the biggest Jihad of all, with the weapon of Allah's Revelation. 

We as Muslims are required to distribute the knowledge of the Quran so that it reaches one and all not to force anyone to accept Islam but to present to them the Message of Islam.

In Surah al Ankabut Allah says:

And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good.

"Strive in Our Cause" (Jaahadu): All that man can do is to strive in Allah's cause. As soon as he strives with might and main, with constancy and determination, the Light and Mercy of Allah come to meet him. They cure his defects and shortcomings.. They provide him with the means by which he can raise himself above himself. They point out the Way and all the Paths leading up to it.
The Way of Allah (siratul mustaqeem) is a Straight Way. But men have strayed from it in all directions. And there are numerous Paths by which they can get back to the Right Way, the way in which the purity of their own nature, and the Will and Mercy of Allah require them to walk. All these numerous Paths become open to them if once they give their hearts in keeping to Allah and work in right Endeavour (Jihad) with all their mind and soul and resources. Thus will they get out of the Spider's web of this frail world and attain to eternal Bliss in the fulfilment of their true Destiny. 

Striving in the cause of Allah to spread His Deen and to establish peace and harmony in the world is a bargain worth indulging in.

It would indeed be a great and wonderful bargain to give so little and get so much; if we only knew and understood the comparative value of things -, the sacrifice of our fleeting advantages for forgiveness, the Love of Allah and the Eternal Bliss.