Dr. Zakir Naik: And I do agree with you that this is a common question and I remember several years back when I was in school and when I heard this Hadith that the devils are chained in the month of Ramadhaan immediately the question that came to my mind and the question that comes to many Muslims’ mind and many non-Muslims’ is that if the devils are chained then how do people, how do human beings yet commit sins?
This question is based on Hadith Muhammad (saws) which I mentioned earlier,
A Sahih Hadith of Musnad Ahmed vol. 2 page no. 230 Hadith no. 7148 which is also repeated
In Sunan Nasai ch. 5 Hadith no. 2106 where the beloved Prophet said that
“O ye people the blessed month of Ramadhaan is approaching and Allah has ordained for you that your fast in this month and the gates of heaven will be opened in this month and the gates of the hell will be closed and the devils will be chained. In this month is the night which is better than a thousand months and a person who is deprived of the blessings in this month is truly a deprived person.”
Now when we get this Hadith it clearly mentions that in this month of Ramadhaan, the devils will be chained and it’s a logical question if the devils are chained then how do human beings yet commit sins? To make the people understand we have to realize that when the devils are chained it does not mean that the devils are slain, they are killed they are yet present but they are chained, they are not killed. Their power is yet there but it is diminished.
For a better understanding I’d like to give you an example that when there is a lion or a tiger who is free there are high chances that he may kill you, your life is in danger but the moment that tiger or that lion is chained you are safe, you are safe as long as you maintain a safe distance, after the tiger has been chained if you come too close to him there are chances yet you can be killed. So as long as you maintain the distance form the tiger who is chained you are safe.
Similarly in the month of Ramadhaan if you maintain a safe distance from the Satan, you’ll be saved and if you read the Qur’an, Allah says
in Surah Baqarah ch. 2 verse no. 168
“Be careful of the khutuwatush shaytaan, of the footsteps of the devil for he is to you an avowed enemy”
Many places Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an that be careful of the footsteps of the devil. Allah doesn’t say that be careful of the devil because a normal Muslim, an average Muslim who has average Eemaan when he sees the devil in front of him he will be careful.
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