Day 12 Ramadhan - Step 15

Day 12 Ramadhan - Step 15  Sufi Ramadhan Secrets and Gems by ~Sajad Ali~

Are All the Devils Shackled in Ramadhan? “When Ramadhan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened, and the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained up.”-Hadith.

But are all are of the devils locked up? Does it talk about every single devil being lockup, or is it a general statement about the majority of Big Devilish-Jinns? As in another hadith it mentions, “The most evil jinn are chained up.” - Hadith.

Those who reside in the toilets are known as Khubuth.
Those who disturb us in the prayer are called Khinzaab.
The one who are more wicked than the Shaytaan is called Maarid.
The most strong amongst them is called 'Ifreet.

It may be interpreted as meaning that the devils are not able to tempt the Muslims as they are at other times because they are busy with the fast which controls their desires, and with reading Qur’an and dhikr (remembrance of Allah). It is said that what is meant by the devils is some of them, namely the “maarids”-(strong devils), who are chained up. Some of the devils – namely the most evil ones – are chained up, not all of them.

Another meaning is that evil actions are reduced in Ramadhan, which is something that we can see. Even though evil actions happen in Ramadhan, they are less than at other times. Even if all of the devils were to be chained up, that does not mean that no evil action would happen, because there are other causes of evil action besides the devils, such as evil souls, bad habits and the human devils.

What is mentioned is the “devils are chained up” in Ramadhan, because the fact that they are chained up “does not prevent them from moving”. As another hadith mentions, “And the strong devils are chained up, and they cannot achieve what they usually achieve (at other times).” Hadith.

One of its meaning is; and the Shayateen (here) are those from amongst them who eavesdrop (on the revelation), and their being chained up takes place during the nights (of Ramadan), not its days, because they were forbidden from eavesdropping at the time of the Qur’an’s revelation; so they were chained up as an additional measure of protection (for the revelation). And it is possible that what is intended is that the Shayateen are not as determined to tempt the Muslims as they are able to outside of it (i.e. Ramadhan), because of them (the Muslims) being busy with fasting, which suppresses the desires, recitation of the Qur’an, and the remembrance [of Allah]. And others have said: ‘What is intended by Shayateen here are some of them, and they are the evil ones from amongst them…’

It does not mean that the devils do not move at all, rather they can move and lead people astray, but their activities during Ramadhan are not like their activities at other times. And know there are many types of Shayateen with varying levels of wickedness;

“As the Gates of Jannah are being opened at the same time the Gates of Jahannam are being closed. The Shayaateen are in levels, Iblees being at the top and then the Khabith next and the small shayateen. Iblees and the Khabith shayateen (may Allah’s Curse be upon them until The Hour), the Maarid (sick ones), are locked up, but the small shayateen are not locked up; hence why you see some small evil in Ramadhan. The strong shayateen called maarid, they are also being locked up and chained in the month of Ramadhan.”

The many types of Shayateen and there levels of wickedness.

So the big evil wicked devilish Jinns are locked up, but this does not mean that the devils have no influence at all (and the smaller jinn are still floating about), rather it indicates that they become weaker in Ramadhan and are not able to do what they are able to do at times other than Ramadhan. Which It means that when people observe the due conditions and manners of fasting, the influence of their whispers grow less and diminish. Fasting weakens the effects of the devils’ whispers on a person and reduces his sins. Hence, these small shayateen try to trap us and we choose to fall into it and sin. May Allah save us from that.

So while fasting, there is reduction in evil during it (Ramadhan). And this can be felt, for indeed this (evil) occurs less during Ramadhan than at any other time. Yet, the chaining of all of the devils would not necessitate that evil and sin would not occur, because there are other reasons for this besides the Shayateen, like evil natures, wicked customs, and the Shayateen from the humans.