We Are More Powerful Than Satan

Our Master, the venerable Shaykh Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Haqqani states,

 "Sayyidina ‘Ali was one of the most respectful to all persons.  He would never walk in front of an old man.  Once in the time of the Prophet, he opened his door to go to he mosque for the fajr prayer, just then he saw an old person walking slowly ahead of him.  For his respect ‘Ali walked slowly behind him until reaching the mosque.  But seeing the man not entering the mosque and turning away, and seeing the Prophet inside rising from the first rakat’s prostration ‘Ali understood that the old man was Satan, coming to make him late for prayer.  Quickly he grabbed him by the neck and put him under a big stone.  After the prayer the Prophet said, “O ‘Ali, what happened?”  He replied; “O my Prophet, you know what happened.  The enemy of Allah tricked me today into loosing one rakat.”  Coming out with the Prophet and companions in order to look at Satan squirming under the rock, ‘Ali was very angry.  That one rakat behind the Prophet was more valuable to him than the whole world.  He said: “My intention is to leave him here up until the last day, but I am ready for your command O my Prophet.”  “O ‘Ali, don’t be a robber.  If keeping him you will cut the ways of my nation to their stations in the Divine Presence, to their fighting degrees.  Don’t be worried about him; he is only a servant to my nation.  So many will reach to a high degree because of fighting him.”  He means that we are more powerful than that Satan, and he is indicating to us the secret wisdom that Satan is the main reason for improvement in spiritual life.  You can accept him and also benefit from him.  Ride on him and go; you may reach any station in the Divine Presence.

Our Grandsheikh said that if you know that in every happening is a secret wisdom, and you are looking after that, then you may find in yourself peace and satisfaction.  If people knew that there is wisdom in every happening, then there would be no troubles between them on earth.  Allah never gives permission for anything to appear without wisdom."

Source: Mercy Oceans: Book Two Teachings of Mevlana Sheikh Abdullah ed-Dagistani en-Naqshbandi.  Expounded by our Master Mevlana Sheikh Nazim Adil El-Qubrusi En-Naqshbandi. p.188