Verily, the devil has lost hope of being worshiped by those who engage in prayer in the Arabian Peninsula, but has not lost hope of sowing dissension between them
Chapter: The Mischief Of The Shaitan And How He Sends His Troops To Tempt People, And With Every Person There Is A Qarin (Companion From Among The Jinn)
Authentic
hadith of Sahih Muslim
Sahih Muslim 2812a
Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say:
"Verily, the devil has lost hope of being worshiped by those who engage in prayer in the Arabian Peninsula, but has not lost hope of sowing dissension between them."
Reported by Muslim (No. 2812a, 2812b), At-Tirmidhi (No. 1937) and Ahmad (No. 13847, 14288, 14412, 14586).
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that Satan had lost hope that the believers who engage in prayer in the Arabian Peninsula would return to worshiping him and to prostrating to idols. However, he still desires and is still exerting effort and working hard to sow dissension between them by instigating disputes, hostility, wars, strife, etc.
Lessons
Worshiping the devil is by worshiping idols because he is the one who commands it and calls to it as indicated by Allah's words about Ibrāhīm (Abraham) (peace be upon him): {O my dear father, do not worship Satan...}
The devil seeks to stir up disputes, hostility, wars, and strife among Muslims.
Among the benefits of prayer in Islam is that it maintains affection between Muslims and strengthens brotherly ties between them.
Prayer is the greatest ritual in Islam after the Two Testimonies of Faith, and that is why Muslims are called the Musallīn (those who pray).
The Arabian Peninsula possesses unique characteristics that other countries do not possess.
If it is said that worshiping idols has occurred in some parts of the Arabian Peninsula, although the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says: (The devil has lost hope of being worshiped by those who engage in prayer...), the reply to this is that the Prophet's words inform of the despair felt by the devil upon seeing the conquests and people entering in the religion of Allah in multitudes. So, the Hadīth informs of the devil's assumptions and expectations, but what has occurred in reality is different for a wise purpose intended by Allah Almighty.
Explanation in Arabic
أَخْبَرَ النبيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أنَّ إبليس أَيِسَ أنْ يَعُوْدَ المؤمنون المصلون لعبادته والسجود للصنم في جزيرة العرب، ولكنه لا زال يَطْمَع، ولا زال جهده وكَدُّه وعملُه وسعيُه في التَّحريش بينهم بالخصومات والشَّحْنَاء والحروب والفتن ونحوها.
عبادة الشيطان عبادة الصنم، لأنه الآمِرُ به والداعي إليه، بدليل قوله تعالى عن إبراهيم عليه السلام: (يا أبت لا تعبد الشيطان…).
الشيطان يَسعى في إيقاع الخصومات والشَّحْناء والحروب والفتن بين المسلمين.
من فوائد الصلاة في الإسلام أنها تَحفظ المَوَدّة بين المسلمين، وتُقَوِّي روابط الأُخُوّة بينهم.
الصلاة أعظم شعائر الدين بعد الشهادتين، ولذلك أطلق على المسلمين المُصَلِّين.
جزيرة العرب لها خصائص دون غيرها من البلاد.
إن قيل قد وقع في بعض جزيرة العرب عبادة الأصنام، والنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: (إن الشيطان قد أيس أن يعبده المصلون..)، فهذا إخبار عما وقع في نفس الشيطان مِن اليأس لِمَا رأى الفتوح، ودخول الناس في دين الله أفواجًا، فالحديث أخبر عن ظن الشيطان وتوقُّعِه، ثم كان الواقع بخلاف ذلك لحكمة يريدها الله عز وجل.
