, Iblīs, came with a flame of fire to thrust into my face. I said, “I seek refuge in Allah from you,” three times. Then I said, “I curse you with Allah’s complete curse,” and he drew back. I then wanted to seize him. Had it not been for the supplication of our brother Solomon, he would have remained bound until morning, with the children of Medina playing with him.’”

If devils come to the prophets, peace and blessings be upon them, to harm them and disrupt their worship, and Allah Most High repels them through the supplication, remembrance, worship, and physical struggle with which He strengthens the prophets, then what of those who are below the prophets in rank?

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, subdued the devils among humans and jinn through the various forms of knowledge and action with which Allah Most High strengthened him. Among the greatest of these are prayer and jihad. Most of the Prophet’s hadiths concern prayer and jihad. Whoever follows the prophets will receive Allah’s help through the same means by which He helped the prophets.

As for someone who introduces a religion that they did not prescribe, abandoning their command to worship Allah alone, without partner, and to follow His Prophet in what he prescribed for his community, while introducing excessive veneration of the prophets and the righteous and associating them with Allah in worship—such a person is manipulated by the devils. Allah Most High says:

“Indeed, he has no authority over those who believe and put their trust in their Lord.”

“His authority is only over those who take him as an ally and those who, through him, associate others with Allah.”

And Allah Most High says:

“Indeed, you have no authority over My servants, except those among the misguided who follow you.”

And (another means is for the person who sees such an apparition to call upon his Lord, Blessed and Most High, to clarify the matter for him).

And (another means is to say to that figure, “Are you so-and-so?” and adjure him with solemn oaths, reciting over him the Quranic passages that repel devils, along with other means that harm them).

This is like the way many worshippers see the Kaaba circling around them and see a mighty throne