Abū Bakr, Ibn Mas‘ūd, and other Companions also said concerning the rulings they issued through independent scholarly reasoning:

“If it is correct, it is from Allah; if it is mistaken, it is from me and from Satan, and Allah and His Messenger are free of it.”

If the error of a scholar exercising independent judgment, for which he is forgiven, is from Satan, what then of someone who speaks without the scholarly reasoning that would permit him to speak about religion? His error is likewise from Satan, but he will be punished for it unless he repents. The scholar’s error is from Satan, yet he is forgiven for it, just as wet dreams, forgetfulness, and other such things are from Satan and are forgiven. This is unlike someone who speaks without the scholarly reasoning that would permit him to do so: he speaks falsely and sins in this matter, even if he has good deeds in other matters.

Satan descends upon every person and inspires him in proportion to how much that person follows him, and is driven away in proportion to that person’s sincerity toward Allah and obedience to Him. Allah, exalted is He, said:

“Indeed, you have no authority over My servants.”

His servants are those who worship Him as His messengers commanded, performing obligatory and recommended deeds. As for someone who worships Him otherwise, he is one of Satan’s servants, not one of the servants of the Most Merciful.

Allah, exalted is He, said:

“Did I not enjoin upon you, O children of Adam, that you should not worship Satan, for he is clearly your enemy, and that you should worship Me? This is a straight path. He has already led great multitudes of you astray. Did you not use your reason?”

Most of those who worship Satan do not realize that they are worshipping him. Rather, they may think that they are worshipping the angels or the righteous, like those who call upon them for help