Kur’an’da Yer Alan ‘Şeytan’ın Adımlarını İzlemeyin’ İfadesinin Anlam ve Yorumu Üzerine
Remarks on the Meaning and Interpretation of the of Expression of ‘Don’t Follow the Steps of Satan’ in the Qur’ān

Summary/Abstract: The expression of ‘Lā tattabiʿū khuṭuvāt al-shaiṭān’ is mentioned in four places in the Qur’ān. Although the same expression in each verses the contexts are different. Use of this expression in different contexts makes it inevitable that the different contexts has a common point. For this reason, it is important to explain the meaning of this saying, the context of the revealed verses that this saying mentioned in them, and to detect the common message of these four verses of in point of ‘Don’t follow in the steps of Satan’ In this way, we will achieve important data about what weakness of human nature in falling into the wrong way about religious matters in addition to shedding light on what the way the devil deceives the people.‘Don’t follow steps of devil’ is an Arabic saying. It means taking a sample, going after another one and imitating. Mention of the footsteps and foot’s traces of devil in this saying point out that the devil’s diversion is secret; it makes its diversion in phases and without making feeling the victim. This saying is the best metaphorical statement in God’s forbidding in obeying the Satan. Because when a person sees the traces of who walked before he follows him by knowing that this leads him to a goal. In this saying the person who takes example without evidence except one follow him is emulates who thinks it's the real purpose is the path and anyone that follows the steps of the walkers in front of him. This representation has gained prevalence; so much so that the statement of “he followed in the steps of him” means “he took sample of him” was introduced. This expression also forbade emulating and following the societies who went not astray before Islam. Furthermore, this expression advises people to renew themselves and repent.This expression is mentioned in four verses of three different contexts in the Qur’ān. The contexts are in verses surah al-Baqara 2/168 and al-Anʿām 6/142 forbidding the accepting haram the halal things, in the verse Baqara 2/208 banning practices which are contrary to Islam and in the verse Noor 24/21 forbidding to spread slander for sinless and chaste women and to spread indecent deeds among believers.Satan's deception of the step-by-step can be detected as signal of that big crimes occur through small sins. For this the statement of “Don’t follow the steps of Satan” is not for every sin but for sins that have possibility of evolving into a qualified sin if it is insisted on the same sin in the future. These sins seem small and insignificant initially but they are very dangerous according to the consequences of them. Following these sins makes the person courageous in committing the great sins in further process. Thus, he can make the Halal and Haram interchangeable. It can create practices that will damage the integrity and authenticity of religion. By doing bad deeds, he is doing things that will harm the moral and human aspects of the society. The most fundamental feature of these sins is that the religion has a destructive effect on both the theological aspect and the social aspect.Vowing to make a verb forbidden by religion, divorce the ladies by connecting to the conditions and practices that are specific to the sharīʿa (Law of Religion) before the Prophet are within this scope. For example, reading the Torah in prayer, observing Saturday ban and accepting camel meat forbidden. It is possible to see that these sins are within the scope of "following the steps of the devil" in the narrations of the ṣāḥaba (Companions of the Prophet) and the Tābiʿūn (Successors of the Prophet). Although it is not said that the vowing or swearing to make a sin is the steps of the devil clearly in the Qur'an, it is stated that these are the steps of the devil in the narrations coming from ṣāḥaba (Companions of the Prophet) and the Tābiʿūn (Successors of the Prophet). Accepting a ḥalāl (permitted) meal forbidden to stay away from eating means is, in a sense, swearing and vowing to eat that food for a lifetime. Because of this similarity, forbidding something to him despite the release of religion and vowing an act despite the prohibition of religion are described as the steps of the devil.Another thing that the expression of following the steps of the devil suggests is that the imitation is an important reason that leads to the wrong way. As a matter of fact, another feature of these sins, which bear the devil's steps to follow, is to attach the customs of the Ahl al-Kitāb (People of the Book) to Islam and revealing the similarities of some of the applications which will be regarded as the beginning of the false traditions leading to the loss of the main axes of the original religion. Besides, such sins aim to deeply affect the society and to spread a rumor about the innocent people by spreading rumors that the human dignity will be under their feet. Being a follower of the dark people in accordance with these rumors, without looking up to the rumors, represents another dimension of imitation.The characteristic feature of such sins, which are a part of the devil's steps, is that they are not of great sin and that they are accepted as ordinary mistakes by people in the first plan. As a matter of fact, when Prophet’s wife Aisha was slandered, the society did not give it the necessary reaction and it was reached a conclusion that such an event existed in advance and this was taken by people. Then the following verse came down: "Because you are transferring this slander to the other language, you are jerking in your mouths about what you do not know about. You think this is unimportant. This is a great sin in the sight of Allah.” (al-Nūr 24/15) In this verse these people are criticized, and as a result they are emphasized that the respondents will be in danger of being a part of a great sin. So, Allah warns his servants against a great danger to come.

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