كثيراً ما تحدّث النفس الشيطانيّة صاحبها بأنه معدن نادر، وطراز فريد بين الناس؛ وربما توهّم أنه بلغ ذروة العلا، علماً ومعرفةً ومكانة وخبرة حياة؛ وقدرةً على تفادي المصاعب والمتاعب وتخطي التحديات والعقبات، والقفز بأمان على بؤر وأفخاخ وشِراك منصوبة على قوارع الطرق، ومن يدّعي ذلك، ينفضح أمره وينكشف جهله في أول منعطف المواقف الصعبة؛ ومفاجأة الظروف، ناهيك عن صدمات الأقدار التي تُخلّ بنفسيته، أو تشيطنه أكثر.
وبعودتنا للنص القرآني، نتيقّن بأن الشيطان كان شايف نفسه على الملائكة، ثم على آدم عليه السلام، وهو أول من قال (أنا خير منه)، لكن موقف البشريّة من إبليس ليس واحداً، فهناك من يخامره إعجاب بالشيطان والشيطنة، ومن شعراء الرفض أمل دنقل الذي قال (المجد للشيطان معبود الرياح، مَن قال «لا» في وَجْه مَن قال «نعمْ»، مَن علَّم الإنسانَ تمزيقَ العدمْ، وقال «لا» فلم يمتْ وظلَّ روحًا أبديةَ الألمْ)، وربما تفوّق بعض الأوادم على (أبو مُرّة) في الأذيّة والتطاول والغرور، خصوصاً من يعلم أنّ تاريخ أسلافه أسود؛ فيلجأ للتشيطن، لينتقم للأسلاف، بمحاولة تبييض التاريخ الأسود.
وللشيطنة صور شتى؛ فهناك من يتشيطن تحت عباءة الدِّين، وهناك شياطين في ثياب مثقفين، وسياسيين، ورجال مال وأعمال، وغلابة؛ كما أن الشيطنة مدارس؛ ولكل مدرسة منهج ومقررات، وأساتذة وطلاب، ونشاط منهجي ولا صفّي، وتحتفل في كل موسم بالخريجين والخريجات، وتوزع جوائز وشهادات تميّز على المبرّزين.
وإذا كانت للشيطان الأول صورة ذهنية واحدة، فإن للشياطين البشريّة المتوالية أشكالاً وأحجاماً وألواناً، ومقاسات، ومواقف وخطابات تناسب الحال والمقام؛ فالحلزوني يجيد الالتفاف، والمطاطي قابل للتشكّل بحسب ما يقتضيه الموقف والمصلحة، والأخطبوطي يجيد التسلّق لأوعر التضاريس، وفي أصعب المناخات، والحربائي ماهر في التلوّن باللون الذي يهواه عاشق الحربائيين، والنفعي يناور ويقامر دون وجل من ردود الأفعال.
ونجاح الشيطان معرفيّاً لم يمنحه نجاحاً سلوكياً ولم يشفع له أخلاقياً، وهو وإن لم يثنه فشله، عن التراجع، مستنكف عن مراجعة حساباته، ويرفض تقييم وتقويم أخطائه، متذرعاً بأنه لا يزال يجد قبولاً وحاجة للتواجد، وربما يتقاطع البعض مع الشيطان في شيطنته، ومنهم من يبرر لنفسه ما يقترف من الأخطاء، ويفخر بالمنجزات السلبية.
وبما أن معيار الإنسان الخيّر ليس بما يجمع من مكاسب، وما يتبوأ من مناصب، ولا ما يحوز من مناقب، ولا ما يمتلك من مال، وجاه ؛ بل المعيار أخلاقي، إذاً الترقي في مدارج المبدعين والمميزين رهن اكتشاف دائم للضعف والقصور، والجهل، فيحرص على تحصين روحه من التشيطن، لإدراكه أن الإساءة والتطاول والأذى والظلم مذمّة عند العقلاء؛ ومنافية لأدب وتعاليم الأديان والحضارات؛ ولعنة تنصب على الشيطان من السماوات.
لم أجد أوضح من صورة الشيطان لضرب المثل، فهو على ما مُنح من مهلة، وما ظفر به من تسليط بالوسوسة، وما حاز من مهارة تزيين الباطل للآدمي واحتناك الذريّة إلا أنه لا ينجح، فهناك ملايين إذا مسّهم طائف من الشيطان تذكروا فإذا هم مبصرون، ولو يدّعي الشيطان أنّ لديه من الوعي ما يفوق به الأنام، إلا أنّه بليد وضعيف، وواهم معرفياً، وواطئ سلوكيّاً ومنحط أخلاقياً، وفوق كل ذلك لديه كبر وشايف نفسه.
تابع قناة عكاظ على الواتساب
The devil often convinces his soul that he is a rare metal, a unique model among people; he may even imagine that he has reached the pinnacle of excellence in knowledge, status, life experience, and the ability to avoid difficulties and challenges, safely jumping over traps and snares set along the roads. Those who claim this will have their true nature exposed and their ignorance revealed at the first turn of difficult situations; not to mention the surprises of circumstances, let alone the shocks of fate that disrupt his psyche or make him more devilish.
Returning to the Quranic text, we are certain that the devil saw himself as superior to the angels, then to Adam, peace be upon him, being the first to say "I am better than him." However, humanity's stance towards Satan is not uniform; some are impressed by the devil and devilry, such as the poet Amal Dunqul, who said, "Glory to the devil, the idol of the winds, who said 'no' in the face of those who said 'yes,' who taught humanity to tear apart nothingness, and said 'no' and did not die, remaining an eternal spirit of pain." Perhaps some humans surpass "Abu Murrah" in harm, arrogance, and vanity, especially those who know that their ancestors' history is dark; they resort to devilry to take revenge for their ancestors by attempting to whitewash the dark history.
Devilry takes many forms; some become devilish under the guise of religion, while others are devils in the clothing of intellectuals, politicians, businessmen, and the impoverished. Devilry also has schools; each school has its curriculum, teachers, and students, with both formal and informal activities, celebrating graduates each season and distributing awards and certificates of excellence to the outstanding.
While the first devil has a singular mental image, the successive human devils come in various shapes, sizes, colors, and dimensions, with stances and speeches that suit the situation and context. The spiraler excels at twisting, the elastic one can take shape according to the demands of the situation and interest, the octopus is skilled at climbing the most difficult terrains and in the toughest climates, the chameleon is adept at changing colors to please the lover of chameleons, and the opportunist maneuvers and gambles without fear of the reactions.
The devil's cognitive success has not granted him behavioral success nor has it absolved him morally. Although his failure does not deter him from retreating, he remains obstinate about reviewing his accounts and refuses to evaluate and correct his mistakes, claiming that he still finds acceptance and a need for his presence. Some may even align with the devil in his devilry, justifying to themselves the wrongs they commit and taking pride in negative achievements.
Since the measure of a good person is not based on the gains they accumulate, the positions they attain, the virtues they possess, or the wealth and status they hold; rather, the measure is moral. Therefore, advancement in the ranks of the creative and distinguished is contingent upon a constant discovery of weakness, shortcomings, and ignorance. They strive to fortify their souls against devilry, realizing that harm, arrogance, and injustice are condemned by the wise; contrary to the etiquette and teachings of religions and civilizations; and a curse that descends upon the devil from the heavens.
I found no clearer image than that of the devil to illustrate the point; despite the grace he has been granted, the power he has gained through whispering, and the skill he has in beautifying falsehood for humans and ensnaring descendants, he ultimately does not succeed. There are millions who, when touched by a whisper from the devil, remember and become enlightened. Even if the devil claims to possess awareness that surpasses that of humanity, he is dull and weak, deluded cognitively, behaviorally deficient, and morally degraded. Above all, he is arrogant and sees himself as superior.
Returning to the Quranic text, we are certain that the devil saw himself as superior to the angels, then to Adam, peace be upon him, being the first to say "I am better than him." However, humanity's stance towards Satan is not uniform; some are impressed by the devil and devilry, such as the poet Amal Dunqul, who said, "Glory to the devil, the idol of the winds, who said 'no' in the face of those who said 'yes,' who taught humanity to tear apart nothingness, and said 'no' and did not die, remaining an eternal spirit of pain." Perhaps some humans surpass "Abu Murrah" in harm, arrogance, and vanity, especially those who know that their ancestors' history is dark; they resort to devilry to take revenge for their ancestors by attempting to whitewash the dark history.
Devilry takes many forms; some become devilish under the guise of religion, while others are devils in the clothing of intellectuals, politicians, businessmen, and the impoverished. Devilry also has schools; each school has its curriculum, teachers, and students, with both formal and informal activities, celebrating graduates each season and distributing awards and certificates of excellence to the outstanding.
While the first devil has a singular mental image, the successive human devils come in various shapes, sizes, colors, and dimensions, with stances and speeches that suit the situation and context. The spiraler excels at twisting, the elastic one can take shape according to the demands of the situation and interest, the octopus is skilled at climbing the most difficult terrains and in the toughest climates, the chameleon is adept at changing colors to please the lover of chameleons, and the opportunist maneuvers and gambles without fear of the reactions.
The devil's cognitive success has not granted him behavioral success nor has it absolved him morally. Although his failure does not deter him from retreating, he remains obstinate about reviewing his accounts and refuses to evaluate and correct his mistakes, claiming that he still finds acceptance and a need for his presence. Some may even align with the devil in his devilry, justifying to themselves the wrongs they commit and taking pride in negative achievements.
Since the measure of a good person is not based on the gains they accumulate, the positions they attain, the virtues they possess, or the wealth and status they hold; rather, the measure is moral. Therefore, advancement in the ranks of the creative and distinguished is contingent upon a constant discovery of weakness, shortcomings, and ignorance. They strive to fortify their souls against devilry, realizing that harm, arrogance, and injustice are condemned by the wise; contrary to the etiquette and teachings of religions and civilizations; and a curse that descends upon the devil from the heavens.
I found no clearer image than that of the devil to illustrate the point; despite the grace he has been granted, the power he has gained through whispering, and the skill he has in beautifying falsehood for humans and ensnaring descendants, he ultimately does not succeed. There are millions who, when touched by a whisper from the devil, remember and become enlightened. Even if the devil claims to possess awareness that surpasses that of humanity, he is dull and weak, deluded cognitively, behaviorally deficient, and morally degraded. Above all, he is arrogant and sees himself as superior.


