A Believer Exhausts His Devil

ALLAH the Exalted says: ‘For over my servants no authority shalt thou have, except such as put themselves in the wrong and follow thee.’ (‘Quran’ Surah Al-Hijr (The Rocky Tract) 15 A # 42-43)

‘Indeed, Satan is an enemy to you; so take him as an enemy, he only invites his party to be among the companions of the Blaze’. (‘Quran’ Surah Fatir 35: A # 6)

‘Verily the believer exhausts his devil just like one of you exhausts his camel during travel.’ meaning, the believer wears out his devil, so he debilitates him and makes him lose weight from his grief and sadness. Because he is not able to tempt him. Just like the person wears out his riding camel during travel and makes it lose weight due to the length of the travel and its hardships. And this is the condition of the believer with his devil in the constant struggle with him.

He resists his plots and plans and whispers by always being firm upon the obedience of ALLAH the Exalted and Mighty. Ibn Abi Dunya {Allah be pleased with him} narrates in his book “The Plots of the Devil” Verily a devil meets another devil, so he says to him ‘why is it that I see you looking so sickly’? (Meaning the change is weight)” The (other) devil replies: Verily I am with a man that, if he eats, remembers the name of ALLAH! So I can not eat with him. And if he drinks he remembers the name of ALLAH so I can not drink with him. And if he enters into his home he remembers the name of ALLAH, so I am rejected outside the house.

The other devil says, but as for me then I am with a man if he eats he does not remember ALLAH so he and I eat together, and if he drinks he does not remember ALLAH, so I drink with him, and when he enters his home he does not remember ALLAH, so I enter with him.
Note: Exhaust: weaken; meaning they exhaust him, making him lose weight. Thus making him a ‘Nidwan’ {the ‘Nidwu’ is an animal that has become lean (skinny) through traveling, thus its meat has left its body!}