A reflection on Surah Fatir 35:6 - recognising Shaytan as an open enemy, and guarding the heart accordingly before Ramadan.
Part of preparing the heart for Ramadan is recognising what threatens it in the first place. At Darus Saulieghien Quraan Academy, we speak to our students plainly about this, because a heart that does not know what it is guarding against cannot guard itself well.
A Named Enemy
إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَٱتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوًّا ۚ إِنَّمَا يَدْعُوا۟ حِزْبَهُۥ لِيَكُونُوا۟ مِنْ أَصْحَـٰبِ ٱلسَّعِيرِ ٦
"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." (Surah Fatir 35:6)
The Qur'an does not describe Shaytan vaguely; it names him plainly as an enemy and instructs believers to treat him as one, alert and unwilling to be led. His goal is stated clearly too: to draw people toward the Blaze, one small compromise at a time.
Guarding the Heart Deliberately
Protecting the heart means recognising whispers of doubt, laziness, or resentment for what they are, rather than accepting them as harmless. This awareness matters especially heading into Ramadan, when the heart is meant to soften rather than harden.
We encourage our students to build the habit of noticing these whispers early, and to respond the way this ayah instructs: with clear-eyed resistance, not passive acceptance.
May Allah (SWT) protect the hearts of our students from every whisper that would lead them astray, and may He make them among those who take Shaytan as the enemy he truly is. Ameen.