INTRODUCTION

No matter where you go in the world, whether you are young or old, a man or a woman, you'll notice immediately that there exists a universal language in which everyone is fluent. Perhaps these people have never met one another; perhaps they live kilometers away from one another. They may come from different cultures, hold different beliefs, and speak different languages. But despite all this, they all share a common language that they know very well and use when the need arises-namely, the "silent language of evil."

This insidious language allows its speakers to do unseemly things they would never do openly, utter ugly things that they would not say directly and speak to one another in secret ways that no outsider would understand. Some hesitate to express openly the evil that lies within them because if they did so, they could provoke adverse reactions in those around them-which would not be to their benefit. But when they act in secret, they believe the subtle and intricate methods they use eliminate their risk of being found out. Indeed, those who speak in this silent language make themselves clearly understood. But because of the cunning it employs, no echo is left behind and there can be no proof.

An important question comes to mind: How did so many all around the world learn this language, with its multitude of rules? Certainly, someone must be teaching them the silent language of evil and urging them to use it in secret. The leader of evil, the one who's engaged in a merciless struggle against human beings, is satan.

Satan swore to Allah that he would teach people this language to draw them secretly into evil. With the aid of this language, he leads them to do things in secret that they would never dare to do openly. He tempts them to say things in secret that they could not utter openly. He leads people to secretly live the evil inside them instead of stamping it out. But in the Qur'an, Allah says that He has forbidden human beings to commit evil: "... you do not approach indecency - outward or inward... " (Surat al-An'am: 151)

Some who fall into this trap of satan's may avoid committing evil openly. But otherwise, they adopt satan's morality, speak his language and lead the sort of lives he wants them to lead. They seek to attain their goals and desires by applying this secret language's rules. They believe they can use the methods of this dark language to attain a good life and enjoy happiness, success and superiority. However, this stratagem of satan's cannot bring people happiness or contentment, but can only lead them into damage and destruction.

Allah warns us in the Qur'an against this danger:

O Humanity! Eat what is good and lawful on the earth. And do not follow in the footsteps of satan. He truly is an outright enemy to you. He [satan] only commands you to do evil and indecent acts and to say about Allah what you do not know. (Surat al-Baqara: 168-169)

But because some do not accept the Qur'an as their guide, they have been falling into satan's traps for centuries. Even though they have been led into misery, they cannot give up living in this system and speaking the language of evil. One of the main reasons is that this language's insidious methods have not yet been revealed. Although thousands of people around the world speak this language, no one mentions it, so its evil cannot be unmasked. Indeed, one of the main principles of this language is that it should not be unmasked. Satan's insidious system can continue only if secrecy is maintained, and only in secret can people continue to practice the evil based on this insidiousness. The fact that this universal language remains a secret is why so many follow satan with no qualms about committing evil.

Therefore, it is vital that satan's secret language of evil be brought out into the open. If that can be done, satan, with all his interference based on secrecy, will be unmasked and his methods will have no further effect on the lives of humans. He can deceive people only with these insidious methods; he can approach them only in unexpected places and spheres. Once more people came to know the methods he employs, his games would have no more effect-Allah willing.

In addition, we learn in the Qur'an that it is a believer's responsibility to stand up to evil and eradicate a morality that fosters evil: "Let there be a community among you who call to the good, and enjoin the right, and forbid the wrong. They are the ones who have success."(Surah Al 'Imran: 104) Allah tells us in the Qur'an how we are to purify our lower selves and oppose a belief system that supports satan's evil. The solution that will remove all the evil in the world is to practice the moral teachings of the Qur'an.

This book's purpose is to expose in detail satan's system that calls people to the secret practice of evil, to uncover its silent language and to show the ways to foil satan's traps. Yet another purpose is to remind individuals that they will be held responsible before Allah for evil they commit, both in secret and openly and to invite all people to practice the moral teachings of the Qur'an.

Abandon wrong action, outward and inward. Those who commit wrong action will be repaid for what they perpetrated. (Surat al-An'am: 120)

GOOD AND EVIL ACCORDING TO THE QUR'AN

Good and evil are probably concepts that people have talked and thought about the most. Most individuals try to be "good", according to their own standards, and to protect themselves and their loved ones from the evil actions of others. It's indeed most important to behave in such a way as to avoid evil. But many who expend great efforts to do so may have never thought about how close evil lies to them. Some have never considered the facts presented to them in the Qur'an, and think that evil is evil only when it is openly seen or and clearly experienced. For example, everyone knows that revenge, anger, jealousy, selfishness and lying are evil. They recognize that a person is vindictive when they see his anger, and a liar when they hear him telling lies.

Besides this, when the word evil is mentioned, actions generally accepted as wrong come to mind: murder, theft, treating others unfairly and other breaches of basic behavioral norms. Because they avoid such behavior and criticize it in others, they may therefore regard themselves as far removed from evil in general. However, evil has insidiously hidden aspects that cannot be clearly seen-and which many may not want to accept as elements of evil.

The reason is that those who don't live according to the Qur'an have their own measures of truth and falsehood. They determine their concepts of good and evil on the basis of their own beliefs, thoughts, attitudes and social education. However, the one place where we can learn the real meaning of good and evil is the Qur'an-the Holy book that Allah has sent to teach people right and wrong and to bring them from darkness into Light. Prophet Muhammad (saas) emphasized the importance of learning the Qur'an and teaching it to others, thus:

"The best among you [Muslims] are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it to others." (Sahih Bukhari)

In the Qur'an, Allah explains what good and evil are and shows what draws a person toward evil. The Qur'an tells us that true good resides in the behavior of those who fear Allah and observe the limits He has set: "... rather devoutness is possessed by those who guard against evil... " (Surat al-Baqara: 189)

Whatever happens to him, a person who fears Allah will behave in a way that will please Allah and in accordance with the Qur'an. At every moment of his life he will exhibit this commendable behavior. A person will be led to always think and act rightly if he knows that everything that happens around him occurs under Allah's control and that everything happens for a good reason-and if he considers that in the Afterlife, he will be confronted with everything he has done both openly and in secret. Therefore, to be able to live a good life in the true sense, a person must fear Allah, believe in the Afterlife and make it his purpose to win Allah's favor. According to the Qur'an, behavior that does not conform to these standards is not truly good.

The Qur'an defines good and evil. Acting without the fear of Allah, taking other deities beside Him, serving someone else besides Him and living to please others and to make gains from this earthly life-all this can lead a person into evil. People without faith are passionately attached to the values of this world, which distance them from a good moral life. They always think first about how they can get the most out of life and set this above everything else-which leads them into selfishness, meanness, ingratitude falsity, arrogance, lying, mercilessness and other such negative moral qualities.

Those who live according to this way of thought may still try to avoid some things they consider as evil. But their calculations are usually directed toward avoiding criticism from others, not falling afoul of society's judgments and not damaging their own chances for gain. While they may avoid questionable behavior in public, they do not restrain themselves in secret. If confident that they won't be seen or heard, they're quite content to engage in such behavior, since these people have no fear of Allah. Their measure in avoiding evil is not to be known by others, so that they won't lose respect and will be generally well thought of in society. If they're sure that these conditions are met, they don't restrain their tendency toward every kind of evil. Therefore, these people base their idea of right and wrong on not getting caught.

However, Allah tells us in the Qur'an to avoid evil both openly and in secret and explains what it is: "... others have acknowledged their wrong actions and mixed a right action with another which is wrong. It may well be that Allah will turn towards them. Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Surat at-Tawba: 102) To avoid such situations, people must first know where evil originates and do everything they can to uncover its source. This will root out deception, and those who now think it's acceptable to do evil in secret will be led to avoid such behavior. Otherwise, as Allah says in the Qur'an, the life of a person deceived to think that evil can remain secret will be quite different from that of a believer, both in life of this world and the Hereafter.

"Or do those who perpetrate evil deeds suppose that We will make them like those who believe and do right actions, so that their lives and deaths will be the same? How bad their judgment is!"

(Surat al-Jathiyya: 21) It says in the Qur'an that those who think they are doing good yet actually whose efforts are wasted are the greatest losers in the Hereafter:

Say: "Shall I inform you of the greatest losers in their actions?' People whose efforts in the life of this world are misguided while they suppose that they are doing good. Those are the people who reject their Lord's signs and the meeting with Him. Their actions will come to nothing and, on the Day of Resurrection, We will not assign them any weight." (Surat al-Kahf: 103-105)