Shaytan does not give up easily. He comes from every possible angle, using every means at his disposal to misguide people. If he finds no way, he approaches from a direction that has proven most effective throughout history: women.
Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib (رحمه الله), the great Tābiʿī and student of Abu Huraira (رضي الله عنه), once said:
ما يأس الشيطان من شيء إلا أتاه من قبل النساء
"Shaytan does not give up on a person except that he comes to them from the angle of women." (Ḥilyat al-awliyāʼ: 2/166)
At the age of 84, with one of his eyes lost, he still declared:
ما من شيء أخوف عندي من النساء
"There is nothing I fear more than women." (Ḥilyat al-awliyāʼ: 2/166)
If a man of such knowledge, piety, and age still feared this trial, how much more should we? This trial is not new—it plagued even the prophets. Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib (رحمه الله) further stated:
ما بعث الله نبياً إلا لم ييأس إبليس أن يهلكه بالنساء
"Allah never sent a prophet except that Shaytan did not give up on trying to destroy him through women." (Mawsou'at Ibn Abi Al Dunya: 4/450)
The Story of ʿAṭāʾ ibn Yasār: Resisting Temptation
A powerful illustration of this struggle is found in the story of ʿAṭāʾ ibn Yasār (رحمه الله). During a journey for Hajj, he and his brother Sulaymān ibn Yasār (رحمه الله) stopped at a place called al-Abwāʾ. Sulaymān left for some business, while ʿAṭāʾ stayed behind to pray.
As he stood in prayer, a beautiful Bedouin woman entered upon him. She was no ordinary woman—her beauty was striking. When he finished his prayer, he asked her what she needed. She responded with a shocking request:
قم فأصب مني
"Stand up and commit zina with me!"
She admitted that she was a woman overcome with desire, with no husband to fulfill her needs.
ʿAṭāʾ ibn Yasār (رحمه الله) was in a moment of extreme trial. The temptation was real, but his response was swift and firm:
إليك عني! لا تحرقيني ونفسك بالنار
"Get away from me! Do not burn me and yourself in the Hellfire!"
The woman, however, persisted. She pleaded and tried to lure him, but instead of engaging, he began to cry. Tears flowed from his eyes as he turned to Allah for refuge. Seeing his sincerity and fear of Allah, the woman also began to cry.
As time passed, both of them sat there weeping—one from resisting temptation, the other from witnessing the weight of his piety.
When Sulaymān ibn Yasār (رحمه الله) returned, he was shocked to find his brother in tears, and the woman also crying on the other side of the room. He did not question him about it out of respect, and ʿAṭāʾ never shared the incident.
Years later, while in Egypt, ʿAṭāʾ ibn Yasār (رحمه الله) awoke from sleep crying. His brother asked him what was wrong, and after much insistence, he revealed his dream:
"I saw the Prophet of Allah, Yusuf (عليه السلام), in my dream. I looked at him, and when I saw his beauty, I wept. He turned to me and asked, ‘Why are you crying, O man?’ I replied, ‘O Prophet of Allah, I remember your trial with the wife of al-ʿAzīz, how you were tested, imprisoned, and separated from Yaʿqūb (عليه السلام).’"
To this, Prophet Yusuf (عليه السلام) responded:
فهل تعجبت من صاحب المرأة التي دعته في الأبواء؟
"Why weren’t you more amazed by the man whom the woman called to in al-Abwāʾ?"
Upon hearing this, ʿAṭāʾ ibn Yasār (رحمه الله) cried even more.
The story remained a secret until after his passing, when Sulaymān ibn Yasār (رحمه الله) narrated it to his family. It later became well-known and was recorded by Ibn al-Jawzī (رحمه الله) in Ṣifat al-Ṣafwa. (1/347-348)
Lessons from the Salaf on Guarding Against Fitnah
The pious predecessors understood the danger of the fitnah of women and took extreme caution in guarding themselves. Some examples include:
ʿAṭāʾ ibn Abī Rabāḥ (رحمه الله) said:
"If I were entrusted with the entire wealth of Bayt al-Māl (the treasury of the Muslims), I would be trustworthy. But I do not trust myself with an ugly woman." (Siyar al'alaam al-Nubalaa: 5/87)
Even an ascetic scholar recognised his own weaknesses and took precautions.
Imām al-Dhahabī (رحمه الله), after narrating this, remarked:"He spoke the truth."
The Prophet (ﷺ) warned:
ألا لا يخلون رجل بامرأة فإن ثالثهما الشيطان
"A man should never be alone with a woman, for the third one present is Shaytan." (Tirmidhi: 1171)
Ḥassān ibn Abī Sinān (رحمه الله) on Eid day, when he returned home, his wife asked: "How many beautiful women did you see today?"
He replied:
"From the moment I left you until I returned, I did not look at anything except my own thumb." (Ḥilyat al-awliyāʼ: 3/115)
Such discipline was common among the Salaf.
Sufyān al-Thawrī (رحمه الله) said:
"Allah never sent a prophet except that He put fear in his heart regarding the trial of women."
Shaytan himself said to a woman:
"You are half of my army. You are my arrow that never misses. You are my hidden weapon. You are my messenger in fulfilling my desires." (Talbis Iblis: 31)
Women, knowingly or unknowingly, are often used as tools of misguidance by Shaytan.
How to Safeguard Ourselves from This Fitnah
- Lower the Gaze: Allah commands:
قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ
"Tell the believing men to lower their gaze..." (Surah An-Nur 24:30)
Looking is the first step toward destruction. The Salaf knew this and disciplined themselves.
- Avoid Khalwah (Seclusion with a Woman): As the Prophet (ﷺ) warned, Shaytan is always present in such situations.
- Fear Allah in Private: When ʿAṭāʾ ibn Yasār (رحمه الله) was alone, he was still aware of Allah. His sincerity saved him.
- Seek Refuge in Allah: Constant duʿāʾ is essential. The Prophet (ﷺ) taught us:
اللهم إني أسألك الهدى والتقى والعفاف والغنى
"O Allah, I ask You for guidance, piety, chastity, and sufficiency." (Muslim: 2721)
- Reflect on the Stories of the Righteous: The examples of Yusuf (عليه السلام), ʿAṭāʾ ibn Yasār (رحمه الله), and the Salaf remind us that it is possible to resist—even in difficult moments.
Conclusion
The fitnah of women is a serious test, one that even prophets were warned about. Shaytan uses it as one of his strongest weapons. The pious predecessors understood this and took extreme measures to protect themselves. We, too, must strive to follow their path—guarding our gaze, avoiding seclusion, and constantly seeking Allah’s help.
May Allah protect us from all forms of fitnah and grant us steadfastness in His obedience.
