Q.1. On reading Verses 200-201 of Surah 7, I am inclined to ask whether Satan can be in control of the nervous system of a human being. Moreover, are there two sources of evil thoughts: Satan and one’s soul?
Q.2. Considering Verse 204 of Surah 7, can a person praying in a congregation read Surah Al-Fatihah if the imam is reciting the Qur’an aloud?
Q.3. Since Prophet Abraham stoned Satan as he tried to dissuade him from sacrificing his son, he must have seen him. This means that the jinn can take physical forms to harm human beings. Please comment.
M. A. Azmi, Alkhobar
A.1. The verses to which the reader is referring may be rendered in translation as follows: "Whenever any dark suggestion from Satan touches them, the God-fearing think of God, and they begin to see things clearly, even though their (godless) brethren would like to draw them into error." There is no suggestion in these verses, or indeed anywhere else in the Qur’an or the Sunnah that Satan may be in control of man’s faculties. In fact, the reverse is true: these verses suggest that Satan fails to achieve his purpose with the God-fearing. How else would they remember God? It is through this remembrance that they reject the dark suggestion Satan makes to them. This includes thoughts of disobedience to God, image of falsehood, etc.
There are certainly two sources of evil thoughts in the human mind: Satan and one’s own soul, or desires. To resist both is the mark of piety and God-fearing. It is done all the time by those who have a good perception of God, believe in Him and are committed to obeying Him.
A.2. The verse you refer to here means: "When the Qur’an is recited, hearken to it, and listen in silence, so that you might be graced with God’s mercy." Certain schools of thought make this obligatory, even in prayer. This means that if the imam is reading the Qur’an aloud, the rest of the congregation must listen to him in silence. None can read anything at that time. The Shafie school of law, which requires everyone to read the Surah Al-Fatihah in every rakaah, advises the imam to allow a period of silence, after he has finished reciting Al-Fatihah, so that the congregation may read it in private. But if he does not, everyone in the congregation must still read it, according to the Shafie school.
A.3. The jinn cannot possess a human being or be in control of him or her. That Satan was allowed to appear to Prophet Abraham does not mean that he has a free reign to harm people. He could not do that with Abraham. Nor can the jinn do it. When people say that a certain person is possessed, they simply try to explain a severe condition of a mental illness. Mental or psychological diseases can play on people in a variety of ways. Many such diseases are now treatable and curable. They may take time and a package of treatment, but they must not be ignored. They cannot be attributed to the jinn, in the same way as the jinn are not responsible for our physical illnesses.