Is one of the things that Satan likes most to cause spouses to separate?

- It is said that there is a hadith stating that one of the things that Satan likes most is to cause spouses to separate. What is the full hadith regarding the issue?
- What should we do in order to be protected from Satan regarding the issue?

Dear Brother / Sister,

According to the hadith mentioned in the question, one of the things that Satan likes most is conflict between spouses and divorce.  

The hadith in question is as follows:

“Iblis places his throne upon water and sends his groups (helpers) to do evil deeds. The closest to him are those who tempt people to commit the most grievous of sins (fitnah). They come to him to tell him about what they did. One of them says, ‘I have done such-and-such.’ However, Iblis tells him, ‘You have done nothing.’ Another one comes and says, ‘I did not leave a man until I caused him to leave his wife and divorce her.’ Iblis becomes very pleased and calls him close to his throne and says to him, ‘How good you are!’” (Muslim, Munafiqun 67; Musnad, 3/314)

Attention is drawn to a social event and an illness that is widespread today in the hadith.

The statement “Iblis places his throne upon water” tells us where devils settle and play tricks on people more. In other words, places where devils settle are generally the places that are used for debauchery and that are open to all kinds of sins like sea shores.  

The statement “He sends his groups” is also significant. Some of the helpers of Iblis make man charge interest; others dominate the eyes and make them look at haram things, making people pursue their carnal feelings by triggering their animal impulses; yet others dominate the mouth and make people tell lies, backbite and slander. Maybe each one of them causes people to commit sins based on their talents.

In fact, Iblis becomes pleased with every sin that is committed because there is a way leading to unbelief in every sin. Every sin causes a black spot to be formed in the heart. In addition, a person that commits a sin moves one step away from Allah. However, Satan expects more from his helpers.   

One of the things that pleases Iblis most is conflict between spouses and hearing that they were divorced.

Thus, divorce is so important in terms of Satan that he compliments his helper who causes a husband and wife to divorce and maybe rewards him but he does not compliment his other helpers who cause people commit other sins.  

- Why is this issue so important for Satan?

When Satan destroys a marriage, he does not destroy only two people. He also destroys the lives of children, the parents, relatives and beloved ones of the divorced spouses and even, in a sense, the whole society by destroying a marriage. For, when the family, which is the molecule of the society, disintegrates, cracks occur in society and society becomes exposed to very serious deformations. In addition, divorced spouses set a bad example for others, and this spreads to other homes like an infectious virus. As it is seen, Satan seems to be doing something that looks trivial, but in fact, he turns many things upside down with this evil he commits.

In this respect, it should never be forgotten that Satan will never stand idle and will do anything he can to set the spouses against each other in order to turn a home that is suitable for being a corner of heaven into a pit of hell. Besides, he will want to constantly damage the family establishment by means of demonized people that he gets under his thumb and directs as he wishes to realize his aim.

Allah warns the believers with the following verse:  

“Nor let the chief Deceiver deceive you about Allah.” (Luqman, 31/33)

That is, Satan has a terrible and dizzying deception. He tries to corrupt man by constantly adding his own distorted thoughts, intrigues and tricks to man’s intentions and thoughts.

In another verse, Satan is described as "khannas (withdrawer)" because he is a sly creature that withdraws first and attacks when he gets the opportunity, approaches people from the right side, shows the bad and ugly things as beautiful, and wants to make man blunder whenever possible.

The decrees of our religion for the protection of the family should be strictly adhered to, and maximum sensitivity should be displayed to protect family privacy and family secrets. If this can be done, Satan’s helpers and demonized people will not have the opportunity to penetrate into the family and destroy it from within.

In addition to taking protective and preventive material and spiritual measures like that, it is also very important to assume a spiritual shield with prayers and to take refuge in divine protection for the continuation of a happy family life.

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) always took refuge in God Almighty with the following words in the prayers he said in the morning and evening:

اَللّٰهُمَّ احْفَظْنِي مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيَّ وَمِنْ خَلْفِي وَعَنْ يَمِينِي وَعَنْ شِمَالِي وَمِنْ فَوْقِي وَأَعُوذُ بِعَظَمَتِكَ أَنْ أُغْتـَـالَ مِنْ تَحْتِي

“O Allah! guard me in front of me and behind me, on my right hand and on my left, and from above me: and I seek in Thy greatness from receiving unexpected harm from below me (being swallowed by the earth).” (Abu Dawud, Adab 110)

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