The One Who Follows the Vices of his Soul is a Servant of Satan.

“Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim.” (S: Sunan Ibn Majah, Introduction, Hadith 17)

Our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) states in this regard as follows:

Maryam-43: O my father! Verily, knowledge has come to me that did not come to you! So, obey me, and I will return (your spirit to Allah) to Sıratı Seviye (the Smooth Path that delivers to Allah).

Ta-Ha-114: Supremely Exalted is therefore Allah, the King, the Truth. And do not make haste with the Qur’ân before its revelation is made complete to you. And say: “My Lord! Increase me in knowledge”.

Allah Almighty says:

Devil persuaded one group of people by saying: “The Holy Qur’an has been revealed and people have already explained it.” He persuaded another group by saying: “You cannot understand the Holy Qur’an, you can only understand what the scholars say.” Thus people put aside the Holy Qur’an and instead brought forward the books written by men, and they began to learn the religion not from the Holy Qur’an but from human writings. Regrettably, since those who wrote these books did not use the criteria set by our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) for hadith, they followed their own desires of the soul and placed their suspicions in the position of the rulings of the Holy Qur’an. Yet to learn the knowledge of Allah Almighty is both our right and our duty. For this, one must first truly have the wish to seek for it.

It is clear from all these verses and noble hadiths that those who follow their desires of the soul cannot evaluate events correctly, they are far from Allah Almighty, and it is not possible for them to attain salvation.

Al-Ma'idah-41: O Messenger! Let not those who vie with one another in the race to disbelief grieve you, of such who say: “We believe with their mouths and their hearts do not believe”. And some of those Jews who listen to you, are the listeners to lie to another people who have not come to you. They alter the words from their places, saying: “If you are given this, take it, and if you are not given this, then beware”! And as for him whom Allah wills that he should remain into lawlessness (temptation, discord) you cannot stop for him anything from Allah. Those are they for whom Allah does not want that He should purify their hearts. For them there is a disgrace in this world, and in the Hereafter a great torment.

Al-Hujurat-14 The Arabs said: “We have become âmenû”. Say (to them): “You have not become âmenû (You have not wished to reach Allah). But say: ‘We have surrendered (to islam religion)’. The Faith has not yet entered (into) your hearts; and if you obey Allah and His Messenger (if you wish to reach Allah), He will not diminish anything of your deeds. Surely Allah is Oft-Forgiving (Replacing sins with good), Most Merciful (sending light of Mercy)”.

At-Tawbah-42: Had it been a near booty and an easy journey, they would have followed you, but the distance seemed too far to them. They shall swear by Allah: “If we had been able, we would surely have come forth with you”. They destroy themselves (their souls), and Allah knows that they are most real liars.

Our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also expresses how people become distant from the religion when the ignorant take the place of the scholars of Allah Almighty, as follows:

Allah Almighty says in this regard:

"Whoever is slowed down by his actions, will not be hastened forward by his lineage." (S: Jamiʿ at-Tirmidhi, Book of Recitations, Hadith 10)

“As you live, so you will die; as you die, so you will be resurrected” (S: Sahih Muslim, Book of Paradise, Hadith 83-84)

“Wretched is the slave of the dinar, the slave of the dirham, and the slave of fine clothing.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Ar-Riqaq (Softening the Hearts), Hadith 10)

“For every nation there is a temptation (fitnah), and the temptation of my nation is wealth.” (S: Jamiʿ at-Tirmidhi, Book of Zuhd, Hadith 2337)

“No one who has even a tiny bit of arrogance in his heart shall enter Paradise.” A man said, “But a person loves to have fine clothes and shoes.” The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) replied, “Allah is beautiful and loves beauty. Arrogance means rejecting the truth and looking down upon people.” (Sahih Muslim, Book of Faith, Hadith 147)

"Beware of arrogance, for it was arrogance that drove Satan to refuse prostration to Adam. Beware of greed, for it was greed that led Prophet Adam to eat from the forbidden tree. Beware of envy, for it was envy that caused one of the sons of Adam to kill the other. Envy is the root of all sins." (S: Imam Suyuti, vol. 2, pp. 147-148, Hadith no. 1593 [2926], from Ibn Asakir’s Tarikh; al-Munawi, Fayd al-Qadir, vol. 3, p. 131, Hadith no. 2926.)

Our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also states in his Noble Hadiths regarding those who follow the desires of the soul as follows:

Allah Almighty mentions here the characteristics of those who follow the desires of the soul.

An-Najm-23: These (names of idols) are mere names that you and your forefathers have made up, Allah has sent down for them no Sultan (authority). They follow nothing but conjecture and what their souls desire. And certainly Hidayah (Guidance) has come to them from their Lord.

Following the desires of the soul is following hawā (vain desires). Within the spiritual heart of our soul, there are 19 vices into which Satan can sink his negative claws. These vices include: grudge and hatred, disbelief, lying, injustice and oppression, envy and hostility, ignorance, stinginess, anger, rebellion, impatience, arrogance and conceit, greed and lust, ungratefulness, gossip, conjecture (suspicion), addictions, disloyalty, hypocrisy, temptation and mischief-making. Satan is able to exert 100% negative influence over each of these vices. If we follow our soul, we are indirectly carrying out the command of Satan. A person who lives this worldly life as a servant of Satan can neither experience peace and happiness in this world, nor see life of Paradise after death. Allah Almighty says in this regard:

“The first of people against whom judgment will be pronounced on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who died as a martyr. He will be brought and Allah Almighty will make known to him His favors, and he will recognize them. He will be asked: What did you do with them He will say: I fought for You until I died a martyr. Allah Almighty will say: You have lied. You fought so that people would say He is courageous, and it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged on his face until he is cast into the Fire. Then a man who acquired knowledge and taught it and recited the Qur’an will be brought. Allah Almighty will make known to him His favors, and he will recognize them. He will be asked: What did you do with them He will say: I learned knowledge and taught it and recited the Qur’an for Your sake. Allah Almighty will say: You have lied. You did it so that people would say he is a good scholar and a reciter, and it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged on his face until he is cast into the Fire. Then a man whom Allah Almighty made rich and to whom He gave all kinds of wealth will be brought. Allah Almighty will make known to him His favors, and he will recognize them. He will be asked: What did you do with them He will say: I left no path in which You like wealth to be spent without spending in it for Your sake. Allah Almighty will say: You have lied. You did it so that people would say He is generous, and it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged on his face until he is cast into the Fire.” (S: Sahih Muslim, Book of Leadership, Hadith 152)

“You are living in a time when scholars are many and preachers are few. Whoever among you abandons one tenth of what he knows will slip and perish. A time will come when scholars will be few and preachers will be many. In that time, whoever acts upon one tenth of what he knows will be saved.” (S: Jamiʿ at-Tirmidhi, Book of Tribulations, Hadith 2267; al-Tabarani, al-Muʿjam al-Saghir, vol. 2, p. 274, Hadith 1156)