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In the world in which we live, there are many warnings about devil worshippers – we seek refuge with Allah – especially their particular symbols, which have become widespread on clothing and household furnishings, and in children’s cartoons. We have become afraid to let our children watch those cartoons, especially the hand gesture that is called “the face of the Shaytaan”. And we find it drawn on clothes for young people. Not only that, the matter has gone so far that even on prayer mats there are drawings and symbols like a face, or an upside down cross, or the triangle in which there is an eye, drawn in such a way that no one would notice them.
What should we do now, after we have learned that these are symbols of the Shaytaan? Is there any blame on us if we pray on those mats? Should we throw the mat away? If someone else takes it and uses it, are we responsible for his sin?
Praise be to Allah.
Worship of the Shaytaan is a degeneration of human nature and sound thinking, and a low point in the disgrace brought about by atheist materialism that is very widely promoted nowadays. All societies are affected by some of its evils and harms, and thus its stench and evil consequences become apparent here and there, every now and then.
But – at the same time – we affirm that they are a group that is small in number, and their impact is very limited, praise be to Allah. That group is besieged by people who have sound reasoning and a good understanding of Islam and of the true religion of Tawheed that Allah has chosen for humanity. It is also besieged by Islamic teachings that promote the values and morals that the Muslim peoples venerate and believe in, praise be to Allah. This means that the Muslims have some level of immunity against such ideas and beliefs, which are presented in an attractive manner as something rational. So it is more appropriate that sound precautions should be very effective against such mythical ideas that no one follows except the dregs of humanity and sick-minded people.
We have previously discussed in detail on our website the “devil worshippers”; you can read about them in the answer to question no. 133898 .
With regard to your question about the symbols of this group or any other religious group, such as the cross or the eye inside a triangle, and the like, Muslims are very well aware of them, praise be to Allah. The Islamic ruling is that one should get rid of them by covering them or erasing them, and we should avoid making them or buying anything on which they appear. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would not leave anything in his house on which there were crosses but he would erase that image. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5952).
The correct analogy is to do that also with the symbols of other religions and sects, on condition that it is prominent and visible, without going to extremes in imagining that such symbols are there, and without developing intrusive thoughts to the extent that you imagine these symbols to be in everything around you.
If you are certain, after that, that there are some clothes or toys and the like on which there are any of these symbols of disbelief, whether it is devil worship or anything else, then you must erase the symbol if possible, by any means, such as erasing it, covering it, or changing its shape. Then there will be no blame on you after that if you make use of these clothes and the like.
See the answer to question no. 121170 : Shapes of crosses and how to deal with them in the products around us.
For information on dealing with some of the symbols of other religions, please see the answer to question no. 128082 .
For the ruling on praying in garments on which there are images, please see the answer to question no. 161222 .
And Allah knows best.