“Devil rests his throne upon the waters, and sends his armies to excite contention and strife amongst mankind; and those in his armies who are nearest to him in power and rank, are those who do the most mischief. One of them returns to the devil and says, ‘I have done so and so,’ and he says, ‘You have done nothing’; after that another comes, and says, ‘I did not quit him till I made a division between him and his wife’; then the devil appoints him a place near himself, and says, ‘You are a good assistant.’
“The devil sticks close to the sons of Adam, and an angel also; the business of the devil is to do evil, and that of the angel to teach him the truth; and he who meets with truth and goodness in his mind, let him know it proceeds from God, and let him praise God; and he who finds the other, let him seek for an asylum from the devil in God.
“Then the Prophet read this verse of the Qurʾān: ‘The devil threatens you with poverty if ye bestow in charity; and orders you to pursue avarice; but God promises you grace and abundance from charity.’
“ʿUs̤mān said, ‘O Prophet of God! indeed the devil intrudes himself between me and my prayers, and my reading perplexes me.’ Then the Prophet said, ‘This is a demon called K͟hanzab, who casts doubt into prayer: when you are aware of it, take protection with God, and spit over your left arm three times.’ ʿUs̤mān said, ‘Be it so’; and all doubt and perplexity was dispelled.”
DEVIL, The Machinations of the. [[WASWASAH].]
DIBĀG͟HAH (دباغة). “Tanning.” According to the Traditions, the skins of animals are unclean until they are tanned. Muḥammad said, “Take nothing for any animals that shall have died until you tan their skins.” And again, “Tanning purifies.” (Mishkāt, book iii. c. xi. 2.)
DIMASHQ (دمشق). [[DAMASCUS].]
DĪN (دين). The Arabic word for “religion.” It is used especially for the religion of the Prophets and their inspired books, but it is also used for idolatrous religion. [[RELIGION].]
DĪNĀR (دينار). Greek δηνάριον. A gold coin of one mis̤qāl weight, or ninety-six barley grains, worth about ten shillings. According to Mr. Hussey (Ancient Weights, p. 142), the average weight of the Roman denarii, at the end of the Commonwealth was sixty grains, whilst the English shilling contains eighty grains. Mr. Lane, in his Arabic dictionary, says, “its weight is seventy-one barley-corns and a half, nearly, reckoning the dāniq as eight grains of wheat and two-fifths; but if it be said that the dāniq is eight grains of wheat, then the dīnār is sixty-eight grains of wheat and four-sevenths. It is the same as the mis̤qāl.” The dīnār is only mentioned once in the Qurʾān, [Sūrah ii. 66]: “And some of them if thou entrust them with a dīnār, he will not give it back.” It frequently occurs in books of law.
