Does the devil want to kill everyone?
It was reported to Mas’adah Ibn Sadaqah that Imam As-Sadiq (a.) said: “When someone who was close to God was born, the devil would shout out a cry, whereupon his satans would be terrified of him. Hereupon they said to their Master: “What caused you to shout this cry?” He said: “Someone who is close to God has come into the world.” Hereupon they said: “What troubles you by this?” He said: “If he is alive until manhood, then God guides many people aright through him.” Hereupon they said to him: “Do you not permit us to kill him?” He said: “No.” Hereupon they say to him: “Why then, if you hate him?” He said: “Because our continuation depends on those who are close to God, for if there is none who is close to God on this earth, then the resurrection will have begun and we will go to hell, and what should cause us to take the quickest way to hell?” [Ilal-ush-Shara’i of As-Saduq, page 563]
