Protecting the heart against the whisperings of Satan is an obligatory duty for us.

We cannot do so unless we discern the entry points of Satan into our hearts. So, acquiring this knowledge is also mandatory.

The entry points of Satan to the hearts are our attributes. They are diverse.

Among them are anger and passion. When a person gets angry, Satan plays with his mind as a boy plays with the ball.

Among them are also jealousy and greed. When a person is obsessed with a desire for everything, it will render him blind and deaf.

Among them is the love of adornments, comforts, mansions, vehicles, etc. Satan will lay his eggs on their hearts when he discerns this trait. It would make them occupied with decorating and improving villas and other amenities. ٍٍSo, they end up wasting life in frivolous pursuits.

Among them are also our desire to seek recognition from people. Satan will use this weakness in man to make him gain favor until they become idols for them.

Among them are haste and rashness, which leads to making unfair judgments.

Among them are also niggardliness and fear of poverty. This trait stops us from being charitable and makes us hoard wealth and possessions.

Among them are also blind attachments to schools, opinions, and hostility towards others. Such a trait is bound to destroy both good and bad people. Impugning others and casting aspersions on them are innate traits in humans.

Among them are also thinking ill of others. If a person rushes to misjudge others, he will easily slip into the habit of backbiting or failing to give them their due rights and looking down on them, deeming himself better than them.

These are some doors of Satan to our hearts that we should guard ourselves.

(Source: Imam Ghazali in Ihya)