In the modern world , the use of the term ‘devil’ or ‘Satan’ or ‘Iblis’ is seen as a sign of fanaticism and backwardness . I shared that point of view when I first entered Islam. Although I recognize that there are certain evangelical sects of Christianity that overuse and even abuse the term, I have come to see over time that the forces of evil in the world are real, and I can often see them in action all  around me. So when Sheikh Nazim said to us over 30 years ago that Shaytan (Satan)now has  hegemony in the world, I now see what he meant. Here is ImamGhazzali talking about the same phenomenon hundreds of years ago.

This is Sheikh Hamza Yusuf quoting Imam Ghazzali speaking to the ‘debaters’,the ‘reflex disagreers’ “If you are not fighting shaytan and he has your heart, he has occupied your heart and he’s the worst enemy you have and he’s calling you to your own destruction and you are preoccupied with debating other people and your own heart is in peril… then you are a joke to shaytan and a wondrous lesson to the people of sincerity” So please beware. The time of the flower-children is over!