Surah 4. An-Nisaa', Ayah 76

Thus the Qur'an implies that "evil" is not an independent, esoteric factor of life, but rather a result of man's succumbing to the temptations arising from his own moral weakness and thereby "denying the truth". In other words, the "power" of the negative principle symbolized by Satan has no intrinsic reality ("Satan's guile is weak indeed"): it becomes real only through man's wilfully choosing a wrong course of action.

Auliyaa plural of wali, friend, supporter, protector, patron; from the same root as maula, for which see iv. 33, n. 543.