Part 7

- 60 - Shaytan, the outcast (the cursed one)." [surah an-Nahl (16): 98]

Imam Ibnul-Qayyim (rahimahullah) explained the reason for seeking refuge with Allah from Shaytan before recitation in Igaathat al-Lahfaan (1/109). Among the reasons he mentioned are:

"1. The Qur'aan is a healing for what is in the heart; it takes away the insinuating whispers, desires and corrupt wishes that the Shaytan instills in them. It is the antidote to what Shaytan enjoins, therefore we are instructed to expel the cause of the disease from the heart and cleanse the heart of it so that the heart will be prepared to accept the remedy and thus the remedy will be more effective. So this healing remedy comes to a heart which has been cleansed of the harmful things that were crowding it, and thus it is effective.

2. The Qur'aan is essential to the guidance, knowledge and goodness of

- 61 - Shaytan is fire which burns the plants, one after another. The more he feels that the seeds of goodness are growing in the heart, the more he strives to corrupt it and burn it. So we are commanded to seek refuge with Allah from Shaytan lest he destroys that which has been achieved through reading the Qur'aan. The difference between this reason and the previous one is that in the first case refuge is sought in order to gain the benefits of reading the Qur'aan and in the second case it is so that these benefits may be maintained and protected…"

Anas t reports that Allah's Messenger r said, "Whoever says (when he leaves his house),

"In the Name of Allah, I place my trust upon Allah, There is no power, nor movement except by Allah." It is said to him, "You have been sufficed, you have been protected and you have been guided." Then one of the devils turns to another and says, "How can you get to a man who has been sufficed, protected and guided." [Abu Dawood, at-Tirmidhee (hasan sahih).

'I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of what He has created.' Then nothing in that place will harm him, until he moves on from there.'" [sahih Sunan Ibn Majah]

Abu Hurayrah t reports that Allah's Messenger r said, "The strong believer is more loved by Allah than the weak believer, but in both there is good. Be zealous for what will benefit you. Seek help from Allah, the Mighty and Majestic and do not become incapacitated. If something afflicts you, do not say, 'If only I had done such and such,' but say,

'Allah has decreed (this) and He does whatever He wills.' Indeed saying 'if' opens up the doorway of Shaytan's handiwork." [sahih Muslim]

- 63 - Ibn Abbas related that the Messenger of Allah r used to commend alHasan and al-Hussain to Allah's protection, saying,

"I commend you two to the protection of Allah's Perfect Words from every devil, vermin and every evil eye." And he said, "Your father used to place Isma'eel and Ishaaq under Allah''s protection by using these words." [See, sahih al-Bukharee (4/119) and Mishkaat alMasaabih (1/488, no. 1535)]

B) Keep your children inside when nightfalls for the Shayateen spread out at that time Jabir ibn Abdullah said, "The Messenger of Allah r said, "When night falls (or when the evening comes) keep your children inside, for the Shayateen spread out at this time. Then when one hour of the night has passed, allow them to go out again..." [Agreed upon]

- 64 - Messenger r used to seek refuge from the jinn and from the effects of the (evil) of men until the M'uwwadhdhatayn were revealed. When they were revealed, he clung to them and abandoned what was besides them." [(sahih) an-Nisaee and Ibn Majah] It was narrated from Uqbah ibn Aamir t that the Prophet r said, "Do you not see the verses that were revealed to me tonight, the like of which have never been seen? Qul 'aoodhu bi rabb il-falaq and Qul 'aoodhu bi rabb il-naas." [sahih Muslim] According to one report, the Messenger of Allah r said to Ibn Abbas al-Juhani, "the best words with which one can seek refuge with Allah are M'uwwadhdhatayn." And according to some versions of the hadith of Uqbah, the Messenger r said, "No one can ask Allah by means of anything like them, or seek refuge by means of anything like them." [See sahih an-Nisaee] Narrated Aisha (radhi allahu anha), "When the Prophet r went to bed every night, he would cup his palms together and blow in them after reciting the last three chapters of the Qur'aan (surah al-Ikhlas, surah al-Falaq and surah al-Nas) and then wipe over

- 65 - his head and face and front part of his body. He used to do this three times." [sahih al-Bukharee] and he also advised Uqbah ibn Amir to recite these after each obligatory prayer." [An-Nisaee] Abdullah ibn Khubaib t said, "The Messenger of Allah r said to me, 'Recite,' I replied, 'O Messenger of Allah, what shall I recite?' He replied, 'Recite surah al-Ikhlas, surah al-Falaq and surah al-Nas in the evening and the morning three times, for it will suffice you of all else.' [At-Tirmidhee]

The Messenger of Allah r went out one night and passed by Abu Bakr t who was praying with a soft voice. Then he passed by Umar ibn alKhattab t who was praying with a raised voice. When they came together with the Prophet r, he said, "O Abu Bakr! I passed by you while you were praying with a soft voice." Abu Bakr t said, "I made the one with whom I was conversing with (i.e. Allah) hear it, O Messenger of Allah." He then said to Umar t, "I passed by you while you were praying with a raised voice." Umar t said, "O Messenger of Allah! I was inciting those who were asleep and driving away the Shaytan." The Prophet r then said, "O Abu Bakr! Raise your voice somewhat," and he said to Umar, "lower your voice somewhat." [Abu Dawood, al-Hakim, who declared it sahih as did adh-Dhahabi]

- 66 - strong then the sword will be able to deal the fatal blow to the enemy, otherwise the sword will not harm the enemy at all, even if it is made of burnished iron. Similarly, if seeking refuge is done by one who is pious and fears Allah then it is like fire, which burns the Shaytan, but if it is done by one who is confused and weak in faith then it will not have a strong impact on the enemy. Abul-Faraj ibn al-Jawzi (rahimahullah) said, "Know that the likeness of Iblees with one who is pious is like a man who is sitting with food and meat in front of him, and a dog comes near him. He tells it, 'Get away!' and it goes. Then it comes to another man who is weak in faith and every time he tries to shoo the dog away, it does not go. The former is like a pious man whom the Shaytan approaches, and his dhikr is enough to banish him; the latter is like the one who is weak in faith; the Shaytan does not leave him because of his weakness of faith. We seek refuge with Allah from the Shaytan." [Talbees Iblees, p.48] Thus, a Muslim who wants to save himself from the Shaytan and his tricks has to work on strengthening his faith and seek the protection of Allah, his Lord and turn to him, as there is no power and no strength except with Allah." [See, Aalam al-Jinn wash-Shaytan]

- 67 - It is narrated in a hadith that Allah commanded Yahya u to enjoin five things upon the Children of Israel, one of which was, 'I command you to remember Allah, for this is like a man who is being pursued by the enemy, then he comes to a strong fortress and saves himself from them. Similarly, a man cannot save himself from his enemy except by means of dhikr." [Narrated by al-Hafiz Abu Moosa al-Madani in alTargheeb fi'l-Khisaal al-Hameedah wa'l-Tarheeb min al-Khilaal al-Murdiyyah. IbnilQayyim said: Shaikhul-Islam used to highly regard this hadith' (al-Waabil alSayyib, 60)] The Qareen of a believer, who keeps his tongue wet with the remembrance of Allah, is very lean, weak and hungry because the more the believer remembers his Lord, the more Shaytan suffers and is tormented. Whereas the Shaytan accompanying an evil doer who does not remember his Lord, rests in peace and is therefore strong and powerful and thus more capable of overcoming him. Narrated Abu Hurayrah t, "the Shaytan of a believer met the Shaytan of a disbeliever. The latter was fat and well clothed, while the former was weak, lean, disheveled, dust colored (covered with dust), hungry and naked. The Shaytan of the disbelievers asked the Shaytan of the believer, 'Why are you so lean?' The Shaytan replied, 'I am accompanying a man who, when he eats, mentions Allah's Name, so

- 68 - thirsty. When he wears his clothes, he mentions Allah's Name, so I remain naked. When he puts oil in his hair, he mentions Allah's Name and I remain disheveled.' Then the Shaytan of the disbeliever said, 'But I am accompanying a man who never does any of the deeds which you mentioned and I share with him his food, his drink, his clothing, etc." [Ihya]

Abul-Maleeh t reports that a man said, "I was behind the Messenger r and his riding animal stumbled. I said, 'May Shaytan perish,' and he r said, 'Do not say, 'May Shaytan perish.' If you say that he will grow in size until he becomes the size of a house and says, 'By my strength.' Instead say, 'In the Name of Allah.' When you say that, he reduces in size until he is like a fly.'" [(sahih) Abu Dawood]

- 69 - living amongst believers and choosing righteous friends who will help him to do good. The Prophet r said, "Whoever among you wants to attain the best part of Paradise, let him adhere to the main body of the Muslims, for the Shaytan is with the one who is alone but he is farther away from two." [at-Tirmidhee (2254)] It should be noted that the Jama'ah counts for nothing if it does not adhere to the truth, i.e., the Qur'aan and the Sunnah. The Messenger of Allah r is reported to have said, "The People of the Book who came before you split into seventy-two sects, and this nation will split into seventy-three sects, seventy two will be in Hell, and one will be in Paradise - that is the Jama'ah." [sahih Sunan Abu Dawood (3/869, no.3842)]

- 70 - showing off (so cut your prayer short)," then make your prayer lengthy. If he says, "You have invalidated your wudu, say, "You are lying." If he says to you that the dead can hear you and benefit you or harm you, tell him, "You are lying." Also, when we know that doing something or doing it in a specific way is from the characteristics of the Shaytan, we should oppose him by doing it differently and follow the Sunnah. For example, the Prophet r said, "When any one of you eats, let him eat with his right hand and when he drinks, let him drink with his right hand, for Shaytan eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand." [sahih Muslim] and, "Take a midday nap because the Shayateen do not take a nap." [sahih al-Jamee (4/147)]

- 71 - the Sunnah and Shaytan's conspiracies against the believers. For example, how he tempts people into committing sins, distracts one in his prayer and from good deeds, how he tries to make one think that his wudu is invalidated and how he plants discord between husband and wife, and how he instills doubts in a man's heart by whispering to him, "Who created such and such? Who created such and such?" until he says, "Who created your Lord?" One, who recognizes these plots of Shaytan and their remedies, can effectively dismiss him and his whispers by implementing the Sunnah of Allah's Messenger r.