Part 51

The thirty fourth shield

1. Eating and drinking using one’s right hand

Because Satan eats and drinks with his left hand, as reported by Ibn ‘Umar 2 that the Prophet % said: “No one of you should. drink with his left hand or drink with it; for Satan eats with his left hand and drinks with it.”"

2. Taking and giving with one's right hand

Because Satan takes and gives with his left hand. Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet 38 said: “When any one of you intends to give something, he should give it with his right hand, and when he intends to take something he should take it. with his right hand; for Satan eats with his left, drinks with his left, gives with his left, and takes with his left.”?

3. Avoid sitting on a spot between the shadow and the sun

Because it is a spot of Satan. Abu ‘Iyad reported from one of the Companions of the Prophet 3 that he a forbade people to sit in a place between the shadow and thé sun, saying: “It is the place of Satan.”

Because the Prophet 4 said: “Deliberation comes from Allah, but haste (comes) from the Devil.”

' Recorded by Muslim.

? Transmitted by Ibn Majah, and authenticated by al-Mundiri.

3 Transmitted by Imam Ahmad, and al-Mundiri said: ‘It is sound.’ * Recorded by al-Tirmidhi, and authenticated by al-Bayhaqi.

Because pride is one of the characteristics of the Devil; Allah 3€ said: (And We said to the angels: ‘Prostrate yourselves before Adam’, and they prostrated except Iblis; he refused and was proud and was one of the disbelievers)'.

6. Avoiding dissipation and waste

Because Allah 4% said: ¢verily, the spendthrift are brothers of the devils).

Tbn Mas‘ud 2 said: “Dissipation is spending the wealth, not in the right manner (i.e. unwisely).

Mujahid said: “If a person spends all his wealth for the sake of the truth (Islam), he is not considered a spendthrift; but if he spends a small amount of his wealth in other than the truth, he would be considered a squanderer.”

When a person squanders his wealth on any thing, the Devil shares it with him, whether it is a meal, house, means of transport, or even furniture. Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah 4 reported that the Prophet 4 said: “There should be a bedding for a man, bedding for his wife, and the third one for the guest, but a fourth one would be for Satan.”

The thirty fifth shield: Avoiding being in suspicious circumstances

You should know the Devil takes advantage of any chance of getting into the hearts of individuals, planting his devilish insinuations; therefore, it is obligatory on everyone not to give him a chance, or open a gateway for him, so one of the things is to avoid being in a suspicious position or circumstance, even if you were known as trustworthy among people. Safiyya, the wife of the Prophet 4%, said: “The Messenger of Allah was in i’tikaf, and I went to visit him in the

' Surat al-Bagarah, Verse 34. ? Surat al-Isra’, Verse 27. 3 Recorded by Muslim.

mosque. I spoke to him and then as I wanted to leave, he 4 offered to walk me back home. (Her dwelling was in the house of Usama ibn Zayd). The Prophet went out and in the meantime two Ansari men met him. They looked at him and passed by. He 3 said to them: ‘Slowly! She is (my wife) Safiyya bint Huyay’. They replied: ‘Subhan Allah, (How dare we think of evil) O Messenger of Allah! We never expected anything bad from you’. He # said: “Satan circulates in a human being as blood circulates in the body, and I was afraid lest Satan might inject an evil thought in your minds.”"

The thirty sixth shield: Remembrance of Allah (dhikr)

Remembrance of Allah weakens the Devil and strengthens one’s Iman (faith), and pleases the All-Merciful. It is the strongest shield by which the Muslim protects himself from Satan.

Therefore, one who observes remembering Allah is in fact protecting himself constantly from Satan, but one who is negligent is letting himself become an easy prey for the Devil, who will instill his evil inspirations in one’s mind. Allah 4% said, (Whosoever turns away blindly from the remembrance of the Most Gracious, We appoint for him Satan as a companion)’.

Just as remembering Allah weakens devils and Jinn, it also weakens devils among mankind, and it is for this reason Allah $ commanded us to remember Him && during conflict; He 3% said: (O you who believe, when you meet an enemy force, take a firm stand against them, remembering the Name of Allah much)’,

The Merit of dhikr

Abu Darda’ 2 reported that the Prophet 3 said: “Shall I tell you what is your best action; the purest in the estimation of kings, that which raises your rank to the highest, that which is better for you than spending gold and silver, and that which is better for you than that you should encounter your enemy to cut off their necks or their cutting off

' Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

? Surat al-Zukhruf, Verse 36 3 Surat al-Anfal, Verse 45.

yours?” “Tell us indeed,” they answered. He 3 said: “It is the remembrance of Allah, the Exalted.”!

Abu Hurayrah 4 reported that the Messenger of Allah was travelling along a path leading to Makkah, when he happened to pass by a mountain called Jumdan. He 3 said: “Proceed on, it is Jumdan. Mufarradun have gone ahead.” The Companions asked: “Messenger of Allah, Who are the Mufarradun?” He replied: “They are those males and females who remember Allah much.”*

‘Abdullah ibn Bisr reported that a man asked the Prophet 38: “The ordinances of Islam appear to me as a multitude of affairs, so kindly tell me something to which I should hold fast.” He 3 answered him: “Let your tongue be constantly occupied with the remembrance of Allah”?,

Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari 4 reported that the Prophet # said: “The example of one who remembers Allah in comparison to the one who does not (remember Allah), is that of a living creature compared to a dead one”*.

Abu Huryrah 2 reported that the Prophet % said: “If anyone sits at a place where he does not remember Allah, deprivation will descend on him from Allah; and if he lies at a place where he does not remember Allah, deprivation will descend on him from Allah”’.

The Prophet said: “Whoever says: ‘Subhan Allah wa bihamdihi’ one hundred times a day, will be forgiven all his sins even if they were as much as the foam of the sea”.

Abu Hurayrah # reported that the Prophet 3 said: “Two words (sentences or utterances) that are very easy for the tongue to say, but very heavy in the balance of reward, and the most beloved to the Gracious Almighty are: ‘Subhan Allah wa bihamdihi. Subhan Allahi-l-

‘ Recorded by al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and al-Hakim

? Recorded by Muslim.

> Recorded by al-Tirmidhi who categorised it as sound; and by al-Hakim. * Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

> Recorded by Abu Dawud.

Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas # was in the company of the Prophet 4, and he said to them: “Is anyone amongst you powerless to get one thousand virtues every day?” Amongst those who had been sitting there, one asked: “How could one amongst us can get one thousand virtues every day?” He replied: “Say: ‘Subhan Allah’ one hundred times; for by reciting them, one thousand virtues are recorded on your credit and one thousand vices are blotted out.”?

Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari 2 reported that the Prophet # asked him: “Shall I tell you a sentence from the treasure of Paradise?” I said: “Yes.” He 3 said: “La haula wala quwwata illa billah.”*

Remembering Allah when going to bed

1. Hudhayfah said: “Whenever the Prophet intended to go to bed, he would recite: ‘Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya (With Your Name, O Allah, I die and I live)’, and when he woke up from his sleep, he would say: ‘Al-hamdu-li-lahi-ladhi ahyana ba’da ma amatana wa ilaihi an-nushur (All Praises are for Allah Who has made us alive after He made us die (sleep) and unto Him is the Resurrection).”*

3. It was narrated in the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah 2 that Satan said to him: “When you go to bed, read Ayat al-Kursi, and Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, so no demon will come near you till morning” the Prophet confirmed this saying, yet he #

' Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim. ? Recorded by Muslim.

3 Recorded by Muslim.

‘ Recorded al-Bukhari and Muslim.

remarked: “He really spoke the truth, although he is a complete liar. Do you know whom you were talking to, O Abu Hurayra?” I said: “No.”” He said: “It was Satan.”

4. Abu Mas‘ud al-Ansari 2 reported that the Prophet # said: “If one recites the last two verses of Surat al-Bagara at night, it is sufficient for him (for that night).”?

5. Abu Hurayrah 4 reported that the Prophet 3 said: “When anyone of you goes to bed, he should dust it off thrice, with the edge of his garment, and say: Bismika Rabbi wada’tu janbi, wa bika arfa’hu. In amsakta nafsi faghfir laha, wa in arsaltaha fahfazha bima tahfaz bihi ‘ibadaka-s-salihin. (In Your Name my Lord I lie down and in Your Name I rise, so if You should take my soul then have mercy upon it, and if You should return my soul then protect it in the manner You do so with Your Righteous Servants).”*

6. Fatimah -& went to ask the Prophet for a servant, but she did not find him (at home) and had to inform ‘Aishah of her need. When he came, ‘Aishah informed him about it. ‘Ali .& added: ‘The Prophet came to us after we had gone to bed, saying: ‘Shall I not tell you of a thing which is better for you than a servant? When you (both) go to bed: say ‘Allahu Akbar’ thirty-four times, and ‘Subhan Allah’ thirtythree times, ‘A/hamdu lillah’ thirty-three times, for that is better for you than a servant!’*