Seeking Refuge in Allah... in the Light of the Qur’an and the Sunnah

By Sheikh Abdul-Muhsin ibn Muhammad al-Qasim - 01 Safar 1437

His Eminence Sheikh Abdul-Muhsin ibn Muhammad al-Qasim, may Allah preserve him, delivered the Friday khutbah entitled, “Seeking Refuge in Allah in the Light of the Qur’an and the Sunnah,” in which he talked about seeking refuge in Allah as stated in the Book of Allah, Exalted be He, and the Sunnah of His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, illustrating this by many Qur’anic verses and hadiths. He showed that seeking refuge in Allah is a great deed and that it is Allah alone, Exalted be He, Who grants refuge to His servants.

Praise be to Allah. We praise Him and seek His help and forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil within ourselves and from our wrong deeds. He whom Allah guides, none can misguide, and he whom Allah sends astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, Who has no partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger. May Allah bestow his bountiful peace and blessings upon him and upon his family and Companions.

Now then,
Fear Allah as He should be feared, and grasp the trustworthy handhold of Islam.

O Muslims!
Allah has described Himself with the attributes of glory, beauty, and perfection; His names are the most beautiful of all names and His attributes are the loftiest of all attributes. He has created everything and has perfected all that He has created. One of the signs of His perfect wisdom and ability is that He has created all things in pairs; He has created everything and its opposite, such as night and day, male and female, and good and evil. Man is such a weak creature and he can never do without Allah. He always asks Him for good and seeks refuge in Him from evil. Allah, Exalted be He, says:

"O Humankind! It is you who stand in need of Allah. But Allah is the Rich (Free of all needs), the Worthy of all praise." (Fatir: 15)
Allah, Exalted be He, is the One Whom we call and implore in time of hardship and adversity:
"Is not He (better than your gods) Who responds to the distressed one, when he calls Him, and Who removes the evil...?" (An-Naml: 62)

He is also the One Who touches His servants with harm and the One Who removes it. Allah, Glorified be He, says:
"And if Allah touches you with harm, none can remove it but He ..." (Al-An‘am: 17).

He has commanded His servants to supplicate Him alone and has promised to answer their supplication. This is one of His rights in which none can be associated with Him.

One form of supplicating Allah is to seek refuge in Him from all that we fear. This is one of the greatest acts of worship in which glorification of Allah, attachment to Him, and asking Him alone with humility are all manifest. The more the servant is truthful to his Lord and the more he resorts to His protection, the more likely he is to attain what he hopes for. Allah tells us in the Holy hadith what He does when He loves His servant: “... If He asks anything of Me, I will surely give it to him, and if he seeks refuge in Me, I will surely grant him refuge” (Reported by al-Bukhari). The greater one’s servitude to Allah is, the more he seeks refuge in Him and the more he turns to Him.

The messengers of Allah, peace be upon them, sought refuge in Allah in times of distress in order to ward off adversities and evils. When Allah forbade Nuh (Prophet Noah), peace be upon him, to pray for his son, who was a disbeliever in Allah, Nuh said:
"... “O my Lord! I seek refuge with You from asking You that of which I have no knowledge ..." (Hud: 47)

Yusuf (Prophet Joseph), peace be upon him, sought Allah’s protection from seduction:
"... He said: “I seek refuge in Allah (or Allah forbid)! Truly, he (your husband) is my master! He made my living in great comfort! ...”" (Yusuf: 23).

When the people of Musa (Prophet Moses), peace be upon him, erroneously thought he was making fun of them as he ordered them to slaughter a cow, he said:
"... “I take Allah’s Refuge from being among Al-Jahilun (the ignorant or the foolish)”." (Al-Baqarah: 67)

When the Pharaoh and his people showed arrogance and rejected Musa’s call to Allah, Musa said:
"... “Verily I seek refuge in my Lord and your Lord from every arrogant who believes not in the Day of Reckoning!”" (Ghafir: 27)

Musa, peace be upon him, also sought refuge in Allah from being harmed by the Pharaoh and his soldiers and said:
"“And truly, I seek refuge with my Lord and your Lord, lest you should stone me (or call me a sorcerer or kill me).”" (Ad-Dukhan: 20)

Allah’s auliya’ (those who believe in His Oneness and fear and love Him much) have also sought refuge in Him. After ‘Imran’s wife gave birth to Maryam (Mary), she said:
"... and I seek refuge with You (Allah) for her and for her offspring from Shaitan (Satan), the outcast." (Al ‘Imran: 36)

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “No child is born but he is pricked by Satan, and he begins crying because of the pricking of Satan – except for the son of Maryam (i.e. Prophet ‘Isa (Jesus)) and his mother” (Agreed upon). When Allah’s angel came to Maryam, peace be upon her, to breathe into her, she thought he was a human who wanted to do evil and said:
"... “Verily! I seek refuge with the Most Gracious (Allah) from you, if you do fear Allah.”" (Maryam: 18)

Our Prophet, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, always sought refuge in his Lord and turned to him in all his circumstances; he would seek Allah’s refuge in the morning and the evening, in his travel and his stay, in peace and war, before sleeping and after awaking, and even before going to the lavatory.

In his prayers, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to seek Allah’s refuge many times. For example, he would seek refuge in Allah if he recited a verse referring to torment, and in his prostration and sitting. He would seek refuge in Allah and turn to Him for protection if he saw something that he disliked. He would also seek Allah’s refuge from any evil and from anything that might contradict or decrease faith. He would say in his supplication, “I seek refuge in You from poverty, disbelief, polytheism, hypocrisy, ostentation, and showing off” (Reported by Ibn Hibban). He also taught and urged his Companions to seek refuge in Allah and would recite prayers of seeking refuge in Allah for children. For example, he used to seek refuge in Allah for al-Hasan and al-Husain, may Allah be pleased with both of them, and say, “Your forefather (i.e. Ibrahim [Prophet Abraham]) used to seek refuge in Allah for Ismail (Ishmael) and Ishaq (Isaac) by reciting the following: ‘I seek refuge in Allah’s perfect words from every devil and poisonous pest, and from every evil, envious eye’” (Reported by al-Bukhari). He was keen to instil the greatness of seeking Allah’s refuge in the believers’ hearts. He said, “If anyone seeks refuge in Allah, provide refuge to him” (Reported by Abu-Dawud).

In His infinite wisdom, Allah has decreed that every Muslim will have an enemy from the devils of mankind or jinn. Allah, Glorified be He, says:
"And so We have appointed for every Prophet enemies – Shayatin (devils) among Humankind and Jinn, inspiring one another with adorned speech as a delusion (or by way of deception)." (Al-An‘am: 112)

This applies to the prophets and their followers. Satan is the plain enemy and the root of every evil and calamity, for he tries by all means to harm Allah’s servants and make their life miserable. Indeed, there is no deliverance from him except by seeking refuge in Allah. Allah revealed a whole surah (chapter) in the Qur’an about seeking protection from the evil of the devil his soldiers from among the jinn and mankind. This is surat An-Nas, which begins with the verse:
"Say: “I seek refuge with (Allah) the Lord of mankind." (An-Nas: 1)

Satan cannot delude or misguide anyone who seeks refuge in Allah, has pure faith in Him, and puts his trust in Him:
"Verily! He has no power over those who believe and put their trust only in their Lord (Allah)." (An-Nahl: 99)

A Muslim is commanded to seek refuge in Allah from the whisperings of devils, that is, their evil suggestions. Allah says:
"And say: “My Lord! I seek refuge with You from the whisperings (suggestions) of the Shayatin (devils)." (Al-Mu’minun: 97)

The major goal of Satan is to delude and mislead the children of Adam. Allah says:
"[Iblis (Satan)] said: “By Your Might, then I will surely mislead them all." (Sad: 82)

Satan whispers into people’s hearts to make them have doubts about the principles of faith, and indeed there is no way out of this except by seeking refuge in Allah. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Satan comes to one of you and says, ‘Who created so? Who created so?’ until he says, ‘Who created your Lord?’ So, when Satan raises this question, one should seek refuge in Allah and give up such thoughts” (Reported by al-Bukhari).

Allah commands us to hold certain religious values in order to win people’s hearts to embrace Islam, such as pardoning people, enjoining good, and turning away from the ignorant. Satan acts to avert Muslims from these values. Again, there is no way out except by seeking Allah’s refuge from him. Allah, Glorified be He, says:

"Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish (i.e. don’t punish them). And if an evil whisper comes to you from Shaitan (Satan), then seek refuge with Allah. Verily, He is All-Hearer, All-Knower." (Al-A‘raf: 199-200)

The more beneficial an act is to the servant and the more beloved it is to Allah, the stronger the Devil’s attempts are to turn the servant away from such act. In the prayer, for instance, Satan whispers to the praying person to distract him. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “That is (the doing) of a devil called Khinzab, and if you perceive his effect, seek refuge in Allah from him and blow three times to your left” (Reported by Muslim). Seeking refuge in Allah is also prescribed before one starts reading the Qur’an:
"So when you want to recite the Qur’an, seek refuge with Allah from Shaitan (Satan), the outcast (the cursed one)." (An-Nahl: 98)

Furthermore, the devils usually dwell in lavatories, and one can have protection from them by seeking refuge in Allah, saying, “O Allah! I seek refuge in You from khubth and khaba’ith [that is, the male and female devils]” (Agreed upon). We also seek refuge from the evil of Satan every morning and evening. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, once said, “O Messenger of Allah! Teach me some words that I may recite in the morning and in the evening.” The Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him said to him:

Recite these words: “O Allah! Creator of the heavens and the earth! All-Knower of the hidden and the seen! Lord and King of everything! I bear witness that there is no god but You. I seek refuge in You from the evil within myself, from the evil of Satan, and from the evil of his incitement to associate partners with You.” [Then he added,] “Recite these words in the morning and the evening and when you go to bed.” (Reported by Abu-Dawud)

Satan never lets go of man even in his sleep. Therefore, when a Muslim sees something he dislikes in a dream, he should seek refuge in Allah from Satan. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “When one of you sees a bad dream, he should blow three times to his left, seek refuge in Allah from Satan three times, and change the side on which he was lying” (Reported by Muslim).

Rage is the vehicle of the Devil; it is an ember in the heart which can drive one to commit sins and ill deeds. One can get rid of this by seeking refuge in Allah. Sulaiman ibn Surd, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

"I was sitting with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, when two men began to quarrel and curse each other and the face of one of them turned red and the veins of his neck were swollen (from rage). The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “I know of words that if he uttered, his rage would vanish. If he said, ‘I seek refuge in Allah from Satan,’ his rage would go away.” (Reported by al-Bukhari)

Satan seeks to cause harm to any human, especially when a man is about to have intercourse with his wife, but seeking Allah’s refuge would prevent his harm. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “If anyone of you, when having sexual intercourse with his wife, says, ‘In the name of Allah. O Allah! Protect us from Satan and keep Satan away from what You bestow upon us,’ then if Allah decrees that they should have a child, no devil will ever be able to harm him” (Agreed upon).

When a Muslim hears a donkey braying, he is commanded to seek refuge in Allah, because it has seen a devil. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “If you hear the braying of a donkey, seek refuge in Allah from Satan, for it has seen a devil” (Agreed upon).

The hearts of Allah’s servants lie between two of the Fingers of the Most Gracious; He controls them in accordance with His will. He thus guides some people to righteousness after going astray and sends others astray after being guided. That is why the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to say, “O Allah! There is no god but You! I seek refuge in Your might from sending me astray” (Reported by Muslim). The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also sought refuge in Allah from turning to sin after showing obedience to Him.

The worst degree of misguidance is to associate partners with Allah, which the imams of believers in Allah’s Oneness fear for themselves. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, “Say, ‘O Allah! I seek refuge in You from ascribing partners to You knowingly and I seek Your forgiveness for the sins that I do not know’” (Reported by al-Bukhari in the “Book of Good Manners”).

The human self is inclined to evil and has some evil traits. The successful are those who train it to show obedience to Allah and seek refuge in Him from its evil. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to say in his supplications, “O Allah! I ask You to guide me to the right course of affairs and to protect me from the evil within myself” (Reported by Ahmad). It was the practice of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, to seek refuge in Allah from the evil within the human self at the beginning of the khutbah. He used to say, “We seek refuge in Allah from the evil within ourselves and from our wrong deeds” (Reported by at-Tirmidhi).

The organs of the human body which can do good or evil are surrounded by lustful desires. Their goodness lies in using them for acts of obedience to Allah and keeping them away from sins and evil deeds, while at the same time continuously seeking Allah’s protection from whatever shortcomings they may have. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, taught one of his Companions to say, “O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the evils of my hearing, the evils of my sight, the evils of my tongue, the evils of my heart, and the evils of my sperm (that is, the private parts)” (Reported by at-Tirmidhi).

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to seek refuge in Allah from knowledge that is not beneficial, from a heart that is not submissive to Allah, from a soul that is never satisfied, and from a supplication that is not answered. Righteous deeds are all good, while sins are all evil. Therefore, act in obedience to Allah and ask Him for acceptance and steadfastness in such obedience, and turn away from sin and seek refuge in Allah from its evil. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done” (Agreed upon).

Oppression is the cause of destruction, and the supplication of the oppressed is never rejected. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, always sought refuge in Allah from the evil of oppression. Whenever he set out on a journey, he would seek refuge in Allah from the supplication of the oppressed (Reported by Muslim).

Allah loves good manners and dislikes bad manners. A true Muslim observes the best manners and deeds, avoids bad manners and ill deeds, and seeks refuge in Allah from their evil. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to say in his supplications, “O Allah! I seek refuge in You from evil manners, deeds, and desires” (Reported by at-Tirmidhi). Since man’s life is fraught with evils, the best way to protect oneself from them is to seek refuge in Allah, for it is He Who has created all creation and thus has the power to repel its evils. It was the usual practice of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, whenever he went to bed, to say, “I seek refuge in You from the evil of everything over which You have full control” (Reported by Muslim).

Life is in a state of constant change, and whoever perceives a change involving a withdrawal of a divine favour must seek refuge in Allah from this. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to say the following in supplication, “O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the withdrawal of Your favours” (Reported by Muslim).

Allah is the One Who grants people refuge from hard affliction, abject misery, and ill fate. Poverty and wealth are means to either good or evil. Happiness is attained by sticking to piety regardless of the means employed. Allah will certainly protect anyone who seeks refuge in Him against their evils. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to supplicate his Lord, saying, “O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the trials

of Hellfire and the punishment of Hellfire, and from the evils of richness and poverty” (Reported by Abu-Dawud).

Islam is a religion of happiness and delight for whatever Allah has given us. It seeks to ward off sadness and distress because they weaken a servant’s determination to set right his religion and build his life. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to say the following in supplication, “O Allah! I seek refuge with You from distress and sadness” (Agreed upon).

If the body suffers from an illness, Allah has the cure for it. Therefore, seek refuge in Allah from the evil of what you suffer, as good and wellbeing are from Him alone. Uthman ibn Abi al-‘As, may Allah be pleased with him, once complained to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, about a pain that he felt in his body. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him, “Place your hand where you feel pain in your body and say, ‘In the name of Allah,’ three times, and then say seven times, ‘I seek refuge in Allah and His Power from the evil of what I suffer and fear’” (Reported by Muslim).

Magic and the evil eye are true facts, and nothing would help a person avert their evils better than seeking refuge in Allah. The last two surahs of the Qur’an (which a Muslim uses to seek refuge in Allah) are among the best and most beneficial of all supplications, for they keep evils away before they happen and help remove them even after they have taken place, all by Allah’s leave. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir, may Allah be pleased with him, “Shall I tell you of the best things with which people can seek refuge in Allah? They are ‘(Say: I seek refuge with (Allah), the Lord of the daybreak …’ (that is, Surat Al-Falaq) and ‘Say: I seek refuge with (Allah) the Lord of mankind …’ (that is, Surat An-Nas)” (Reported by Ahmad).

Safety from the enemies’ evils and gloating could be attained by seeking refuge in Allah from them. Engaging in argument with the disbelievers who are too arrogant to listen to the verses of Allah would subject one to their deceit and scheming, and safety from that lies in seeking refuge in Allah. Allah, Glorified be He, says:

"Verily, those who dispute about the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah, without any authority having come to them, there is nothing else in their breasts except pride [to accept you (Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him) as a Messenger of Allah and to obey you]. They will never have it (i.e. Prophethood which Allah has bestowed upon you). So seek refuge in Allah (O Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, from the arrogant). Verily, it is He Who is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer." (Ghafir: 56)

One is expected to deal kindly with one’s neighbours. Since neighbours may know one another’s secrets, a good neighbour is the one who conceals his neighbours’ secrets, while an evil neighbour causes harm to them, discloses their secrets, and exposes their faults. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Seek refuge in Allah from an evil neighbour in one’s permanent abode” (Reported by an-Nasa’i).

Trials are presented to every heart, just like a reed mat is woven, stick by stick. Safety from such trials can only be attained by seeking refuge in Allah. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Seek refuge in Allah from trials, both manifest and hidden” (Reported by Muslim). Commenting on this hadith, Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani, may Allah have mercy on his soul, said, “It provides evidence that seeking refuge in Allah from trials is recommended even if you know that you hold fast to the truth, for it may have consequences that you may not anticipate.”

Trials are manifold and take different forms, which are all included in the trial of life and death. In addition, the trial of al-Masih ad-Dajjal (False Messiah) is greatly serious and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to seek refuge in Allah from it after the tashahhud and before concluding his prayers.

Life itself is a trial, and Allah is the only Protector from it. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to say in his supplications, “[O Allah!] I seek refuge in You from the trials of this worldly life” (Reported by al-Bukhari). He also used to seek refuge in Allah from the trials of wealth and poverty.

Hardships may be removed by attaching one’s heart to Allah. Travelling is a piece of torture, and a traveller is recommended to seek refuge in Allah from the hardships of the journey, gloominess of the sights, and the finding of evil changes in property, family, or children on return. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also said, “Whosoever alights somewhere and says, ‘I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of what He has created,’ nothing will harm him until he leaves that place” (Reported by Muslim).

A believer also seeks refuge in Allah when there is a change in the weather. For example, the wind can bring forth the mercy of Allah, but it has also been a source of punishment for certain communities. Whenever the wind blew strongly, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would say, “O Allah! I ask You for its good, the good of that which it contains, and the good of the purpose for which it has been sent; and I seek refuge in You from its evil, the evil of that which it contains, and the evil of the purpose for which it has been sent” (Reported by Muslim). Whenever the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, saw a cloud approaching, he would pray, “O Allah! We seek refuge in You from the evil of that with which it has been sent” (Reported by Muslim).

Those who truly know Allah love Him and fear His wrath and punishment. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would say while prostrating in the prayer, “O Allah! I seek refuge in Your good pleasure from Your wrath; I seek refuge in Your forgiveness from Your punishment; I seek refuge in You from You. I cannot praise You duly; You are as You have praised Yourself” (Reported by Muslim).

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would command his Companions to seek refuge in Allah from the torment of Hellfire. He would say to them, “Seek refuge in Allah from the torment of Hellfire” (Reported by Muslim).

Now then, O Muslims!
There is no one to turn to for refuge except Allah alone. We have no Lord but Him, we worship none but Him, and there is no refuge and no fleeing for us but to Him. If anyone is attached to Allah and asks Him alone to fulfil his needs, Allah will suffice him, protect him, relieve his troubles and make all difficult tasks easy for him. Therefore, a Muslim must attach his heart to Allah and seek refuge in Him in all affairs, be they major or minor ones. A Muslim must not get tired of frequently seeking refuge in Allah, as this is an act of worshipping his Lord as well as a means of protecting himself from evil, and thus he can attain happiness and honour.

I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Devil:
"So flee to Allah (from His Torment to His Mercy -- Islamic Monotheism). Verily, I (Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him) am a plain warner to you from Him. And set not up (or worship not) any other ilah (god) along with Allah [Glorified is He (Alone), Exalted above all that they associate as partners with Him]. Verily, I (Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him) am a plain warner to you from Him." (Adh-Dhariyat: 50-51)

May Allah bless you and me with the Great Qur’an and make us benefit from its verses and wise words. I have said what you have heard and I ask forgiveness of Allah for myself, for you, and for all Muslims, for any sin that we have committed. Ask Allah for forgiveness. He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.