THE THREE

SHELTERS Based on lectures given by Dr. Bilal Philips for IOU

Collected for arandomextremist.wordpress.com

Contents

The Three Shelters ........................................................................................................................................ 4

Learning about the Asbab un Nuzool (reasons for revelation) of Quranic verses is vital because: ..... 4

Surah Al-Ikhlas .............................................................................................................................................. 5

Name ............................................................................................................................................................. 5

Asbaab un nazool .......................................................................................................................................... 5

Virtues ........................................................................................................................................................... 6

IT EARNS ALLAH'S LOVE ............................................................................................................................ 6

IT IS A WAY TO PARADISE ......................................................................................................................... 6

ONE THIRD OF THE QUR'AN:..................................................................................................................... 6

DAILY PROTECTION: .................................................................................................................................. 7

Tafsir.............................................................................................................................................................. 7

Verse 1 ههوللاهأحد Say He is Allah, The One ............................................................................................. 7 قهل

Verse 2 الصمدهللاه Allah, The Self-Subsisting ............................................................................................... 9

Verse 3 يولدولميلدلم He begets not, nor is he begotten ........................................................................... 10

Verse 4 أحدكفوالهيكنولم And there is none like unto Him ....................................................................... 11

Muadhatain (Surah An-Nas and Al-Falak) ................................................................................................... 13

Asbab un Nazool (reasons for revelation) .................................................................................................. 13

Controversy: ........................................................................................................................................ 13

Virtues: ........................................................................................................................................................ 14

Surah Al-Falak ............................................................................................................................................. 15

Tafsir............................................................................................................................................................ 15

Verse 1 الفلقبرباعوذقل Say I seek refuge in the Lord of Dawn .............................................................. 15

Verse 2 خلقماشرمن From the evil of that which He created .................................................................. 16

Verse 3 وقبإذاغاسقشرومن And from the evil of darkness when it settles ............................................ 18

Verse 4 العقدفينفثتشرمنو And from the evil of the blowers in knots ................................................. 19

Cure/Prevention of/from Magic: ........................................................................................................ 20

Verse 5 إذاحسد And from the evil of an envier when he envies. ......................................... 20 ومنشر حاسد

Characteristics of an envious person they: ......................................................................................... 21

Cure for Envy? ..................................................................................................................................... 22

Reasons for jealousy: .......................................................................................................................... 22

Surah An-Nas ............................................................................................................................................... 24

Name ........................................................................................................................................................... 24

Tafsir............................................................................................................................................................ 24

Verse 1 اسالن برب عوذ قل Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind ....................................................... 24

Verse 2 الناسمالك The Sovereign of mankind ........................................................................................... 25

Verse 3 الناساله The God of mankind ....................................................................................................... 25

Verse4 واسشر من ال خناسال وس From the evil of the retreating whisperer .................................................. 25

Verse 5 الناسصدوريوسوسالذي Who whispers [evil] into the breasts of mankind ................................... 26

How to avoid being caught by the Devil’s whispers: .......................................................................... 27

Satan comes at people in sex levels. ................................................................................................... 29

Verse 6 الناسوالجنةمن from mankind and from the Jinn ......................................................................... 31

Beneficial rules to remember: ................................................................................................................ 31

The Three Shelters

Learning about the Asbab un Nuzool (reasons for revelation) of Quranic verses is vital because:

1. They explain the background and principles behind the verses and that's helps us to understand the roots of Quranic legislations.

2. They help explain the general and specific meanings of the verses and how they should be applied according to their generality or specificity.

3. They help clarify the context in which the verses were reveled, and thus we can generate a better picture of events and situations that lead to revelation.

And obviously our main source of these are either Prophet's (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) Hadith or

authentic words of the Sahaba (radhi Allahu anhum). Also, in this regard we cannot disregard or change

the understanding of the earliest generations because they took it either from the Prophet (sal Allahu

alaihi wasallam) himself or through the Sahaba (radhi Allahu anhum).

Surah Al-Ikhlas

Name

The name Al-Ikhlas comes from the Arabic phrase أخلص akhlasa lillaahi i.e. to be sincere in one’s لل

belief towards Allah.

Some also call it Surah At-Tawhid. In the old tradition this chapter is referred to by the entire first verse:

أحد قل هو للاه

Naming of Qur'anic chapters isn't set in stone, as very few of the Chapters (e.g. Surah Al-Kahf) were

actually called as such by Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam). The rest of the chapter names and verse

numbers were not added to the Mushaf until almost 200-300 years after the time of the Prophet (sal

Allahu alaihi wasallam). It was the popular demand of the time, to make Qur'an more understandable for

non-Arabs and to make it easier for them to memorize the Book. This happened despite the fact that

many scholars of the time opposed the idea of adding to Qur'an, fearing that people might take these

cosmetic changes to be part of the Divine Word.

Asbaab un nazool

Ubay Ibn ka'ab (radhi Allahu anhu) [one of the earliest scribes; wrote letters for the Prophet (sal Allahu

alaihi wasallam), he was also one of the few who put the Qur'anic Surahs into writing and had a Mushaf

of his own] says that the pagans of Makkah (used to ascribing greatness to lineage) came and asked about

Allah's genealogy; and in response to that Al-Ikhlas was revealed. This is a specific reason.

But giving us a concise version of Tawhid and a general teaching against all kinds of shirk is a general

purpose of this revelation.

There are no authentic narrations to indicate the location of revelation of Al-Ikhlas but from the language

and content it is assumed to be of early Makkan revelations. In any case, the principals mentioned herein

are not bound to a specific time and place and are timeless and universal in their application.

Virtues

Al-Ikhlas is a special Surah and therefore has many known virtues narrated through authentic chains.

IT EARNS ALLAH'S LOVE: There was from the sahaba (radhi Allahu anhum) a man who would end all

of his recitations in leading a salah with Al-Ikhlas in every rakah. His congregation mentioned this to the

Prophet of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam). He (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) asked the man for his reason

(this is the methodology of Rasool Allah, he would always listen to the other person's side). He replied:

this is the description of Ar-Rahman and I love it; Rasool Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) said: Inform him

that Allah Loves him. (Obviously the Prophet was informed by Allah). The intention was important in this

incident, not the act or blind repetition of it from us. An important thing to note here is the intention of

the man - which was rewarded by Allah - and not merely the act of recitation or repetition thereof.

IT IS A WAY TO PARADISE: Another man began all of his recitations in every rakah with Al-Ikhlas and

his congregation complained with this regard to Rasool Allah. Prophet saw asked what prevents you from

doing what your companions want; he said that he loves it and would rather stop leading the prayer then

to leave reciting this surah. Rasool Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) said: "your love of it will cause you to

enter Paradise".

Abu Hurayrah (radhi Allahu anhu) was with the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) when they heard

someone reciting Al- Ikhlas. Rasool Allah, said wajabat (obligatory). When Abu Huraira asked what's

obligatory, Rasool Allah replied: Paradise.

Note: There was no question of intention from the reciter in this case, so how come a

verdict was given by the Messenger (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam); because obviously no

one knows the unseen. So, it is logical (and safe) to assume that he received revelation in

this regard at that very moment.

ONE THIRD OF THE QUR'AN: Abu saeed Al khudri (radhi Allahu anhu) heard a woman reciting Al-

Ikhlas over and over during the night. He went to the Prophet and told him (almost belittlingly) what he

heard. He replied: "By the One in whose Hand lies my soul, indeed it is equivalent to one third of the

Qur’an". There are scores of other narrations in this regard.

By one-third here means in any ways that Al-Ikhlas contains a summarized version of one-third of Qur’anic

concepts and that it earns one-third the reward (maybe, because the two ideas aren't mutually

exclusive). But for all intents and purposes we cannot take this literally; 3 time recitation of Al-Ikhlas is not

equal to reciting the full Qur'an. It is the same as the hadith that: performing Umrah in Ramadan is equal

to Hajj with Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) but that doesn't exonerate us from Hajj.

DAILY PROTECTION: Al-Ikhlas is a great source of daily protection along with the last two chapters of

the Qur'an. All the authentic narrations ask us to recite these 3 Surahs 3 times in the morning and in the

evening. And as a night prayer, before going to sleep.

All of the virtues associated with Al-Ikhlas (and Qur'anic passages in general) are not meant for mere

ritualistic actions; rituals are not rewarded without faith; intention and correctness of action is pre-

requisite (and it is our duty to learn the correct knowledge). Otherwise non-believers should be able to

read the words and get rewarded for them as well.

Tafsir

Verse 1 أحد ههوللاه Say He is Allah, The One قهل

The first verse starts with قل as a command to convey these contents to pagans (as this revelation is in

response to their asking about Allah's lineage). This is also an affirmation of the Prophet’s (sal Allahu alaihi

wasallam) role as only a transmitter, and tells us that he is not the source of these Words.

The verse uses the pronoun هوا (He) to refer to Allah. Modern feminist movements have in some cases

taken to such extremes that they have created feminist versions of the Bible, trying to remove any gender

specific roles and significances. Alhamdulillah, Qur'an is safe from such distortions and all of this is due to

it being revealed and secured in the original Arabic language; the integrity of the message and the

contents themselves are safeguarded. But, the question is why does Allah call Himself He? The reason is:

a neutral pronoun (like it) does not exist in Arabic or even in Hebrew etc. So the option is to use either he

or she: since he is historically more dominant and authoritative socially, so, this is how we understand this

choice.

Then comes the word هللا. (His greatest name). [it also starts like this in Surah Al-Hashar where it is followed

by the Asma Al-Husna; His greatest name followed by the rest of the beautiful names, how perfect is that].

Description of the name Allah: This is the proper name of the One God who exists NECESSARILY.

The title أحد is ONLY applicable to Allah in its truest essence. So, saying that someone is رجل أحد (the only

unique individual) is NOT OK although saying رجل واحد (one man) is ok. This is a reaffirmation of Allah's

absolute uniqueness. The word واحد doesn't preclude the presence of two, however أحد includes the

uniqueness of the absolute One.

Whenever Allah informs us of His Names and Attributes it has in some way an element of Ibadah attached

to it. Ibn Al Qaiyyam (rahimullah) said that all of Allah's names and attributes cause and necessitate an act

of worship. That's why the Hadith: whoever learns and guards the Names of Allah will be granted paradise.

(This necessitates firmness in Tawhid-al-asma-was-siffaat). This follows rejection of idols (He's unique)

rejecting intermediaries (because He's self-subsisting and needs not any intermediaries, He's close and

available to everyone at all times) (even the status of the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) has nothing

to do with us, we're trying to use as intermediary something you have we did not earn) (instead we use

the narrated way of the hadith, where Rasool Allah tells us of three people who got caught behind a

boulder in a cave, and used their good deeds as kind of intermediaries to get their prayers accepted).

There are many arguments that people use to transgress (or justify their actions)

Argument: "We worship them only so that they bring us closer to Allah" Sounds familiar to some

arguments we hear these days, right? And on the face of it, it seems harmless. But you know what; the

above quote is an ayah in the Qur'an where Allah is quoting the Kuffar of Makkah, and this was their

defense for worshiping idols - they knew the idols weren't gods, they just used them to reach their god.

Side-note: Asking each other to make du'a is NOT inter -mediation. It's du'a. It's something

that the other person can actually physically do.

There is another argument that: Allah is pure and we're not. So, we need to use a purer person as a kind

of ladder to reach Allah. But we forget that, that's how human hierarchies work. And by putting forward

this argument we're lowering Allah to the level of His creation. Allah has made it abundantly clear: 'I am

near' that is near to everyone, ESPECIALLY for the sinners in fact. He LOVES it when sinners come to Him

and make tawbah.

Christian argument: Trinity makes sense, because one thing can exist in multiple forms. Water, Ice and

Steam are three forms of the same thing, so 3 is 1 and 1 is 3 makes sense. To this the answer is again VERY

simple. We're lowering (and comparing) Allah to His creation. (And as we shall see later in the Surah,

"there is nothing like unto Him" so what can you compare Him to? Nothing!)

An argument, often put forth by the Hindus, is that Muslims worship a rock i.e. Kaaba and yet they

disparage us for worshipping rock idols.

So, do we worship the Kaaba?

To this we say: The east and the west belong to Allah (Surah Al-Baqarah) so wherever we turn, we stand

as servants before Allah. The Kaaba is just a unifier - something to rally around.

Verse 2 الصمده للاه Allah, the Self-Subsisting

The second verse is elaborating on the oneness of Allah mentioned earlier. In fact the entire remainder of

the Surah is just elaborating on the first ayah. هللا صمد: He's perfect in all attributes and all creation is

dependent on Him. Perfect in ALL Attributes. And perfect doesn't need anything, nothing can make it any

better. It's perfect.

Samadiya is self-sufficiency. Why is this significant to us? This invites us to reflect on goals of our worship.

Many worship like it's a favour to Allah. Here we learn that He doesn't need our worship, in fact it is we

who need it. Whatever Allah has done for us is a favour to us, all that He's allowed or forbidden is a favour.

We can't do any favour to Allah. Our obedience or disobedience doesn't affect Him.

They regard their conversion as a favour to you, instead it is Allah who's done them a favour. (Allah says

in the Qur'an regarding some Bedouins)

Some Sufis of the earlier generations perpetuated a fabricated Prophetic narration that: Allah is like a

treasure that needed to be found and that is why He created us.

This is a made up purpose of life that goes in direct contradiction to the purpose of creation mentioned

in the Qur'an.

"And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me". [Surah Al-Ahzab]

Such fabrications are in outright contradiction to Allah being صمد. And after this Allah says I don't want

anything from them. We can't even provide for ourselves, how we can be so bold as to say that Allah

needs anything from us.

"I do not want from them any provision, nor do I want them to feed Me." [Surah Al-

Ahzab]

Importantly though, we need to understand the meaning of worship. It's not just asking for things and

seeking forgiveness. Islamically, ibadah is submission to Will of Allah, this is the highest state one can

obtain. To be Abd-Allah is the highest honour.

Christians use the mantra of love, just love Jesus and do whatever afterwards (the same philosophy is

used by Muslims in their own varying forms; selling people on love without amal). There are no rules, no

standards of good and evil. The whirling dervishes whirl around in temples, the coal walkers walk on

burning coal; saying we love God and this is MY WAY of showing this love. MY WAY, MY WORSHIP. How

arrogant are we! We love Allah in a way that we want and not in a way that He actually asks us to, or has

told us to. This is not submission, this is not worship.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is reported to have said: No one who calls me Lord will enter heaven only

those who submit to will of my father.

In short: the essence of worship is the remembrance (dhikr) of Allah (by the way Allah says in the Qur'an,

establish salah for my remembrance); being conscious of Him. Not just empty rituals but actual

consciousness.

Intoxication and gambling make us forget the remembrance of Allah and put us in a state where we're

not conscious of Allah anymore; this is given as the main reason behind banning these two. One of the

biggest tricks in Iblees' bag is that he makes people forget about Allah.

Satan got the better of them and caused them to forget Allah (Surah Al-Mayeda)

Q and A: even Jews and Christians are kuffaar, it's not a derogatory term it's just a definition.

Intermediation is kufr, that's exactly general definition. Individual cases Allah knows best.

Coupons as part of shopping are halal, if our intention wasn't the coupon. The possibility of a gift Coupon

shouldn't modify our behavior. Niyyah!

Verse 3 لميلدولميولد He begets not, nor is he begotten

Coming into existence by being born and then procreating to give birth is not a unique attribute. A Child

is a piece of a man and a woman, and consequently it's similar in form and characteristics. Eventually even

a worm becomes a butterfly, so they're always eventually similar. For Allah to have been born or to give

birth, there has to be someone or something with similar characteristics to Him; hence the implication of

multiple gods, a logical impossibility. It doesn't work on any level. Having kids requires a partner, a similar

partner; since there's no one similar to begin with... so, the rest just doesn't even begin to happen.

As always, there are skeptical voices, and they raise their arguments: If God can do anything, then He

should be able to have a son. Allah says it's not BEFITTING that the Ar-Rahman has a son. Like many other

vile things that don't befit Him. To have children is out of some need, need to get financial benefit or the

need to continue on in the form of progeny. Allah is As-Samad, He doesn't need. We do. This verse refutes

three trends:

1. Pagans who considered Angels to be daughters of Allah

2. Jews (a minority sect) who considered Ozair (alaihi salam) son of Allah. This ideology is limited to a very

small number of Jews over a very small amount of time. Encyclopedia judaica mentions this fact

3. Christians, with Jesus (alaihi salam)

In mainstream Christianity followed today, Paul's ideology survived and is being followed; and what

started as a minority view (Jesus, son of God) became the religion of the masses. James' ideology (pure

monotheism) died after the temple was destroyed in Jerusalem. In fact the Bible never actually mentions

Jesus as the son of God, he (alaihi salam) himself says that he's the son of a man. When he is reported to

be exorcising demons in the Bible, the demons say to him 'you're the son of God' and Jesus (alaihi salam)

shuts them up. Son of God as a title is used for many Prophets and righteous people of the past, this is to

show their closeness to Allah. For example, In the Gospel of Luke, Adam (alaihi salam) is referred to as son

of God. In the original Hebrew the expression 'son of God' simply implies that this person is a devout

servant of God. But this idea later on mixed with Greek and Roman ideologies of man-gods to what it is

today. (Similar man-god ideas crept into Muslim ideology through Roman and Persian mythologies when

those lands were conquered by Muslims, and assimilation began taking place.)

A question can be raised regarding this verse. Why was giving birth negated before being born?

Most established religions accept a main God without a father, the main problem has always been with

the offspring. No one talks about the father of Zeus or Brahman. This is an established principle of common

sense even in wildly polytheistic religions like Hinduism.

Being born is a characteristic of creation. Rasool Allah says: Reflect on Allah's creation, not on Allah. We

understand Him in as far as He's taught us and we leave it at just that.

Verse 4 ولميكنلهكفواأحد and there is none like unto Him

The last verse is the same as the first verse and the same in meaning as كمثله شي ليس . (There is nothing like

unto Him). The thing is, all deviations, all problems start occurring when we deviate from the

understanding of Tawhid. So, it is important not just to repeat this principle but also to understand it

properly. Basically all deviations begin by giving Allah the attributes of creation or vice versa.

The Shi’ite faith takes some of its roots from Persian mythology; and so the idea of god-like people walking

the earth creeps in to the discussion in one way or another. Hussein ibn Ali (radhi Allahu anhu) had a

Persian wife; and over time the Imams and Prophet's (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) successors became

omniscient and infallible to the degree that it is now believed that they cannot even think in error (for

Catholic Christians the Pope is infallible and incapable of evil in his thoughts (but this begins when he

begins his time as the Pope). The spiritual ruler Ruhollah Khomeini categorically says in his writing that

the Imams have creational caliphate, and that all atoms of the universe are subservient to them; and that

no angels or Prophets are better than them in this regard. Similar ideas come from Sufis for example

whereby Allah's blessings can only be gained through specific Peer Babas and lay people are not privy to

their knowledge of blessing.

Muadhatain (Surah An-Nas and Al-Falak)

Asbab un Nazool (reasons for revelation)

A Jew by the name of Labeeb Ibn Asim had cast a spell on the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam). Jibreel

(alaihi salam) came down with the Muadhatain, as a cure for this magic that was causing the Prophet (sal

Allahu alaihi wasallam) a lot of trouble.

He (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) saw in a dream who the perpetrator was and He even saw that the knot

was at the bottom of a well. The knots were taken out and opened one at a time by Ali ibn Abu Talib while

he recited verses from the Muadhatain on it. This is a specific reason and context for revelation, but we

take general rulings and benefits from it as well.

As for the location of the revelation of these two; some scholars say it was in Makkah and some say it

happened in Medina. Some say they were revealed twice. Either way, location in this case is not of much

concern to us.

Controversy: There is a small controversy associated with the Muadhatain that Abdullah Ibn Masood

(radhi Allahu anhu) left these two out of his personal copy of the Mushaf. This gave the early Orientalists

a point to argue that this is proof that there were multiple versions of the Qur’an and Usman bin Affan’s

(radhi Allahu anhu) copy was imposed to as a means of standardization.

Ibn Qutaidah (radhi Allahu anhu) says that Ibn Masood isn't denying the existence of these two, it’s maybe

that he just considers them similar to other famous supplication of protection; because the Prophet (sal

Allahu alaihi wasallam) would recite it on Hassan and Hussein ibn Ali (radhi Allahu anhum) regularly. But

this seems like a weak explanation of the situation, because Ibn Masood is a great scholar of Qur’an and

would know the difference between Qur'an and daily supplications.

Ubay ibn kaab (radhi Allahu anhu), the first scribe, says he heard the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam)

recite them on Jibreel’s (alaihi salam) instructions and we say what he said and so all the Sahaba (radhi

Allahu anhum) did it too.

So, it's a mistake on Ibn Masood’s part for whatever reason. Some say he did this because he thought he

would never forget them; this version has little evidence in the fact that he had also deleted Al-Fatiha

from his Mushaf. So, this seems like a more appropriate reason.

No matter how we look at it; in the end Ibn Masood (radhi Allahu anhu) voluntarily destroyed his copy at

time of Usman ibn Affan (radhi Allahu anhu), if he had the slightest doubt or believed this copy to be

different he would have been outspoken; because that was the way of the Sahaba, they wouldn’t keep

silent in the face of any wrong.

Virtues:

The most eloquent Surah (Al-Falak):

“You will never recite anything more eloquent to Allah than Qul a‘oothu bi rabbil-

falaq.” (An-Nisai)

Source of Refuge: These Surahs are the most excellent source of refuge. He (sal Allahu alaihi

wasallam) abandoned every other words of refuge after these verses were revealed.

Treatment for illness: Ayesha (radhi Allahu anha) related that whenever he (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam)

suffered he would recite the Muadhatain and wipe himself with his hands. Obviously, these are not a

replacement for medicines, we use the medication (because they are from Allah too) and recite the Verses

of Allah and then have faith in Him.

Daily Protection: Rasool Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) told us to recite these (along with Al-Ikhlas) at

the end of every formal prayer. This helps to make trust in God a daily habit. Of course we have to

understand them and recite these words with reflection. Protection of these shelters depends on our

faith, sincerity and intention.

Surah Al-Falak

Tafsir

Verse 1 قلاعوذبربالفلق Say I seek refuge in the Lord of Dawn

Starting with قل (say) shows that He (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) had no control over contents and time or

revelation of the Qur’an and this idea is reaffirmed here (as well as in Al-Ikhlas and An-Nas). In the

beginning the Quraish thought that these were Prophet's (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) own words. And

once they realized that they could not stop him from preaching, they pleaded to negotiate terms of

settlement. They wanted the Prophet to include things that wouldn't hurt their economy and prestige in

Arabia so much, this verse and other like it are there to inform people that the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi

wasallam) is just the Messenger and not the source of these words.

Next up is أعوذ means to seek protection.

This statement is EXTREMELY powerful. To seek refuge in Allah is a great means of coming out of hard

situations.

The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) got married and some of his previous wives taught the new

wife to say this on their wedding night: “I seek refuge in Allah from you”, she said so and the Prophet (sal

Allahu alaihi wasallam) had to divorce her. He said, by seeking refuge with the Ultimate source of refuge

from me you have left me no choice, go back to your family. This statement is VERY POWERUL. This is a

rather tragic accident, but we did get some fiqhi (legislative) benefits out of it (silver lining).

Seeking of refuge is an act of worship so it must ONLY be directed to Allah. Seeking refuge in Jinn is haram

and would only bring harm. We are taught to seek refuge in Allah before entering a dwelling from all the

evils of creation.

Lord of the dawn. رب الفلق. Falak, also refers to splitting of seeds and coming to life of things. So, it is

acknowledging Allah as the splitter of the seeds, the life giver. And thus we seek refuge in the Lord of the

Dawn (splitting open the night with light), the life giver. This statement is the beginning of a trust.

Ultimately it is this trust that gives us patience to endure hardships.

Rasool Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) said: Whoever TRIES to be patient Allah gives him patience. So,

by trying with understanding and putting our trust in Allah, Allah will give us the patience we need but it's

important to remember that this is a process; and that it takes time to attain inner patience, but all

through this turmoil we keep a patient and calm exterior. And thus comes Allah’s help. Trust and patience

are great attributes and can only be earned with considerable effort, there is no quick fix no shortcuts; we

like our shortcuts. We like to think that somehow praying a ridiculously weird made up prayer on the final

Friday of Ramadan will exonerate us of the rest of the year’s prayers, no need to pray 5 times a day

then…shortcut!

Verse 2 لقمنشرماخ from the evil of that which He created

This Surah has an account of things that we should seek refuge from. من شر ما خلق Is essentially seeking

refuge from all that is evil from within the creation. Something we quiet conveniently miss out on is the

fact that we are a creation of Allah also, and that this seeking of refuge applies first and foremost on our

own soul, because what we do is of DIRECT consequence of benefit or loss to us.

Yousuf (alaihi salam) attributed his ability to refuse the seduction of Aziz's wife to Allah's Mercy by

acknowledging that the soul can be inclined to evil (ammara bis soo, the evil inclination of the soul) (even

a Prophet’s soul can be inclined to evil, and only Allah’s Mercy helped Yusuf in that particular situation;

Islam has no concept of Infallible human beings). Even the khutba haja that we hear every Friday, says

"naudhu billahi min sharoori anfusina" (we seek refuge in Allah from the evil that lies within us). So, this

issue of the “evil within” is particularly addressed in our Islamic Tradition.

Ibn Al qayyim (rahimullah) says that there are two kinds of evils that can befall an individual

1. Evils that befall due to sins and their consequences; they are more prolonged and more severe in

nature.

2. Evils from others, who are either responsible or non-responsible (deliberate or unintentional) from

among the world of humans and/or jinns. Non-responsible e.g. insects’, thorns, mosquitos etc.

The word شر refers to pain, this is SUFFERING and/or ITS RESPECTIVE CAUSES. Evil is of these two origins

only.

Shirk, major sins and oppression etc. are a great evil. Even though the one doing it may be pleased by

them, but that doesn't make them any less evil, actions being evil or not is not associated with them

making us happy, so the argument that “how can it be evil if it makes me feel good” has no place in Islamic

understanding. There might be short term benefits (or pleasures) from these actions but ultimately they

all lead to severe punishment (consequences) either here or hereafter or in both. There is an ultimate

causality that connects everything, but we fail to recognize that. It’s lack of faith on our part. We know

the consequence of drinking poison is death and that of drinking water is the quenching of thirst; why is

it then that we don’t feel like our actions will have ultimate consequences? And that ultimate punishment

awaits all those who commit evil in this world, unless something prevents that, like good deeds.

Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will

replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful. [Qur’an

25:70]

Whatever is stronger, wins. Simple.

That is because Allah would not change a favor which He had bestowed upon a

people until they change what is within themselves. [Qur’an 8:53]

Whenever you are in a blessed state, you feel like things are going your way, take care of this state;

because sins remove blessings. And if you want to increase blessings of Allah, increase His obedience and

show more gratitude; gratitude is the key. Don't let the lengthening of Allah’s rope make us complacent

that we're getting away with sinning, sometimes we may even doubt it (nothing bad seems to happen to

me, I can do whatever I want). It is all but a dream, reality is otherwise, actions have consequences.

He will say, "Oh, I wish I had sent ahead [some good] for my life." [Qur’an 89:24]

Lest a soul should say, "Oh [how great is] my regret over what I neglected in regard

to Allah and that I was among the mockers." [39:56]

Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) sought refuge from 4 things after the compulsory prayers. The sahaba

said that the Prophet taught this du’a to them like he would teach them the Qur’an.

From Ayesha and Abu Hurairah and many others (radhi Allahu anhum) it is narrated: Allah humma inni

auzubika min azaabi jahannam wa min azaab il qabr wa min fitnah til mahya wal mamaat wa Min shar il

fitnah tul maseeh dajjal. (O Allah! I seek refuge in you from the punishment of Hell and punishment of the

grave and from the evil of the fitnas of the living and the dead and from the evil of the fitnah of the Dajjal)

This du'a contains both principles, pain (first two) a causes of pain (last two)

Another authentic du'a for refuge includes refuge from: Grief and sadness (pain), incapacity and laziness

(causes of pain), miserliness and cowardice, debt and oppression by men.

There are two types of evil: one which exists and one that may. And we pray for both to be removed.

Good is similar in existence; one that exists and one that may. These four are the basic essence of all of

our prayers; to remove the evil and gain the good.

In this ayah we seek refuge from the evil of what is created, not the evil created by Allah. That is at the

heart of understanding evil in this world and that is where most people go astray. People cannot reconcile

evil with the concept of God. Zoroastrians went as far as to have an evil God and a good God; similar

ideologies crop up in Hinduism, where there is a God of creation and a God of destruction.

Allah's Acts and Attributes are good and free of any deficiencies otherwise we're not talking about God,

we’re talking about creation.

Evil is always relative. The person whose hand is chopped off for thievery has incurred a personal evil but

society is saved from a greater evil. Penitentiary system doesn't work, society pays for evil individuals,

why?

Even in the Qur'an, all good is attributed to Allah and evil is disassociated from Allah; and that should be

our methodology in life as well.

“Path of those whom You have blessed, and not the path of those on whom there is

anger, or those that are astray” Qur’an

The following verses go into the details of the elements of evil that we should seek refuge from.

Verse 3 وقبومنشرغاسقإذا and from the evil of darkness when it settles

Night is a great sign of the Almighty. Night coils around the day.

It is out of His Mercy that He made for you night and day to rest and seek His bounty.

(Qur'an).

So, we ought to be grateful for the night. Also, night is when the forces of darkness come to power. The

secret behind seeking refuge in the Lord of the Dawn becomes clear now. Light repels the evils of the

night. Faith is light, disbelief is darkness.

Verse 4 ومنشرنفثتفيالعقد and from the evil of the blowers in knots

This means the evils of the witches and warlocks who tie knots and blow on them to cast spells. This is

talking about magic (obviously magic is forbidden). In our modern world the word magic isn't associated

with anything real and is considered merely a trick or an illusion, but it is indeed a reality.

The Arabic word for magic is Sihr, which means something that is caused by hidden or subtle forces.

There’s a Hadith of the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam):

“Indeed some forms of speech is magic”

This is referring to what we call “the gift of gab” that is the power of speech and that is why the early

Arabs thought the Prophet was a magician because the words he was speaking (The Qur’an) would make

people do strange things (to them it was strange that people would leave wealth for poverty, fame for

anonymity etc.)

The Predawn meal, suhoor, comes from the same root. Sahir, is the magician.

Definition of Magic is that it is a contract, spoken or written that will affect the body, heart or mind of the

bewitched without coming in physical contact.

Magic is done by doing horrendous actions to please the devils. There’s no such thing as an ‘Aalim that

“controls” the Jinn. The Jinn don’t owe the magician anything; all they want is to make people go astray

and make them indulge in the most evil of actions. Some of the most famous celebrity magicians in the

world might actually be involved with the Jinn (David Copperfield et al), so are the ones involved in REAL

fortune telling etc.

Abdullah bin Masood (radhi Allahu anhu) found his wife wearing a knotted necklace, that she got from a

Jewish magician to cure a twitch in her eye. She was in fact healed but Ibn Masood (radhi Allahu anhu)

took the necklace away because it was shirk – the jinn might cure you but that doesn’t make our actions

any less shirk.

We hear stories of successful exorcisms from all over the world; the exorcists come from all sorts of faiths

and chant all sorts of things during these exorcisms. And voila, the Jinn leave. This was what they wanted

to begin with: to reinforce falsehood. During ruqya (Islamic and Qur’anic cure for illnesses) they are

actually driven (forced) out.

Cure/Prevention of/from Magic:

Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) recommended ajwa dates, he said:

“If somebody takes seven ‘ajwa dates in the morning, neither magic nor poison will

hurt him that day.” [Bukhari]

This matter of magic and magicians is extremely serious and not to be taken lightly or in jest. This is one

of the few things that merit the capital punishment in Islam. However, sleight of hand is different issue,

that’s mere trickery and is alright as long as the performer clarifies that this is just an illusions that he’s

learned through practice.

One of the biggest reasons why magic is so strictly forbidden is because magic and idolatry have coincided

time and again in human history. Magic takes people away from Allah and towards shirk in no time

whatsoever. The phenomenon of Saeen baba is an example in modern times, where he has a following of

close of 8 million people who believe that he is god himself walking on earth (again comes the concept of

man-gods and giving creation the attribute of Allah…. It’s worth a repeat: EVERY deviation begins with

deviation in the concept of Tawhid)

Verse 5 إذاحسد حاسد .and from the evil of an envier when he envies ومنشر

Hasad is one of the core diseases of the heart. And is a manifestation of pride. As was the case of Iblees

with Adam (alaihi salam); he had pride so he became envious. Hasad is to want something that others

have or just hoping that they lose it.

Envy is always accompanied by hatred. The first crime in human history, murder by the son of Adam is a

great example of how this relationship between envy and hatred works. Same example can be seen in the

story of Yousuf (alaihi salam), and how his brothers tried to kill him out of jealousy.

People are inherently unequal. Equality is only in virtue and rewards from Allah, everything beyond that

is either a blessing or test. For someone his wealth is a test, and for other their poverty is a test and

whoever does better with what they were given will be rewarded with a better reward in the hereafter.

There’s no generosity without disparity; no patience without hardship. That is why Rasool Allah (sal Alahu

alaihi wasallam) asked us to not look at those above us and instead look at those below us and be thankful.

Just like there are pillars of faith, there are pillars of disbelief as well: Envy, anger, vain desire and

arrogance are these four pillars.

Islam teaches us contentment (obviously for all of this we need a society that lives by Islam). Feminist

movement is a classic example of discontentment. It started with a fight for women rights and now it's

more about hatred of men and anything they have to say. Feminism is calling for equality (and we’re

inherently unequal, not just men and women but also within ourselves on a greater scale) that has led to

enmity of men and has increased lesbianism. Unfortunately even Muslim women have been caught up in

this phenomenon due to lack of grounded knowledge in Islam.

Envy effects the doer more than it does the one being envied. Continuous anger and envy leads to

discontent and suicide is often a consequence. That is why Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) said:

Faith and Envy cannot coexist (Hadith)

Characteristics of an envious person they:

Are discontent

Won't praise anyone

Exaggerate others’ mistakes

Are ungrateful to Allah

Not satisfied with Allah’s decree

Speak jokingly to the ones they are envious off

Criticize without evidence

Look for opportunity to harm others in any way

Are generally troubled individuals; for example a jealous person might just go around puncturing

or keying someone’s new car.

There are those who recognize the jealousy in them and counteract it by treating fairly (sometimes going

above and beyond fairness) the people they're envious off. Some may only internalize this correction (they

don’t show it outwardly) but former is obvious the better of the two reactions.

The Messenger of Allah SAW was sitting with a group of the Sahabah (ra) in the

mosque and he said “A man will now enter [who is] from the people of Paradise.” and

a sahabi (companion) walked in. Later it happened again, and then a third time.

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘aas (ra) wanted to find out what was so special about this

man, so he asked the man if he could stay over his house for 3 days. The man allowed

him to stay. ‘Abdullah noticed that the man didn’t do anything out of the ordinary: He

didn’t fast all the time, he slept some of the night and prayed some of the night, and

so on. So after the 3 days, ‘Abdullah told him the real reason why he requested to

stay with him, and he asked him what it was that could be the reason why he was

from the people of Jannah.

The man (ra) couldn’t think of anything, but after a bit he said “Every night, before I

go to sleep, I forgive whoever has wronged me. I remove any bad feelings towards

anyone from my heart.” (Kitab al-Zuhd by Ibn al-Mubarak – Number 694)

Cure for Envy?

Remind yourself of the effects of jealousy in your life here and in the hereafter, that: It destroys

relationships; is hated by Allah.

Repel the feeling by any means: read Qur'an; do dhikr; give charity; offer salah etc. Because good

erases the evil.

It’s important to remind yourself that as long as you don't act on it, you remain sinless. Try to do

good to the other person, even if you have to begin by pretending to be good. It’s the same

principle as "whoever pretends to be patient then Allah will give them patience" (Hadith)

To remember that true bounties are those of the hereafter.

Repent and ask forgiveness for own sins.

Remember that whatever befalls you is what your hands have earned.

Put your trust in Allah, maybe it is for your benefit, maybe the wealth that someone else has is

bad for you.

The only allowable (recommended in fact) kind of envy is to envy someone’s wealth so that you

can give in the name of Allah or envy someone’s knowledge of so you can teach people to Allah’s

ways. Competition and competitiveness is encouraged when it comes to doing well.

As a general rule, we seek refuge from evil of the envious person (that's what this ayah is about). Be just

and nice and compassionate towards the حاسد, this might change their heart.

Reasons for jealousy:

Hatred of a person

Arrogance and conceit

Love of leadership and glory

Jealousy can lead to the evil eye but one can prevent it before it happens. If you see something someone

has, make a prayer of barakah for them, Barak ‘Allah ma sha Allah, anything.

To cure evil eye: drink water of wudu or ghusl of the person whom you suspect of having caused the evil

eye; eat truffles. Ruqya is always an option.

Surah An-Nas

Name

Rasool Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) used to call this surah by the entire first verse: عوذ برب الناس قل

Scholars have the opinion that the word إنسان might be the roots for اناس. Naas here can be either man

or jinn.

In terms of characteristics, this surah shares most of its characteristics and virtues with Al Falak.

Tafsir

Verse 1 قلعوذبربالناس Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind

The word emphasizes again the fact that the message is from above, and not created by Muhammad قل

(sal Allahu alaihi wasallam). Arabs would spread a rumour that Rasool Allah was a poet and that Qur’an

was his poetry, but this is not supported by any evidence; since his life of 40 years before the revelations

proves otherwise.

As with Surah Al-Falak, we seek refuge in Allah عوذ برب الناس. Seeking of refuge is a form of oath (Qasam)

and hence dedicated to the Almighty alone; and anything else would be shirk in its purest form. We ask

for refuge only in Allah, because there’s no refuge except His.

The word رب is translated as Lord in English which can have a variety of meanings depending on the

context. In the Arabic language, however, it becomes clearly the creator and sustaining Lord with

incredible mercy. He's the Creator and He manages all of His creations’ affairs, entirely. The word Rabb

also entails: Absolute Power, Supreme Mercy and a desire for goodness towards His creation. His mercy

and compassion is based on His infinite knowledge of even the most intimate details and needs that we

have. So, by considering all this we also conclude that The One True Rabb is the only One that must be

able to answer our prayers.

The surah starts with seeking refuge in the Rabb of humankind because man thinks he's the best, so Allah

tells us that man is not the greatest thing there is, Allah is. This also eliminates the need to go to other

humans for salvation, because there is only Rabb of the Naas, so why would they go to anyone other than

their Rabb? Makes no sense!

Verse 2 مالكالناس The Sovereign of mankind

This says that Allah is the King of Kings, The Ultimate King. If we were to translate this idea into Persian

the word becomes ‘Shehanshah’ so naturally (obviously) this is not a title that human beings aren’t

allowed to have (and yet so many did).

Verse 3 الهالناس The God of mankind

And so, just like He’s the True King, He’s also the ONLY True Deity Worthy of being worshipped. These first

three verses are amazing in that they reinforce the concept of Tawhid in a very systematic way. Since Allah

is the Rabb of Naas, He’s the Ultimate King with the Ultimate Power, so that leads to the only logical

conclusion that He Alone is worthy of worship. Tawhid Ar-Rububiyah (one of Allah’s Power and Dominion)

is affirmed and through that Tawhid Al-Uluhiyah (Oneness of Allah with regards to Worship) is proven as

a matter of cause and effect. And this how we build on what is known by common sense to affirm that

which is less easily understood, which in this case is the fact that almost all major religions agree on Allah

being the One True Rabb, and yet they don’t dedicate all of their worship to Him alone (some use idols,

some use Prophets, some use saints and some use omens etc. to ask them for help)

The fact of the matter is that religion is simple and logical, anything that's stopping us from applying the

religion in its simple beauty are our decrepit traditions and cultures. Otherwise why would the Hindus say

that they don’t worship the Idols and that it is a concentrated form of God that they worship inside those

idols, because the concentration thing can be done anywhere with anything, right?

The first verses mention three separate attributes (Rabb, King, Worthy of Worship) to give them more

emphasis and this gives us a clearer insight into how Tawhid works, and should work in our life in its

implementation.

Verse4 خناس واسال ال وس from the evil of the retreating whisperer منشر

Allah tells us to seek refuge from the biggest evil of them all: The Devil himself. We’re seeking refuge from

‘The whisperer’ who withdraws, this word “withdraws” is very important as we shall see a short while

later. وسوسة is a repeated form of whispering and خناس is someone who withdraws whenever Allah's name

is mentioned. That's the characteristic of Satan. He will keep coming back to whisper evil in the human

ear until we mention Allah’s name (that’s the only way to get rid of him, through remembrance of Allah)

Azaan, the call for prayer drives the devil away; he runs away breaking wind, but as soon as the Azaan is

over he returns but then runs away again when Iqamah is given but eventually he comes back as soon as

we start the prayer to divert people’s attention from prayer by reminding them of useless things. Does

that ring a bell?

Iblees is an avowed enemy of the children of Adam (alaihi salam), and he hates the children of Adam so

much that he stabs (pokes) every child that is born in to this world, EXCEPT Maryam (alaihi salam) and her

son Jesus (alaihi salam).

Every one of us has a companion from among the Jinn attached to us as a whisperer of evil (they are evil

companions called Qareen). This Qareen is someone who is attached with us since we’re born till we die,

but sine Jinn live much longer lives than human beings these Qareens carry on causing mischief on earth

long after we are gone. It is through these Qareens that some of the so called Aalims and Babas can tell

the details of someone’s dead relatives. They basically get all the private information from the dead

humans Qareens. Even Rasool Allah (sal Allah alaihi wasallam) had a Qareen, but he told his companions

that Allah had helped him overcome his Qareen and that now even his Qareen had become Muslim,

subhan Allah.

Verse 5 الناسالذييوسوسصدور who whispers [evil] into the breasts of mankind

There's another characteristic of the devil الذي يوسوس صدور الناس. He can whisper right into the soul of

humankind. He has a much deeper access to us than we would like to think, he can access the very deep

recesses of our thoughts and thought processes and that is why it is all the more important for us to learn

to counter his tactics.

Once Prophet (sal Alaihi wasallam) was standing and talking to his wife Safiyah (radhi Allahu anha) in a

Medinan street, some sahaba walked by them. They didn’t say a word but Rasool Allah after gaining their

attention told them that he’s standing with his wife Safiyah. The sahaba were embarrassed by the

implication that they would think badly of Rasool Allah, but the Prophet explained himself anyway

because Satan has the ability to corrupt even the most notable of souls. And here he said the famous

words:

‘Satan flows in the bloodstream of Ibn Adam, and I fear something might have

entered you hearts.’ (Hadith)

The worst form of waswasa is to question the existence of Allah altogether and it is up to us to keep these

waswasas to mere promptings and to not let them be expressed outwardly. Prophet (sal Allahu alihi

wasallam) said:

Satan will come to you and ask who created this and that until he asks who created

Allah, in this case seek refuge from Allah (Hadith)

Whispers can enter through subconscious mind as well, for example: through bad dreams. Another area

of interference is forgetfulness, this is the devil’s favourite trick. He makes you miss the opportunity to go

good through forgetfulness. In fact this was the devil’s intention in the Story of Musa (alaihi salam) and

Yusha (alaihi salam) in Surah Al-Kahf. He made Yusha forget the location where they lost they fish and he

only remembered after a while when Musa (alaihi salam) reminded him.

Whispers are the beginning of sin, this is the point of inception. Then it forms an image in the head. Then

desire, and then this desire is beautified until the wish to achieve this desire is strong and you want to do

it. The cycle goes from Shahwa to Irada, from desire to intention until we forget the consequences of evil.

Evil starts with a whisper and is completed with forgetting Allah’s commands (even if it is a temporary

forgetfulness)

Satan loves to blur the reality, that is why there is a beautiful dua’a where we pray to see the reality as it

is; how beautiful is that and how complete is this deen of Allah.

Last step in doing evil is that the intention becomes a decision. Azeema. Throughout this process, Satan

helps in easing this path with his minions. This is EXACTLY what the media does for us, they inject thoughts

into our heads, inception, and then through everything else that we are exposed to it becomes easier and

easier to indulge in evil; to forget Allah.

How to avoid being caught by the Devil’s whispers:

Best course of action to avoid being caught off-guard by the devil is to catch it in the very

beginning, and to seek refuge in Allah whenever we fear a whisper from Satan.

Then we cut the root of the desire: for example for young men women are the biggest temptation

that is why Rasool Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) asked young men to marry early and if they

cannot marry then they should fast (because during fast the need for hunger over rules other

physical needs, and thus evil desires are cut at their root, brilliant!).

Important thing to remember is that there are no shortcuts. Any other way will just become a

habit that leads to desire and then to forbidden actions.

Whenever worldly desires strike our minds, it is advisable to visit graveyards. It kills desire for

dunya, and reminds us the true meaning of life and the importance of the hereafter.

Try to be in a righteous company at all times.

One important thing that can help counter the satanic whispers is to indulge in doing good that is

meaningful and important, something good that has an impact within our sphere of influence. This gives

us a tangible output of what we’re doing and human beings are driven by output, if there’s no output we

might become disillusioned even by good deeds and might stop doing them altogether. So, the point is,

in the beginning of your transformation it is advisable to do good deeds for which you might see a positive

return sooner rather than later.

The Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa sallam had informed us that the first 3 people who would

be cast into the Hell Fire are people who were involved in what everybody considers great acts of

righteousness. They are the scholar who taught knowledge; the wealthy person who gave from his wealth

in charity and the martyr who gave his life fighting in the path of God.

The Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa sallam, in an authentic narration, said that they would be

among the first groups of people thrown into because the scholar, when he taught the knowledge that

Allah gave him, did not do so for the sake of Allah. He taught so that people would praise him, saying what

a great scholar he is and how knowledgeable he is. Allah will say to him: “You received your praise, what

you sought in that world. But there will be nothing for you in the next.” So he will be drawn off on his face

and thrown into Hell.

Similarly the rich individual – the philanthropist, who was generous with his wealth. He gave and people

praised his generosity, but Allah will say, “You did it for the praise and you were praised. There was no

sincerity there; it was not for the sake of Allah. You did it for as long as people appreciated it, but when

people did not pay you mind, you were not generous anymore. Your generosity was conditional; it was

not really for the sake of Allah.” So that individual will be drawn off on his face and thrown into Hell.

And the martyr – the one whom we all assumed had died fii-sabilillah. We would think that his place in

Paradise is guaranteed. But Allah will say: “You fought so people would say, ‘How brave this one is! How

strong and courageous he was!'” People said it; they praised him, but he did not do it for the sake of Allah,

so he will be drawn off on his face and thrown into Hell.

This is all telling us that ultimately, even the highest of deeds can be of no avail if the hearts are sick; if

the hearts are corrupt. Heart gets corrupted very easily, that is why we need to check our intention at

every step of our lives. So, in short the origin of every disobedience and evil is the whisper.

Sins expose our inner and outer private parts, as was the case when Adam and Eve ate from the tree; they

immediately became aware of their nakedness and started covering themselves with leaves. That is why

we have clothing to cover the outer privacy and good deeds to cover the inner privacy, once exposed the

sins become apparent. Allah hides our sins by the good deeds that we do.

Iblees has a very specific mode of operation: he beautifies the sin for mankind and that is how we fall for

his whispers. He named the tree in Eden as ‘The Tree of Eternal Life’; catchy, right? Same thing applies to

almost all other evils. Satan and his minions know how to market these things to those who might be

unwilling. Alcohol becomes Spirits, Interest becomes ‘Profit’, Man-made laws become the Court’s Laws,

gatherings of corruption are called assemblies of goodness etc.

Satan has a lot of power given to him, he can steal from human beings’ wealth. He can partake from any

meal on which Allah’s name (bismilliah) has not been spoken; he sleeps in houses where Allah’s name is

not spoken. In houses where Allah’s name is spoken he says "there's neither shelter nor supper here for

you" and during his stay he will entice the occupants of that house towards evil. Satan wants to uncover

your sins while Allah wants to hide them.

A hadith is narrated from Abu Hurayrah (radhi Allahu anhu) that (paraphrased): at the time of Fajr Satan

ties knots on our head to prevent us from waking. There are a total of three knots: the first one is undone

with Dhikr of Allah, second on wudu and the third one when we stand up for prayer.

Satan stops people from considering Islam as their religion, or for those who claim to be Muslims to start

following the correct path by whispering in their ears: Would you leave the ways of your forefathers? This

is how he stops people from participating in major righteous deeds like Migrating in the name of Allah or

investing their time, wealth and body in struggling for Allah’s cause.

Out of every 1000 men 999 will go to hell. Satan has been excessively successful in his mission of luring

men away from the truth so far. He stood against Ibrahim (alaihi salam) and led people to burn him despite

ample proof in Ibrahim’s favour; he lead Isa's (alaihi salam) people to kill him; pharaoh to claim godhood;

enticed people to brutally kill Zechariah and Yahya (alaihi salam); he was the one who incepted the plan

of joining all the Arab armies against the Muslims in Madinah.

Satan comes at people in sex levels. (A compilation by Ibn Al Qayyim rahimullah):

1. The first and most obvious step is to lead people in to disbelief altogether, idolatry and enmity towards

Allah and His Messengers. This is Satan's first target, if he succeeds he stops. And this person is added to

Satan's army. If Satan fails with someone who's a believer he moves on to the second level of deception

2. Innovation (bidda). This is only second to disbelief and is in fact MORE beloved to Satan than any other

corruption and sin because it doesn't just harm the individual but the religion itself gets damaged through

it. The entire religion of Jesus (alaihi salam) was derailed by innovations.

Wherever an innovation arises a Sunnah dies. Ibn Al Qayyim rahimullah says: innovators (the ones who

introduced it) find themselves unable to repent, because there's a deliberate evil intent behind their

action to introduce this innovation in religion. Innovation is a door to disbelieve, and if Satan succeeds in

convincing someone on an innovation he adds this person to his army. Otherwise he moves on the next

level.

3. Major sins. People become assistants and helpers of Satan by doing sins, even the small ones. And it is

through these people that Satan spreads sins. Satan makes people expose other people's sins, these

exposers are actually worse than doers (something of great significance to our times of “gossiping” and

“chitter chatter”)

4. Satan loves getting people involved with minor sins, we might think they are insignificant but over time

they gather up slowly and become significant

5. If Satan cannot get the person to commit even minor sins, he will introduce Mubahaat (things that are

a waste of time) into his life

6. Making people busy in what is good instead of what is better, now this is Satan reaching very, very deep

into his bag of tricks to detract people from getting Allah’s Pleasure. Now imagine this: a person can be

so good that the Devil cannot stop him from doing evil deeds, the best he can do is to make his do

something is less good. Subhan’Allah. Isn’t that the level to aspire to or what!

For example he might entice people to miss a fardh act or delay it in favour of a Sunnah (like people in the

sub-continent do at the time of Fajr, they offer the Sunnah first even though the fardh salah in

congregation has started). It can also be in use of wealth and in prioritizing the spending of this wealth

according to what’s most urgent.

We might think that once a person passes these six levels of satanic deception he will be free from his

corruption. Sadly, that’s not the case because even after this Satan just let's his minions loose on these

people from all sides... He doesn't give up!

He will indulge in defamation of such people, that’s what we see happening these days. Where the

righteous are being marketed as the corrupt. There’s a very good story with regards to this: Imam Bukhari

rahimullah was invited by a scholar, (all of this scholar’s students shifted to Imam Bukhari so he had

become jealous). He asked a question through one of his accomplices: is the Recitation created or

uncreated? (This was a hugely contentious issues back in those days). The Imam didn't reply. The person,

egged on by the scholar, kept asking. Finally the Imam said: the voice that recites is created but the word

isn't. Now, earlier (much, much earlier) Imam Ahmed rahimullah has said that if someone says what Imam

Bukhari had just said then he will be considered an innovator (what we need to understand is that this

statement was given in a really tough time so he took a really tough stance on his position in this regard

at the time… this was long before the incident with Imam Bukhari). Now the accusers accused Imam

Bukhari based on this statement. All of his students left him except for a very few - one of them was Imam

Muslim rahimullah. This (jealous) scholar said to Imam Muslim (who was his golden student obviously)

that it’s either me or Bukhari; Imam Muslim gathered all the narrations that he had learned from the

former and sent them to him on a donkey and never narrated anything from him. The point is, Satan was

able to convince people to defame even Imam Bukhari at the height of his prowess – imagine what he can

do these days.

Verse 6 منالجنةوالناس from mankind and from the Jinn

The last verse من الجنة و الناس could refer to people who are whispered to, but this doesn't make much

sense, rather these are people who whisper. These are the Devils among the humans and the jinn.

There was mass murderer: son of Sam - who blew people's heads with a 45, he said that a black dog came

to his backyard and told him to kill all those people. If true, then this is exactly what we know of the Jinn

that they can appear in the form of black dogs (remember the death omen in Harry Potter and the Prisoner

of Azkaban? Some western myths do have roots in reality)

Beneficial rules to remember:

Verbally seeking refuge in Allah at all times

Responding with good to those who do you wrong

Repelling evil with good. Satan will tell you it's humiliation and a weakness but Allah rewards the

doers of good

Or at least turn away, instead of responding badly

Saying audh u billah helps protect from whispers

Reciting Muadhatain (Surah Al-Falak and An-Naas)

Reciting Ayah tul kursi; because it is the greatest verse in the Qur’an and repels Satan like nothing

else. Story of Abu Hurayrah and the thief who stole from bait ul maal

Reciting Surah Al- Baqarah. In whatever house it is recited the devil flees from there. The Prophet

(sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) told us to not make houses like graveyards and recite Qur’an in them

Reciting the last two verses of Surah Al-Baqarah for three consecutive nights pushes the devil

away. (Hadith)

‘La ilalha il Allah wahadahu lasharika lahul mulku’ 100x per day gives one protection for that day

and it’s like freeing a 100 slaves and it removes a 100 bad deeds and adds a 100 good deeds to

ones balance. (Hadith)

Do Dhikr as often as possible, Dhikr according to the principles of the Sunnah

*all of this with the correct intention and understanding*

Avoid these four things until absolutely necessary: idle gazing; talking; eating; and socializing