Surah Al-Muminoon (23) — Ayah 97

(Ayah 98,97) ➊ The meaning of { وَ قُلْ رَّبِّ اَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ هَمَزٰتِ الشَّيٰطِيْنِ … : ’’اَلْهَمْزُ‘‘} is to strike with the hand or anything else. It is also used in the sense of strangling, taunting, and backbiting. What is meant are the strikes, whispers, and incitements of Satan, with which he provokes anger, even to the point of madness. For details on the whispers of the devils among humans and jinn, see the exegesis of Surah An-Naas. {’’ اَنْ يَّحْضُرُوْنِ ‘‘} is originally {’’أَنْ يَّحْضُرُوْنِيْ‘‘}, because if it were not so, the noon of {’’ يَحْضُرُوْنِ ‘‘} would have dropped with {’’ اَنْ ‘‘}; the yaa has been omitted and the kasrah of the noon has been retained. The meaning is that, O my Lord! I do not seek refuge only from the strikes of the devils, but I also seek refuge from their coming near me, because they never come with good. A prayer has also been taught to avoid the company of evil people.

➋ Although responding to evil with good is a panacea for turning enemies into friends, it requires great courage; not everyone has this endurance. A person’s self incites him to take revenge, and then the devils among humans and jinn provoke him to anger. After instructing to respond to evil in the best manner, Allah has emphasized seeking His refuge from the incitements of such satanic humans and jinn, because a person is helpless in confronting these oppressors. No strategy works here, nor do these devils become friends or soften through any good or favor, because they have sworn enmity. Therefore, one should seek refuge with that Noble Being in Whose control is everything in the universe; whether good or bad, everyone’s forelock is in His hand. Elsewhere, this same point is explained in detail: «وَ لَا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَ لَا السَّيِّئَةُ اِدْفَعْ بِالَّتِيْ هِيَ اَحْسَنُ فَاِذَا الَّذِيْ بَيْنَكَ وَ بَيْنَهٗ عَدَاوَةٌ كَاَنَّهٗ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيْمٌ (34) وَ مَا يُلَقّٰىهَاۤ اِلَّا الَّذِيْنَ صَبَرُوْا وَ مَا يُلَقّٰىهَاۤ اِلَّا ذُوْ حَظٍّ عَظِيْمٍ (35) وَ اِمَّا يَنْزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ الشَّيْطٰنِ نَزْغٌ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللّٰهِ اِنَّهٗ هُوَ السَّمِيْعُ الْعَلِيْمُ » [ حٰمٓ السجدۃ : ۳۴ تا ۳۶ ] “And good and evil are not equal. Repel (evil) with that which is best, then suddenly the one between whom and you there was enmity will become as if he were a devoted friend. But none is granted it except those who are patient, and none is granted it except one having a great portion (of good). And if an incitement from Satan should provoke you, then seek refuge in Allah; indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing.” Allah has commanded to seek refuge from Satan when reciting the Noble Qur’an. (An-Nahl: 98) The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) taught a supplication for protection from Satan’s misguidance at the time of death. Abu Al-Yasar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to supplicate: [ أَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَدْمِ وَ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنَ التَّرَدِّيْ، وَ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ منَ الْغَرَقِ وَالْحَرَقِ وَالْهَرَمِ وَ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ أَنْ يَتَخَبَّطَنِيَ الشَّيْطَانُ عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ وَ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَمُوْتَ فِيْ سَبِيْلِكَ مُدْبِرًا وَ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَمُوْتَ لَدِيْغًا ] [ أبوداوٗد، الوتر، باب في الإستعاذۃ : ۱۵۵۲، و صححہ الألباني ] “O Allah! I seek refuge in You from being crushed by a wall or something else, and I seek refuge in You from falling down, and I seek refuge in You from drowning, burning, and severe old age, and I seek refuge in You from Satan making me insane at the time of death, and I seek refuge in You from dying while fleeing from Your path, and I seek refuge in You from dying from a poisonous sting.” Not only at a specific time, but {’’ وَ اَعُوْذُ بِكَ رَبِّ اَنْ يَّحْضُرُوْنِ ‘‘} means, “O my Lord! I seek Your refuge from the devils coming near me or being present at any time.” That is why the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded to mention Allah’s name at the beginning of all actions, because mentioning Allah’s name causes Satan to flee. Thus, he (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded to mention Allah’s name at the beginning of eating, drinking, intimacy, slaughtering, etc., and to mention Allah’s name before sleeping at night, and said: [ وَ أَغْلِقُوا الْأَبْوَابَ، وَاذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللّٰهِ، فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لاَ يَفْتَحُ بَابًا مُغْلَقًا، وَ أَوْكُوْا قِرَبَكُمْ وَاذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللّٰهِ، وَ خَمِّرُوْا آنِيَتَكُمْ وَاذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللّٰهِ، وَلَوْ أَنْ تَعْرُضُوْا عَلَيْهَا شَيْئًا وَ أَطْفِؤا مَصَابِيْحَكُمْ ] [ بخاري، الأشربۃ، باب تغطیۃ الإناء : ۵۶۲۳۔ مسلم : ۹۷؍۲۰۱۲ ] “(When a portion of the night has passed) close the doors and mention Allah’s name, for Satan does not open a closed door, and tie the mouth of your water skins mentioning Allah’s name, and cover your vessels mentioning Allah’s name, even if you only place something across them, and extinguish your lamps (before sleeping).” Our teacher Hafiz Muhammad Gondalvi (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated that a person complained to him that all the doors of his house would suddenly open at night, so he advised him to close the doors at night reciting Bismillah, and the doors stopped opening. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) also recommended seeking refuge from Satan at the time of anger. Sulaiman bin Surad (may Allah be pleased with him) said that two men were abusing each other in the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) while we were sitting with him. One of them was abusing the other in great anger, and his face had turned red. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ إِنِّيْ لَأَعْلَمُ كَلِمَةً لَوْ قَالَهَا لَذَهَبَ عَنْهُ مَا يَجِدُ، لَوْ قَالَ أَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيْمِ، فَقَالُوْا لِلرَّجُلِ أَلَا تَسْمَعُ مَا يَقُوْلُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ سَلَّمَ؟ قَالَ إِنِّيْ لَسْتُ بِمَجْنُوْنٍ ] [ بخاري، الأدب، باب الحذر من الغضب : ۶۱۱۵ ] “I know a word, if he were to say it, what he is experiencing of anger would go away. That word is {’’أَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيْمِ‘‘}.” The people said to him, “Do you not hear what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is saying?” He replied, “I am not mad.”