Protecting Children from Satanic Influences
Source: Fatāwā Amanpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri
❖ Question:
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin ‘Abbās (RA) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
When a man approaches his wife (for marital relations), he should recite this supplication:
باسم الله، اللهم جنبنا الشيطان وجنب الشيطان ما رزقتنا.
"In the name of Allah. O Allah, keep Satan away from us and keep Satan away from what You bless us with."
If a child is then born from that union, Satan will not harm him.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 141, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1434)
The question arises: If this supplication guarantees protection, why do some children still fall prey to Satan?
❖ Answer:
Undoubtedly, reciting this supplication results in Allah’s protection for the child, ensuring that Satan cannot harm him. Scholars have explained the nature of this protection in different ways:
① Protection in religious matters:
Allah protects the child from the major plots of Satan, preventing him from being misled into disbelief, shirk, or innovations.
② Protection from major sins and immorality:
Allah safeguards the child from falling into grave sins and indecencies.
③ Protection through repentance:
If the child commits a mistake or sin, Allah grants him the ability to repent, which humiliates Satan.
④ Protection from physical harm:
The child is safeguarded from defects of mind and body.
✿ Important Clarification
This hadith is not to be understood in an absolute sense—that Satan will never whisper to the child or that he will never commit any sin. If interpreted absolutely, it would imply the child’s infallibility, which is contrary to Shar‘i principles.
❀ Qadi ‘Iyad (رحمه الله, 544H) said:
لم يحمله أحد على العموم فى جميع الضرر والوسوسة والإغواء.
“No scholar has interpreted this hadith as applying in an absolute sense to all forms of harm, whispering, or deception.”
(Ikmāl al-Mu‘lim: 4/610)
Conclusion:By reciting this supplication, Allah grants the child a special protection from Satan—whether spiritual, moral, or physical. However, this does not mean absolute infallibility from every whisper or sin.
