❖ Authored by: Dr. Rida ʿAbdullāh Pāshā ḥafiẓahullāh
❖ Question:
How can I protect myself from Shayṭān?
❖ Answer:
Through the remembrance (dhikr) of Allah.
It is narrated from Sayyidunā Ḥārith al-Ashʿarī (RA) that indeed the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"Indeed, Allah commanded Yaḥyā ibn Zakarīyyā (ʿalayhi al-salām) with five words, instructing him to act upon them and to command Banī Isrāʾīl to do the same. Among those was this:
'I command you to remember Allah. The example of this is like that of a man being pursued swiftly by his enemies. He comes upon a fortified stronghold and secures himself within it. Likewise, the servant cannot protect himself from Shayṭān except through the remembrance of Allah.'"
(Musnad Aḥmad 4/202; Sunan al-Tirmidhī, Ḥadīth No. 2872)
❖ Divine Benefits of Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah)
➊ Dhikr is a means of repelling Shayṭān.
➋ It earns the pleasure of Allah.
➌ It removes sorrow and worry from the heart and fills it with peace and alertness.
➍ It strengthens the heart and body.
➎ It brightens the face.
➏ It is a means of expanding one’s sustenance.
➐ The one who remembers Allah is adorned with awe, sweetness, and freshness.
➑ It draws down Allah’s love upon the servant.
(al-Wābil al-Ṣayyib by Ibn al-Qayyim, p. 5)
❖ Dhikr is to the Heart as Water is to a Fish
Just as a fish cannot survive without water, the heart cannot survive without dhikr.
When removed from water, a fish’s state becomes dire; similarly, a heart devoid of dhikr becomes spiritually lifeless.
Dhikr purifies the heart.
A heart tainted by heedlessness becomes rusted, and only remembrance and istighfār (seeking forgiveness) can cleanse it.
The alienation between a servant and his Lord is removed through dhikr.
Angels descend where Allah is remembered, and dhikr is equivalent to wielding a sword in the path of Allah.
Whoever engages frequently in remembrance of Allah is free from hypocrisy.
(This is a saying of Imām Ibn Taymiyyah al-Shāmī.)
❖ Conclusion
Dhikr is a spiritual fortress—a shield against the whispers of Shayṭān, a source of inner peace, divine love, and spiritual strength.
A believer who holds fast to dhikr walks the path of sincerity, security, and divine nearness.
