Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Isti'adha: Seeking Allah's Protection from Satan

This book is corrected and edited by Al-Hassanain (p) Institue for Islamic Heritage and Thought

• Translator’s Note
• Preface
• The First Talk
• The Importance of Isti’adha in the Qur’an and the Traditions
• Isti’adha before commencing a Prayer
• Absolute necessity of Isti’adha in permissible affairs
• Satan at the Threshold of the Mosque
• Reciting the Isti’adha before starting out of one’s House
• The Prophet of Islam (S) exhorted by Allah (S.w.T.) to do Isti’adha
• Worshipping Satan the whole Life
• Isti’adha during the execution of Justice (Qadhawat), when in privacy with non-Mahram and while in a frenzy of anger
• The Second Talk
• Satan’s Trap or Bait
• Don’t brag after giving charity
• Satan sets his sight on the hearts of people
• What is Satan? Why he has been Created?
• What is the use of knowing about Satan
• Satan has been created with fire and he is a rare creature
• Satan can see us
• The creation of Satan and the felicity of Man
• The purpose to create Satan is to put Man to test
• Allah (S.w.T.)’s promise and Satan’s promise
• Allah (S.w.T.)’s call and the call of Satan
• Satan never thrusts his will on people forcibly
• The Third Talk
• The jealous nature of Iblīs
• Jealousy and pride have nothing to do with Heaven
• The Wish of Iblis Fulfilled
• Angels too have Power of Inspiration (Ilhām)
• At the Cross-roads
• The door for repentance is always open
• Allah (S.w.T.)’s blessing is for men till the end
• Hasan Basri asks a question and Imam Zayn al-Abidīn (a.s.) replies
• Illness before death is a blessing
• The Fourth Talk
• The only way to safety from Satan is Isti’adha]
• The King’s tent and the ferocious watch-dog
• Isti’adha should emanate from the heart and not merely from the lips
• The three types of Isti’adha
• Seeking protection in Allah (S.w.T.)’s obedience
• A satanic book to refute Satan
• Politics of the imperialist forces
• Isti’adha is for escape from sins
• I seek refuge in the obedience to Allah (S.w.T.) from the obedience to Satan
• A true dream and Satan’s treachery
• Note
• The Fifth Talk
• The meaning should be manifested by the words
• Satan runs away from the men of piety
• Need for trust on Allah (S.w.T.)
• Satan has nothing to do with the sincere people
• Do we have the capability of Piety (Taqwa) and Remembrance (Tadhakkur) of Allah (S.w.T.)?
• Illegitimate sustenance is the biggest impediment in the way of Isti’adha
• Until the last vestiges of Haram are not removed Isti’adha is not possible
• Abstain from doubtful food
• The Sixth Talk
• We are helpless and powerless
• The purity or otherwise of food
• Identify the Haram morsel of food
• The baker’s oven and the satanic tune
• The Seventh Talk
• Be Satan’s antagonist
• Does Satan sleep?
• You must remain fortified
• Mu’min’s arms: mustahabat (non mandatory) prayers and tark al-makruhat, or abstinence from undesiderable acts
• Satan intensifies his attacks in stages
• Wudhu or ablution, the sharp instrument of defence of a Mu’min
• Fasting and charity break the backbone of Satan
• I have seen Satan’s mother
• Penitence: another weapon in the hands of a Mu’min
• Two more powerful weapons to defeat Satan
• Iblīs bites the foot of Imam as-Sajjad (a.s.)
• Warn People against Satanic Deceptions
• Thinner than the hair and sharper than a sword
• The Hereafter depends on the worldly desires
• A difference of three hundred thousands years
• Notes
• The Eighth Talk
• Taqwa: the first aspect of Isti’adha
• Abstinence from Reprehensible (makrūhāt)
• Thorny jungle and the barefoot traveler
• The bait and intrigue of Satan
• Piety has the faculty of seeking through Satan’s baits
• Some necessary examples: the Bazār is Satan’s trap
• Isti’adha before entering the bazār
• Satan’s trap in the Bazār
• Fellow-travellers: a dangerous trap
• Recognize yourself
• Woman is the most formidable trap
• The company of women is the preface to sinning
• The tale of Barseesa
• Note
• The Ninth Talk
• Isti’adha is Effective Only With Piety
• A Heart Without Piety is The Abode Of Satan
• Sumptuous Food & Hungry Dog
• A Sick Heart is The Eating Place For Satan
• The Majority are Entrapped
• The Thief on the Look Out For Breaking into the House
• Iblīs Around The Heart
• Why the Suicide?
• Why Isti’adha is not Effective?
• Remember That Death is A Reality
• Flies Buzz Around Honey
• Satan, a Stumbling Block in the Way of Penitence
• The Practice of Imam as-Sajjad (a.s.)
• The Supplication of Ghareeq during the Absence of Imam al-Mahdi (a.j.)
• The Tenth Talk
• Why Isti’adha
• Good Deeds or Guidance For Evil
• Evil Through Good
• To Make One Miss The Mandatory Prompting People To Busy in Optional Rites
• Losing Interest in Prayers
• O Allah! Give Us Vision in the Matters of Faith
• Satan Praying Suspended in the Sky
• Idha ra-aytu maulaya dhunubi faz’itu wa idha ra-aytu karamika tam’itu
• The Eleventh Talk
• Satan The Initiator Of Actions
• Satan doesn’t even Spare the Prophets
• Hadrat ‘Isa Converses With Satan
• Satan Attempts to Create Fears in the Mind of Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.)
• Iblīs Tests Faith
• Satan Attempts to create Doubts in the Mind of Ibrahim (a.s.)
• Have We too Spurned Satan at Any Time?
• Who is Greater?
• Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.)’s Laments
• The Twelfth Talk
• The Reality of Isti’adha is in This Verse
• The Supplication of Imam Sajjad (a.s.)
• The Thief Who Put off the Lamp
• A Thief in the Heart
• Refrain from Fights Even if you Are Right
• The Patience Of Hadrat Dhul Kifl (a.s.)
• Satan Seeks Help
• Satan Knocks At The Door
• Satan Gets Frustrated
• There Will Be Negative Effect of Supplication on a Heart Devoid of Piety
• The Thirteenth Talk
• Taqwa or Piety is Achieved With Practice
• Shunning Doubtful Things
• Shunning of The Unbecoming Or Makrūhāt
• Shunning The Permissible For Shunning The Prohibited
• Saving a Coin a Day For Use During Ramadhan
• Travel Becomes the Reason for Avoiding the Mandatory Duties
• The Material Capacities
• The Fourteenth Talk
• The Thought of Sin and Remembrance of Allah (S.w.T.)
• Remembrance of Allah (S.w.T.) Relieves From Satanic Fears
• Being Proud of One’s Prayers and Supplications
• Satanic Fears in a State of Anger
• About Hizqeel
• A Bed of Two Hands Full of Dust
• Visit the Cemeteries is a Must
• Hadrat Fatima Zahra (a.s.) at the Graveside of Her Grand Uncle
• Note
• The Fifteenth Talk
• The Things That Are Definitely Good: The Actions of Righteous Guidance
• Actions That Are Definitely Wrong: The Misleading Actions
• When There Is A Doubt About Acts: Whether Righteous Or Prohibited
• Care is the Guarantee of Deliverance
• The Touchstone
• Istikhara, Or Augury, Guides in Situations of Doubt
• Some People Misunderstand Istikhara
• Imam Husayn (a.s.) does Istikhara at the Mausoleum of The Prophet (S)
• Istikhara With the Sibha or Through the Holy Qur’an
• Strange Stories About Istikhara
• The Purpose of Revelation of the Holy Qur’an is not for Istikhara
• Doing Soothsaying from The Holy Qur’an is Not Proper
• Publications about Istikhara
• Types of Istikhara
• Clear Warnings about Istikhara
• Suggestions for Removing Doubts
• The Holy Imams (a.s.) Used to Take Advice
• Istikhara Through Chits
• Doing Istikhara for Others
• The Sixteenth Talk
• Tawakkul or Trust in Allah (S.w.T.) Essential Part of Practicing Monotheism
• Dependence on Allah (S.w.T.) for the Success of the Tasks That One Strives to Do
• Essential to Have a Wakil or Attorney
• Satan Runs Away From The Mutawakkil or the One Resigned to the Will of Allah (S.w.T.)
• Ibn Zubair’s Rebellion After the Event of Karbala
• Imam Zayn Al-’Abidin and a Saintly Personality
• Speaking for the Tranquility of the Heart
• Imam Husayn (a.s.) Talks to ‘Ali Akbar
• The Seventeenth Talk
• Tawakkul is the Result of the Knowledge, Circumstances and the Actions of an Individual
• Wisdom and Kindness on Men
• The Prophet (S) Never Cursed Anyone
• An Example of Godly Affection
• People Themselves Seek a Place in Hell
• Affection on a Kitten
• Friends of Allah (S.w.T.) Have no Anxiety from Satan
• Blade of Dried Grass or Straw
• Tawakkul on Allah (S.w.T.) is Necessary in the Hereafter Too
• The Eighteenth Talk
• Tawakkul In Unity Of Allah (S.w.T.)
• Trust on Allah (S.w.T.) is Intellectually Binding
• How is it Possible to be Mutawakkil or Resigned to the Will of Allah (S.w.T.)
• Belief in Practicing Faith on Unity of Allah (S.w.T.)
• Observe the Act of Drinking Water
• The Dress Too is Provided By Allah (S.w.T.)
• It Is Allah (S.w.T.) Who Wards Off Troubles?
• Physician or Killer?
• In All Matters Allah (S.w.T.)’s Will Prevails
• Intercession Too is Necessary
• Tawakkul Comes With Knowledge
• N’im al-Wakil
• Is anyone kinder than Allah (S.w.T.) on His creatures?
• A Mutawakkil Doesn’t Fear Other than Allah (S.w.T.)
• Who Expects Help From Other Than Allah (S.w.T.) will Fail
• The Circumstances Have Made us Deaf and Dumb
• Tawakkul Has Stages
• Tawakkul Must Be Perpetual
• The Nineteenth Talk
• Sorrows and Happiness Are From Allah (S.w.T.)
• Without Knowledge Faith of Tawhid is Not Practical
• The Mouth Opened But Didn’t Close
• The Importance of Sura Al-Tawhid
• Hadrat Ibrahim (a.s.) is a Source of Pride for Those Who Trust on Allah (S.w.T.)
• Have We Ever Told The Truth
• A Mutawakkil is Never Greedy
• Dependence on The Wakil is Necessary
• A Shop Without Goods on Allah (S.w.T.)’s Support
• An Idle Youth is an Enemy Of Allah (S.w.T.)
• The Learned to Get Sustenance From Ghaib
• Tawakkul Depends on the Circumstances
• Weakness of Faith
• Acquiring Tawakkul is Mandatory
• Tawakkul and Counsel
• If There is no Tawakkul There is no Faith
• Tall Claims Belittle a Person
• Don’t Trust Your Own Intuition
• The Twentieth Talk
• Istikhara And Tawakkul
• Everything Happens With The Wish of Allah (S.w.T.)
• Tawakkul in Times of Danger
• Ignorant Tawakkul
• Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) and the Tiger
• Other Meanings Of Tawakkul
• The Existence of Cause is Not Permanent
• Calling Someone Other Than Allah (S.w.T.)
• Twenty First Talk
• Tawakkul Necessary to Learn About Tawhid
• Difference Between Words and Deeds
• Entrusting the Affairs
• Isn't the Holy Qur’an a Book Revealed by Allah (S.w.T.)?
• Consideration of Verses Regarding Tawhid
• Fiqh and Tawhid
• Piety (Taqwa) and Tawhid
• The True Faith
• Abstain From Avarice
• Destined Towards Allah (S.w.T.)
• Habib Ibn Madhahir was a Faqih
• Note
• The Twenty Second Talk
• Tawakkul is the Concomitant of Faith
• Reason Versus Will
• Abdul Malik and the Ailment of Dropsy
• Ashab al-Fīl
• The Limit of Belief is Tawakkul
• The Hawk and the Prey
• Shameful Act
• The Twenty Third Talk
• Tawakkul in the Affairs of the Hereafter
• Reasons For Moral Felicity
• Depending Only on Actions is a Precursor of Destruction
• Actions and Allah (S.w.T.)'s Blessings
• Incredible Accident
• Loss of Speech
• The Light of Belief is Not Acquired
• Allah (S.w.T.) is Kind on His Creatures
• The Twenty Fourth Talk
• Action & Sincerity of Purpose
• On a Two-Way Lane
• The Fury of Hell and the Echelons of Heaven
• It is Only for Your Own Good
• Satan Feels Very Happy
• The Major Jihad
• Shaakila and the Shari’ah
• Hadrat Fatima Zahra (s.a.)
• The Twenty Fifth Talk
• Actions Depends on the Niyyah or Intention
• The Intent of Closeness During Prayer
• Rain Falls When the Prophet (S.) Prays
• Insincerity and Hypocrisy
• Praise and Thankfulness for Bounties
• Unfounded Claims
• Cheating Not Permissible
• Reforming the Hearts is Necessary
• The Battle of Jamal and Imam ‘Ali's Companions
• May Allah (S.w.T.) Give us True Intent
• The Twenty Sixth Talk
• The Enemy of Faith & Action
• Ikhlas is the Height of Tawhid
• Many Claims of Being Sincere
• Satan’s Laments
• Three Types of Persons are Accountable
• The Highest Stages of Sincerity
• The Twenty Seventh Talk
• Sincerity and Good Deeds
• Worldly Honor Too Is In Allah (S.W.T.)’s Hand
• About Malik Dinar
• Futile Prayer
• Praise and Appreciation of People
• Is Praise Beneficial?
• Ahmad Bin Tawlan & the Reciter of Qur’an
• The Prayer of an Erudite Scholar
• The Father & the Son
• The Twenty Eighth Talk
• Hope for Getting the Heaven and Fear of the Hell
• Thirty Years of Prayers and Supplications
• Treat the Psychic Ailments
• Penitence from Sanctimony and Related Acts
• Incidental Motives don't Negate Action
• Ka’aba Situated in Hot Area
• The Travel Expense
• Transacting with Allah (S.w.T.)
• The Twenty Ninth Talk
• Incidental Motivations Explained
• Compensation is not Justified
• On What Support?
• More Fascinating than a Magnet
• How Much is the Return for Actions?
• Expectation of Rewards
• Wise Men are Not Proud of their Actions
• The Glow Worm and the Diamond
• Tomorrow When the Acts Will be Balanced
• The Thirtieth Talk
• The State Of Tadharru or Humility is Essential for Isti’adha
• Tadharru Through Ma’thura or Transmitted Prayers
• Allah (S.w.T.) is Sufficient for His Creatures
• Recognizing the Enemy from Signs
• Satanic Attacks
• Some Humor
• The Signs of Satanic Attacks
• The Rahmani Thoughts
• The Satanic Thoughts
• Thoughts to Be Considered Seriously
• The Dreaming Milkman
• Fear of the Past or Future
• Pitiable
• The Fear for Tomorrow
• Angel Versus Satan
• 1. In Nahi Anil Munkar (Denying The Forbidden), Irtikab Or Commission Of Munkar Or Forbidden
• 2. Theological Education of Children
• 3. Reducing the Recitation of The Holy Qur’an to a Show
• 4. The Pulpit & Arch: the Playfield of Satan
• 5. Alone With a Stranger Woman
• The Acid Test For Good & Evil is the Holy Shari’ah
• Treatment Through Isti’adha is Essential
• Identity of Satan in the Holy Qur’an
• Defying Satan is a Difficult Task
• ‘Umar Ibn Sa’d and Satanic & Rahmani Thoughts
• Satan's Task is to Tempt
• The Poor Complainants
• Humility & Obedience to Allah (S.w.T.)
• About Hadrat Yusuf (a.s.)
• Love Renders Helpless
• The True Love
• None Other Than Allah (S.w.T.) Can Help
• Isti’adha With Allah (S.w.T.)
• The Real Succour
• Further Trial
• A Tale of Admonition
• Isti’adha of Imam ‘Ali (a.s.)
• Note