Quranic

Progression
Year 1

Lesson 1 | 11-9-2018

Introduction: Why Study Tafsīr?

The real question is: Why not? Of the many sciences in Islamic scholarship we study today, the most
important is the science of Tafsīr. Nothing takes a more central role in our lives; especially now, when, no
matter what respective roles in society we play, we are becoming more detached from the Qurʾān. This
doesn’t mean that we don’t love the Qurʾān or respect it. On the contrary, this has never been an issue.
Because people have noticed this distance, there is an increased yearning to understand the Qurʾān.

There are two ways of reconnecting with the Qurʾān:

1. The type of connection which provides a surge of Imān. This can be important in and of itself but is
temporary and does not last very long; it provides a surface understanding of the Qurʾān.
2. The type of connection with the Qurʾān which lasts because it is based on knowledge. It is structured
and solid because it’s based on a Rirm foundation. This is real Tafsīr: explaining the Qurʾān by using the
Qurʾān itself (i.e. bringing the Qurʾān into the Qurʾān), as well as the Sunnah (examining what the
Prophet ! said about the Qurʾān), the statements of the Companions, their students, and the scholars of
Islam.

A trend we have seen in our times involves the study of the Qurʾān which is stripped from the statements
of the Prophet ! and Rirst three generations so that the Qurʾān is now about our feelings, contemplations
and the emotions when we read it. What about statements of the Prophet ! which speak about the exact
meanings of the Qurʾān? Where is al-Bukhāri and Muslim, the collections of Ḥadīth bringing us the
statements of the Prophet !? What about the statements of the Companions such as Ibn ʿAbbās, Ibn
Masʿūd " etc.?

If we don’t hear the names of these scholars in a Tafsīr class, there is a problem because these were the
giants of knowledge who dedicated their lives to give us the Tafsīr of the Qurʾān. Classic collections of
Tafsīr always mention these names. Then there are the great scholars such as al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī, Ibn
Kathīr, etc., bringing back orthodoxy into Tafsīr.

The efforts and sacriRices that the scholars of the past made so that the Tafsīr of the Qurʾān could be
preserved and passed down shows that we are a part of this blessed heritage and tradition. The
inheritance of the Prophet ! is the knowledge that he ! leaves behind, not wealth. This makes it equally
accessible and available to anyone in the Ummah, anywhere in the world. As scholars of the past would
say to the students coming to them, “Welcome, O Heirs of the Prophet !!”

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From very early on, the Companions were engrossed with the Qurʾān. In the early stage of the Islam,
when pagans and members of different Arab tribes would come to the Prophet ! seeking to learn more
about the religion, the Prophet ! would recite the Qurʾān in response.

The Companions sacriRiced their lives for the Qurʾān, spending years to study it and implement it.
ʿAbdullāh bin ʿUmar } is reported to have spent ten years learning and memorising Sūrah al-Baqarah
(which was considered something normal at that time). They were not preoccupied with Rinishing the
Qurʾān the way we are now. We often spend so much time thinking about Rinishing that we look back and
realise we did not actually beneRit much or take any real knowledge.

ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd # was reported to have said:

‫كان الرجل منا إذا تعلم عشر آيات لم يجاوزهن حتى يعرف معانيهن والعمل بهن عشر آيات‬
“A man from among us used to learn ten verses [from the Qurʾān] and would not move past them until he
understood their meaning and applied them.”1

The goal was not to Rinish; the goal was to beneRit. It is also reported that a man came to ʿAbdullāh ibn
Masʿūd # and said that he had read the entire Qurʾān in one night. Ibn Masʿūd replied by asking, “Did you
read it the way people read poetry? It is more beloved to me that I spend the whole night reading: ‫ت‬ ِ ‫إِذَا زُ ْل ِز َل‬
‫ض ِز ْلزَا َل َها‬
ُ ‫( األ َ ْر‬Sūrat al-Zalzalah, eight verses) with understanding and contemplation, than to read the
ْ
whole Qurʾān in one night the way you did.” 2 This shows a different perspective and approach to learning
the Qurʾān.

Shayṭān will often make the extended amount of time spent on learning the Qurʾān seem like a person is
never going to Rinish his study of it. This is not the ultimate goal; the point is to learn, beneRit and come
closer to Allāh, which was the way of the Scholars.

Sufyān al-Thawrī mentions regarding Mujāhid (the student of Ibn ʿAbbās }), a great scholar of Tafsīr, that if
one had the Tafsīr of Mujāhid, it would be sufRicient. Mujāhid reached a high level in his knowledge of
Tafsīr because of going through the Qurʾān to Ibn ʿAbbās three times in its entirety, stopping after each
verse to learn its meaning, when and why it was revealed, etc., and only afterwards would he proceed.
Imagine the level of knowledge one would reach by doing this for over 6,000 verses three times each! To
reach such a level requires patience and a sincere desire to beneRit as much as possible from the words of
Allāh.

The Rirst question a student would be asked upon intending to seek knowledge would be, “How much of
the Qurʾān do you know? What is your relationship with the Qurʾān?” When students wanted to seek

1
Takhrij Mushkil al-Athar
2
Origin is in Sahih Muslim
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knowledge from Imām Awzāʿī, he would send them to learn the Qurʾān Rirst and then come back to study
knowledge from him. This is because the basis of knowledge, our foundation as Muslims, is only found in
the Qurʾān.

Abu al-Dardāʾ # was sent to Damascus as its governor, and after every Ẓuhr prayer, he would gather the
people, divide them into groups of ten, appoint a teacher for each group and then stand on the pulpit.
Each teacher was assigned the task to teach and answer questions. If there were questions they couldn’t
answer, they would refer to Abu al-Dardāʾ.

Imām al-Ṭabarī (author of the most extensive collection of Tafsīr comprising 30-odd volumes and
containing nothing but narrations about the Qurʾān), when asked by his students to write a Tafsīr,
requested them to bring 30,000 blank pages. They said, “30,000 pages would take a lifetime to write and
a lifetime to read!” He then asked for 3,000 pages, 1/10 of what he originally wanted to write. This work
became Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī as it is known today. Imagine the knowledge which was lost because 9/10 of this
Tafsīr was not written.

Indeed, with the passing of one generation to another, knowledge is slowly depleted and diluted down.
It’s not that this knowledge hasn’t been recorded, but that fewer and fewer people have access these
resources and know how to use the knowledge according to the principles laid down by our Prophet !,
his Companions, their students and the scholars ". All of this shows the magnitude of the journey we are
about to embark on with regard to studying the Book of Allāh $.

The nature of this class is to study the Qurʾān slowly with a certain level of depth which will not be
achieved in a short or speciRic amount of time; this is to give a solid foundation for Tafsīr. Our study will
begin from the back of the Qurʾān which all of us (young and old) are already familiar with.


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The Istiʿādhah | ‫ االستعاذة‬

ِ ‫الر‬
The term ‫ االستعاذة‬is used to refer to the statement: ِ‫جيم‬ ِ َ‫ أ َ ُعوذُ ِباهللِ ِم َن ا َّلشيط‬
َّ ‫ان‬

Although the wording of this statement is not an actual part or verse of the Qurʾān, the command to
mention it before beginning the recitation is mentioned in the Qurʾān.

The approach to Tafsīr comes in two ways with regard to the Istiʿādhah: Some scholars begin with the
explanation and details of the Istiʿādhah because it is a part of the etiquettes of reading the Qurʾān.3 Other
scholars do not even mention the Istiʿādhah because it’s not an actual verse in the Qurʾān.4

Allāh % mentions in Sūrah Fuṣṣilat, 36:

& ‫الس ِميعُ ا ْل َعلِي ُم‬
َّ ‫است َ ِعذْ ِباهللَِّ ۖ إِنَّ ُه ُه َو‬ َّ ‫' َو إِ َّما يَنزَ َغن َّ َك ِم َن‬
ِ َ‫الشيْط‬
ْ َ‫ان نَزْغٌ ف‬
And if there comes to you from Satan an evil suggestion, then seek refuge in Allāh. Indeed, He is the
Hearing, the Knowing.

Shayṭān is there to distract us, divert us, lead us astray from the path of Allāh % and in such
circumstances, the remedy is to pronounce the Istiʿādhah. However, concerning the recitation speciRically,
an explicit command is given to pronounce the Istiʿādhah beforehand in Sūrah al-Naḥl, 98:
& ِ‫الر ِجيم‬ َّ ‫است َ ِعذْ ِباهللَِّ ِم َن‬
ِ َ‫الش ْيط‬
َّ ‫ان‬ َ ْ ‫'فَ ِإذَا َق َرأ‬
ْ َ‫ت ا ْل ُق ْرآ َن ف‬
So when you recite the Qurʾān, [first] seek refuge in Allāh from Satan, the expelled [from His mercy].

The power of this statement comes from the fact that you are turning to Allāh (with all of His goodness,
blessing, mercy, forgiveness, kindness, gentleness), knowing that He is All-Knowing and All-Hearing,
asking Him to protect you from the the greatest danger to us which is Shayṭān, the source of all evil, the
one who distances you from Allāh %, as mentioned in Sūrah Fāṭir, 6:
& ۚ ‫الش ْيطَا َن َل ُك ْم َع ُد ٌّو فَاتَّ ِخذُوهُ َع ُد ًوّا‬
َّ ‫'إِ َّن‬
Indeed, Satan is an enemy to you; so take him as an enemy.

This is why the Istiʿādhah is not only conRined to the recitation of the Qurʾān but also repeated throughout
the daily life of a Muslim.

Ibn Kathīr mentions that from the beneRits of the Istiʿādhah is that it puriRies the tongue, heart and actions
as one is about to embark on the recitation of the Qurʾān. It does this because of two things:
1. Seeking Allāh’s help, the Lord of all that exists, our Creator, Provider, Sustainer the source of all
goodness, all blessing, from:

3
Imām al-Qurṭubī mentions twelve different points concerning the Istiʿādhah, as did many others.
4
Although it’s not a verse, the commandment to pronounce it is mentioned in the Qurʾān.
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2. The polar opposite to all that is good and pure, which is Shayṭān, Iblīs, the source of all misery,
wretchedness and the epitome of evil. Everything that is harmful to you in life, distances you
from Allāh or tempts you to sin, is from Shayṭān.

ِ comes from the root word: ‫ ن‬- ‫ ن‬- ‫ج‬, referring to something hidden. Other words derived
The word ّ‫جن‬
from the same root also carry a similar meaning:
a. ‫( جنَّة‬Paradise, hidden from our eyes; we cannot see it in this life)
َ
b. ‫( ج ِنني‬the embryo, hidden from plain sight)
َ
c. ‫( َمجنُون‬insane; this person has lost the faculty of reason)
ِ (a type of creation made of smokeless Rire, they can see us, but we cannot see them)
d. ‫ج ّن‬

& ۗ ‫' إِنَّ ُه يَ َرا ُك ْم ُه َو َو َق ِبي ُل ُه ِم ْن َحيْ ُث َال تَ َر ْونَ ُه ْم‬

Indeed, he sees you, he and his tribe, from where you do not see them.5

Shayṭān simply plants the seed of disobedience and rebellion in the heart, making a person turn away
from the Book of Allāh in some way; and this is why pronouncing the Istiʿādhah before the recitation of
the Qurʾān is essential. It occurs in the form of a whisper after which Shayṭān runs away, leaving the evil
thought to fester and grow until it tempts a person to act upon it.

This whisper may not always lead a person to sin; there is also the temptation to leave good deeds,
especially those which can be performed easily. Other times, it is to abandon a good deed (such as not
performing the Sunnah prayers merely because they are not obligatory). And yet other times, it can be
abandoning one good deed for that which is of lesser value. Once one heeds the thought and acts upon it,
subsequent occurrences become easier and easier until disobedience becomes second nature and one
leaves acts of worship and commits sins regularly. The remedy for all of this is pronouncing the
Istiʿādhah.

5
Sūrah al-Aʿrāf, 27
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The Wording of the Istiʿādhah

The Istiʿādhah is pronounced in a number of different ways, some of which are mentioned in various
statements of the Prophet ! or scholars of the past; the six most common ways are listed below:

ِ ‫الر‬
6‫جيم‬
َّ ‫ن‬ َّ
ِ ‫الشيطَا‬ ‫ أَعُوذُ بِاهللِ ِم َن‬-١
» ‫ فقال النبي‬،‫ وأحدهما يسب صاحبه مغضبا قد احمر وجهه‬،‫ ونحن عنده جلوس‬،! ‫ استب رجالن عند النبي‬:‫سليمان بن صرد قال‬
: ‫ للرجل أال تسمع ما يقول النبي ! ؟ قال‬: ‫ أعوذ باهلل من الشيطان الرجيم « فقالوا‬: ‫ لو قال‬،‫إني ألعلم كلمة لو قالها لذهب عنه ما يجد‬
.‫إني لست بمجنون‬
Sulaymān ibn Ṣurad said, “Two men abused one another in the presence of the Prophet !; one of them
began to get angry, and his face became red. The Prophet ! looked at him and said, 'I know some words
that, if he says them, will remove this from him. If only he would say, “I seek refuge with Allāh from the
accursed Shayṭān.”’ So they said to the man, “Have you not heard what the Prophet ! says?” The man
retorted, ‘I’m not insane.’”7

This Ḥadīth illustrates the power of the Shayāṭīn among the Jinn: the person in the Ḥadīth, even though
he is a Muslim, a Companion, is being told about the advice of the Prophet !, and says, “I’m not insane.”
He was overtaken by anger and therefore easily mislead by Shayṭān, losing his ability to realise his fault.

This wording was chosen by the vast majority of scholars of the past; it is reported on the authority of
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb #, the Rirst three generations and the four Imāms. Ibn ʿAṭiyyah mentions in his
Tafsīr that this is the wording of the vast majority of the Scholars simply because it is the wording of the
command in the Qurʾān.

ِ ‫ن ال َّر‬
ِ ‫جي م‬ َّ
ِ ‫الشيطَا‬ ‫الس ِميعِ ا ْلعَلِيم ِ ِم َن‬
َّ ِ‫ أَعُوذُ بِاهلل‬-٢
This is the wording taken from Sūrah Fuṣṣilat, verse 36:
&‫الس ِميعُ ا ْل َعلِي ُم‬
َّ ‫است َ ِعذْ ِباهللَِّ ۖ إِنَّ ُه ُه َو‬ َّ ‫' َو إِ َّما َينزَ َغن َّ َك ِم َن‬
ِ َ‫الش ْيط‬
ْ َ‫ان نَزْغٌ ف‬
And if there comes to you from Satan an evil suggestion, then seek refuge in Allāh. Indeed, He is the
Hearing, the Knowing.

This wording is narrated by Abu Saʿīd al-Khudrī # in the following Ḥadīth, collected by Abu Dawūd, Imām
Aḥmad and others:
‫ ثم يقول » سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك وتبارك اسمك وتعالى جدك وال إله‬،‫ كان رسول اهلل ! إذا قام من الليل كبر‬:‫ قال‬# ‫أبو سعيد الخدري‬
‫غيرك « ثم يقول » ال إله إال اهلل « ثالثا ثم يقول » اهلل أكبر كبيرا « ثالثا » أعوذ باهلل السميع العليم من الشيطان الرجيم ؛ من همزه‬
.‫ونفخه ونفثه « ثم يقرأ‬

6
As mentioned in Sūrah al-Naḥl, quoted above.
7
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhāri #6115
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Abu Saʿīd al-Khudri # said, “When the Messenger of Allāh ! got up to pray at night he uttered the Takbīr
and then said,
"Glory be to You, O Allāh, and Praise be to You
and Blessed is Your name
and Exalted is Your greatness
and There is no one worthy of worship but You.” He then said,
"There is no one worthy of worship but Allāh,” three times. He then said,
”Allāh is altogether great" three times.
"I seek refuge in Allāh, the All-Hearing and All-Knowing from the accursed devil, from his evil suggestion,
from his puffing up, and from his poetry.” He then recited (the Qurʾān).8

This was also the opinion of Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣri and Muḥammad ibn Sīrīn; it was also reported from Imām
al-ShaRiʿī and Imām Aḥmad (who used both wordings). Abu ʿAmr al-Dāni9 mentions that the vast majority
of Qurrāʾ (reciters of the Qurʾān) chose this wording of the Istiʿādhah.10

ِ ْ‫جيم ِ ِم ْن هَمْ ز ِِه َونَف‬

‫خ ِه َونَفْ ِث ِه‬ َّ
ِ ‫الشيطَا‬
ِ ‫ن ال َّر‬ ‫الس ِميعِ ا ْلعَلِيم ِ ِم َن‬
َّ ِ‫ أَعُوذُ بِاهلل‬-٣
This wording is narrated by Abu Saʿīd al-Khudri # in the same Ḥadīth mentioned above; the additional
words carry the following meanings:
● ‫همز‬: the craziness and possession of Shayṭān which overtakes a person (such as when he is angry
and not thinking clearly)
● ‫نفخ‬: his ability to make you arrogant, inRlate you, make you haughty (this is similar to what
happened to the man who became angry in front of the Prophet ! and was told to pronounce the
Istiʿādhah)
● ‫نفث‬: poetry11 that is evil and tempts you to disobey Allāh; i.e., this refers to anything that distances
you from Allāh12

ِ ْ‫جيم ِ ِم ْن هَمْ ز ِِه َونَف‬

‫خ ِه َونَفْ ِث ِه‬ َّ
ِ ‫الشيطَا‬
ِ ‫ن ال َّر‬ ‫الس ِميعِ ا ْلعَلِيم ِ ِم َن‬
َّ ِ‫ الل ُه َّم إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِاهلل‬-٤

8 Sunan Abi Dawūd #775; classed as authentic.

9 Abu ʿAmr ʿUthmān ibn Saʿīd al-Dāni (371-440AH) one of the great scholars of the Qirāʾāt (the different recitations

of the Qurʾān).
10 The study of Tafsīr includes all subjects: ʿAqīdah, Fiqh, Sīrah, Arabic language and sciences of the Qurʾān, etc., and

these subjects will be addressed when and where appropriate.

11 Sūrah al-Shuʿarāʾ is about the Poets who used the poetry and eloquence of the Arabic language to entice people to

sin, take them away from Allāh, who rebukes them for this in this Sūrah.
12 Does this include Music? Yes, if it takes people away from Allāh, beautifying matters that are displeasing to Allāh

%.
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This wording was mentioned in the following Ḥadīth, narrated by Ibn Masʿūd # as well as by Al-Ḥasan
and Is-ḥāq bin Rāhawayh. All these wordings are authentic and permissible; the only difference is that
some scholars preferred one wording over another or mentioned one wording being better than another.
،‫ الشعر‬: ‫ ونفثه‬،‫ املوتة‬: ‫ همزه‬: ‫ وهمزه ونفخه ونفثه « قال‬،‫عن ابن مسعود عن النبي ! قال » اللهم إني أعوذ بك من الشيطان الرجيم‬
.‫ الكبر‬: ‫ونفخه‬
On the authority of Ibn Masʿūd #, the Prophet ! said, “I seek refuge in Allāh from the accursed Devil and
from his ‫ همز‬and his ‫ نفخ‬and his ‫نفث‬.” He (Ibn Masʿūd) said, “His ‫ همز‬is a type of insanity, his ‫ نفث‬is poetry,
and his ‫ نفخ‬is arrogance.”13

‫الس ِميعُ ا ْلعَلِي ُم‬

َّ َّ ِ‫جيم ِ إ‬
ُ َ‫ن اهلل‬
َ‫هو‬ َّ
ِ ‫الشيطَا‬
ِ ‫ن ال َّر‬ ‫ أَعُوذُ بِاهللِ ِم َن‬-٥
This wording is taken from the Rirst and second wordings whereby scholars joined them together into one
phrase. It is reported by ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb #, Muḥammad ibn Sīrīn, Sufyān al-Thawrī, Imām Awzāʿī
and Imām Aḥmad (in one of his narrations).

ِ ‫ن ال َّر‬
ِ ‫جي م‬ َّ
ِ ‫الش ْيطَا‬ ‫ان ِه ا ْل َق ِديم ِ ِم َن‬
ِ َ‫س ْلط‬ ِ ‫ أَعُوذُ بِاهللِ ا ْلع‬-٦
ُ ‫َظيم ِ َو ِبوَجْ ه ِِه ا ْل َكرِيم ِ َو‬
This is also known as one of the supplications for entering the Masjid:
‫ عن النبي ! أنه كان إذا دخل املسجد قال » أعوذ باهلل العظيم وبوجهه الكريم وسلطانه القديم من‬، ‫عن عبد اهلل بن عمرو بن العاص‬
« ‫الشيطان الرجيم‬
On the authority of ʿAbdullāh bin ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ that the Prophet !, when he would enter the Masjid,
used to say, ‘I seek refuge in Almighty Allāh, by His Noble Face, by His Primordial Power, from Satan the
outcast.’” 14

These six wordings mentioned above are sourced from the Sunnah; the Prophet ! would slightly change
the wording, but all wordings are valid and authentic. Any of these wordings can be pronounced before
beginning the recitation of the Qurʾān, although some scholars have said that if speciRic wordings have
been used for speciRic occasions, it is better to adhere to that (such as the supplication for entering the
Masjid or beginning one’s night prayers, etc.).

The list below are wordings of the Istiʿādhah found in books of Tafsīr and attributed to scholars of the past
such as Ibn Kathīr, ʿAṭāʾ, Ṭāwūs, Muḥammad ibn Sīrīn, Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣri, etc. who were among the great
titans of scholarship and students of the Companions. However, the best ones are the ones reported in
the authentic Sunnah.

ِ ‫الر‬
ِ ‫جيم‬ َّ ‫ظيم ِ ِم َن‬
ِ َ‫الشيط‬
َّ ‫ان‬
ِ ‫ أ َ ُعوذُ ِباهللِ ال َع‬-١

13
Sunan Ibn Mājah #808; classed as authentic.
14
Sunan Abi Dāwūd #466; classed as authentic.
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ِ ‫جيم‬ِ ‫الر‬
َّ ‫ان‬ ِ َ‫الشيط‬ َّ ‫الس ِميعِ ا ْل َعلِيم ِ ِم َن‬ َّ ِ ‫ظيم‬ ِ ‫ أ َ ُعوذُ ِباهللِ ال َع‬-٢
‫الس ِميعُ ا ْل َعلِي ُم‬
َّ ‫جيم ِ إِ َّن اهللَ ُه َو‬ ِ ‫الر‬
َّ ‫ان‬ ِ َ‫الشيط‬ َّ ‫ظيم ِ ِم َن‬ ِ ‫ أ َ ُعوذُ ِباهللِ ال َع‬-٣
‫الس ِميعُ ا ْل َعلِي ُم‬ َّ ‫جيم ِ إِ َّن اهللَ ُه َو‬ِ ‫الر‬
َّ ‫ان‬ ِ َ‫الشيط‬ َّ ‫الس ِميعِ ا ْل َعلِيم ِ ِم َن‬ َّ ِ‫ أ َ ُعوذُ ِباهلل‬-٤
15ِ ‫جيم‬ ِ ‫الر‬
َّ ‫ان‬ ِ َ‫الشيط‬ َّ ‫ست َ ِعيذُ ِباهللِ ِم َن‬ ْ َ ‫ أ‬-٥
‫ان ا ْل َغ ِو ِّي‬ ِ َ‫الشيط‬ َّ ‫ أ َ ُعوذُ ِباهللِ ا ْل َق ِو ِّي ِم َن‬-٦
ِ ‫ان ْامل َ ِر‬
‫يد‬ ِ َ‫الشيط‬ َّ ‫يد ِم َن‬ِ ِ ‫ أ َ ُعوذُ ِباهللِ ْاملَج‬-٧
‫ني‬
َ ‫ح‬ ِ ‫ات‬
ِ َ‫ير ا ْلف‬
ُ ‫خ‬َ ‫ستَفْ ِتحُ اهللَ َو ُه َو‬
ْ َ ‫جيم ِ َوأ‬ ِ ‫الر‬
َّ ‫ان‬ َّ ‫ أ َ ُعوذُ ِباهللِ ِم َن‬-٨
ِ َ‫الشيط‬
‫يني‬ ِ ‫يتيَ ا َّل ِذي ُي ْؤ ِو‬
ِ ‫خ ُلوا َب‬ ِ ‫ض ُر‬
ُ ‫ون أ َ ْو َي ْد‬ ُ ‫جيم ِ َوأ َ ُعوذُ ِب َك َر ِّبي أَن َي ْح‬
ِ ‫الر‬ ِ َ‫الشيط‬ َّ ‫حيم ِ ِم َن‬ ِ ‫الس ِميعِ الر ْح َم ِن الر‬َّ ِ‫ أ َ ُعوذُ ِباهلل‬-٩
َّ ‫ان‬ َّ َّ
‫الس ِميعُ ال َعلِي ُم‬
َّ ‫جيم ِ إِ َّن اهللَ ُه َو‬ ِ ‫الر‬
َّ ‫ان‬ ِ َ‫الشيط‬ َّ ‫ون أ َ ُعوذُ ِباهللِ ِم َن‬
ِ ‫ض ُر‬ ُ ‫اطنيِ وأ َ ُعوذُ ِب َك َر ِّبي أَن َي ْح‬ ِ ‫الش َي‬ َّ ‫َات‬ ِ ‫ب أ َ ُعوذُ ِب َك ِم ْن ه ََمز‬
ِّ ‫ َر‬-١٠

Other types of wording which are allowed for the Istiʿādhah:

● Using other names of Allāh, as can be observed by the different wordings mentioned above.
● Using only Allāh’s name without mentioning the name “Allāh”, as Maryam $ did:
& ‫الر ْح ٰمَ ِن ِم َنك إِن ُكنتَ تَ ِقيًّا‬
َّ ‫' َقا َلتْ إِنِّي أ َ ُعوذُ ِب‬
She said, “Indeed, I seek refuge in the Most Merciful from you, [so leave me] if you fear Allāh.”16
● Using the attributes of Allāh; for example, His perfect Speech: َ‫خ َلق‬ َ ‫ات ِمن‬
َ ‫ش ِّر َما‬ ِ ‫ات اهللِ التّا َّم‬
ِ ‫ أ َ ُعوذَ ِب َكلِ َم‬

َ ‫ م‬
Seeking refuge in Allāh is not just from Shayṭān; it can be seeking His help and shelter from any evil: ‫ن ش ِّر‬ ِ
( َ‫خ َلق‬
َ ‫ ) َما‬i.e., from the evil that He has created. The Prophet ! would seek Allāh’s refuge from any evil for
his grandsons Ḥasan and Ḥusayn:
‫ أعوذ بكلمات اهلل التامة‬: ‫ كان النبي ! يعوذ الحسن والحسني ويقول » إن أباكما كان يعوذ بها إسماعيل وإسحاق‬:‫عن ابن عباس { قال‬
« ‫ ومن كل عني المة‬، ‫من كل شيطان وهامة‬
On the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās }, the Prophet ! used to seek refuge with Allāh for al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn
and say, “Your forefather (i.e. Ibrāhīm) used to seek refuge with Allāh for Ismā’īl and Is-hāq by reciting the
following: 'O Allāh! I seek refuge with Your Perfect Speech from every devil and poisonous pest and from
every evil, harmful, envious eye.’”17

Also, among the supplications of the morning and evening is seeking refuge from the evil of one’s own
self:
َ ‫ َوأ َ ْن أ َ ْقت َ ِر‬،‫ش ْر ِك ِه‬
‫ف َع َلى‬ ِ ‫ان َو‬
ِ َ‫الش ْيط‬ َ ‫ َو ِم ْن‬،‫سي‬
َّ ‫ش ِّر‬ ِ ْ‫شر نَف‬ ِ ِ ٍ َ ‫ب ُك ِّل‬
ِّ َ ‫ أ َ ُعوذُ ِب َك م ْن‬،ُ‫شيْء َو َملي َكه‬ َّ ‫الش َها َد ِة الَ إِ َل َه إِالَّ أَنْتَ َر‬ ِ ‫الل ُه َّم َعالِ َم ال َغ ْي‬
َّ ‫ب َو‬
ٍ ‫سلِم‬ ْ ‫سو ًءا أ َ ْو أ َ ُج َّر ُه إِ َلى ُم‬ ِ ْ‫نَف‬
ُ ‫سي‬

15 ‫ أعوذ‬means, “I take refuge…” while ‫ أستعيذ‬means, “I seek refuge…”

16
Sūrat Maryam, 18
17
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhāri #3371
9
 Quranic Progression
Year 1

O Allāh, Knower of the unseen and the evident, Maker of the heavens and the earth, Lord of everything
and its Possessor, I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but You. I seek refuge in You from
the evil of my soul and from the evil of Satan and his helpers, and (I seek refuge in You) from bringing evil
upon my soul and from harming any Muslim. 18

18
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhāri #3392
10