Ten Ways to Protect Oneself From Shaytan

1) Taking refuge with Allah from Shaytan,

“If an evil urge from Shaytan should stir you, seek refuge in Allah, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.” [Fussilat (41): 34-36]

2) The recitation of these two Surahs.

3) Reciting Ayatu’l-Kursi, whoever recites it at night time will have a guardian placed over him and Shaytan will be unable to approach him until morning.^[1]

4) Reciting Surah al-Baqarah. Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said,

“Do not make you homes into graves. Shaytan cannot enter a house in which al-Baqarah is recited.”[2]

“Allah wrote a book one thousand years before he created the creation, from it He sent down two verses with which He concluded Surah al-Baqarah. Shay³an cannot approach a house in which they are recited for three nights.”[3]

6) Reciting the first three verses of Surah al-Mu’min, also called Surah al-Ghafir. A hadith mentions that whoever recites them along with Ayatu’l-Kursi when he awakes will be protected till night, and whoever recites them when he sleeps will be protected till morning.^[4]

7) Bukhari and Muslim record that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said,

“Whoever says, ‘None has the right to be worshipped save Allah alone with no partners. His is the dominion, to Him belongs praise, and He is powerful over all things,’ one hundred times in a day will have the reward of freeing ten slaves, one hundred deeds will be recorded for him, one hundred of his sins will be wiped out, and he will be protected from Shaytan for that whole day until evening. No one can do something better than him except for someone who does more.”[5]

8) Remembering Allah. This was mentioned by the Messenger of Allah (SAW) as one of the five pieces of advice that Yahya enjoined the Children of Israel to,

“I order you to remember Allah. The example of such a person is that of a man with his enemies fast on his tracks. He takes refuge in an impregnable fortress and saves himself from them. The same applies for the servant; He can only protect himself from Shaytan by remembering Allah.”[6]

9) Performing ablution and prayer.

10) Refraining from excessive speech, food and mixing with people.

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