Tafsir Ibn Kathir - Surah 1 Al-Fathiha, Introduction (part 02)

Seeking Refuge before reciting the Qur'an Allah said,
﴿ﻓَﺈِﺫَﺍ ﻗَﺮَﺃْﺕَ ﺍﻟْﻘُﺮْﺀَﺍﻥَ ﻓَﺎﺳْﺘَﻌِﺬْ ﺑِﺎﻟﻠَّﻪِ ﻣِﻦَ ﺍﻟﺸَّﻴْﻄَـﻦِ ﺍﻟﺮَّﺟِﻴﻢِ﴾ (So when you ﴿want to﴾ recite the Qur'an, seek refuge with Allah from Shaytan, the outcast (the cursed
one).) meaning, before you recite the Qur'an.
Similarly, Allah said,
﴿ﺇِﺫَﺍ ﻗُﻤْﺘُﻢْ ﺇِﻟَﻰ ﺍﻟﺼَّﻠﻮﺓِ ﻓﺎﻏْﺴِﻠُﻮﺍْ ﻭُﺟُﻮﻫَﻜُﻢْ ﻭَﺃَﻳْﺪِﻳَﻜُﻢْ﴾ (When you intend to offer As-Salah (the prayer), wash
your faces and your hands (forearms)) (5:6) meaning,
before you stand in prayer, as evident by the Hadiths
that we mentioned. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu
Sa`id Al-Khudri said, "When the Messenger of Allah
would stand up in prayer at night, he would start his prayer with the Takbir (saying "Allahu Akbar''; Allah is
Greater) and would then supplicate,
«ﺳُﺒْﺤَﺎﻧَﻚَ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻬُﻢَّ ﻭَﺑِﺤَﻤْﺪِﻙَ، ﻭَﺗَﺒَﺎﺭَﻙَ ﺍﺳْﻤُﻚَ، ﻭَﺗَﻌَﺎﻟَﻰ ﺟَﺪُّﻙَ، ﻭَﻟَﺎ ﺇِﻟَﻪَ ﻏَﻴْﺮُﻙَ» (All praise is due to You, O Allah, and also the
thanks. Blessed be Your Name, Exalted be Your
sovereignty, and there is no deity worthy of worship
except You.)
He would then say thrice,
«ﻟَﺎ ﺇِﻟَﻪَ ﺇِﻟَّﺎ ﺍﻟﻠﻪُ» (There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah,).
He would then say,
«ﺃَﻋُﻮﺫُ ﺑِﺎﻟﻠﻪِ ﺍﻟﺴَّﻤِﻴﻊِ ﺍﻟْﻌَﻠِﻴﻢِ ﻣِﻦَ ﺍﻟﺸَّﻴْﻄَﺎﻥِ ﺍﻟﺮَّﺟِﻴﻢِ ﻣِﻦْ ﻫَﻤْﺰَﻩِ ﻭَﻧَﻔْﺨِﻪِ ﻭَﻧَﻔْﺜِﻪِ» (I seek refuge with Allah, the Hearing, the Knowing,
from the cursed Satan, from his coercion, lures to
arrogance and poems.).''
The four collectors of the Sunan recorded this Hadith,
which At-Tirmidhi considered the most famous Hadith
on this subject. Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah recorded that Jubayr bin
Mut`im said that his father said, "When the
Messenger of Allah started the prayer, he said,
«ﺍﻟﻠﻪُ ﺃَﻛْﺒَﺮُ ﻛَﺒِﻴﺮًﺍ ﺛَﻠَﺎﺛًﺎ ﺍﻟْﺤَﻤْﺪُ ﻟﻠﻪِ ﻛَﺜِﻴﺮًﺍ ﺛَﻠَﺎﺛًﺎ ﺳُﺒْﺤَﺎﻥَ ﺍﻟﻠﻪِ ﺑُﻜْﺮَﺓً ﻭَﺃَﺻِﻴﻠًﺎ ﺛَﻠَﺎﺛًﺎ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻬُﻢَّ ﺇِﻧِّﻲ ﺃَﻋُﻮﺫُ ﺑِﻚَ ﻣِﻦَ ﺍﻟﺸَّﻴْﻄَﺎﻥِ ﺍﻟﺮَّﺟِﻴﻢِ ﻣِﻦْ ﻫَﻤْﺰِﻩِ ﻭَﻧَﻔْﺨِﻪِ ﻭَﻧَﻔْﺜِﻪِ » (Allah is the Greater, truly the Greatest (thrice); all
praise is due to Allah always (thrice); and all praise is
due to Allah day and night (thrice). O Allah! I seek
refuge with You from the cursed Satan, from his
Hamz, Nafkh and Nafth.).'' `Amr said, "The Hamz
means asphyxiation, the Nafkh means arrogance, and the Nafth means poetry.'' Also, Ibn Majah recorded
that `Ali bin Al-Mundhir said that Ibn Fudayl narrated
that `Ata' bin As-Sa'ib said that Abu `Abdur-Rahman
As-Sulami said that Ibn Mas`ud said that the Prophet
said,
«ﺍﻟﻠَّﻬُﻢَّ ﺇِﻧِّﻲ ﺃَﻋُﻮﺫُ ﺑِﻚَ ﻣِﻦَ ﺍﻟﺸَّﻴﻄَﺎﻥِ ﺍﻟﺮَﺟِﻴﻢِ ﻭَﻫَﻤْﺰِﻩِ ﻭَﻧَﻔْﺨِﻪِ ﻭَﻧَﻔْﺜِﻪِ » (O Allah! I seek refuge with You from the cursed
devil, from his Hamz, Nafkh and Nafth.)
He said, "The Hamz means death, the Nafkh means
arrogance, and the Nafth means poetry.'' Seeking Refuge with Allah when One is Angry In his Musnad, Al-Hafiz Abu Ya`la Ahmad bin `Ali bin
Al-Muthanna Al-Mawsili reported that Ubayy bin Ka`b
said, "Two men disputed with each other in the
presence of the Messenger of Allah and the nose of
one of them became swollen because of extreme
anger. The Messenger of Allah said, « ﺇِﻧِّﻲ ﻟَﺄَﻋْﻠَﻢُ ﺷَﻴْﺌًﺎ ﻟَﻮْ ﻗَﺎﻟَﻪُ ﻟَﺬَﻫَﺐَ ﻋَﻨْﻪُ ﻣَﺎ ﻳَﺠِﺪُ : ﺃَﻋُﻮﺫُ ﺑِﺎﻟﻠﻪِ ﻣِﻦَ ﺍﻟﺸَّﻴْﻄَﺎﻥِ ﺍﻟﺮَّﺟِﻴﻢِ » (I know of some words that if he said them, what he
feels will go away, 'I seek refuge with Allah from the
cursed Satan.')''
An-Nasa'i also recorded this Hadith in his book, Al-
Yawm wal-Laylah.
Al-Bukhari recorded that Sulayman bin Surad said, "Two men disputed in the presence of the Prophet
while we were sitting with him. One of them was
cursing the other fellow and his face turned red due to
anger. The Prophet said,
« ﺇِﻧِّﻲ ﻟَﺄَﻋْﻠَﻢُ ﻛَﻠِﻤَﺔً ﻟَﻮْ ﻗَﺎﻟَﻬَﺎ ﻟَﺬَﻫَﺐَ ﻋَﻨْﻪُ ﻣَﺎ ﻳَﺠِﺪُ، ﻟَﻮْ ﻗَﺎﻝَ : ﺃَﻋُﻮﺫُ ﺑِﺎﻟﻠﻪِ ﻣِﻦَ ﺍﻟﺸَّﻴْﻄَﺎﻥِ ﺍﻟﺮَّﺟِﻴﻢِ » (I know of a statement which if he said it, will make
what he feels disappear, `I seek refuge with Allah
from the cursed Satan.') They said to the man, `Do
you not hear what the Messenger of Allah is saying'
He said, `I am not insane.''' Also, Muslim, Abu Dawud
and An-Nasa'i recorded this Hadith. There are many other Hadiths about seeking refuge
with Allah. One can find this subject in the books on
supplication and the virtues of righteous, good deeds. Is the Isti`adhah (seeking Refuge) required The majority of the scholars state that reciting the
Isti`adhah (in the prayer and when reciting the Qur'an)
is recommended and not required, and therefore, not
reciting it does not constitute a sin. However, Ar-Razi
recorded that `Ata' bin Abi Rabah said that the
Isti`adhah is required in the prayer and when one reads the Qur'an. In support of `Ata's statement, Ar-
Razi relied upon the apparent meaning of the Ayah,
﴿ﻓَﺎﺳْﺘَﻌِﺬْ﴾
(Then seek refuge.) He said that the Ayah contains a
command that requires implementation. Also, the
Prophet always said the Isti`adhah. In addition, the Isti`adhah wards off the evil of Satan, which is
neccessary, the rule is that the means needed to
implement a requirement of the religion is itself also
required. And when one says, "I seek refuge with
Allah from the cursed devil.'' Then this will suffice. Virtues of the Isti`adhah The Isti`adhah cleanses the mouth from the foul
speech that it has indulged in. It also purifies the
mouth and prepares it to recite the speech of Allah.
Further, the Isti`adhah entails seeking Allah's help and
acknowledging His ability to do everything. The
Isti`adhah also affirms the servant's meekness, weakness and inability to face the enemy of his inner
evil, whom Allah alone, Who created this enemy, is
able to repel and defeat. This enemy does not accept
kindness, unlike the human enemy. There are three
Ayat in the Qur'an that affirm this fact. Also, Allah
said, ﴿ﺇِﻥَّ ﻋِﺒَﺎﺩِﻯ ﻟَﻴْﺲَ ﻟَﻚَ ﻋَﻠَﻴْﻬِﻢْ ﺳُﻠْﻄَـﻦٌ ﻭَﻛَﻔَﻰ ﺑِﺮَﺑِّﻚَ ﻭَﻛِﻴﻼً ﴾ (Verily, My servants (i.e. the true believers of Islamic
Monotheism) ـ you have no authority over them. And sufficient is your Lord as a Guardian.) (17:65).
We should state here that the believers, whom the
human enemies kill, become martyrs, while those who
fall victim to the inner enemy - Satan - become
bandits. Further, the believers who are defeated by
the apparent enemy - disbelievers - gain a reward, while those defeated by the inner enemy earn a sin
and become misguided. Since Satan sees man where
man cannot see him, it is befitting that the believers
seek refuge from Satan with Whom Satan cannot see.
The Isti`adhah is a form of drawing closer to Allah and
seeking refuge with Him from the evil of every evil creature. What does Isti`adhah mean Isti`adhah means, "I seek refuge with Allah from the
cursed Satan so that he is prevented from affecting
my religious or worldly affairs, or hindering me from
adhering to what I was commanded, or luring me into
what I was prohibited from.'' Indeed, only Allah is able
to prevent the evil of Satan from touching the son of Adam. This is why Allah allowed us to be lenient and
kind with the human devil, so that his soft nature
might cause him to refrain from the evil he is indulging
in. However, Allah required us to seek refuge with Him
from the evil of Satan, because he neither accepts
bribes nor does kindness affect him, for he is pure evil. Thus, only He Who created Satan is able to stop
his evil. This meaning is reiterated in only three Ayat
in the Qur'an. Allah said in Surat Al-A`raf,
﴿ﺧُﺬِ ﺍﻟْﻌَﻔْﻮَ ﻭَﺃْﻣُﺮْ ﺑِﺎﻟْﻌُﺮْﻑِ ﻭَﺃَﻋْﺮِﺽ ﻋَﻦِ ﺍﻟْﺠَـﻬِﻠِﻴﻦَ ﴾ (Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn
away from the foolish (i.e. don't punish them).) (7:199)
This is about dealing with human beings. He then said
in the same Surah,
﴿ﻭَﺇِﻣَّﺎ ﻳَﻨَﺰَﻏَﻨَّﻚَ ﻣِﻦَ ﺍﻟﺸَّﻴْﻄَـﻦِ ﻧَﺰْﻍٌ ﻓَﺎﺳْﺘَﻌِﺬْ ﺑِﺎﻟﻠَّﻪِ ﺇِﻧَّﻪُ ﺳَﻤِﻴﻊٌ ﻋَﻠِﻴﻢٌ ﴾ (And if an evil whisper comes to you from Shaytan,
then seek refuge with Allah. Verily, He is Hearing,
Knowing (7: 200).)
Allah also said in Surat Al-Mu'minun,
﴿ ﺍﺩْﻓَﻊْ ﺑِﺎﻟَّﺘِﻰ ﻫِﻰَ ﺃَﺣْﺴَﻦُ ﺍﻟﺴَّﻴِّﺌَﺔَ ﻧَﺤْﻦُ ﺃَﻋْﻠَﻢُ ﺑِﻤَﺎ ﻳَﺼِﻔُﻮﻥَ - ﻭَﻗُﻞْ ﺭَّﺏِّ ﺃَﻋُﻮﺫُ ﺑِﻚَ ﻣِﻦْ ﻫَﻤَﺰَﺍﺕِ ﺍﻟﺸَّﻴـﻄِﻴﻦِ - ﻭَﺃَﻋُﻮﺫُ ﺑِﻚَ ﺭَﺏِّ ﺃَﻥ ﻳَﺤْﻀُﺮُﻭﻥِ ﴾ (Repel evil with that which is better. We are Best-
Acquainted with the things they utter. And say: "My
Lord! I seek refuge with You from the whisperings
(suggestions) of the Shayatin (devils). And I seek
refuge with You, My Lord! lest they should come near
me.'' (23:96-98).) Further, Allah said in Surat As-Sajdah,
﴿ﻭَﻻَ ﺗَﺴْﺘَﻮِﻯ ﺍﻟْﺤَﺴَﻨَﺔُ ﻭَﻻَ ﺍﻟﺴَّﻴِّﺌَﺔُ ﺍﺩْﻓَﻊْ ﺑِﺎﻟَّﺘِﻰ ﻫِﻰَ ﺃَﺣْﺴَﻦُ ﻓَﺈِﺫَﺍ ﺍﻟَّﺬِﻯ ﺑَﻴْﻨَﻚَ ﻭَﺑَﻴْﻨَﻪُ ﻋَﺪَﺍﻭَﺓٌ ﻛَﺄَﻧَّﻪُ ﻭَﻟِﻰٌّ ﺣَﻤِﻴﻢٌ - ﻭَﻣَﺎ ﻳُﻠَﻘَّﺎﻫَﺎ ﺇِﻻَّ ﺍﻟَّﺬِﻳﻦَ ﺻَﺒَﺮُﻭﺍْ ﻭَﻣَﺎ ﻳُﻠَﻘَّﺎﻫَﺂ ﺇِﻻَّ ﺫُﻭ ﺣَﻆِّ ﻋَﻈِﻴﻢٍ - ﻭَﺇِﻣَّﺎ ﻳَﻨﺰَﻏَﻨَّﻚَ ﻣِﻦَ ﺍﻟﺸَّﻴْﻄَـﻦِ ﻧَﺰْﻍٌ ﻓَﺎﺳْﺘَﻌِﺬْ ﺑِﺎﻟﻠَّﻪِ ﺇِﻧَّﻪُ ﻫُﻮَ ﺍﻟﺴَّﻤِﻴﻊُ ﺍﻟْﻌَﻠِﻴﻢُ ﴾ (The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal.
Repel (the evil) with one which is better, then verily
he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will
become) as though he was a close friend. But none is
granted it (the above quality) except those who are
patient ـ and none is granted it except the owner of the great portion (of happiness in the Hereafter, i.e.
Paradise and of a high moral character) in this world.
And if an evil whisper from Shaytan tries to turn you
away (from doing good), then seek refuge in Allah.
Verily, He is the Hearing, the Knowing) (41:34-36). Why the Devil is called Shaytan In the Arabic language, Shaytan is derived from
Shatana, which means the far thing. Hence, the
Shaytan has a different nature than mankind, and his
sinful ways are far away from every type of
righteousness. It was also said that Shaytan is
derived from Shata, (literally `burned'), because it was created from fire. Some scholars said that both
meanings are correct, although they state that the
first meaning is more plausible. Further, Siybawayh
(the renowned Arab linguistic) said, "The Arabs say,
`So-and-so has Tashaytan,' when he commits the act
of the devils. If Shaytan was derived from Shata, they would have said, Tashayyata (rather than
Tashaytan).'' Hence, Shaytan is derived from the word
that means, far away. This is why they call those who
are rebellious (or mischievous) from among the Jinns
and mankind a `Shaytan'. Allah said,
﴿ﻭَﻛَﺬَﻟِﻚَ ﺟَﻌَﻠْﻨَﺎ ﻟِﻜُﻞِّ ﻧِﺒِﻰٍّ ﻋَﺪُﻭّﺍً ﺷَﻴَـﻄِﻴﻦَ ﺍﻹِﻧْﺲِ ﻭَﺍﻟْﺠِﻦِّ ﻳُﻮﺣِﻰ ﺑَﻌْﻀُﻬُﻢْ ﺇِﻟَﻰ ﺑَﻌْﺾٍ ﺯُﺧْﺮُﻑَ ﺍﻟْﻘَﻮْﻝِ ﻏُﺮُﻭﺭﺍً﴾ (And so We have appointed for every Prophet
enemies ـ Shayatin (devils) among mankind and Jinn, inspiring one another with adorned speech as a
delusion (or by way of deception)) (6:112).
In addition, the Musnad by Imam Ahmad records that
Abu Dharr said that the Messenger of Allah said,
«ﻳَﺎ ﺃَﺑَﺎ ﺫَﺭَ ﺗَﻌَﻮَّﺫْ ﺑِﺎﻟﻠﻪِ ﻣِﻦْ ﺷَﻴَﺎﻃِﻴﻦِ ﺍﻟْﺈِﻧْﺲِ ﻭَﺍﻟْﺠِﻦِّ» (O Abu Dharr! Seek refuge with Allah from the devils
of mankind and the Jinns.) Abu Dharr said, "I asked
him , `Are there human devils' He said, (Yes.)''
Furthermore, it is recorded in Sahih Muslim that Abu
Dharr said that the Messenger of Allah said,
«ﻳَﻘْﻄَﻊُ ﺍﻟﺼَّﻠَﺎﺓَ ﺍﻟْﻤَﺮْﺃَﺓُ ﻭَﺍﻟْﺤِﻤَﺎﺭُ ﻭَﺍﻟْﻜَﻠْﺐُ ﺍﻟْﺄَﺳْﻮَﺩُ» (The woman, the donkey and the black dog interrupt
the prayer (if they pass in front of those who do not
pray behind a Sutrah, i.e. a barrier).) Abu Dharr said,
"I said, `What is the difference between the black dog
and the red or yellow dog' He said,
«ﺍﻟْﻜَﻠْﺐُ ﺍﻟْﺄَﺳْﻮَﺩُ ﺷَﻴْﻄَﺎﻥٌ» (The black dog is a devil.).''
Also, Ibn Jarir At-Tabari recorded that `Umar bin Al-
Khattab once rode a Berthawn (huge camel) which
started to proceed arrogantly. `Umar kept striking the
animal, but the animal kept walking in an arrogant
manner. `Umar dismounted the animal and said, "By Allah! You have carried me on a Shaytan. I did not
come down from it until after I had felt something
strange in my heart.'' This Hadith has an authentic
chain of narrators. The Meaning of Ar-Rajim Ar-Rajim means, being expelled from all types of
righteousness. Allah said,
﴿ﻭَﻟَﻘَﺪْ ﺯَﻳَّﻨَّﺎ ﺍﻟﺴَّﻤَﺂﺀَ ﺍﻟﺪُّﻧْﻴَﺎ ﺑِﻤَﺼَـﺒِﻴﺢَ ﻭَﺟَﻌَﻠْﻨَـﻬَﺎ ﺭُﺟُﻮﻣﺎً ﻟِّﻠﺸَّﻴَـﻄِﻴﻦِ ﴾ (And indeed We have adorned the nearest heaven
with lamps, and We have made such lamps Rujuman
(as missiles) to drive away the Shayatin (devils))
(67:5).
Allah also said,
﴿ ﺇِﻧَّﺎ ﺯَﻳَّﻨَّﺎ ﺍﻟﺴَّﻤَﺂﺀَ ﺍﻟﺪُّﻧْﻴَﺎ ﺑِﺰِﻳﻨَﺔٍ ﺍﻟْﻜَﻮَﻛِﺐِ - ﻭَﺣِﻔْﻈﺎً ﻣِّﻦ ﻛُﻞِّ ﺷَﻴْﻄَـﻦٍ ﻣَّﺎﺭِﺩٍ - ﻻَّ ﻳَﺴَّﻤَّﻌُﻮﻥَ ﺇِﻟَﻰ ﺍﻟْﻤَﻺِ ﺍﻻٌّﻋْﻠَﻰ ﻭَﻳُﻘْﺬَﻓُﻮﻥَ ﻣِﻦ ﻛُﻞِّ ﺟَﺎﻧِﺐٍ - ﺩُﺣُﻮﺭﺍً ﻭَﻟَﻬُﻢْ ﻋَﺬﺍﺏٌ ﻭَﺍﺻِﺐٌ - ﺇِﻻَّ ﻣَﻦْ ﺧَﻄِﻒَ ﺍﻟْﺨَﻄْﻔَﺔَ ﻓَﺄَﺗْﺒَﻌَﻪُ ﺷِﻬَﺎﺏٌ ﺛَﺎﻗِﺐٌ ﴾ (Verily, We have adorned the near heaven with the
stars (for beauty). And to guard against every
rebellious devil. They cannot listen to the higher group
(angels) for they are pelted from every side. Outcast,
and theirs is a constant (or painful) torment. Except
such as snatch away something by stealing, and they are pursued by a flaming fire of piercing brightness)
(37:6-10).
Further, Allah said,
﴿ ﻭَﻟَﻘَﺪْ ﺟَﻌَﻠْﻨَﺎ ﻓِﻰ ﺍﻟﺴَّﻤَﺎﺀِ ﺑُﺮُﻭﺟًﺎ ﻭَﺯَﻳَّﻨَّـﻬَﺎ ﻟِﻠﻨَّـﻈِﺮِﻳﻦَ - ﻭَﺣَﻔِﻈْﻨَـﻬَﺎ ﻣِﻦ ﻛُﻞِّ ﺷَﻴْﻄَـﻦٍ ﺭَّﺟِﻴﻢٍ - ﺇِﻻَّ ﻣَﻦِ ﺍﺳْﺘَﺮَﻕَ ﺍﻟﺴَّﻤْﻊَ ﻓَﺄَﺗْﺒَﻌَﻪُ ﺷِﻬَﺎﺏٌ ﻣُّﺒِﻴﻦٌ ﴾ (And indeed, We have put the big stars in the heaven
and We beautified it for the beholders. And We have
guarded it (near heaven) from every Shaytan Rajim
(outcast Shaytan). Except him (devil) who steals the
hearing then he is pursued by a clear flaming fire.)
(15:16-18). There are several similar Ayat. It was also said that
Rajim means, the person who throws or bombards
things, because the devil throws doubts and evil
thoughts in people's hearts. The first meaning is more
popular and accurate. Bismillah is the First Ayah of Al-Fatihah The Companions started the Book of Allah with
Bismillah