Written transcript of the lecture
The Meshkat-e Noor teachings series🌼🔆🌼The Comprehensive Protective Invocation🌼🔆🌼
🌹🔅☘️ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحيمِ ☘️🔅🌹
🔅🌹 “The Media of Satan,” “The Scope of Planning,” “Planning for One’s Progeny,” “Continued Commentary on Supplication 20,” “Continued Planning Against the Enemy,” and More: An Outline with Supplementary Material 1405.06.19 Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat) 110.141 (903) 🌹🔅
✨ 🌸 💫 اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ فِي رُوعِي💫 🌸 ✨
☘️🌹مِنَ التَّمَنِّي وَ التَّظَنِّي وَ الْحَسَدِ🌹☘️
🌹🌷💫🕋💫🌷🌹
🤲 💫🌙 ذِكْراً لِعَظَمَتِكَ، وَ تَفَكُّراً فِي قُدْرَتِكَ، وَ تَدْبِيراً عَلَى عَدُوِّك 💫🌙 🤲
💫🌹💫
✅Continuation of “تَدْبِيراً عَلَى عَدُوِّك”
📜 Introduction
The treatise before you continues the discussions accompanying our commentary on passage 13 of Supplication 20. It is the fruit of reflection and contemplation on “comprehensive planning against the enemy of God.”
“اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ فِي رُوعِي مِنَ التَّمَنِّي وَ التَّظَنِّي وَ الْحَسَدِ ذِكْراً لِعَظَمَتِكَ، وَ تَفَكُّراً فِي قُدْرَتِكَ، وَ تَدْبِيراً عَلَى عَدُوِّك”
This supplication offers a roadmap for confronting the enemy of God at every level and in every dimension. In this treatise, we have sought to develop that roadmap and explain the various dimensions of “planning” in the face of the enemies of God: the jinn and humankind, the commanding self, and Satan the accursed.
What distinguishes this text from other writings is its “strategic” and “comprehensive” approach to recognizing and opposing the enemy. The enemy of God is the enemy of all existence; confronting him requires comprehensive planning that encompasses every spatial, temporal, and ethnic dimension. Accordingly, this treatise seeks to move beyond purely moral exhortations and offer practical, strategic approaches to confronting the enemy of God.
We hope this brief work will be accepted in the presence of God and serve as a step toward strengthening the camp of truth against the camp of falsehood.
📝 Preface
The importance of “planning against the enemy of God”
In a monotheistic worldview, all existence is a battlefield between the camp of truth and the camp of falsehood. On the one hand, God Most High, as Absolute Truth, has set out for humanity the path to perfection and felicity. On the other, Satan and his armies, from among the jinn and humankind, seek to lead people astray and turn them from the straight path.
This struggle is not merely an outward, material battle; it extends to every dimension of human existence—from breast, heart, and mind to blood, breath, and deeds. In this arena, then, “planning”—that is, thought, design, and strategy—is an unavoidable necessity.
The place of Supplication 20 in al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya
Supplication 20 of al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya, known as the “Supplication for Noble Character Traits,” is one of Imam Sajjad’s most comprehensive supplications. In one passage, the Imam asks God Most High:
“اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ فِي رُوعِي مِنَ التَّمَنِّي وَ التَّظَنِّي وَ الْحَسَدِ ذِكْراً لِعَظَمَتِكَ، وَ تَفَكُّراً فِي قُدْرَتِكَ، وَ تَدْبِيراً عَلَى عَدُوِّك”
This luminous passage teaches us that even satanic promptings can be turned into an opportunity: “wishful thinking,” “suspicion,” and “envy” can be transformed into “remembrance of God’s greatness,” “reflection on God’s power,” and “planning against the enemy of God.”
Structure of This Treatise
This treatise is arranged in several chapters and sections:
Chapter One: Foundational Concepts — This chapter distinguishes between concepts such as “the enemy of God” and “a human enemy,” “seeking refuge” and “protective invocation,” “legitimate psychological warfare,” and “retaliation in kind.”
Chapter Two: Doctrinal Foundations — This chapter examines monotheism as the supreme weapon, the limits of Satan’s power, and the principle of justice in the struggle.
Chapter Three: Comprehensive Planning — This chapter explores how to extend the scope of planning across spatial, temporal, and ethnic dimensions, as well as planning for one’s progeny and future generations.
Chapter Four: Operational Planning — This chapter presents practical approaches for weakening the enemy, exposing him, engaging in legitimate psychological warfare, and keeping the enemy’s mind occupied.
Chapter Five: The Fortress of Protective Invocation — This chapter presents and analyzes an example of a “mighty fortress of protective invocation,” based on Supplication 20 of al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya.
Appendices — The appendices include Riyad al-Salikin’s commentary on Supplication 20 and statements by Allama Majlisi, may God have mercy on him, in his interpretation of verses concerning Satan.
Methodology
The methodology of this treatise combines:
A transmitted-text approach: citing verses of the Holy Qur’an and traditions from the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them.
An analytical approach: examining concepts and distinguishing them from one another.
A strategic approach: offering practical, strategic ways to confront the enemy of God.
Audience
This treatise is written for all those concerned with striving in the way of God and confronting His enemies: from seminary students and students of religious studies to believers generally who wish to be equipped with “planning” in the greater and lesser struggles.
Final Word
God’s enemy is an enemy of all creation. Anyone who is not an enemy of God must not be treated as one; otherwise, we ourselves become God’s enemies. Our enemy should be regarded as such only because he has defied God’s law. So let us protect ourselves, our descendants, and all creation from God’s enemies through “comprehensive strategy” and “broad-reaching protection.”
📖 Introduction
1. Defining the Issue
“Enemy” is one of the most central concepts in the Noble Quran and Islamic traditions. God Almighty says in the Quran:
«إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَاتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوًّا» (Fāṭir: 6)
“Surely Satan is your enemy, so take him as an enemy.”
And elsewhere:
«مَنْ كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِلَّهِ وَ مَلَائِكَتِهِ وَ رُسُلِهِ وَ جِبْرِيلَ وَ مِيكَالَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَدُوٌّ لِلْكَافِرِينَ» (al-Baqara: 98)
“Whoever is an enemy of God, His angels, His messengers, Gabriel, and Michael is (an unbeliever, and) God is the enemy of the unbelievers.”
These verses, along with dozens of others, show that recognizing and opposing the enemy are among the central concerns of the Islamic worldview.
But the fundamental questions are: Who is the enemy? And how should we act against the enemy?
2. The Need for Strategy
“Strategy” means thinking through and devising a plan to achieve a goal. In the struggle against God’s enemy, it means designing and carrying out measures that make a person resilient against God’s enemies and enable them to prevail.
In his twentieth supplication in al-Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādiyya, Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) says:
«اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ فِي رُوعِي مِنَ التَّمَنِّي وَ التَّظَنِّي وَ الْحَسَدِ ذِكْراً لِعَظَمَتِكَ، وَ تَفَكُّراً فِي قُدْرَتِكَ، وَ تَدْبِيراً عَلَى عَدُوِّك»
This supplication teaches us that “devising a strategy against God’s enemy” is one of the three principal aims toward which we should redirect Satanic temptations.
3. Dimensions of a Comprehensive Strategy
A “comprehensive strategy” means extending strategic thinking across every dimension:
a) Spatial: extending its geographical reach from oneself to all creation.
b) Temporal: extending its reach across time—from the past through the present and into the future, including future generations.
c) Ethnic: extending its reach across peoples and communities, from oneself to all ethnic groups, while also taking account of enemies beyond the human realm.
d) Existential: addressing every dimension of human existence—from body, spirit, blood, and self to thought and action.
4. Recognizing the Enemy
An enemy of God is one who has defied God’s law. This defiance can take different forms:
In belief: denying God’s oneness, prophethood, and the Resurrection.
In conduct: committing injustice and violating the rights of others.
In society: waging war against God and His Messenger, and spreading corruption on earth.
In personal life: acting arrogantly and rebelliously, and neglecting worship.
God’s enemies come in many kinds and from many quarters: from “human enemies” to “the lower self,” “Satan,” “venomous creatures,” “predators,” “microbes,” “viruses,” and more. None should be overlooked.
5. Recognizing Satan
Satan is humanity’s sworn enemy. His influence is all-encompassing:
He whispers into the breast, then courses through the blood.
He roams and dwells in the heart, brain, and thoughts.
He even gains control of the nervous system.
And he shares in one’s wealth and children.
External enemies, too, conquer hearts and minds before taking territory. They can even affect a person’s body, spirit, blood, and breathing. To exert a deeper influence, the enemy contaminates people’s water, bread, medicine, and food; sometimes he approaches under the guise of science and humanitarian aid.
6. Strategies for Resistance
The following strategies are essential in confronting God’s enemy:
a) Knowledge-based strategy: presenting the rationale for one’s strategy to God, extending its reach across every front, understanding the extent of Satan’s influence, and planning against hidden schemes.
b) Strategy for one’s offspring: seeking God’s protection for one’s descendants from Satan’s harm, in light of the traditions concerning Satan’s “touch” at birth.
c) The fortress of protective prayers: building a fortress of protective prayers and seeking refuge in God, to shield oneself and one’s surroundings from every kind of enemy.
d) A strategy to weaken the enemy: reducing the enemy’s capabilities, limiting the harm he can cause, creating distance between the enemy and his resources, making supply routes more difficult, and sowing discord among his troops and followers.
e) Undermining the enemy’s standing: raising the morale of oneself and one’s allies, diminishing the enemy in their eyes, and intensifying legitimate psychological warfare against him.
f) Making use of golden opportunities: making the most of special times such as Ramadan, the Nights of Qadr, the Day of ʿArafa, and the ten nights, to strengthen both inner and outward resources and strike at the enemy.
7. Summary
From passivity to action: A believer should not merely seek refuge in God from Satan’s harm, but actively confront him through “proactive strategy”—including self-improvement, keeping the enemy occupied, exposing him, and weakening him militarily and psychologically.
A deeper understanding of the enemy: Satan influences not only thought but also the bloodstream, the breast, wealth, and offspring. External enemies—the oppressors—share these same characteristics.
The greatest weapon is divine oneness and intimate communion with God: all the arts of strategy—including the supplications of Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him)—are means of activating the weapon of “tawhid.” Through seeking refuge in God, remembrance, bringing their grievances before Him, and taking shelter in the “fortress of protective supplications,” those devoted to tawhid become unconquerable.
The Greater Jihad is the foundation of the Lesser Jihad: the most effective strategy against an enemy is “purifying the self.” A purified self is “a paradise for the soul and a hell for the devils.” Without this inner reform, any outward strategy remains incomplete.
A vision of spiritual growth: the ultimate aim is not simply to destroy the enemy, but to turn threats into opportunities for growth—transforming temptation into remembrance and reflection—and to attain a station where even the enemy is safe from our injustice, while the friend gives up hope of indulging our desires.
📋 Structured Summary
A Comprehensive Strategy Against the Enemy of God
(Based on the Twentieth Supplication of al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya)
🔹 A) Research Profile
| Title | An Analysis and Explanation of “A Comprehensive Strategy Against the Enemy of God,” with Reference to the Twentieth Supplication of al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya |
| Central Question | What is a comprehensive strategy against the enemy of God, and what are its dimensions, foundations and approaches? |
| Method | Descriptive-analytical, using a library-based approach |
| Primary Sources | The Noble Qur’an, al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya, al-Kafi, Sharh Riyad al-Salikin, Bihar al-Anwar |
| Main Hypothesis | The comprehensive strategy in the Twentieth Supplication rests on three principles: “tawhid, justice and mercy.” |
Structure: 5 chapters + 2 appendices
🔹 B) Main Findings (in 10 themes)
Theme 1: Distinguishing Among Enemies
| Type of enemy | Nature | Strategic response |
| Enemy of God | Intrinsic and fundamental (waging war against God) | Offensive-defensive strategy |
| Human enemy | Contingent and non-fundamental (political or economic disagreement) | Defensive and conciliatory strategy |
| The commanding self | Inner enemy (أَعْدَى عَدُوٍّ لَكَ) | Inner strategy (spiritual struggle) |
Principle: Anyone who is not an enemy of God must not be treated as one; otherwise, we ourselves become enemies of God.
Theme 2: Distinguishing Among Forms of Seeking Protection
| Concept | Definition | Ruling |
| Seeking refuge | Taking refuge in God | Permissible |
| Protective supplications | Reciting transmitted supplications | Permissible |
| Protective supplications (fabricated invocations) | With the belief that they possess inherent power | Impermissible |
| The fortress of protective supplications | Seeking refuge + supplication + remembrance + righteous action + reliance on God | Permissible (subject to five conditions) |
The five conditions for a permissible fortress of protective supplications: foundation (seeking refuge) — content (transmitted supplications) — action (righteous) — reliance (on God) — authorization (under Islamic law).
Theme 3: Legitimate Psychological Warfare
| Criterion | Permissible | Impermissible |
| Basis | Truth | Lies and slander |
| Aim | Warning, strengthening the camp of truth, confusing the enemy | Sowing destruction, venting spite, causing harm |
| Method | Exposing the oppressor’s injustice | False accusations, spreading rumors |
Theme 4: Proportionate Response Versus Vengefulness
| Concept | Definition | Ruling | Evidence |
| Proportionate response | A proportionate reply | Permissible | Qur’an 2:194 |
| Vengefulness | Disproportionate response | Forbidden | Al-Baqarah: 190 |
| Forgiveness | Forbearance (when there is repentance) | Recommended | Al-Baqarah: 237 |
| Excellence | Repaying evil with good | Recommended | Fussilat: 34 |
**Axis 5: Foundational Beliefs (3 Principles)**
| Principle | Explanation | Source |
| Oneness of God | The supreme weapon; those who affirm God’s oneness are invincible | “وَسِيلَتِي إِلَيْكَ التَّوْحِيدُ” |
| The Limits of Satan’s Power | He whispers but does not compel; he has no power over the sincere | Al-Nisa’: 76; Al-Hijr: 40 |
| Justice | Action must be proportionate and just | Al-Ma’idah: 8 |
**Axis 6: Broadening the Scope of Planning (Comprehensiveness)**
| Dimension | Scope |
| Spatial | From oneself to the entire universe |
| Temporal | From the past to the present, the future, and generations to come |
| Ethnic | From oneself to all peoples and ethnic groups |
| Existential | Body, spirit, blood, self, thought, action |
Rule: Whoever is an enemy of God is an enemy of the entire universe.
**Axis 7: Planning for One’s Descendants**
A narration from Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him): Satan lies in wait from the moment of birth.
Through the blessing of *wilayah*, the followers of the Household of the Prophet are protected.
A newborn’s crying is a sign of the initial struggle.
Conclusion: From this very moment, let us implore our Lord’s grace for our descendants.
**Axis 8: Operational Strategies (5 Strategies)**
| Strategy | Action |
| Weakening | Restricting resources, making communication difficult, sowing discord |
| Undermining Reputation | Diminishing their standing, intensifying legitimate psychological warfare |
| Exposing | Revealing flaws, lifting the veil of hypocrisy and deceit |
| Obstructing Their Path | Creating obstacles, keeping secrets undisclosed, remaining unpredictable |
| Impenetrable Shield | “وَ حُلْ بَيْنِي وَ بَيْنَ عَدُوٍّ يُضِلُّنِي” |
**Axis 9: Planning During the Golden Hours**
Times: Ramadan, the Nights of Decree, the Day of Arafah, and the ten nights.
Key feature: The enemy’s power is constrained; this is a leap-forward opportunity to build strength and strike.
Action: Reflect, decide, plan, act.
**Axis 10: Final Summary (5 Points)**
| Point | Explanation |
| From Passivity to Action | A believer should not merely seek refuge; they must also plan and act proactively. |
| Deep Understanding of the Enemy | Satan infiltrates one’s thoughts, blood, breast, possessions, and children. |
| The Supreme Weapon | Oneness of God and intimate prayer. |
| The Greater Struggle | Reforming the self is the foundation of the lesser struggle. |
| A Vision of Growth | Turning threats into opportunities for growth. |
🔹 **C) Final Conclusion**
Comprehensive planning against the enemy of God rests on the three pillars of “Oneness of God–Justice–Mercy”:
Oneness of God — the supreme weapon and primary means.
Justice — the standard for struggle (proportionate response, not revenge).
Mercy — the ultimate goal (turning threats into opportunities, not merely destroying).
**Final Formula:**
Comprehensive planning = precise understanding of the enemy + foundations in divine oneness + just strategies + the fortress of legitimate protective invocations + the greater struggle.
🔹 **D) Practical Recommendations**
| Number | Recommendation |
| 1 | Promoting the culture of “comprehensive strategic planning” through training courses |
| 2 | Strengthening the “amulet fortress” by explaining its five conditions |
| 3 | Teaching “legitimate psychological warfare” through clear criteria |
| 4 | Further research based on other supplications in al-Sahifa |
| 5 | Drafting a “practical guide” to the amulet fortress |
And peace be upon whoever follows guidance
✅Section: Comprehensive strategic planning against the enemy! Expand the scope of your planning!
Strategic planning across the full breadth of space, time and race!
Someone is truly an enemy only if they defy God’s law—and thereby become an enemy of God!
✅ Extend your strategic planning from yourself to the whole world
An enemy of God is an enemy of all existence!
You must not take someone as an enemy if they are not an enemy of God, or you will become an enemy of God yourself!
You should regard someone as your enemy only because they have defied divine law. Their wronging you means they have strayed from divine law by failing to treat you justly. They have also wronged others, all of existence, and even themselves—for example, by neglecting prayer or rejecting faith.
💫Know that every particle, element and cell of your being, along with your very essence, is vulnerable to harm!
So protect all of your own history and the whole world, across every place and time, with comprehensive safeguards!
In planning your defence against the enemy, involve all of existence; even bring the future into it, including your own descendants and those of other creatures!
Your enemies come from many kinds and quarters; you must not overlook any of them! You must devise a plan for each, from “human enemies to the lower self, Satan, venomous creatures, predators, microbes, viruses, and so on.”
❇️An enemy of God should be kept occupied with himself and his proper concerns
Turn the enemy of God’s thoughts away from you, so that he cannot think about you!
Invent engaging mental and practical distractions for the enemy of God, so that he has no opportunity to cause mischief for you or others!
The enemy of God should become “deaf, dumb and blind” to you.
❇️Silence the enemy of God
Silence the enemy of God’s tongue. The media, rumours and insinuations are the voice of your enemy, more dangerous than any weapon, because they can turn your friends into your enemies. They are also powerful tools for undermining morale, spreading fear and deceiving people.
The enemy of God’s tongue is more dangerous than a snake’s bite!
Just as the tongue is the source of most sins, the enemy’s tongue is the source of most calamities!
If you can control your enemy’s tongue, you will have brought much of his hostility under control!
❇️The media of insinuation
The medium of the heart, which manifests itself as insinuation, is more dangerous than either virtual or physical media. This medium of insinuation operates through sorcery, occult practices, sinister psychological techniques, psychological manipulation, suggestion and conditioning. To strengthen its influence, it makes use of public and private media, both virtual and physical!
❇️Spiritual poisoning
Causing blood and spiritual poisoning through psychoactive substances and mind-altering waves!
❇️Comprehensive shield
Build a fortress of amulets and protect yourself and your surroundings from every kind of enemy!
Strengthen your seeking of refuge through prudent action!
✳️Section – Knowledge-centred strategic planning
✅1 Explain the reason for your plan to the One you worship
Although the One you worship knows everything hidden and manifest about you, presenting your actions and the way you respond turns your attention towards the All-Knowing, All-Wise God.
This is a form of worship and a kind of intimate prayer to the One you worship!
It is also a way of seeking help from the sacred presence, so that your planning may be corrected and strengthened.
By presenting your plan in this way, you reflect on the action you intend to take and give it a divine purpose.
No elevated plan bears fruit without God’s remembrance, name and permission.
Any action undertaken with His guidance, power and knowledge cannot be defeated!
By setting out your reasons before Allah, who needs no argument, you increase your own merit! The Almighty Lord loves such earnest pleading and insistence! Every form of intimacy with God is beautiful!
✅2 The scope of strategic planning
Consider the different dimensions of the struggle against the enemy of God. On every front—“military, political, economic, cultural, psychological, and so on”—put the appropriate plans into action.
Make the study of the enemy a specialist field. Strengthen your defensive and offensive systems against every scheme, stratagem, deception and technique!
✅3 The reach of Satan’s influence and strategic planning
As for Satan, know that his influence is all-encompassing: it extends from insinuations in the breast to coursing through the blood, moving about and taking up residence in the heart, brain and thoughts, gaining control over the nervous system, and sharing in one’s wealth and children!
The external enemy, too, conquers the heart and mind before taking a land. It even affects your body and soul, your blood and your breathing!
To exert a deep influence, the enemy will contaminate your water, bread, medicine and food. Perhaps it will come to you under the guise of science and humanitarian aid. It will even pollute your air and water!
Arrows made of cigarettes, smoked and edible drugs, and mental, wave-based and sorcerous weapons!
✅4 Strategies against hidden plots
The enemy of God will embolden you to commit indecencies and make them attractive and alluring to you, so as to undermine your foundations and deprive you of your spiritual and material strength.
The enemy of God will keep you from doing good deeds! It will lay out a free feast of desires before you, for worldly appetites will distance you from your great Lord and weaken your resolve.
The enemy of God will strive to spread doubts, to leave you confused.
Each satanic scheme must be met with an appropriate strategy!
❇️Section: Strategies for one’s offspring
💫🔆عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ ع قَالَ: مَا مِنْ مَوْلُودٍ يُولَدُ إِلَّا وَ إِبْلِيسٌ مِنَ الْأَبَالِسَةِ بِحَضْرَتِهِ فَإِنْ عَلِمَ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ مِنْ شِيعَتِنَا حَجَبَهُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الشَّيْطَانِ وَ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مِنْ شِيعَتِنَا أَثْبَتَ الشَّيْطَانُ إِصْبَعَهُ السَّبَّابَةَ فِي دُبُرِهِ فَكَانَ مَأْبُوناً فَإِنْ كَانَ امْرَأَةً أَثْبَتَ فِي فَرْجِهَا فَكَانَتْ فَاجِرَةً فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ يَبْكِي الصَّبِيُّ بُكَاءً شَدِيداً إِذَا هُوَ خَرَجَ مِنْ بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ وَ اللَّهُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ يَمْحُو ما يَشاءُ وَ يُثْبِتُ وَ عِنْدَهُ أُمُّ الْكِتاب[1]
💫 It is narrated from Imam al-Sadiq (AS) that he said:
“No child is born without one of the devils being present at the time of its birth.
If God knows that the child is one of our Shi‘a, He conceals the child from that devil and keeps it safe.
But if the child is not one of our Shi‘a, the devil inserts its index finger into the child’s anus, and the child becomes ‘maʾbūn’ (afflicted with anal pain—inclined to sodomy).
If the child is a girl, it inserts its finger into her vagina, and she becomes ‘fājira’ (a woman of ill repute).
At that moment, the child cries bitterly as it emerges from its mother’s womb.
After that, God erases or confirms whatever He wills, and with Him is ‘Umm al-Kitāb’ (the Preserved Tablet).”
Explanation and illumination:
1. The devil’s presence at birth:
This narration stresses that the devil whispers to people from the moment they are born, and shows that the devil seeks to gain influence over every human being.
2. The protection of the Shi‘a of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) from the devil:
If a newborn is among the true Shi‘a of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS), God protects the child from the devil’s evil.
This is a blessing of devotion to and love for the Ahl al-Bayt (AS), which places a person under divine protection from birth.
3. The devil’s influence on those who are not Shi‘a:
If a newborn is not among the Shi‘a of the Ahl al-Bayt, the devil inserts its finger into the child’s anus (if a boy) or vagina (if a girl).
This is an allusion to the devil’s influence in inclining people towards sin and corruption, not a literal physical touch.
4. The newborn’s intense crying:
The newborn cries because it senses the devil’s presence and its attempt to gain influence.
5. Erasure and confirmation, and “Umm al-Kitāb”:
After a person is born, God changes that person’s ultimate destiny (erasure and confirmation); this relates to human free will and divine will.
“Umm al-Kitāb” means the Preserved Tablet, in which the ultimate destiny of all people is recorded.
💎 The narration’s special message:
The devil lies in wait for people from the moment they are born, seeking to gain influence over them.
Through the blessing of devotion to the Ahl al-Bayt (AS), their Shi‘a are protected from this influence.
A newborn’s cry is a sign of this initial struggle.
Humanity’s ultimate destiny is determined by free will and divine will.
This narration emphasizes the importance of faith and wilāya in being saved from the evil of Satan.
Even now, we must implore the grace of the Almighty to protect our offspring!
We must not lose sight of the enemy’s evil, nor neglect to seek refuge with God!
❇️Satan’s Touch
💫🔆وَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ص مَا مِنْ مَوْلُودٍ يُولَدُ إِلَّا وَ الشَّيْطَانُ يَمَسُّهُ حِينَ يُولَدُ فَيَسْتَهِلُّ مِنْ مَسِّهِ إِلَّا مَرْيَمَ وَ ابْنَهَا. [2]
💫 It is narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said:
“Every newborn is touched by Satan at the moment of birth, and this touch makes the infant cry out and weep – except Mary and her son (Jesus), who are protected from it.”
Explanation and clarification:
1. Satan’s touch at birth:
This is not a physical, tangible touch, but an inward penetration and a hidden satanic influence that affects a person in the very first moments of life.
A newborn’s intense crying is a sign of this initial influence.
2. The exception of Mary and Jesus (AS):
The Virgin Mary (SA) and Jesus (AS) were protected from this satanic touch because:
Mary (SA) was placed under God’s protection through the prayer her mother, the wife of ʿImrān, offered to Him:
“وَ إِنِّي أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَ ذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ” (Āl ʿImrān: 36).
Jesus (AS), by virtue of his innate purity and infallibility, was immune to this influence.
3. The narration’s message:
All people are exposed to Satan’s temptations from birth, except those whom God has protected through the blessing of prayer and infallibility.
Seeking refuge in God is the way to be saved from these temptations, and it is a practice recommended in the Qur’an.
💎 The narration’s particular message:
From the very beginning of life, Satan lies in wait for people, seeking to gain influence over them.
Only those under God’s protection remain safe from this influence.
This narration emphasizes the importance of seeking refuge in God and the role of prayer in protecting people from Satan’s evil.
✅ (Example) The Great Fortress of Seeking Refuge
💫🔆 (6) وَ أَعِذْنِي وَ ذُرِّيَّتِي مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ، وَ مِنْ شَرِّ السَّامَّةِ وَ الْهَامَّةِ و الْعَامَّةِ وَ اللَّامَّةِ، وَ مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ مَرِيدٍ، وَ مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ سُلْطَانٍ عَنِيدٍ، وَ مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ مُتْرَفٍ حَفِيدٍ، وَ مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ ضَعِيفٍ وَ شَدِيدٍ، وَ مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ شَرِيفٍ وَ وَضِيعٍ، وَ مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ صَغِيرٍ وَ كَبِيرٍ، وَ مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ قَرِيبٍ وَ بَعِيدٍ، وَ مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ مَنْ نَصَبَ لِرَسُولِكَ وَ لِأَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ حَرْباً مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَ الْإِنْسِ، وَ مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ دَابَّةٍ أَنْتَ آخِذٌ بِناصِيَتِها، إِنَّكَ عَلى صِراطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ. (7) اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ، وَ مَنْ أَرَادَنِي بِسُوءٍ فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي، وَ ادْحَرْ عَنِّي مَكْرَهُ، وَ ادْرَأْ عَنِّي شَرَّهُ، وَ رُدَّ كَيْدَهُ فِي نَحْرِهِ. (8) وَ اجْعَلْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ سُدّاً حَتَّى تُعْمِيَ عَنِّي بَصَرَهُ، وَ تُصِمَّ عَنْ ذِكْرِي سَمْعَهُ، وَ تُقْفِلَ دُونَ إِخْطَارِي قَلْبَهُ، وَ تُخْرِسَ عَنِّي لِسَانَهُ، وَ تَقْمَعَ رَأْسَهُ، وَ تُذِلَّ عِزَّهُ، وَ تَكْسُرَ جَبَرُوتَهُ، وَ تُذِلَّ رَقَبَتَهُ، وَ تَفْسَخَ كِبْرَهُ، وَ تُؤْمِنَنِي مِنْ جَمِيعِ ضَرِّهِ وَ شَرِّهِ وَ غَمْزِهِ وَ هَمْزِهِ وَ لَمْزِهِ وَ حَسَدِهِ وَ عَدَاوَتِهِ وَ حَبَائِلِهِ وَ مَصَايِدِهِ وَ رَجِلِهِ وَ خَيْلِهِ، إِنَّكَ عَزِيزٌ قَدِيرٌ.[3]
🔆 Protect me and my children from Satan, the accursed, and from the harm of every venomous creature, every harmful being, every fault-finder, every calamity and hardship; from every rebellious devil, every stubborn ruler, every pampered wrongdoer, every weak and mighty person, every noble and lowly person, every young and old person, and everyone near and far. Protect us from all among the jinn and humankind who wage war against Your Prophet and his Family, and from every creature whose forelock You hold. Surely You are on a straight path.
7 O God, bless Muhammad and his Family. Turn away from me whoever intends me harm; ward off his cunning and his evil, and turn his schemes back upon him.
8 Set a barrier before him, blinding his eyes to me, deafening his ears to any mention of me, closing his heart to thoughts of me, and disabling his tongue from speaking ill of me. Bring his head low, abase his dignity, shatter his might, humble his neck, and uproot his arrogance. Keep me safe from all his harm, evil, insinuations, taunts, innuendo, envy, hostility, snares, traps, foot soldiers, and horsemen. Surely You are All-Powerful and Mighty.
✅Various interpretations of سامّه، هامّه، لامّه و عامّه
1—Sāmmah: creatures that sting the body—the sting that strikes the body!
Hāmmah: creatures that sting the spirit and soul—the sting that strikes the soul
Āmmah: widespread, affecting everyone; public, contagious, harmful, stinging (poisonous gases—tainted air);
Lāmmah: clinging, hidden, the evil eye, envy, madness, frightening, fear, calamity,
“ السّامَّةِ وَ الْهامَّةِ وَ العامَّةِ وَ اللامَّةِ” from among jinn, humans, animals, and the environment!
2—From the harm of “sāmmah” (every venomous, stinging creature, such as a snake or scorpion),
and “hāmmah” (every harmful creature and nocturnal animal that causes fear and distress; or, according to one account, animals with spirits and apparitions, such as owls and …),
and “āmmah” (public, widespread calamities that encompass everyone, or, according to one view, visible and manifest harms),
and “lāmmah” (inner, hidden calamities, or psychological and spiritual afflictions that cling to a person’s being and will not let go).
3—Al-sāmmah: from “samm” (poison) or “samma” (to sting). It refers to a poisonous creature.
Al-hāmmah: from “hamm” (sorrow) or “hammah” (danger). It refers to harmful, fearsome animals, or to birds that sing at night and are regarded as ill-omened.
Al-āmmah: from “umūm” (generality). It refers to public, manifest calamities and afflictions.
Al-lāmmah: from “lusūq” (to cling). It refers to hidden afflictions and hardships that cling to one’s soul and spirit.
✅ 5–6. A devotional strategy for seeking protection for oneself and all one’s descendants
💫🔆 (6) وَ أَعِذْنِي وَ ذُرِّيَّتِي مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ خَلَقْتَنَا وَ أَمَرْتَنَا وَ نَهَيْتَنَا وَ رَغَّبْتَنَا فِي ثَوَابِ مَا أَمَرْتَنَا وَ رَهَّبْتَنَا عِقَابَهُ، وَ جَعَلْتَ لَنَا عَدُوّاً يَكِيدُنَا، سَلَّطْتَهُ مِنَّا عَلَى مَا لَمْ تُسَلِّطْنَا عَلَيْهِ مِنْهُ، أَسْكَنْتَهُ صُدُورَنَا، وَ أَجْرَيْتَهُ مَجَارِيَ دِمَائِنَا، لَا يَغْفُلُ إِنْ غَفَلْنَا، وَ لَا يَنْسَى إِنْ نَسِينَا، يُؤْمِنُنَا عِقَابَكَ، وَ يُخَوِّفُنَا بِغَيْرِكَ. (7) إِنْ هَمَمْنَا بِفَاحِشَةٍ شَجَّعَنَا عَلَيْهَا، وَ إِنْ هَمَمْنَا بِعَمَلٍ صَالِحٍ ثَبَّطَنَا عَنْهُ، يَتَعَرَّضُ لَنَا بِالشَّهَوَاتِ، وَ يَنْصِبُ لَنَا بِالشُّبُهَاتِ، إِنْ وَعَدَنَا كَذَبَنَا، وَ إِنْ مَنَّانَا أَخْلَفَنَا، وَ إِلَّا تَصْرِفْ عَنَّا كَيْدَهُ يُضِلَّنَا، وَ إِلَّا تَقِنَا خَبَالَهُ يَسْتَزِلَّنَا. (8) اللَّهُمَّ فَاقْهَرْ سُلْطَانَهُ عَنَّا بِسُلْطَانِكَ حَتَّى تَحْبِسَهُ عَنَّا بِكَثْرَةِ الدُّعَاءِ لَكَ فَنُصْبِحَ مِنْ كَيْدِهِ فِي الْمَعْصُومِينَ بِكَ.[4]
🔆 (6) “Protect me and my children from Satan, the accursed, for You created us, commanded us, and forbade us; You inspired us to seek the reward for obeying Your commands and warned us of the punishment for disobeying them. You set an enemy against us who strives to deceive us. You have given him power over us in matters over which we have not granted him authority. You placed him in our breasts and made him flow through our veins. If we are heedless, he is not; if we forget, he does not. He makes us feel secure from Your punishment and fear someone other than You.
(7) When we intend to do something evil, he emboldens us; when we intend to do something virtuous, he turns us away from it. He comes to us through our desires and confronts us with doubts. If he promises us something, he lies; if he makes a show of generosity toward us (or gives us hope), he breaks his promise. Unless You turn his guile away from us, he will lead us astray; unless You protect us from his ruin, he will make us stumble.
(8) O God, then repel his power from us through Your power, so that by the abundance of our prayers to You, You may keep him away from us. Thus may we be among those whom You protect from his guile, finding refuge in You.”
✳️Section – A strategy for weakening
✅1 Weaken the resources of God’s enemy
💫Restrict the enemy’s capabilities! Curb his evil!
Keep the enemy at a distance from the means at his disposal!
The enemy of God must not be able to gain easy access to resources!
A chill of fear must always grip the enemy of God’s heart! His heart must always tremble—not so that he is provoked to come toward you, but so that he keeps his distance from you!
The enemy of God’s lines of communication must be made difficult to use—every kind of air, ground, intellectual and other line of communication.
Make it harder for the enemy to discern what is happening!
Drive a wedge between the enemy’s forces and their members!
❇️ 2. Launching an all-out assault on Satan through intimate prayer
💫🔆 (5) اللَّهُمَّ افْلُلْ بِذَلِكَ عَدُوَّهُمْ، وَ اقْلِمْ عَنْهُمْ أَظْفَارَهُمْ، وَ فَرِّقْ بَيْنَهُمْ وَ بَيْنَ أَسْلِحَتِهِمْ، وَ اخْلَعْ وَثَائِقَ أَفْئِدَتِهِمْ، وَ بَاعِدْ بَيْنَهُمْ وَ بَيْنَ أَزْوِدَتِهِمْ، وَ حَيِّرْهُمْ فِي سُبُلِهِمْ، وَ ضَلِّلْهُمْ عَنْ وَجْهِهِمْ، وَ اقْطَعْ عَنْهُمُ الْمَدَدَ، وَ انْقُصْ مِنْهُمُ الْعَدَدَ، وَ امْلَأْ أَفْئِدَتَهُمُ الرُّعْبَ، وَ اقْبِضْ أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَنِ الْبَسْطِ، وَ اخْزِمْ أَلْسِنَتَهُمْ عَنِ النُّطْقِ، وَ شَرِّدْ بِهِمْ مَنْ خَلْفَهُمْ وَ نَكِّلْ بِهِمْ مَنْ وَرَاءَهُمْ، وَ اقْطَعْ بِخِزْيِهِمْ أَطْمَاعَ مَنْ بَعْدَهُمْ.[5]
🔆 “O God, by this means, weaken the enemies of the Prophet’s Household, blunt their claws, and set them apart from their weapons. Untie the bonds that bind their hearts together, and distance them from their provisions. Make them lose their way on their roads, and confuse them about their destination. Cut off those who would come to their aid, diminish their numbers, and fill their hearts with fear. Hold back their hands from striking, and silence their tongues. Make those behind them disperse, and make them a lesson to those who follow in their footsteps. Through their humiliation, extinguish the hopes of those who come after them.”
✳️ Section 8: Undermining the enemy of God’s standing
✅8-1 Morale management
Raise the morale of yourself and your companions
Make the enemy of God seem insignificant
Do not let the enemy inspire awe in your heart
Intensify psychological warfare against the enemy of God
❇️ Morale management in the language of intimate prayer
💫🔆 (15) فَإِذَا صَافَّ عَدُوَّكَ وَ عَدُوَّهُ فَقَلِّلْهُمْ فِي عَيْنِهِ، وَ صَغِّرْ شَأْنَهُمْ فِي قَلْبِهِ، وَ أَدِلْ لَهُ مِنْهُمْ، وَ لَا تُدِلْهُمْ مِنْهُ، فَإِنْ خَتَمْتَ لَهُ بِالسَّعَادَةِ، وَ قَضَيْتَ لَهُ بِالشَّهَادَةِ فَبَعْدَ أَنْ يَجْتَاحَ عَدُوَّكَ بِالْقَتْلِ، وَ بَعْدَ أَنْ يَجْهَدَ بِهِمُ الْأَسْرُ، وَ بَعْدَ أَنْ تَأْمَنَ أَطْرَافُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَ بَعْدَ أَنْ يُوَلِّيَ عَدُوُّكَ مُدْبِرِينَ.[6]
🔆“When your enemy and his enemy [that is, the Imam or leader] draw up against one another, make them appear insignificant in his eyes and their cause seem small in his heart. Grant him victory over them, and do not grant them victory over him. If, in the end, You decree that his fate be blessed and that he attain martyrdom, let this come only after he has uprooted Your enemy by killing them, after their captivity has worn them down, after the Muslims’ borders have become secure, and after Your enemy has turned away, fleeing with his back to them.”
✳️ Section: Satan’s deception is one of God’s tests
✅ Do not exalt Satan: he is disgraced
Satan has no power of his own to deceive. God grants him respite and time to mislead human beings so that the champions of servitude to God may emerge.
Satan’s scheming has not escaped God’s power. Within the bounds of this trial, for a fixed and appointed time and to a prescribed extent, he has the capacity to scheme.
The Almighty Lord Himself is our helper in overcoming satanic guile. It is enough to keep His remembrance alive in our hearts!
❇ Knowledge through intimate prayer
💫🔆 (12) وَ قَدِ اسْتَحْوَذَ عَلَيَّ عَدُوُّكَ الَّذِي اسْتَنْظَرَكَ لِغَوَايَتِي فَأَنْظَرْتَهُ، وَ اسْتَمْهَلَكَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ لِإِضْلَالِي فَأَمْهَلْتَهُ.
(13) فَأَوْقَعَنِي وَ قَدْ هَرَبْتُ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ صَغَائِرِ ذُنُوبٍ مُوبِقَةٍ، وَ كَبَائِرِ أَعْمَالٍ مُرْدِيَةٍ حَتَّى إِذَا قَارَفْتُ مَعْصِيَتَكَ، وَ اسْتَوْجَبْتُ بِسُوءِ سَعْيِي سَخْطَتَكَ، فَتَلَ عَنِّي عِذَارَ غَدْرِهِ، وَ تَلَقَّانِي بِكَلِمَةِ كُفْرِهِ، وَ تَوَلَّى الْبَرَاءَةَ مِنِّي، وَ أَدْبَرَ مُوَلِّياً عَنِّي، فَأَصْحَرَنِي لِغَضَبِكَ فَرِيداً، وَ أَخْرَجَنِي إِلَى فِنَاءِ نَقِمَتِكَ طَرِيداً.[7]
🔆 (12) “That enemy of Yours, who asked You for respite so that he might lead me astray, has gained power over me. You granted him respite; he asked for time until the Day of Resurrection so that he might lead me astray, and You gave him that time.”
(13) Then [that enemy] caused me to fall [into sin], while I have fled to You from the small sins that destroy and the great deeds that ruin. Until the moment I committed disobedience against You, and by my own evil conduct became deserving of Your wrath, then [Satan] loosened the reins of his treachery and deceit from me and turned to me with his words of unbelief, and declared himself free of me, and turned his back and withdrew from me. Thus he left me alone and unprotected before Your wrath, and cast me out and drove me to the threshold of Your punishment.”
💫🔆 (68) ثُمَّ أَمَرْتَهُ فَلَمْ يَأْتَمِرْ، وَ زَجَرْتَهُ فَلَمْ يَنْزَجِرْ، وَ نَهَيْتَهُ عَنْ مَعْصِيَتِكَ، فَخَالَفَ أَمْرَكَ إِلَى نَهْيِكَ، لَا مُعَانَدَةً لَكَ، وَ لَا اسْتِكْبَاراً عَلَيْكَ، بَلْ دَعَاهُ هَوَاهُ إِلَى مَا زَيَّلْتَهُ وَ إِلَى مَا حَذَّرْتَهُ، وَ أَعَانَهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ عَدُوُّكَ وَ عَدُوُّهُ، فَأَقْدَمَ عَلَيْهِ عَارِفاً بِوَعِيدِكَ، رَاجِياً لِعَفْوِكَ، وَاثِقاً بِتَجَاوُزِكَ، وَ كَانَ أَحَقَّ عِبَادِكَ مَعَ مَا مَنَنْتَ عَلَيْهِ أَلَّا يَفْعَلَ.[8]
🔆 “Then You commanded him [= Adam or the servant], but he did not obey; and You restrained him, but he did not desist; and You forbade him from disobeying You, yet he abandoned Your command and went toward Your prohibition — not out of enmity toward You, nor out of arrogance before You, but his carnal desire called him toward what You had separated him from and warned him against. And Your enemy and his enemy [= Satan] aided him in this. So he proceeded with that deed while aware of Your threat, hoping for Your pardon and trusting in Your forgiveness. Even though, with all the favours You had bestowed upon him, he ought to have been more deserving than to do such a thing.”
✳️Section: Stewardship in the Golden Times
💫Do not be heedless of striking when the power of God’s enemy is weakened!
When your strength for striking the enemy is fortified, seize the opportunity for victory!
In the golden times when the enemies of God are constrained, their wickedness reaches its utmost narrowness — an exceptional opportunity arises to weaken them and strengthen yourself!
Like the blessed month [of Ramadan], and special times such as the Nights of Qadr, the Day of Arafah, the Ten Nights [of Muharram], and so on.
It is an extraordinary time for strengthening inner and outer faculties!
An opportunity for leap-forward activities!
Even if we devote these times to reflection, decision-making, planning and action, it will be successful!
❇ 10-2 The blessed month of Ramadan, the month of casting Satan out of the self
💫🔆 (13) اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ، وَ جَنِّبْنَا الْإِلْحَادَ فِي تَوْحِيدِكَ، وَ الْتَّقْصِيرَ فِي تَمْجِيدِكَ، وَ الشَّكَّ فِي دِينِكَ، وَ الْعَمَى عَنْ سَبِيلِكَ، وَ الْإِغْفَالَ لِحُرْمَتِكَ، وَ الِانْخِدَاعَ لِعَدُوِّكَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ (14) اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ، وَ إِذَا كَانَ لَكَ فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَةٍ مِنْ لَيَالِي شَهْرِنَا هَذَا رِقَابٌ يُعْتِقُهَا عَفْوُكَ، أَوْ يَهَبُهَا صَفْحُكَ فَاجْعَلْ رِقَابَنَا مِنْ تِلْكَ الرِّقَابِ، وَ اجْعَلْنَا لِشَهْرِنَا مِنْ خَيْرِ أَهْلٍ وَ أَصْحَابٍ. (15) اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ، وَ امْحَقْ ذُنُوبَنَا مَعَ امِّحَاقِ هِلَالِهِ، وَ اسْلَخْ عَنَّا تَبِعَاتِنَا مَعَ انْسِلَاخِ أَيَّامِهِ حَتَّى يَنْقَضِيَ عَنَّا وَ قَدْ صَفَّيْتَنَا فِيهِ مِنَ الْخَطِيئَاتِ، وَ أَخْلَصْتَنَا فِيهِ مِنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ. (16) اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ، وَ إِنْ مِلْنَا فِيهِ فَعَدِّلْنَا، وَ إِنْ زُغْنَا فِيهِ فَقَوِّمْنَا، وَ إِنِ اشْتَمَلَ عَلَيْنَا عَدُوُّكَ الشَّيْطَانُ فَاسْتَنْقِذْنَا مِنْهُ.[9]
🔆 O God, send blessings upon Muhammad and his family, and keep us far from deviation in affirming Your oneness, from shortcoming in magnifying You, from doubt in Your religion, from blindness toward Your path, from heedlessness of Your sanctity, and from being deceived by Your enemy, Satan the accursed.
O God, send blessings upon Muhammad and his family, and since on every night of the nights of this month there are necks that Your pardon sets free and Your forgiveness grants release, then place our necks among those necks, and make us, for this month, among the best of families and companions.
O God, send blessings upon Muhammad and his family, and erase our sins with the vanishing of the crescent of this month, and lift from our bodies the burden of our [sinful] responsibilities with the passing of its days, so that this month may pass from us while You have purified us within it from errors, and made us pure from evils.
O God, send blessings upon Muhammad and his family, and if in this month we have deviated [from the straight path], set us right; and if we have become crooked, make us firm; and if Your enemy Satan has prevailed over us, deliver us from him.”
✳️Section: Supplement to the Discussions
✅ Expose the enemy of God
💫Make others aware of the danger of God’s enemy!
Equip others against the enemy of God.
Expose the faults of God’s enemy so that he may be disgraced!
By disgracing the enemy of God, strengthen the good against your enemy!
God’s enemy must not be allowed to hide behind hypocrisy and deceit!
Strip away his disguise and expose him! Take away the media through which he spreads deception and hypocrisy!
Neutralize the means of his sorcery!
Undo his beguilement for his own benefit, and his beguilement against you!
Undo the adornments and the obfuscations of your enemies!
Among the means your enemy will use are self-display and feigned friendship, and making you turn against yourself and feel inferior!
God’s enemies do not want you to become like them. By imposing their culture on you and making you follow them, they seek to make you their servants!
✅ Be the one who blocks God’s enemy’s road, not the one who clears it for him
💫Always put obstacles in the way of God’s enemy!
Do not reveal your secrets to God’s enemy!
Do not let God’s enemy assess or calculate you!
Do not be predictable to God’s enemy!
✅ Never forget the impenetrable shield
💫🔆 (99) وَ حُلْ بَيْنِي وَ بَيْنَ عَدُوٍّ يُضِلُّنِي، وَ هَوًى يُوبِقُنِي، وَ مَنْقَصَةٍ تَرْهَقُنِي (100) وَ لَا تُعْرِضْ عَنِّي إِعْرَاضَ مَنْ لَا تَرْضَى عَنْهُ بَعْدَ غَضَبِكَ[10]
🔆 “Separate me from an enemy who leads me astray, a desire that brings about my ruin, and a flaw that overtakes me. Do not turn away from me as You turn away from one with whom You are displeased after Your anger.”
✅ The incomparable power of tawḥīd
💫Through tawḥīd, your defensive and offensive strength will increase!
Those who affirm the oneness of God are invincible!
❇️Tawḥīd is the best means to every end
💫🔆 (3) وَ وَسِيلَتِي إِلَيْكَ التَّوْحِيدُ، وَ ذَرِيعَتِي أَنِّي لَمْ أُشْرِكْ بِكَ شَيْئاً، وَ لَمْ أَتَّخِذْ مَعَكَ إِلَهاً، وَ قَدْ فَرَرْتُ إِلَيْكَ بِنَفْسِي، وَ إِلَيْكَ مَفَرُّ الْمُسيءِ، وَ مَفْزَعُ الْمُضَيِّعِ لِحَظِّ نَفْسِهِ الْمُلْتَجِئِ. (4) فَكَمْ مِنْ عَدُوٍّ انْتَضَى عَلَيَّ سَيْفَ عَدَاوَتِهِ، وَ شَحَذَ لِي ظُبَةَ مُدْيَتِهِ، وَ أَرْهَفَ لِي شَبَا حَدِّهِ، وَ دَافَ لِي قَوَاتِلَ سُمُومِهِ، وَ سَدَّدَ نَحْوِي صَوَائِبَ سِهَامِهِ، وَ لَمْ تَنَمْ عَنِّي عَيْنُ حِرَاسَتِهِ، وَ أَضْمَرَ أَنْ يَسُومَنِي الْمَكْرُوهَ، وَ يُجَرِّعَنِي زُعَاقَ مَرَارَتِهِ.[11]
🔆 My means of drawing near to You is the affirmation of Your oneness; my surest bond is that I have set up no partner beside You, nor taken another god alongside You. I flee to You, for You alone are the refuge of the wrongdoer and the succour of the one who has squandered his share and lies helpless.
How many an enemy has drawn the sword of hostility against me, sharpened his dagger’s blade for me, honed its cutting edge, prepared his deadly poisons, aimed his sure-flying arrows at me, and kept watch over me without sleep, all the while plotting to make me taste every hardship and sip, little by little, his bitter, poisoned draught.
✅ Subtleties
❇️O God, condemn Satan to eternal forgetfulness.
O God, make Satan forget that he has succeeded in deceiving us!
O God, had I known that if I came into this world I would have the opportunity to disobey You, how wretched I would have been to accept it!
O God, make me forget that I have obeyed Satan.
O God, make me forget that I have disobeyed You.
🌸 Final Summary
From passivity to action: A believer must not merely seek refuge in God from Satan’s evil, but must confront him through “active strategy”—including self-reform, keeping the enemy occupied, exposing him, and weakening him militarily and psychologically.
A deeper understanding of the enemy: Satan gains influence not only over thought, but also through the bloodstream, the breast, wealth, and offspring. External enemies (oppressors) display these same traits.
The supreme weapon is tawḥīd and intimate supplication: Every strategic practice—including the supplications of Imam Sajjad—is a means of activating the weapon of “tawḥīd.” Through seeking refuge in God, remembrance, bringing their grievances before Him, and sheltering in the “fortress of seeking protection,” those who affirm God’s oneness become invincible.
The greater struggle underpins the lesser struggle: The greatest strategy against the enemy is “self-reform.” A purified self is “a paradise for the soul and a hell for devils.” Without this reform, every external strategy remains incomplete.
A vision of spiritual ascent: The ultimate aim is not simply to destroy the enemy, but to turn threats into opportunities for growth (transforming temptation into remembrance and reflection) and to attain a station where even the enemy is safe from our wrongdoing, and the friend despairs of our yielding to desire.
A reminder and supplement to the treatise “Comprehensive Strategy Against God’s Enemy”
Reminder of foundational concepts (clarifying conceptual ambiguities)
Reminder of theological foundations (clarifying doctrinal ambiguities)
Reminder of the ethical principles of struggle (clarifying ethical ambiguities)
Strategic supplement (gradual progression, stages, and tools)
Operational supplement (specific recommendations with supporting evidence)
Epistemic supplement (tawḥīd, seeking refuge in God, and intimate supplication)
Summary and conclusion
Chapter One: A Reminder of Foundational Concepts
1.1. Distinguishing “God’s enemy” from a “human enemy”
Reminder:
“Enemy of God” in the Qur’an and the narrations refers to someone who:
Āl ʿImrān 3:57 وَ أَمَّا الَّذينَ آمَنُوا وَ عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحاتِ فَيُوَفِّيهِمْ أُجُورَهُمْ وَ اللَّهُ لا يُحِبُّ الظَّالِمينَ
امّا As for those who believe and do righteous deeds, He will give them their rewards in full; God does not love the wrongdoers.
Al-Māʾidah 5:33 إِنَّما جَزاءُ الَّذينَ يُحارِبُونَ اللَّهَ وَ رَسُولَهُ وَ يَسْعَوْنَ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَساداً أَنْ يُقَتَّلُوا أَوْ يُصَلَّبُوا أَوْ تُقَطَّعَ أَيْديهِمْ وَ أَرْجُلُهُمْ مِنْ خِلافٍ أَوْ يُنْفَوْا مِنَ الْأَرْضِ ذلِكَ لَهُمْ خِزْيٌ فِي الدُّنْيا وَ لَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ عَذابٌ عَظيمٌThe punishment for those who wage war against God and His Messenger and strive to spread corruption in the land—by threatening people with weapons and attacking their lives, property, and honour—is that they be put to death, crucified, have their right hands and left feet cut off on opposite sides, or be banished from the land. That is their disgrace in this world, and in the Hereafter they will have a tremendous punishment.
Hūd 11:113 وَ لا تَرْكَنُوا إِلَى الَّذينَ ظَلَمُوا فَتَمَسَّكُمُ النَّارُ وَ ما لَكُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مِنْ أَوْلِياءَ ثُمَّ لا تُنْصَرُونَDo not incline towards the wrongdoers, lest the Fire should touch you. Then you will have no protector or guardian besides God, nor will you be helped.
Al-Māʾidah 5:64 وَ قالَتِ الْيَهُودُ يَدُ اللَّهِ مَغْلُولَةٌ غُلَّتْ أَيْديهِمْ وَ لُعِنُوا بِما قالُوا بَلْ يَداهُ مَبْسُوطَتانِ يُنْفِقُ كَيْفَ يَشاءُ وَ لَيَزيدَنَّ كَثيراً مِنْهُمْ ما أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ طُغْياناً وَ كُفْراً وَ أَلْقَيْنا بَيْنَهُمُ الْعَداوَةَ وَ الْبَغْضاءَ إِلى يَوْمِ الْقِيامَةِ كُلَّما أَوْقَدُوا ناراً لِلْحَرْبِ أَطْفَأَهَا اللَّهُ وَ يَسْعَوْنَ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَساداً وَ اللَّهُ لا يُحِبُّ الْمُفْسِدينَThe Jews said, “God’s hand is shackled.” May their hands be shackled, and may they be cursed for what they have said! Indeed, both His hands are outstretched; He gives as He wills. Yet what has been sent down to you from your Lord will surely increase many of them in rebellion and disbelief. We have placed enmity and hatred among them until the Day of Resurrection. Whenever they kindle the fire of war, God extinguishes it. They strive to spread corruption in the land, and God does not love those who spread corruption.
Al-Baqarah 2:98 مَنْ كانَ عَدُوًّا لِلَّهِ وَ مَلائِكَتِهِ وَ رُسُلِهِ وَ جِبْريلَ وَ ميكالَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَدُوٌّ لِلْكافِرينَWhoever is an enemy of God, His angels, His messengers, Gabriel and Michael—then, indeed, God is an enemy to the disbelievers.
| Criterion | Evidence |
| Denial of divine unity and prophethood | “فإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَدُوٌّ لِلْكافِرِینَ” (Al-Baqarah: 98) |
| Injustice and violating the rights of others | “وَ اللَّهُ لا یُحِبُّ الظَّالِمِینَ” (Āl ʿImrān: 57) |
| Waging war against God and the Messenger | “إِنَّما جَزاءُ الَّذِینَ یُحارِبُونَ اللَّهَ وَ رَسُولَهُ” (Al-Māʾidah: 33) |
| Spreading corruption in the land | “وَ اللَّهُ لا یُحِبُّ الْمُفْسِدِینَ” (Al-Māʾidah: 64) |
| Arrogance and rebellion | “وَ لا تَرْكَنُوا إِلَى الَّذِینَ ظَلَمُوا” (Hūd: 113) |
An important distinction:
Enemy of God: Someone who knowingly and deliberately wages war against God, His Messenger, and divine commandments. This enmity is fundamental and principled.
Human adversary: Someone who disagrees with us for political, economic, cultural, or personal reasons, but is not necessarily an “enemy of God.” This enmity is circumstantial and not rooted in principle.
The commanding self: The inner enemy, whom the Qur’an calls “أَعْدَى عَدُوٍّ لَكَ” (your fiercest enemy).
Conclusion: These three levels must be distinguished, and an appropriate response should be considered for each.
1.2. Distinguishing “Seeking Refuge” from “Protective Incantations” and the “Fortress of Protective Incantations”
A precise distinction between seeking refuge in God and protective incantations (litanies and remembrances):
Memorandum:
| Concept | Definition | Ruling | Evidence |
| Seeking refuge | Seeking God’s protection from the evil of Satan and enemies | Permissible and recommended | “فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّیْطانِ الرَّجِیمِ” (Al-Naḥl: 98) |
| Incantation (meaning supplication) | Reciting transmitted supplications for protection from harm | Permissible | Supplication 20 of al-Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādiyya |
| Incantation (meaning fabricated litanies) | Using litanies and remembrances not transmitted from the religious sources, while believing they have intrinsic efficacy | Impermissible or conditional | The jurists unanimously agree that fabricated litanies are forbidden |
| The fortress of incantation | A combination of seeking refuge in God, supplication, remembrance, righteous deeds, and reliance on God | Permissible if grounded in religious principles | «وَ مَنْ یَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ» (al-Ṭalāq: 3) |
Conditions for a permissible “fortress of incantation”:
Foundation: Seeking refuge in God, rather than believing that litanies have intrinsic efficacy.
Content: Supplications transmitted from the Qur’an and the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them).
Practice: Accompanied by righteous deeds (prayer, fasting, charity, piety).
Reliance: Trust in God, not in litanies and remembrances.
Permission: Observing the religious permission required for the use of supplications.
Conclusion: A “fortress of incantation” is permissible and effective only when founded on “seeking refuge in God” and “reliance on Him,” not on “fabricated litanies” or “belief in intrinsic efficacy.”
1.3. “Permissible psychological warfare”
Criteria for distinction:
If “psychological warfare” is grounded in “truth” and aims to “warn others,” “strengthen the front of truth,” and “confound the enemy,” it is permissible.
If “psychological warfare” relies on “dishonourable lies” and “unjust slander,” it is forbidden.
Exposing an oppressor’s wrongdoing is obligatory so that his oppression can be stopped!
Conclusion: “Psychological warfare” must be conducted in accordance with divine and public interests, and continued until the oppressor is disciplined.
1.4. Distinguishing “reciprocal retaliation” from “revenge”
Clarifying the text: The text says, “Be one who ruins the road for God’s enemy.”
Aide-mémoire:
| Concept | Definition | Ruling | Evidence |
| Reciprocal retaliation | A proportionate response to the enemy’s aggression | Permissible | «فَمَنِ اعْتَدى عَلَیْكُمْ فَاعْتَدُوا عَلَیْهِ بِمِثْلِ مَا اعْتَدى عَلَیْكُمْ» (al-Baqara: 194) |
| Revenge | A disproportionate and excessive response to the enemy’s aggression | Forbidden | «وَ لا تَعْتَدُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا یُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِینَ» (al-Baqara: 190) |
| Forgiveness | Pardoning the enemy once they have been corrected | Recommended | «وَ أَنْ تَعْفُوا أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوى» (al-Baqara: 237) |
| Doing good | Responding to wrongdoing with kindness in its place | Recommended | «ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِی هِیَ أَحْسَنُ» (Fuṣṣilat: 34) |
Criteria for distinction:
“Reciprocal retaliation” must be “proportionate,” not “disproportionate.”
“Revenge” is driven by “the desire for satisfaction” and “to hurt,” whereas “reciprocal retaliation” is driven by “the intention to defend” and “to deter.”
Islam urges “forgiveness” and “doing good,” but “reciprocal retaliation” is permissible in the face of an “aggressive enemy” and an “oppressor.”
Conclusion: Strategy against the enemy must be grounded in “justice” and “proportionality,” not in “revenge” and “the desire for satisfaction.”
Chapter Two: Aide-mémoire of Doctrinal Foundations
2.1. Monotheism as the supreme weapon
Aide-mémoire:
Monotheism serves as a “weapon” in several ways:
Āl ʿImrān: 175 إِنَّما ذلِكُمُ الشَّيْطانُ يُخَوِّفُ أَوْلِياءَهُ فَلا تَخافُوهُمْ وَ خافُونِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنينَ
It is only Satan who frightens his followers with baseless words and rumours. Do not fear them; fear Me alone, if you are believers!
| Aspect | Explanation | Evidence |
| Doctrinal monotheism | Belief in God’s oneness, dispelling fear of all but God | « فَلا تَخافُوهُمْ وَ خافُونِ » (Āl ʿImrān: 175) |
| Practical monotheism | Performing acts of worship sincerely, strengthening the spirit | «وَ ما أُمِرُوا إِلاَّ لِیَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِینَ…» (al-Bayyina: 5) |
| Monotheism in reliance on God | Trust in God, dispelling anxiety | «وَ مَنْ یَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ» (al-Ṭalāq: 3) |
| Tawḥīd in Seeking Refuge | Seeking refuge in God dispels fear of Satan | «فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّیْطانِ الرَّجِیمِ» (al-Naḥl: 98) |
| Tawḥīd in Love | Love of God dispels love for the enemy | «وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِلَّهِ» (al-Baqarah: 165) |
Conclusion: Tawḥīd is not merely a “belief”; it is a “driving force” that affects every dimension of human life and makes a person “invincible” before their enemies.
2.2. The Limits of Satan’s Power
A reminder:
| Limit | Explanation | Evidence |
| Limit of power | Satan only “whispers”; he does not “compel” | «إِنَّ كَیْدَ الشَّیْطانِ كانَ ضَعِیفاً» (al-Nisāʾ: 76) |
| Limit of influence | Satan has no power over the “sincere” | «إِلاَّ عِبادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِینَ» (al-Ḥijr: 40) |
| Limit of time | Satan is granted respite until the “appointed time” | «إِلى یَوْمِ الْوَقْتِ الْمَعْلُومِ» (al-Ḥijr: 38) |
| Limit of effect | Satan merely “calls”; he does not “compel” | «وَ ما كانَ لِی عَلَیْكُمْ مِنْ سُلْطانٍ إِلاَّ أَنْ دَعَوْتُكُمْ» (Ibrāhīm: 22) |
| Limit of dominion | Satan has no dominion over the “God-conscious” | «إِنَّهُ لَیْسَ لَهُ سُلْطانٌ عَلَى الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا» (al-Naḥl: 99) |
Conclusion: Satan is “weak,” but “weak” does not mean “ineffectual.” He is a “tempter,” but he does not hold sway. Through “faith” and “God-consciousness,” a person can overcome him.
3.2. The Principle of “Justice”
An ambiguity in the text: It calls for “weakening the enemy’s capabilities” but does not explain the “limits of justice.”
A reminder:
The principle of “justice” in struggle:
| Evidence | Meaning |
| «وَ لا یَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلى أَلاَّ تَعْدِلُوا» (al-Māʾidah: 8) | Do not let enmity toward a people lead you to injustice |
| «فَمَنِ اعْتَدى عَلَیْكُمْ فَاعْتَدُوا عَلَیْهِ بِمِثْلِ مَا اعْتَدى عَلَیْكُمْ» (al-Baqarah: 194) | Retaliate in proportion to the aggression |
| «وَ لا تَعْتَدُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا یُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِینَ» (al-Baqarah: 190) | Do not transgress; God does not love transgressors |
Conclusion—Summary
This treatise has elaborated on the idea of “comprehensive planning against the enemy of God,” drawing on the twentieth supplication of al-Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādiyya. Along the way, it has explained fundamental concepts, matters of belief, and practical strategies for confronting the enemies of God: jinn and humans, the commanding self, and Satan the accursed.
First point: The enemy of God is the enemy of all existence. Anyone who defies divine law truly becomes an enemy of God. But someone who is not an enemy of God must not be treated as one; otherwise, we ourselves become enemies of God. Our enemy should be regarded as such only because they have defied divine law.
Second point: Planning must be “comprehensive”—comprehensive across geographical, temporal, and racial dimensions. Every particle, component, and cell of a human being, along with their very essence, is vulnerable to harm. So protect the whole of your history and geography, and that of all existence, through comprehensive safeguarding. In planning a defense against the enemy, the whole of existence must be involved, including the future and the generations to come, both human and other than human.
Third point: The enemies of God come in many kinds and from many quarters: from “human enemies” to “the lower self,” “Satan,” “venomous creatures,” “predators,” “microbes,” “viruses,” and more. None should be overlooked. A plan must be devised for each.
Fourth point: The enemy of God’s tongue is more dangerous than a snake’s bite. Media, rumors, obsessive whispers—the enemy’s voice—is more dangerous than any weapon. It turns friends into enemies and is a powerful means of undermining morale, instilling fear, and deceiving minds. If you can control your enemy’s tongue, you will have brought much of their hostility under control.
The Fifth Point: The medium of temptation is more dangerous than virtual and real media. The medium of temptation operates through sorcery, occult sciences, and wretched psychological practices, psychological tricks, suggestions, and conditioning. To reinforce it, they use public and private, real and virtual media.
The Sixth Point: We must seek the grace of the Exalted Lord for our generation starting from this very moment. We must not be heedless of the evil of the enemy. We must not neglect seeking refuge (ta’widh) at the divine threshold. Narrations from Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) show that Satan lies in ambush for the human being from the moment of birth, and that taking refuge in God alone is the path to deliverance from these temptations.
The Seventh Point: Build a fortress of ta’widh and protect yourself and those around you from the evil of all categories of enemies. Fortify the ta’widh with prudent action. The “fortress of ta’widh” is legitimate and effective only when it is founded upon “isti’adhah” (seeking refuge in God) and “tawakkul” (trust in God), not upon “fabricated incantations” and “belief in inherent efficacy.”
The Eighth Point: Knowledge-centered prudence is the foundation of every practical strategy. Explain the reason for your strategy to your Lord. Although the Lord is aware of all your hidden and manifest affairs, by presenting your performance and manner of reaction, your attention is directed toward the All-Knowing and Wise Lord. This itself is a form of worship and intimate supplication with the Lord. It is also a form of seeking assistance from the sacred realm to rectify and strengthen your strategy.
The Ninth Point: Make the study of the enemy a specialization. Against all their deceit, trickery, and techniques, strengthen your own defensive and offensive systems. The external enemy, before conquering territory, conquers hearts and minds; it even affects your body, spirit, blood, and breath. To exert deep influence, the enemy will contaminate your water, food, medicine, and provisions, and may even approach you under the guise of science and humanitarian aid.
The Tenth Point: Weaken the resources of the enemy of God. By limiting the enemy’s resources, limit his wickedness. A distance must be created between the enemy and his resources. The enemy of God must not have easy access to resources. The chilling fear must always reign in the heart of the enemy of God. The heart of the enemy must always tremble! Not that he be provoked toward you, but that he turn away from you.
The Eleventh Point: Expose the enemy of God. Make others aware of the danger of the enemy of God. Equip others against the enemy of God. Expose the faults of the enemy of God so that he is disgraced. By disgracing the enemy of God, strengthen the righteous against your enemy. The enemy of God must not be able to hide behind hypocrisy and deception. Remove the veil of the enemy of God so that he is disgraced.
The Twelfth Point: Continuously create obstacles before the enemy of God. Do not reveal your secrets to the enemy of God. The enemy of God must not be able to assess or calculate you. Do not be predictable to the enemy of God.
The Thirteenth Point: Tawhid is an unparalleled force. Through tawhid, your defensive and offensive power will increase. The people of tawhid are invincible. Tawhid is the best of means for every purpose.
The Fourteenth Point: The greater jihad is the foundation of the lesser jihad. The greatest strategy against the enemy is “reformation of the self.” A pure soul is “the paradise of the spirit and the hell of the devils.” Without this reformation, any external strategy will be incomplete.
The Fifteenth Point: The ultimate goal is not merely the destruction of the enemy, but the transformation of threats into opportunities for growth (transforming temptation into remembrance and reflection) and attaining a station where even the enemy is safe from our injustice and the friend despairs of our inclination toward whim.
Conclusion
From Passivity to Action: The believer must not merely seek refuge in God from the evil of Satan; rather, he must rise up with “active strategy”—including reformation of the self, creating preoccupations for the enemy, disgracing him, and weakening his military and psychological power.
Deep Knowledge of the Enemy: Satan penetrates not only thoughts but the flow of blood, the breast, wealth, and offspring. External enemies (the oppressors) carry these same characteristics.
The Superior Weapon Is Tawhid and Intimate Supplication: All techniques of strategy (including the supplications of Imam al-Sajjad, peace be upon him) are tools for activating the weapon of “tawhid.” The people of tawhid, through isti’adhah, remembrance, complaint at God’s threshold, and taking refuge in the “fortress of ta’widh,” become invincible.
The Greater Jihad Is the Foundation of the Lesser Jihad: The greatest strategy against the enemy is “reformation of the self.” A pure soul is “the paradise of the spirit and the hell of the devils.” Without this reformation, any external strategy will be incomplete.
The Vision of Excellence: The ultimate goal is not merely the destruction of the enemy, but the transformation of threats into opportunities for growth (transforming temptation into remembrance and reflection) and attaining a station where even the enemy is safe from our injustice and the friend despairs of our inclination toward whim.
Final Word: The enemy of God is the enemy of the entire universe. With “comprehensive strategy” and “extensive ta’widh,” let us protect ourselves, our generation, and the entire universe against the enemies of God. And this is not possible except through tawhid, isti’adhah, intimate supplication, and righteous action. «اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ فِي رُوعِي مِنَ التَّمَنِّي وَ التَّظَنِّي وَ الْحَسَدِ ذِكْراً لِعَظَمَتِكَ، وَ تَفَكُّراً فِي قُدْرَتِكَ، وَ تَدْبِيراً عَلَى عَدُوِّك»
A Suggestion for the Believers
1. Promoting a culture of “comprehensive strategizing”: Through courses and workshops, a culture of “comprehensive strategizing against the enemy of God” should be fostered among believers.
2. Strengthening the “fortress of protective supplications”: By clarifying the conditions for a legitimate “fortress of protective supplications,” believers should be encouraged to recite transmitted prayers and seek refuge in God.
3. Teaching “legitimate psychological warfare”: By clarifying the criteria for “legitimate psychological warfare,” believers should be encouraged to expose the oppression of wrongdoers and strengthen the camp of truth.
4. Further research: More research should be conducted on “strategizing against the enemy of God,” drawing on other prayers in al-Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādiyya and narrations from the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them.
5. Preparing a “practical guide”: A practical guide to the “fortress of protective supplications” and “comprehensive strategizing” should be prepared, drawing on prayers from al-Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādiyya and other transmitted supplications.
Closing remarks
“وَ مَا تَوْفِيقِي إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَ إِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ”
And peace be upon those who follow the guidance.
🌼Ali Sa‘i (Abdullah Mishkat) 110.141(903)🌼
Appendix 1:
Translation 1, Riyadh
💫 The text of the supplication
“And protect me and my children from Satan, the accursed,
from the evil of every deadly stinging creature, every deadly venomous creature, every biting insect, and every fear and affliction,
from the evil of every rebellious devil,
from the evil of every unjust, stubborn ruler,
from the evil of every rebellious person raised in luxury and every obedient servant,
from the evil of every weak and powerful person,
from the evil of every noble and lowly person,
from the evil of everyone, young and old,
from the evil of everyone, near and far,
from the evil of anyone among the jinn and humankind who has set himself against Your Messenger and his Household in war and enmity,
and from the evil of every creature whose forelock You hold;
surely, You are upon a straight path.”
📖 A lexical and conceptual commentary (based on lexicographical and exegetical sources)
🔹 “al-Rajīm” (the accursed)
“Rajīm” means banished and cast out.
The root “rajm” means to stone. Satan is called “rajīm” because he was cast out from the Divine presence, or because meteors are hurled at him.
Some have said that “rajm” also means abuse and insult, since Satan is given to cursing and reviling.
In this supplication, refuge is sought from Satan himself—not merely from his temptations—for his very essence is pure evil.
🔹 “al-Sāmmah” and “al-Hāmmah”
“Sāmmah” (with an unpointed sīn) refers to creatures that harm with their sting but do not kill, such as scorpions and bees.
“Hāmmah” refers to venomous creatures whose bite is fatal, such as snakes.
If “هامّه» با «عامّه» یا «حامّه” is paired with it, the word means “one’s own,” that is, close relatives and kin.
Here, “hāmmah” appears alongside “sāmmah,” so it means deadly creatures.
🔹 “al-ʿĀmmah”
“ʿĀmmah” means general or universal, but here, paired with “sāmmah,” it refers to harmful, biting insects.
🔹 “al-Lāmmah”
“Lāmmah” means any fear or affliction that one dreads.
Some have said that “lāmmah” means the evil eye, deriving it from “lamam,” meaning “the approach of madness”.
The word is also used for calamity and harm, from which refuge is sought.
🔹 “al-Marīd” (rebellious)
“Mārid” and “mutamarrid” describe someone who has gone to extremes in disobedience and rebellion, exceeding all bounds.
The word derives either from “marada,” meaning to rebel and defy, from “a smooth, barren rock” (a slippery stone devoid of good), or from “a lofty, imposing structure”.
Here, it refers to Iblīs and his hosts, or to the leaders of corruption and misguidance.
🔹 “al-ʿAnīd” (stubborn and unjust)
“عنید” means someone who deviates from the straight path, acts unjustly, and rejects the truth despite knowing it.
It derives from “عَنَدَ عَنِ الْقَصْدِ,” meaning to deviate from and turn away from the straight path.
🔹 “المُتْرَف” (pampered and rebellious)
“Mūtraf” refers to someone immersed in the pleasures and desires of this world, whose blessings and comfortable life have made him arrogant and rebellious.
“أترفته النعمة” means that blessings have led him into transgression.
🔹 “الحَفِيد” (obedient attendant)
“Ḥafīd” means someone whose companions serve and honour him, and hasten to attend to him.
It derives from “حَفَدَ,” meaning to hasten.
🔹 “الضَّعِيف” and “الشَّدِيد” (weak and strong)
“Ḍaʿīf” means unable to bear something.
“Shadīd” means strong and firm.
The placing of “ḍaʿīf” before “shadīd” – preserves the rhyme and underscores the seeking of refuge from the harm of the weak: the harm of the strong is usually guarded against, whereas the harm of the weak is often overlooked and can cause hidden damage.
As the poet said:
“Do not scorn the stratagem of the weak, for often
a great serpent dies from a scorpion’s poison.”
🔹 “الشَّرِيف” and “الوَضِيع” (noble and lowly)
“Sharīf” means noble and exalted in rank.
“Waḍīʿ” means lowly and worthless.
🔹 “الصَّغِير” and “الْكَبِير” (small and great)
This may refer either to age or to lowliness and honour.
Fayyūmī says: “صَغُرَ فِي عُيُونِ النَّاسِ” means that his dignity vanished and he became insignificant.
🔹 “الْقَرِيب” and “الْبَعِيد” (near and far)
These may refer either to geographical distance or to lineage and kinship.
🔹 “نَصَبَ لِرَسُولِكَ وَ لِأَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ حَرْباً” (he declared war and enmity)
That is, he made war and enmity against the Messenger of God and his family manifest.
“Nāṣib,” meaning someone who openly opposes ʿAlī (AS) and his Shīʿa, comes from the same root.
🔹 “الدَّابَّة” (living creature on earth)
“Dābba” refers to any creature that moves on the earth.
Some have excluded birds from its scope, but this view has been rejected on the basis of the verse: “وَ اللَّهُ خَلَقَ كُلَّ دَابَّةٍ مِنْ ماءٍ” (Qur’an 24:45).
The restriction of “dābba” to horses and mules is a matter of customary usage, not an inherent meaning.
🔹 “أَنْتَ آخِذٌ بِنَاصِيَتِهَا” (You have power over its forelock)
That is, You own it and have power over it, directing it however You will.
“أخذٌ بالناصیة” is a figurative expression for God’s complete authority and dominion over all beings.
This phrase alludes to the verse “إِنَّ رَبِّي عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ” (Qur’an 11:56).
🔹 “إِنَّكَ عَلى صِراطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ” (You are on a straight path)
This explains the plea for refuge from the harm of all creatures.
That is: You follow the path of truth and justice in Your sovereignty, so You will not let any being gain power over me.
💎 Summary of the supplication’s message
The servant asks God to keep him and his children safe from the harm of Satan, harmful animals, unjust people, and all other harmful beings.
This supplication encompasses every kind of manifest and hidden harm. By appealing to God’s absolute power and His straight path, the servant seeks refuge from them all.
The mention of “my offspring” points to a concern for protecting one’s children and family from evil.
📖 A Commentary and Analysis of the Words and Phrases of the Supplication
🔹 «أَنْتَ آخِذٌ بِنَاصِيَتِهَا» –“You have power over its forelock”
That is, You own it and have power over it. You direct it however You will, and it cannot defy You.
“Taking by the forelock” is a metaphor for God’s complete dominion and sovereignty over all created beings.
The “forelock” is singled out because:
the forehead is the noblest part of an animal’s body, and having power over it signifiesabsolute dominion, mastery and power.
It also reinforces the mistaken notion that God is located in a particular direction (above).
This phrase alludes to the Quranic verse: «إِنَّ رَبِّي عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ» (Hud 11:56).
🔹 «إِنَّكَ عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ» –“You are on a straight path”
This explains the plea for protection from the evil of all living beings.
That is: You uphold truth and justice in Your kingdom, so You will not give any being power over me, for whoever seeks refuge in You will not be forsaken.
🔹 «مَنْ أَرَادَنِي بِسُوءٍ» –“Whoever intends me harm”
Here, “intends” means “sets out to”; that is, “whoever sets out to harm me”.
“Harm” is indefinite (for emphasis), meaning “any kind of harm that might afflict me”.
The preposition “bi” in “بِسُوءٍ” indicates means or instrument.
🔹 «فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي» –“Turn him away from me”
“ṣarafa al-shayʾ” means to turn something away and divert it.
🔹 «وَ ادْحَرْ عَنِّي مَكْرَهُ» –“And keep his scheming far from me”
“Daḥarahu” means to drive him away, repel him and fend him off.
🔹 «وَ ادْرَأْ عَنِّي شَرَّهُ» –“And turn his evil away from me”
“Daraʾa” means to ward off and repel.
🔹 «وَ رُدَّ كَيْدَهُ فِي نَحْرِهِ» –“And turn his plot back upon his own neck”
“Kayd” means secretly intending to harm another.
“Naḥr” means the chest or neck; turning the plot back upon his neck is an idiom for his scheme rebounding on him.
🔹 «حَتَّى تُعْمِيَ عَنِّي بَصَرَهُ…» –“So that You blind his eye to me…”
“ʿAmā” means blindness.
“Ṣamm” means deafness.
“Khars” means muteness.
The meaning is not to make him literally blind, deaf and mute, but to render him so heedless that it is as though he were blind, deaf and mute where You are concerned: unable to see, hear or speak against You.
This is an example of a powerful metaphor.
🔹 «تُقْفِلَ دُونَ إِخْطَارِي قَلْبَهُ» –“And lock his heart against thinking of me”
“Aqfala al-bāb” means to lock the door.
“أَخْطَرَ الشَّيْءَ بِبَالِهِ” means to turn something over in one’s mind.
🔹 «وَ تَقْمَعَ رَأْسَهُ» – “And crush his head”
«قَمَعَهُ» means to strike him on the head so as to humble and abase him, or to restrain and subdue him.
🔹 «تُذِلَّ عِزَّهُ» – “That You humble his might”
«عزّ» means eminence, power, and dominance.
🔹 «تَكْسِرَ جَبَرُوتَهُ» – “That You break his tyranny”
«جَبَروت» means grandeur, arrogance, and coercive power.
The و and ت in «جبروت» intensify the meaning, as in «رهبوت» and «ملکوت».
🔹 «تُذِلَّ رَقَبَتَهُ» – “That You abase him”
«رقبه» means “neck” and here stands for his whole being.
🔹 «تَفْسَخَ كِبْرَهُ» – “That You eradicate his arrogance”
«فَسَخَ» means to annul, tear apart, and overthrow.
🔹 «وَ تُؤْمِنَنِي مِنْ جَمِيعِ ضَرِّهِ وَ شَرِّهِ…» – “And keep me safe from all his harm and evil”
«ضَرّ» means harm and affliction (with a fatḥa on the ض).
«شرّ» means corruption and injustice.
🔹 «وَ غَمْزِهِ وَ هَمْزِهِ وَ لَمْزِهِ» – “From his gestures (with eye and brow), and his covert and open fault-finding”
غمز: gesturing with the eye or brow, or covert fault-finding.
همز: backbiting and fault-finding in someone’s absence.
لمز: fault-finding in someone’s presence.
🔹 «وَ حَبَائِلِهِ وَ مَصَائِدِهِ» – “From his snares and traps”
حبائل is the plural of «حباله» – traps used for hunting.
مصائد (without a hamza): the plural of «مصيد» – hunting tools.
🔹 «وَ رِجْلِهِ وَ خَيْلِهِ» – “From his foot soldiers and cavalry”
«رِجْل» (with a silent ج) means foot soldiers.
«خيل» means horsemen (figuratively, all his companions and troops).
🔹 «إِنَّكَ عَزِيزٌ قَدِيرٌ» – “Indeed, You are Mighty and All-Powerful”
This explains and reinforces the plea for its acceptance.
«عزيز» means One who is dominant and cannot be resisted.
«قدير» means One whom nothing can render powerless.
💎 Summary of the prayer’s message
The servant asks God to turn away from them all the means by which others might do harm—their eyes, ears, hearts, tongues, schemes, and armies—and to turn them back upon those who wield them.
This prayer embodies complete reliance on God and faith in His absolute power to ward off evil.
By invoking the attributes “Mighty and All-Powerful,” the servant declares certainty that God will answer.
Translation 2: Riyad
📖 Explanation and analysis of the vocabulary (from lexicographical and exegetical sources)
1. «العَنِيد» (a stubborn, defiant rebel)
«العَنيد» describes someone who strays from the straight path, is unjust and transgressive, and rejects the truth despite knowing it.
The word derives from «عَنَدَ عَنِ الْقَصْدِ عُنُوداً» (on the pattern of قَعَدَ), meaning to deviate from and turn away from the straight path.
Some have said that «عَنَدَ عُنُوداً» (on the pattern of «نَزَلَ») means severe, unceasing bleeding that will not stop or subside.
2. «المُتْرَف» (pampered and rebellious)
«المترف» refers to someone immersed in the pleasures and desires of this world, whose abundance of blessings and ease of life have made him arrogant and rebellious.
Ibn ʿArafa said: «مترف» is someone who **is left to his own devices and does whatever he wishes, with no one to restrain him.»
The Qāmūs says: «مترف» means a pampered person who is not denied any comforts; it also means «جَبّار» (tyrant).
Al-Fārābī writes in «ديوان الأدب»: «أترفته النعمة» means that blessings led him into excess; and «أترف» means to bestow blessings on someone and pamper him.
In «أساس البلاغه» we read: «أترفته النعمة» means that blessings led him into rebellion and excess; «أترف فلان» means that someone was pampered; «استترفوا» means that they rebelled and transgressed; and «ترفة» means blessing and ease.
3. «الحَفِيد» (obedient attendant)
«حفید» refers to someone whose companions serve and honour him, hastening to attend to his needs.
It derives from «حَفَدَ» (on the pattern of «ضَرَبَ»), meaning to hasten.
In «أساس البلاغه» we read: «حَفَدَ البَعیرُ حَفْداً وَ حَفُوداً وَ حَفْداناً» means that a camel hurried along, taking short, quick strides.
Figuratively, «حَفَدَ فُلانٌ فِي الْأَمْرِ وَ احْتَفَدَ» means to be quick about a task and to carry it out nimbly and with ease.
«حَفَدْتُ فُلاناً» means that I served him and hastened to obey him.
«رَجُلٌ مَحْفُودٌ» means a man who has attendants and whose orders are obeyed.
4. «الضَّعِيف» and «الشَّدِيد» (weak and strong)
«ضَعُفَ عَنِ الشَّيْءِ» (on the pattern of «قَرُبَ») means to be unable to bear something; such a person is «ضعیف».
«شَدَّ الشَّيْءُ يَشِدُّ» (on the pattern of «ضَرَبَ») means to become strong and firm; such a person is «شدید».
Here, «ضعیف و شدید» refers to weakness and strength in both the physical and spiritual senses.
The order «ضعیف» before «شدید» – preserves the rhyme and emphasises seeking refuge from the harm of the weak. The harm of the strong is usually guarded against, whereas the harm of the weak is often overlooked and may bring hidden injuries.
As the poet says:
“Do not scorn the guile of the weak, for often
a great snake is killed by a scorpion’s venom.”
Abū ʿUbayda said that Arabs commonly place the lower-ranking before the higher-ranking, as in «ربيعه و مضر» or «سليم و عامر» –without omitting either.
5. «الشَّرِيف» and «الوَضِيع» (noble and lowly)
«شریف» means noble and high-ranking.
«وضیع» means lowly and worthless.
6. «الصَّغِير» and «الْكَبِير» (young and old)
These may refer either to age or to lowliness and distinction.
Al-Fayyūmī says: «صَغُرَ فِي عُيُونِ النَّاسِ» means that his dignity faded and he became insignificant; hence the saying «جاء الناسُ صَغِيرَهُمْ وَ كَبِيرَهُمْ», meaning “one who has no worth and one who does”.
7. «الْقَرِيب» and «الْبَعِيد» (near and far)
These may refer either to geographical distance or to lineage and kinship.
Each of these words may be understood in a broad figurative sense, with each having its own literal referent.
8. “نَصَبَ لِزَيْدٍ الْحَرْبَ وَ الْعَدَاوَةَ” (to foment war and hostility)
means that he fomented and openly displayed war and hostility toward him.
From the same root comes “nāṣib,” meaning someone who openly opposes ʿAlī (AS) and his followers.
The Qāmūs states: “al-nawāṣib,” “al-nāṣibiyya” and “ahl al-naṣb” – refer to those who make hostility toward ʿAlī their religion, since they established hostility toward him—that is, they made it their foundation and openly declared it.
9. “al-dābba” (a creature on earth)
“Dābba” refers to any creature that moves about on earth.
Some have excluded birds from its scope, but this view is refuted by the verse:
“وَ اللَّهُ خَلَقَ كُلَّ دَابَّةٍ مِنْ ماءٍ” (al-Nūr: 45) – “And Allah created every creature from water” –, since commentators have said that the verse encompasses all creatures, whether discerning or not.
The customary use of “dābba” specifically for horses and mules is incidental.
The word applies to both males and females, and its plural is “dawwāb”.
💎 Final summary of the vocabulary:
| Word | Meaning |
| ʿAnīd | Stubbornly astray from the truth; a wrongdoer who knowingly rejects the truth |
| Mutraf | Pampered, immersed in sensual pleasures, defiant and rebellious |
| Ḥafīd | Someone with many servants whose commands are obeyed |
| Weak and strong | Physically and spiritually weak and strong – with “weak” placed first as a warning |
| Noble and lowly | Honourable and worthless |
| Young and old | Small and great (in age or worth) |
| Near and far | Close and distant (geographically or by kinship) |
| Nāṣib | Someone who openly opposes ʿAlī (AS) and his followers |
| Dābba | Any creature that moves about on earth (including animals and birds) |
Translation 3: Riyāḍ
💫 The text of the supplication
“O God, bless Muhammad and his family,
and turn away from me whoever intends me harm,
keep his schemes far from me,
avert his evil from me,
turn his plot back upon him,
and set a barrier before him,
so that You may blind his eyes to me,
deafen his ears to the mention of me,
shut his heart against thoughts of me,
and render his tongue mute when speaking of me,
strike down his head,
humiliate his honour,
break his might,
bend his neck in humiliation,
and eliminate his arrogance;
and keep me safe from all his harm and evil, his winks and gestures, his covert and overt slander,
his envy and hostility, his snares and traps, and those who come on foot or horseback.
Surely You are Mighty and Powerful.”
📖 An explanation and analysis of the supplication’s words and phrases (from Sharḥ Riyāḍ al-Sālikīn)
🔹 «أَنْتَ آخِذٌ بِنَاصِيَتِهَا» – “You have power over its forehead.”
That is, You own it and have power over it; You direct it as You will, and it cannot defy You.
“Taking by the forelock” is a metaphor for God’s absolute dominion and control over all beings.
The forelock is singled out because:
the forehead is the noblest part of an animal, and control over it is a sign of subjugation, mastery, and complete power.
It also reinforces people’s assumption that God is situated in a particular direction (above), by speaking of taking someone by the forelock.
This phrase alludes to the Quranic verse: “إِنَّ رَبِّي عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ” (Hud: 56).
🔹 «إِنَّكَ عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ» – “You are on a straight path.”
This explains the request for refuge from the evil of all living creatures.
That is: You uphold truth and justice in Your rule, so You will not give any creature power over me; for whoever seeks refuge in You will not be forsaken.
🔹 «مَنْ أَرَادَنِي بِسُوءٍ» – “Whoever intends me harm”
Here, “intends” means “has the intention”; that is, “whoever intends to harm me.”
The word “harm” is indefinite for emphasis, meaning “any kind of harm that would hurt me”.
🔹 «فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي» – “Turn him away from me.”
“صَرَفَ الشَّيْءَ” means to turn something back or divert it.
🔹 «وَ ادْحَرْ عَنِّي مَكْرَهُ» – “And drive his scheme away from me.”
“دَحَرَهُ” means to drive someone away, repel him, and ward him off.
🔹 «وَ ادْرَأْ عَنِّي شَرَّهُ» – “And turn his evil away from me.”
“دَرَأَ” means to repel and avert.
🔹 «وَ رُدَّ كَيْدَهُ فِي نَحْرِهِ» – “And turn his plot back upon his own neck.”
“Plotting” means seeking to harm another through covert means.
“نحر” means the chest or neck; turning someone’s plot back upon his own neck is an idiom for his scheme rebounding on him.
🔹 «حَتَّى تُعْمِيَ عَنِّي بَصَرَهُ…» – “So that You blind his eye to me…”
“عمی” means blindness.
“صم” means deafness.
“خرس” means muteness.
The meaning is not to make him literally blind, deaf, and mute, but to distract him so completely that, as far as You are concerned, he is as though blind, deaf, and mute: unable to see, hear, or speak against You.
This is an example of vivid metaphor.
🔹 «تُقْفِلَ دُونَ إِخْطَارِي قَلْبَهُ» – “Seal his heart against thinking of me.”
“أَقْفَلَ الْبَابَ” means to lock a door.
“أَخْطَرَ الشَّيْءَ بِبَالِهِ” means to consider something in one’s thoughts.
🔹 «وَ تَقْمَعَ رَأْسَهُ» – “And strike his head down.”
“قَمَعَهُ” means to strike him on the head so that he is humiliated and brought low, or to restrain and subdue him.
🔹 «تُذِلَّ عِزَّهُ» – “Humiliate his might.”
“عزّ” means elevation, power, and dominance.
🔹 «تَكْسِرَ جَبَرُوتَهُ» – “That You break his tyranny.”
“Jabarūt” means grandeur, arrogance and domination..
The wāw and tāʾ in “jabarūt” intensify the meaning, as in “rahbūt” and “malakūt.”.
🔹 «تُذِلَّ رَقَبَتَهُ» – “That You humble him.”
“Raqaba” means “neck”; here it is a figure of speech for his entire being..
🔹 «تَفْسَخَ كِبْرَهُ» – “That You put an end to his arrogance.”
“Fasakha” means to undo, break apart and bring down..
🔹 «وَ تُؤْمِنَنِي مِنْ جَمِيعِ ضَرِّهِ وَ شَرِّهِ…» – “And keep me safe from all his harm and evil.”
“Ḍarr” means harm or affliction (with a fatḥa on the ḍād)..
“Sharr” means corruption and oppression..
🔹 «وَ غَمْزِهِ وَ هَمْزِهِ وَ لَمْزِهِ» – “From his gestures, his covert fault-finding and his open criticism.”
Ghamz: gesturing with the eye or eyebrow, or covert fault-finding..
Hamz: backbiting and fault-finding in someone’s absence..
Lamz: fault-finding to someone’s face..
🔹 «وَ حَبَائِلِهِ وَ مَصَائِدِهِ» – “From his snares and traps.”
Ḥabāʾil is the plural of ḥabāla: traps used for hunting.–.
Maṣāʾid (without a hamza): the plural of maṣīd—hunting equipment.–.
🔹 «وَ رِجْلِهِ وَ خَيْلِهِ» – “From his foot soldiers and cavalry.”
“Rijl” (with a sākin jīm) means foot soldiers..
“Khayl” means horsemen; figuratively, all his followers and troops.ٔ.
🔹 «إِنَّكَ عَزِيزٌ قَدِيرٌ» – “Truly, You are Mighty and Powerful.”
This explains the request for its acceptance and reinforces it..
“ʿAzīz” means One who prevails, whom no one can thwart..
“Qadīr” means One whom nothing can render powerless..
💎 Summary of the prayer’s message
The servant asks God to ward off all the means by which others may do evil—their gaze, ears, hearts, tongues, schemes and armies—and turn them back upon those who wield them..
This prayer embodies complete reliance on God and faith in His absolute power to repel evil..
By invoking the attributes “Mighty and Powerful,” the servant declares certainty that God will answer..
❇️ وَ إِنّي اعيذها بِكَ و ذُرِّيتَها من الشَيطانِ الرَجيمِ»
The thing from which refuge is sought is his whispering, his leading astray, and all his evils—indeed, the devil himself, for his very essence is evil, and refuge must be sought from him.
The prayer also alludes to the words of the wife of ʿImrān: «وَ إِنّي اعيذها بِكَ و ذُرِّيتَها من الشَيطانِ الرَجيمِ».
It is narrated that النبيّ صلّى اللّه عليه و آله said: “Every newborn is touched by Satan at birth and cries out from his touch, except Mary and her son, whom God Most High protected through the blessing of this prayer for refuge.”
It has also been said that this means Satan seeks to lead every newborn astray, affecting them all except Mary and her son. The discussion of the offspring has already been given[12]
💫 “The thing from which refuge is sought is his whispering, his leading astray, and all his evils—indeed, the devil himself, for his very essence is evil, and refuge must be sought from him.”.
Al-Imran: 36 فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتْها قالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَضَعْتُها أُنْثى وَ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِما وَضَعَتْ وَ لَيْسَ الذَّكَرُ كَالْأُنْثى وَ إِنِّي سَمَّيْتُها مَرْيَمَ وَ إِنِّي أُعيذُها بِكَ وَ ذُرِّيَّتَها مِنَ الشَّيْطانِ الرَّجيمِ
And when she gave birth to her, (and found her to be a girl,) she said: “My Lord! I have given birth to a girl—though God knew best what she had brought forth—and the male is not like the female. (A girl cannot perform the duty of serving the sanctuary as a boy can.) I have named her Mary; and I place her and her offspring under Your protection from Satan the accursed.”
📖 In this supplication there is an adaptation of the words of Imran’s wife (Mary’s mother), who said:
“وَ إِنِّي أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَ ذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ” (Al-Imran: 36)
– “And I place her and her offspring under Your protection from Satan the accursed.“
📜 It is narrated from the Prophet (PBUH) that he said:
“No newborn is born but that Satan touches it at the moment of birth, and from this touch the newborn cries out and weeps – except Mary and her son (Jesus); for God the Exalted preserved them both through the blessing of this seeking of refuge.“
And it has been said that the meaning of this hadith is that Satan covets the leading astray of every newborn, and every newborn is affected by him, except Mary and her son, who were safeguarded from this influence.
Explanation and Elucidation
1. “بِذَاتِهِ شَرٌّ يُسْتَعَاذُ مِنْهُ”
Refuge is sought in God not only from Satan’s whisperings and misguidance, but from his very essence; for he is pure evil and by nature the enemy of humankind.
2. An adaptation of the supplication of Mary’s mother (AS):
This supplication is adapted from the Holy Quran and shows that seeking refuge in God from Satan is a divine tradition that has come down to us from the prophets and the friends of God.
3. The hadith “الشيطان يمسّ كلّ مولود”:
This hadith shows that all human beings, at the very beginning of life, are exposed to Satan’s whispering, except those whom God has preserved through the blessing of supplication and seeking refuge.
Mary and Jesus (AS), because of Mary’s mother’s seeking refuge in God, were safeguarded from this satanic touch.
4. “يَطْمَعُ فِي إِغْوَاءِ كُلِّ مَوْلُودٍ”:
Satan covets the leading astray of all human beings, but some are safeguarded from him through seeking refuge and through piety.
💎 The main message of the text:
Satan is the perpetual enemy of humankind, and one must seek refuge in God from his very essence and from all his evils.
Seeking refuge in God is the way of deliverance from satanic whisperings.
Supplication and turning to God can safeguard a person from Satan’s harm.
This text emphasises the importance of isti’adha (seeking refuge in God) and its role in preserving faith and purity.
Appendix 2
📖 Commentary and interpretation of the verses and concepts related to Satan (as expounded by Allama Majlisi, may God have mercy on him)
🔹 The meaning of the hadith “الشَّيْطَانُ يَمَسُّ كُلَّ مَوْلُودٍ”
“Its meaning is that Satan covets the leading astray of every newborn, such that the newborn is affected by him, except Mary and her son, whom God the Exalted preserved through the blessing of this isti’adha (seeking refuge).“
🔹 The interpretation of the verse “إِنَّما ذلِكُمُ الشَّيْطانُ يُخَوِّفُ أَوْلِياءَهُ” (Al-Imran: 175)
“إِنَّما ذلِكُمُ الشَّيْطانُ” – that is: the one who turns you back (from struggle) is Satan.
«يُخَوِّفُ أَوْلِياءَهُ» – means: Satan frightens his own followers through whisperings.
Some have said that “Satan” here refers to Nuʿaym ibn Masʿūd, who was called “Satan” because of his rebelliousness and defiance in disbelief.
Others have said that this frightening takes place through inward whisperings.
🔹 Commentary on the verse “إِنَّ كَيْدَ الشَّيْطانِ كانَ ضَعِيفاً” (al-Nisāʾ 4:76)
“Satan’s scheming” means his cunning efforts to spread corruption.
“Weak” – because God’s support for His friends is far stronger than Satan’s support for his followers.
A clear proof is that people of goodness and religion live on in people’s good memories after death, while tyrannical kings perish when they die, leaving no trace behind.
🔹 Commentary on the verse “وَ لَوْ لا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَ رَحْمَتُهُ …” (al-Nisāʾ 4:83)
Were it not for God’s grace and mercy—in sending messengers and scriptures—all of you, save a few, would have followed Satan.
«إِلَّا قَلِيلًا» – means: except for a few among you, whom God has granted sound judgment and kept from following Satan, such as Zayd ibn ʿAmr ibn Nufayl and Waraqah ibn Nawfal.
Others have said that «إِلَّا قَلِيلًا» means following him only rarely.
🔹 Commentary on the verse “إِنْ يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ إِلَّا إِناثاً” (al-Nisāʾ 4:117)
«إِناثاً» – refers to idols such as al-Lāt, al-ʿUzzā and Manāt.
The idols are described as female:
either because their names are feminine,
or because inanimate things are considered feminine (since they are acted upon and do not act).
This expression draws attention to the polytheists’ ignorance: they worship something that neither acts nor is acted upon– whereas the object of worship must be purely an agent.
Some have said that the reference is to angels, whom the polytheists called “the daughters of God”.
🔹 Commentary on the verse “وَ إِنْ يَدْعُونَ … إِلَّا شَيْطاناً مَرِيداً” (al-Nisāʾ 4:117)
It means: they worship none but a rebellious Satan– for Satan commanded them to worship idols and incited them to do so.
«مارد» and «مَرید» – describe one who has no part in goodness and rebels in evil.
The root carries the sense of contact and attachment; hence:
صرح مُمَرَّد (a lofty, towering structure),
غلامِ أَمْرَد (a beardless youth),
شجرۀ مَرْداء (a tree that has shed its leaves).
🔹 «لَعَنَهُ اللَّهُ وَ قالَ لَأَتَّخِذَنَّ مِنْ عِبادِكَ نَصِيباً مَفْرُوضاً» (al-Nisāʾ 4:118)
It means: God cursed Satan, and Satan said, “I will surely take a fixed share from among Your servants.”
By these words, Satan revealed the full extent of his enmity toward humankind.
🔹 «وَ لَأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ وَ لَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ …» (al-Nisāʾ 4:119)
«لَأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ» – means: I will surely lead them astray from the truth.
«لَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ» – means: I will fill them with vain hopes, such as a long life, there being no resurrection, and no punishment.
«لَآمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ آذانَ الْأَنْعامِ» – means: I will command them to slit the ears of livestock—a reference to pre-Islamic practices such as declaring certain animals forbidden, thereby prohibiting what God had made lawful.
«فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ» – means: I will command them to alter God’s creation—for example, gouging out camels’ eyes, castrating slaves, filing teeth, tattooing, sodomy, and so on.
“Changing God’s creation” – also includes altering the divinely given nature (Islam) and misusing one’s faculties and powers.
🔹 “وَ مَنْ يَتَّخِذِ الشَّيْطانَ وَلِيًّا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْراناً مُبِيناً” (al-Nisāʾ: 119)
Whoever takes Satan as a friend and protector instead of God has clearly suffered a loss – for he has squandered his capital and exchanged his place in Paradise for the Fire.
Satan makes them false promises and fills them with vain hopes; but his promises are nothing but deception.
“وَ لا يَجِدُونَ عَنْها مَحِيصاً” – that is, they will find no way to escape from it (the Fire).
🔹 Al-Razi’s analysis of the stages of spiritual illness
Al-Razi says that affliction and illness take three forms:
1. Confusion (disorder) – referring to “لَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ”; for vain hopes entangle the intellect in matters of desire and anger, leaving it confused.
2. Deficiency (diminishment) – referring to “فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ آذانَ الْأَنْعامِ”; for piercing the ear is a kind of diminishment, and whoever devotes his intellect to worldly matters becomes weak in judgment concerning the Hereafter.
3. Corruption (ruin) – referring to “فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ”; for changing the creation nullifies its original quality, and the heart turns wholly away from the Hereafter, occupying itself with this world alone.
🔹 Commentary on the verse “إِنَّما يُرِيدُ الشَّيْطانُ أَنْ يُوقِعَ بَيْنَكُمُ الْعَداوَةَ وَ الْبَغْضاءَ فِي الْخَمْرِ وَ الْمَيْسِرِ …” (al-Māʾidah: 91)
Wine: Although it may outwardly be consumed to foster fellowship and affection among people, it impairs the intellect, allowing desire and anger to overpower a person and leading to hostility and resentment.
Gambling: Although it may outwardly seem to offer relief to those in need, it destroys the wealth of the rich and leads to poverty and hostility.
Both give rise to hostility and resentment among people and distract them from remembering God and performing prayer.
🔹 Commentary on the verse “وَ كَذلِكَ جَعَلْنا لِكُلِّ نَبِيٍّ عَدُوًّا …” (al-Furqān: 31)
This verse may mean that God appointed enemies for every prophet from among the polytheists and disbelievers, so that they would oppose him.
Or it may mean that God commanded that they be opposed and instructed the prophets to keep away from them.
“شَياطِينَ الْإِنْسِ وَ الْجِنِّ” – that is, the rebellious disbelievers among jinn and humankind, who oppose the prophets and the believers.
Al-Tabarsi relates from Ibn Abbas in his commentary: Iblis divided his forces into two groups, sending one to mislead humankind and the other to mislead the jinn. The devils among humankind and the jinn then conspire together, urging one another to stray, as the Qur’an says: “يُوحِي بَعْضُهُمْ إِلى بَعْضٍ زُخْرُفَ الْقَوْلِ غُرُوراً” (al-Anʿām: 112).
💎 Final summary
From the moment a person is born until the end of life, Satan lies in wait, turning people from the path of truth with false promises and vain hopes.
Wine and gambling are Satan’s two principal means of sowing hostility and resentment among people and distracting them from remembering God and performing prayer.
Changing the divinely given nature—which consists of Islam, sincere worship, and the proper useof one’s faculties and powers—is one of Satan’s principal aims.
The only way to salvation is to seek refuge in God, hold fast to sound reason, and follow the prophets and the friends of God.
[1] Biḥār al-Anwār (Beirut edition), vol. 4, p. 121. Majlisī, Muḥammad Bāqir ibn Muḥammad Taqī, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, Beirut, second edition, 1403 AH.
[2] Bihār al-Anwār (Beirut edition), vol. 4, p. 121. Majlisī, Muḥammad Bāqir ibn Muḥammad Taqī. Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, Beirut, 2nd ed., 1403 AH.
[3]Ṣaḥīfa Sajjādiyya, passages 6, 7, and 8
[4]Ṣaḥīfa Sajjādiyya, passages 6, 7, and 8
[5]Ṣaḥīfa Sajjādiyya, Supplication 27, passage 5
[6]Ṣaḥīfa Sajjādiyya, Supplication 27, passage 15
[7]Ṣaḥīfa Sajjādiyya, Supplication 32, passages 12 and 13
[8]Ṣaḥīfa Sajjādiyya, Supplication 47, passage 68
[9]Ṣaḥīfa Sajjādiyya, Supplication 44, passages 13, 14, 15, and 16
[10]Ṣaḥīfa Sajjādiyya, Supplication 47, passages 99 and 100
[11]Ṣaḥīfa Sajjādiyya, Supplication 49, passages 3 and 4
[12] Riyāḍ al-Sālikīn fī Sharḥ Ṣaḥīfat Sayyid al-Sājidīn, vol. 4, p. 24 Kabīr Madanī, Sayyid ʿAlīkhān ibn Aḥmad. Islamic Publications Office, Iran, Qom, 1st ed., 1409 AH.
