Question No. 3153 31 August 2022 Official answer by Master Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat) verified Content level: Intermediate

How Can We Lessen Satan’s Whispers During Prayer?

Primary reference: See the answer text 38 views 23 explanatory notes and annotations

Verified answer Documented and evidence-based

Dear questioner, Master Ali Saei

Tracking code: #Q-3153

Dear teacher, during prayer, Satan seems to make a stronger effort to distract me while I recite al-Fātiḥa and the surah. He does everything he can to turn my mind to other things as I recite them.

But as soon as I finish the two rak‘ahs of recitation and reach the qunūt, it is as though he leaves me alone and no longer bothers me much.

What can I do to lessen Satan’s hold over me while I recite al-Fātiḥa and the surah? What is the difference between these recitations and the tasbīḥāt, since this seems to happen less when I say the tasbīḥāt?

Subject category: Ethics and Spirituality Hadith and Traditions Ethics and Spirituality

The essence and first answer at a glance (60-word summary)

Satan’s influence is no less present in one part of the prayer than in another; there is no difference between reciting al-Fātiḥa and the other surah, and saying the tasbīḥāt. Presence of heart in prayer depends on a person’s longing to connect with God: the stronger that longing becomes, the more fully the heart and tongue will be present before Him. Love of worship, which grows from knowledge, brings the heart into prayer; the heart should lead the body and its limbs.

Answer by Master Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat)

Teacher and researcher in the intellectual tradition of wisdom and the Ahl al-Bayt | Soroush Bamdadān Cultural Center

The influence of Satan does not diminish in any part of the prayer; there is no difference between al-Ḥamd, the following surah, and the tasbīḥāt. The first point is that presence of heart depends on a person’s longing to communicate with God. The stronger this ardour and desire for communion become, the more fully the heart and tongue will be present together in the remembrance of the Beloved. Absence of heart is a kind of flight and evasion, a sign that one does not feel the sweetness of being in the presence of the Exalted Lord.

In prayer, the heart should lead the tongue and the limbs; any shift in this order will break the connection. When the heart is not in its proper place in prayer, the body’s system, out of habit, will put on a display of worship.

Love of worship is what brings the heart into presence, and it is attained through knowledge.

Did you find this answer illuminating? Your feedback helps us refine our responses and organize future sessions.

Audio attachment: This question currently has no audio file; the answer is provided in written form, with supporting arguments.

How Can We Lessen Satan’s Whispers During Prayer?

The essence and first answer at a glance (60-word summary)

Answer by Master Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat)

Related questions