Prophet instructs a man to seek refuge in Allah

📖Sunan al-Tirmidhī 3492
Shakal ibn Humayd reported: I came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and I said, “O Messenger of Allah, teach me to seek refuge that by it I may seek refuge.” The Prophet took me by the hand and he said, “Say: O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the evil of my hearing, from the evil of my seeing, from the evil of my tongue, from the evil in my heart, and from the evil of my seed,” meaning his passions.

This hadith teaches us that even our own faculties – hearing, sight, tongue, heart, and desires – can be corrupted if we are negligent. The root of these evils comes from Iblīs, who whispers and pushes people toward misuse of their own blessings. That is why seeking refuge in Allah is necessary, not only from external enemies, but from the harm of our own self influenced by Satan.

Why we need refuge from our own faculties:

• Hearing → can be misused for gossip, lies, or obscenity.
• Sight → can fall on forbidden or shameless things.
• Tongue → can wound others with insults, lies, or backbiting.
• Heart → can carry envy, pride, hypocrisy, or doubts.
• Desires → can push one into immorality and unlawful acts.

Quranic Context:

📖Quran 17:36
Do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight, and the heart—about all those [one] will be questioned.

Seeking Refuge: Protection from Iblīs

📖Quran 7:16-17
[Iblīs] said, “Because You have put me in error, I will surely sit in wait for them on Your straight path. Then I will come to them from before them and from behind them, from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them grateful [to You].

But remember  – even though Iblīs tries from every direction, he has no power over the sincere servants of Allah.

📖Quran 15:42
Indeed, you will have no authority over My servants, except those who follow you of the deviators.

And Allah says:

📖Quran 7:200
And if an evil suggestion comes to you from Satan, then seek refuge in Allah. Indeed, He is Hearing and Knowing.

📖Quran 15:42
Indeed, you will have no authority over My servants, except those who follow you of the deviators.

📖Quran 91:9-10
Successful indeed is the one who purifies the soul, and ruined is the one who corrupts it.

How Seeking Refuge Saves Us

1. It interrupts Satan’s whisper –  You stop following a passing evil thought and instead turn to Allah.
2. It reminds you of Allah’s presence – You remember He is Watching, Hearing, and Protecting.
3. It leads you to His commands – Remembering Allah directs you to obey what He ordered and avoid what He prohibited.
4. It purifies your own actions – Instead of blaming only Satan, you clean your hearing, seeing, tongue, and heart as the Prophet ﷺ taught.
5. It separates the sincere from the deceived – Allah says Satan has no power over His true servants (Quran 15:42).
6. It protects gratitude – Iblīs promised to make people ungrateful (Quran 7:16-17), but seeking refuge keeps you mindful of Allah’s blessings.
7. It secures the soul –  Whoever purifies the soul succeeds, and whoever corrupts it fails (Quran 91:9-10).

So, seeking refuge = remembering Allah = aligning with His commands = protection from Satan.