ISTI’ÂDHA – استعاذة
Literally: A seeking shelter and protection. Taking refuge.
A pronouncing. A du'â for seeking refuge from shaytan to Allah through the phrase ‘aûzu billâhi minasshaytanirrajîm which is ordered by the âyahs of the Qur'an (7:200) (16:98) (40:56) (41:36) (23:97-98).
(Please refer to Thirteenth Flash on the mystery of the isti’âdha from shaytan)
“Thus, if someone is both a teacher, and a policeman, and a clerk of the court, and an inspector in the civil service, in each office he has both relations, and duties, and obligations, and salaries, and responsibilities, and promotion, and enemies and rivals who are the cause of his failures. He appears before the sultân with many titles and he sees the sultân. He seeks help from him with many tongues. He has recourse to many of the ruler's titles, and seeks his help in many forms in order to be saved from the sharr of his enemies.
In just the same way, man, who manifests many Names and is charged with many duties and afflicted with many enemies, invokes many of the Names in his munâjât and isti’âdha. Like Muhammad the Arabian ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm, the cause of pride of mankind and truly the most haqîqî perfect man offered du'â with a thousand and one Names in his munâjât, Jawshan al-Kabir; does isti’âdha from fire. It is due to this mystery that the Surah, قُلْ اَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ مَلِكِ النَّاسِ اِلهِ النَّاسِ مِنْ شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ1 commands the isti’âdha through three titles, and, بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِshows the seeking of help through three Names.” The Words ( 344 )
An important wile of shaytan is to prevent man from admitting his faults so that he can close the way of istighfâr and isti’âdha. He also incites the ananiyyah of the human nafs so that the nafs defends itself like a lawyer as though offers taqdîs2 to itself.
Yes, a nafs that heeds shaytan does not want to see its faults. Even if it sees them, it explains them away in a hundred ways. Through the mystery of وَ عَيْنُ الرِّضَا عَنْ كُلِّ عَيْبٍ كَلِيلَةٌ3 , since he looks to his nafs with the eye of contentment, he does not see its faults. And since he does not see its faults, he does not admit them; he does not offer istighfâr; he does not offer isti’âdha; he becomes the laughingstock of shaytan. Although an illustrious noble prophet like Hazrat Yûsuf ‘Alayhissalâm said: 4 وَمَا اُبَرِّئُ نَفْسِى اِنَّ النَّفْسَ َلاَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ اِلاَّ مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّى how can the nafs be trusted? One who accuses his nafs sees his faults. One who admits his faults offers istighfâr. One who offers istighfâr offers isti’âdha. One who offers isti’âdha is saved from shaytan's sharr. Not to see his faults is a greater fault than the fault itself. And not to admit his faults is a great defect. And if he sees his fault, that fault will not be a fault anymore. If he admits it, he becomes worthy of forgiveness.
The 13th Flash-13th Indication-Second Point
1 (Say, I seek refuge with Ar-Rabb of men, * Al-Malik of men, * The Ilah of men, * From the sharr of the whispering, elusive tempter)
2 (As an Islamic term taqdîs is to proclaim that Allah, Who is Quddûs, is purified, free from all faults and exalted above all deficiencies.
Here it is used with its literal meaning which is sanctification, proclaiming something being purified, free from all faults and exalted above all deficiencies.) (Tr.)
3 (The eye of contentment is blind to faults)
4 (Nor do I absolve my nafs; the nafs is certainly evil-commanding, except the one to whom my Rabb has shown rahmah.)