23:98 Al-Muminoon (The Believers)

{ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ رَبِّ أَنْ يَحْضُرُونِ } أي: أعوذ بك من الشر الذي يصيبني بسبب مباشرتهم وهمزهم ومسهم، ومن الشر الذي بسبب حضورهم ووسوستهم، وهذه استعاذة من مادة الشر كله وأصله، ويدخل فيها، الاستعاذة من جميع نزغات الشيطان، ومن مسه ووسوسته، فإذا أعاذ الله عبده من هذا الشر، وأجاب دعاءه، سلم من كل شر، ووفق لكل خير.

وقوله تعالى " وأعوذ بك رب أن يحضرون " أي في شيء من أمري ولهذا أمر بذكر الله في ابتداء الأمور وذلك لطرد الشيطان عند الأكل والجماع والذبح وغير ذلك من الأمور ولهذا روى أبو داود أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يقول " اللهم إني أعوذ بك من الهرم وأعوذ بك من الهدم ومن الغرق وأعوذ بك أن يتخبطني الشيطان عند الموت "وقال الإمام أحمد حدثنا يزيد أخبرنا محمد بن إسحاق عن عمرو بن شعيب عن أبيه عن جده قال: كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يعلمنا كلمات يقولهن عند النوم من الفزع " بسم الله أعوذ بكلمات الله التامة من غضبه وعقابه ومن شر عباده ومن همزات الشياطين وأن يحضرون "قال فكان عبدالله بن عمرو يعلمها من بلغ من ولده أن يقولها عند نومه ومن كان منهم صغيرا لا يعقل أن يحفظها كتبها له فعلقها في عنقه. ورواه أبو داود والترمذي والنسائي من حديث محمد بن إسحاق وقال الترمذي حسن غريب.

The Command to call on Allah when Calamity strikes, to repel Evil with that which is better, and to seek refuge with Allah

Allah commands His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to call on Him with this supplication when calamity strikes:

رَّبِّ إِمَّا تُرِيَنِّى مَا يُوعَدُونَ

(My Lord! If You would show me that with which they are threatened.) meaning, `if You punish them while I am witnessing that, then do not cause me to be one of them.' As was said in the Hadith recorded by Imam Ahmad and At-Tirmidhi, who graded it Sahih:

«وَإِذَا أَرَدْتَ بِقَومٍ فِتْنَةً فَتَوفَّنِي إِلَيْكَ غَيْرَ مَفْتُون»

(If You want to test people, then take me to You cause me to die without having to undergo the test.)

وَإِنَّا عَلَى أَن نُّرِيَكَ مَا نَعِدُهُمْ لَقَـدِرُونَ

(And indeed We are able to show you that with which We have threatened them.) means, `if We willed, We could show you the punishment and test that We will send upon them.' Then Allah shows him the best way to behave when mixing with people, which is to treat kindly the one who treats him badly, so as to soften his heart and turn his enmity to friendship, and to turn his hatred to love. Allah says:

ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ السَّيِّئَةَ

(Repel evil with that which is better. ) This is like the Ayah:

ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِى بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِىٌّ حَمِيمٌوَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ

(Repel (the evil) with one which is better, then verily he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend. But none is granted it except those who are patient) 41:34-35. meaning, nobody will be helped or inspired to follow this advice or attain this quality,

إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ

(except those who are patient) meaning, those who patiently bear people's insults and bad treatment and deal with them in a good manner when they are on the receiving end of bad treatment from them.

وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَآ إِلاَّ ذُو حَظِّ عَظِيمٍ

(and none is granted it except the owner of the great portion) means, in this world and the Hereafter. And Allah says:

وَقُلْ رَّبِّ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيـطِينِ

(And say: "My Lord! I seek refuge with You from the whisperings of the Shayatin.") Allah commanded him to seek refuge with Him from the Shayatin, because no trick could help you against them and you cannot protect yourself by being kind to them. We have already stated, when discussing Isti`adhah (seeking refuge), that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say,

«أَعُوذُ بِاللهِ السَّمِيعِ الْعَلِيمِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ مِنْ هَمْزِهِ وَنَفْخِهِ وَنَفْثِه»

(I seek refuge with Allah, the All-Hearing, All-Seeing, from the accursed Shayatin, from his whisperings, evil suggestions and insinuations.) His saying:

وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ رَبِّ أَن يَحْضُرُونِ

("And I seek refuge with You, My Lord! lest they should come near me.") means, in any issue of my life. So we are commanded to mention Allah at the beginning of any undertaking, in order to ward off the Shayatin at the time of eating, intercourse, slaughtering animals for food, etc. Abu Dawud recorded that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say:

«اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَرَمِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَدْمِ وَمِنَ الْغَرَقِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ أَنْ يَتَخَبَّطَنِي الشَّيْطَانُ عِنْدَ الْمَوْت»

(O Allah, I seek refuge with You from old age, I seek refuge with You from being crushed or drowned, and I seek refuge with you from being assaulted by the Shayatin at the time of death.)

And I seek protection in You my Lord lest they visit me’ in any of my affairs for they only visit to bring ill.

أَن يَحْضُرُ‌ونِ (from that they come to me - 23:98) According to a Hadith in Sahih of Muslim the Holy Prophet ﷺ is reported to have said that Shaitan meddles in all human affairs and tempts people to do evil deeds, and that this prayer is the best protection against his attempts. (Qurtubi)