أَعُوْذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللّٰهِ التَّامَّاتِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ
(3x)
I seek protection in Allah’s perfect words from the evil of whatever He has created.
Aʿūdhu bi kalimāti-l-llāhi-t-tāmmāti min sharri mā khalaq.
Abū Hurayrah (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever recites [the above] three times in the evening will not be harmed by poisonous stings in that night.”
Suhayl (a narrator) said: “So our family used to learn it and they used to say it every night. A girl among them was stung, and she did not feel any pain.” (Tirmidhī 3604)
Brief Commentary
• In this duʿā’, we seek protection by the words of Allah.
• This shows the greatness and importance of the words of Allah. They are perfect in every way and full of goodness. They are powerful as they protect the person who asks Allah through them.
• The words of Allah include all the Books He revealed, and most importantly the Qur’ān. His words also include everything He decrees.
• We seek protection ‘from the evil of whatever He has created’. We remind ourselves that this harm is within the creation of Allah, and thus we feel at peace knowing that Allah is able to protect us from it as it is under His authority.
• Nothing falls outside the creation of Allah, so we have sought protection from all forms of evil.
• In the ḥadīth above, the girl who was stung by the scorpion did not feel pain because she would say this duʿā’ so Allah protected her.
Action Points
• Feel safe and reassured, as you are seeking protection from the One in whose Hands lie absolute power and dominion.
• Increase in the recitation of the Qur’ān as it is the words of Allah and is a powerful form of protection.
• Imām al-Qurṭubī (raḥimahullāh) writes, “This is an authentic narration, and a true statement based upon textual evidence and experience. Since I heard it, I acted upon it so nothing harmed me until I left it. I was stung by a scorpion one night, and when I thought over it, I realised I had forgotten to seek protection with these words.”
• Say this duʿā’ whenever you go somewhere new as this is what the Prophet ﷺ advised us to do. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever stops at a place and then says [the above duʿā’], nothing shall harm him until he sets off again from that place” (Muslim 2708).
• Always ask Allah and seek His protection with an attentive heart and yaqīn (certainty). Be certain that Allah will fulfil His promise to you so long as you are truthful to Him.
