How Can I Protect Myself?
05 August, 2015
Question
I fear that I am at risk of a jinn attack, magic, or the evil eye. How can I protect myself?
Answer
This is an important question, and one that is relevant to almost everyone at some time or another in their lives. The answer is not to do one single thing, but to do as many of the things that Allāh has established as causes for protection as possible, while affirming that these causes are nothing more than causes, and they will only be effective with the permission of Allāh.
Below are a list of the most important causes of protection from the aforementioned afflictions:
Tawḥeed - There is no greater cause of protection from the trials of this world and the next, than to affirm - through knowledge and action - that Allāh is one in His Lordship, in our worship of Him, and in His perfect names and attributes; He has no partner in any of those things.
He is the Lord of everything; its owner, creator, and provider; He is the one who gives life and death; the one who causes benefit and harm; the only one who can answer supplications at times of need; the one who has control of everything, and every good is in his hand; the one who is able to do everything; and the one who everything happens by His will and His command.
He knows everything, and is able to do everything; He is al- Ḥayy (The Ever-Living), al-Qayyūm (The Sustainer of All), the one who is not overcome by slumber, nor sleep; He has a will that is always carried out, and wisdom that is infinite; and He is All-Hearing, All-Seeing; kind and merciful; over the throne He rose, He has complete possession of His dominion; and He is al-Malik, al-Quddoos, as-Salaam, al-Mu'min, al-Muhaymin, al-'Azeez, al-Jabbār, al-Mutakabbir - exalted is Allāh above what they associate in partnership with him.
Because of these things, we worship Him alone, with pure devotion; including love, fear, hope, reliance, longing, and awe; supplicating to Him alone, and dedicating all acts of worship, both the external and internal aspects to Allāh, who is alone and with no partner. Not one bit of these acts of worship are to be made for anyone other than Him; not for a noble, favoured angel, nor for a prophet sent to mankind, let alone anyone else.
When we affirm this, and we act upon that affirmation in everything that we do, we are protected by the promise of Allāh who said:
"Those who believe and do not mix their belief with injustice - those will have security, and they are [rightly] guided." 6:82
The Prophet ﷺ explained that the injustice mentioned here is to make a partner with Allāh; i.e., to oppose what has been mentioned above. Therefore, the greatest protection of all is found in Tawḥeed, to the extent that there is no protection for the one who does not have it. As Allāh said:
"Inclining [only] to Allāh, not associating [anything] with Him. And he who associates with Allāh - it is as though he had fallen from the sky and was snatched by the birds or the wind carried him down into a remote place.." 22:31
Striving to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. This is another fundamental cause of protection, without which the other, more specific forms of protection will not have any effect. Allāh said:
"...So let those beware who dissent from the Prophet's order, lest a trial strike them, or a painful punishment." 24:63
So, Allāh removed the guarantee of protection from trials and punishment from the one who dissents from the command of the Prophet ﷺ. He also said:
"And whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him, and follows other than the way of the believers - We will entrust him to what he has chosen, and drive him into Hell, and evil it is as a destination." 4:115
So, Allāh promised to remove His protection and care from the one who opposes the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ and his companions (may Allāh be pleased with them).
The prayer. This is because the Prophet ﷺ said that the difference between a Muslim and a non-Muslim is the prayer, and whoever leaves it has disbelieved. If this is the case, then the one who has disbelieved is not in the protection of Allāh in any way. He also informed us that the protection of Allāh is given to the one who prays Fajr in the congregation. The prayer is something that we have been commanded to guard, and in the Sunnah, we are told that the one who guards the rights of Allāh will be protected by him.
Taqwaa - the very word taqwaa indicates protection, since linguistically it is protection from that which you fear. In a practical sense, it means to do as many good deeds as you can, and to avoid as many sins as you can; with the right intention, and in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. It is the most oft-repeated advice in the Qur'ān, and there is no doubt that every good deed that you do is a source of protection, as is explained in this hadeeth, and in this hadeeth, and every sin that you do is a potential cause of harm, as Allāh said:
"Why [is it that] when a [single] disaster struck you, although you had struck [the enemy] with one twice as great, you said, 'From where is this?' Say, 'It is from yourselves.' Indeed, Allāh has power over all things." 3:165
"Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness]." 30:41
Seeking the protection of Allāh, through du‘ā, and through the prescribed adhkaar. This must be something done regularly and habitually, not something done for one day, and then missed the next. It is also necessary that the heart is engaged, along with the tongue, and that the limbs act in accordance to the du‘aa that is being made; as this is the most complete form of remembrance of Allāh.
The greatest form of remembrance of Allāh is the recitation of the Qur'ān, and it contains protection from every evil. Allāh said:
"And when you recite the Qur'ān, We put between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter a concealed partition." 17:45
The Prophet ﷺ told us that the magicians are unable to act against the recitation of al-Baqarah, and he told us that the recitation of the last two aayaat of al-Baqarah recited at night suffice a person (i.e., as a means of protection). He also told us of the protection of the last two sūrahs of the Qur'an, al-Falaq, and an-Naas (http://quran.com/114), as well as al-Ikhlaas. All of these, and the general recitation of the Qur'an are a protection.
Protection of the house, as a means of protecting yourself. The house should be a fortress which repels the shayṭān. A house which invites the shayṭān is one in which the people are not protected. From the evidence for this is that the angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or a picture. If the angels do not enter the house, then the fear is that the house will become a refuge for the shayṭān. A solider inside of a fort which has been overrun by the enemy is not like a solider who is in a strong, guarded fort. Therefore, the house - or the room, if the person does not have control over the whole house - should be purified of anything that might be attracting the shayṭān (pictures, films, music, free-mixing, etc.); and it should be made a place of prayer, a place of learning Islam, and a place of obedience to Allāh. Keep the windows and doors closed between maghrib and ‘ishaa’, and through the night as much as possible. Take to reading al-Baqarah and the prescribed adhkaar, as mentioned above.
In case you feel worried that you have been afflicted with something, it is imperative to treat it immediately, even as a precaution, and not to delay for any reason. One easy step that can be taken is to implement the 7 day ruqyah programme, and if there are signs of a problem that is more serious, to move onto the full ruqyah programme. You can seek advice, but it is far better to begin the programme first than to wait for advice.
If you are particularly worried about magic, then you can take to eating 7 dates in the early morning, before anything else. If the patient is already afflicted, then they should be carefully observed when eating the dates, as they will normally hide one or two, or force themselves to vomit. The dates to be of the 'Ajwah variety from 'Aaliyat-ul-Madeenah. If they cannot be found, then any 'Ajwah dates from anywhere in Madeenah. If they cannot be found, then any 'Ajwah dates. If they cannot be found, then any dates of Madeenah, and if they cannot be found, then any dates will suffice, in shā' Allāh. This is because there is more than one narration mentioning different conditions for the dates, so we say to fulfil the most specific first, and then to fear Allāh as much as you can.
A patient must never seek to protect themselves with ta'weez, under any circumstances; nor should they seek help from magicians, 'faith healers', or engage in the practices of other religions, such as putting nails in the corner of each room, or putting out chilli powder on the floor. All of these are forbidden, and all of them remove the protection of Allāh, either through making a partner with him, or through opposing the Sunnah, as mentioned above.
This is what Allāh has made easy for me to mention, and I hope to update this post with other things as they occur to me.
Allāh knows best.