What is Istiaza, How is it Performed? What does a believer seeking Istiaza seek refuge in Allah from?
According to the verse in Surah Nahl:
فَاِذَا قَرَاْتَ الْقُرْاٰنَ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللّٰهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّج۪يمِ
“When you recite the Qur’an, seek refuge in Allah from the rejected Satan!” (Nahl 16/98) In accordance with this command, when beginning to read the Noble Qur’an:
اَعُوذُ بِاللّٰهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّج۪يمِ
“I seek refuge in Allah from the rejected Satan” we say. This saying is called “Istiaza.” Eûzü means “to seek refuge, to ask for safety, to request help,” among other things.
The first thing that Gabriel (peace be upon him) brought to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was Istiaza, the Basmala (Bismillah), and the verse meaning “Read in the name of your Lord who created!” (Alak 96/1).
“Istiaza” should be performed before beginning to read the Qur’an. For the word “when you recite the Qur’an” in the verse means “at the time when you intend to recite the Qur’an.” (Bursavi, Ruhul-Beyan, I, 3)
“Istiaza” is like knocking on a door to enter and asking for permission. Since the person who wants to read the Qur’an will begin to speak with Allah, he should stay away from matters that do not concern him, cleanse his tongue of sins such as gossip, backbiting, and slander. Cleansing the tongue of these kinds of impurities is only possible by saying “Eûzü,” meaning seeking refuge in Allah from all of them.
“Istiaza” is an important means to approach Allah, an invaluable refuge for those who fear Him sincerely, a support for sinners, a shelter for those doomed to destruction, and enlightenment for lovers.
Istiaza is a covenant between the Lord and the servant. Allah Almighty says: “Fulfill your promise to Me as I fulfill My promise to you” (Bakara 2/40). It is as if the servant, when saying “Eûzü,” says, “O my Lord, I have fulfilled my servitude with all my shortcomings as a human being; I seek refuge in You and ask for forgiveness from You. And You are perfect in goodness and generosity. By fulfilling the promise You gave me as your lord, protecting me and taking me under Your care.” (Fahreddin er-Râzi, Mefatihu’l-gayb, I, 85-86)
Seeking refuge in Allah is turning from creation to the Creator, from people to the Truth. It is a turn towards Allah who needs nothing but all goodness and far from all evil. The secret of the verse “Hasten to your Lord” (Zariyat 51/50) manifests itself with such awareness. Moreover, Istiaza is the servant’s realization that there is no other way to be close to the Exalted Allah. Feeling helplessness is the last of the spiritual stations.
The word “Allah” is not derived in terms of its word structure. Because it is not possible to know the origin of this word and what it means exactly. Indeed, Imam Taftazani pointed out this issue by saying, “Just as reason is perplexed in knowing Allah’s essence and attributes, it is also perplexed regarding the word that represents His name. Is it a name? An attribute? Is it derived or not? Is it a proper noun?”
“Satan” took this name after being rejected from Allah’s mercy and cursed. The clearly understood meaning of the term “Satan” is Iblis and his helpers. However, it is also a fact that it is a general name used for those who abandon the right path and fall into error among humans and jinn. As Allah Almighty says: “Humans and jinn devils” (An’am 6/112), indicating this.
“Racim” means the Satan who was cast out of the heavens by the angels when he was cursed. Or it is the Satan being stoned as a meteor shower while trying to ascend to the heavens. His attempt to rise to the heavens and steal knowledge from the Preserved Tablet (Lawh-i Mahfuz) is one of his evil attributes. There are many other bad names and attributes related to Satan in the Qur’an. Among them, the word that expresses all his evils is “racim.” Because “racim” encompasses all the punishments related to Satan. Therefore, this attribute was specially chosen from the name and characteristics of Satan when beginning to recite the Qur’an.
It is possible to speak of three kinds of Istiaza: Istiaza for Allah’s attributes, actions, and essence. To point to these, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from Your anger with Your pleasure, from Your punishment with Your forgiveness, and I seek refuge in You from You.” (Muslim, Salat 222; Abu Dawud, Witir 5; Tirmidhi, Da’avat 112)
WHAT DOES A BELIEVER SEEK REFUGE IN ALLAH FROM WHEN PERFORMING ISTIAZA?
A believer performing Istiaza;
- Seeks refuge in Allah from all evils related to belief, actions, and the body,
- From all prohibitions,
- From countless calamities and misfortunes such as illness, fire, drowning, poverty, blindness, and disability,
- From all kinds of harm that can come from humans, jinn, and animals,
- Seeks refuge in Allah, the All-Powerful, from every kind of calamity, misfortune, and disaster.