ONE HADITH A DAY
Narrated by At-Termedhy - An-Nasaa’i - Narrated by Abu Daoud - Narrated by Ahmad · Authentic hadith
عن شكل بن حميد رضي الله عنه قال: قلت: يا رسول الله، عَلِّمْنِي دعاء، قال: (قل: اللهم إني أعوذ بك من شر سمعي، ومن شر بصري، ومن شر لساني، ومن شر قلبي، ومن شر مَنِيِّي).
“ShakI ibn Humayd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I said: "O Messenger of Allah, teach me a supplication." He said: "Say: O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the evil of my hearing, from the evil of my sight, from the evil of my tongue, from the evil of my heart, and from the evil of my semen (i.e. my lust)."”
In this Hadīth, Shakl ibn Humayd (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) searching for the good of this world and the Hereafter. He did not ask the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) for a perishable worldly pleasure, a handful of money, or a measure of food. Rather, he went seeking supplication. He asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to teach him a supplication that would benefit him in his religion and his worldly affairs. That was the attitude of the Companions; seeking bounty from Allah and His good pleasure. So the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) directed him to this splendid sublime supplication, saying to him: Say 'O Allah', invoking Allah using His Name that comprises all of His Most Beautiful Names. "I seek refuge in You from the evil of my hearing", meaning I seek Allah's protection from the evil of hearing, which includes the forbidden things that a person might hear, such as false testimony, heresy, slander, disparaging the religion, and all other forbidden things that reach a person's hearing. "From the evil of my sight", meaning the sin of using it to look at forbidden things, such as indecent movies and shameless scenes. "From the evil of my tongue", meaning from every forbidden speech that can be uttered, such as false testimony, insults, cursing, disparaging Islam and Muslims, speaking about others' affairs or abandoning speaking about what should concern one. "From the evil of my heart", meaning filling the heart with anything oth…