Arabic Text
عن أنس رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم:
«مَنْ قَالَ ــ يَعْنِي إِذَا خَرَجَ مِنْ بَيْتِهِ ــ: بِسْمِ الله، تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى الله، وَلاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِالله، يُقَالُ لَهُ: هُدِيتَ وَكُفِيتَ وَوُقِيتَ، وَتَنحَّى عَنْهُ الشَّيْطَانُ».
رواه أبو داود والترمذي والنسائي وغيرهم. وقال الترمذي: حديث حسن.
وزاد أبو داود: «فيقول ــ يعني الشيطان لشيطان آخر ــ: كيف لك برجل قد هُدِيَ وكُفِيَ ووُقِيَ؟»
1. Connection to the Chapter
This hadith belongs under اليقين والتوكل because it teaches the believer to step into the world with a heart already protected by reliance on Allah. The house is not the end of trust, and the street is not the end of danger; the Prophetic response is to carry tawakkul out into the day. That is why the chapter gathers these texts: certainty must travel with the believer, not stay locked inside worship moments.
It also shows that the believer’s daily life is meant to be fortified by revelation, not by self-made formulas. The Prophet ﷺ taught a remembered phrase that becomes a shield, a compass, and a sign of surrender.
2. Key Words Meaning
بسم الله — in the name of Allah; beginning with His blessing and authority.
توكلت على الله — I rely on Allah; I entrust my outward movement and inward safety to Him.
لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله — there is no movement away from evil and no power for good except through Allah.
هُديت — you have been guided; your path has been set aright.
كُفيت — you have been sufficed; Allah is enough for you.
وُقيت — you have been protected; Allah has guarded you from harm.
تنحى عنه الشيطان — the devil moves away from him; the person is not an easy target.
3. Hadith Lessons
The first lesson is that reliance on Allah is not abstract. It has a spoken form, a lived form, and a protective effect. The believer who leaves his house with this remembrance is not leaving alone; he is leaving with divine support.
The second lesson is that true guidance is the first gift in the du‘a, sufficiency is the second, and protection is the third. That order matters. The believer does not only ask to be safe; he asks to be rightly directed, because being guided is better than merely being comfortable.
The third lesson is that لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله is a declaration of human weakness and divine power. It strips away the illusion of self-sufficiency. The believer admits that he cannot turn from error, cannot remain firm, and cannot attain good except by Allah.
The fourth lesson is that the devil’s influence weakens where remembrance is strong. The hadith does not merely say the devil is resisted; it says he moves away. This is the practical dignity of dhikr: it changes the atmosphere around the servant.
4. Special Reflections
This hadith is especially important in a time when people step out each day already mentally overstimulated, anxious, and distracted. The Prophet ﷺ teaches a way of leaving the house that is not rushed, heedless, or self-dependent. The believer begins by remembering Allah, and that remembrance shapes the whole day.
It also shows that the simplest words can carry the deepest protection. Many people seek complicated methods for peace, but the Prophet ﷺ gave a short sentence that gathers surrender, dependence, and power. The more one repeats it with understanding, the more the heart learns where safety truly lies.
The final image of the devil asking another devil, “How can you deal with a man who has been guided, sufficed, and protected?” is a powerful picture. It means that the protected heart becomes unattractive territory for whispering and harm. That is not magic; it is the fruit of living remembrance.
5. Three Questions to Close With
- Do I leave home with Allah’s remembrance, or with my mind already scattered into the world?
- When I say “I rely on Allah,” do I understand that every good movement and every protection comes from Him alone?
- Is my house the only place where I remember Allah, or does my dependence travel with me into the day?