Six Actions to Avoid to Keep Satan Away

The following tradition is quite interesting.  It raises a few actions that must not be done, yet most of us commit some of them without being concerned at all.  One reason that we may not be concerned about them could be because we rarely question such common actions.  We see most people around us commit such actions and since we rarely if ever hear that such actions are undesirable and in fact dangerous, we follow others and commit some of these actions as well.

            One important lesson that we can take from the following tradition is that we must care and question all of our actions before accepting them as correct, even if the actions are common daily acts that most people around us do. 

            Another fascinating point that is raised in this tradition is one of the causes of an individual falling into a fit.  Of course the modern secular world of medicine would readily reject and ridicule such notion, for obvious reasons, but as for us Muslims, it is beneficial to keep this information in mind, which may perhaps one day become useful for us.

            Another subtle yet intriguing point in this tradition is the command of The Prophet, peace be upon him, to his men when his men were entering, what could be assumed, a valley full of demons.  According to this command, one way to counteract the effects of demons is by holding the hands of others and walking through together as one unit. 

            Again, as we all know, the notion of demons and angels is readily rejected and ridiculed in our modern secular societies. However, the knowledge of such notions, for us Muslims,  is important since the religion of Islam is a holistic and a complete religion and everything that is taught in it is coherently related and linked to everything else within it.  Therefore, the more we raise our awareness about such notions and lessons, the more we learn about the whole, and the clearer the overall picture would become.

            Now, without any further ado, here's the intriguing Authentic tradition.

Arabic Text:

أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنِ الْعَلَاءِ بْنِ رَزِينٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع قَالَ مَنْ تَخَلَّى عَلَى قَبْرٍ أَوْ بَالَ قَائِماً أَوْ بَالَ فِي مَاءٍ قَائِماً أَوْ مَشَى فِي حِذَاءٍ وَاحِدٍ أَوْ شَرِبَ قَائِماً أَوْ خَلَا فِي بَيْتٍ وَحْدَهُ وَ بَاتَ عَلَى غَمَرٍ فَأَصَابَهُ شَيْ‏ءٌ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ لَمْ يَدَعْهُ إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ وَ أَسْرَعُ مَا يَكُونُ الشَّيْطَانُ إِلَى الْإِنْسَانِ وَ هُوَ عَلَى بَعْضِ هَذِهِ الْحَالَاتِ فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص خَرَجَ فِي سَرِيَّةٍ فَأَتَى وَادِيَ مَجَنَّةٍ فَنَادَى أَصْحَابَهُ أَلَا لِيَأْخُذْ كُلُّ رَجُلٍ مِنْكُمْ بِيَدِ صَاحِبِهِ وَ لَا يَدْخُلَنَّ رَجُلٌ وَحْدَهُ وَ لَا يَمْضِي رَجُلٌ وَحْدَهُ قَالَ فَتَقَدَّمَ رَجُلٌ وَحْدَهُ فَانْتَهَى إِلَيْهِ وَ قَدْ صُرِعَ فَأُخْبِرَ بِذَلِكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص فَأَخَذَ بِإِبْهَامِهِ فَغَمَزَهَا ثُمَّ قَالَ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ اخْرُجْ خَبِيثُ أَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ قَالَ فَقَامَ

English Translation:

Narrated by Ahmed Ibn Mohamed from Ibn Mahboub from Al-Alaa Ibn Razin from Mohamed Ibn Muslim from Abu Ja’far (peace be upon him) who said:

“Whosoever defecates upon a grave, urinates standing up, urinates in still water, walks wearing one shoe, drinks standing up, or remains alone in an empty house becomes  possessed by Satan who will not leave him until Allah wills, for quickly does Satan take hold of a man in these states. The messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was on his way to battle when he arrived at the valley of Majjana. He called to his men; “Let each man take the hand of his companion; no man is to enter alone or to advance alone.” One man went forward alone and fell into a fit. The messenger of Allah was informed. He took the man’s thumb and pressed it, then said, “In the name of Allah, leave him, O malignant one; I am the prophet of Allah.” And the man revived.

Source:

Al-Kafi, Volume 6, Page 533, Tradition #2

I would like to re-state the list once more.

*Avoid:

1. Defecating upon graves
2. Urinating standing up
3. Urinating in still waters
4. Walking wearing one shoe
5. Drinking standing up
6. Remaining alone in an empty house