Ala Hazrat Imam Ahmad Rida Khan (Allah is pleased with him) recommended many ways to stay away from satanic whispers (waswasa), which can sometimes take over people's lives and harass them incredibly. 

If a person practices upon these remedies with firm faith then there is no doubt that Shaytan will be disgraced and his whisperings will have no effect. 

Ala Hazrat recommends the following methods:

1) Returning to Allah (obedience)

2) Reciting أَعُوْذُ بِاللهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيْم 

3) Reciting لا حَوْلَ و لا قُوَّةَ إلَّا بِالله 

4) Reciting Surat al-Nas

5) Saying اٰمَنْتُ بِاللهِ و رَسُوْلِه 

6) Reciting the following verse will instantly remove all satanic whispers - 

هُوَ الأَوَّلُ و الآخِرُ وَالظّـٰهِرُ و البَاطِنُ و هُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَليْم

7) Reciting the following in abundance will remove such whispers from their roots - 

سُبْحَانَ المَلِكِ الخَلَّاقْ . إِن يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُمْ وَيَأْتِ بِخَلْقٍ جَدِيْدٍ . وَمَا ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى اللهِ بِعَزِيْزٍ

It says in a Hadith that a companion came to the blessed court of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and complained that he can't remember whether he prayed 2 or 3 Rakats in Salah. 

The Prophet ﷺ stated: 

اذا وجدت فارفع اصعبك السبابة اليمنى فاطعنه في فندم اليسرى و قل باسم الله فإنها سكين الشيطان

When you find yourself in such a situation then lift the index finger of your right hand and hit it on your thigh for this is a dagger for the devil. 

Reference: Fatawa Ridawiyyah, V1 Page 770

Compiled by Sayyid Ali al-Amjadi

There are 3 kinds of fasting:

1. Fast of the common people (Awām): Abstinence from eating, drinking and sexual relations.
2. Fast of the elite people (Khawās): As well as abstaining from eating, drinking and sexual relations, refraining from sins of the ears, eyes, tongue, hands, feet and the rest of the body parts.
3. Fast of the super-elite people (Akhsul Khawās): staying away from everything and focusing only on Allah.

[al-Jawhirah al-Nayyirah]

The first category, ‘fast of the common people’ is lowest in status, as it is only abstinence from eating, drinking and sexual relations, whereas the third category, ‘fast of the super-elite people’ is of the highest status as it entails excluding everything from the heart besides the fear of Allah and placing full trust in Allah, up to the extent where to think of arrangements for Iftar during the day time would render the fast invalid, due to the lack of absolute trust in Allah, who has promised to provide substance to all. (Invalid is in terms of spirituality and not in terms of Shari’at).
The second category, ‘fast of the elite people’ consists of refraining from sins connected with the entire body; shielding the eyes from unlawful gazes, protecting the tongue from futile talk, guarding the ears from hearing undesirable things, as that which is bad to say is worse to hear. Thus, the ‘fast of the elite people’ is making each limb of the body fast.

What is understood is that the fast of the one who simply manages not to eat or drink in Ramadan is like a body without its soul. The true reality of fasting is that a person should become angel-like (pious), as angels are pure and immune to all desires. Animals are full of desires, which is the reason as to why they are far away from angels. Hence, the one who is submerged in desires is like an animal, and the one who overcomes his desires becomes similar to angels in terms of qualities and not station. Therefore, he becomes close to the angels (in terms of qualities) and as the angels are close to Allah, he will then become close to Allah.

[Summarised from Kīmiyā e Sa’ādat]

"Hunger sharpens the intelligence and improves the mind and health." [Kashf al-Mahjūb]

By Muhammad Kalim, Preston

www.thesunniway.com

In Salah and other acts of worship, which have been commanded to us, there are certainly secrets hidden within them; whether we understand these secrets or not is a different matter. Whether we understand the reasoning for these with the eyes of Shari'ah or not, the people of insight [ahl-e-Nazar] know very well the secrets of every act in Salah. This is because their sight is fixated on the Worshipped [Allah] rather than the worship itself. Along with the procedure of Salah, they also learn the reasoning and secrets behind it. This is why the innermost secrets are revealed to them. They then begin to view the esoteric in the same way they view the exoteric.

The Hadith Sharif informs us that the secret of lifting the index finger in 'at-Tahiyyat' is that at that moment, Shaytan flees because the lifting of the index finger is more severe upon Shaytan than the strike of the sharpest sword.

Imam Ahmed Rida Alayhir Rahmah, in one place, has narrated two Hadith sharif in regards to this

١-
قال رسول الله صلى الله تعالىٰ عليه و سلم 'الاشارة بالصبع اشد على شيطان من الحديد

[Musnad Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal, volume 2, page 119 - Dār al Fikr Beirut]

RasulAllah salAllahu ta'ala alayhi waSallam has stated: The lifting of the index finger is more severe upon Shaytan than the sharpest words.

٢-
عن النبى صلى الله تعلىٰ عليه و سلم قال 'هى مذعرة للشيطان

[Sunan al-Bayhaqi, volume 2, page 132 - Dār Sadir Beirut]

RasulAllah salAllahu ta'ala alayhi waSallam has stated: It (the lifting of the index finger) is that which strikes fear in Shaytan's heart.

[Fatawa Ridwiyya, volume 6, page 150 - Barkat e Raza Porbandar]

From Imam Ahmed Raza aur Ma'arif e Tasawwuf

Translated by Sayyid Ali Amjadi

http://thesunniway.com/component/k2/item/201-the-secret-behind-the-lifting-of-the-finger

Fajr

When Sayyiduna Adam alay his salam descended on the Earth from Heaven, it was the time of night, and it was the first time he had seen this world. He was in a state of shock as he had never seen darkness or night before [as in Jannah, night does not exist][1]. When dawn broke, he prayed 2 cycles [Rak'ah] thankfulness to Allah. One cycle thanking Allah for removing him from the darkness of the night and second Rakat for blessing him with the light of the day. He prayed these Rakahs as Nafl and it has been made Fard upon us so that the darkness of sins in which we are living in, is removed from our lives and we acquire the light of obedience.

Zohr

After midday, Sayyiduna Ibrahim alayhis salam was the first to pray Salah. He prayed 4 Rakah Salah to Allah thanking him for sending a replacement sacrifice instead of his son, Sayyiduna Ismayil alayhis salam.

• The first Rakah was prayed for removing the anxiety of his Son
• The second Rakah for the sending of the sheep as a sacrifice
• The third was prayed expressing gratefulness at the happiness of his Lord
• The fourth was prayed out of happiness due to the fact that Sayyiduna Ismayil alay his salam was ready to sacrifice his life at the command of Allah.

He prayed it as Nafl but it has been made fard upon us so that Allah gives us the power to kill our desires just as he gave Sayyiduna Ibrahim alayhis Salam the power to sacrifice his son in the path of Allah; also so that he removes from us our anxieties and he takes the Christians and Jews as our replacements and save us from the hellfire and also that he may be pleased with us and our actions.

Asr

The first to pray 'Asr was Sayyiduna Yunus alayhis salam for Allah saved him from 4 darknesses.

1. The darkness of mistakes
2. The darkness of melancholy
3. The darkness of the sea
4. The darkness of the whale's stomach 

It was Nafl for him but made fard upon us so that Allah saves us from the darkness of sins, the darkness of the grave, the darkness of (the tribulations) of Qiyamat, and the darkness of hell.

Maghrib

The first to pray Maghrib was Sayyiduna Iysa alayhis salam.

• He prayed the first negating his own divinity
• The second negating his mothers divinity
• The third affirming the divinity of Allah.

It was Nafl for him but made Fard upon us so that on the day of resurrection: our accounting (for sins and rewards) is made easy for us; we are saved from the fire of hell and granted salvation from the great agitation that will take place on that day; and finally, that we remove ourselves from our self conceited pride and we specially humble ourselves for the sake of Allah.

Isha

The first to pray Isha Salah was Sayyiduna Musa alayhis salam, when he was returning from the Madayin[2] and He forgot his way. He was overcome by 4 problems:

1. Sadness due to separation from his wife
2. Worry for his children
3. Anxiety on behalf of his Brother
4. Concern of being captured by Firawn.

When Allah granted him salvation from all his worries, he prayed 4 Rakah Nafl Salah which has been made Fard upon us so that Allah also shows us the path [to salvation]; that He blesses us in our works; that He grants us union with our beloveds, and grant us victory over our enemies.

Reference: Fatawa Ridawiyyah Vol 5, Pages 68-69, Barakatur Raza Porbandar Edition

Translated and compiled by Sayyid Ali Amjadi

---

Footnotes

[1] "..there is no day and night in Jannah, the inhabitants of Jannah will always stay in 'Nur'" Tafseer Khazain ul Irfaan, Surah 19 Verse 61

[2] Madayin is a city in the Arabian Peninsula which Sayyiduna Musa alayhis salam passed through

http://thesunniway.com/articles/item/194-secrets-pertaining-to-the-times-of-salah

 Once I was experiencing heart pains so I presented myself in the court of my teacher Ustād ul Ulema Hafiz e Millat. In my grief, i was envisaging that my grave is just a few yards away. I went and said to him "Huzur! in this young age this is my situation [I am experiencing heart pains] please make dua for me".

He prayed something and then instructed me to do the following:

"As soon as you finish your fard Salah, put your right hand on your heart and recite this verse 11 times:"

أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ 

Surah ar-Ra'd, Verse 28

I prayed this for a few days and I began to feel as though I had a new life! For one month, I continued to pray this Wazifa, and until this day, it has been approximately 38 years and I haven't even felt unwell [never mind heart problems]. Now I come to understand that the Qur’an is not only prescribed for spiritual relief it is also prescribed for physical relief.

*Individual from the audience* : Hazrat please grant us all the permission to carry out this wazifa [litany]. 

*Allamah Saheb*: Like my teacher gave me permission I give all the people of the Ahlus Sunnah permission [to practice this wazifa]. Whoever needs this he may use it. And whoever requires it, then inform him of this.

Transcribed from a speech by Huzur Muhaddith e Kabeer Allamah Zia ul Mustafa Azmi 

Translated by Muhammad Kalim

www.thesunniway.com