The same is true of expressing what it means to love Him, fear Him, revere Him, and stand in awe of Him. Words fall short of describing these states; they can be understood only by experiencing them, not merely through descriptions and reports. If you describe the pleasure of intercourse to an impotent man who has never been endowed with sexual desire, however closely you explain it or whatever comparisons you draw, he will not truly comprehend it in his heart. But if you describe it to someone endowed with an innate sexual desire, he understands it through firsthand experience.

The underlying form of the verb is a‘wudhu, with the ‘ayn unvowelled and the wāw bearing a dammah. It then underwent a weak-letter change: the vowel of the wāw was transferred to the ‘ayn, leaving the wāw unvowelled. Thus they said a‘ūdhu (“I seek refuge”), following the regular pattern of this class. They then applied this change consistently, forming the active participle ‘ā’idh (“one seeking refuge”). Its underlying form is ‘āwidh; since the wāw followed the alif of the active-participle pattern fā‘il, they changed it into a hamzah, as in qā’im (“one standing”) and khā’if (“one who fears”).

For the verbal noun, they said ‘iyādhan billāh (“seeking refuge in Allah”). Its underlying form is ‘iwādhan, with a wāw, as in lawdh (“taking shelter”). They changed the wāw into a yā’ because the preceding letter bore a kasrah. Its own vowel did not protect it from this change, since it had already been weakened by undergoing a weak-letter change in use. They also said musta‘īdh (“one seeking refuge”), whose underlying form is musta‘widh, on the same pattern as mustakhrij (“one extracting”). They transferred the kasrah of the wāw to the preceding ‘ayn. With the ‘ayn now bearing a kasrah, the wāw was preceded by that vowel and was therefore changed into a yā’, following the regular pattern of this class.

If you ask: Why, then, do the letters sīn and tā’ appear in the imperative of this verb, as in His words:

16:98 “So seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed,”

but not in its past and present forms? For the more usual expressions are a‘ūdhu billāh (“I seek refuge in Allah”) and ta‘awwadhtu (“I sought refuge”), rather than asta‘īdhu and ista‘adhtu.

I would answer: The sīn and tā’ indicate a request. Thus, asta‘īdhu billāh means “I ask for refuge with Him,” just as astakhīru Allāh means “I ask Allah to choose for me”; astaghfiruhu means “I ask His forgiveness”; and astaqīluhu means “I ask Him to release me.” These letters therefore enter the verb to indicate that this refuge is being requested from the One whose protection is sought.

When the person addressed by the command says, “I seek refuge in Allah,” he has fulfilled what was requested of him, for he was asked to seek shelter and hold fast. There is a difference between actually seeking shelter and holding fast, and asking to do so. Since, then, the one seeking refuge is fleeing, seeking shelter and holding fast