to Allah, he uses the verb denoting that act, rather than the verb denoting a request for it. Reflect upon this.

This differs from someone being told, “Seek Allah’s forgiveness,” and replying, “I seek Allah’s forgiveness.” He has been asked to request forgiveness from Allah, so by saying, “I seek Allah’s forgiveness,” he has complied, since the meaning is: “I ask Allah to forgive me.”

If he intends this meaning when seeking refuge, there is no harm in using the sīn and tā’, saying, asta‘īdhu billāh: “I ask Him to grant me refuge.” But this meaning differs from actually holding fast to Him, seeking shelter with Him, and fleeing to Him.

The first person describes his state and his taking refuge with his Lord. His statement implicitly includes his plea and request that Allah grant him refuge.

The second explicitly asks his Lord to grant him refuge, as though saying, “I ask You to grant me refuge.”

The state of the first is therefore more complete. Hence, in fulfilling this command, the Prophet ﷺ is reported to have said, “I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed,” “I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah,” and “I seek refuge in Allah’s might and power,” rather than asta‘īdhu (“I ask for refuge”). Indeed, Allah taught him to say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak,” and “I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind,” rather than asta‘īdhu. Reflect upon this wondrous wisdom.

If you ask: How, then, does fulfilling this command involve uttering both the command and what it commands, as in His words:

“Say, ‘I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak,’” and “Say, ‘I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind’”?

It is well known that when someone is told, “Say: Praise be to Allah,” or “Say: Glory be to Allah,” he complies by saying, “Praise be to Allah,” or “Glory be to Allah,” not, “Say: Glory be to Allah.”

I would answer: This is precisely the question that Ubayy ibn Ka‘b put to the Prophet ﷺ, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ answered it.

Al-Bukhārī said in his Sahīh: Qutaybah narrated to us; Sufyān narrated to us, from ‘Āsim and ‘Abdah, from Zirr ibn Hubaysh, who said: “I asked Ubayy ibn Ka‘b about