On the authority of Khawlah bint Hakim who said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) say, ‘Whoever stops at a place and says, “I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of whatever He has created,” nothing will harm him until he departs from that place.’” (1) Reported by Muslim.

Khawlah bint Hakim: the daughter of Ḥakim ibn Umayyah al-Sulamiyyah and the wife of ʿUthmān ibn Maʿẓūn—may Allah be pleased with him; she was noted for her righteousness and virtue.

The words of Allah: here, the Quran is intended.

The perfect (al-tāmāt): words that are complete, untouched by flaw or deficiency.

From the evil of what He created: from every evil found in any creature, whether animal or otherwise.

Overall meaning of the hadith: The Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) teaches his community a beneficial form of seeking refuge that wards off every danger a person might fear when he halts at any spot on earth: namely, to seek protection through Allah’s healing, sufficient, and flawless words, so that he remains safe in that lodging for as long as he stays there, shielded from every lurking harm.

Relevance to the chapter: The hadith directs people to a lawful and effective form of seeking refuge, as opposed to the polytheistic practices once used by the idolaters.