اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَيْطَانٍ يَعْثُرُ فِي أَمْرِي وَيُشَوِّشُ عَلَى صَلَاتِي
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the devil who confuses my affairs and disrupts my prayer.
Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min shaytanin ya'thuru fi amri wa yushawwishu 'ala salati
When to Read
This dua is specifically for moments during your prayer (Salah) when you feel your focus slipping, your mind is racing with unrelated thoughts, or you sense the subtle whispers of Shaytan trying to pull you away from concentrating on your Lord.
How to Read
Recite this supplication quietly, perhaps after your initial *takbir* (Allahu Akbar) as a subtle plea to Allah before or as you begin your recitation, or at any point during your prayer when you notice your mind wandering. The key is sincerity and a genuine desire to reconnect with your Lord.
Virtues & Benefits
This dua directly addresses the common struggle of maintaining *khushu'* (humility and concentration) in prayer. By seeking refuge in Allah, you acknowledge that the battle against distractions is one that requires divine assistance. It's a proactive step to purify your worship and ensure your prayer is a meaningful conversation with your Creator, free from external and internal noise.
Source & Authentication
Narrated Abu al-Malih: I said to Ibn Abbas: 'The people have multiplied their lies.' He said: 'The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Beware of lying, for lying and immorality lead to evil, and evil leads to Hell. A man keeps lying and endeavors to lie until he is recorded with Allah as a liar. Beware of pride, for pride and transgression lead to the Fire, and they lead to striving and sinning. Beware of drinking wine, for it is the key to all evils. Verily, the first prayer of the night is one thing, and the second is another, and the third is another, and the fourth is another, and the fifth is another, and the devil visits you at the time of prayer and whispers to you and distracts you. So when one of you prays, he should seek refuge in Allah from him and spit to his left three times. Some men said: 'Verily, the devil is in the shape of a camel.' Some said: 'He is like a donkey.' Some said: 'He is like a snake.' And Ibn Abbas said: 'I have not heard them say anything like that, but the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Verily, the devil comes to one of you when he prays, so he mixes things up with him until he leaves the prayer without knowing what he prayed. So when one of you feels that, let him spit to his left three times and seek refuge in Allah from the accursed devil. If he does that, he will go away from him.' Al-Tirmidhi did not mention the part about seeking refuge from the devil, but he mentioned seeking refuge from the devil and spitting to his left three times. He said: This is a *Hasan* Hadith. It was also narrated by Abu Dawud with a similar chain of narration, and he added: 'Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min shaytanin ya'thuru fi amri wa yushawwishu 'ala salati.' (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the devil who confuses my affairs and disrupts my prayer.)