Islamic phrase · meaning and usage
A'udhu Billah meaning
Also written A'udhu billah, Audhu billahi minash shaytanir rajim, Auzubillah, Aoozu billah, Ta'awwudh, Isti'adha
أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ
a‘ūdhu billāhi minash-shayṭānir-rajīm
“I seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan, the accursed”
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A’udhu billahi minash-shaytanir-rajim (أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ) means “I seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan, the accursed”. It is said before reciting the Qur’an (16:98), when angry, and when tempted or afraid.
What A'udhu Billah means
Saying it is called isti‘ādhah or ta‘awwudh. You run to Allah for protection, as a child runs to a parent. Ar-rajīm means the one expelled and pelted: Shaytan, driven away from Allah’s mercy.
Word by word
| Arabic | Say | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| أَعُوذُ | a‘ūdhu | I seek refuge |
| بِاللَّهِ | billāhi | in Allah |
| مِنَ | mina | from |
| الشَّيْطَانِ | ash-shayṭāni | Shaytan |
| الرَّجِيمِ | ar-rajīm | the accursed, the outcast |
When to say it
- Before reciting the Qur’an.
- When angry: the Prophet ﷺ said it removes anger.
- When tempted to sin or when a bad thought or whisper comes.
- After a bad dream (with spitting lightly to the left three times).
- On hearing something evil: “a’udhu billah” alone, meaning “Allah protect us”.
How to reply
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Where it comes from
In the Qur’an
فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ فَٱسْتَعِذْ بِٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ
So when you recite the Qur'an, [first] seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the expelled [from His mercy].
وَإِمَّا يَنزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ نَزْغٌۭ فَٱسْتَعِذْ بِٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
And if an evil suggestion comes to you from Satan, then seek refuge in Allah. Indeed, He is Hearing and Knowing.
In the hadith
Two men argued and one grew red with anger. The Prophet ﷺ said: “I know a phrase that, if he said it, what he feels would leave him: a‘ūdhu billāhi minash-shayṭānir-rajīm.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3282; Sahih Muslim 2610
After a bad dream: seek refuge in Allah from its evil and from Shaytan, spit lightly to the left three times, and turn over.
Sahih Muslim 2262
Common mistakes
- Saying “auzubillah” with a z. The letter is dhāl (ذ), as in “this”: a‘ūdhu. A z sound is a common South Asian habit.
- Thinking it is part of the Qur’an’s text. It is said before reciting, by command of 16:98, but is not an ayah.
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Frequently asked questions
What does a'udhu billahi minash shaytanir rajim mean?
“I seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan, the accursed.”
When should I say a'udhu billah?
Before reciting Qur’an (16:98), when angry (Bukhari 3282), when tempted, after a bad dream, and when hearing something evil.
Is it said before bismillah?
Yes, when beginning recitation: first a‘ūdhu billāh…, then bismillāhir-raḥmānir-raḥīm at the start of a surah.
Does it help with anger?
Yes. The Prophet ﷺ said this phrase would remove the angry man’s anger (Bukhari 3282; Muslim 2610).
What is the difference between ta'awwudh and isti'adha?
Both name the act of seeking refuge with Allah: saying a‘ūdhu billāh.
Related phrases
How this page works and sources
Qur’an text and its English meaning are taken from the same Uthmani text and translation the Niyat app uses, and each ayah links to its place in our Qur’an reader. Hadith are cited by collection and number (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abi Dawud, Jami at-Tirmidhi, Sunan an-Nasa’i, Sunan Ibn Majah); where a narration has a weak chain we say so. Hadith wording is summarised in plain English. Where the schools of law differ, the page says so in one line. The sound button uses your browser’s own Arabic voice; nothing is sent anywhere.
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