المعنى الاصطلاحي :

Resorting to Allah and seeking strength through Him; to protect oneself against the evil.

الشرح المختصر :

“Isti‘ādhah” (seeking refuge) is the statement by the one reciting the Qur’an: “I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan.” This is the wording favored by all reciters. There are also other wordings that can be used, like: “I seek refuge with Allah from Satan;” “I seek refuge with Allah, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, from the accursed Satan;” and “I seek refuge with Allah, the Great, from the accursed Satan.” “Isti‘ādhah” is to resort to Allah, seek His refuge, and ask Him for protection against Satan and his schemes and insinuations. In its essence, “isti‘ādhah” means fleeing something fearful to something providing a refuge against it.

التعريف اللغوي المختصر :

“Isti‘ādhah”: seeking refuge and protection from evils. It is derived from “‘Awdh”, which means safety and protection. "ma‘ādh": refuge, stronghold.