Tafsir of Al-Jinn 72:22

Say, "Indeed, there is no one who can protect me from Allah if He, Glorified be He, intends harm for me, and I will never find a multahada (refuge) besides Him."

Multahada means a place of deviation or turning away. Al-Kalbi said: "a place to enter into the earth." Al-Suddi said: "a shelter." Its root is al-lahd (to incline/enter a side chamber), and the intended meaning is a refuge to lean upon. They cited the verse:

Oh, the regret of my soul, and my soul is not of any avail to me, And there is no refuge (multahada) from the decree of Allah.

Al-Raghib allowed for it to be a noun of place or an infinitive. This—as it has been said—is an explanation of his inability, peace and blessings be upon him, to manage his own affairs, following the explanation of his inability to manage the affairs of others.

It is said that there is an ellipsis in the discourse: they said, "Leave what you are calling to, and we will protect you," so he was told to say, "Indeed, there is no one who can protect me..." And it is said that it is a response to a claim made by the leader of the Jinn, who, having crowded around him, said, "I will drive them away from you," so he said, "Indeed, there is no one who can protect me..." Al-Mawardi mentioned this, but both statements are of no consequence.