Striking Resemblance between Surah 113 Al Falaq and Surah 114 An Naas

The two concluding Sürahs, that is Sürah 113. Al Falaq and Sürah 114 An Naas have a striking resemblance between the two. Sürah Al Falaq and Sürah An Naas, though are two Sürahs of the Qur'an are separate entities and are written in the Mushaf also under separate names, yet they are so deeply related mutually and their contents so closely resemble each other's that they have been designated by a common name Mu'awwidhatayn (the two Sürahs in which refuge with Allah has been sought, or literally 'the two protectingones'). That is in both Sürahs refuge has been sought from evil: 

• In Sürah Al Falaq from the outer evils,
• While in Sürah An Naas protection from inner evil is prayed for. 

Imam Baihaqi in Dala'il an-Nubuwwat has written that these Surahs were revealed together, that is why the combined name of both is Mu'awwidhatayn.

These two consecutive surahs are recited in order to dispel any form of evil that may be the work of the devil, evil spirits like jinn, effect of black magic or the evil eye. It is generally believed that these two surahs were revealed on the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as an antidote for a spell laid on him.

Now as per the evasion of outer evil, as is sought in the Surah 113. Al Falaq, man has no control over them. That is to say from the evil of the darkness, the black magic or the evil eye by others targeting a person as is mentioned in the verse 4-6 of the surah:

(113:3) from the evil of night's darkness when it spreads around;

(113:4) from the evil of the women who blow on knots;

(113:5) and from the evil of the envier when he envies.

The details of these verses is given in the tafsir/exegesis of the Surah Al Falaq already published. It can be seen that the person being targeted may not even know that evil is being cast on him unless he starts to feel the ill effects of the evil. One should be careful if one buys a new car better than his relatives or colleagues, or gets a good job or buys new clothes, because he is likely to fall prey tom the evil eyes. Even women blow knots into handmade dolls or pierce pins into these to cast an evil spell on their adversaries due to jealousy or enmity. 

Those (feminine) who blow on knots', this having been a favourite form of witchcraft practiced by perverted women. Such secret arts cause psychological terror. They may be what is called magic, or secret plotting, or the display of false and seductive charms (iii. 14), or the spreading of false and secret rumours or slanders to frighten men or deter them from right action. There is fraud in such things, but men are swayed by it. They should cast off fear and do their duty. Such people existed a lot among the Jews and also among the soothsayers of the Arabs. But the irony is that such practices are still in vogue even in the Muslim communities even today.

These are cases of outer evil on which one has no control and can easily fall prey to these evil machinations.

On the contrary, Surah 114. An Naas warn against the satanic whispers within one's heart that mislead a person and compel him to do evil things and commit a sin. By  reciting this surah we seek refuge with Allah from the slinking whisperers, as forewarned in the following three verses of the surah:

(114:4) from the mischief of the whispering, elusive prompter who returns again and again,

(114:5) who whispers in the hearts of people; 

(114:6) whether he be from the jinn or humans.”

Here a believer has control to suppress or ignore the evil whispers and save him from wrong doings. Such whispers are often cast on a believer's heart specially when he stands up to offer Salat (prayer) and disturbs his thoughts and rather than offering prayer in humility and full concentration, his thoughts are disturbed. In so doing one usually forgets how many rakat one has offered and has to reread to undo his mistakes. This whispers also compel a believer against his fellow brother and sometimes these whispers so over power one's thinking abilities that one commits sins beyond any proportion.

Evil insinuates itself in all sorts of insidious ways from within so as to sap man's will, which was given to man by Allah. This power of evil may be Satan, or evil men or the evil inclinations within man's own will: for there are "evil ones among men and Jinns, inspiring each other with flowery discourses by way of deception" (vi. 112). They secretly whisper evil and then withdraw, to make their net the more subtle and alluring.

This last verse of Surah An Naas amplifies the description of the sources from which the whisper of evil may emanate: they may be men whom you may see or invisible spirits of evil working within. See last note. So long as we put ourselves in Allah's protection, and trust in Allah, evil cannot really touch us in our essential and inner life. 

It may be noted that whether it is the jinn or men who induce these latent suggestions in people, their general psyche is that once a person is caught in their web of deception, they totally absolve themselves of the consequences and leave people to themselves. Such devils can always be seen among human beings. It is evident from the Qur’ān that the devils from among the jinn too are no different. The word خَنَّاس depicts this very character so that people always keep the insincerity and treachery of Satan in mind. Thus, at another instances, the Qur’ān states that he is an eternal deceiver (khadhūl), all his promises are mere deception and in the Hereafter too he will absolve himself of all consequences and abandon his followers.

You may also like to know who is a Qareen and what is his association with man and how he is part of the Satan to whisper evil in your heart. Read our post on Qareen. 

Thus these two surahs which closely resemble in substance, warn the believers to be watchful of outer and inner evil so as not to fall into their trap and get astray. Whenever one feels any sort of spell over him or whisper in his heart that are misleading, one should recite these two surahs regularly and seek refuge with the Lord of mankind, Allah the Almighty, the oft forgiving and protector.

If a person is superstitious and credulous and instead of relying on sense and reason relies on speculation and conjecture and if instead of deeply trusting God clings to doubts and skepticism, then such a person is often lured by devils among the jinn and men, who then escort him to all sorts of evil. The only way to protect oneself from this evil, according to this sūrah, is to remain in the asylum of the Almighty. Whenever a person feels that his heart is getting inclined to evil, he should immediately seek refuge with Him. The best way to do this is to recite these two last sūrahs of the Qur’ān. (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 9, 663)

Please refer to our Reference Page "114 Chapters (Sūrahs) of the Holy Qur'an" for translation, explanation and exegesis of all other chapters of the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.

Reading the Holy Quran should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:

• The plain translation and explanation has been taken from the Holy Quran officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 
• The exegesis of the chapters of the Holy Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. 

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources (links to Reference Pages given below):  

• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Qur'an Wiki
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
• Tafsir Nouman Ali Khan
• Towards Understanding the Quran

In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given below. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites:

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |

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Sürah Al Falaq (The Rising Dawn) - Exegesis / Tafsir 113th Chapter of Qur'an

Sürah Al Falaq is the 113th surah with 5 ayahs, part of the 30th Juzʼ  of the Holy Qur'an.

As already mentioned in the summary of both Sürah Al Falaq and Sürah 114. An Nas, though these two Sürahs of the Qur'an are separate entities and are written in the Mushaf also under separate names, yet they are so deeply related mutually and their contents so closely resemble each other's that they have been designated by a common name Mu'awwidhatayn (the two Sürahs in which refuge with Allah has been sought). It is believed  that these Surahs were revealed together, that is why the combined name of both is Mu'awwidhatayn. Also in both Sürahs refuge has been sought from evil: In Sürah Al Falaq from the outer evils and in Sürah An Nas from the inner evil.

Let us now read the translation and exegesis / tafseer in English of the Sürah. For recitation in Arabic Text, please view the video at the end with English subtitles:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"

قُلۡ اَعُوۡذُ بِرَبِّ الۡفَلَقِۙ‏ 

( 1 )   Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak

As qul (say) is a part of the message which was conveyed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) by revelation for preaching his prophetic message, its first addressee is the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself but after him every believer is also its addressee.

The act of seeking refuge necessarily consists of three parts:

(1) The act of seeking refuge itself.

(2) The seeker of refuge.

(3) He whose refuge is sought.

Seeking refuge implies feeling fear of something and seeking protection of another, or taking cover of it, or clinging to it, or going under its shelter for safety. The seeker after refuge in any case is the person, who feels that he cannot by himself resist and fight the thing that he fears, but stands in need of refuge with another for protection. Then the one whose refuge is sought must necessarily be a person or being about whom the seeker after refuge believes that he or it alone can protect him from the calamity. Now, one kind of refuge is that which is obtained according to natural laws in the physical world from a perceptible material object or person or power, for example, taking shelter in a fort for protection against the enemy’s attack, or taking cover in a trench or behind a heap of earth, or wall, for protection against a shower of bullets, or taking refuge with a man or government, for protection from a powerful tyrant or taking refuge in the shade of a tree or building for protection from the sun. Contrary to this, the other kind of refuge is that which is sought in a supernatural Being from every kind of danger and every kind of material, moral or spiritual harm and injury on the basis of the belief that that Being is ruler over the physical world and can protect in super-sensory ways the one who seeks His refuge. This second kind of refuge is the one that is implied not only in Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Nas but wherever in the Quran and the Hadith mention has been made of seeking refuge with Allah, it implies this particular kind of refuge, and it is a necessary corollary of the doctrine of Tauhid that this kind of refuge should be sought from no one but Allah. The polytheists sought this kind of protection, and seek even today, from other beings than Allah, e.g. the jinn, or gods and goddesses. The materialists also turn for this to material means and resources, for they do not believe in any supernatural power. But the believer only turns to Allah and seeks refuge only with Him, against all such calamities and misfortunes to ward off which he feels he has no power.

For example, about the polytheists it has been said in the Quran: And that from among men some people used to seek refuge with some people from among the jinn (Surah Al-Jinn, Ayat 16).

Abdullah bin Abbas has been quoted as citing a tradition that when the polytheistic Arabs had to pass a night in an uninhabited valley, they would call out, saying: We seek refuge of the lord of this valley (i.e. of the jinn who is ruler and master of this valley). Contrary to this, about Pharaoh it has been said: When he witnessed the great signs presented by the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him), he showed arrogance on account of his might. (Surah Adh- Dhariyat, Ayat 39).

As for the attitude and conduct of the God-worshipers the Quran says that they seek Allah’s refuge for protection against the evil of everything that they fear, whether it is material or moral or spiritual. Thus, about Mary it has been said that when God’s angel appeared before her suddenly in human guise (when she did not know that he was an angel), she cried out: I seek the merciful God’s refuge from you, if you are a pious man. (Surah Maryam, Ayat 18).

When the Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) made an improper petition to Allah, and was rebuked by Allah in response, he immediately submitted: My Lord, I seek Your protection lest I should ask of You anything of which I have no knowledge. (Surah Hud, Ayat 47) When the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) commanded the children of Israel to sacrifice a cow, and they said that perhaps he was having a jest with them, he replied: I crave Allah’s protection from behaving like ignorant people. (Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayat 67).

The same is the case with all the acts of seeking refuge which have been reported in respect of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the books of Hadith. For instance, consider the following prayers that the Prophet (peace be upon him) made:

Aishah has reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to pray, saying: O God, I seek Your refuge from the evil of the works which I did and from the evil of the works which I did not do. (i.e. if I have done a wrong, I seek refuge from its evil results, and if I have not done a work which I should have done, I seek refuge from the loss that I have incurred, or from that I should do what I should not do). (Muslim).

Ibn Umar has reported that one of the supplications of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was to the effect: O God, I seek Your refuge from being deprived of a blessing that You have bestowed on me and from being deprived of the well-being that You have granted me and I seek refuge lest Your wrath should descend on me suddenly, and I seek refuge from every kind of Your displeasure. (Muslim).

Abu Hurairah has reported that the Messenger (peace be upon him) used to pray: O God, I seek Your refuge from hunger, for it is a most evil thing with which one may have to pass a night, and I seek Your refuge from dishonesty, for it is sheer evil-mindedness. (Abu Daud).

Aishah has reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to pray in these words: O God, I seek Your refuge from the mischief of the fire and from the evil of affluence and poverty. (Tirmidhi, Abu Daud).

Shakal bin Humaid requested the Prophet (peace be upon him) to teach him some prayer. He told him to say: O God, I seek Your refuge from the evil of my hearing, from the evil of my sight, from the evil of my tongue, from the evil of my heart, and from the evil of my lust, (Tirmidhi, Abu Daud).

Atlas bin Malik has reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to say: O God, I seek Your refuge from helplessness, indolence, cowardice, old age and stinginess, and I seek Your refuge from the torment of the grave and from the mischief of life and death, (and according to a tradition in Muslim also) from the burden of debt and that the people should overpower me. (Bukhari, Muslim).

Khawla bint Hukaym Sulamiyyah says that she heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) as saying that the one who halts at a new stage (during the journey) and says: I seek refuge in the blameless words of Allah from the evil of the creatures, will not be caused any harm until he departs from that stage. (Muslim).

We have related these few prayers of the Prophet (peace be upon him) from the Hadith, which show that the believer should seek Allah’s refuge from every danger and evil and not the refuge of anyone else, nor he should become self sufficient of Allah and place reliance only on himself.

The word used in the original is Rabbil-Falaq " رَبِّ الۡفَلَقِۙ ". Falaq actually means to split and to pierce through. A great majority of the commentators have taken it to mean bringing out the light of dawn by splitting the darkness of night, for in Arabic falaq-as-subh is often used for the breaking of dawn, and also in the Quran the words Faliqul- isbah (He Who causes the dawn to appear by splitting the darkness of night) have been used for Allah. (Surah Al Anaam, Ayat 96).

Another meaning of falaq is also to create to bring into being, for everything created in the world appears by splitting something. All vegetation sprouts by splitting open the seed and the soil; all animals come out either from the womb of mother or by breaking open the egg, or some other obstruction. All springs gush out by splitting open the rock or soil. The day appears by piercing through the curtain of the night. The drops of rain pierce through the clouds and fall on the earth. In short, everything in the world comes into being as a result of breaking and splitting another thing; so much so that the earth and the heavens also in the beginning were one mass, then they were broken and parted. (Surah Al-Anbiya, Ayat 30).

Thus, according to this meaning the word falaq is common to all creations. Now, if the first meaning is adopted, the verse would mean: I seek refuge with the Lord of rising dawn, and according to the second meaning, it would mean: I seek refuge with the Lord of all creation. Here the attribute of Rabb has been used for Allah instead of His proper Name, for Allah’s attribute of being Rabb, i.e. Master, Sustainer and Provider, is more relevant to seeking and taking of His refuge. Then, if Rabb-ul-falaq implies Lord of the rising dawn, seeking His refuge would mean: I seek refuge with the Lord Who brings out the bright daylight from the darkness of night so that He may likewise bring well-being for me from all kinds of physical and psychical dangers. If it is taken to mean Rabb al-khalaq the meaning would be: I seek refuge with the Lord of all creation, so that He may protect me from the evil of His creation.

Muhammad Asad Explanation:

The term al-falaq ("the light of dawn" or "the rising dawn") is often used tropically to describe "the emergence of the truth after [a period of] uncertainty" (Taj al-'Arus): hence, the appellation "Sustainer of the rising dawn" implies that God is the source of all cognition of truth, and that one's "seeking refuge" with Him is synonymous with striving after truth.

Javed Ahmed Ghamidi Explanation:

The actual word is: قُلۡ. It is evident from the subject-matter of the surah that this word should be translated the way it has been above.

Ie., seek the refuge of the Almighty who brings forth the dawn from the night, the sprout from the seed, the child from the womb and the springs from the mountains. The Prophet (sws) is directed to pray to the Almighty because it is only He Who can give refuge and it is the requisite of His tawhid as well that only He be sought refuge with.

Yusuf Ali Explanation:

In Allah's created world, there are all kinds of forces and counter-forces, especially those put in motion by beings who have been endowed with some sort of will. The forces of good may be compared to light, and those of evil to darkness. Allah can cleave the depths of darkness and produce light (vi. 96), and therefore we should cast off fear and take refuge in divine guidance and goodness.

Falaq is the Dawn or Daybreak, the cleaving of darkness and the manifestation of light. This may be understood in various senses: (1) literally, when the darkness of the night is at its worst, rays of light pierce through and produce the dawn; (2) when the darkness of ignorance is at its worst, the light of Allah pierces through the soul and gives it enlightenment: xxiv. 35; (3) non-existence is darkness, and life and activity may be typified by light. The author and source of all true light is Allah, and if we seek Him, we are free from ignorance, superstition, fear, and every kind of evil.

مِنۡ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَۙ‏ 

( 2 )   From the evil of that which He created

First, that the creation of evil has not been attributed to Allah, but the creation of creatures has been attributed to Allah and of evil to the creatures. That is, it has not been said: I seek refuge from the evils that Allah has created, but that: I seek refuge from the evil of the things He has created. This shows that Allah has not created any creature for the sake of evil, but all His work is for the sake of good and a special purpose. However, from the qualities that He has created in the creatures to fulfill the purpose of their creation, sometimes evil appears from some kinds of creatures in most cases.

Second, that even if this one sentence was given and no mention made of seeking Allah’s refuge separately from the evils of some particular kinds of creatures in the following sentences, this one sentence alone would have sufficed to express the intent, for in it Allah’s refuge has been sought from the evil of all creatures. After this general prayer for refuge making mention of seeking refuge from some particular evils by itself gives this meaning: Though I seek Allah’s refuge from the evil of everything created by Allah, I stand in great need of Allah’s refuge from the particular evils that have been mentioned in the remaining verses of Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Nas.

Third, that the most suitable and effective prayer for seeking refuge from the evil of the creatures is that refuge should be sought with their Creator, for He is in any case dominant over His creatures and is aware of their evils, which we know, as well as of those which we do not know. Hence, His refuge is the refuge of the supreme Ruler Whom no power can fight and oppose, and with His refuge we can protect ourselves from every evil of every creature, whether we are aware of it or not. Moreover, this contains the prayer for refuge not only from the evils of the world but also from every evil of the Hereafter.

Fourth, that the word sharr (evil) is used for loss, injury, trouble and affliction as well as for the means which cause losses and injuries and afflictions; for example, hunger, disease, injury in accident or war, being burnt by fire, being stung or bitten by a scorpion or snake, being involved in the grief of children’s death and similar other evils which are evils in the first sense, for they are by themselves troubles and afflictions. Contrary to this, unbelief, polytheism and every kind of sin and wickedness, for instance, are evils in the second sense, for they cause loss and affliction, although apparently they do not cause any trouble at the moment, rather some sins give pleasure and bring profit. Thus, seeking refuge from evil comprehends both these meanings.

Fifth, that seeking refuge from evil also contains two other meanings. First, that man is praying to his God to protect him from the evil that has already taken place; second, that man is praying to his God to protect him from the evil that has not yet taken place.

Javed Ahmed Ghamidi Explanation:

The word شَرّ here refers to “sufferings,” “harms” and “calamities.” God has not created any creature for such evils. Whatever He has created primarily has a noble purpose. Evil sometimes emanates from certain potentials found in people. The most apt and effective refuge from these evils is the very being who is the Creator of all things. Hence, another person can only give such refuge to people when he is more powerful than their Creator. Obviously, no man of understanding can accept this fact. Hence, it would be mere foolishness if a person tries to find refuge with someone other than God from the harms of creatures created by God. Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi writes:

… Only one utterance as this is enough to close many doors which lead to polytheism. It also roots out duality and the concept that good and evil have separate Gods and kingdoms. Polytheistic nations while thinking that each calamity per se can cause benefit or harm start beseeching it. The truth of the matter is that a calamity has no independent existence; it is actually a manifestation of the various creations of God which comes into being by God’s leave and casts its effects by His directive and it is only His help which can be instrumental in shielding a person from it. Hence the real haven and sanctuary is God Almighty. (Amin Ahsan Islahi, Tadabbur-i Qur’an, vol. 9, 661)

Yusuf Ali Explanation:

 Our trust in Allah is the refuge from every kind of fear and superstition, every kind of danger and evil. Three special kinds of mischief are specified in the next three verses, against which our best guard is our trust in Allah, the Light of the heavens and the earth. They are: (1) physical dangers, typified by darkness. (2) physical dangers within us, typified by Secret Arts, and (3) physical dangers from without us, resulting from a perverted will, which seeks to destroy any good that we enjoy.

وَمِنۡ شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ اِذَا وَقَبَۙ‏ 

( 3 )   And from the evil of darkness when it settles

 After seeking Allah’s refuge generally from the evil of the creatures, now prayer is being taught for seeking refuge from the evil of some special creatures in particular. The word ghasiq in the verse literally means dark. Thus, at another place in the Quran it has been said: Establish the salat from the declining of the sun to the darkness of the night, ila-ghasaq-il-lail. (Surah Bani lsrail, Ayat 78), and waqab means to enter or to overspread. Prayer has been taught to seek refuge in particular from the evil of the darkness of night, for most of the crimes and acts of wickedness are committed at night, harmful animals also come out at night, and the night was a very dreadful thing in the time chaos prevailed in Arabia when these verses were revealed. Raiders came out in the dark of night and plundered and destroyed settlements. The people who were thinking of putting the Prophet (peace be upon him) to death, also made their secret plans at night, so that the murder could not be detected. Therefore, command was given to seek Allah’s refuge from the evils and calamities which descend at night. Here, the subtle relation that exists between seeking refuge from the evil of the dark night with the Lord of breaking dawn cannot remain hidden from anybody having insight and understanding.

A difficulty is confronted in the explanation of this verse in view of several authentic traditions. Aishah has reported: Once during a moon-lit night, the Prophet (peace be upon him) took hold of my hand and pointing to the moon said: Seek Allah’s refuge, for this is al ghasiq idha waqab. (Tirmidhi, Ahmad, Nasai, lbn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir, Hakim, Ibn Marduyah). To explain this some scholars said that idha waqab here means idha khasaf, i.e. when the moon is eclipsed. But in no tradition has it been mentioned that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) pointed to the moon, it was in eclipse. In the Arabic lexicon also idha waqab cannot mean idha khasaf. In our opinion the correct explanation of this Hadith is that since the moon rises in the night (in the daytime it does not shine even if it is there in the sky), what the Prophet (peace be upon him) meant was this: Seek God’s refuge from the night, the time when it (the moon) appears, for the light of the moon is not as helpful for the one who resists as for the one who attacks, and not as helpful for the victim of the crime as for the culprit. On this very basis the Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: When the sun has set, devils spread on every side. Therefore, gather your children together in the house and keep your animals tied down until the darkness of night disappears.

Ibn Kathir Explanation:

"This means the sun when it sets.'' Abu Al-Muhazzim reported that Abu Hurayrah said, "This means the star.'' Ibn Zayd said, "The Arabs used to say, `Al-Ghasiq is the declination (of the position) of the heavenly body known as Pleiades. The number of those who were ill and stricken with plague would increase whenever it would decline, and their number would lessen whenever it rose.''' Ibn Jarir said, "Others have said that it is the moon.''

The support for the people who hold this position (that it means the moon) is a narration that Imam Ahmad recorded from Al-Harith bin Abi Salamah. He said that `A'ishah said, "The Messenger of Allah took me by my hand and showed me the moon when it rose, and he said, (Seek refuge with Allah from the evil of this Ghasiq when it becomes dark.)'' At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i both recorded this Hadith in their Books of Tafsir in their Sunans. 

Javed Ahmed Ghamidi Explanation:

When an envious person in frenzy of his envy launches an all out onslaught. Though the word حَاسِد is general and implies generality yet it is evident from the Qur’an that it refers to Satan who has declared with full fervour and force that he will lead away people from the path of monotheism. Hence, preachers of the message of truth should in particular remain aware that it is they who are his real targets, and he adopts every measure to harm them. This aspect will become amply evident in the next surah.

Muhammad Asad Explanation:

I.e., the darkness of despair, or of approaching death. In all these four verses ({2-5}), the term "evil" (sharr) has not only an objective but also a subjective connotation - namely, fear of evil.

Javed Ahmed Ghamidi Explanation:

This is because thieves, murderers, enemies and deadly insects all try to take advantage of the night. It becomes further evident from this that the existence of evil is not absolute that people should believe in separate creators for good and evil and invoke them. It is the affects of the things created by God that become a source of harm and damage for others. Hence to remain protected from them one should seek refuge with God and not others.

Yusuf Ali Explanation:

The darkness of the night, physical darkness, is a good type of physical dangers and difficulties. Many people are afraid of physical darkness, and all are afraid of physical injuries, accidents, and calamities. We should not fear, but having taken reasonable precautions, trust in Allah.

وَمِنۡ شَرِّ النَّفّٰثٰتِ فِى الۡعُقَدِۙ‏ 

( 4 )   And from the evil of the blowers in knots

The word uqad in naffathat fil-uqad is plural of uqdah, which means a knot that is tied on a string or piece of thread. Nafath means to blow. Naffathat is plural of naffathah, which may mean the men who blow much, and if taken as a feminine gender, women who blow much; it may as well relate to nufus (human beings) or to jamaats (groups of men), for both nafas and jamaat are grammatically feminine. Blowing upon knots, according to most, rather all, commentators imply magic, for the magicians usually tie knots on a string or thread and blow upon them as they do so. Thus, the verse means: I seek refuge with the Lord of rising dawn from the evil of magicians, male and female. This meaning is also supported by the traditions which show that when magic was worked on the Prophet (peace be upon him), Gabriel had come and taught him to recite the Muawwidhatayn, and in the Muawwidhatayn this is the only sentence which relates directly to magic. 

Abu Muslim Isfahani and Zamakhshari have also given another meaning of naffathat fil-uqad, which is that it implies the deceitfulness of women and their influencing men’s resolutions, views and ideas and this has been compared to a magic spell, for in the love of women man starts behaving as if he was under a spell. Though this explanation is interesting, it runs counter to the commentary given by the earlier scholars; and it also does not correspond to the conditions in which the Muawwidhatayn were sent down as we have shown in the Introduction.

About magic one should know that in it since help is sought of the satans and evil spirits or stars to influence the other person evilly, it has been called kufr (unbelief) in the Quran: Solomon was not involved in kufr but the satans who taught magic to the people. (Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayat 102).

But even if it does not contain any word of kufr, or any polytheistic element, it is forbidden and unlawful and the Prophet (peace be upon him) has counted it among the seven heinous sins which ruin the Hereafter of man. In Bukhari and Muslim a tradition has been related from Abu Hurairah, saying that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Avoid seven deadly sins: associating another with Allah, magic, killing a soul unjustly which Allah has forbidden, devouring interest, eating the orphan’s property, fleeing from the enemy in the battlefield, and slandering simple and chaste Muslim women with un-chastity.

Ibn Kathir Explanation:

Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and Ad-Dahhak all said, "This means the witches.'' Mujahid said, "When they perform their spells and blow into the knots.''

In another Hadith it has been reported that Jibril came to the Prophet and said, "Are you suffering from any ailment, O Muhammad'' The Prophet replied, (Yes.) So Jibril said, "In the Name of Allah, I recite prayer (Ruqyah) over you, from every illness that harms you, from the evil of every envious person and evil eye. May Allah cure you.''

Muhammad Asad Explanation:

Lit., "of those that blow (an-naffathat) upon knots": an idiomatic phrase current in pre-Islamic Arabia and, hence, employed in classical Arabic to designate all supposedly occult endeavours; it was probably derived from the practice of "witches" and "sorcerers" who used to tie a string into a number of knots while blowing upon them and murmuring magic incantations. The feminine gender of naffathat does not, as *Zamakhshari and Razi point out, necessarily indicate "women", but may well relate to "human beings" (anfus, sing. nafs, a noun that is grammatically feminine). In his explanation of the above verse, Zamakhshari categorically rejects all belief in the reality and effectiveness of such practices, as well as of the concept of "magic" as such. Similar views have been expressed - albeit in a much more elaborate manner, on the basis of established psychological findings. The reason why the believer is enjoined to "seek refuge with God" from such practices despite their palpable irrationality is - according to Zamakhshari - to be found in the inherent sinfulness of such endeavours, and in the mental danger in which they may involve their author.

* Abū al-Qāsim Maḥmūd ibn Umar al-Zamakhsharī, known as al-Zamakhsharī, or Jar Allāh, was a medieval Muslim scholar of Persian origin' He was a great Hanafite jurist, Mu'tazilite theologian and authority on Arabic language philology.

Javed Ahmed Ghamidi Explanation:

The actual words are: النَّفّٰثٰتِ فِی الۡعُقَدِ. They qualify the noun النفوس (souls) that is suppressed here. The expression signifies sorcery because conjurers generally tie knots in thread and then blow on them. Such people existed a lot among the Jews and also among the soothsayers of the Arabs. It is evident from this verse that these disciplines also have some reality in them. Thus, people are asked to seek refuge with God from their evil. Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi writes:

It is the practice of God to deal with people the way they deal with themselves: If a person fosters a strong relationship with God and his heart remains replete with His remembrance and if he protects himself from superstitious beliefs and always turns to God when he encounters hardships, then the Almighty does not allow Satan to get the better of him. If some accidental harm does come his way, he is able to save himself by diverting his attention to God.

On the other hand, if a person is superstitious and credulous and instead of relying on sense and reason relies on speculation and conjecture and if instead of deeply trusting God clings to doubts and skepticism, then such a person is often lured by devils among the jinn and men, who then escort him to all sorts of evil. The only way to protect oneself from this evil, according to this surah, is to remain in the asylum of the Almighty. Whenever a person feels that his heart is getting inclined to evil, he should immediately seek refuge with Him. The best way to do this is to recite these two last surahs of the Qur’an. (Amin Ahsan Islahi, Tadabbur-i Qur’an, vol. 9, 663)

Yusuf Ali Explanation:

Those (feminine) who blow on knots', this having been a favourite form of witchcraft practiced by perverted women. Such secret arts cause psychological terror. They may be what is called magic, or secret plotting, or the display of false and seductive charms (iii. 14), or the spreading of false and secret rumours or slanders to frighten men or deter them from right action. There is fraud in such things, but men are swayed by it. They should cast off fear and do their duty.

وَمِنۡ شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ اِذَا حَسَدَ‏ 

( 5 )   And from the evil of an envier when he envies."

Hasad " حَسَدَ " means that a person should feel unhappy at the better fortune, superiority or good quality that Allah has granted to another, and should wish that it should be taken away from the other person and given to him, or at least the other one should be deprived of it. However, hasad does not mean that a person should wish that he too should be blessed with the bounty that the other one has been blessed with. Here, Allah’s refuge has been sought from the evil of the jealous one when he feels jealous, and takes a practical step with word or deed to satisfy his heart. For until he takes a practical step, his being unhappy may by itself be bad but it is not an evil for the other person so that he may seek refuge from it. When such an evil appears from a jealous person the best thing would be to seek Allah’s refuge from it. Besides this, there are a few other things which are also helpful for obtaining immunity from the evil of the jealous person:

First, that one should have trust in Allah and the faith that unless Allah so wills no one can harm him in any way. 

Second, that one should have patience over what the jealous person says and does and should not start behaving impatiently so as to be degraded morally to the level of the jealous person.  

Third, that one should in any case maintain dignity and practice piety even if the jealous person behaves frivolously, being fearless of God and shameless of the people.  

Fourth, that one should free his mind of every thought about the jealous person and should disregard him altogether, for making him a subject of one’s thought is a prelude to being influenced by him.  

Fifth, that one should do the jealous person a good turn as and when one can, not to speak of treating him evilly, no matter whether this good behavior mitigates his jealousy or not. 

Sixth, that one should understand rightly and remain steadfast to the doctrine of Tauhid for the heart which enshrines Tauhid, cannot be affected by anyone else’s fear except the fear of Allah.

Muhammad Asad Explanation:

I.e., from the effects - moral and social - which another person's envy may have on one's life, as well as from succumbing oneself to the evil of envy. In this connection, Zamakhshari quotes a saying of the Caliph 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz (called "the Second 'Umar" on account of his piety and integrity): "I cannot think of any wrongdoer (zalim) who is more likely to be the wronged one (mazlum) than he who envies another." 

Javed Ahmed Ghamidi Explanation:

When an envious person in frenzy of his envy launches an all out onslaught. Though the word حَاسِد is general and implies generality yet it is evident from the Qur’an that it refers to Satan who has declared with full fervour and force that he will lead away people from the path of monotheism. Hence, preachers of the message of truth should in particular remain aware that it is they who are his real targets, and he adopts every measure to harm them. This aspect will become amply evident in the next surah.

Yusuf Ali Explanation:

Malignant envy, translated into action, seeks to destroy the happiness or the material or spiritual good enjoyed by other people. The best guard against it is trust in Allah with purity of heart.

For details on the Whisperers, please read our earlier post: What is a Qareen?

You may now like to listen to eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan explaining the tafsir Sürah Al Falaq:

You may refer to our Reference Page "114 Chapters (Sūrahs) of the Holy Qur'an" for translation, explanation and exegesis of other chapters of the Qur'an.

You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.

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Reading the Holy Quran should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:

• The plain translation has been taken from the Holy Quran officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
• The exegesis of the chapters of the Holy Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  [2]

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle

In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

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