Al-Muʿmin " ٱلْمُؤْمِنُ " - the Bestower of Security, the Source of Faith, the Remover of Fear is on of the 99 attributes of Allah. This attribute is mentioned in 23rd verse of Surah 59. Hashr along with many other attributes of Allah:
He is Allah: there is no god but He: the King, the Holy, the All-Peace, the Giver of security, the Overseer, the Most Mighty, the Overpowering, the All-Great. Exalted be He from whatever they associate with Him.
The word Al-Mu'min is derived from amun, which means to secure from fear, and Mu'min is one who provides security to others. Allah has been called Al-Mu'min in the sense that He provides security to His creatures. His creatures are secure from the fear that He would ever wrong them, or deprive them of their rights, or allow their rewards to go to waste, or would violate the promises He has made with them. Then, since no object has been mentioned with this subject, but the epithet of Al-Mu'min has been used absolutely, it automatically gives the meaning that His security comprehends the entire universe and all that it contains. [6]
Mu'min or Mo'min is an Arabic Islamic term, frequently referenced in the Quran, meaning "believer". It denotes a person who has complete submission to the Will of Allah and has faith firmly established in his heart, i.e. a "faithful Muslim". Also, it is used as a name and one of the names of God in Islam. So when Allah says He is Al Mu'min, it means it is He alone who instills faith in the believers and guides them to the righteous path.
The Messenger of Allah has said, "Anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day should bring security to his neighbor against his own misdeeds."
Please listen to the meaning of Al Mu'min attribute of Allah, very eloquently explained by Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman:
You may refer to our post "99 Attributes of Allāh" for complete list of 99 attributes of Allah Almighty with meaning and explanation.
You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran
Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.
The idea of justice occupies centre stage both in ethics, and in legal and political philosophy. We apply it to individual actions, to laws, and to public policies, and we think in each case that if they are unjust this is a strong, maybe even conclusive, reason to reject them. [1]
But despite much emphasis on upholding the justice and administer it equally to all segments of society and individuals irrespective of their colour, position and power, this single word has always been and continuously being abused by those who can wield power through their position and wealth.
Islam, which champions the upholding of justice has always advocated the sensitivity of the issue for its incorrect application can pollute a society and can cause unjust rule and cruelty, the victims of which are mostly the downtrodden and the have-nots.
The demands that the Quran makes upon individuals to uphold justice and oaths is extraordinary, transcending all bonds of family and society.
The Qur’an’s basis for justice is that societies do not need a separate theory of justice, but that compliance with rules of behavior handed down in the Qur’an assures the emergence of justice as a natural outcome of the practice of a rule-compliant society. [2]
In the Qur'an, Allah has commanded believers at many a places to uphold the justice and strictly forbidden witnesses to support injustice and give false evidence to support the demagogues. Herein under is one such verse fromSurah 5. Al-Maida: Verse 8:
Believers! Be upright bearers of witness for Allah, and do not let the enmity of any people move you to deviate from justice. Act justly, that is nearer to God-fearing. And fear Allah. Surely Allah is well aware of what you do.
The most common term for the word “justice” in Arabic is ʿadl, and related terms include qisṭ, istiqāmah, wasaṭ, naṣīb (share), and mīzān. The opposite meaning is injustice (jawr), and related terms are ẓulm (wrongdoing), ṭughyān (tyranny), and inḥirāf (deviation). These terms are used in the broadest sense to connote ethical and religious meanings. The Arabic word ʿadl (justice) comes from the root verb ‘a-d-l, which means to be equal to, just, straight, and temperate. These significations are contained in the following verses:
“I am commanded to decide justly between you” (Q. 42:15); “And when you judge between people, judge with justice” (bi-al-ʿadli) (Q. 4:58); “One who commands to justice” (bi-al-ʿadli) (Q. 16:76); “Call two upright witnesses (ʿadlin) from among you” (Q. 65:2).
Thus there is one word that captures the essence of all Islamic laws and all Islamic teachings; one word that describes the overriding value that permeates all Islamic values. Justice. The Qur'an says:
"We sent afore-time our messengers with clear Signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance, that men may stand forth in Justice." [Quran 57:25].
It is not enough for believers to uphold justice themselves: they are expected to be its standard-bearers. They are supposed not merely to practice justice in their own dealings but to strive for its triumph. They have to do all within their power to ensure that injustice is eradicated and replaced by equity and justice. A true believer is required to be the pillar supporting the establishment of right and justice.
"O ye who believe! stand out firmly for justice as witnesses to Allah even as against yourselves or your parents or your kin and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts) lest ye swerve and if ye distort (justice) or decline to do justice verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do."
The testimony of the believers should be solely for the sake of God. Their testimony should not be biased in favour of any of the parties concerned, they should not use any opportunity for personal aggrandizement, and they should not seek to please anyone but God.
To do justice and act righteously in a favourable or neutral atmosphere is meritorious enough, but the real test comes when you have to do justice to people who hate you or to whom you have an aversion. But no less is required of you by the higher moral law.
Justice does require retribution and Islam does call for, "an eye for an eye." But it does not mean an innocent eye for an innocent eye; it means the eye of the perpetrator for the eye of the victim. It is amazing how those who call the latter as barbaric, actually rally for the former when a real crisis develops.
Man in this life can only see up to the horizon of this life. The highest rewards which his wishes or ambitions can conceive of are conceived in the terms of this life. But Allah can give him not only these but something infinitely higher, the rewards of the Hereafter, which it did not even enter his heart to ask for or his imagination to conceive.
If we look around, despite cautions and commandments of Allah, everyday false evidence is given in the courts as these witnesses are either inclined to favour the rich, because they expect something from them or are under pressure from the power wielding demagogues to give false evidence. and this the reason that justice is manipulated and despite clear and visible proofs, the criminals evade justice and poor suffer.
Sometimes, even people may be inclined to favour the poor because they are generally helpless. Partiality in either case is wrong. Be just, without fear of favour. Both the rich and the poor are under Allah's protection as far as their legitimate interests are concerned, but they cannot expect to be favoured at the expense of others. And He can protect their interests far better than any man.
For more information and detailed study of Justice in Islam, please consult the reference given below. May Allah help us understand Qur'an and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.
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.
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:
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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Allah to Muslims is the Only One Supreme and Ever Living Master of the Universe, Who created the entire Universe, the limits of which perhaps shall never be known, and the Seven Heavens. It is Allah Who is worthy of all praises and He alone is to be worshiped and revered.
Allah is an Arabic word, which means the One and Only One God. The term is also used by Christians and Jews when their scriptures are translated into Arabic. The name Allah is analogous to Eloh, a Semitic term found in the divine scriptures revealed to Prophets Musa and Eesa (Moses and Jesus, may peace be upon them both).
At many places, Qur'an has very elaborately explained Who Allah is and what are His many attributes. We have already written a series of posts explaining 99 attributes of Allah, but today we will explain Who Allah is in the light of three verses of Surah 59 Al Hashr where the attributes of Allah have been mentioned most comprehensively. These verses explain what kind of God He is, and what are His attributes, Who has sent this Quran to you, Who has placed these responsibilities on you, and before Whom you have to render an account of your deeds in the end. This mention of the divine attributes immediately after the above theme automatically gives man the feeling that he has not to deal with an ordinary being but with Almighty Allah Who has such and such attributes.
Here, one should also understand that although in the Quran, the attributes of Allah Almighty have been stated in a unique way, which gives a clear concept of the divine Being, there are two places where the attributes of Allah have been mentioned in a most comprehensive way, in the Verse of the Alkursi (Al- Baqarah, Ayat 255) and in the following verses of Surah 59. Al-Hashr: 22-24.
Before we translate and expand the meaning of three verses of Surah Al Hashr, let us just give away the plain translation of verse 255 of Surah 2. Al Baqarah (called the Verse of Alkursi) which comprehensive explains Who Allah is. For details, please click on the link given above:
Allah, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting by Whom all subsist, there is no god but He. Neither slumber seizes Him, nor sleep; to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. Who is there who might intercede with Him save with His leave?He knows what lies before them and what is hidden from them, whereas they cannot attain to anything of His knowledge save what He wills them to attain. His Dominion overspreads the heavens and the earth, and their upholding wearies Him not. He is All-High, All-Glorious.
Now let us see te plain translation and explanation of the verses 22-23 of Surah Al Hashr:
(59:22) He is Allah: there is no god but He; the Knower of the unseen and the manifest, He is the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.
Right from the outset, the 22nd verse clarifies that He is Allah beside Whom none else has the rank, position, attributes and powers of Godhead so that he may be worshiped and served as god. And then three attributes of Allah are spelt out:
First, He is the Knower of the unseen and the manifest " عٰلِمُ الۡغَيۡبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ ".That is He knows whatever is hidden from the creatures as well as whatever is known and visible to them. Nothing of this universe is unknown to Him. He directly knows whatever has happened in the past, whatever exists at present and whatever will happen in the future. He does not stand in need of any means or medium of knowledge.
That is, He alone is Ar Rehman " الرَّحۡمٰنُ " - the One Whose mercy is limitless, which covers the whole universe and blesses and benefits everything in it. None else in the world is the bearer of such all-pervading, infinite mercy. The mercy of every other being, characterized by the ability of mercy, is partial and limited, and that quality too is not essentially its own, but bestowed by the Creator for a specific need and purpose. He has created the quality of mercy for some other creature. He has created it in order to make one creature a means for the development and well-being of the other creature. This by itself is a proof that Allah’s Mercy is infinite.
He is the Most Compassionate - Ar Raheem " الرَّحِيۡمُ " - Ar Raheem conveys the idea of constant renewal and giving liberal reward to those who are deserving - the Merciful One whose love and mercy are manifested as that which is received as the consequence of one's deeds.
(59:23) He is Allah: there is no god but He: the King, the Holy, the All-Peace, the Giver of security, the Overseer, the Most Mighty, the Overpowering, the All-Great. Exalted be He from whatever they associate with Him.
The word used in the original is Al-Malik " اَلۡمَلِكُ ", which means that He alone is the real Sovereign. Moreover, the word al- Malik in its general sense also gives the meaning that He is King of the entire universe and not of a particular region or of a specific country. His Sovereignty and rule comprehends the entire universe.
He is Master of everything. Everything submits itself to His command and power and authority, and there is nothing to delimit His Sovereignty. At different places in the Quran all aspects of Allah’s Sovereignty have been presented and explained fully.
And whoever exists in the heavens and the earth, belongs to Him. All are obedient to Him. (Surah Ar-Room, Ayat 26).
He administers the affairs of the world from the heavens to the earth. (Surah As-Sajdah, Ayat 5).
To Him belongs the dominion of the earth and the heavens, and all matters are referred to Him for decision.( Surah Al- Hadid, Ayat 5).
He has no partner in His sovereignty. (Surah Al-Furqan, Ayat 2).
In His hand is the absolute control of everything. (Surah Ya Seen, Ayat 83).
Doer of whatever He wills. (Surah Al-Burooj, Ayat 16).
He is accountable to none for what He does, but all others are accountable (to Him). (Surah Al-Anbiyia, Ayat 23).
Allah rules and there is none to reverse His decrees. (Surah Ar-Raad, Ayat 41).
The Being Who gives protection while none can give protection against Him. (Surah Al-Momin, Ayat 88).
Say: O Allah, Sovereign of the Kingdom, You bestow kingdom on whomever You will, and You take it away from whomever You will. You exalt whomever You will and You abase whomever You will. All that is good is in Your power; indeed You have full power over all things. (Surah Aal-i-Imran, Ayat 26).
These explanations make it abundantly clear that Allah is not King in some limited or metaphoric sense but He is real King in the most perfect and complete sense of sovereignty. As a matter of fact, if sovereignty in its true sense is at all found somewhere, it is found only in Allah’s Kingship. Apart from this, wherever it is claimed to be, whether in the person of a king or dictator, or in a class or group or family, or in some nation, he or it possesses no sovereignty at all, for sovereignty is not a gift, which may at one time be granted and at another time withdrawn, which may be in danger of being usurped, the establishment and existence of which may be temporary and temporal, and the sphere of power and authority of which may be circumscribed and restricted by many other conflicting powers.
Al-Quddus (القدوس) is a superlative. It means that Allah is far exalted that He should have a fault or defect or demerit. He is the purest Being. No evil can be imagined about Him. Here, one should clearly understand that the attribute of holiness is a foremost accompaniment of sovereignty. Man’s intellect and nature refuse to believe that a being who is the bearer of sovereignty may be mischievous, ill behaved, ill-natured, who may be characterized with these base qualities from whose power and authority his subjects might be in danger of suffering evil instead of being blessed with good. That is why wherever man thinks sovereignty is centered, he assumes holiness also to be there, even if it is not there, for absolute sovereignty is inconceivable without holiness. But, obviously, there is no real Sovereign, nor can there be, except Allah, Who is the Holy. Whether it is monarchy, or sovereignty of the people, or dictatorship of the socialist system, or some other form of human rule, in any case holiness for it is inconceivable.
The word As-Salam (السلام) as used in the original means peace and Secure, Allah’s being called As-Salam means that He is peace and safety personified. He is far exalted that some calamity or weakness or defect should befall Him, or His Perfection should suffer a decline or blemish.
The word Al-Mumin (المؤمن) is derived from amun, which means to secure from fear, and Mumin is one who provides security to others. Allah has been called Al-Mumin in the sense that He provides security to His creatures. His creatures are secure from the fear that He would ever wrong them, or deprive them of their rights, or allow their rewards to go to waste, or would violate the promises He has made with them. Then, since no object has been mentioned with this subject, but the epithet of Al-Mumin has been used absolutely, it automatically gives the meaning that His security comprehends the entire universe and all that it contains.
The word Al-Muhaimin (المهيمن) has three meanings: (1) The Guardian and Protector. (2) The Observer who sees what everyone does. (3) The Being Who has taken up the responsibility to fulfill the needs and requirements of the people.
Here also, since the word Al-Muhaimin has been used absolutely, and no object has been mentioned of this subject, therefore, it by itself gives the implied meaning that He is guarding and protecting all creatures, is watching the acts and deeds of everyone, and has taken up the responsibility of sustaining and providing for every creature in the universe with its needs and requirements.
Al-Aziz (العزيز): such an Almighty Being against Whom no one may dare raise his head, no one may have the power to resist His decrees, before Whom everyone may be helpless and powerless.
The word Al-Jabbar (الجبار) as used in the original is derived from jabr which means setting something right by use of power, reforming something by force. Allah has been called Al-Jabbar in the sense that He sets the system of His universe right by the use of power and enforces His will, which is entirely based on wisdom. Moreover, the word Jabber also contains the meaning of greatness and glory. Thus, a palm-tree which is too tall for the people to pluck its fruit is called jabber in Arabic. Likewise, an act which is grand and glorious is called amal jabbar.
The word Al-Mutakabbir (المتكبر) has two meanings. (1) The one who is not actually great but poses as great. (2) The one who is actually great and sets himself up as such.
Whether it is man or Satan, or some other creature, since greatness does not, in fact, belong to it, its posing itself as great and claiming superiority over others is, a false claim and a vice. Contrary to this, Allah Almighty is truly Great and greatness actually belongs to Him, and everything in the universe is low and insignificant as against Him. Therefore, His being Great and setting Himself up as Great is no false claim but reality; it is not an evil quality but a virtue and excellence, which no one else has but Allah.
(59:24) He is Allah, the Planner, Executor and Fashioner of creation. His are the names most beautiful. Whatever is in the heavens and the earth extols His Glory. He is the Most Mighty, the Most Wise.
Those who regard a creature as an associate in His powers, authority, attributes, or in His Being, in fact, utter a grave falsehood, for Allah is far exalted that anybody or anything should be an associate with Him in any sense.
The entire world and everything in it, from the initial plan of its creation till its coming into existence in its final, finished form, is entirely Allah’s work of creation. Nothing has come into existence by itself nor come about accidentally, nor has anyone else the least share in its creation and development. Here, Allah’s act of creation has been described in three separate stages, which take place one after the other.
First is the stage of khalq, which means to ordain, or to plan. It is like an engineer’s conceiving the design of a building, which he intends to build for a specific purpose and draws out its detailed diagram and model, hence the attribute Al Khaliq (الخالق) .
The second stage is barr, which actually means to separate, to cut, to split asunder. The Creator has been called Al-Barii (البارئ) in the sense that He enforces the plan He has conceived and brings out the thing from non-existence into existence. It is Analogous to the engineer’s putting marks on the ground of the full measurements of the building according to the plan, digging the foundations, raising the walls and completing all the practical preliminaries of the construction work.
The third stage is taswir, drawn from the attribute Al Musawwar (المصور), which means to give shape; here it implies giving something its final complete shape. In all these three stages there is no resemblance whatever between Allah’s work and human works. None of human plans is such as may not have been derived from previous models and plans. But each of Allah’s plans is, unique and His own original creation. Whatever man makes, he makes it by combining the substances created by Allah. He does not bring anything from nonexistence into existence, but composes and constructs by different methods whatever is present and available. Contrary to this, Allah has brought everything from non-existence into creation, and the substance itself of which He has made the universe is created by Him. Likewise, in the matter of giving shape also man is not the inventor but an imitator, and only a poor imitator. The real Maker of forms and shapes is Allah, Who has given a unique and matchless shape to every species and individual and has never repeated exactly the same shape or from.
Names imply the adjectives, and “His are the excellent names” means that those adjectives which indicate or express some kind of defect are not appropriate for Him. He should be remembered by those names which express His attributes of Perfection. In the Quran these beautiful names of Allah have been mentioned here and there, and in the Hadith 99 names of that Exalted and Pure Being have been enumerated which Timidhi and Ibn Majah have related on the authority of Abu Hurairah. If one studies these names as mentioned in the Quran and the Hadith carefully, he can easily understand what words would be appropriate and suitable if one has to remember Allah in another language.
That is, everything proclaims with the tongue, or otherwise, that its Creator is free from every fault and defect, weakness and error.
It may be added here that most of the non Arabic speaking followers of Divine religions are accustomed to the term God, whereas believers in Islam, regardless of their native language, use the Arabic word Allah. This difference in usage usually taken as an excuse for many to view the term Allah with reticence and uncertainty, preventing them from making the connection between the Arabic name and the accepted English equivalent term. Even some do not equate Allah with God and thus create doubts. But those who have wisdom, know very well that there is no god but one True God, called Allah in Arabic, Who has no associates. This out rightly negates the concept of Trinity of Christians who equate the Prophet Jesus and the Holy Spirit at par with God, a misnorm and a notion that is unacceptable for Allah or One True God cannot have offspring or worldly human beings like relations. In fact such thought is a slander for the Creator and Master of the Universe, whose entity is unparalleled and free of all pollution that man has tried to associate with Him.
Surah 112. Al Ikhlas beautifully sums up Oneness of Allah:
"Say: He is Allah, the One"
"Allah, the eternally Besought of all"
"He begetteth not nor was begotten"
"And there is none comparable unto Him"
After reading this surah, there is no doubt left regarding Oneness of Allah and that "He begetteth not nor was begotten". It is misfortune of man that he is unable to fathom the deep meaning of this four verse surah of Qur'an.
These are just a few attributes mentioned here. Please refer to our post "99 Attributes of Allāh" for complete list of 99 attributes of Allah Almighty with meaning and explanation.
You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran
Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.
Al Muʿakh·khir " ٱلْمُؤَخِّرُ " - The Delayer is one of the 99 attributes of Allah. Though this attribute is not specifically mentioned as such in the Qur'an but has been derived from one of the abilities of ALLAH wherein He delays His wrath on nations and people who go against His commandments and gives them ample time to repent their sins and wrongdoings. And when they still do not realize their misdeeds and sins, then Allah's wrath befalls upon them.
"He will forgive your sins and will grant you respite until an appointed term. Indeed when Allah's appointed term comes, it cannot be deferred; if you only knew!" (Surah 71. Nuh: 4)
In the verse above it is being said:
The sentence yaghfir la-kum min dhunub-i-kum in the original does not mean that Allah will forgive some of their sins, but its correct meaning is: If you accept and acknowledge the three things which are being presented before you, He will forgive all the sins that you have committed in the past.
That is, if you accepted these three things, you would be given respite to live in the world until the time that Allah has appointed for your natural death.
“A term appointed”: The time fixed by Allah for sending down a torment on a people. In this regard the Quran has at several places stated explicitly that when Allah’s torment has been decreed for a certain people, they are not pardoned even if they affirm the faith after it.
That is, if you come to know that the time which is now passing after you have received Allah’s message through me is, in fact, a period of respite that has been granted to you for affirming the faith and there is no chance of escape from Allah’s torment after the term of respite has elapsed, you would testify to the faith without delay and would not like to postpone it until the torment actually started descending on you.
The disbelievers of Makkah when hear such commandments of Allah, would ridicule the Messenger of Allah and ask him that why does wrath of Allah not befall on us or when the wrath of Allah you talk about will befall on us. They forgot that in the past many a thriving natives like Ad and Thamud had perished when the wrath of Allah hit them for their disobedience and that Allah gave them sufficient time to repent and seek truth. And when they still didn't listen to the prophets sent to them, wrath of Allah came with such fury that only the remains of their abode remained for future generations to see.
The attribute Al Muʿakh·khir takes it roots from a-kh-r which in classical Arabic means: (1) to postpone, put off, delay, retard, (2) to retire, to drive back, (3) to cause to go back, backwards, retreat, recede. The attribute Al Muʿakh·khir (delayer) is the opposite of Al Muqaddim (promoter).
Another attribute of Allah, Al-ʿĀkhir (last) also comes from this same a-kh-r root, and is the opposite of Al ʿAwwal (first).
The Messenger of Allah used to supplicate by saying, "Lord! I plead to You to forgive my sins, my ignorance, my extravagance, and to grant me that which You know to be better for me. Lord! I plead to You to forgive my (unintentional) sins, my deliberate sins, my ignorance, when I am serious and when I am not, and I am guilty of all of that. Lord! I plead to You to forgive what I have advanced and what I have postponed, what I have revealed and what I have declared, for You are Al-Muqaddim, and You are Al-Mu'akhkhir, and surely You can do whatever You please."
You may refer to our post "99 Attributes of Allāh" for complete list of 99 attributes of Allah Almighty with meaning and explanation. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran
Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.
Sürah An Nās (pronounced An Naas) is the 114th surah with six verses / ayahs, part of the 30th Juzʼ and last Sürah / chapter of the Holy Qur'an. The Sürah takes its name from the word "people" or "mankind" (al-nās), which recurs throughout the chapter.
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 at Makkah, 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.
Sürah An Nās is a short six-verse invocation, asking God for protection from the Satan (Iblis), and his helpers among both jinn and humans who lead people astray through whispering or insinuation (waswasah) and temptation.
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"
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ
( 1 ) Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind,
Yusuf Ali Explanation:
The previous Sura pointed to the necessity of seeking Allah's protection against external factors which might affect an individual. Here the need of protection from internal factors, mankind being viewed as a whole, is pointed out. For this reason the threefold relation in which man stands to Allah is mentioned.
Man's relation to Allah may be viewed in three aspects: (1) Allah is his Lord, Maker, and Cherisher; Allah sustains him and cares for him; He provides him with all the means for his growth and development, and for his protection against evil; (2) Allah is his king or ruler; more than any earthly king, Allah has authority to guide man's conduct, and lead him to ways which will make for his welfare; and He has given him laws; and (3) Allah is He to Whom mankind must return, to give an account of all their deeds in this life (ii. 156); Allah will be the Judge; He is the goal of the Hereafter, and the only Being entitled to man's worship at any time. From all these aspects man could and should seek Allah's protection against evil.
مَلِكِ النَّاسِ
( 2 ) The Sovereign of mankind.
إِلَـٰهِ النَّاسِ
( 3 ) The God of mankind,
Here also, as in Surah Al-Falaq, instead of saying Audhu-billahi (I seek Allah’s refuge), a prayer has been taught to seek Allah’s refuge by reference to His three attributes: First, that He is Rabb-in-naas, i.e. Sustainer, Provider; second, that He is Malik-in-naas, i.e. Master of all mankind; third, that He is Ilah-in-naas, i.e. real Deity of all mankind. Here, one should clearly understand that the word ilah has been used in two meanings in the Quran: first for the thing or person who is practically being worshiped although it or he is not entitled to worship; second, for Him Who is entitled to worship, Who is in fact the Deity whether the people worship Him or not, wherever this word is used for Allah; it has been used in the second meaning. Seeking refuge by means of these three attributes means: I seek refuge with that God, Who being the Sustainer, King and Deity of men, has full power over them, can fully protect them and can really save them from the evil, to save myself and others from which I am seeking His refuge. Not only this; since He alone is Sustainer, King and Deity, therefore, there is no one beside Him with Whom I may seek refuge and he may give real refuge.
Ibn Kathir Explanation:
These are three attributes from the attributes of the Lord, the Mighty and Majestic. They are lordship, sovereignty and divinity. Thus, He is the Lord of everything, the King of everything and the God of everything. All things are created by Him, owned by Him, and subservient to Him. Therefore, He commands whoever is seeking protection to seek refuge with the One Who has these attributes from the evil of the whisperer who withdraws. This (the whisperer) is the devil that is assigned to man. For verily, there is not any of the Children of Adam except that he has a companion that beautifies wicked deeds for him. This devil will go to any lengths to confuse and confound him. The only person who is safe is He Whom Allah protects.
It is confirmed in the Sahih that he (the Prophet ) said, (There is not a single one of you except that his companion (a devil) has been assigned to him.) They (the Companions) said, "What about you, O Messenger of Allah''
He replied,
(Yes. However, Allah has helped me against him and he has accepted Islam. Thus, he only commands me to do good.)
It is also confirmed in the Two Sahihs from Anas, who reported the story of Safiyyah when she came to visit the Prophet while he was performing I`tikaf, that he went out with her during the night to walk her back to her house. So, two men from the Ansar met him (on the way). When they saw the Prophet , they began walking swiftly. So, the Messenger of Allah said, (Slow down! This is Safiyyah bint Huyay!) They said, "Glory be to Allah, O Messenger of Allah!'' He said, (Verily, Shaytan runs in the Son of Adam like the running of the blood. And verily, I feared that he might cast something into your hearts -- or he said -- evil.)
مِن شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ
( 4 ) From the evil of the retreating whisperer -
The word waswas " وَسْوَاسِ "in waswas-il-khannas means the one who whispers over and over again, and waswasa means to whisper into someone’s heart an evil suggestion over and over again in such a way or ways that the one who is being inspired may not feel that the whisperer is whispering an evil suggestion into his heart. Waswasah by itself suggests repetition just as zalzalah contains the meaning of repetitive movement. Since man is not tempted by just one attempt but effort has to be made over and over again to seduce and tempt him, such an attempt is called waswasah and the tempter waswas. As for the word khannas, it is derived from khunus, which means to hide after appearing and to retreat after coming into view. Since khannas is the intensive form, it would imply the one who behaves thus very frequently. Now, obviously the whisperer has to approach man for whispering again and again, and besides, when he is also described as khannas, the combination of the two words by itself gives the meaning that after whispering once he retreats and then again returns over and over again to repeat the act of whispering. In other words, when once he fails in his attempt to whisper evil, he withdraws, then he again returns to make the second and the third and the next attempt over and over again.
After understanding the meaning of waswas-il-khannas, let us consider what is meant by seeking refuge from its evil. Its one meaning is that the seeker after refuge himself seeks God’s refuge from its evil, i.e. from the evil lest it should whisper some evil suggestion into his own heart. The second meaning is that the caller to Truth seeks God’s refuge from the evil of the one who whispers evil suggestions into the hearts of the people against himself. It is not in his own power to approach all the people in whose hearts evil suggestions are being whispered against himself individually and remove the misunderstandings of every person. It is also not right and proper for him that he should give up his mission of inviting others to Allah and should devote all his time and energy to removing the misunderstanding created by the whisperer and to answering their accusations. It is also below his dignity that he should stoop to the level of his opponents. Therefore, Allah has instructed the caller to truth to seek only His refuge from the evil of the wicked people, and then to attend single-mindedly to his work of invitation and mission. For it is not for him to deal with them but for Allah, who is Sustainer of men, King of men, God of men.
Here, one should also understand that an evil suggestion is the starting point of evil act. When it affects a careless or heedless person, it creates in him a desire for evil. Then, further whisperings change the evil desire into an evil intention and evil purpose. When the evil suggestion grows in intensity, the intention becomes a resolution, which then culminates in the evil act. Therefore, the meaning of seeking God’s refuge from the evil of the whisperer is that Allah should nip the evil in the bud.
If seen from another aspect, the order of the evil of the whisperers seems to be this: first they incite one to open unbelief, polytheism, or rebellion against Allah and His Messenger, and enmity of the righteous (godly) people. If they fail in this and a person does enter Allah’s religion, they misguide him to some innovation. If they fail in this too, they tempt him to sin. If they do not succeed even in this, they inspire the man with the suggestion that there is no haram in indulging in minor sins, so that if he starts committing these freely, he is over burdened with sin. If one escapes from this too, in the last resort they try that one should keep the true religion confined to oneself, and should do nothing to make it prevail, but if a person defeats all these plans, the whole party of the devils from among men and jinn makes a common front against him and incites and stirs up the people and makes them shower him with invective and accusation and slander, and defames him as widely as it can. Then, Satan comes to the believer and excites him to anger, saying: It is cowardly of you to have borne all this insult: arise and clash with your opponents. This is the last and final device with Satan by which he tries to thwart the struggle of the caller to truth and entangle him in difficulties and obstructions. If he succeeds in escaping from this too, Satan becomes powerless before him. About this same thing it has been said in the Quran: If Satan ever excites you to anger, seek refuge with Allah. (Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayat 200); (Surah HaMim As-Sajdah, Ayat 36).
Say: Lord, I seek refuge with You from the promptings of satans. (Surah Al-Mominun, Ayat 97).
The fact is that if ever an evil suggestion from Satan so much as touches those who are God-fearing people, they immediately get alerted and clearly see the right course they should adopt. (Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayat 201).
And on this very basis about the people who escape from this last attack of Satan Allah says: None can attain to this rank except those who are men of great good fortune. ((Surah HaMim As-Sajdah, Ayat 35).
In this connection, another thing should also be kept in mind, and it is this: Evil suggestion is not whispered into the heart of man only from outside by the satans from among men and jinn, but also by the self of man from within. His own wrong theories misguide his intellect, his own unlawful motives and desires lead his power of discrimination, will and power of judgment astray, and it is not only the satans from outside but within man his satan of the self also beguiles him. This same thing has been expressed in the Quran, thus: And We know the evil suggestions arising from his self. (Surah Qaaf, Ayat 16). On this very basis, the Prophet (peace be upon him) in his well-known Sermon said: We seek Allah’s refuge from the evils of our self.
Ibn Kathir Explanation:
Sa`id bin Jubayr reported that Ibn `Abbas said concerning Allah's statement, (The whisperer (Al-Waswas) who withdraws.) "The devil who is squatting (perched) upon the heart of the Son of Adam. So when he becomes absentminded and heedless he whispers. Then, when he remembers Allah he withdraws.'' Mujahid and Qatadah also said this.
Al-Mu`tamir bin Sulayman reported that his father said, "It has been mentioned to me that Shaytan is Al-Waswas. He blows into the heart of the Son of Adam when he is sad and when he is happy. But when he (man) remembers Allah, Shaytan withdraws.''
Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:
Though it has not been stated in words, it is quite evident from the attributes mentioned and referred to later that it is Satan who is referred to here. The verse describes Satan’s special technique through which he lures people. It is also evident from the Qur’an that this is Satan’s sole weapon through which he realizes his objective. God has not given him the power to forcibly lead people astray. He entraps them through false promises, presents the wickedest of things in a very attractive form, assumes the role of a well-wisher and gives earnest suggestions and advice. Yet, he cannot go beyond this. The Qur’an has assured servants of God who are not influenced by his suggestions that he will not be able to harm them in any way.
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 satans can always be seen among human beings. It is evident from the Qur’an that the satans 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’an states that he is an eternal deceiver (khadul), all his promises are mere deception and in the Hereafter too he will absolve himself of all consequences and abandon his followers.
Yusuf Ali Explanation:
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.
الَّذِي يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ النَّاسِ
( 5 ) Who whispers [evil] into the breasts of mankind -
Ibn Kathir Explanation:
(Who whispers in the breasts of An-Nas.) Is this specific for the Children of Adam as is apparent, or is it general, including both mankind and Jinns
There are two views concerning this. This is because they (the Jinns) are also included in the usage of the word An-Nas (the people) in most cases.
Ibn Jarir said, "The phrase Rijalun min Al-Jinn (Men from the Jinns) has been used in reference to them, so it is not strange for the word An-Nas to be applied to them also.''
Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:
The actual words are: صُدُوۡرِ النَّاسِ. They, however, refer to the hearts that beat in the chests.
مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ
( 6 ) From among the jinn and mankind."
According to some scholars, these words mean that the whisperer whispers evil into the hearts of two kinds of people: the jinn and the men. If this meaning is admitted, the word naas would apply to both jinn and men. They say that this can be so, for when the word rijal (men) in the Quran has been used for the jinn, as in( Surah Al-Jinn, Ayat 6), and when nafar can be used for the group of jinn, as in (Surah A1-Ahqaf, Ayat 29), men and jinn both can be included metaphorically in the word naas also. But this view is wrong because the words naas, ins and insan are even lexically contrary in meaning to the word jinn. The actual meaning of jinn is hidden creation and jinn is called jinn because he is hidden from man’s eye. On the contrary, the words naas and ins are spoken for insan (man) only on the basis that he is manifest and visible and perceptible. In (Surah Al-Qasas, Ayat 29), the word anasa has been used in the meaning of raa, i.e. the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) saw a fire in the direction of Toor. In (Surah An-Nisa, Ayat 6), the word anastum has been used in the meaning of ahsastum or raaytum (i.e. if you perceive or see that the orphans have become capable). Therefore, naas cannot apply to jinn lexically, and the correct meaning of the verse is: From the evil of the whisperer who whispers evil into the hearts of men, whether he be from among the jinn or from the men themselves. In other words, whispering of evil is done by devils from among jinn as well as by devils from among men and the prayer in this Surah has been taught to seek refuge from the evil of both. This meaning is supported by the Quran as well as by the Hadith. The Quran says: And so it has always been that We set against every Prophet enemies from among devils of men and devils of jinn, who have been inspiring one another with charming things to delude the minds. (Surah Al-Anaam, Ayat 112).
And in the Hadith, lmam Ahmad, Nasai, and Ibn Hibban have related on the authority of Abu Dharr a tradition, saying: I sat before the Prophet (peace be upon him, who was in the Mosque. He said: Abu Dharr, have you performed the Prayer? I replied in the negative. He said: Arise and perform the Prayer. So, I performed the Prayer. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: O Abu Dharr, seek Allah’s refuge from the devils of men and the devils of jinn. I asked, are there devils among men also? O Messenger of Allah! He replied: Yes.
Ibn Kathir Explanation:
This is supportive of the second view. It has also been said that Allah's saying, (Of Jinn and An-Nas) is an explanation of who is it that whispers into the breasts of mankind from the devils of mankind and Jinns.
(And so We have appointed for every Prophet enemies -- Shayatin among mankind and Jinn, inspiring one another with adorned speech as a delusion.) (6:112)
Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "A man came to the Prophet and said, `O Messenger of Allah! Sometimes I say things to myself that I would rather fall from the sky than say (aloud openly). ' The Prophet said,
(Allah is Most Great! Allah is Most Great! All praise is due to Allah Who sent his (Shaytan's) plot back as only a whisper.)'' Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i also recorded this Hadith.
Muhammad Asad Explanation:
The above is perhaps the oldest Qur'anic mention of the term and concept of al-jinnah (synonymous with al-jinn), which has been tentatively explained in Appendix III. In the above context, the term probably denotes the intangible, mysterious forces of nature to which man's psyche is exposed, and which sometimes make it difficult for us to discern between right and wrong. However, in the light of this last verse of the last surah of the Qur'an it is also possible to conclude that the "invisible forces" from which we are told to seek refuge with God are the temptations to evil emanating from the blindness of our own hearts, from our gross appetites, and from the erroneous notions and false values that may have been handed down to us by our predecessors.
Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:
This verse informs us of the fraternity of Satan. The implication is that Satan is not an independent being created by God to lead people astray. The fact of the matter is that all those who adopt this attitude from among the jinn and mankind become Satan.
Yusuf Ali Explanation:
This last clause 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.
You may now like to listen to tafsir of the surah by eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan. This is the Part I of the tafsir. For Part II, go to the link here.
You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.
Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 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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Islam in Moldova is a tale of surviving and fighting for rights as Muslims in a predominant Orthodox Christians' dominance. As per a UN Human Rights Commission report, Moldovan Muslims faced challenges in gathering together in public spaces for prayer before 2011. If they did, they were met with opposition by police. The fact was the freedom to pray in public spaces was not given to unregistered religious entities.
Although, the Moldovan Parliament passed a new law of freedom of thought and conscience that was more progressive than previous ones in 2007, the Orthodox Church was resisted all moves by the Muslims to registered as registered religious community. This was despite the fact that the new law provided freedom of religious practice in any form, which allowed for anyone to create a religious denomination without interference from the Government.
Veaceslav Balan, UN Human Rights Office Coordinator in Moldova, said that followers of the Orthodox Church at the time felt threatened by this new law, especially the acceptance of the Islamic League. They felt, as Balan explained, that it was limiting the space and moral authority of the Orthodox Church in the country.
Sergui Sochirca, President of the Islamic League, has been quoted as saying: "The process of registration took several years with intense opposition by members of the Orthodox Church and various Christian groups. Protests filled the streets of Moldova opposing the registration of the Islamic League and the law itself."
Finally after years of struggle, the Islamic League of Moldova (Liga Islamica din Moldova), an NGO representing Moldova's Muslims, was registered by the Moldovan Justice Ministry as the first legally recognized Muslim association in Moldova in March 2011.
Today, officially there were just 2,000 Muslims in Moldova. But the Islamic League of Moldova believes the number closer to 17,000, though not all of them were registered as Muslims due to suppression of Islam in the past.
Muslims in Moldova are very exuberant about their religion and celebrate all festivals with great enthusiasm and religious fervour.
Eid ul Fitr at the Islamic Cultural Center in Chisinau 06/04/2019
Women too join the men folk in offering the Eid prayers. Moldovan Muslims believe in that "Family is a place of happiness" and are ever willing for joint gatherings to celebrate, hug and share their happiness with each other.
On such festivities the henna hand painting is as common in Moldova as in any other Muslim country.
The Eid festivities end around a well laid food table to enjoy the feast together before dispersing.
I look forward for more information from my Moldovan brothers and sisters. Stay blessed.
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