Surah Al-Falaq (113) — Ayah 1

There is nothing like Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Naas for seeking Allah’s protection from any kind of evil. These Surahs possess a tremendous effect in protecting from and removing all physical and spiritual calamities. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has mentioned great virtues of these two Surahs, especially declaring them unparalleled in the matter of seeking refuge. Here are a few Ahadith: (1) Uqbah bin Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ أَلَمْ تَرَ آيَاتٍ أُنْزِلَتِ اللَّيْلَةَ لَمْ يُرَ مِثْلُهُنَّ قَطُّ : «قُلْ اَعُوْذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ » وَ « قُلْ اَعُوْذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ » ] [مسلم، صلاۃ المسافرین، باب فضل قراء ۃ المعوذتین : ۸۱۴] “Have you not seen the verses that were revealed tonight, the like of which has never been seen? They are Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Naas.” (2) Ibn Abis Al-Juhani (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: [ أَلاَ أُخْبِرُكَ بِأَفْضَلِ مَا يَتَعَوَّذُ بِهِ الْمُتَعَوِّذُوْنَ؟ قَالَ بَلٰي يَا رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ! قَالَ « قُلْ اَعُوْذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ» وَ « قُلْ اَعُوْذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ » هَاتَيْنِ السُّوْرَتَيْنِ ] [ نسائي، الاستعاذۃ، باب ما جاء في سورتي المعوذتین : ۵۴۳۴ ] “Shall I not tell you the best thing with which those who seek refuge, seek refuge?” He said: “Why not, O Messenger of Allah!” He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “{’’ قُلْ اَعُوْذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ ‘‘} and {’’ قُلْ اَعُوْذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ ‘‘} these two Surahs.”

(3) Abdullah bin Khubaib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: [ خَرَجْنَا فِيْ لَيْلَةٍ مَّطِيْرَةٍ وَظُلْمَةٍ شَدِيْدَةٍ نَطْلُبُ رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُصَلِّيْ لَنَا، قَالَ فَأَدْرَكْتُهُ، فَقَالَ قُلْ، فَلَمْ أَقُلْ شَيْئًا، ثُمَّ قَالَ قُلْ، فَلَمْ أَقُلْ شَيْئًا، قَالَ قُلْ، فَقُلْتُ مَا أَقُوْلُ؟ قَالَ قُلْ « قُلْ هُوَ اللّٰهُ اَحَدٌ» وَالْمُعَوِّذَتَيْنِ حِيْنَ تُمْسِيْ وَ تُصْبِحُ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ تَكْفِيْكَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ ] [ترمذي، الدعوات، باب الدعاء عند النوم : ۳۵۷۵، وقال الألباني حسن ] “We went out on a rainy and intensely dark night, searching for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) so that he could lead us in prayer. I met him, and he said: ‘Say.’ I said nothing. He again said: ‘Say.’ I still said nothing. He (peace and blessings be upon him) again said: ‘Say.’ I said: ‘What should I say?’ He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘{’’ قُلْ هُوَ اللّٰهُ اَحَدٌ ‘‘} and the Mu’awwidhatayn, recite them three times in the morning and evening, they will suffice you from everything.’” (4) Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: “Before the revelation of the Mu’awwidhatayn, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to seek refuge from the jinn and the evil eye of humans. When the Mu’awwidhatayn were revealed, he made them his regular practice and left everything else.” [ ترمذي، الاستعاذۃ، باب ما جاء في الرقیۃ بالمعوذتین : ۲۰۵۸ ] Tirmidhi graded it Hasan Sahih and Albani graded it Sahih. (5) Uqbah bin Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about the Mu’awwidhatayn. Uqbah says that (when we asked this question) the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) led us in the morning prayer with these two Surahs. [ نسائي، الاستعاذۃ، باب ما جاء في سورتي المعوذتین : ۵۴۳۶، وصححہ الألباني ] From this, it is known that their name Mu’awwidhatayn was well-known, and it is also known that he considered them sufficient in place of long Surahs. [ دیکھیے ترمذي، الاستعاذۃ، باب ما جاء في الرقیۃ بالمعوذتین : ۲۰۵۸]

(6) Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) says: “Whenever the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would come to his bed every night, he would join his palms together, blow into them, recite {’’ قُلْ هُوَ اللّٰهُ اَحَدٌ ‘‘، ’’ قُلْ اَعُوْذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ ‘‘} and {’’ قُلْ اَعُوْذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ ‘‘} in them, then wipe his hands over his body as far as he could reach, starting with his head, face, and the front part of his body. He would do this three times.” [ بخاري، فضائل القرآن، باب فضل المعوذات : ۵۰۱۷ ] (7) It is also narrated from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): “When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would fall ill, he would recite the Mu’awwidhat over himself and blow. When his pain became severe, I would recite over him and wipe him with his own hand, hoping for the blessing of that hand.” [ بخاري، الاستعاذۃ، باب ما جاء في المعوذات : ۵۰۱۶ ] From these Ahadith, it is known that these three Surahs should be recited daily at the mentioned times; they protect from all kinds of spiritual and physical illnesses and keep one in Allah’s protection from the evils and calamities of the devils among jinn and mankind.

Note: When we recite {’’أَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيْمِ‘‘} or the Mu’awwidhat, seeking Allah’s protection through them does not mean that one should merely utter these words with the tongue, but it is necessary to strive to abandon all thoughts, desires, and actions that are pleasing to Satan. Just as if a person is attacked by a wild beast, it is not enough for him to merely say, “I seek refuge in such-and-such fortress,” but he must also strive to reach that fortress. Similarly, for one who seeks Allah’s protection from the enemy’s attack and prays for victory and help, it is not enough to merely utter words of refuge and supplication, but it is also necessary to prepare against the enemy, go out to the field, and be ready for fighting and combat. Along with this, if supplication is made, then indeed Allah’s protection and safeguarding are attained. Likewise, if a person in practice follows the devils of mankind and jinn in everything, but keeps seeking Allah’s protection with his tongue, then this seeking refuge will not save him from the devils and their whispers. A comprehensive example of this is that the one who says “La ilaha illallah” will certainly enter Paradise, and the fire of Hell is forbidden for him, but does merely uttering these words take a person into Allah’s protection from Hell? No, rather it is for the one who is {’’صَادِقًا مِّنْ قَلْبِهِ‘‘}, that is, who sincerely accepts only Allah as the true deity and worships Him alone; for him is this virtue. If he makes anyone else or even his own desires his deity, then even if he recites “La ilaha illallah” a million times, he will not be saved from Hell. (Summary from Qasimi)

(Ayah 1) ➊ {قُلْ اَعُوْذُ … : ’’ اَعُوْذُ ‘‘ ’’عَاذَ يَعُوْذُ عَوْذًا وَمَعَاذًا‘‘} (n) To seek refuge. Seeking refuge means that a person feels fear from something and realizes that he cannot face it, so to save himself from it, he goes under the protection of someone else or takes shelter behind something. Obviously, refuge is sought only from one who is believed to be able to save from that fearful thing. Sometimes, refuge is sought in things that Allah has made a means of protection from certain dangers, for example, taking refuge in a fortress, trench, or bunker to protect oneself from the enemy, or seeking protection from a powerful person or nation to save oneself from an oppressor. This refuge can be sought from anything, and sometimes, refuge is sought with the belief that in those dangers where all worldly means and resources fail, such-and-such being can save. The refuge mentioned in Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Naas, and wherever in the Qur’an and Hadith refuge is sought from Allah, refers to the second type of refuge. Seeking this refuge from anyone other than Allah is shirk. Polytheists, for their protection, leave Allah and seek refuge in deities, jinn, angels, saints, or prophets, and call upon them for help. Allah has taught in these Surahs that to be saved from all such dangers, seek refuge in My attributes, which prove that I alone can save you from all such dangers.

➋ {بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ: ’’فَلَقَ يَفْلِقُ فَلَقًا‘‘} (ḍ) To split open. Here, the verbal noun {’’ الْفَلَقِ ‘‘} is in the meaning of the object {’’مَفْلُوْقٌ‘‘}. There are two reliable explanations in its exegesis: The first is the statement of Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both), which Ibn Abi Hatim has narrated with a good chain, and several Tabi’een also hold this view, that {’’ الْفَلَقِ ‘‘} means morning, because the morning emerges by splitting the darkness of the night. Allah says: « فَالِقُ الْاِصْبَاحِ » [ الأنعام : ۹۶] “That is, He is the One Who splits the darkness of the night and brings forth the morning.” Seeking refuge in the Lord of the morning means that the Lord Who removes the darkness of the night and brings forth the bright morning, I seek His protection from the evil of all creation, because when He removes the darkness of the night, in which countless evils exist, then for Him to remove other evils and protect from them is a trivial matter. The second explanation is from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), which At-Tabari has narrated with a reliable chain from Ali bin Abi Talhah, and it is also the view of Dahhak, that {’’ الْفَلَقِ ‘‘} refers to all those things which Allah has brought forth by splitting something, such as vegetation from the earth, springs from the mountains, rain from the clouds, and animals from the womb and eggs. Besides these, wherever there is the matter of creation, in most cases, the process of splitting is present. Thus, {’’ الْفَلَقِ ‘‘} means creation; the meaning would be: I seek refuge in the Lord of all creation, that He may protect me from the evil of His creation. This meaning is more comprehensive, so it has been adopted in the translation.

Say! I seek refuge with the Lord of the daybreak (1)

1. Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of daybreak [1].

[1]
The Literal Meaning of ﴿فلق﴾:

The meaning of ﴿فَلَقٌ﴾ is also to split and to separate. And also to tear apart. ﴿فَالِقُ الْاِصْبَاحِ﴾ [92:6] means the one who splits the morning and separates it from darkness. And by this is meant the Being of Allah Ta’ala, who brings forth the light of morning from the darkness of night. And in reality, if we see, whatever comes into existence, it emerges from darkness and the veil of the unseen. As in the previous verse it is said: ﴿فَالِقُ الْحَبِّ وَالنَّوٰي﴾ [95:6] meaning the Being who splits the earth and brings forth the sprout of the seed and the pit. Similarly, the one who breaks the shell of the egg and brings out the chick. Or brings the child out from the mother’s womb. The one who splits the earth or stone and brings forth springs from it. Even Allah split a mingled substance and separated the heavens and the earth from it and brought them into existence. In this sense, ﴿فالق﴾ and ﴿خالِقٌ﴾ are almost synonymous.

[2]
Seeking Refuge from Anyone Other Than Allah is Shirk:

Refuge is sought when a person faces such a danger which he does not find the strength within himself to defend against. And refuge is sought from such a being who is not only more powerful than the one seeking refuge, but also more powerful than that thing from which the danger or harm is feared. And the most powerful, and the one who rules over not only apparent causes but also hidden causes, is the Being of Allah. Therefore, refuge should be sought only from Him. Especially in a situation where apparent means are absent. In such a case, seeking refuge from anyone other than Allah is shirk, just as in the age of ignorance, when people would stay in a forest, according to their supposed beliefs, they would seek refuge from the king of the jinn of that place. However, if refuge is sought from someone due to apparent means, then this is permissible. Nevertheless, trust should be placed only in Allah. It should be clear that in Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Naas, seeking Allah’s refuge from various things is mentioned. And the subject matter of both is similar. Therefore, these two surahs are called Al-Mu’awwidhatayn, meaning the two surahs by reciting which refuge is sought from one’s Lord, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would recite these two surahs, blow on his hands, and then pass his hands over every part of his body that his hands could reach.