Surah Al-Falaq 113:1-5 - Quran Translation Commentary

1. That is: pray to Allah and seek His refuge by reciting these words. The address is to the Prophet, and through him to everybody who has belief in Quran.

2. Refuge means security, safety, and shelter. To seek refuge means to pray to the Giver of refuge for one’s safety, to turn to Him; to seek the shadow of his shelter, and to grasp firmly the support given by Him. So here the meaning of ‘I seek refuge’ is that I consider Allah as the only Giver of refuge and place myself under his shelter. Only He will save from every kind of evil and I establish the relationship of worship with Him only. It may be noted that to consider anyone as the Giver of refuge in the real sense is to consider him as god, and therefore, to seek refuge of anyone else baside Allah, as is being done by the polytheists who seek refuge of devis and devtas, is open polytheism.

3. That is: He who tears the veil of the darkness of night and causes the dawn to appear, as mentioned at another place as

“He who causes”

the morning to appear tearing the darkness of the night” (Al-An’am-96). Here the mention of the miracle of His might with the mention of his attribute of Lordship is to convey the impression that the seeker of the refuge is expressing conviction and satisfaction that the Being Who causes the appearance of the dawn by tearing the darkness of the night will also cause the light of hope to appear in depressing circumstances, and will open the path of safety and security, removing the multitude of evils and mischief’s.

4. On contemplating this verse, the following points become clear:

(1) All things are created by Allah. The creator is He alone and also the Master, therefore nothing can be more powerful than the Creator of the universe. Accordingly seeking the refuge of the Creator for being safe from the evil of the created ones is the correct course of action. As against this, for being safe from the evil of the created ones to invoke some created one, whether it may be a devi or a devta or some “Ghaus”or ‘wali’ is absolutely foolish and totally wrong.

(2) “The evil of that which He created” does not mean that everything created by Him has essentially an aspect of evil, but it means that whatever things, out of the things created by Him, may have evil-and of whatever aspect it may be from that Allah’s refuge is sought.

(3) Nothing in itself is able to affect anyone, nor does any evil by itself affect some one. Everything affects some one with the command of Allah only, and every evil that affects anyone, it does so with the command of Allah only. Therefore, to be safe from all evils, we should pray to Him alone and we should totally rely on Him alone.

(4) Evil means tangible troubles and palpable disasters which are external and also internal losses and spiritual waywardness. The example of the first kind is sicknesses, diseases and painful experiences, and the example of the second kind is sins, infidelity and polytheism. From the reference to the context it seems that this second aspect of the evil is what is specially meant here, and this surmise is supported by the fact that the Surahs Falaq and Nas have been kept at the very end of the Quran, which points to the fact that for the safety of the guidance with which ,we are blessed through the Quran, we should be ever alert, so that the forces of evil may not affect us and may not misguide us.

5. In the previous verse the mention of seeking refuge from the evil of the created ones has been made in a general way. Now the guidance is given for seeking refuge particularly from the evil of specific things.

When the night comes, darkness spreads, and in this darkness the evil-loving elements and the Satanic forces get a chance to come into prominence. From the view point of the external and physical troubles, the diseases and sicknesses are aggravated during the night time and harmful animals and reptiles move out during night only. In short, the night presents an atmosphere of fear and fright. As regards internal and moral troubles, generally serious crimes are committed during night only, and conspiracies are also hatched during night time. Satan launches his attacks with his armies in the darkness of night. Therefore, the outward darkness of the night can be the cause of internal darkness. Accordingly, a warning is given to be alert against this evil and to seek Allah’s refuge from it.

It may be noted that this reference of night as attached to evil does not mean that during night blessings do not descend and that no virtuous deeds are performed during the night time. It only means that the time of night is most suitable for the Satanic forces to spread their evil.

6. By knots are meant those knots which Satans tie on the consciousness and senses of men and make them negligent and intoxicated. In the two authenticated books of traditions, it is mentioned that the Prophet has said:

“When any of you sleeps, Satan ties three knots on the backside of his head, and with every knot he makes you think that the night is still long. Then when that man wakes up, and remembers Allah, one knot comes open, and when he performs ablutions (wuzu), another knot comes open, and when he offers prayer, then the third knot too comes open, and in the morning he is happy and alert and in a condition of purified self. In other condition, in the morning he is lazy and in a condition of filthy-self.” -(Muslim kitab Salatul Musafireen)

This is an example of the Satan’s causing man to be negligent, which has been described in the hadith, and which gives an idea of Satan’s inspiration, his activities and his attacks.

The word Naffathat is from the word Nafth which means blowing. In the hadith the inspiration of Satan has been termed as Nafth of Satan:

“I seek Allah’s refuge from Satan’s Nafkh his Nafth and his hamz” The narrator of this tradition, Ibn Murrah has explained these three words that Satan’s Nafth means poetry his Nafkh means pride and his hamz means insanity.

-(Abu Daud, Kitabus- Salat Vol. II. P. 479). The meaning of Nafth as poetry, given here, is in reality a form of the satanic inspiration, and its another form is magic.

The word naffathat is feminine, plural and is a hyperbole. It is the adjective of nufus (persons) therefore, according to the Arabic grammar it is in feminine gender, those persons who are habituated to blow, meaning Evil Persons, that affect the human consciousness and senses by their inspiration. In the foregoing hadith with the mention of tying the knots it is also stated that he makes men think that the night is still long. It is in reality Satan’s blowing his breath into this knot.

In the light of these traditions the meaning of the verse is that Satans by their inspiration affect the consciousness, senses, and the psychology of man and cause him to be neglectful, negligent, intoxicated and a victim of psychological diseases, and they inspire into him wicked and evil thoughts. Allah’s refuge is sought from this evil of theirs. This satanic influence can also take the form of poetry, or of magic. It can assume the form of flowery discourses or of a song. Therefore there is no reason that it should be limited to any single form. The practitioners of black magic are known to follow the common practice of blowing breath on threads. The magicians and the practitioner of the allied black arts perform these wicked acts with the help of satans and provide material for leading the people astray. In modern times, people’s senses and psychology are also affected by subjecting them to hypnotism. These are various forms of the satanic acts. The only correct way of keeping oneself safe from all these harmful things is to seek Allah’s refuge, and to believe in the fact that without His command nothing can harm one. Generally the commentators relate a story about the Prophet having been affected by magic, in connection with the explanation of this verse. The main points of the story are: In Madina a jew or a hypocrite who was a partner of the Jews, by name Labid bin A’sim, obtained the hairs of the Prophet from his comb and casting a magic spell on them, buried them in a well. As an effect of this magic, the Prophet fell ill, and he was under the illusion that he has performed certain act, While actually he had not performed According to some narratives, its effect remained for six months. After this he was in formed by the Revelation and was directed to recite “Mu’avvizatain” and he recovered.

This story is related in Bukhari, Muslim and other books of traditions, but for some valid reasons is not acceptable.

First, this narrative is contradictory to what is stated in Quran, because Quran has refuted this accusation of the infidels that the Prophet is a charmed person or affected by magic.

(The wrong-doers say that you are following a person affected by magic -Bani Israil-47). It would mean that the thing which Quran is refuting, this narrative is confirming. The reply of the supporters of this story is that a Prophet can be affected by magic, as Prophet Moosa, seeing the ropes and sticks of the magicians, had thought that they were creeping like snakes: (Surah Taha- 66); and the accusation of the infidels that the prophet can be affected by magic, meant that some magician had made him insane, which Quran has refuted. They also say: “The effect of the magic was limited to the person of Muhammad only and the prophethood of Muhammad (P.b.u.h) was quite unaffected by it.” But this reply is a mere play on words, because in the narrative it is mentioned that he was under the illusion that he had done a certain thing but in actuality he had not done it, that is the magic has affected his mind (Allah give us refuge), and that this effect remained for months together; and that he came to know of it only when the revelation from God informed him. When Prophet Moosa had seen the ropes and sticks of the magicians in the form of snakes for a short time only, and he knew that these sticks and ropes were not snakes in reality, but were merely looking like snakes, therefore by seeing them he was not deceived. Then it was also not a disease or sickness from which Prophet Moosa suffered. Therefore, to compare the story of the magic spell over the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) with the event of the Prophet Moosa is much too farfetched and untenable.

Secondly, to admit the story of the magic spell as true would adversely affect the belief in the innocence of the Prophets, because in the story the magic spell is stated to have affected not only his body but also his mind. It is obvious that such a thing is quite contrary to the high position of prophethood. Therefore this argument is meaningless that when the Prophet could be wounded, or could be sick, so he could also be brought under the magic spell.

The matter of Prophets being innocent is agreed upon by all and is fully and unambiguously supported by Quran and Sunnah, and therefore any narrative which goes against the essential attributes of the prophethood cannot be considered tenable, whether it is contained in Bukhari or in Muslim.

Thirdly, so far as the point regarding the narration of this story is concerned, one of the narrators of it is Hisham, who though is reliable, yet Allama Ibn Hajar has written about him in his Tahzeebut-Tahzeeb that after going to Iraq he narrated many traditions as heard from his father, which was not liked by the people of Iraq. Besides, Malik has not accepted his narrations which he said to the people of Iraq. He had gone to Kufah three times. First time he narrated: ‘My father related to me that he heard Hazrat Ayesha as saying.” When he went second time, he began narrating like this:

“My father informed me that is narrated by Hazrat Ayesha.” And when the third time he went, he narrated like this: “My father narrated from Ayesha.” (Tahzeebut Tahzeeb, Vol. 11, P.50). It shows that although Hisham was a reliable narrator, in narrating he had become rather incautious. In the circumstances, why his story of the magic spell over the Prophet, which concerns a very important matter, should not be considered a result of his carelessness? Fourthly. In the series of narrators, there is one narrator. Sufyan bin Uaynah, who admits that he heard this story for the first time from Ibn Juraij. On this, the criticism of Maulana Amin Ahsan Islahi is quite apt:

“As if this event became famous a hundred years after the death of the Prophet.” Before this. Its knowledge was limited to a few individuals only. Everybody can understand that if the Prophet were to be under a magic spell (God) Protect us!) for six months, the event would have been so extra-ordinary that it would have received immense publicity in the early period and this narration would have come to us through the narratives of continued, unbroken series of narrators.” (Tadabbure Quran, Vol. VIII, P.666).

To avoid lengthy discussion, we rest content by stating only these few reasons. However, we would quote a few extracts from those commentators who have severely refuted the story of the magic spell over the Prophet:

The well-known commentator, Allama Abu Bakar Jassas, in his Tafseer, Ahkamul Quran. has stated:

“And the people have declared a greater and more terrible thing than magic to be permissible. Accordingly they think that the Prophet was subjected to a spell of magic and he was also affected by it, so much so that he said that he thought that he was saying a thing and doing a thing, when actually he had neither said it nor done it; and a Jewess cast a magic spell through the skin of the date, his comb and hair, till the Archangel, Jibril came and informed him that this woman had cast a spell of magic over him through the skin of the date and that it was beneath a stone in well. Then he got it removed and the spell over him was broken, when Allah has refuted the claim of the infidels and has stated:

“And the wrong-doers state that you are following a man who is under the spell of magic.” In reality this kind of hadith is invented by the apostates” —(Ahkamul Quran, Vol. I. page 55).

Sayed Qutub in his Tafseer. Fi Zilalil Quran, writes: “These narratives in reality are, in the matter of propagation and conduct, contrary to the belief of innocence of the Prophet, and also clashes with the belief that every saying and act of the Prophet is Sunnah and Shariah, Moreover these narratives also clash with the statement of the Quran that the Prophet is not under the spell of magic and in which the claim of the polytheists has been refuted. On this account these narratives are too far-fetched. Besides, the tradition with a single narrator cannot be accepted in the matter of belief. For this purpose, only Quran is reliable and for the principles of belief, ahadith can be accepted on the condition that they are narrated by an unbroken series of reliable narrators, while these narratives are not narrated by a series of narrators. Furthermore, both these Surahs were revealed in Makka according to the preferable testimony.” -(Fi Zilalil Quran Vol. VI, P. 4008)

And Maulana Amin Ahsan Islahi writes:

“Although the claim is made that there was no effect of this magic spell on his duties as the Prophet, and with that it is also very inanely admitted that as a result of this spell he was getting weaker and he was under illusion that he had done certain thing, but actually he had not done it…………………… According to me to refute this story this argument is sufficient that it is contrary to the accepted belief which Quran has taught us about the Prophets. The innocence of the prophets is that characteristic of theirs which cannot be separated from them at any time. This innocence is not at all affected by the fact that a Prophet’s teeth were broken, or he was wounded, or he was killed. None of these things is contrary to his Prophethood, that one could use it as an argument that when the Prophet can suffer from these things, he can also be affected by a magic spell, to such an extent that he cannot distinguish between an executed and unexecuted act, between a seen and unseen thing. Allah has kept his Prophets safe from such satanic depredations, and this safety of theirs is inevitable for the safety of the religion, It is this safety which provides authority to every word and act of the Prophet. The whole Quran is a witness to the innocence of the Prophet and it is enjoined on every Muslim that he should believe in the innocence of the Prophets.” -(Tadabbure Quran, Vol. VIII, P.665-666).

From the statements of these commentators the reality of the story of the magic spell over the Prophet and of the relevant narrative becomes quite clear. But it is really surprising that people have so much interest in trying to prove one narrative to be true, and they have not that much interest in realizing what effect his narrative has on the belief on innocence of the Prophets. If this is not blind following of a dubious narrative, then what it is”?

7. Jealousy means that when Allah blesses someone with His favours and gifts, another person does not like it and wants that it should be taken away from him. And the meaning of when the jealous indulges in jealousy’ is that when the jealous person acts jealously, or when he tries to harm the other person out of jealousy. On such occasions, to be safe from the evil, harms and troubles of this man, Allah’s refuge should be sought.

Although the word jealous is common, yet it is a well known, fact that the beginning of jealousy goes to Satan. When Allah created Adam and crowned him as a superior being by granting him the vicegerency of the earth, Satan became an enemy of the humans, and he wants that man should be led astray:

“Many of the people of the Book wish through selfish envy that they could turn you back from your belief to unbelief.” -(Al-Baqarah- 109).

The infidels of Makkah were also jealous of the Prophet as to why he, instead of the sardars of Makkah and Taif, was selected for the honorable duty of Prophethood. They used to say:

“Why was this Quran not revealed to a prominent man (from amongst the rich men) of the two towns”. -(Az-Zukhruf-31).

It was the fire of jealousy in which they were burning and which had made them enemies of the Prophet. And they did not want that any good may come to the faithful people from their Lord

“Neither those who disbelieve among the people of the Book nor those who associate others with Allah would like that anything good should come to you from your Lord”. -(Al-Baqarah -105).

In short, the purport of the verse is that when a Momin is confronted with a jealous person, he should seek Allah’s refuge for keeping him safe from his evils and mischief. In this way the Momin will be able to control his anger, and will also deserve to get the help from God.

The fact that at the end of Quran, direction is given to seek refuge from the evil of a jealous person is a pointer that the people of faith should note it carefully that the great blessing and honour which they have received in the form of Quran is not unlikely to create a feeling of jealousy in their enemies and it is quite on the cards that they would leave no stone unturned in trying to turn you away from the teaching of the oneness of Allah, which is the basis of this guidance, therefore, they should be alert and watchful of the machinations of the jealous forces and should try to seek the support of Allah for keeping themselves safe from the mischief’s of these jealous persons.