Surah An-Nas 114:1-6 - Quran Translation Commentary

2. Allah Most High first reminded man that he has a Lord, 'the Lord of men’, who created him, developed him and gave him various faculties including that of mind and thought. With the help of this faculty man can easily perceive that he is not independent, rather dependent, and a slave of a King who has all powers in his Hands: hence 'the King of men.’ Then, when that was clear, Allah reminded him that since he is not the master, rather the slave of a King, it is right that he should worship none else besides Him and hence the third attribute Ilaha through: 'the God of men' (Razi).

3. The word 'slinking’ here is the translation of khannas and 'prompter’ that of waswas. This is following the tafsir of Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah, (Ibn Jarir) who have said that the allusion is to Satan by the term waswas who has been called khannas (one who hides, appears and disappears often), because he prompts a man to evil whenever he finds him forgetful of Allah, withdraws when he finds his heart filled with His remembrance, to reappear when he finds it devoid of His remembrance.

Qurtubi reports that Abu Tha`labah al-Khushani supplicated to Allah that he be shown Iblis. He saw him as one whose limbs were branching out from all sides with a muzzle like the muzzle of a dog.

4. Shaytan and the Humans: A sahih narration (of Muslim: Ibn Ibrahim) reports the Prophet as having said:

“There is none amongst you but has a Devil appointed over him.” He was asked: “Even you, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied: “Yes, even over me except that Allah has helped me over him so that he has become a Muslim. He does not suggest to me anything but good.” In another report of Bukhari and Muslim, once when the Prophet (saws) was in seclusion in the mosque (mu`takif) his wife Safiyyah visited him by the night. When she was returning he went some distance with her. On the way two Ansari men happened to chance upon them, and tried to hurry away. He called them back and told them: “This is Safiyyah bint Huyayy.” They exclaimed, “Allah be praised, O Messenger of Allah!” (i.e. we never thought of anything evil). He said: “Satan indeed runs through a man like blood runs through him. I was afraid he will inspire something - or evil - in your hearts.”

Finally, Abu Tamimah has said in a strong report of Musnad Ahmad that once when he was the pillion rider of the Prophet, the donkey stumbled. He said, 'May the Devil perish.’ The Prophet remarked: “Do not say that. For when you say that the Devil is encouraged and says, 'By my power I shall overcome him.’ Rather, when you say 'Bismillah,’ he is reduced in size until he becomes as small as a fly” (Ibn Kathir).

Ibn al-Qayyim wrote: Bukhari has a hadith in his compilation narrated by Abu Hurayrah which says that the Prophet said:

“When a man sleeps Shaytan ties three knots over his head opening each one of them at the proper time, saying, you have a long night before you so sleep. If he wakes up and remembers Allah, one knot opens up. When he makes ablution another knot opens up. When he Prays all the three knots open up. In consequence he is fresh and facile of heart. But if he does not, he ends up lazy and vile of heart.” According to another report, also in Bukhari, Shaytan urinates in the ears of a believer so that he sleeps until sunrise. The Prophet was told about a man who did not wake up for his fajr. He remarked:

“That’s a man in whose ears Shaytan urinated.”

Shafi` adds: Allah has taught us how to defend ourselves against the prompting of Shaytan. He said (16: 98-100):

“And when you recite the Qur’an seek refuge in Allah from Satan the accursed. He has no power over those who believe and place their trust in their Lord. His power is over those alone who befriend him and ascribe associates to Allah.”

5. Thus we know that there are Shayatin of the Jinn as well as of men, as the Qur’an has said (6: 112):

“And that is how We have appointed for every Prophet enemies from men and Jinn.”

Further, the Shayatin, as they whisper into men’s breasts, also whisper into the Jinn’s breast (Qurtubi).

Ahmad and Abu Da’ud, while Nasa’i with some additions, have reported Ibn `Abbas as saying that once a man went to the Prophet and said:

“I find things in my heart that I would prefer the heavens crash down rather than that I should speak of them.” The Prophet replied: “Allah is Great. Allah is Great. Allah be praised who turned the suggestions of Satan into mere whispers” (Ibn Kathir).

As explanation it might be added that when the person added that those thoughts were so heavy upon him that he preferred the heavens to fall rather that they should occur to him, it meant that those were not doubts (shukuk), rather mere Satanic suggestions (wasawis). In other words the difference between doubts and passing evil thoughts is that the former is firmly established in the heart, does not worry the person and, depending on how serious they are, can even render him a munafiq. The person concerned is in truth in a skeptical state of mind about the thing that he doubts. In contrast, Satanic suggestions are mere passing thoughts that do not take root in the heart, which the person has a great dislike for, and which, in turn, is a sign of his sincerity in faith (Au.).

Shanqiti adds: No more can Shaytan do than whisper in the breast of men. When the Orientalists had gathered in Beirut for a conference, a complaint was generally voiced that despite their massive efforts over thirty years to spread Christisnity, they hadn’t been able to convert a single Muslim to Christianity. The chairman remarked: “Maybe not. But we have surely implanted doubts, which is no small an achievement.”

6. Imam Ahmad has reported Abu Dharr as saying:

“Once I went to the Prophet while he was in the mosque. I sat down by him. He asked me: "Did you Pray, Abu Dharr?" I said: “No.” He said: “Do it now.” So I Prayed and went back to him. He said: “Abu Dharr, seek Allah’s help against the Devils from among the jinn and men.” (i.e., from the Devil who made you forget the Prayer as you entered the mosque: Au.). I asked: “O Apostle of Allah, are there Devils from among the men?” He replied: “Yes.” I asked: “O Apostle of Allah, what about Prayers?” He said: “They are the best thing, so one might do more or less of them.” I asked: “What about fasts?” He answered: “An obligation that will be well rewarded. And Allah has more.” I asked: “And what about charity?” He said: “(They are rewarded) in heaps upon heaps.” I asked: “Which is the best of it?” He answered: “What best the straitened can offer. (A phrase is unclear here: Au.). I asked: "Who was the first Prophet, O Apostle of Allah?" He replied: “Adam?” I asked: “O Apostle of Allah, was he a Prophet?” He said: “Yes. A Prophet spoken to (by Allah directly).” I asked: “How may Messengers were sent?” He said: “Three hundred and odd. A large number.” (According to another version he said: “Three hundred and fifteen.” I asked: “What is the greatest revelation made to you?” He answered: “Ayah al-Kursiyy.” With some variations Nasa’i has also recorded this narration (Ibn Kathir).

A Piquant Point

Imam Razi presents his usual piquant observations. He says it might be noticed in comparison with the earlier surah that both deal with “refuge” (isti`adhah). In the earlier surah 'the Refuge’ was mentioned by one Attribute, the Lord, and the 'refuge from’ were mentioned as of three kinds - the ghasiq, the naffathat and the hasid. In contrast, in this surah 'the Refuge’ has been mentioned by three Attributes (the Lord, the King, the Ilaha), while the 'refuge from’ is only one entity - the Devil. This is because in the previous surah one was seeking the protection of the physical body, whereas here, one is seeking the protection of one’s religion, which is of greater importance and consequence. The supplication, therefore, for that which is of greater importance had to be preceded by greater amount of praises to the Lord, (hence the mention of 'the Refuge’ by three of His Attributes).