Part 6 (c): Surah An Nas- The Divine Protection

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Read the previous Part 6 (b): Surah Al Falaq

Tafsir of Surah An-Nas

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ ﴿١﴾ مَلِكِ النَّاسِ ﴿٢﴾ إِلَـٰهِ النَّاسِ ﴿٣﴾

مِن شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ ﴿٤﴾

الَّذِي يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ النَّاسِ ﴿٥﴾

مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ

Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, (1) The Sovereign of mankind. (2) The God of mankind, (3) From the evil of the retreating whisperer – (4) Who whispers [evil] into the breasts of mankind – (5) From among the jinn and mankind.” (6)

1. Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind. The Sovereign of mankind. The God of mankind”
   • The Lord, the King and God.
   • They are three attributes among the attributes of our Lord.
   • Lordship, Sovereignty and Divinity.
   • All things are created by Him, owned by Him and subservient to Him.

2. “From the evil of the retreating whisperer “
   • Allah is commanding whoever is seeking protection to seek refuge with the One who has these attributes from the evil of the retreating whisperer.

     Who is the ‘Retreating Whisperer’?

     • He is the devil that is assigned to man.
     • There is no human being on earth, except that he has a companion that beautifies wicked deeds for him.

       Prophet (SAW) said: “There is not a single one of you except that his companion (a devil) has been assigned to him.” They 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.” (Muslim)

       Other Proofs: Ibn Abbas (RA) said, “He is the devil, who is squatting upon the heart of the son of Adam, so when he becomes heedless and unconscious, he whispers. Then, when he remembers Allah, he withdraws and retreats.”

       Narrated Ali bin Al-Husain: safiya, the wife of the Prophet told me that she went to Allah’s Apostle to visit him in the mosque while he was in Itikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan. She had a talk with him for a while, then she got up in order to return home. The Prophet accompanied her. When they reached the gate of the mosque, opposite the door of Um-Salama, two Ansari men were passing by and they greeted Allah’s Apostle . He told them: Do not run away! And said, “She is (my wife) safiya bint Huyai.” Both of them said, “Subhan Allah, (How dare we think of any evil) O Allah’s Apostle!” And they felt it. The Prophet said (to them), “Satan reaches everywhere in the human body as blood reaches in it, (everywhere in one’s body). I was afraid lest Satan might insert an evil thought in your minds.”  (Book #33, Hadith #251)

3. “Who whispers [evil] into the breasts of mankind”

   Is this Specific for the Children of Adam or is it general, including both mankind and Jinns?

   Two Views:

   • They (the jinss) are also included in the usage of the word An-Nas (the people) in most cases.
     Ibn Jarir at Tabari 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.
   • It is an explanation of who is the whisperer into the breats of mankind from the devils of mankind and jinss.

     Supportive Proof:

     Allah says, “And so We have appointed for every Prophet enemies – Shaytan among mankind and jinn, inspiring one another with adorned speech as a delusion.” (Al Anam:112)

4. “From among the Jinn and Humans.”

   This ayah supports the second view if it means the victims of the devil’s whispering.

Read the next Part 7 : The First Supplication (Morning/Evening)