SURAH AL-FALAQ                                                                              سورة الفلق      

Makkiyyan  according to Jabir and ^Ata’ and others and

Madiniyyan according to one of the two sayings of Ibn ^Abbas.

Comprised of five (5) ayahs.

THE EXPLANATION

Muslim, At-Tirmidhiyy, An-Nasa'iyy and Ahmad narrated that the Messenger of Allah said:

<<  أنزلت غلي ءايات لم أر مثلهن, المعوذتين >>

ًThis means, ' Revealed to me are verses of the Qur'an that I have not encountered a similar to them, the mu^awidhatayn ( Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Nas).'

1.  {قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ}

Imam Al-Bukhariyy said that Mujahid said al-falaq ( الفلق) means 'dawn' and qul ((قل means 'say', that is:  O Muhammad, say a^udhu ( أعوذ) which means 'I seek refuge', that is, with Allah the Lord of the Dawn.

2.  {مِنْ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ}

The Hafidh Ibn Hajar said about al-Bukhariyy’s book of Al-Qadar of his Sahih:  Al-Bukhariyy points out that this ayah refutes those who claim that the slave creates his own actions.  Had the evil--from which one is ordered to seek refuge with Allah been ones own creation, it would have been meaningless for the committer to seek refuge with Allah from that evil.  Because it is only valid to seek refuge with the One Who has the Power to remove that matter sought of with him.

Ibn Ya^mar recited khuliqa ( خُلق) with dammah on the kha' ( خ) and a kasrah on the lam (ل ).

3.  {وَمِنْ شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ}

Imam Al-Bukhariyy said that Mujahid said the ghasiq  (غاسق) of the night is 'when the sun sets.'  Ar-Raghib said in Al-Mufradat that this is an expression of the calamities that occur at night like at-tariq (الطارق) which is the calamity that befalls at night.  Al-Qurtubiyy said:  'At night the beasts come out of the woods, and the harmful creatures come out from their places, and the people of evil and menace spread out.'

At-Tirmidhiyy narrated that the Messenger of Allah looked at the moon and said to ^A'ishah:

<< استعيذى بالله من شره فإنه الغاسق إذا وقب >>

Which means, << Seek refuge with Allah from its evil, for it is the ghasiq idha waqab ( the evil that comes with nightfall.)>>

4.  {وَمِنْ شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ}

An-naffathat (النفاثات) is the female sorcerers. Naffathat (نفاثات) is the plural of naffathah (نفّاثة) a form of exaggeration, as mentioned by as-Samim al-Halabiyy.  It is mentioned in Al-Mufradat that an-nafth (النفث) is blowing gently a little saliva, but it is less than spitting.  The meaning of {وَمِنْ شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ} is, [Also I seek refuge with Allah from the evil of the female sorcerers that blow gently little saliva on the knots of a thread as they read on them.]

5.  {وَمِنْ شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ}

This ayah refers to the envious person when he reveals his envy.  Envy is to hate the bliss for other Muslims, feel burdened about it, to wish it is removed from them and to act on it accordingly.  This includes whether the bliss is of a material or religious context.  The envy of the envious is not effective unless he reveals it, for instance, by scheming to have the bliss removed from that Muslim in a harmful manner.  However, if he does not reveal his envy then the envious one is the only one harmed by his envy, because he feels distressed for the bliss that the other Muslims have.  It was said envy was the first sin committed in Paradise, that is,  Iblis when he was envious of Prophet Adam.  Envy was also the first sin committed on earth.  Cain was envious of his brother, Abel.  His envy led him to kill his brother.