Surah Un-Naas Chapter:114 Arabic

Surah Un-Naas Chapter:114 Translation

1. Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind .
2. The King of mankind .
3. The True God of mankind .
4. From the mischief of the whispering elusive instigator who keeps coming back .
5. Who whispers in the hearts of people .
6. Whether he is from the jinn or humans .

Surah Un-Naas Explanation

Surah Un-Naas Chapter:114 Verse 1,2,3 Explanation

In this passage, similar to Surah Al-Falaq, instead of simply saying Audhu-billahi (I seek Allah’s refuge), a prayer is presented that seeks refuge by invoking three of Allah’s attributes: First, He is Rabb-in-naas, meaning Sustainer and Provider; second, He is Malik-in-naas, or Master of all mankind; and third, He is Ilah-in-naas, the true Deity of all humanity.

It’s important to recognize that the term ilah is used in two distinct ways in the Quran: first, to refer to something or someone that is worshipped, even if they are not deserving of that worship; and second, to refer to the One who is truly worthy of worship, the Deity, regardless of whether people acknowledge Him or not.

When this term is applied to Allah, it carries the second meaning. Seeking refuge through these three attributes signifies that I am turning to the God who, as the Sustainer, King, and Deity of mankind, possesses complete authority over them, can offer true protection, and can genuinely save them from evil. This is the refuge I seek for myself and others. Moreover, since He is the only Sustainer, King, and Deity, there is no one else to turn to for real refuge.

Surah Un-Naas Chapter:114 Verse 4,5 Explanation

The term waswas in waswas-il-khannas refers to the one who persistently whispers, while waswasa means to repeatedly suggest an evil thought into someone’s heart in such a subtle manner that the person may not even realize they are being influenced. The word waswasah implies repetition, similar to how zalzalah conveys the idea of continuous movement.

Humans are not swayed by a single attempt; rather, it takes multiple efforts to tempt and seduce them, which is why such attempts are termed waswasah, and the tempter is called waswas. The term khannas comes from khunus, meaning to hide after showing oneself and to retreat after being visible. As khannas is an intensive form, it suggests someone who frequently exhibits this behavior.

Clearly, the whisperer must approach a person to whisper repeatedly, and the description of khannas indicates that after an initial whisper, the whisperer withdraws only to return again and again to repeat the act. Essentially, if the whisperer fails in their first attempt, they pull back, then come back to try again and again.

Understanding the meaning of waswas-il-khannas leads us to consider what it means to seek refuge from its evil. One interpretation is that the person seeking refuge is asking God to protect them from the evil that might whisper harmful suggestions into their heart. Another interpretation is that the one who calls to the Truth seeks God’s protection from the evil of the whisperer who plants negative thoughts in the hearts of others against them.

It is beyond their ability to reach every individual who may be harboring such thoughts and to clarify any misunderstandings. It is neither right nor proper for him to abandon his mission of inviting others to Allah, dedicating all his time and energy instead to dispelling misunderstandings created by the whisperer and addressing their accusations.

It is beneath his dignity to lower himself to the level of his opponents. Therefore, Allah has instructed the caller to truth to seek refuge solely in Him from the wickedness of others, and to focus intently on his work of invitation and mission. It is not his role to confront them; that responsibility lies with Allah, the Sustainer, King, and God of all people. Additionally, it is important to recognize that an evil suggestion is the precursor to an evil act. When it influences a careless or heedless individual, it can spark a desire for wrongdoing.

Subsequent whisperings can transform that desire into an intention and a purpose for evil. As the evil suggestion intensifies, the intention solidifies into a resolution, ultimately leading to the commission of the evil act. Thus, seeking God’s refuge from the evil of the whisperer means asking Allah to prevent the evil from taking root.

From another perspective, the progression of the evil instigated by the whisperers appears to follow this pattern: they first incite individuals towards outright disbelief, polytheism, or rebellion against Allah and His Messenger, as well as hostility towards the righteous. If they fail in this, and a person embraces Allah’s religion, they then mislead him towards some form of innovation.

If that also fails, they tempt him to sin. If they do not succeed even then, they plant the idea that indulging in minor sins is permissible, leading him to commit these acts freely and become burdened with sin. If someone manages to escape this as well, they may ultimately suggest that one should keep their true beliefs to themselves and refrain from trying to spread them.

However, if a person overcomes all these tactics, the entire group of devils, both human and jinn, unites against him, inciting the masses to hurl insults, accusations, and slander, attempting to tarnish his reputation as much as possible. In such moments, Satan approaches the believer, stirring feelings of anger and saying: It is cowardly to endure such insults; rise up and confront your adversaries.

This represents the final tactic of Satan to undermine the efforts of those who call for the truth and to entangle them in challenges and obstacles. If he manages to evade this as well, Satan loses his power over him. The Quran addresses this very issue: If Satan provokes you to anger, seek refuge with Allah. (Surah Al-Mominun, Ayat 97).

Indeed, when an evil suggestion from Satan touches the hearts of the God-fearing, they quickly become aware and recognize the right path to take. In Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayat 201, Allah mentions that only those who are truly fortunate can escape the final attack of Satan. Similarly, in Surah HaMim As-Sajdah, Ayat 35, it is emphasized that evil suggestions do not only come from external sources like the satans among men and jinn, but also from within ourselves.

Our own misguided thoughts can lead us astray, as can our unlawful desires and motives, which cloud our judgment and ability to discern right from wrong. The Prophet (peace be upon him) famously stated in his Sermon that we should seek refuge in Allah from the evils of our own selves.

Surah Un-Naas Chapter:114 Verse 6 Explanation

According to some scholars, these words suggest that the whisperer instills evil thoughts in the hearts of two types of beings: jinn and humans. If this interpretation is accepted, the term naas would encompass both jinn and humans. They argue that this is plausible since the Quran uses the word rijal (men) to refer to jinn, as seen in Surah Al-Jinn, Ayat 6, and the term nafar can refer to a group of jinn, as mentioned in Surah Al-Ahqaf, Ayat 29.

Thus, both men and jinn could metaphorically fall under the term naas. However, this perspective is flawed because the terms naas, ins, and insan are lexically opposed to the word jinn. The true meaning of jinn refers to hidden beings, as they are concealed from human sight. In contrast, naas and ins are used to describe humans based on their visibility and perceptibility. In Surah An-Nisa, Ayat 6, the term anastum is used to mean “you perceive” or “you see,” referring to the orphans becoming capable.

Therefore, lexically, naas cannot refer to jinn, and the accurate interpretation of the verse is: From the evil of the whisperer who instills evil in the hearts of humans, whether he is from the jinn or from among men. In essence, the act of whispering evil is carried out by devils from both jinn and humans, and this Surah teaches us to seek refuge from the malevolence of both.

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