What Do you Know about Surah An-Nas?

Surah An-Nas is the final chapter of the Noble Quran and is only six verses long. Though very short, the message contained is profound and instructs us what to do when we feel scared, confused, tempted or filled with harmful thoughts. Many people grow up memorising this Surah but have we actually paused and given some thought to what we are actually asking Allah (swt) for when we say it?
Lets understand more about this amazing Surah.

What is Surah An-Nas About?

The word “An-Nas” means “Mankind” or “People”.
The Surah starts:
Saying ‘I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind,’
‘The King of mankind,’
‘The God of mankind,’
Then we are asked to seek protection from ‘the whisperer who withdraws’-who whispers evil to men’s hearts; whether from jinns or men.
In only six verses, we learn an important lesson that not all dangers are visible. There are many internal battles of the mind and heart.

A Simple Explanation of Surah An-Nas

1. Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind

Allah tells us to seek refuge in Him both from an outward, as well as from an inward source. According to Tafsir As-Sa’di, “He is their Lord (rabbuhum), Master, Owner and Lord by creation, sustenance and provision: The Lord whom they should obey: King them.. God… The one to whom worship is devoted..”
There’s a sense of comfort, and a security knowing that Allah knows us, owns us and loves us. He has full command and control over everything around and within us.

2. The King of mankind

He isn’t only our Creator but also our King. Though humans hold positions of worldly authority, wealth, social standing etc, all the humans are bound by Allah’s power over and around them. Remembering Allah’s kingship means not fearing people or worldly situations and knowing who our supreme protector is.

3. The God of mankind

Allah is the one who deserves all our worship. It links His Lordship, kingship and worship to us, reminding us that our relationship with Allah encompasses trust, dependence and worship.

4. From the evil of the whisperer who withdraws

We are protected from who! The whisperer – Satan himself. As mentioned in Tafsir As-Sa’di; ‘This whisperer makes the unlawful seem attractive…commands his worshiper to worship himself, rather than Allah; makes people love the unlawful things… he cannot succeed in his persuasion unless the person deviates from the Remembrance of Allah, but if the person turns toward Allah… the Shaytan will retreat, and he will vanish: “for then he, who has corrupted his way, will be repelled… (e.g.
He, when called to your heart) ‘ will turn away from you.
This tells us that thoughts aren’t a commandment and are not always something you have to comply to. Experiencing thoughts of temptation, hatred, or doubt is normal, we should however seek refuge in Allah to avoid internalizing and obeying them.

5. Who whispers in the hearts of mankind

We are protecting ourselves from internal thoughts, not physical threats. “This verse is the most eloquent of the Quran in this meaning.” According to as-Sa’idi; “These whisperers whisper in the breasts of men and women; the good things disappear from their hearts while the evil things are made attractive…”Thoughts such as; “no one will ever know you are weak”, “do it for once only”, “you’re not good enough”, “don’t bother trying anymore” are all whispered evil that we are seeking protection from.

6. From among the jinn and mankind

The final verse, as mentioned in As-Sa’di, “The protection is sought from every evildoer who whispers. Whether he be one of the unseen kinds (Jinn), who can influence people in their bodies, hearts and minds.. Or of mankind who carry out this act of persuasion in hearts and deeds…”
Therefore, we have to guard the information we surround ourselves with, the people we listen to, even online media which can have a negative effect on our minds and hearts.

The Virtues of Reciting Surah An-Nas

Surah An-Nas and Al-Falaq are known as the Mu’awwidhatayn (the two sought for protection) and were regularly recited by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It is reported by Abdullah ibn Khubayb (ra) that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

‘Recite Surah Al-Ikhlas, Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Nas three times each every morning and evening so that you will be protected from all evil’.

Sunan Abi Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa’i. Sunnah.

What Can We Learn from Surah An-Nas?

• 1. Seek refuge in Allah: When we feel stressed or worried about something, the first thing we must do is seek refuge in Allah through recitation and du’a.
• 2. We fight battles inside our minds: The largest battlefield is our internal thoughts. We must take them very seriously
• 3. Protect our hearts: Our hearts should be like a fortress against negative influences and thoughts. We ask our self-what am I letting inside my heart daily? The types of media consumed and content we watch affects our emotions and hearts significantly.
• 4. Depend on Allah without becoming lazy: Seeking refuge from danger in our hearts is part of ensuring overall security when we take reasonable steps and avoid obviously harmful situations while knowing the ultimate reliance rests on Allah.
  
  Read about Surat Al Ikhlas
  
  Read about The Most Powerful Sentence in the Qur’an That Ends Anxiety