**Brief Commentary (Surah al-Ikhlas)**
• Sūrah al-Ikhlās is a perfect summary and description of Allah (subḥānahū wa taʿālā).
• **“Allah”** is the One who is adored and worshipped. The Name ‘Allah’ includes all of His majestic and beautiful qualities and attributes.
• The Sūrah begins by affirming that Allah is **“One”**. He is Unique in His Perfection, in His Most Beautiful Names and Perfect Lofty Attributes, and He is Unique in His Perfect Deeds. There is nothing like Him.
• The Arabic word used in the Sūrah to affirm that Allah is **“One”** (Aḥad) also carries the meaning of “only” i.e. His oneness is unique, and there is none like Him.
• In the next verse, Allah describes Himself as “al-Ṣamad”. Al-Ṣamad is the Perfect Master, the One who the whole creation turns to for the fulfilment of their needs. He needs no one, but everyone needs Him, and are fully dependent on Him. He is Perfect in His knowledge, mercy, wisdom, power, honour and glory. Since He is perfect, He doesn’t need anyone, as nothing they can do can benefit or harm Him. He does not feel hunger nor thirst. He is the Everlasting who will never perish. To Him and Him alone are all prayers and supplications addressed. He and only He decides everything independently, and no one shares His authority.
• The people of Quraysh wanted to know the lineage of Allah, so He clarified to them in this Sūrah that **“He has not given birth and was not born”** i.e. He does not have a parent or child. When one has a parent, this shows they needed someone to cause them to be brought into existence. And when one has a child, this shows they need someone to assist them or to carry their lineage, and that this person is similar to His father. Since all of these points contradict the quality of Allah being “**al-Ṣamad**”, it is only befitting that Allah is free from them.
• Anything that is born is ‘dependent’. And anything which is ‘dependent’ cannot be divine, and therefore does not deserve to be worshipped.
• “**And to whom no one is equal**”: This last verse is a summary of the previous verses in that there is none like Allah, and that He has the most perfect and complete attributes. No one resembles Him in anything or is equivalent to Him in any respect.
` `
` `
**Benefits & Action Points (Surah al-Ikhlas)**
• We recite Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ (for the morning and evening adhkar) first because we praise Allah through it. Similar to when making duʿā’, we praise Allah first and then make our requests. Here, we are praising Allah through Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ, and then following up with the next two Sūrahs (**al Mu’awwidhatayn**), which consist of requests. Similarly, by starting off with Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ, we develop certainty (yaqīn) that Allah is truly the only One who can help us.
• This Sūrah outlines, in the clearest of terms, the principal and most fundamental ideas of the great truth of Islam: **The Oneness of Allah**.
• This Sūrah covers some of the most fundamental points of Islamic creed. It counters all false claims and allegations made by humans across the centuries in relation to knowing Allah, despite its brevity.
• The 1st verse affirms Allah’s Oneness. The 2nd verse affirms His Perfection. The 3rd verse affirms His being Eternal, without a beginning or end, negating any parents or children. And the last verse affirms His Greatness and Uniqueness, negating any rivals or companions.
• This Sūrah is about the Oneness and Uniqueness of Allah. When we understand that Allah Alone possesses these qualities, it only makes sense that we worship Him Alone. We love Him above everyone and everything else, we only fear Him, and we submit to Him.
• When we free ourselves from believing in anything but Allah, and uphold this everlasting truth, we begin to enjoy freedom from all shackles, false ideas, evil desires, fears and confusions of any sort.
• As with Āyat al-Kursī, this Sūrah deals with the greatness of Allah. It is included in the morning and evening adhkār to stir appreciation for the greatness of Allah, thereby helping the person be more attentive and optimistic when reciting the remainder of the duʿās.
• This Sūrah affirms that we are all in need of Allah, and that He can fulfill all of our needs. Reflect over this when reciting this Sūrah to set yourself in the right frame of mind for making the subsequent adhkār.
` `
` `
**Virtues of Surah al-Ikhlas**
• Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ is equivalent to one third of the Qur’ān. Whoever recites it ten times, Allah will build a palace for him in Paradise.
• Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ leads to Paradise. There was a Companion (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) who would lead the prayer and would always recite Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ in every rakʿah of ṣalāh, and then follow it up with reciting from elsewhere. When the Messenger ﷺ asked him why he did this, he said, “O Messenger of Allah, indeed I love it.” He ﷺ said, “Your love for it will admit you into Paradise” (Tirmidhī).
• Another companion did something similar. When the Messenger ﷺ told his companions to ask him why he did this, he replied, “**Because it is the description of al-Raḥmān, and I love to recite it**.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Inform him that Allah loves him.”
• Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ also contains the Greatest Names of Allah (ism Allah al-Aʿẓam). Buraydah (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ heard a man saying:
**اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَسْأَلُكَ بِأَنِّيْ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ أَنْتَ اللهُ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ الْأَحَدُ الصَّمَدُ الَّذِيْ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُوْلَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
***“O Allah, I ask You as I bear witness that You are Allah, there is no god but You, the One, the Self-Sufficient Master, Who has not given birth and was not born, and to Whom no one is equal.” *
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ remarked: “By the One in Whose Hand is my life, He has certainly asked Allah with His Greatest Name; when He is supplicated by it, He responds, and when asked, He gives” (Tirmidhī).
` `
` `
**Brief Commentary (Surah al-Falaq)**
• “**I seek protection**”: Istiʿādhah (seeking protection) is an act of the heart. When seeking protection with Allah, we are: (1) throwing ourselves in front of Him, displaying our need of Him, and (2) submitting and humbling ourselves in front of Him. Istiʿādhah is an acknowledgment of Allah’s ultimate power, and the human being’s weakness and inability to combat evil by himself.
• We seek protection from the “**Lord (Rabb)** of the daybreak.” Rabb is a special Name of Allah which fills our hearts with gratitude, love and comfort. Rabb is the One who nurtures, nourishes and sustains the whole of creation. He is The Owner, The Master, The Creator and Provider. Rabb is the one who regulates our affairs, protecting us and granting us endless blessings.
• ‘**Daybreak**’ is when darkness departs, and daylight overcomes. Daylight, which represents the beginning of the day, pushes the evil elements of the night away. The filthy, the criminals and the debased return to their hideouts.
• By reminding ourselves that Allah is the Lord of the daybreak, who erases and replaces darkness with daylight, He too can erase the difficulties in our lives and bring us ease.
• We seek refuge from four things in this sūrah:
• (1) We seek refuge in Allah “**from the evil of what He has created**”. We remind ourselves that this harm is within the creation of Allah, and therefore we feel at peace knowing that Allah is able to protect us from it as it is under His authority.
• Nothing falls outside the creation of Allah, so we have sought refuge from all forms of evil.
• 2) After seeking refuge from general evil, we seek refuge from a specific evil: “**from the evil of the darkening night when it settles**”. At night, the devils spread and are more active. The night provides cover in which evil forces can operate without being detected (e.g. thieves), and one is more likely to be attacked by harmful animals. Moreover, when you are alone at night, anxieties and worries can deepen, leading to insomnia and paranoia.
• 3) Then we seek refuge in Allah from those “**who blow on knots**” i.e. magic. Instead of fearing magicians, we should seek protection in Allah through this powerful Sūrah.
• This verse is linked to the next verse. The root cause of why people do magic is envy.
• 4) The last thing we seek refuge in Allah from in this Sūrah is the envy of others, including the evil eye, which something that can have an adverse effect on us.
• This also remind us that we shouldn’t be envious of others or wish evil for them.
` `
` `
**Benefits & Action Points (Surah al-Falaq)**
• When we seek Allah’s protection (istiʿādhah), we kill our own ego, and instead express our servitude (ʿubūdiyyah) to Allah and express our dire need of Him.
• This Sūrah, along with Sūrah al-Nās contain a command from Allah, to take refuge in Him and seek His protection in the face of any source of fear, subtle or apparent, known or unknown. It is as if Allah is kindly and affectionately calling on His servants to resort to His care through which they will feel safe and at peace.
• When you say you seek refuge in Allah, think about the state of refugees around the world: They leave the worst behind them to seek refuge elsewhere as they believe this place will save them from their current state. This is how we should feel when we seek refuge in Allah; that we are doomed without His refuge and cannot live without it.
• When we recited Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ, we referred to Allah as ‘al-Ṣamad’: the One whom we all depend on; this Sūrah teaches us **how** to depend on Him.
• In this Sūrah, we seek refuge in Allah from **external** sources of harm, such as the devils and the envy of others. In Sūrah al-Nās, we seek refuge in Allah from **internal** sources of harm. These two surahs together therefore are a formidable form of protection against all harm.
• Always recite this Sūrah with complete conviction in the protection that Allah can give you so that you can benefit the most from it.
• Ibn Kathīr (raḥimahullāh) writes, ‘The most beneficial cure for magic is what Allah ﷻ revealed to His Messenger ﷺ as a cure: Sūrah al-Falaq and al-Nās. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “No seeker has sought protection with anything like them”’ (Abū Dāwūd).
• Envy is a destructive trait. Learn how to protect yourself from this disease.
• This Sūrah highlights the evil of envy and the harm it incurs. This harm reaches the victim by way of the envier’s evil self and sight, despite never having used his hands or tongue. Evil eye is a form of envy. The evil effect takes place when it is intentionally addressed through one’s eyes staring at the person envied. But the intensity of this effect differs according to the weakness of the victim and the power of the evil jealous self.
• Ibn al-Qayyim (raḥimahullāh) writes, “The evil eye is an arrow, shot by the one who is jealous, hitting (the victim) sometimes and missing it sometimes. So, if the victim is uncovered and without the protection (of the adhkār), then he definitely will be affected by it. But if the victim is taking precaution (through the adhkār), then it will not affect him; rather it may happen that this arrow is returned back to the envier.”
` `
` `
**The Virtues**
• The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Do you not see that there have been verses revealed to me tonight the like of which has not been seen before. They are (Sūrah al-Falaq and Sūrah al-Nās).” (Muslim)
• **Best Ruqyah**: ʿĀ’ishah (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhā) narrated that whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would become sick, he would recite [the last 3 Sūrahs of the Qur’ān] and then blow over his body. She says: “During his last illness from which he passed away, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to blow over himself. But when his sickness intensified, I used to (recite and then) blow on him (with these Sūrahs), and I would wipe his own hand (over him) because of its blessing” (Bukhārī). In another hadīth, she mentions that whenever anyone from his family would become ill, he ﷺ would blow over them with these three Sūrahs. (Muslim)
• **Best Protection**: Sūrah al-Nās and Sūrah al-Falaq are the best protection against envy, evil eye and the devils. Anas (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to seek refuge in Allah from the jinn and the human evil eye until the Muʿawwidhatayn (Sūrah al-Falaq and al-Nās) were revealed. When they were revealed, he adopted them and abandoned everything else” (Tirmidhī). He ﷺ also said, “Shall I inform you of the best words with which you can seek Allah’s protection?” I said: “Yes.” He ﷺ said, “Sūrah al-Falaq and Sūrah al-Nās.” (Aḥmad)
` `
` `
**Brief Commentary (Surah al-Nas)**
• “**Lord of mankind**” is how Allah foremostly describes Himself. He is the Rabb, the One who creates, and then nurtures and protects all of us. He looks after our every affair. This verse affirms the Oneness of Allah through His Lordship.
• “**King of mankind**” is an attribute of Allah that follows on from Him being the Lord. He looks after all of our affairs, and this can only be done if He has full control and ownership over us.
• As Allah is the Lord and the King of mankind, it only makes sense that He alone is worshipped and is the True God: **“God of mankind”**. This verse therefore affirms the Oneness of Allah in terms of His [deserving of] worship.
• After praising Allah with three of His Attributes and affirming His true Oneness, we seek refuge from “**the evil of the retreating whisperer**” i.e. Shayṭān.
• Shayṭān is described as “**the retreating whisperer**”. This is because when a person is weak and forgets Allah, Shayṭān constantly whispers evil in his ear. However, when a person becomes strong and remembers Allah, Shayṭān hastily retreats, and is prevented from influencing him.
• The last verse in this surah clarifies that the ‘Shayṭān’ who leads us to evil is not always from the jinn, but can be from human ‘shayāṭīn’ (devils). They could be evil friends, the musicians we listen to, the celebrities we idolise and the media we consume.
` `
` `
**Benefits & Action Points (Surah al-Nas)**
• In this Sūrah, refuge is sought in the Lord, King and God of mankind from the sneaky whisperer, jinn or human, who prompts evil ideas in people’s minds. The mind on its own cannot shut out this invisible evil. It needs Allah, and the Sūrah tells us why it is only Allah who is able to do this: He is the Lord, who preserves, directs, cherishes and protects mankind. He is the King who owns, governs and independently runs the world. He is the God, the only True Being who deserves to be worshipped.
• Since Shayṭān knows that the heart is the essence of the person, he tries to constantly attack it with whispers, tempt him with desires, and glamourise for him evil words and actions. The only way we can be protected from his evil plots is through asking Allah for help and clinging on to Him.
• Allah gave Shayṭān the ability to affect and have direct contact with our hearts. Since this sneaking whisperer operates secretly and constantly suggests evil, we need to be more alert in order to confront it. The best way to confront it and make it ‘retreat’ is through the remembrance of Allah. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ quoting Prophet Yaḥyā (ʿalayhis-salām) said: “I command you to remember Allah. Verily, the parable of that is a man who goes forth while his enemies are fast upon him, and then he comes to a safe fortress, where he protects himself from them. In the same way, a servant will not protect himself against Shayṭān except by the dhikr of Allah” (Tirmidhī).
• Sūrah al-Falaq teaches us how to seek refuge from **external** sources of harm, and this Sūrah teaches us how to seek refuge from **internal** sources of harm, as following the whispers of Shayṭān will lead us to commit sins. In this way, we would cause ourselves to be harmed and punished.
• Sūrah al-Falaq teaches us how to seek refuge from the harms that we **cannot** control; and this surah teaches us to seek refuge from the harms that we **can** control.
• Sūrah al-Falaq teaches us how to seek refuge from harms related to **this life**; and this Sūrah teaches us how to seek refuge from harms related to the **hereafter**.
• In Sūrah al-Falaq, we seek refuge in Allah using one of His Attributes from **four different sources of evil**; but in this Sūrah we seek refuge in Allah using three of His Attributes from **one source of evil**. This teaches us that the harms related to the hereafter are far greater than those related to this life.
` `
` `
**Three Powerful Surahs**
• It is Sunnah to recite these three Sūrahs three times in the morning and evening, three times before going to sleep, once after every ṣalāh, and when one is ill.
• Ibn al-Qayyim (raḥimahullāh) said, “These Sūrahs are extremely effective in repelling magic, evil eye, and the rest of the evils…The need for a slave to seek Allah’s protection with these Sūrahs is greater than his need for eating, drinking and clothes.”