Explanation of An Nas

English

In the Name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful

1. Say: I seek refuge
with the Lord of the people,

2. the King of the people,

3. the God of the people

4. From the
retreating Whisperer,

5. Who whispers in people's hearts,

6. Coming from the jinn and
the people.

Explanation

(1-6) This chapter deals with seeking refuge with the Lord and King of the people, the God of
the people, from Satan who is the source of all evil. From the evil of the retreating Whisperer,
who whispers in people's hearts. Some of the trials of his evil are that he “whispers into the
hearts of people", adorns evil, presenting it to them beautiful, and incites them towards
performing it.

He is always whispering but retreats when the slave remembers Allah, seeking
His assistance in repressing him. Therefore, it is incumbent upon a person to turn to Allah for
aid, to seek refuge with Him, and to hold firmly to His Lordship. All of the people fall under the
realm of His Lordship and sovereignty; He has taken hold of every creature by the forelock.
People must also stick firmly to His worship, for it was for His worship that people are created.

This worship, however, cannot be perfected until and unless he represses the evil of his enemy
who desires to cut him off from his goal, obstructing him from it, and who wants him to follow
him, thereby becoming from the people of the scorching blaze. Whispering could occur from
jinn or from man and this is why Allah says, coming "from the jinn and man".