Sūratun-Nās (Chapter 114, Verses 4-6) – Basic 1 Islamic Studies Lesson Note (Second Term)

Verses 4 to 6 of Sūratun-Nās complete the prayer for protection. They ask Allah for refuge from the evil of the sneaking whisperer, who whispers into the hearts of mankind, from among the jinn and mankind. Shaytan whispers evil thoughts and runs away when we remember Allah. Muslims recite the Sūrah morning, evening and before sleeping.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• recite verses 4 to 6 of Sūratun-Nās and give their meaning;
• explain the meaning of Al-Waswas and Al-Khannas;
• say where Shaytan whispers and give examples of his whispers;
• name the two sources of evil whispers, the jinn and mankind;
• list ways to protect themselves from evil whispers;
• state when and how to recite Sūratun-Nās each day.

What does verse 4 of Sūratun-Nās mean?

Arabic: مِن شَرِّ ٱلْوَسْوَاسِ ٱلْخَنَّاسِ

Transliteration: Min sharril-waswasil-khannas

Meaning: From the evil of the sneaking whisperer

Word-by-word

• مِن (Min) = From
• شَرِّ (Sharri) = The evil
• ٱلْوَسْوَاسِ (al-waswas) = The whisperer
• ٱلْخَنَّاسِ (al-khannas) = The one who withdraws or sneaks away

What is “Al-Waswas Al-Khannas”?

This refers to Shaytan (Satan).

Al-Waswas (الْوَسْوَاس) is the one who:

• whispers evil thoughts;
• puts bad ideas in our hearts;
• makes us think bad things;
• tries to lead us astray.

Al-Khannas (الْخَنَّاس) is the one who:

• sneaks away when we remember Allah;
• withdraws when we say “Bismillah”;
• hides when we mention Allah’s name;
• runs away from Dhikr (remembrance of Allah).

How does Shaytan work?

1. He whispers quietly.
2. He waits for you to forget Allah.
3. When you remember Allah, he runs away.
4. When you forget Allah again, he comes back.

What does verse 5 of Sūratun-Nās mean?

Arabic: ٱلَّذِى يُوَسْوِسُ فِى صُدُورِ ٱلنَّاسِ

Transliteration: Alladhi yuwaswisu fi sudurin-nas

Meaning: Who whispers into the hearts of mankind

Word-by-word

• ٱلَّذِى (Alladhi) = Who or the one who
• يُوَسْوِسُ (Yuwaswisu) = Whispers
• فِى (Fi) = In
• صُدُورِ (Suduri) = Chests or hearts
• ٱلنَّاسِ (an-nas) = Of mankind

Where does Shaytan whisper?

Shaytan whispers in our صُدُور (Sudur), our chests or hearts. This means:

• he puts thoughts in our minds;
• he affects our hearts;
• he tries to make us do bad things;
• he makes sins look attractive.

Examples of Shaytan’s whispers

When you are praying:

• “Stop praying, you are tired.”
• “Pray later.”
• “This is boring.”

When your mother tells you to clean:

• “Don’t listen to her.”
• “Do it later.”
• “She won’t notice.”

When you see something you want:

• “Steal it, no one will know.”
• “It’s okay to lie.”
• “Just take it.”

When you are with friends:

• “Skip prayer, play instead.”
• “It’s okay to say bad words.”
• “Everyone does it.”

How can you protect yourself from Shaytan?

1. Say Bismillah
   • Before eating
   • Before drinking
   • Before entering the bathroom
   • Before sleeping
   • Before starting any good action
2. Remember Allah often
   • Say Subhanallah
   • Say Alhamdulillah
   • Say Allahu Akbar
   • Read the Qur’an
3. Pray five times
   • Do not skip prayers
   • Shaytan stays away when you pray
4. Make good friends
   • Friends who remember Allah
   • Friends who pray
   • Friends who are good
5. Listen to your parents
   • They protect you
   • They guide you
   • They know what is best

What does verse 6 of Sūratun-Nās mean?

Arabic: مِنَ ٱلْجِنَّةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ

Transliteration: Minal-jinnati wan-nas

Meaning: From among the jinn and mankind

Word-by-word

• مِنَ (Mina) = From
• ٱلْجِنَّةِ (al-jinnati) = The jinn
• وَ (Wa) = And
• ٱلنَّاسِ (an-nas) = Mankind

What are the two sources of evil whispers?

1. From the jinn (مِنَ ٱلْجِنَّةِ)

Who are the jinn?

• They are created from fire.
• We cannot see them.
• Some are Muslims, some are not.
• Shaytan is from the jinn.
• Evil jinn can whisper bad thoughts.

2. From mankind (وَٱلنَّاسِ)

Bad people can also whisper evil:

• People who tell you to do wrong
• Friends who lead you astray
• Those who encourage sin
• People who give bad advice

Examples of evil whispers from the jinn and from people

Evil jinn:

• Shaytan whispers: “Skip your prayer.”
• Evil jinn make you scared at night.
• They try to make you forget Allah.

Evil people:

• A bad friend says: “Let’s steal this.”
• Someone tells you: “Lying is okay.”
• Some people mock those who pray.
• Some people laugh at good deeds.

Why are both the jinn and mankind mentioned?

Allah wants us to know that:

• evil can come from jinn we cannot see;
• evil can also come from people we can see;
• we need protection from both;
• Allah protects us from all evil.

What is the complete Sūratun-Nās (all 6 verses)?

Arabic:

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلنَّاسِ مَلِكِ ٱلنَّاسِ إِلَٰهِ ٱلنَّاسِ مِن شَرِّ ٱلْوَسْوَاسِ ٱلْخَنَّاسِ ٱلَّذِى يُوَسْوِسُ فِى صُدُورِ ٱلنَّاسِ مِنَ ٱلْجِنَّةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ

Complete translation:

Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, the King of mankind, the God of mankind, from the evil of the sneaking whisperer, who whispers into the hearts of mankind, from among the jinn and mankind.

Why is Sūratun-Nās important?

1. Complete protection
   • Protects from evil jinn
   • Protects from evil people
   • Protects from evil thoughts
   • Covers all types of evil
2. Easy to memorise
   • It has only 6 short verses
   • It repeats “an-nas” many times
   • The words are simple
   • Even small children can learn it
3. Powerful du’a
   • We are asking Allah directly
   • We use His beautiful names
   • We seek His refuge
4. Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW)
   • He recited it daily
   • Morning and evening
   • Before sleeping
   • We should follow his example
5. Pairs with Sūratul-Falaq
   • Both are protection Sūrahs
   • Together they are called “Al-Mu’awwidhatayn” (The Two Protecting Sūrahs)
   • They should be recited together

How do we use Sūratun-Nās each day?

Daily routine

Morning (after Fajr):

• Recite 3 times
• Blow in your hands
• Wipe over your body
• You are protected for the day

Evening (after Maghrib):

• Recite 3 times
• Blow in your hands
• Wipe over your body
• You are protected for the night

Before sleeping:

• Recite once
• Blow in your hands
• Wipe over your body
• Sleep peacefully

Special situations

Recite Sūratun-Nās:

• when you have bad dreams;
• when you are scared;
• when you feel that people around you are jealous;
• when you have bad thoughts;
• when entering a new place;
• when travelling.

How can we memorise Sūratun-Nās?

Structure:

• Verses 1 to 3: who we seek refuge in (Allah’s names)
• Verses 4 to 6: what we seek refuge from (evil)

Pattern:

• The word “an-nas” (mankind) appears 5 times.
• This makes the Sūrah easy to remember.

Practice:

• Say it after every prayer.
• You will memorise it quickly.

Evaluation

Multiple choice exercise (Week 5).

1. “Al-Waswas” means the _____.
   • a) helper
   • b) whisperer
   • c) teacher
2. Shaytan whispers in our _____.
   • a) ears
   • b) hands
   • c) hearts
3. Evil whispers come from _____ and mankind.
   • a) angels
   • b) jinn
   • c) animals
4. When we say “Bismillah,” Shaytan _____.
   • a) comes closer
   • b) runs away
   • c) laughs
5. Sūratun-Nās should be recited _____ times in the morning.
   • a) 1
   • b) 3
   • c) 10

Assignment

1. Memorise the complete Sūratun-Nās (all 6 verses).
2. Recite it 3 times in the morning and 3 times in the evening.
3. Recite it before sleeping tonight.
4. Teach it to a family member.