Study of Suratul-Nas (Reading and Meaning) – JSS1 Islamic Studies Lesson Note (First Term)

Suratul-Nas is the 114th and final chapter (surah) of the Holy Quran. Its name, “An-Nas”, means “The People” or “Mankind”. It has six verses and is a prayer in which Allah teaches us to seek refuge with Him from the evil whisperer, whether from jinn or humans.

It is one of the short surahs that many Muslims memorise early in their lives. This lesson shows how to read it correctly, understand its meaning and know why it matters in daily life.

Behavioural objectives

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

• State the position of Suratul-Nas in the Quran, the meaning of its name and the number of its verses.
• Read Suratul-Nas in Arabic with the help of the transliteration and the tips for correct reading.
• Give the meaning of each verse in English.
• Name the three attributes of Allah mentioned in the surah.
• Explain what “waswas” is, where it comes from and how to fight it.
• State the benefits of reciting the surah and when it is recited.

What basic facts should we know about Suratul-Nas?

Position in the Quran

• Suratul-Nas is the last surah (chapter) in the Quran.
• It is the 114th surah.
• It was revealed in Makkah (making it a Makki surah).

Structure

• It contains 6 verses (ayat).
• It contains 20 words in Arabic.
• It contains 79 letters in Arabic.

Names and titles

• An-Nas: The main name, meaning “The People” or “Mankind”.
• It is also called “Al-Mu’awwidhatayn” (The Two Protectors) together with the previous chapter, Suratul-Falaq.

When was it revealed?

Scholars believe that Suratul-Nas was revealed in Makkah during the early years of Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) mission. It was revealed along with Suratul-Falaq when the Prophet was facing difficulties from his enemies who were trying to harm him with black magic.

How do we read Suratul-Nas?

Arabic text with transliteration

Here is Suratul-Nas in Arabic along with its transliteration (how to pronounce it). The Bismillah comes first and is not counted as one of the six verses.

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful)

1. قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ Qul a’udhu bi rabbin nas (Say: “I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind,
2. مَلِكِ النَّاسِ Malikin nas (The King of mankind,
3. إِلَٰهِ النَّاسِ Ilahin nas (The God of mankind,
4. مِن شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ Min sharril waswasil khannas (From the evil of the retreating whisperer,
5. الَّذِي يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ النَّاسِ Alladhee yuwaswisu fee sudoorin nas (Who whispers in the breasts of mankind,
6. مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَ النَّاسِ Minal jinnati wan nas (From among the jinn and mankind.”)

Tips for correct reading

To read Suratul-Nas correctly, pay attention to these tips:

• Pronunciation: Pronounce each letter from its correct place in the mouth.
• Tajweed rules:
  1. The “noon” in “An-Nas” should be pronounced clearly.
  2. The “lam” in “Al-Khannas” should be pronounced with a full sound.
  3. The “seen” in “Yuwaswisu” should be pronounced with a hissing sound.
  4. The “sad” in “Sudoor” should be pronounced with a full mouth.
• Pauses: It is good to pause briefly at the end of each verse.
• Speed: Read at a moderate pace.
• Reflection: Think about the meaning as you read.

What is the meaning of Suratul-Nas?

Word-by-word translation

Overall meaning

Suratul-Nas is a prayer for protection. In this surah, Allah teaches us to seek refuge with Him from the evil of the whisperer (Satan) who puts bad thoughts in the hearts of people. The surah tells us that this whispering can come from both jinn (unseen beings) and humans.

The surah describes Allah in three ways:

1. The Lord (Rabb) of mankind: The One who creates, sustains and takes care of people.
2. The King (Malik) of mankind: The One who has complete authority over people.
3. The God (Ilah) of mankind: The One who alone deserves to be worshipped by people.

What themes and lessons does Suratul-Nas teach?

Main themes

1. Seeking Allah’s protection: The surah teaches us to ask for Allah’s help and protection from evil.
2. The nature of whispers: It explains that evil thoughts can be put into our hearts by Satan or by bad people.
3. Allah’s complete authority: The surah mentions three attributes of Allah that show His complete power and authority over everything.
4. Invisible dangers: The surah warns about dangers we cannot see (whispers in the heart) that can lead us to sin.
5. Human weakness: The surah reminds us that humans are weak and need Allah’s protection.

Practical lessons

From Suratul-Nas, we learn several important lessons:

1. Always seek refuge with Allah: When we have bad thoughts or feel tempted to do something wrong, we should immediately ask for Allah’s protection.
2. Be aware of whispers: We should be careful about the thoughts that come to our minds and the suggestions we receive from others.
3. Allah has many attributes: We should know and understand Allah’s different names and attributes to strengthen our faith.
4. Both humans and jinn can mislead us: Bad influences can come from both the seen and unseen worlds.
5. We need constant protection: The command “Say” (Qul) means we should regularly and repeatedly seek Allah’s protection.

What are the benefits of reciting Suratul-Nas?

Protection from evil

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to recite Suratul-Nas along with Suratul-Falaq (the two chapters are called “Al-Mu’awwidhatayn”, The Two Protectors) for protection from all kinds of evil.

Spiritual healing

The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to blow on his hands after reciting the Mu’awwidhatayn (Suratul-Falaq and Suratul-Nas) and then wipe his body with his hands when he was sick. This practice is called “Ruqyah” (spiritual healing).

Protection from the evil eye and black magic

Reciting Suratul-Nas regularly can help protect a person from the evil eye, black magic and other harmful things.

Strengthening faith

Understanding and reciting this surah helps strengthen our belief in Allah’s power and protection.

Purifying the heart

By seeking refuge from evil whispers, we help keep our hearts pure and clean from bad thoughts.

When should we recite Suratul-Nas?

During daily prayers

Many Muslims recite Suratul-Nas in their voluntary prayers, especially in the Fajr (morning) and Maghrib (sunset) prayers.

Before sleep

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) advised reciting the Mu’awwidhatayn (Suratul-Falaq and Suratul-Nas) before going to sleep for protection during the night.

When feeling afraid

When feeling scared or anxious, reciting Suratul-Nas can bring comfort and a sense of security.

After each prayer

Some Muslims make it a habit to recite Suratul-Nas (along with Suratul-Falaq and Ayatul Kursi) after each of the five daily prayers.

During difficult times

When facing challenges or feeling that someone is trying to harm you, reciting this surah is recommended.

What is waswas (whispers)?

Meaning of waswas

“Waswas” refers to evil thoughts or suggestions that come to our minds, making us think about doing bad things or having doubts about our faith.

Sources of waswas

The surah mentions two sources of whispers:

1. Jinn: Especially Satan (Iblis) and his followers who try to mislead humans.
2. Humans: People who suggest evil things or try to lead others away from the right path.

How waswas works

The evil whisperer (Al-Waswas Al-Khannas):

• Puts thoughts into our hearts
• Retreats (Khannas) when we remember Allah
• Returns when we are heedless or forgetful of Allah
• Targets our weak points
• Makes evil seem attractive and good

How to fight waswas

The surah itself is a weapon against waswas. Other ways include:

• Remembering Allah frequently
• Seeking knowledge about Islam
• Staying away from places and people that increase evil thoughts
• Keeping busy with good and beneficial activities
• Making good friends who remind you of Allah

What special facts are there about Suratul-Nas?

Last surah of the Quran

Being the last surah of the Quran gives it a special position. It completes the Quran’s message with a reminder to seek protection from Allah.

Repetition of “An-Nas”

The word “An-Nas” (mankind) is repeated five times in this short surah, which shows that the message is for all of humanity.

Connection with Suratul-Falaq

Suratul-Nas and Suratul-Falaq are often recited together and have similar themes of seeking protection from evil.

The three attributes of Allah

The surah mentions three aspects of Allah’s relationship with humanity:

• Rabb (Lord): The Creator and Sustainer
• Malik (King): The Ruler and Authority
• Ilah (God): The One worthy of worship

What stories are related to Suratul-Nas?

Revelation of the Mu’awwidhatayn

It is reported that when someone tried to harm the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) using black magic, the angel Jibreel (Gabriel) came to him and taught him Suratul-Falaq and Suratul-Nas as protection.

The Prophet’s practice

Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that every night when the Prophet (peace be upon him) went to bed, he would cup his hands together, blow on them, and recite Suratul-Ikhlas, Suratul-Falaq and Suratul-Nas. Then he would wipe his hands over as much of his body as he could, starting with his head and face, and the front of his body. He would do this three times.

Evaluation

1. What does “An-Nas” mean, and why is this surah named this way?
2. Write the first verse of Suratul-Nas in Arabic and its meaning in English.
3. What are the three attributes of Allah mentioned in Suratul-Nas?
4. What is “waswas” and where does it come from according to this surah?
5. When did the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) recommend reciting Suratul-Nas?

Assignment

1. Write out the six verses of Suratul-Nas with their meanings in English.
2. List three ways of fighting waswas.