Study Of Suratul-Nas (Reading And Meaning) JSS1 Islamic Studies Lesson Note

Suratul-Nas is the 114th and final chapter (surah) of the Holy Quran. The name “An-Nas” means “The People” or “Mankind” in Arabic. This surah is very special and important for Muslims to learn and understand. It is one of the short surahs that many Muslims memorize early in their lives. This lesson will help us learn how to read Suratul-Nas correctly, understand its meaning, and know why it is important in our daily lives.

Basic Information 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

• Contains 6 verses (ayat)
• Contains 20 words in Arabic
• 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 It Was 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.

The Text and Reading of Suratul-Nas

Arabic Text with Transliteration

Here is Suratul-Nas in Arabic along with its transliteration (how to pronounce it):

1. بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful)
2. قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ Qul a’udhu bi rabbin nas (Say: “I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind,”)
3. مَلِكِ النَّاسِ Malikin nas (The King of mankind,”)
4. إِلَٰهِ النَّاسِ Ilahin nas (The God of mankind,”)
5. مِن شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ Min sharril waswasil khannas (From the evil of the retreating whisperer,”)
6. الَّذِي يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ النَّاسِ Alladhee yuwaswisu fee sudoorin nas (Who whispers in the breasts of mankind,”)
7. 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: Make sure to 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’s good to pause briefly at the end of each verse
• Speed: Read at a moderate pace, not too fast and not too slow
• Reflection: Try to think about the meaning as you read

The Meaning and Translation of Suratul-Nas

Word-by-Word Translation

1. قُلْ (Qul) – Say أَعُوذُ (A’udhu) – I seek refuge بِرَبِّ (Bi Rabbi) – with the Lord of النَّاسِ (An-Nas) – mankind
2. مَلِكِ (Maliki) – The King of النَّاسِ (An-Nas) – mankind
3. إِلَٰهِ (Ilahi) – The God of النَّاسِ (An-Nas) – mankind
4. مِن (Min) – From شَرِّ (Sharri) – the evil of الْوَسْوَاسِ (Al-Waswas) – the whisperer الْخَنَّاسِ (Al-Khannas) – who withdraws
5. الَّذِي (Alladhee) – Who يُوَسْوِسُ (Yuwaswisu) – whispers فِي (Fee) – in صُدُورِ (Sudoori) – the breasts/hearts of النَّاسِ (An-Nas) – mankind
6. مِنَ (Mina) – From among الْجِنَّةِ (Al-Jinnati) – the jinn وَ (Wa) – and النَّاسِ (An-Nas) – mankind

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

Themes and Lessons from Suratul-Nas

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.

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 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 to 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.

Understanding “Waswas” (Whispers)

What is 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

Special Facts About Suratul-Nas

Position in 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, emphasizing 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 uniquely 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

Stories 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.

Conclusion

Suratul-Nas is a powerful prayer for protection that reminds us of our need for Allah’s help against visible and invisible enemies. By understanding and regularly reciting this surah, we can strengthen our relationship with Allah and protect ourselves from evil influences. The surah teaches us that Allah is our Lord, our King, and our God, and that only with His help can we be safe from the whispers of evil that try to lead us astray.

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?

Classwork

Answer the following questions:

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?