Naas means “mankind” and literally, “people.” The term refers to all regardless of their race, religion, or background. Surah An-Naas is one of the shortest surahs in the Quran and it is one of the Mawzat-yn (The two shortest protective Quranic surahs to be used against evil) and the other is surah al-Falaq.
The surah was revealed as Raqya (protective purification) of the magic a Jewish person performed upon the prophet Muhammad PBUH. The surah seeks refuge in Allah from Satan and different forms of evil from both humans and Jinn (a type of creation made from fire which demons and devils belong to its category and they live among humans unseen) alike.
Surah An-Naas is a call-out prayer of taking refuge in Allah who is the king and God of all people and mankind from the evil of the whispering Satan who whispers into humans and Jinn alike.
You can access the full PDF by clicking here. Surah An-naas is the 114th surah among 114 surahs in the Quran. It can typically be found in the 30th para/Juz/section out of the total 30 sections in the Quran. It consists of 1 paragraph as in 6 verses (ayat) and it is a total of 20 words.
To refer to any of the verses, start with 114:(verse number) in the Quran. It is the last surah in the last chapter of the Quran.
Take 7 minutes to listen to it with Tajweed (Accurate pronunciation of Quran) which we can guide you to master through intensive Quran courses and you can simply start with two free session trials to see if our experience is what will help guide you best.
The transliteration and translations can be dynamically found here and you can refer to the Surah Abasa Tafseer for further guidance.
General Benefits of Surah An-Naas
There are numerous benefits of reciting and reading surah An-Naas every day. Especially, along with surah An-Falaq three times in the morning and the evening to be protected throughout the morning till the evening and vice versa. Such benefits can also be attained by listening to surah An-Naas every day. You simply have to trust and believe in Allah while reciting, reading or listening to the surah with the purpose in mind and be patient enough to observe how the will of Allah manifests your prayers.
If you do not exactly have a specific purpose in mind, you would still attain the following benefits that Quran House managed to explain, inshallah;
1- One of A Kind
There was no similar revelation of surah or verse to be revealed in the Torah, the Gospel, the Furqan, or any previous religious scripture;
Narrated by Uqbah ibn Amir (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: “I met the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and he said to me, ‘O Uqbah ibn Amir, shall I not teach you Surahs that were not revealed in the Torah, the Zabur, the Injeel, or the Furqan? No night passes upon you except that you recite in it: Say: He is Allah, [who is] One, and say: ‘I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak,’ and say: ‘I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind.’ Uqbah said, ‘Since that day, no night has passed upon me except that I recite them, and it is my right not to abandon them as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) commanded me to recite them.’”
2- Protective Shield
Surah An-Naas casts a protective purifying shield by seeking refuge in Allah from all sorts of evil that the whispers of the shaytan (Satan) could cause as he whispers into the chest of humans and Jinn (Allah’s creations that are made of fire and the devils and demons belong to this category of creation) alike.
The prophet PBUH (Peace be upon him) used to recite it every night during night prayer. It is recommended to recite Surah Al-Nas after every prayer.
Narrated by Uqbah ibn Amir (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: “The Messenger of Allah PBUH commanded me to recite the Mu’awwidhat (Surahs Al-Falaq and An-Naas) after every prayer.”
3- Sufficient Against All Forms of Evil
Narrated by Abdullah ibn Hubayb (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: “We went out on a dark and gloomy night to find the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) to pray for us. I caught up with him, and he said, ‘Say.’ I did not say anything. Then he said, ‘Say.’ Again, I did not say anything. Then he said, ‘Say.’ I said, ‘What should I say?’ He said, ‘Say: Say: He is Allah, [who is] One, and the Mu’awwidhatayn (Surahs Al-Falaq and An-Nas) when you reach the evening and when you reach the morning, three times. They will be sufficient for you against everything.’”
4- The Prophet Used it For Protection
Narrated by Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): “When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) felt unwell, he would recite the Mu’awwidhat (Surahs Al-Falaq and An-Nas) upon himself and blow on his hands. When his pain became severe, I would recite them upon him and wipe his body with his hand, seeking the blessings of his hand.”
5- Even Before Bed!
Narrated by Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): “The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to gather his hands, then blow on them, and recite in them: Say: He is Allah, [who is] One, and say: ‘I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak,’ and say: ‘I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind.’ Then he would wipe his body with his hands as much as he could, starting with his head, face, and the front of his body. He would do this three times.”
6- Along With Surah Al-Falaq
Narrated by Zaid ibn Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him): “A Jew performed magic on the Prophet (peace be upon him), and it caused him pain. Then, Jibril (peace be upon him) came to him with the Mu’awwidhat (Surahs Al-Falaq and An-Nas) and said, ‘A man from the Jews has performed magic on you, and the magic is in a well belonging to so-and-so.’ So, the Prophet sent Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and he brought the well out, and he was ordered to untie it and recite a verse. He started reciting and untying, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) felt as if he were released from a bond.”
Lessons from Surah An-Nas
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Seek Refuge in Allah
Seeking refuge in anyone else but Allah is useless because Allah is the king and God of all. No one can harm you or benefit you outside the realm of Allah’s will. By constantly turning to Allah for refuge, we can protect ourselves from negativity and stay on the path of righteousness as we avert evil influences caused by the whispers of the Shaytan (Satan).
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Pray to Allah Using His Names to Call Upon
The surah starts with calling upon Allah with his names of ‘king of all people’ and ‘God of all people’ as it goes on to seek refuge from all sorts of evil Satan poses.
Allah says in the Quran: “Allah has the Most Beautiful Names. So call upon Him by them” (Quran 7:180).
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Satan is a Source of Evil
Allah says in the Quran that Satan pushes people to evil step by step in an intelligent strategy (Quran 24:21).
He (SWT) also says that Satan spreads hatred and malevolence among people (Quran 5:91). Satan spreads fear among his followers (Quran 3:175) Satan promises poverty and invites obscenity (Quran 2:268). Satan separates brothers (Quran 12:100) Satan falsely promises his followers and soon breaks his promise (Quran 8:48).
And many other instances of warning that Satan is our sworn enemy and more that were mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah.
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Satan is Weak
Satan lays gradual traps and steps for people to follow and causes people to forget what is important, fosters enmity by assumptions based on criticism, jealousy, or judgment, and whispers constantly to encourage and sugarcoat evil acts and thoughts. That is why Allah warned us that Satan is our sworn enemy as Satan looks for ways to divert us from the straight path of worshipping Allah, the one and only God, Allah grants us opportunities to repent so we can repent and Allah may forgive us as he did with Adam long ago.
Allah says in the Quran: “So fight against Satan’s ˹evil˺ forces. Indeed, Satan’s schemes are ever weak.” (Quran 4:76)
“He (Satan) certainly has no authority over those who believe and put their trust in their Lord.” (Quran 16:99)
Allah says that believers soon discover Satan’s whispers and repent: “Indeed when Satan whispers to those mindful ˹of Allah˺, they remember ˹their Lord˺ then they start to see ˹things˺ clearly.” (Quran 7:201)
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Beware of Both Jinn & Human Satans
Most people think Satan and devils are unseen creatures of Jinn only when they can be among us as humans. Thus, we should be aware of the characteristics Allah warned us to avoid associating with.
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Recognize Our Vulnerability
As humans, we are truly vulnerable and can only seek shelter and refuge from all sorts of evil in Allah.
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Trust Allah’s Protection
Allah is always there to protect and shield us from all sorts of evil so it instills a sense of calm, knowing you’re constantly protected and have Allah overwatching your every step.
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Self-Reflect
The surah highlights the whisperings of Satan into the chest of humans and Jinn alike which acts as a reminder and warning as well. It calls for self-reflection to detect the negative talk and inner thoughts that make you stressed, sad, and anxious to understand where they stem from and what purpose they play.
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Be Patient & Persevere!
Even when times are hard, try your best to seek refuge in Allah and persevere till you make it through this Dunia and complete your trials and tests, inshallah.
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Be Kind & Generous!
Surah an-Naas highlights humanity as a whole seeking refuge in Allah alone without any distinction or division based on background. It relates to Prophet Muhammad’s final sermon during Hajj. In his sermon, he emphasized the equality of all individuals regardless of their race or social status.
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Consistent Personal Development
The surah encourages knowledge-seeking, mindfulness, and adherence to ethical values as you stay alert and aware constantly seeking refuge in Allah from all sorts of evil around and from within.
The Context of Surah An-Naas
The hadiths indicate that the Mu‘awwidhatayn (Al-Falaq and An-Naas) were revealed in Madinah.
This is mentioned in the hadith of ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir, who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do you not see verses that have been revealed tonight, the like of which has never been seen? {Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak} [Al-Falaq 113] and {Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind} [An-Nas 114].”
‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) accompanied the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in Madinah, and these two surahs were revealed after the bewitching incident.
‘Abd ibn Humayd narrated in al-Muntakhab (1/228): Ahmad ibn Yunus told me: Abu Mu‘awiyah told us, from al-A‘mash, from Yazid ibn Hayyan, from Zayd ibn Arqam, who said: A Jewish man bewitched the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he fell sick. Jibril came to him, bringing down al-Mu‘awwidhatayn, and said: A Jewish man has bewitched you, and the item used for witchcraft is in the well of So-and-so. So he sent ‘Ali, who brought it to him, then he instructed him to untie the knots and recite verses, so he started reciting and untying until the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) got up as if he had been released from restraints. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not say anything to that Jewish man about what he had done to him, and he never confronted him with it.
The narrators of this isnad are trustworthy (thiqat); it was classed as sahih by the commentators on the book, and by Shaykh al-Albani in as-SIlsilah as-Sahihah (6/617).
Even though some scholars believe surah an-Naas was revealed during a time when Islam faced intense opposition and persecution from the polytheistic society in Mecca.
Muslims were a minority at the time and faced many adversaries. Their surroundings were hostile. Surah an-Naas provided a gentle reminder to seek refuge, protection, guidance, and solace from hostility and evil from both mankind and Jinn from the seen and unseen in Allah alone who is king of all.
Summary of key messages in Surah An-Nas
- Seek protection & refuge in Allah;
- Awareness of vulnerability
- Self-reflect to avoid whispers of the devil
- Trust in Allah
- Be kind & generous
- Be patient & persevere
- Beware of Satan’s traps
- Use Allah’s names to call upon him
FAQ
1- What is the importance of Surah An-Naas?
Surah An-Naas serves as a protective purification by seeking refuge in Allah from the evil that could befall the reciter from the whispers of Satan who whispers into the chests of humans and Jinn alike.
2- What is Surah An-Naas about?
Surah An-Naas calls upon the protection of Allah against the different forms of evil that Satan may be the cause of as Satan whispers into the humans and Jinn alike to do evil and sugarcoats it.
3- What does Surah An-Naas teach us?
Surah an-Naas teaches many values; among which are seeking refuge in Allah alone, being patient, self-reflective, Trust in Allah as we submit and admit to our vulnerability by constantly seeking Allah’s protection.
4- Why Surah An-Naas was revealed?
Surah An-Naas was revealed to cast a protective purification (Roqiya) upon the prophet Muhammad PBUH since the Jewish people used magic to harm him.
5- When was Surah An-Naas revealed?
Surah An-Naas was revealed to prophet Muhammad PBUH before his departure to Medina while he was still in Mecca although most scholars believe it was revealed in Medina when some Jewish people used magic by reaching out to his Jewish servant boy to ask for the hair of the prophet from his comb so they could cast magic upon the prophet and harm him. It was during a time when Islam was met with a lot of adversaries.
6- What does Surah An-Naas mean?
Surah An-Naas means “mankind” and literally; “people.”
7- Where was Surah An-Naas revealed?
Surah An-Naas was revealed in Mecca, but most scholars say it was revealed in Madina.
8- Where can we find Surah An-Naas in the Quran?
Surah An-Naas is the last surah in the Quran. In other words, it is surah number 114 and can be found in the last chapter/para/Juza of the Quran.
9- What are The Benefits of Surah Al-Naas?
Surah an-Naas is sufficient to protect us against all evil if recited three times along with surah al-Falaq and al-Ikhlas and each should be recited three times in the morning and the evening, before bed, and after every prayer. It acts as a constant protective shield by seeking refuge in Allah from all kinds of evil seen and unseen caused by all of Allah’s creations.
10- How many ayat in Surah An-Naas?
There are 6 ayat (verses) in surah An-Naas.
We hope this article has clarified your questions effectively. If you continue encountering difficulties, please refer to the article or contact Quran House for further support. Our mission is to be a beacon of guidance, assisting you in your pursuit of knowledge and understanding of Allah’s teachings.
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