بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
1
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلنَّاسِ
Say: I seek refuge with the Lord and Cherisher of Mankind 6307 6308
Yusuf Ali Translation Note Number :
2
مَلِكِ ٱلنَّاسِ
The King (or Ruler) of Mankind
Yusuf Ali Translation Note Number :
3
إِلَـٰهِ ٱلنَّاسِ
The Allah (or Judge) of Mankind
Yusuf Ali Translation Note Number :
4
مِن شَرِّ ٱلْوَسْوَاسِ ٱلْخَنَّاسِ
From the mischief of the Whisperer (of Evil) who withdraws (after his whisper) 6309
Yusuf Ali Translation Note Number :
5
ٱلَّذِى يُوَسْوِسُ فِى صُدُورِ ٱلنَّاسِ
(The same) who whispers into the hearts of mankind
Yusuf Ali Translation Note Number :
6
مِنَ ٱلْجِنَّةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ
Among Jinns and among Men. 6310
Yusuf Ali Translation Note Number :
Note Number : 6307
The previous Sura pointed to the necessity of seeking Allah's protection against external factors which might affect an individual. Here the need of protection from internal factors, mankind being viewed as a whole, is pointed out. For this reason the threefold relation in which man stands to Allah is mentioned, as explained in the next note.
Note Number : 6308
Man's relation to Allah may be viewed in three aspects: (1) Allah is his Lord, Maker, and Cherisher; Allah sustains him and cares for him; He provides him with all the means for his growth and development, and for his protection against evil; (2) Allah is his king or ruler; more than any earthly king, Allah has authority to guide man's conduct, and lead him to ways which will make for his welfare; and He has given him laws; and (3) Allah is He to Whom mankind must return, to give an account of all their deeds in this life (ii. 156); Allah will be the Judge; He is the goal of the Hereafter, and the only Being entitied to man's worship at any time. From all these aspects man could and should seek Allah's protection against evil.
Note Number : 6309
Evil insinuates itself in all sorts of insidious ways from within so as to sap man's will, which was given to man by Allah. This power of evil may be Satan, or evil men or the evil inclinations within man's own will: for there are "evil ones among men and Jinns, inspiring each other with flowery discourses by way of deception" (vi. 112). They secretly whisper evil and then withdraw, to make their net the more subtle and alluring.
Note Number : 6310
This last clause amplifies the description of the sources from which the whisper of evil may emanate: they may be men whom you may see or invisible spirits of evil working within. See last note. So long as we put ourselves in Allah's protection, and trust in Allah, evil cannot really touch us in our essential and inner life.
