Al-Falaq
سُورَةُ الفَلَقِ
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
About Surah Al-Falaq
Meccan · 5 verses
Main Themes
Seeking divine protection from external evil, the evil of created things, darkness, envy, and black magic
Significance
Al-Falaq (The Daybreak) is the first of the two Mu'awwidhatain — the two surahs of seeking refuge — revealed together with An-Nas when the Prophet ﷺ was reportedly affected by a form of magic by Labid ibn al-Asam. The surah seeks protection from external evils: the evil of everything created, the evil of darkness when it settles, the evil of those who blow on knots, and the evil of the envier. It covers the full spectrum of harm from the natural, supernatural, and social worlds.
Key Verse Explained
Ayah 2 ("From the evil of that which He created") is interpreted by scholars as comprehensive — encompassing animals, weather, human intentions, jinn, and any harmful created force. The subsequent verses narrow the scope to specific types of harm: darkness (3), magic (4), and envy (5). The progression from general to specific mirrors the Islamic du'a practice of establishing comprehensive protection before specifying known threats.
Related Practices
Al-Falaq and An-Nas (the Mu'awwidhatain) are among the most recited surahs in Islamic practice. The Prophet ﷺ recommended reciting them three times each morning and evening for comprehensive protection, and before sleeping. They are the cornerstone of Islamic Ruqyah (therapeutic Quranic recitation), recited three times and blown into the cupped hands which are then wiped over the body — a practice narrated from the Prophet ﷺ himself.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ 1
Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak
مِنْ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ 2
From the evil of that which He created
وَمِنْ شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ 3
And from the evil of darkness when it settles
وَمِنْ شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ 4
And from the evil of the blowers in knots
وَمِنْ شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ 5
And from the evil of an envier when he envies."