CHAPTER CXIII
THE DAWN
(Al-Falaq)
Revealed at Mecca
(5 verses)
General remarks.
This chapter and the one that follows teach man how to seek refuge in Allah and how to betake himself to His protection. This subject being referred to in Meccan revelations, as in ch. 16 and 41, the two chapters must have been revealed in Mecca, and most probably they belong to the early Meccan period. The many stories regarding their origin, as stated by some commentators, are not to be found in any authentic report, and consequently such stories must be rejected. Thus, the Qur-án opens with the seeking of refuge in Him in the Mu'awwaẕatain (from ma'áẕah, meaning refuge), as these two chapters are together known.
| In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. | بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ | |
| 1 Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn,[1] | قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ ١ | |
| 2 From the evil of what He has created, | مِنْ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ ٢ | |
| 3 And from the evil of the utterly dark night when it comes,[2] | وَمِنْ شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ ٣ | |
| 4 And from the evil of those who cast (evil suggestions) in firm resolutions,[3] | وَمِنْ شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ ٤ |
- ↑ Falaq signifies the day-break (LL), meaning primarily cleaving or splitting, the daybreak being so called because it cleaves through the darkness. Hence it comes to signify the plain appearing of the truth after its having been dubious (TA-LL). The reference in the Lord of the daybreak is no doubt to the gradual manifestation of the truth and the triumph of the cause of the Holy Prophet.
- ↑ Ghásiq is derived from ghasaq, which signifies intense darkness (Rgh), and hence ghásiq signifies the night when the shafaq (or redness in the horizon after sunset) disappears (S, O, Q-LL), hence darkness in which there is no ray of light, and stands for the dark difficulties with which an affair is sometimes attended—difficulties through which a man is unable to see his way. It is therefore meant that the advent of truth, which was now becoming manifest, will not be attended with dark difficulties which may make it dubious.
- ↑ The two words occurring here which require to be explained are naffás̲át and 'Uqad. The former is the plural of naffás̲, which is an intensive nominative from nafas̲a,
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