Interpretation of the Quran- Surat Al-Falaq (113)- Lesson (1): Evil, Black Magic, and

Envy

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of Creations, and Peace and blessings be upon our prophet Muhammad, the faithful
and the honest.
Oh, Allah, w e know nothing but w hat You teach us. You are the All- Know er, the Wise. Oh Allah, teach us
w hat is good for us, and benefit us from w hat You taught us, and increase our know ledge. Show us the
righteous things as righteous and help us to do them, and show us the bad things as bad and help us to keep
aw ay from them.
O Allah our Lord, lead us out from the depths of darkness and illusion, unto the lights of erudition and
know ledge, and from the muddy shallow s of lusts unto the heavens of Your Vicinity.

Ahadith in regard of the virtues of this Surah:

O gracious brothers, the surah of today is Al-Falaq,Allah said:

“Say:" I seek refuge w ith (Allah), the Lord of the daybreak, From the evil of w hat He has created,
And from the evil of darkening (night) as it com es w ith its darkness ;( or the m oon as it sets or
goes aw ay), And from the evil of those w ho practice w itchcraft w hen they blow in the knots, And
from the evil of the envious w hen he envies."

(Al-Falaq)

Uqbah bin `Am ir (May Allah be pleased w ith him ) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
"Do you not know that last night certain Ayat w ere revealed the like of w hich there is no
precedence. They are: `Say: I seek refuge w ith (Allah) the Rubb of the daybreak' (Surah 113), and
`Say: I seek refuge w ith (Allah) the Rubb of m ankind' (Surah 114).''

[Muslim].

Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said to m e: Recite, O Jabir, I said: w hat
should I recite, let m y father and m other be sacrificed for you, O Allah's Messenger?! He said:
recite: " Say I seek refuge w ith (Allah) the Lord of daybreak", and " Say I seek refuge w ith (Allah)
the Lord of m ankind, and I recited them , then he said: recite them , for that you w ill (never) recite
(verses) like them *

(An-Nasa'ie)

Many Ahadith, that w ere reported, spoke about the virtues of this Surah, and the Surah that follow s. If w e
take the phrase:

"Say I seek refuge w ith (Allah) the Lord of daybreak"

We spoke about the verb "Say" last meeting, and w e said that the Prophet (p.b.u.h) is commanded to speak
out the text of this verse and the Holy Qur'an (that is descended from Allah) letter by letter as it w as descended
considering its text and chronicle order.

The word “falaq” was interpreted in many ways:

 "Say I seek refuge w ith (Allah) the Lord of daybreak "

The gravity of this Ayahe is centered on the w ord "daybreak", and the scholars (Ulama') had many
interpretations of it, but the most probable of them is that "daybreak" means the w hole universe.
Allah w as Alone and nothing w ith Him, then He created the universe w hich existed since then, so the
universe is Al-Falaq (daybreak).
The rain breaks out of the sky, so the rain is “daybreak”, the plant breaks out of the ground, so the plant is
“daybreak, the child breaks out of his mother, so the baby is “daybreak”, the buds break out of the tree, so the
buds are “daybreak”, the flow er breaks out of the bud, so the flow er is “daybreak”, and the fruit breaks out of
the flow er, so it is “daybreak”, therefore, everything that breaks out of something else to its existence is
considered the meaning of this phrase: “daybreak”.
How ever, some interpreters said: Surat Al-Falaq [daybreak] is a refuge w ith Allah from the evil of all w hat
He created, and Surat An-Nas (Mankind) is for seeking refuge w ith Allah from the evil of w hisperer, therefore,
everything that causes you trouble (such like things that fall w ithin fate) are to be sought refuge from by reciting
Surat Al-Falaq, w hile things that are human’s hand made and that are commited by him/her are to be sought
refuge from by reciting surat An-Nas.
The meaning of “I seek refuge” is that I ask help, I ask protection, to resort to, and to turn to.
We say for example, the baby sought refuge (protection) w ith its mother, w hich means it asked for her
protection from any frightening thing or enemy.
Allah the Exalted and Glorious has created many evil creatures, and some natural phenomena (ordeals)
such as volcanoes, thunderbolts, earthquakes, and diseases, not to mention the dangers that of man’s hand
made like w hen someone intend to harm you and to cause you trouble. So:

"Say I seek refuge w ith (Allah) the Lord of daybreak"

And the poetry rhyme as follow s:

Be obedience and w e grant you uncovering all our veils

As w e em brace those w ho love us w ith our gratification
And seek our protection by adhering to our shield
And w e grant you protection from w hat bad creatures have

Falaq (daybreak) means the universe:

Some said that daybreak means the morning, but the daybreak is more general than the latter.
In the action of “seeking refuge” there are three elements: the seeker (the one w ho ask for refuge), The one
to be sought refuge w ith, and the one to be sought refuge from, hence, the believer is demanded to seek refuge
w ith Allah, and since the believer is humble to Allah the Almighty, he/she has no arrogance in his/her heart, and
dreads Allah’s punishment, he/she for all that seeks refuge w ith Allah from the evil in this w orld and its risks of
all kinds. How ever, if one seeks refuge w ith other than Allah, such as his/her ow n pow er, relatives, or
money..etc, he/she is committing shirk (polytheism) by such an act.

"Say I seek refuge w ith (Allah) the Lord of daybreak"

Hence, it is considered as “daybreak” Al Falaq everything that is existed, everything in this universe,
everything that is available to your sight or beyond it, and everything that is available to your senses or beyond
them.
Therefore, the Creator of Al-Falaq is the Lord of Al-Falaq (Allah), and it is only Him Who is w orthy to be
sought refuge w ith, because He is the Creator, the Originator the All-Strong, and because all w hat you fear is in
the Hand of Allah Who is the dominion of all things, Allah said:
 “Allah is the Creator of all things, ad He is the Wakil (Trustee, Disposer of affairs, Guardian) over
all things.”

(Az-Zumar-62)

Allah is the Lord of daybreak:

Allah said:

"I put m y trust in Allah, m y Lord and your Lord! There is no m oving (living) creature but He has the
grasp of its forelock. Verily, m y Lord is on the Straight Path (the truth).”

(Hud-56)

Allah, therefore, is the One Who deserves that His slaves seek refuge w ith, and w hen someone seeks
refuge w ith other than Him, he/she w ill be committing Shirk.

"And no creature holds (firm ly) to Me w ithout any one of My creation, know ing that from his
intention, then if all the habitants of the heavens and earth plot against him , I w ill m ake an escape
for him from that, and no one holds to a creature instead of Me, know ing this from his intention,
but I w ill m ake the earth (ground) loose under his feet, and w ill cut (close) all w ays of heaven
before him "

So, ask yourself this question: w ith w hom do you seek refuge if you face trouble? Do you resort to your
pow erful relative? Do you resort to a backdoor to solve your problem? Do you resort to your money to bribe
people?! Or you resort to Allah the Almighty? The Prophet (PBUH) used to pray w henever he faces trouble, and
you should know that seeking refuge w ith Allah and resorting to Him are signs of your faith, you should
address Him by saying:

“Say:" I seek refuge w ith (Allah), the Lord of the daybreak”

This is an order directed to the Prophet, so w ho are you comparing w ith Him?! Verily, Allah has ordered the
believers w ith w hat He ordered the Messengers (or Prophets). This concept is mentioned in the follow ing Ayah:

“Verily, It is Allah Who causes the seed grain and the fruit –stone ( like date- stone) to split and
sprout. He brings forth the living from the dead, and it is He Who brings forth the dead from the
living. Such is Allah, then how are you deluded aw ay from the truth?”

(Al-An'am-95)

And in another Ayah, Allah said:

“(He is the) Cleaver of the daybreak. He has appointed the night for resting, and the sun and the
m oon for reckoning. Such is the m easurem ent of the All-Mighty, the All-Know ing.”

(Al-An'am-96)

Seeking refuge with other than Allah is shirk:

If you believe in Allah, but you seek refuge w ith anyone other than Him, this means that there is a defect in
your faith and that there is shirk in your belief, Allah said:
 “And m ost of m ankind w ill not believe even if you desire it eagerly.”

(Yusuf-103)

And He said too:

“And m ost of them believe not in Allah except that they attribute partners unto Him [i.e. they are
Mushrikun (polytheists)].”

(Yusuf-106)

You commit shirk just if you seek refuge w ith anyone (anything) other than Allah.
We should consider the famous Prophetic invocation (supplication) that is recommended to be said by
anyone w ho is about to start any action:

"O Allah, I disow n m y strength and pow er, and I seek help w ith Your Strength and Pow er, O
Ow ner of Pow er, the Most Strong".

Whenever you feel something bad w ould happen to you, or you think that any pow erful man w ould harm
you, just say: I seek refuge w ith the Lord of daybreak. Do you not consider Prophet (PBUH) as a roll model in
such situations? How ever, there is a group of people w ho think that they don’t need to level up to that and that
they can do w ithout seeking refuge w ith Allah, this is the arrogance that is never healed but by perishing by
Allah.

It Is narrated on the authority of Abdullah b. Mas'ud that the Apostle of Allah (PBUH), observed: He
w ho has in his heart the w eight of a m ustard seed of pride shall not enter Paradise. A person
(am ongst his hearers) said: Verily a person loves that his dress should be fine, and his shoes
should be fine. He (the Holy Prophet) rem arked: Verily, Allah is Graceful and He loves Grace. Pride
is disdaining the truth (out of self-conceit) and contem pt for the people.

(Muslim)

Good nature is the base and evil is the exception:

“Say:" I seek refuge w ith (Allah), the Lord of the daybreak, From the evil of w hat He has created”

Allah doesn’t create evil, how ever, one w ould ask: then w ho did create it? Those w ho have solid creed
(aqidah) w ould say: I believe in fate in its bad or good outcomes, but despite that w e still ask w hat is the source
of evil?
Everything that Allah has created for us is good, but w hen man forgets Allah, and moves to satisfy his lusts
and desires w ithout any guidance from Allah, he w ill be trapped in evil, so the question to be asked is: w hen
does a human being tend to be evil? Allah has ordered him/her not to forget about His existence.
Consider this example: w hen a w ise and skilful driver rides a fast car and all its systems are under his
control and he is using the lights of the vehicle, he w ill arrive safe and sound to his destination because of all
that. But on the other hand if the driver is a drunk or the light w as broken, then he might be involved in an aw ful
accident.
Therefore, good nature is the base and evil is the exception.
When one submits to Allah, he/she w ill be a good person, but w hen he/she turns aw ay from Him, rejects
His Orders, and follow s his/her desires w ithout any guide from Allah, he/she w ill fall into evil.
Human being can’t be evil unless he/she moves blindly, and if one seeks his/her desires according to Allah's
Commands and Guidance, there w ill be no evil act, for example a person w ho marries a w oman, it is good for
him, he finds peace and comfort w ith her and she is also w ith him, he is good to his children, he raises them on
the love of Allah and His Messenger, and he is good to Muslims.
To summarize w e say, every movement you do in accordance w ith the Divine method is good for you,
because there is a subtle point w hich is that the evil person is not free at all, yet he is in Allah's Hands.
And because of this person’s evil acts, Allah drives him to harm anybody deserves to be hurt, as the
oppressor is Allah's Whip w ith w hich Allah punishes w hom He w ills, then He punishes that oppressor.
Some Ulama' (religious scholars) of At-Tauhid (Islamic Monotheism) said: the evil itself isn't existed except in
the souls, but in the materialistic w orld, How is that?
Allah use the evil in persons for the benefit of another person, like using a thief, w ho is full of evil and urge
to steal other’s money, in rearing another person by making this thief steals that person’s money. And this is the
evil of human beings.

Ways of evil:

There is the evil related to animals w hich exists only w hen the animal is out of its boundary, for example if
w e take the snake, w e see that it is safe as long as it is inside the ground but the minute it comes out it turns
into an evil creature (to protect and defend itself) and only then w e w ere ordered to kill that evil creature so it
w on’t harm us, and the same goes w ith scorpion. How ever w e can’t follow these creatures to their holes and
kill them as they are important part of life cycle.
The scientists found out that these animals w hich live inside the ground, have a serious role in soil’s
ventilation and in plant’s grow th.
There is the evil in Human, w hen he/she is distracted from Allah the Almighty, he/she becomes evil,
how ever, his/her evil is only for those w hom Allah w ants to be directed to.
And there is the evil in things of inanimate nature so to speak, as this kind of evil occurs because of misusing
these things by human being such as putting sugar or detergent in cooking, or salt in the tea, or fuel in the milk!
These materials could be harmful w hen they are misused.
Therefore as you notice evil is incidental, and it is negative not positive, Allah said:

“Say (O Muham m ad (PBUH)):" O Allah ! Possessor of the kingdom , You give the kingdom to w hom
You w ill, and You take the kingdom from w hom You w ill, and You endue w ith honor w hom You
w ill, and You hum iliate w hom You w ill. In Your Hand is the good. Verily, You are Able to do all
things.”

(Al-Imran-26)

The eating of sw ine is unlaw ful, and the hyena too, but Allah created them for a specific job that is to clean
the w ild from carrions, because w hen the carrion starts to decay, its aw ful smell spreads all over the region,
and these animals eat (love) such carrions, unlike human w ho can’t eat them as they are evil because they w ill
cause him/her harm,
So, all the kinds of evil happen out of ignorance of man w ho w as ordered to be by Allah’s side.
The animal turns into evil w hen it exceeds its boundaries, or w hen it is used for other purposes that it w as
created for (like eating the prohibited of animals).
And evil happens also w hen you misuse some materials (inanimate objects).

Possession comes after subjection:

Allah said:

“Say:" I seek refuge w ith (Allah), the Lord of the daybreak, From the evil of w hat He has created”
 There is a slight thought concerning the animals, all animals are subjected to human being like camel, sheep,
chicken, and cattle (cow ), and man can raise them and benefit from them, Allah said:

“Do they not see that We have created for them of w hat Our Hands have created the cattle, so that
they are their ow ners.”

(Ya-Sin-71)

One of the meanings of this Ayah is:

Because these animals are subjected to us as human beings, then w e can possess them and compete to
ow n them, w hereas other creatures such like the snake or the scorpion are not subjected to human being and
as a result they can’t be possessed by man.

“so on them they ride”

[Surat Yasee, 42]

Allah introduced us to his blessing of exploiting animals by keeping group of them unable to be exploited yet
they are scary and dangerous for mankind, and this is w hy possession comes after exploitation:

“Say:" I seek refuge w ith (Allah), the Lord of the daybreak, From the evil of w hat He has created”

The shortcoming is an outcome of man’s hand made:

“Say:" I seek refuge w ith (Allah), the Lord of the daybreak, From the evil of w hat He has created”

Another thing that I w ould like you to reflect on carefully, as I w ill recite to you some Ayahs that are
considered, as scholars say, certainty based (As Quran is Allah’s w ords) and evidence based (As the
meaning of this Ayahs are an irrevocable fact), so listen to them:

“Whatever of good reaches you, is from Allah,but w hatever of evil befalls you, is from yourself.
And We have sent you (O Muham m ad(PBUH)) as a Messenger to m ankind,and Allah is Sufficient as
a Witness.”

(An-Nisa'-79)

Evil, here, is an indefinite, w hich means generality, so any evil at all, small or big, direct or indirect, painful or
causes a little pain, is from you. So w hoever finds good, let him/her praises Allah, and w hoever finds other than
this (i.e. evil) so he/she shouldn’t blame but him/herself.
If you believe in Allah and in His book, can you say w hen you are in hardship of any kind: “w hat did I do (to
deserve this)?!

Ayahs proving that evil is from human:

Listen to this Ayah:

“Whatever of good reaches you, is from Allah, but w hatever of evil befalls you, is from yourself.
And We have sent you (O Muham m ad) as a Messenger to m ankind, and Allah is Sufficient as a
Witness.”

[Surat Al Nisa, 79]

 Another Ayah too:

“And w hatever of m isfortune befalls you, it is because of w hat your hands have earned. And He
pardons m uch.”

(Ash-Shura-30)

Another Ayah, Allah says:

“(What is the m atter w ith you?) When a single disaster sm ites you, although you sm ote (your
enem ies) w ith one tw ice as great, you say:" From w here does this com e to us ?": Say (to them ), It
is from yourselves (because of your evil deeds)." And Allah has pow er over all things.”

(Al-Imran-165)

There is no misstep, tremble in a vein, or scratch by a thorn but by w hat your hands sent forth, and w hat
Allah forgives is much more.

Narrated Abu Huraira (m ay Allah be pleased w ith him ) Abu Bakr said: O Allah's Messenger order
m e w ith a thing that I say in the m orning and in the evening. He (the Prophet) said: "Say " O Allah,
the All-Know er of the unseen and the seen. The Originator ( or the Only Creator) of the heavens
and the earth, the Lord of everything ( all things) and its Ow ner, I testify that La ilah illa Ant ( none
has the right to be w orshipped but You), I seek refuge w ith You from m y self's evil, and from the
evil of Satan ( devil) and its trap",he (the Prophet) said: "Say this in the m orning and in the evening
and w hen you go to your bed”

(At-Termidhi)

The Prophet’s sayings are very precise, as He didn't say: I seek refuge w ith You from the evil of Satan and
from my self's evil, but he mentioned himself evil’s self indicating that everything is in Allah's Command, and He
has the grasp on the forelock of every living thing (creature), and w hen He w ills to harm anyone He does that
by unleashing a creature of them to hit (or harm) that person (because of that person’s fault).
This follow ing supplication rears us: O Allah, I seek refuge w ith You from the evil of mine and from the evil
of every creature that You grasp its forelock, therefore, it w as narrated that the prophet (PBUH) said:

"The slave shouldn't fear but his sin(s) and he shouldn't look forw ard but to Allah”

(the Workers' Treasure, from Ali)

Being overpowered by tyrants is a treatment for soul:

When you look forw ard to Allah and fear Him, everything w ill fear you, but w hen you do not fear Allah,
everything w ill fear you, Allah said:

“O you w ho believe! Rem em ber the Favor of Allah unto you w hen som e people desired (m ade a
plan) to stretch out their hands against you, but (Allah) held back their hands from you. And in
Allah let the believers put their trust.”

(Al-Ma'idah-11)

When one is w ith Allah the Great and Almighty, He protects him from evil persons.
Al Taslit (giving someone the pow er over someone else) is one of Taw heed’s terms and it came from Allah.
If a person deserves to be treated for his w rongdoings he w ill be overpow ered by ruthless hearted person,
on the other hand if a person deserves honoring, Allah protects him from evil people, and hence, it w as said in
poetry:

Be obedience and w e grant you uncovering all our veils

As w e em brace those w ho love us w ith our gratification
And seek our protection by adhering to our shield
And w e grant you protection from w hat bad creatures have
****

Remember that if you do not follow Allah’s commands, and do not seek refuge w ith Him, then you should
know that ruthless hearted people are plenty in the w orld, and the sources of anxiety and fear in life are
numerous, but if you know Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, and you follow His Command ( i.e. His religion ), ask
Him to protect you, and seek refuge w ith Him, you w ill be secured from harm, Allah said:

" (So) w hich of the tw o parties has m ore right to be in security? If you but know .”

(Al-An'am- 81)

Good nature is the basis w hile evil is incidental, the good is positive and needs a creator, w hile evil is
negative and is an outcome of man’s negligence, and evil is a treatment and is in Allah’s hand.

The wisdom behind evil’s existence on earth:

Another thing:

“Say:" I seek refuge w ith (Allah), the Lord of the daybreak, From the evil of w hat He has created”

Why did Allah create frightening creatures or things? The scholars of Taw heed said: If Allah didn’t create
some sources of fear, man w ould never feel the need of Him.
Therefore, w ith the existence of these things, you remain feeling that you need His Protection and as a
result you w ill be happy by being close to Him.
When the child leaves his mother his life becomes miserable, and w hen he sees a frightening animal on the
other side he remains w ith his mother.
Therefore, all these evil things, persons, animals, and inanimate things, redirect man to Allah, as they make
you feel how desperate you are for Allah's Protection, and how much you need to seek refuge w ith Him, and to
dedicate yourself to Him.

“Say:" I seek refuge w ith (Allah), the Lord of the daybreak, From the evil of w hat He has created,”

It is a perfect w isdom, and if it w asn’t for these evil things and creatures that are existed on the earth, man
w ould be satisfied and w ould never feel the need for Allah.
When I mentioned snakes and scorpions I meant to generalize, as you w on’t find in your house a snake to
frighten you but there are other things, such as if you received a piece of paper from a policeman asking you to
attend at the police station, this w ill make you frightened and you w on’t be able to sleep thinking about the
reason behind that.
Hence, the evil things are created to serve mankind at all levels starting w ith having appendix that can be
considered as a bad thing yet w hen you go under the knife you feel comfortable, and ending w ith lot more
frightening things in human’s life.

All that comes from Allah is for our benefit:

 Allah said:

“Say (O Muham m ad (PBUH)):" O Allah ! Possessor of the kingdom , You give the kingdom to w hom
You w ill, and You take the kingdom from w hom You w ill, and You endue w ith honor w hom You
w ill, and You hum iliate w hom You w ill. In Your Hand is the good. Verily, You are Able to do all
things.”

(Al-Imran-26)

When Allah says:

“You give the kingdom to w hom You w ill, and You take the kingdom from w hom You w ill ”

Most of people might think that giving kingdom is a good thing and taking it is a bad thing, yet Allah know s
better and w hatever He decides surely is for our benefit, because these things are from the All-Aw are, the
All-Know ing, the All –Wise, the Healer, Who created you for the Hereafter, Who prepared for you w hat no eye
have ever seen such, and no ear has ever heard such, and w hat haven't ever come to a mind (heart ) of
human, Who created you for Him, but you preferred to be a slave for His slaves, so He made you taste their
cruelty, but w hen you are His slave, you are free and honored and if you prefer to be a slave of a w retched
slave, you w ill be a loser.
By Allah and by Allah, to dig tw o w ells w ith tw o needles, to sw eep the land of Al-Hijaz in a stormy day w ith
tw o feathers, to carry tw o seas to the land w ith tw o sieves, and to w ash tw o black slaves till they become
w hites is easier to me than asking a w icked person to pay my debt.
Therefore, either you are a slave to Allah, or a slave to a w icked person w ho doesn't satisfy by you either
you do w ell or you do bad, and if he sees good thing from you, he buries it, and if he sees bad thing, he
propagates it.

"From the evil of w hat He has created”

As I said, the evil is a relative thing, as w hat you see as an evil but to Allah might be good.
Like the syringe in the doctor’s hand, it w ill make the child cries and trembles yet this syringe is for his
comfort and to relieve his pains, so this syringe is evil from the child’s point of view , but good from his father’s
point of view .

Adversities are hidden graces:

In regard of the follow ing Ayah:

“See you not (O m en) that Allah has subjected for you w hatsoever is in the heavens and
w hatsoever is in the earth, and has com pleted and perfected His Grace upon you, (both) apparent
and Hidden ? Yet of m ankind is he w ho disputes about Allah w ithout know ledge or guidance or a
Book giving light!”

(Luqman-20)

The adversities are hidden graces. For example, if a girl had a serious disease, her father w ould do the
impossible to cure her, and he might sell his house (to spend on her cure).
Many years later, he asks himself: w hat w ill happen if I return to Allah w ith repentance, maybe, Allah w ill
heal her? Then he starts to perform prayers and his w ife too, and he ordered her to w ear Hijab, and both of
them stay aw ay from Munakr, and finally Allah healed his daughter.
 Therefore, selling the house, and these long years that he spent in unbearable pains because of her illness,
ended w ith his getting back to the right track, in such a case w ill you consider the girl’s illness as something
evil? Is selling the house evil too? No! By Allah, a person once said: “I lost tw o-million pounds w orth of
merchandises in a fire, w hich led me to return to Allah w ith repentance and to leave usury completely”, so is
this an evil thing? No!, by Allah, Allah called it an evil according to our understanding and our terms.

Devil is the leader of avoiders:

Allah then said:

"And from the evil of darkening (night) as it com es w ith its darkness ;( or the m oon as it sets or
goes aw ay)”

Some said: the darkening is the night, and some said: it is the devil.
Why Devil is darkening? Because of his dark nature and because of his distance from Allah w hich caused
him falling in darkness, but w hen you devote yourself to Allah, you w ill be in light.

Abu Malik al-Ash'ari reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Cleanliness is half of faith and
al-Ham du Liliah (Praise be to Allah) fills the scale, and Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah) and
al-Ham du Liliah (Praise be to Allah) fill up w hat is betw een the heavens and the earth, and prayer
is a light, and charity is proof (of one's faith) and endurance is a brightness and the Holy Qur'an is
a proof on your behalf or against you. All m en go out early in the m orning and sell them selves,
thereby setting them selves free or destroying them selves.

(Muslim)

Turning aw ay from Allah is darkness, and the leader of those w ho turn aw ay from Allah is Satan (devil)
w ho is in a black darkness.

"And from the evil of darkening (night) as it com es w ith its darkness ;( or the m oon as it sets or
goes aw ay)”

And from the evil of darkening, w hich indicates human’s chest, as if the Devil is entering human’s chest, w e
seek refuge w ith Allah from that!
A few days ago, tw o men w ho w ere drunk intended to assault a little boy and they fought over that, and as
a result one of them gunned dow n the other, so one is killed and the other w ent to prison, so I call that as an act
of the Devil, and this falls w ithin the Ayah:

"And from the evil of darkening (night) as it com es w ith its darkness ;( or the m oon as it sets or
goes aw ay)”

Those w ho are executed in the tow n square in Damascus, w ho are they? They are people w hom Satan
entered their chests to ease committing crimes for them, crimes such as murder, robbery, rape..etc, and their
end w as ugly:

“Say:" I seek refuge w ith (Allah), the Lord of the daybreak, From the evil of w hat He has created”

To escape from Devil seek refuge with Allah:

The biggest evil among evils is the devil w hen he enters the chest of a person in order to turn him into an
evil person through fulfilling his desires even though doing so w ill turn a chaste w oman to a prostitute, through
earning lot of money even by stealing, through living on others’ misery and death, through filling his stomach on
others’ hunger, through building his triumph on others’ death, through building his secure on other’s uneasiness,
and through building his victory on their humiliation:

“Say:" I seek refuge w ith (Allah), the Lord of the daybreak, From the evil of w hat He has created,
And from the evil of darkening (night) as it com es w ith its darkness ;( or the m oon as it sets or
goes aw ay),”

But you have an effective strong w eapon against Satan, just say: I seek refuge w ith Allah from Shaitan
(Satan), by saying so you are aiming a dangerous w eapon at him that deactivates him, and if you say it, you
escape from him, Allah said:

“And if an evil w hisper com es to you from Shaitan(Satan), then seek refuge w ith Allah. Verily, He
is All –Hearer, All-Know er.”

(Al-A'raf-200)

And He said:

“And say: " My Lord ! I seek refuge w ith You from the w hisperings (suggestions) of the Shayatin
(devils).

(Al-Mu'minun-97)

If you have a dangerous idea that Allah w ill not be pleased w ith, like taking w hat not belongs to you,
deceiving, tricking somebody, concealing the defects of a product, lying about your capital, or counterfeiting
(forge), then say: I seek refuge w ith Allah from Satan. These ideas are the w hispers of Satan (like w hen you
enter a house and your self urges you to look around yet the Prophet said: No man stays w ith a w oman in
private but the Satan is the third of them), w ho entered your chest.
In all these cases and the like you should alw ays say: I seek refuge w ith Allah from Satan,

We should help each other against Satan:

Allah said:

“Say:" I seek refuge w ith (Allah), the Lord of the daybreak, From the evil of w hat He has created”

And there is an evil of darkening (Satan) inside the heads of evils persons.
Now w e have tw o meanings, the first is that the evil (Satan) enters the chest (heart) of a person.
The second is that the Shaitan (Satan) enters the chest of another man and turns him into a w ild animal
ready to attack you, into a criminal, into a harmful creature, and into a violent person. Therefore, seek refuge
w ith Allah from Satan not to enter your chest and not to enter a chest of a person that you deal w ith so he
w on’t turn into an evil one, Allah said:

"So Musa (Moses) struck him w ith his fist and killed him . He said:" This is of Shaitan's (Satan)
doing: verily, he is a plain m isleading enem y."

(Al-Qasas,15)

It w as a hassle betw een an Egyptian and an Israelite, and Satan entered betw een them, this is of Satan's
doing, and for this reason, man should help his fellow human against Satan, not the other w ay around.
Therefore, w hen your brother gets angry, you have to be silent, because if you reply cruelly, you are
helping Satan against him.
A man addressed an honorable Companion of the Prophet cruelly, w hat do you think the companion did? He
didn't say anything but: May Allah forgive you if you are w rong, and may Allah forgive me if I am w rong.
Consider your relationship w ith your w ife, your children, your neighbors, friends, and colleagues, you
should help them against Satan, not to help him against them, because if you provoke them, deal w ith them
cruelly, or take their rights, by that you are helping Satan against them, on the other hand, w hen you tolerate
them, and be good and kind to them, by that you are helping them against Satan.

“Say:" I seek refuge w ith (Allah), the Lord of the daybreak, From the evil of w hat He has created,
And from the evil of darkening (night) as it com es w ith its darkness ;( or the m oon as it sets or
goes aw ay),”

Black magic and telepathy:

Then Allah said:

"And from the evil of those w ho practice w itchcraft w hen they blow in the knots,”

Magic is based on tricks and it is like a mirage w hen you think it is w ater, w hile its nothing but a reflection of
rays on the surface of the ground, and Magic also is based on mystery, underhandedness, and distraction.
When you distract somebody from something you bew itch him, so as magic that is based on bringing over.
When they accused the Prophet PBUH of bew itching his companions they meant that he brought them over.
Some Islamic schools of thoughts considered magic as bluffing act w ith no actual base, w hile Ash-Shafi'ee
considered it as devilish w hispers and diseases, but to Al-Ahnaf considered it as a truth and real.
There are phenomena in the w orld of an unknow n nature such as telepathy, like w hen a w oman in Italy
saw her son, w ho w as at that very moment in Paris, crushed by a car (to death) so she cried, she saw him
before her very eyes, and three days later, his body w as shipped home w ith the report including the time of
death exactly matched the time she saw him. The psychologists called this “telepathy”.
This is exactly w hat happened w ith Saryah (the leader of the Islamic army in Iraq) w hen he said: I can hear
the voice of Amir Al-Mu'minin (Omar) w arning me, (saying) the mountain, the mountain, namely, keep your army
in the mountain, how did this happen? We don't know , and the science is still unable to give an explanation for
this phenomenon “Telepathy”, because Allah, the Exalted and Glorious said:

“And they ask you (O Muham m ad(PBUH)) concerning the Ruh (the Spirit) ; Say:" the Ruh (the spirit)
is one of the things, the know ledge of w hich is only w ith m y Lord. And of know ledge, you
(m ankind) have been given only a little."

(Al-Isra'-85)

And He said:

"He know s w hat happens to them (His creatures) in this w orld, and w hat w ill happen to them in
the Hereafter. And they w ill never com pass anything of His Know ledge except that w hich He w ills.
His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and
preserving them . And He is the Most High, the Most Great.”

(Al-Baqarah- 255)

The telepathy is know n phenomenon (as it is a fact) yet it is unknow n (as it is unexplainable) exactly like
magic.
The Prophet for one, sought refuge w ith Allah from those w ho practice black magic and I w ill go into subtle
details in regard of this topic.

Some kinds of magic turn their performers into disbelievers, and he w ho practices it to distract people's
minds into himself, this is considered a disbelief, and some Islamic schools of thoughts allow ed to kill that
person, because he/she misleads people and distracts them from the great truth to himself/herself, Allah, the
Great and Almighty, said:

“They follow ed w hat the Shayatin (devils) gave out (falsely of the m agic) in the lifetim e of
Sulaim an (Solom on). Sulaim an did not disbelieve, but the Shayatin (devils) disbelieved, teaching
m en m agic and such things that cam e dow n at Babylon to the tw o angels, Harut and Marut, but
neither of these tw o (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, We are only for trial,
so disbelieve not (by learning this m agic from us)." And from these (angels) people learn that by
w hich they cause separation betw een m an and his w ife, but they could not thus harm anyone
except by Allah's Leave. And they learn that w hich harm s them and profits them not. And indeed
they knew that the buyers of it (m agic) w ould have no share in the Hereafter. And how bad indeed
w as that for w hich they sold their ow nselves, if they but knew .”

(Al-Baqarah-102)

Why (or how ) did they disbelieve? Because they w ere teaching people the black magic, a silly story
narrated by Jew s, and Allah denied it, no magician can harm anyone but by Allah's w ill, and the magician cannot
harm anyone but those w ho are distracted from Allah, the Exalted and Glorious.

Black magic affects human’s affairs:

When man recites:

“Say:" I seek refuge w ith (Allah), the Lord of the daybreak, From the evil of w hat He has created,
And from the evil of darkening (night) as it com es w ith its darkness ;( or the m oon as it sets or
goes aw ay), And from the evil of those w ho practice w itchcraft w hen they blow in the knots, And
from the evil of the envious w hen he envies."

(Al-Falaq)

The magic becomes abolished. The knots that w as mentioned in the Surah indicates the strong relationships,
so marital relationship is a knot, brotherhood is a knot, relationship betw een the tw o partners is a knot, and also
fatherhood and the neighborhood are knots.
Once 'Aisha (may Allah be pleased w ith her) asked the Prophet {p.b.u.h]: how is it your love for me? He
said: like the rope's knot, after that she used to ask him from time to time: how is the knot? And he used to say
to her: in its (very) state (as it is). Allah said:

"And from the evil of those w ho practice w itchcraft w hen they blow in the knots,”

These strong human relationships can be affected by the w ork of the magician, to break them and to make
them w eak, and domestic conflicts, for example, can happen betw een husband and w ife w hen they are aw ay
from Allah, the Great and Almighty, so black magic can break this relationship.

Envy has two kinds:

 The last Ayah is His Saying:

"And from the evil of the envious w hen he envies."

1- Dispraised envy:

The Ulama' (the religious scholars) said: the envy is praised and dispraised at the same time! It is dispraised
w hen you w ish that the graces (of Allah) that your fellow Muslim has w ould be perished from his side and
became yours, this is the very envy:

Say to w hom w ho envies m e: Do you know w hom you are im polite w ith?
You are im polite w ith Allah, w hen you don't be pleased w ith w hat He endow ed m e w ith
Be patient w ith the envious, your patience is his killer
The fire eats (burns) itself w hen it doesn't find feeder
****

Because it is undermining Allah for accusing Him of endow ing His graces to someone w ho doesn’t deserve
them and this is to be considered as Shirk and Disbelief.

2- The praised envy:

The praised envy is like w hat Salim narrated on the authority of his father (Ibn 'Um ar) that the
Apostle of Allah (PBUH) said: Envy is not justified but in case of tw o persons only: one w ho, having
been given (know ledge of) the Qur'an by Allah, recites it during the night and day (and also acts
upon it) and a m an w ho, having been given w ealth by God, spends it during the night and the day
(for the w elfare of others. seeking the pleasure of the Lord).

(Agreed Upon)

If you envy those tw o kinds of people, then this is the praised envy. The Prophet (PBUH) called it "Ghib'ta"
(envy w ith pleasure), and Allah called it Mo'nafas (striving, competition), He said:

“The last thereof (that w ine) w ill be the sm ell of Musk, and for this let (all) those strive w ho w ant
to strive (i.e. hasten earnestly to the obedience of Allah).”

(Al-Mutaffifin-26)

And He said:

“For the like of this let the w orkers w ork.”

(As-Saffat-61)

And it w as narrated from Al-Fadhil ibn Eyadh: the believer Yaghbit (envies w ith the praised envy), (but) the
hypocrite envies (the dispraised envy).
( The Explanation (unraveling) of Mystery, by Al-Ajlouni)

And the Prophet (PBUH) said: "the eye (a figurative nam e of the envy in Arabic language) adm its
m an into the grave (his grave) and (adm its) the cam el into pot (i.e. the envy has a killing (deadly)
effect”
 (Abu Na'iem, in The Adornment,from Jabir )

You cannot be affected by magic and envy unless you are aw ay from Allah, and w hen you recite His
Saying:

“Say:" I seek refuge w ith (Allah), the Lord of the daybreak, From the evil of w hat He has created,
And from the evil of darkening (night) as it com es w ith its darkness ;( or the m oon as it sets or
goes aw ay), And from the evil of those w ho practice w itchcraft w hen they blow in the knots, And
from the evil of the envious w hen he envies."

(Al-Falaq)

No evil w ill reach you, no devil can enter your chest, no magician can harm you, and no envious can take
aw ay Allah’s graces from you by his/her envy.

Envious’s status:

The envious deemed excessive the graces of Allah upon the others, and by this, he doubted Allah's Wisdom
(Know ledge), and he is displeased w ith his share of Allah‘s graces, he opposes Allah's Will (Deed), he doesn't
give in to Him, and he lets dow n Allah's Auliya' (pious righteous persons) and dispraises them, instead of
supporting them.
The envious also helps the Satan against his brother, he gains nothing but remorse and the angels curse
him, he feels uncomfortable w hen he is alone, and w ill gain nothing in the Hereafter but sadness and burning in
the Hell, needless to say that he keeps dragging aw ay from Allah.
The Prophet (PBUH) said:

“Three (kinds of people) w hose supplication is not accepted (answ ered by Allah): Who eats
Al-Haram (every forbidden unlaw ful thing, w ho backbites a lot, and w ho has a grudge or envy
tow ards Muslim s”

Some said: the first sin w ith w hich Allah w as disobeyed in the heaven w as the envy, Allah said:

“(Allah) said:"What prevented you (O Iblis ) that you did not prostrate yourself, w hen I com m anded
you ? " Iblis said:"I am better than him (Adam ), You created m e form fire, and him You created
from clay."

(Al-A'raf-12)

And the first sin w ith w hich Allah w as disobeyed on the earth w as w hen Qabil envied Habil (the tw o sons
of Adam).
Therefore, w e seek refuge w ith Allah from envy, and w e ask Him to have the praised envy that is
competing in obeying him, and w e ask Him righteousness and memorizing His Book (the Noble Qur'an), so recite
this Surah w hen you go to bed and you shall not see bad dreams (or nightmares):

“Say:" I seek refuge w ith (Allah), the Lord of the daybreak, From the evil of w hat He has created,
And from the evil of darkening (night) as it com es w ith its darkness ;( or the m oon as it sets or
goes aw ay), And from the evil of those w ho practice w itchcraft w hen they blow in the knots, And
from the evil of the envious w hen he envies."

(Al-Falaq)
Translation : Saud Abdurrazaq
Auditing : Noura Sharabi