Explanation of Soorah (Chapter) Al-Falaq

The Soorah
In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful:
Allaah Says (what means): "Say: 'I seek refuge in the Lord of
daybreak. From the evil of that which He created. And from the evil of
darkness when it settles. And from the evil of the blowers in knots.
And from the evil of an envier when he envies.'" [Quran 113:1-5]
Explanation
1. "Say: 'I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak."
Jaabir said that Falaq means morning. Ibn 'Abbaas said that Falaq
means creation. Ka'b Al-Ahbar said that Falaq is a place in Hell -
when its gate is opened, all the inmates of Hell cryout because of the
intensity of itsheat. Imaams Ibn Jareer and Al-Bukhaari said that it
means morning, and this view seems reasonable. Allaah directs
believers to seek refuge in the Lord of the Falaq.
2. "From the evil of that which Hecreated."
Meaning, to seek refuge from the evil that He (i.e., Allaah Almighty)
created. His creation includes Hell, Iblees (Satan) and his offspring,
and other evil things.
3. "And from the evil of Ghaasiq (darkness) when it settles ."
One should seek refuge from the evil of nightfall. According to Ibn
Zayd, the Arabs termed the setting of the Pleiades star as 'Ghaasiq'
and believed that after its setting and at its rising, disease
increases and spreads. Some commentators say that theword Ghaasiq
means moon. They base their argument on a Hadeeth (narration) where
the Prophet once held the hand of 'Aa'ishah and pointed to the moon,
saying: "Seek refuge from the evil of this Ghaasiq." [Ahmad] However,
the rising of the moon and the appearance of the stars are things that
happen at night.
4. "And from the evil of the blowers in knots."
5. "And from the evil of an envier when he envies."
"…The blowers in knots… " refers to sorcerers. Mujaahid said:"(It is)
when they make their incantations and blow on the knots." Ibn Jareer
quoted Ibn Taawwoos as saying, on the authority of his father: "There
is nothing closer to Shirk (polytheism) than those incantations used
as a protectionfrom snakes and insanity, etc." Such incantations are
made to blow on a snake bite or magic-stricken man. A Hadeeth says
thatJibreel once came to the Prophet and asked: "O Muhammad! Are you
sick?" When the Prophet replied in the affirmative, he said: "Invoke
the Name of Allaah against every disease that pains you, against the
evil of every envier and against any evil eye. May Allaah heal you."
The disease referred to in this Hadeeth was probably a magic spell.
Allaah then healed His Messenger and repelled that magic.
Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal reported that a Jew bewitched the Prophet who
remained under its spell for several days. Then Jibreel, peace be upon
him, came to him and informed him that such and such a Jew had
bewitched him and had hidden a knotted rope down such and such a well
and asked him to send somebody to get it. When the Prophet received
it, he untied the knots, and the spell was broken. He never mentioned
it to that Jew nor showed him any anger.
'Aa'ishah narrated: "Once when the Prophet was under a magic spell, he
thought that he had come to his wives while he had not done so. Once,
he said to me: "I asked my Lord and He showed me. Two persons came and
one sat near my head and the other near my legs. The man sitting near
my head asked the other: 'What has happened to this man.' He replied:
'He is undera spell.' (The first) asked: 'Who bewitched him?' (The
second) answered: 'Labeed Ibn Al-A'sam from the Banu Zurayq tribe.
They are allies of the Jews.' The (first) man asked: 'What was the
item used for charming?' The other answered: 'The comb and the hair.'
(The first) asked: 'Where arethose things?' The other answered: 'In
the well of Dharwan, under a rock."' The Prophet sent 'Ali to the well
and had the things dug out. I ('Aa'ishah) suggested that the magician
should be punished. The Prophet replied: "All praise is due to Allaah
who healed me; I do not like to incite people for myself." [Al-
Bukhaari]