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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]

The Makkan and Madeenan Quran

As part of studying the revelationof the Quran, the Muslim scholars
have categorised the Soorahs (chapters) of the Quran and their verses
according to the time or era of their revelation. This is the subject
that came to be known as the Makkan and Madeenan division, or
revelation, of the Quran. This division is logical since the Prophet,
Muhammad received revelation over twenty-three (23) years: thirteen
(13) of them he spent in Makkah and ten (10) in Madeenah.
The correct and well-established definition of Makkan and Madeenan
Quran is the one in which the Chapters and verses that were revealed
prior to the Hijrah or immigration of Prophet Muhammad from the city
of Makkah to the city of Madeenah are known as 'Makkan'. All other
Chapters and verses that were revealed after this time are termed
'Madeenan'.
The location of their revelation is not necessarily relevant to this
classification, such that there may be certain revelations that were
revealed in Makkah, but are classified as Madeenan because ofthe
period of their revelation. A good example of this is the Chapter of
An-Nasr (Divine Support), number 110, which wasrevealed in Minaa
(outskirts of Makkah) yet it is classified as a Madeenan Chapter
because it wasrevealed while the Prophet was living in Madeenah just
a few months before he passedaway.
The Makkan part of the Noble Quran deals mainly with beliefs like the
Creation as in the verse (which means): "And a great number of towns
(their population) We destroyed (for their crimes). Our torment came
upon them (suddenly) by night orwhile they were taking their midday
nap." [Quran 7:4], the Oneness and Uniqueness of Allaah, the Most
Exalted, as in theverses (which mean): "Say (O Muhammad): 'He is
Allaah, (the) One. Allaah the Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all
creatures need . He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none
co-equal or comparable unto Him. " [Quran 112], prophethood, as in the
verse (which means): "It is He (Allaah) who has sent among the
unlettered a Messenger (Muhammad) from themselves, reciting to them
His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book [Quran] and
wisdom [i.e. the Sunnah or Prophet's sayings] — although they were
before in clear error —." [Quran 62:2], the revelation, as in the
verse (which means): "Verily, We have sent it (this Quran) down in the
night of Al-Qadr (Decree)." [Quran 97:1], angels, as stated in the
verse (which means): " Whoever is an enemy to Allaah, His Angels, His
Messengers, Jibreel (Gabriel) and Meekaa'eel (Michael), then verily,
Allaah is an enemy to the disbelievers." [Quran 2: 98], and The Day of
Judgement as in verses (which mean): "Then (on the Day of Judgement)
as for him whose balance (of good deeds) will be heavy. He will live a
pleasant life (in Paradise ). But as for him whose balance (of good
deeds) will be light . He will have his home in a pit (Hell). And what
will make you know what it is? (It is) a fiercely blazing Fire! "
[Quran 101: 6-11]
General disobedience of man, andhis punishment and reward are frequent
themes in the Makkan verses.
The creation and development of man in the mother's womb is taken to
be a wondrous thing.
Madeenan parts, on the other hand, are filled with laws, both
universal as well as worldly (marriage, divorce, heritage,
blood-money, other transactions,etc). Special emphasis is laid on
justice and fairness. Social interaction and ethical rules have been
elaborated time and time again. Politics, worship and prayers are also
frequently discussed.
Next, is a list of the Makkan and Madeenan Chapters is provided for
easy reference. The list is based on the classification used by the
Mus-haf (Quran text book) we read today. For the sake of brevity, only
the Chapter numbersare provided:
Makkan Chapters:
6/7/10/11/12/14/15/16/17/18/19/20/21/23/25/26/27/28/29/30/31/32/
34/35/35/36/37/38/39/40/41/42/43/44/45/46/50/51/52/53/54/56/67/
68/69/70/71/72/73/74/75/77/78/79/80/81/82/83/84/85/86/87/88/89/
90/91/92/93/94/95/96/100/101/102/103/104/105/106/107/108/109/
111/112/113/114.
Madeenan Chapters:
2/3/4/5/8/9/13/22/24/33/47/48/49/55/57/58/59/60/61/62/63/64/65/
66/76/98/99/110.
Accordingly, the Makkan Chaptersare 85 in number, and the Madeenan are
28, the total of which is 113, where it should be 114. The reason for
missing a Chapter is the fact that we did not include the first
Chapter in the Mus-haf, which is Al-Faatihah,or the Opening Chapter.
This Chapter has been reported as having been revealed twice, one time
in Makkah and another in Madeenah. Therefore, it was not included in
either of them.
It should be pointed out that the only way for us to know whether a
Chapter is Makkan or Madeenan is through narration, and not by
Ijtihaad (the exertion of effort on the part of a qualified Islamic
scholar to deduce an Islamic law for an issue about which there is no
clear, specific text). Thus, the only way to distinguish them is
through authentic narrations from the Companions narrated from the
Prophet .

Justification is the Excuse of the Weak

Who among us does not make mistakes? Who among us can dare claim that
he is infallible? Every human is expected to makemistakes, and this is
not in itself a defect, for the Prophet said: "All the sons of Aadam
constantly commit sins, but the best of those who constantly commit
sins are those who are constantly repentant." [Ibn Maajah] The real
defect lies in insisting on making the mistake and adhering to
falsehood. The mistake becomes even graver when its doer endeavors to
justify it in order to make himselfand those around him believe that
he did not make a mistake at all.
The Definition of Justification
Justification, in the false sense, is the process of fabricating
excuses for one's behavior, thoughts or views, in order to replace the
real motives and reasons. It is the process of concealing the reality
and truth with a justification that one would accept and approve of,
without any reaction or feeling any guilt.
The Evil End of Justification
Justification is an incurable disease that leads to a tragic end,which
results in bitter consequences for the doer, as hiscontinuous
justification distracts him from correcting himself and reflecting on
his defects. Accordingly, he always thinks that he is doing well. If a
slave of Allaah The Almighty reaches this state, it becomes difficult
to reform him and he loses his self-harmony because he is living in a
state of internal psychological warfare in which he is both the
executioner and the victim. The one who suffers from this disease is a
curse on himself and others, as he is extreme in enmity and
frequentlyargues with others. At this point, he is the most detested
of creatures in the sight of Allaah The Almighty. In this respect the
Prophet said: "The most hated person in the sight of Allaah is the
extremely quarrelsome person." [Al-Bukhaari]
The Quran Vilifies such People
Such people have existed throughout history. The Quran relates to us
the stories of some of them; for instance, Allaah The Almighty Says
(what means); {Andamong them is he who says: "Permit me [to remain at
home] and do not put me to Fitnah." Unquestionably, into Fitnah they
have fallen. And indeed, Hell will encompass the disbelievers.} [Quran
9:49] Commenting on this verse, Al-Qurtubi said,
Muhammad ibn Is'haaq said: "The Messenger of Allaah saidto Al-Jadd ibn
Qays, when he wanted to set out for the Battle of Tabook: "O Jadd,
would you like to fight the yellow people [the Romans], so that you
could take female captives and servantsfrom them?" Al-Jadd replied,
"My people know that I am besotted by women, and I fear that if I see
the women of the yellow people, I would fall into Fitnah. So, do not
put me in Fitnah but permit me to remain behind, and I will support
you with my money." Thereupon, the Messenger of Allaah turned away
from him, and said: "I permit you." Just lookat this man, who, when
knowing the hardship of traveling to Tabook and the difficulty of
confronting and fighting the Romans, wanted to justify his situation
and protect himself! He therefore invented a fabricated excuse which
was his infatuation by women and his fear that he may be tempted upon
seeing them and would then be forced to leave the Muslim army
becausehe would not have the self-restraint to keep himself from them.
Shaykh-ul-Islam Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah commented on this incident,
saying, "Since enjoining good, forbidding evil, and Jihaad are some of
the tests and trials that subject a person to Fitnah, some people
began justifying their abandonment of these obligations by seeking
safety from Fitnah. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means) withregard
to the hypocrites: {And among them is he who says: "Permit me [to
remain at home] and do not put me to Fitnah." Unquestionably, into
Fitnah they have fallen. And indeed, Hell will encompass the
disbelievers.} [Quran 9:49]"
Similarly, another group of people justified their abandonment of
Jihaad by sayingthat they could not set out for Jihaad in the heat.
Therefore, Allaah The Almighty Says about them (what means): {And
[they] said: "Do not go forth in the heat." Say: "The fire of Hell is
more intensive in heat" - if they would but understand.} [Quran 9:81]
Sayyid Qutb said in this regard, "It is therefore either fighting in
the cause of Allaah in the heat for a limited period, or being cast
into Hell for a durationthat no one knows the length of but Allaah."
Does a Believer Justify Himself?
In the previous examples there were some cases which might not be
stated by those who form the cream of Muslim society. However, reality
proves that even some truthful believers might be afflicted by
justification, as AllaahThe Almighty Says (what means): {And We have
certainly diversified in this Quran for the people from every [kind
of] example; but man has ever been, most of anything, [prone to]
dispute.} [Quran 18:54] Some scholars of Tafseer (Quranic exegesis)
commented on this verse by mentioning what was narrated in Saheeh
Muslim, that 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib narrated that the Messenger of Allaah
came one night to him and his wife Faatimah and said: "Do you not
observe [late-night Tahajjud] prayer?" 'Ali replied, "O Messenger of
Allaah, indeed our souls are in the Hands of Allaah and when He wants
to awaken us, He does so." The Messenger ofAllaah set off when he said
this to him. He was slapping his hand on his thigh while going while
saying (what means): {but man has ever been, most of anything, [prone
to] dispute}. Ibn 'Aashoor said,
What the Prophet meant herewas that it would have been more
appropriate for 'Ali to praise Allaah The Almighty and thank the
Messenger of Allaah for waking him up to pray Tahajjud, be keen on
repeating this act, be pleased with the rebuke of the Prophet and not
counter these words with others in order to justify his sleeping! This
is the cause of the Prophet's astonishment at the words of 'Ali .
Some Causes of Justification
The main obstacle in justification is the absence of frankness with
one's self, as we fail to talk to ourselves about our own reality.
This is because, from a very early age, we were taught to elevate
ourselves to high moral levels and sublime traits that are often
difficult to attain. Therefore, we try to conceal our reality in a
framework of lies about oneself that were set by the methods of our
early upbringing. [Qiraa'ah fi mushkilaat at-tufoolah]
Justification might also be due toarrogance that has affected the
heart, and this results in making it difficult to apologize or
appearing to be in a state of weakness according to the thoughts of
such an arrogant person. Love and inclination to this worldly life is
another cause of justification, and perhaps this reason specifically
is what leads many people to do what Allaah The Almighty has
prohibited, and people then justify their actions with false excuses.
For instance, the person who consumes Riba (interest), claims that he
is compelled to do so; however, if one looks at his case, he would not
find him compelled at all. He might not even be in any kind of a need.
There are many similar violations of the Sharee'ah nowadays, and those
who commit such violations try to justify them.
Is There Treatment?
Undoubtedly, truthfulness with one's self is the clear and easy way in
order not to indulge in theconfusion that comes about due to
justification. Reckoning one's self for negligence and acknowledging
its mistakes protects it from a foul final stage of life and leads us
to not accumulate our mistakes. In fact, being truthful with one's
self is one of the highest and hardest degrees of truthfulness.
Let us contemplate the story of the great Companion, Ka'b ibn Maalik
when Allaah The Almighty saved him by virtue of his truthfulness. He
sat before the Prophet and said, "O Messenger of Allaah, if I had
beenin front of anyone other than youof the people of the worldly
life, Iwould have thought of an excuseto avoid his dissatisfaction.
But by Allaah, I had no excuse." Consequently, Allaah The Almighty
accepted his repentance, excused him and turned to him. On the other
hand, those who lie and invent weak and false excuses, are exposed by
Allaah The Almighty.
One of the most important means of treatment is the reading of the
biographies of the people who fell into this malady. When
justification dominated theChildren of Israa'eel, they used trickery
and various methods to violate the ruling of Allaah The Almighty and
caught fish on the Sabbath. Consequently, Allaah The Almighty
transformed them into apes and pigs. Allaah The Almighty Says (what
means): {Andyou had already known about those who transgressed among
you concerning the Sabbath, and We said to them: "Be apes, despised."}
[Quran 2:65] When one contemplates this punishment for the one who
dares to violate the limits that Allaah The Almighty has set,
undoubtedly, he will think many times before doing such an act when
knowing its evil end.
We supplicate to Allaah The Almighty to guide us to the best manners
and to ward off from usthe worst of manners, as He is the most
Gracious and Noble.