Al-Nas

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الناس An-Nās Mankind
Arabic text · English translation
Classification	Meccan
Other names	The Men, People
Position	Juzʼ 30
No. of verses	6
No. of words	20
No. of letters	80

Arabic text · English translation

Sūrat An-Nās (Arabic: سورة الناس‎‎, "Mankind") is the 114th and last sura, or chapter, of the Qur'an, the Muslim holy book. It is a short six-verse invocation, asking Allah for protection from the Shaitan. There is a Sunnah tradition of reading this Sura over the sick or before sleeping.

It takes its name from the word "people" or "mankind" (al-nās) which recurs throughout the Surah. Together with Sura Al-Falaq it is also known as Al-Mu'awwidhatayn; dealing with roughly the same theme, they form a natural pair.

It is a Makki surah. Hasan Basri, Ikrimah, Ata and Jabir bin Zaid say that these Surahs are Makki. A tradition from Abdullah bin Abbas also supports the same view. However, according to another tradition from him, it is Madani and the same view is also held by Abdullah bin Zubair and Qatadah. One of the traditions which strengthens this second view is the Hadith which Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nasai and Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal have related on the authority of Uqbah bin Aamir. He says that the Prophet (peace be upon him) one day said to him: Do you know what kind of verses have been revealed to me tonight. These matchless verses are Audhu-bi-Rabbil-falaq and Audhu-bi-Rabbin-naas. This Hadith is used as an argument for these Surahs to be Madani because Uqbah bin Amir had become a Muslim in Madinah after the hijrah, as related by Abu Daud and Nasai on the basis of his own statement. Other traditions which have lent strength to this view are those related by Ibn Saad, Muhiyy-us-Sunnah Baghawi, Imam Nasafi, Imam Baihaqi, Hafiz Ibn Hajar, Hafiz Badruddin Ayni, Abd bin Humaid and others to the effect that these Surahs were revealed when the Jews had worked magic on the Prophet (peace be upon him) in Madinah and he had fallen ill under its effect. Ibn Saad has related on the authority of Waqidi that this happened in A.H. 7. On this very basis Sufyan bin Uyainah also also described these Surah as Madani. But as we have explained in the Introduction to Surah Al-Ikhlas, when it is said about a certain Surah or verse that it was revealed on this or that particular occasion, it does not necessarily mean that it was revealed for the first time on that very occasion. Rather it sometimes so happened that a Surah or a verse had previously been revealed, then on the occurrence or appearance of a particular incident or situation, the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) attention was drawn to it by Allah for the second time, or even again and again. In our opinion the same was also the case with the Muawwidhatayn. The subject matter of these Surahs is explicit that these were sent down at Makkah in the first instance when opposition to the Prophet there had grown very intense. Later, when at Madinah storms of opposition were raised by the hypocrites, Jews and polytheists, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was instructed to recite these very Surahs, as has been mentioned in the above cited tradition from Uqbah bin Amir. After this, when magic was worked on him, and his illness grew intense, Gabriel came and instructed him by Allah’s command to recite these very Surahs. Therefore, in our opinion, the view held by the commentators who describe both these Surahs as Makki is more reliable. Regarding them as connected exclusively with the incident of magic is difficult, for this incident related only one verse (verse 4), the remaining verses of Surah al-Falaq and the whole of Surah An-Naas have nothing to do with it directly.

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