Al-Tafsīr Al-Kabīr | The Review of Religions
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In the previous edition, we presented the lexical analysis of verse 5 of Sūrah al-Falaq. Commentary of this verse begins in this edition. Translated by Murtaza Ahmad. Edited by The Review of Religions Translation Team.
Exegesis (5)
As already explained in the lexical analysis, العَقْدُ signifies الوَلَايَةُ عَلَى البَلَدِ that is, the governance, rule and authority of a land. Similarly, it also signifies البَيْعَةُ لِلْوُلَاةِ, meaning pledging of allegiance to rulers and caliphs. The phrase نَفْثٌ فِى الْعُقَدِ means to cause ties to be severed with others. This is because in the Arab world, it was customary to untie knots and blow into them when signifying the severing of ties. Even nowadays, magicians perform this act to cause a rift between people.
In Arabic they say: فُلَانٌ يَنْفُثُ فِى الْعُقَدِ meaning so-and-so causes the severing of ties of love [between people]. Thus, the prayer taught in وَمِنْ شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ is that the Muslims should seek the protection of Allah Almighty from those who seek to break their pledge of allegiance and fracture the unity of the Muslims.
In the verses preceding this one, a prophecy was made regarding the decline of the Muslims. This verse alludes to one of the causes of this decline, indicating that after the demise of the Holy Prophet (sa), the institution of Khilāfah [caliphate] would be established in order to unite the ummah of Muḥammad (sa), because of which countless blessings would be attained. But in the future, a time would come upon the Muslims when their loyalty with Khilāfah would end, they would become disunited, and the ties between the rulers and subjects would be severed. This would all be because such factions would appear in every country conquered by Muslims that would oppose Islam and act in the most cunning manner. They would spread ideas among the weak-minded Muslims that would cause them to harbour ill thoughts against the Khulafā’, and eventually their relationship with Khilāfah would end, leading to the Khulafā’ being attacked, and leaving the Muslims scattered. Their affiliation with Khilāfah would disappear, and there would be no centralised authority of rule and government among them. Their days [of prosperity] would turn into nights of darkness, and their progress would be stifled. And by fighting among one another, the Muslims would create hell for themselves, and all manners of spirituality and holiness would cease to exist because the Muslims’ connection with the very roots that brought them these blessings [in the first place] would be severed. Therefore, Allah Almighty instructs the Muslims to seek His protection from the mischief of such a time.
As explained in the lexical analysis, نَفَثَ also means to write. In light of this, the term نَفَّاثَات also refers to individuals or groups of scribes. Based on these meanings, the expression مِنْ شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ indicates that in the latter days, literature would be published and disseminated against Allah and His Messenger (sa) on such a wide scale that it would lead to a great evil and discord unfolding in the world. Here, Allah has taught Muslims to pray in order that He may safeguard them against this mischief and grant them His shelter and protection in the latter age when the publication of literature attacking God Almighty and the Holy Prophet Muḥammad (sa) would be abundant. Incidentally, it may also suggest that there will be literature published in the latter ages that attempts to sabotage the relationship between the government and its subjects.
(2) As explained in the exegesis of the verses مِنْ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ and وَمِنْ شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ God Almighty has taught us a prayer to remain safeguarded against those inherent weaknesses that may exist in man so that they will not stand in the way of his attainment of perfection. Refuge is also sought from the afflictions that may arise as a result of our untimely death. Having previously been taught to seek refuge from the evil that may afflict us at the beginning and end of our lives, now we have been taught to seek refuge from the evil that may afflict us in the middle stage of our lives with the words وَمِنْ شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ. It has also been explained that sometimes a person may not suffer from any congenital defect or inherent weakness, nor have an untimely death, but rather that one suffers from certain faults during the middle phase of their life. The weaknesses or shortcomings are twofold:
1) The first relate to the time of man’s birth.
2) The second relate to the time of man’s death.
In reference to the first part, it states وَمِنْ شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ, which means that in his primitive state man draws nourishment from his mother as a plant does from its roots. Thus, with respect to divine providence [Rubūbiyyah], man has an outward relationship with his parents, and an inner relationship with God Almighty. That is, he is spiritually the son of God Almighty as He alone is the One Who created, And He alone has raised and nurtured him. Moreover, this verse also alludes that man gains and develops all the faculties he needs due to the knot of [mutual] relationship and bond that exists between man and God Almighty. Sometimes it is the case that certain malevolent individuals sow suspicions in one’s heart, aiming to separate man from God Almighty, and the fool abandons Him just as foolish children in the world abandon their parents and sever ties with them. Therefore, God Almighty taught man to supplicate to Him lest the knot that binds us to Him, and from which we derive divine blessings becomes untied; rather, [we pray that] may the ties of my spiritual bond continue to strengthen with Allah Almighty so that I am not deprived of the nourishment I draw from [God], and am subsequently destroyed. In short, the words مِنْ شرِّ مَا خَلَقَ teach us a prayer for safeguarding ourselves against the evil [consequences] of our inherent weaknesses, while مِنْ شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ teaches man to safeguard himself against the evils arising due to one’s death. مِنْ شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ pertains to safeguarding man against circumstances which may arise in one’s life that deprive one of excellence, and thus one’s faculties to acquire excellence are weakened.
(3) In [the words] قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ * مِنْ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ * وَمِنْ شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ a Muslim is instructed that if he believes in the absolute oneness of God, he ought to proclaim it everywhere, and one should not feel alarmed if, consequently, storms of opposition arise and darkness spreads everywhere, rather, the flag of absolute oneness of God ought to be raised in spite of this. Further, [the supplication] وَمِنْ شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ tells us that when one who believes in absolute oneness proclaims that he has established a relationship with God, some of his friends will continue to stand by him and support his position, saying, ‘It is wonderful that you have established a relationship with Allah Almighty’, but there would also be those who seek to poison the minds of his supporters against him and turn his friends into foes. Allah Almighty states with respect to such a time, ‘O believer in the oneness of God! Proclaim: I seek refuge with Allah Almighty against the evil of those who create suspicions in the minds of my friends and want them to break their ties of love and friendship with me and become my enemies and place hurdles in my way.’
(4) قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ teaches a prayer for attaining excellence and مِنْ شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ intimates that after achieving excellence, one should pray that they will not suffer decline nor face trials. Thereafter, Allah states وَمِنْ شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ [i.e.] when a person is beset by difficulties, trials and tribulations, there are certain people who hope to cause the downtrodden to fall even further and seek disgrace, shame and dishonour them. Furthermore, when people are tried by way of difficulties, others seek to damage their close relationships and to malign them in the eyes of the public. In homes, it is often observed that when one parent is upset with one of the children, the others hasten to complain about that child. One will complain, ‘Mother! He was also mischievous on such-and-such occasion,’ another complains, ‘Father! He also did this and that!’ Therefore, when a person falls from grace and is humiliated, suddenly other people arise to complain about them. In such circumstances, Allah Almighty has taught man to pray in order to seek refuge with Him against those who try to obstruct relationships. This is because man’s relationship with Allah Almighty, His righteous servants, his family and rulers can only remain intact through His grace; for man does not know who might poison [the hearts and minds of] his relationships with suspicions and doubts and obstruct or end them.
Serialisation of Sūrah al-Falaq will continue in the next edition.
