The Meaning of al-Nas

The Meaning of al-Nas

{ قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلنَّاسِ }

And from his narration on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas that he said regarding the interpretation of Allah’s saying (Say: I seek refuge): ‘(Say: I seek refuge) and it is also said this means: I seek protection (in the Lord of mankind) in the Lord of the jinn and humankind,

{ مَلِكِ ٱلنَّاسِ }

(The King of mankind) the King of the jinn and humankind,

{ إِلَـٰهِ ٱلنَّاسِ }
(The God of mankind) the Creator of the jinn and humankind,

{ مِن شَرِّ ٱلْوَسْوَاسِ ٱلْخَنَّاسِ }
(From the evil of the sneaking whisperer) i.e. Satan who runs away and hides himself whenever Allah is mentioned,

{ ٱلَّذِى يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ ٱلنَّاسِ }
(Who whispereth in the hearts of mankind) and when Allah is not mentioned, he whispers in the hearts of created beings,

{ مِنَ ٱلْجِنَّةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ }
(Of the jinn and of mankind) He says: Satan whispers in the hearts of the jinn just as he whispers in the hearts of mankind. The last two surah were revealed about Labid Ibn al-A’sam, the Jew, who used black magic on the Prophet (pbuh) and when the Prophet (pbuh) read these two surahs on Labid’s black magic, Allah relieved him from it and it was as if he was untied from his fetters’.