As we continue as Muslims to better understand our role as loving servants of Allah on earth, let us pray that the beautiful and holy words of the Quran continue to give us hope, guidance, and faith.
As we continue as Muslims to better understand our role as loving servants of Allah on earth, let us pray that the beautiful and holy words of the Quran continue to give us hope, guidance, and faith.
Surah Al-Falaq, the 113th chapter of the Holy Quran, means “the Daybreak” or “Dawn” in English. It is also commonly referred to as the “Verse of Refuge”, in which we seek refuge from Allah.
This beautiful surah, albeit one of the shorter chapters of the Quran, is nonetheless a powerful way to grow our love and faith towards Allah. It reads as follows:
“Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the Dawn (قُلۡ اَعُوۡذُ بِرَبِّ الۡفَلَقِۙ)
From the mischief of created things; (مِنۡ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَۙ)
From the mischief of Darkness as it overspreads; (وَمِنۡ شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ اِذَا وَقَبَۙ)
From the mischief of those who practice secret arts; (وَمِنۡ شَرِّ النَّفّٰثٰتِ فِى الۡعُقَدِۙ)
And from the mischief of the envious one as he practices envy. (وَمِنۡ شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ اِذَا حَسَدَ)”
Surah Al-Falaq is believed to be Meccan, which means it was revealed while the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) was in Mecca. In the verses, the Prophet – and by extension, the Muslim world – is advised to seek refuge with Allah from all forms of evil in this world.
It remains a powerfully beautiful call towards Allah, in which we can both reaffirm our faith and seek protection at the same time.
While the mysteries and full knowledge of the words of the Holy Quran remain with Allah, here are but some of the virtues of this important surah that we may benefit from:
The power of reciting all the Books in which Allah has revealed to humankind
Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) is quoted to have said that the one who recites both this surah and the next (al-Nas) will be as though they recited all the Books in which Allah has revealed on this earth.
Although it may be difficult for us to fully comprehend the magnitude of this statement, this shows just how powerful Surah Al-Falaq really is.
A surah for both daylight and moonlight
The Holy Prophet is said to have taught his companions to recite this surah after waking up and before going to bed.
This shows the incredible power – and necessity – of this surah, in that we need to continuously seek refuge from Allah both during the day and during the night.
The likes of which have not been seen before
The Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) is narrated to have said: “Some verses have been revealed to me, the likes of which have not been revealed before: Surah Falaq and Surah Nas”.
This again shows us just how powerful this chapter of the Quran is – in that the Holy Prophet himself emphasized that the likes of this surah has never even been seen before.
A reward worthy of Hajj and Umra
The Holy Prophet is quoted to have said that whoever recites Surah Al-Falaq during the month of Ramadan during any of the prayers, it is as if they have fasted in Mecca and will get the reward for performing both Hajj and ‘Umra.
With Hajj one of the required pillars of our Islamic faith, we must try and understand the gravity of this statement – that the power of this surah is as powerful as performing the holy pilgrimage of Hajj.
As we continue as Muslims to better understand our role as loving servants of Allah on earth, let us pray that the beautiful and holy words of the Quran continue to give us hope, guidance, and faith.
