سورة : AlFalaq

Envy is to wish a blessing to be removed of the envied person.

The envy is true as the Prophet (saws) said. Some people own a materialistic weapon such as gun or sword which they can use against whom they want, however, what makes them refrain from using it oppressively is their belief in the method of Allah (swt). As such is the envier who has his weapon of jealousy which he can use. The question is: Does the envier has a free will to practice the envy or is it something out of his control? The answer lies in the divine method’ hence we say to those who are jealous of the people who enjoy blessings: This jealous is your free choice and it is not out of your control. Thus, we notice that the envier is not a real believer because if he had understood that all favours are from Allah (swt) he would not have envied or grudged.

Hence, the envier is ungrateful person, always objected to the Granter, his salvation from the envy is by returning to the mothod of Allah (swt). Allah (swt) commanded us all that when we see a blessing on us or on others to say: “In the name of Allah, What Allah willed has occurred, there is no power except in Allah’. When these words are said at any blessing, then no harm and no envier or envied will be.

If one may ask about the wisdom: Why Allah (swt) gives some people this weapon with which they harm the others with and makes them oppressor?

We answer: This is a test and a trial. Allah (swt) has made some of people as trial for others and as Allah (swt) taught us how to seek refuge from these matters, then it must have some evil and damage in it. Surely, these matters are hidden and precise, that is why Allah (swt) taught us to seek protection from them by Him (swt).

 

النَّفَّاثَاتِ (the blowers): The Arabic word is used in the feminine form, that is why some scholars said that it refers to the women witches or the witch soul whether male or female.

Here we have to talk a little about people who denied the two matters of the magic and the envy arguing that both of them are not submitted to any scientific logical basis. Those people want to judge all the religious matters through sensible experiments, even though the doctrine cases are not subjected to experiments neither all issues are. As such we say, as long as you followed the religious instructions and you believed in One God with such so and so of attributes, in this case, do not do not let your mind to be a judgment on what your Lord has created. Not all of God’s creation you know are visible to you. The mind is convinced with this issue, since many facts were already existed but they did not go under the field of experiment so that the mind could not know them, but when Allah (swt) willed them to reveal, the mind discovered them though experiments. Such as the discovery of electricity, microbes and other matters which no one would have believed in them. So why would not the fact that there are unseen in the past which have become visible later be a proof for the believer to judge the existence or non-existence of matters.

Consequently, we say to those who deny the magic, their denial contradicts the Quranic texts and the true hadiths, whereas, there has to be no discretion when there is an obvious Quranic text, but the mind mission is to make things easy to understand. Allah (swt) says:

 وَاتَّبَعُوا مَا تَتْلُو الشَّيَاطِينُ عَلَىٰ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَانَ ۖ وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَانُ وَلَٰكِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ كَفَرُوا يُعَلِّمُونَ النَّاسَ السِّحْرَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَارُوتَ وَمَارُوتَ ۚ وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلَا تَكْفُرْ ۖ فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنْهُمَا مَا يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَزَوْجِهِ ۚ وَمَا هُم بِضَارِّينَ بِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمْ ۚ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمُوا لَمَنِ اشْتَرَاهُ مَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَاقٍ ۚ وَلَبِئْسَ مَا شَرَوْا بِهِ أَنفُسَهُمْ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ

 (And they followed [instead] what the devils had recited during the reign of Solomon. It was not Solomon who disbelieved, but the devils disbelieved, teaching people magic and that which was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut. But the two angels do not teach anyone unless they say, “We are a trial, so do not disbelieve [by practicing magic].” And [yet] they learn from them that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife. But they do not harm anyone through it except by permission of Allah. And the people learn what harms them and does not benefit them. But the Children of Israel certainly knew that whoever purchased the magic would not have in the Hereafter any share. And wretched is that for which they sold themselves, if they only knew.) (Al-Baqara: 201)

وَقَبَ (when it settles): its darkness settles on everything. Sometimes the evils are unseen by man so he cannot avoid them such as a wild beast, an awaiting enemy or a plot or conspiracy in night. All of these become clear by day. So the word (settles) indicates that it is a must and we have no power to avoid it.

The origin of the Arabic word وَقَبَ (settles) is a hole in the mountain resulted from the heavy continuous rain.

This means that some of Allah’s (swt) creatures are evil, even though they have some goodness. As everything in this existence is nor pure good neither completely evil, for, one of its side could be good and another one could be evil. Allah (swt) is teaching us to seek refuge from evil so we could keep the good sides nd seeking refuge is in Him (swt) only because He is the Only One capable to protect us from all the evils.

The speech here is directed to the Prophet (saws). The One to be sought for refuge and protection is Allah (swt), the Lord of daybreak.

There are four things we seek protection from that are mentioned in the following verses of this Surah.

الْفَلَقِ (daybreak): The Arabic word means to rip open a thing and something comes out of it. It could be the morning when its light breaks or its rays tear through darkness. The light is the source of guidance by which we walk righteously and with insight. Or it could mean what rips open and new life comes out to existence from it. Such as in Allah’s (swt) saying:

  ﴾إِنَّ اللَّهَ فَالِقُ الْحَبِّ وَالنَّوَىٰ﴿

 (Indeed, Allah is the cleaver of grain and date seeds.) (Al-An’aam: 95)

Hence, the Lord of daybreak is the Lord of this existence, Who has originated, created, multiplied and evolved. He (swt) is the first and the most deserving to seek refuge and protection in Him.