Surah Al-Falaq
الفلق
Surah Al-Falaq is a 5-verse surah teaching the believer to seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak from harm that comes from outside: created things, darkness, sorcery and envy.
- Meaning
- The Daybreak
- Surah
- 113 of 114
- Verses
- 5
- Revealed in
- Mecca
- Found in
- Juz 30
What Surah Al-Falaq is about
Surah Al-Falaq, "The Daybreak", is the first of the two surahs known together as al-Mu'awwidhatayn, the two surahs of seeking refuge. The second is An-Nas (114), which follows it as the final surah of the Quran.
Verse 1 instructs the reader to say that they seek refuge with the Lord of daybreak. The image is apt: the One who splits the darkness with dawn is the One to turn to against what lurks in the dark. Verses 2 to 5 then list four kinds of harm. Verse 2 is general, the evil of everything Allah created. Verse 3 is the evil of darkness when it settles, a time when danger and fear increase. Verse 4 is the evil of those who practice sorcery, described in Arabic as those who blow on knots. Verse 5 is the evil of an envier when they envy.
Commentators note that Al-Falaq covers harms that come from outside a person, while An-Nas focuses on the whisperings that come from within. Many scholars report that the two surahs were revealed together. Some reports in the hadith and tafsir literature connect them with an incident of sorcery against the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in Medina, which led some scholars to consider them Medinan, though they are usually listed as Meccan.
Main themes
The Lord of daybreak
Verse 1 addresses Allah as Lord of the dawn, the One who brings light out of darkness. It sets a hopeful tone for a surah about protection.
Verse 1Harm from created things and darkness
Verse 2 asks for protection from the harm in all of creation, and verse 3 from the specific dangers of the night as it settles.
Verses 2–3Sorcery and envy
Verses 4 and 5 name two hidden harms that people have long feared: magic and the envious eye. The surah places both under Allah's protection.
Verses 4–5
Verses to know
قُلۡ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلۡفَلَقِ ﴿١﴾ مِن شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ ﴿٢﴾
1Say, “I take refuge with the Lord of Daybreak. 2From the evil of what He created.
The opening request for refuge in the Lord of daybreak, followed by the broadest possible request: protection from the evil of all that He created.
وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ ﴿٥﴾
And from the evil of an envious when he envies.”
The surah ends on envy, a harm that begins in another person's heart and can reach you without your knowing. Many Muslims recite this surah specifically for protection from envy and the evil eye.
When Surah Al-Falaq is recited
Al-Falaq is almost always recited together with An-Nas, and often with Al-Ikhlas. Sahih Muslim records the Prophet ﷺ saying that no verses like these two surahs had ever been revealed. Sahih al-Bukhari reports that he recited Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq and An-Nas into his cupped hands before sleeping and wiped them over his body three times, and that when he was ill he recited the two refuge surahs and blew over himself. Sunan Abu Dawud and Sunan at-Tirmidhi report the advice to recite the three surahs three times in the morning and evening, and Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi also report the instruction to recite the refuge surahs after every prayer.
Surah Al-Falaq in Arabic and English
All 5 verses, with the Arabic, a transliteration to help you read it aloud, and the English translation by Talal Itani.
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
- 1
قُلۡ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلۡفَلَقِ
Qul aAAoothu birabbi alfalaqi
Say, “I take refuge with the Lord of Daybreak.
- 2
مِن شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ
Min sharri ma khalaqa
From the evil of what He created.
- 3
وَمِن شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ
Wamin sharri ghasiqin itha waqaba
And from the evil of the darkness as it gathers.
- 4
وَمِن شَرِّ ٱلنَّفَّـٰثَٰتِ فِي ٱلۡعُقَدِ
Wamin sharri alnnaffathati fee alAAuqadi
And from the evil of those who practice sorcery.
- 5
وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ
Wamin sharri hasidin itha hasada
And from the evil of an envious when he envies.”
Surah Al-Falaq PDF
The whole surah on printable pages: Arabic, transliteration and English side by side. Free to download, print and share.
Questions about Surah Al-Falaq
What are the Mu'awwidhatayn?
The Mu'awwidhatayn are the two surahs of seeking refuge: Al-Falaq (113) and An-Nas (114). Both begin with the instruction to seek refuge in Allah and are recited together for protection.
What is Surah Al-Falaq recited for?
It is recited for protection from harm, including the dangers of the night, sorcery and envy. Well-known times include before sleep, morning and evening, after the obligatory prayers, and when ill.
What does 'those who blow on knots' mean in Surah Al-Falaq?
Verse 4 refers to people who practice sorcery, a practice that in pre-Islamic Arabia involved tying knots and blowing on them. The translation used here renders it as those who practice sorcery.
How many verses are in Surah Al-Falaq?
Surah Al-Falaq has 5 verses. It is the 113th surah, usually listed as Meccan, though some scholars considered it Medinan.