114. An-Naas (Humankind)
This sūrah of six verses was revealed in Madīnah. Its name comes from the word An-Naas or an-nās (humankind), which recurs throughout. It teaches us how to seek refuge with God from the secret devices of Satan or similar beings, and it is the last sūrah of the Holy Qur’ān.
In the Name of God, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate.
1. Say: “I seek refuge in the Lord of humankind,
2. “The Sovereign of humankind,
3. “The Deity of humankind,
4. “From the evil of the sneaking whisperer (the Satan),
5. “Who whispers into the hearts of humankind,
6. “Of the jinn and humankind.”1
The Qur’an with Annotated Interpretation in Modern English
1. This sūrah teaches us to be most alert to the temptations and secret devices of Satan and Satan-like people (see 6: 112). With all the means at their disposal, they will do their utmost to lead us astray from God’s way into their own evil ways, to commit sins, to bring about dissension among us, and to do other things to cause us harm both in the world and the Hereafter. The best way to be protected against their devices and temptations is to believe in God as our Lord (Creator, Sustainer, Master) and Absolute Sovereign, Who has the absolute right to rule us, and Who, as the sole Deity, has the exclusive right to be worshipped. Then, we must act according to this faith. (For some of the ways in which Satan approaches us, in order to lead us astray, see sūrah 7: 17, note 2.)