Surah 114. An-Nas

SAY: "I seek refuge with the Sustainer of men,

  - Mohammad Asad

Say: I seek refuge in the Rabb of the mankind,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Say, 'O Prophet,' 'I seek refuge in the Lord of humankind,

  - Mustafa Khattab

Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Say: I seek refuge with the Lord and Cherisher of Mankind ^{6307 6308}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The previous Sura pointed to the necessity of seeking Allah's protection against external factors which might affect an individual. Here the need of protection from internal factors, mankind being viewed as a whole, is pointed out. For this reason the threefold relation in which man stands to Allah is mentioned, as explained in the next note.

Man's relation to Allah may be viewed in three aspects: (1) Allah is his Lord, Maker, and Cherisher; Allah sustains him and cares for him; He provides him with all the means for his growth and development, and for his protection against evil; (2) Allah is his king or ruler; more than any earthly king, Allah has authority to guide man's conduct, and lead him to ways which will make for his welfare; and He has given him laws; and (3) Allah is He to Whom mankind must return, to give an account of all their deeds in this life (ii. 156); Allah will be the Judge; He is the goal of the Hereafter, and the only Being entitied to man's worship at any time. From all these aspects man could and should seek Allah's protection against evil.

"the Sovereign of men,

  - Mohammad Asad

the King of mankind,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

the Master of humankind,

  - Mustafa Khattab

The King of mankind,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

The King (or Ruler) of Mankind

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"the God of men,

  - Mohammad Asad

the real God of mankind,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

the God of humankind,

  - Mustafa Khattab

The God of mankind,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

The Allah (or Judge) of Mankind

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"from the evil of the whispering, elusive tempter

  - Mohammad Asad

from the mischief of the slinking whisperers (Shaitan and his workers)

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

from the evil of the lurking whisperer-

  - Mustafa Khattab

From the evil of the sneaking whisperer,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

From the mischief of the Whisperer (of Evil) who withdraws (after his whisper) ⁶³⁰⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Evil insinuates itself in all sorts of insidious ways from within so as to sap man's will, which was given to man by Allah. This power of evil may be Satan, or evil men or the evil inclinations within man's own will: for there are "evil ones among men and Jinns, inspiring each other with flowery discourses by way of deception" (vi. 112). They secretly whisper evil and then withdraw, to make their net the more subtle and alluring.

"who whispers in the hearts of men¹

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., "Satan" in the widest meaning of this designation, as pointed out by Razi (quoted in surah {14}, note [31]).

who whisper into the hearts of people,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

who whispers into the hearts of humankind-

  - Mustafa Khattab

Who whispereth in the hearts of mankind,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

(The same) who whispers into the hearts of mankind

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"from all [temptation to evil by] invisible forces as well as men."²

  - Mohammad Asad

The above is perhaps the oldest Qur'anic mention of the term and concept of al-jinnah (synonymous with al-jinn), which has been tentatively explained in Appendix III. In the above context, the term probably denotes the intangible, mysterious forces of nature to which man's psyche is exposed, and which sometimes make it difficult for us to discern between right and wrong. However, in the light of this last verse of the last surah of the Qur'an it is also possible to conclude that the "invisible forces" from which we are told to seek refuge with God are the temptations to evil emanating from the blindness of our own hearts, from our gross appetites, and from the erroneous notions and false values that may have been handed down to us by our predecessors.

whether he be from among the jinn or from the mankind.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

from among jinn and humankind.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Of the jinn and of mankind.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Among Jinns and among Men. ⁶³¹⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This last clause amplifies the description of the sources from which the whisper of evil may emanate: they may be men whom you may see or invisible spirits of evil working within. See last note. So long as we put ourselves in Allah's protection, and trust in Allah, evil cannot really touch us in our essential and inner life.