عَمَُّْ ْ 1578 اَلنَّاس
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ ﴿۱﴾ مَلِكِ النَّاسِ ﴿۲﴾ إِلَهِ النَّاسِ ﴿۳﴾
﴾1﴿ Qul a'oozu birabbin naas
﴾2﴿ Malikin naas
﴾3﴿ Ilaahin naas
﴾1﴿ I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind
﴾2﴿ The King of mankind
﴾3﴿ The rightful one to be worshiped by mankind
Relevancy:
This surah has four connections with the previous surah:
1. In the previous surah, seeking refuge from sorcery and envy was mentioned, while in this surah, seeking refuge from the root cause of both—whispering—is mentioned.
2. In that surah, "Al-Falaq" (meaning creation) was mentioned, while in this surah, the noblest of creation, "An-Nas" (mankind), is mentioned, which is a case of specification after generalization.
3. In that surah, one attribute of Allah, the Most High, was mentioned, whereas in this surah, three of His attributes are mentioned.
4. In that surah, seeking refuge was from external calamities, while in this surah, seeking refuge is from internal calamities.
Claim of this surah:
It is a command to seek refuge from the evil of whispering.
Summary of the surah:
It is a command to seek refuge in the Lord, and three attributes of Allah, the Most High, are mentioned: Lord (Rabb), King (Malik), and God (Ilah). Additionally, three descriptions of that from which refuge is sought are mentioned: the Whisperer (Waswas), the Retreating One (Khannas), and the one who whispers into the chests of mankind.
[1] The phrase "(بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ)" does not mention "Creator" because the attribute "Rabb" is more appropriate for seeking refuge, as seeking refuge implies protection, and protection is related to nurturing. The word "Rabb" is derived from nurturing, and the meaning of nurturing here is that Allah has created this human being and has created and continues to create the things necessary for its development. He sends down rain, causes plants to grow, ripens fruits and seeds, creates water and fire, and provides humans with the means of nourishment and digestion.
[2]The word "(مَلِكِ)" is derived from "Mulk" (sovereignty), and "Mulk" refers to having authority in organizing and governing. The obedience of subjects to the king is obligatory. Thus, this indicates the oneness of Allah in governance, obedience, making lawful, and making unlawful.
[3] The word "(إِلَهِ)" is commonly understood to mean "the one deserving of worship," and it is applied to the Being to whom creation turns for their needs.
Note: There are many reasons for specifying these three attributes. The first reason is that they follow a logical sequence. The fundamental belief starts with Rububiyyah (Lordship), indicating that Allah is the Creator, Owner, and Bestower of all blessings. If someone mistakenly assumes that these blessings are given to us freely, making them entirely permissible for our use—like the followers of Ibahiyyah (permissivists) or those who believe in socialist theories of shared ownership—or if someone claims that the authority to declare things lawful or unlawful belongs to those in power, imams, scholars, or spiritual leaders, this misunderstanding is corrected by "Malik an-Nas" (The King of Mankind). It clarifies that Allah alone is the Sovereign, and He alone determines what is lawful and what is forbidden.
Furthermore, if someone wonders why obedience to His rulings on lawful and unlawful matters is obligatory, the response is given through "Ilah an-Nas" (The God of Mankind), meaning that He alone deserves servitude. Therefore, our worship and submission to Him are necessary.
From this, it becomes clear that Tawhid of Rububiyyah (Oneness of Lordship) necessitates Tawhid of Obedience, and both of these necessitate Tawhid of Uluhiyyah (Oneness of Worship). The ultimate objective is Tawhid of Uluhiyyah; that is why, in the declaration of Tawhid, the word "Ilah" is mentioned: "لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ" (There is no god except Allah). Tawhid of Uluhiyyah encompasses all aspects of Tawhid, and for this reason, in the Quran, this attribute is mentioned last.