Surah Al-Falaq – Mahmoud El Sheimy

Al-Falaq ("The Day Break") is the 113th surah of the Quran, in Juz' Amma. Meccan in the standard classification, though many scholars consider it Medinan, it has 5 verses and is the 20th surah in the traditional order of revelation, after Al-Fil. With An-Nas, it forms al-Mu'awwidhatan, the two surahs of seeking refuge.

It teaches the believer to say: "I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak" (113:1), from the evil of what He created, from the evil of darkness when it settles, from the evil of those who blow on knots, that is, sorcery, and from the evil of an envier when he envies (113:2-5).

Uqba ibn Amir reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Have you not seen verses revealed tonight, the like of which has never been seen?", naming Al-Falaq and An-Nas (Muslim). Abu Sa'id al-Khudri related that the Prophet ﷺ used to seek refuge from the jinn and the evil eye until these two surahs were revealed; then he took them and left everything else (at-Tirmidhi, graded sahih by al-Albani).

When unwell, he recited them over himself and blew, including during his final illness (al-Bukhari, Muslim).