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We proudly present the first full English translation of the commentary of Chapter 113, Sūrah al-Falaq, by Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra) in his magnum opus.
In the previous edition, we presented the excellences of Sūrah al-Falaq found in the sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa).
In this edition we will explore the link between chapter 113 and other chapters of the Holy Qur’an.
Translated by Murtaza Ahmad
Edited by The Review of Religions Translation Team
Connection and order with other Chapters of the Holy Qur’an
As previously mentioned in the commentary on Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ, the final three chapters are collectively a summary of the Holy As previously mentioned in the commentary on Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ, the final three chapters are collectively a summary of the Holy Qur’an in the same way that Sūrah al-Fātiḥah is a summary of the Holy Qur’an. Thus, Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ covers the same subject matter as these verses of Sūrah al-Fātiḥah:
[All praise belongs to Allah; thee alone do we worship and thee alone do we beseech help; guide us on the right path.]
Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ is followed by Sūrah al-Falaq, which describes the subject matter contained in the verses in Sūrah al- Fātiḥah, رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ [Lord of all the worlds] and غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ [Those who have not incurred God’s displeasure].This is because Sūrah al-Falaq begins with قُلْ أَعُوذُ [Say I seek refuge], which denotes a certain kind of evil or malice from which one must seek protection. Thus God Almighty states, قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ. That is, ‘I seek refuge with God, the One who has created everything, from all evil in the world.’ Thus, the words ‘Lord of the Dawn’ [Rabb al-Falaq] refers to God being ‘Lord of all the worlds’ [Rabb al-‘ālamīn] [as stated in Sūrah al-Fātiḥah.]
And the words [مِنْ شَرِّ] مَا خَلَقَ [From the evil of that which He has created] refers to the prayer in Sūrah al-Fātiḥah غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ[Those who have not incurred God’s displeasure]. As for the words, مِنْ شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ, which mean ‘When darkness prevails in all directions’. That is to say, ‘I seek refuge from a time when the attribute of divine providence [rubūbiyyat al-‘ālamīn]will become hidden from the world, who will become oblivious to it’. And the words وَمِنْ شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ , which mean to seek protection against the mischief of every envious person, alludes to the fact that sometimes the attribute of divine providence [rubūbiyyah] becomes hidden to an extent. Since envy arises when some are rewarded and others are punished,
Sūrah al-Falaq, therefore, teaches us to pray ‘O Lord! Save us from Your Wrath when it befalls the world in general, and protect us when Your wrath befalls a particular people, lest we turn out to be among the envious or of those who are envied and are unsuccessful.’ This is because sometimes those who are envied can become unsuccessful as a result of other people’s envy. Thus, some of Sūrah al-Fātiḥah’s subject matter has been covered in Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ, some in Sūrah al-Falaq, and the rest has been mentioned in Sūrah al-Nās. In this way, all of the themes and subject matters in Sūrah al-Fātiḥah have been restated in the final three chapters.
Another way this chapter [Sūrah al-Fātiḥah] relates to Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ is that in Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ we have been taught the lesson of absolute monotheism [Tauḥīd] and it tells us that the summary of the entire Holy Qur’an is that Allah is One and has no partner. Thereafter, in Sūrah al-Falaq and Sūrah al-Nās all Muslims are instructed to raise the banner of Tauḥīd in their respective eras and to not fear any tyrant, transgressor or opponent of Islam. And to hold the conviction that it is the being of Allah Almighty alone on Whose command the entire universe is set in motion. And He Alone has the power to bestow goodness upon all and to safeguard one against all evils. Thus, when one proclaims the oneness of God there is no need to fear any of His creation. This is because when someone is prepared to stand up and propagate His unity, Allah Almighty Himself will protect them, and even the greatest and mightiest kings will not be able to challenge them.
Sūrah al-Falaq also is linked to Sūrah al-Naṣr. In Sūrah al-Naṣr, Allah Almighty informed the Holy Prophet (sa) that Islam would grow, flourish and spread and that nobody will be able to stop its progress. Allah Almighty goes on to explain in Sūrah al-Falaq, ‘O Muslims! When, as per the divine prophecies, you become victorious, bow in submission before Allah Almighty and pray that you do not become weak. And that the sun never set upon you but that it keeps shining over you like the midday sun; and that you are not afflicted by any kind of evil, nor by any internal discord that would disrupt your unity, nor that any external envious force challenge you and destroy your rule.’
Serialisation of Sūrah al-Falaq will continue in the next edition
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