Surah Falaq

This Surah along with Surah Naas combine to make the Muawidhatain (the Surahs in which refuge from Allah is sought). 

Shaane Nuzool (Reason for revelation)
All Messengers are either from the progeny of Ismail AS or Ishaaq AS. The Prophets who are from the children of Ishaaq AS include Dawud AS, Sulaiman AS, Musa AS etc and are commonly know as the Bani Israeel and are usually followers of the Jewish faith. When the arrival of a final Messenger was written in the Jewish scriptures, the Jews expected him to be from the family of Yaqub AS, but that was not to be and Muhammad SAW was born into the family of Ismail AS.
The Jews of Madinah out of resentment, performed sorcery on the Messenger SAW. As a result, these two Surats were revealed and through them Allah SWT taught the Messenger SAW (and by extension the Ummah)  to seek protection by reciting them. 

This Surah mentions the different kinds of harms we need to be protected from. To explain, Imam Nawawi RH has suggested that a human think of himself as a plant being safeguarded by a gardener.  
"Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of the Daybreak." 
Tafseer-e-Uthmani mentions that we seek refuge in the Lord who removes from us the darkness of the night and replaces it with the light of day. The darkness has been sought protection from because this is usually where anything immoral or corrupt occurs. Hadhrat Shah Saab RH has mentioned that this Ayah refers to all types of darkness whether it is apparent or hidden."
An point which should be noted is that whenever Darkness is mentioned in the Quran it is done so in the plural form (ظلمات). In contrast whenever the concept of Light is discussed it is done so in singular form (النور). Mufasireen have mentioned that this is because there are many pathways to Darkness (a synonym for being led astray) but there is only ONE route towards the Light, in other words Salvation, and this is through gaining the Pleasure of Allah. 




"From the evil of that which He created."
The plant needs protection from other creatures which want to feed from it. Now these animals are not direct enemies of the plant, they are merely doing what is in their nature. The gardener will put up a fence around the garden to prevent any animals entering his garden and chewing the plants. Likewise with humans, there are things in the world which can cause damage not because evil is within them but because that is their nature. For example, a volcano or a shark is not evil but when it erupts causes catastrophic damage or when aggravated a shark will bite and even kill. To reiterate, this is simply because they are acting in accordance with their nature. So we learn that Allah has created things with the potential to harm and from this too we must seek protection. 


And from the evil of darkness when it settles."
To ensure that the plant grows well, the gardener must place it in a place where it is exposed to the sun and where it can be rained upon. As these are the most important elements for a plant's growth, there must not be any obstructions blocking them. 'Ghasaq' and 'Waqab' are barriers of darkness which prevent a person from accessing that which they usually would in the light of day. Like the farmer who wants that there are no blockages or obstacles in his plant's path, Allah wishes this for us also. 

"And from the evil of the blowers in knots." 
Another issue which the plant may encounter is too much water or sun. Too much rain drowns the plant and too much sun will dry it out. So the problem is with being overwhelmed from an external source. Likewise with a person who has been affected with sorcery they feel suffocated within themselves. 
The tying of knots refers to those sorcerers who chant on hair or rope and then seal this incantation by blowing upon it and tying a knot. This is what was done to the blessed hair of the Messenger SAW. 

"And from the evil of the envious person when he envies."
The final but probably most dangerous attack is from the one who wishes to intentionally harm it. Unlike the elements discussed earlier, this threat actually poses a danger because of his intentions. The gardener works hard to protect his garden from numerous dangers. Similarly Allah SWT wants to protect us from the threats endangering our Imaan (and life) but more importantly He wants us to seek protection in Him. This Surah mentions the physical harms which can afflict a person and Surah Naas discusses the spiritual harms which can affect a person. Therefore combined as the Muawidhatain these Surahs provide total protection from external and internal sources of harm. 

So, who is on our side? 
After reading about the many things which can harm us we must understand that the sources of darkness and evil are many but the source of Light and Guidance is only One; Allah SWT!
We must the counsel offered by the Quran seriously and use it to change our attitude and behaviour. We have nothing to worry about if we have Allah on our side and this will only happen when we read the Quran with an open mind, ready to accept what is written within and with a yearning to make a change within our lives. 

May the Almighty grant us the ability to utilise our time to make changes to our lives so that on the Day of Judgement when there will be no shade except for the Shade of His Throne, when oppression will be a Darkness, we are fortunate enough to take protection under His Gaze. Ameen.