1. Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of humanity,

2. The Master of humanity,

3. The God of humanity,

4. From the evil of the stealthy whisperer,

5. who whispers into the breasts of humanity,

6. from among the jinn and humanity.”

The late Ali Shariati used to say that the Qur’an starts with the name of God (Allah) and ends with a chapter whose name and last word is “the people” (an-nās). The latter appears less than 20 times in the entire Qur’an. Five of them are in this three-line chapter, which suggests that its focus is the people. One should realize that the Qur’an’s ending and beginning are interlinked.

How does the Qur’an begin? “In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful, Praise be toGod, the Lord of the Worlds; the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgment” (1:1–4). Divinity: “In the Name of God”; Lordship: “Lord of the Worlds”; and Mastership: “Master of the Day of Judgment.” In contrast, how does the last chapter commence? “I seek refuge in the Lord of humanity, the Master of humanity, the God of humanity” (114:1–3). The Qur’an starts and ends with the trinity of Lordship, Divinity, and Mastership because this is the primary message of both itself and of monotheism. In other words, we need to go beyond believing in divinity and move toward embracing His lordship and mastership, not merely by verbal confession, but through actual practice.

What does nās mean? Humanity has had various names assigned to it. For example, bashar means the outer layer of skin. The skin of animals is mainly covered with hair, feathers, or fur; human skin, however, is exposed. Bashar indicates this external appearance. The other name is bariyyah, which means “a creation without defect or deficiency.” Three of the other names have a common root: insān, nās, and ins, as well as antonyms that are also based on a common root: jinn, jānn, and jinnah, respectively.

The Qur’an uses insān whenever the specifics of a human being’s personality and character are of interest. For example: “A human is a creature of haste” (21:37) and “Truly, he is most unjust and ignorant” (33:72). But whenever humanity’s social character or sentiments are being referred to, the Qur’an uses ins: “If you perceive in them sound judgment” (4:6). Only humans live together as a social unit or with social norms and customs, which means that only they have a social and a civil life. The third designation for humans is nās, a reference to their ability to think and reflect, which makes it possible for them to ascend to higher levels of excellence, whereas other beings live in relative stagnation.

Clearly these three words are related to each other. One refers to humans’ character, the next one to their sociability, and the last one to their ability to think and reason. This chapter focuses on the last attribute. Humans think, and by doing so are able to perceive and realize that their Lord, Master, and Godhood are in the One. This concept of “trinity” considers these three attributes are part and parcel of the one and the same reality. Numerous verses, in fact, refer to this concept, for example: “We sent Moses with Our signs and a manifest authority to Pharaoh, Hāmān, and Qārūn” (40:24). Pharaoh symbolizes deceit, Hāmān military power, and Qārūn wealth. Shariati authored many such synonyms in triplets, among them zar (gold, wealth), zūr (force, power), and tazwīr (hypocrisy, ostentatious display);tīgh (blade, sharp), talā (gold, wealth), and tasbīh (rosary); malik (monarch), mala (brimming, glut), and mullā (religious scholar); and isti‘mār (colonialism), istithmār (exploitation), and istihmār (parasite).

During the pilgrimage rituals pilgrims throw stones at three idols, all of which are held to represent three aspects in which humans can grow, stagnate, or decline if they fail to pay close attention: power, wealth, and knowledge. The latter one is sometimes held to be love. Power means that humans may also depend upon that which is not God (i.e., showing deference to powerful individuals). This is considered polytheism and distances them from God. Likewise, they may view wealth as their hope for true sustenance. This does not mean that they have become atheists, but that their perspective has become blurred, another form of deviation. It is also possible that with respect to the heart, one who is enamored with love, culture, art, and virtue may one day attach himself or herself to that which is other than God.

Any one of these three aspects could lead one astray. According to the Qur’an, Pharaoh claimed to be all three: I am your supreme lord (79:24). He was not claiming to be the creator, but rather to have lordship over his people, as seen in his demand that they obey him at all times and without question. His second claim was that as he was their master, owner, and ruler, he also had complete jurisdiction over them: “Oh my people! Is not the sovereignty of Egypt mine, and do these streams not flow beneath me?” (43:51).He claimed to be both lord and divine, neither of which means “the creator.” When his magicians became believers and followed Moses, he proclaimed: “If you take up any god other than me, I shall place you among the imprisoned” (26:29). Thus Pharaoh sought absolute control of all aspects within his jurisdiction: He alone gives orders, all people have to obey him, he owns everything, and only he is worthy of love. When his magicians accepted Moses’ message, he asked: “Do you profess faith in Him before I permit you?” (7:123).This means that even faith, which is a heartfelt attribute, was subject to his permission and at his mercy. These causes of leading one astray are always present.
In this chapter, after we have acquired knowledge and are approaching the end of the Book, God tells us to seek refuge in His three names:

First is Lordship:
[114:1] Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of humanity,

Humans seek knowledge; however, their thinking and contemplation lead them to believe that their lord cannot be of this world. The Qur’an recounts that when Joseph was in prison, he asked his fellow prisoners: “Are different masters better, or God, the One, the Paramount?” (12:39).This world contains many “lords”: sultans, rulers, the clergy, or the powerful. The Qur’an says of the Jews and the Christians: “They have taken their rabbis and monks as lords besides God” (9:31). How have they done this? By accepting whatever these men say without reflection. Their religious authorities have reversed God’s decrees, and yet people continue to accept and follow whatever they say. This is what is known as rabb.

Jesus used to proclaim: “Truly, God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. This is a straight path” (3:51). In other words, why have you come to me? What can I do? God is our only resort and the Lord of everyone. If I cure the sick and give life to the deceased, it is not I who do this, but rather He who provides me with this power and energy. It all comes from Him: “Truly, God is my Lord and your Lord” (3:51).Paying attention to other than God is the greatest deviation in human history.

Moses and Pharaoh argued about lordship, not divinity. Moses continues to assert that he has been sent by the Lord of all the Worlds. When Pharaoh asks who this is, Moses replies that God is “Lord of the Heavens and Earth and all that is between them” (23:24) and “Your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers” (23:26). Pharaoh, still insisting that Moses is talking nonsense, turns to his subjects to draw their attention to what Moses is saying. At this point, Moses says that God is the “Lord of the East and the West” (23:28). Everything is organized by Him, and everything happens according to His will. This is the proper state for being with God. In theory we accept that such a power governs this world’s affairs, although in practice we act as if there is no such thing.

Second is mastership and sovereignty:
[114:2] The Master of humanity,

“Master” indicates the combination of sovereign and owner. God is the absolute and uncontested Authority, the Monarch, the One who has the last word. All people wait to see what orders He will give, all of which will be according to His discretion. As such, there is no reason for people to seek refuge in worldly authorities.

Third is divinity:
[114:3] The God of humanity,

God is the one with whom humans fall in love, that infinite and final destination that humans aspire to reach while frenzied with love and servitude. This is the story of the human heart and spirit that exist within the comfort and security of God: “And there are some among humanity who take up equals besides God, loving them like loving God. But those who believe are more ardent in their love of God” (2:165). Believers can only worship God and cannot allow other sacred things or persons, like a saint’s mausoleum, to distract them. Believers are always passionately with God and therefore can never deviate from the straight path.
 
Just accepting that there is a deity who governs this world and created us does not constitute sound belief or the acceptance of monotheism. What is important is to be with God at all times; to “live and breathe” Him; and to recognize God as one’s Lord, Master, and Deity. If God were to ignore us even for a moment, we would turn into nothing. If our blood were to stop circulating or if our lungs were to stop breathing even for an instant, we would die. Clearly, every moment of creation is a miracle.
We seek refuge in God, who is our Lord and Master, in each of these three/four (power, wealth, knowledge/love) aspects. But from what or whom do we seek refuge?

[114:4] From the evil of the stealthy whisperer,

We seek protection from the unscrupulous and stealthy inner whispering, the stimulating satanic temptation. In other words, both our soul and Satan are the sources of temptation. The Qur’an mainly holds the latter responsible and proclaims that humans are caught between their intellect and their emotions/instincts. That sneaky whisperer always makes its presence known, just like the stars that appear early in the evening and blink on and off. One second they are there, the next they are not (khannās; خناس). Even if we do not retaliate against someone who offends us, the incident stays in our mind, interrupting and maybe even depriving us of sleep. This constant annoyance is the sneaky whisperer.

Now, let’s see how the Qur’an defines pious persons: “Truly, those who are reverent. When they are touched by a visitation from Satan, they remember (God). Then behold, they see” (7:201). In short, pious believers who are confronted by the slinking whisperer are able to repel temptation by marshaling their ethical and religious thoughts. This is the way to rid oneself of the evil temptations that have taken root within us but are driven by unclear and hidden external factors (i.e., Satan). This temptation has no form or shape, ignores our demands to leave us alone, is invisible, and is both internal and complex:

[114:5] Who whispers into the breasts of humanity,
 
[114:6] from among the jinn and humanity.”

What is this temptation’s nature, and who is responsible for it? “From among the jinn and humanity” (114:6). Jinnsare concealed and invisible spiritual entities. How does a jinn tempt someone? Have you ever felt a jinn tempt you? We know what nās is, but what is jinn? We have to pay attention to its etymological meaning. The Qur’an uses this term for anything that is hidden and concealed. For example: “and when you were hidden [ajinnah – from the same root as jinn] in the wombs of your mothers (53:32). Thus the fetus in the womb is called janīn. Likewise, when night falls everything becomes jinn:“When night darkened (janna) over him [Ibrahim], he saw a star” (6:76).

The Qur’an calls a garden jannah because everything on the ground is covered by soil and grass. An insane person is called majnūn because his or her intellect and wisdom are concealed. A protective shield is called junnah because one hides behind it for safety. An examination of the derivatives of the root J-N-N reveals that all of them connote secrecy and hiddenness. Many of this world’s things are concealed from us and thus referred to as jinn. In fact, the Qur’an often applies this word to strangers. For instance, it relates to the Arabs that although they did not believe in what the Prophet had recited, a group of jinn who had been present did believe and, upon their return, had informed their community that a book had come after the Torah and that they believed in it (46:29–31 and 72:1–3).

Who were these jinns? The Qur’an says that they passed on to their tribe what they had heard; however, the Torah and the Qur’an are not books for non-humans. The Qur’an often asks: “Why has God not sent us an angel instead of a human to guide us?” It answers that if angels lived on this planet, a prophet of their own kind would have been sent to them, for this Book contains information related to matters of worship (e.g., prayer and ablution) that are meant only for humans. Jinn is an adjective and not a noun, which indicates that it does not exist in and of itself. This is just like “beauty” and “ugliness,” which also do not exist, whereas “beautiful” and “ugly” do. Many things can be beautiful: a flower, a scene, a house, or a person. Many things can be hidden and thus unknown to us, such as the existence of microbes before they were discovered.

Angels and heavenly bodies are jinns for us, and so are many creatures that may exist on other planets. In response to people’s inquiry about them, the Prophet replied that they were of three types: (1) like wind that cannot be seen. Remember that at that time such forces as energy and gravity were unknown; (2) like seeds that grow underground and cannot be seen. Mosesdrops his staff and, according to the Qur’an, it transforms “as if it were a snake,” (27:10) as if the staff had hidden and enshrouded the snake; and (3) humans whom we do not know. With regards to the jinns mentioned above, the intention is to present them as beings like ourselves because they also have holy books and follow a certain way of life. But since they are unknown to us, they are strangers – jinns. At that time, people knew about their own and perhaps near-by villages, but most of them certainly did not know about far-away lands and their peoples.

In any event, we seek refuge in God from all types of evil temptations and whisperings, both those known and unknown (viz., hidden) to us. In the past, before people knew about depression, those afflicted with it were held to be possessed by a jinn or other such attributes. If a woman died during childbirth, they would say that Āl, a devil in the form of a scary woman, had killed her because their minds required some kind of explanation for what had happened. Likewise, they did not know about microbes, which are concealed from us, and therefore could not understand why a person would suddenly die. But now we understand such things. Whereas we understand nās, we may not know what causes a person to become nervous, carry a grudge, or have such a complex character.

The Qur’an ends with two chapters that tell us to seek refuge from external temptations and internal whisperings. In both cases, it refers to the one who provides refuge as Rabb:“Say, ‘I seek the protection of the Lord of humanity’” (114:1)and “Say, ‘I seek the protection of the Lord of the daybreak’” (113:1).

Translator: Amir Douraghy
Editor: Hamid Mavani