Why do Muslims recite Surah al-Falaq and Surah an-Nas?

Why they are called al-mu'awwidhatayn

Both surahs open with the same command — "Say: I seek refuge" — and that shared opening is what gave them their name. IslamWeb (fatwa 47197) explains that they are called al-mu'awwidhatayn because they begin with seeking refuge in Allah: "Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of the daybreak" and "Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind."

The Prophet ﷺ himself used the name. IslamWeb cites the narration of 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir رضي الله عنه:

"Recite the two mu'awwidhatayn, for you will never recite anything like them."— Reported by Imam Ahmad, cited in IslamWeb fatwa 47197

What each surah asks protection from

Surah al-Falaq — the 113th of the Qur'an's 114 surahs, with 5 verses — names four specific evils. Ibn 'Uthaymeen, in his explanation of Riyad al-Salihin, sets them out:

• The general evil of creation: "from the evil of what He created" covers every harmful thing, including a person's own self, which he notes is "a persistent commander to evil."
• The evil of the night: ghasiqin idha waqab — the night when it settles in, because vermin and predators emerge in it.
• The evil of sorcerers: an-naffathat fi al-'uqad — those who blow on knots to work magic.
• The evil of the envier: hasidin idha hasad — and Ibn 'Uthaymeen notes the wording "when he envies," because the envier's harm spreads to others only when he acts on it.

Surah an-Nas — the 114th and last surah, with 6 verses — turns to a single, subtler enemy: the whisperer who retreats. Ibn 'Uthaymeen explains that al-waswas is the whisperer, and al-khannas is the one who slinks away and withdraws at the mention of Allah. He notes the whisperer comes from two sources — min al-jinnati wan-nas — from jinn and from mankind, since people also beautify evil in one another's hearts.

When the Prophet ﷺ recited them

The practice is not general and vague; it is attached to particular times. Ibn 'Uthaymeen, in his explanation of Riyad al-Salihin, summarises the three places:

1. Before sleep. 'A'ishah رضي الله عنها described the Prophet ﷺ gathering his palms, blowing into them, reciting Surah al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq and an-Nas, then wiping his face and whatever of his body he could reach, doing this three times. (Sahih al-Bukhari 5017)
2. Morning and evening. 'Abdullah ibn Khubayb رضي الله عنه reported that the Prophet ﷺ told him to recite Surah al-Ikhlas and the two mu'awwidhatayn three times each morning and evening, and said this would suffice him against everything. (Abu Dawud 5082, graded hasan)
3. After the obligatory prayers. Ibn 'Uthaymeen notes the Prophet ﷺ would sometimes recite them following the five prayers.

What they replaced

These two surahs were not one protection among many — they superseded what came before them. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri رضي الله عنه said the Prophet ﷺ used to seek refuge from the evil eye of the jinn and then of humans, until the two mu'awwidhatayn were revealed; when they came down he took them and left everything else. (Tirmidhi, graded sahih by al-Albani)

Ibn 'Uthaymeen draws the point out: the Prophet ﷺ abandoned other non-Qur'anic words of refuge because these two surahs contain seeking refuge from every harm. Al-Qastallani, in Irshad al-Sari, adds that when the Prophet ﷺ was bewitched, he sought healing through the mu'awwidhatayn, "for they are among the comprehensive words in this subject."

The promise attached to them

The reward is stated in the narrations themselves. Ibn Kathir records the Prophet ﷺ saying to a man who recited them:

"This is how you seek refuge — never has anyone who seeks refuge sought refuge with anything like them."— Reported by an-Nasa'i 5431, cited in Ibn Kathir's tafsir

And to Jabir ibn 'Abdullah رضي الله عنه:

"Recite them, for you will never recite anything like them."— Reported by an-Nasa'i, cited in Ibn Kathir's tafsir

IslamWeb (fatwa 177191) draws the practical conclusion: whoever seeks refuge through these surahs and fortifies himself with them against harm, they will suffice him, if Allah wills.

Key takeaways

• They are the two surahs of seeking refuge — al-Falaq and an-Nas — named by the Prophet ﷺ himself as al-mu'awwidhatayn.
• Recite them morning and evening, three times each, together with Surah al-Ikhlas; the Prophet ﷺ said this suffices against everything.
• Recite them before sleep, blowing into cupped hands and wiping the face and body, three times.
• They cover four named evils — creation generally, the night, sorcery, and envy — plus the whispering of jinn and humans.
• They replaced earlier forms of seeking refuge, because they are comprehensive and no words of protection match them.

Further reading

• Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, on the two mu'awwidhatayn
• Ibn 'Uthaymeen, Sharh Riyad al-Salihin, chapters on dhikr and on specific surahs
• Al-Qastallani, Irshad al-Sari, on Surah al-Falaq

And Allah knows best.