Proceedings of the Prayer Meeting — Page 24
24 Almighty Allah alone be considered worthy of every praise and exaltation. Then He says: 1 ْنِم ِّرَش ِساَوْسَوْلا ِساَّنَخْلا Meaning that, seek refuge from the evil of the whisper-dropping خنّاس [ khannaas— the sneaking whisperer]. In Arabic the term khannaas means the serpent which is called نحاش in Hebrew in an allusion to the evil that it was guilty of, in the earlier days. Here the word Iblees or ‘Satan’ has not been used in order that man may recall his original trial whereby Satan had deceived his two ancestors. It was on that occasion that he was given the name khannaas [the evil whisperer]. God has chosen this sequence in order to warn man by remind- ing him of past events; namely that, just as Satan had tempted man to disobey God, so might he also—at any moment—tempt man to disobey and rebel against the ruler of the time. Thus, one must always keep an eye on the intentions and designs of one’s ego and see how willing he is to submit to the authority of the ruler. Also, one should continue to strive and pray to God Almighty that Satan may not enter into him through any opening. Now, the command in this surah is none other than the com- mand to obey God Almighty alone, inasmuch as true obedience belongs to Him. However, the command for obedience to par- ents, the spiritual leader and guide, and the ruler of the time, has also been enjoined by God Himself. The reward of such obedi- ence will be that you will break free from the grip of khannaas 1. Surah an-Nas, 114:5. [Publisher]