How to recite Surah An-Nas

Surah An-Nas is the 114th and final chapter of the Quran. It has six short verses, and like Al-Falaq it is a request for the protection of Allah (the Arabic word for God, the One God). An-Nas means mankind, or people.

Al-Falaq and An-Nas are known together as al-Mu'awwidhatayn, the two surahs of seeking refuge. 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, told him that verses had been revealed to him the like of which had never been seen, and that they were al-Mu'awwidhatayn.

Before you start

By now you know the method: listen, repeat, and add one verse at a time. Keep your listening companion close, a recording by any well-known reciter (the Quran.com page in the sources below has audio). If a sound does not come out right yet, keep going. Learning slowly is normal, and the Prophet said that the one who recites the Quran with difficulty, stumbling over it, has two rewards.

Sounds to listen for

• Every verse ends with the sound naas. When you stop on it, you can stretch the aa a little longer.

• The doubled nn in an-naas is said with a light hum through the nose. Reciters call this ghunnah. Hold it for a moment.

• The kh in khannaas is the rough throat sound you met in Al-Falaq.

• The s in sudoor is a heavy s, said deeper in the mouth than an English s.

• The j in jinnati is as in "jam".

• dh in Alladhee is the soft "th" in "this".

The opening: the basmala

The six verses

The English under each verse is the Saheeh International translation of its meaning. The next lesson explains each verse.

Verses 1 to 3 follow a gentle pattern: rabbin-naas, malikin-naas, ilaahin-naas. Learn them as one group, and half the surah is done.

If you get stuck

• Mixing up verses 1 to 3? Remember the order Lord, King, God: rabb, malik, ilaah.

• Verse 4 feels long? Say it in two halves: min sharril-waswaasil, then khannaas. Join them once each half feels easy.

• Record yourself on your phone and compare it with the reciter. You will hear small differences more easily than while you are speaking.

• Forgot a word? Look at the transliteration and carry on. Memory grows through repetition, not perfection.

Reciting it in your prayer

Like the other two, An-Nas can be recited after Al-Fatiha in the first two rak'ahs (units) of your prayer, following the Prophet's practice of reciting Al-Fatiha and then another surah. You now have three surahs to choose from.

In the last lesson of this step, you will learn what An-Nas means and a simple daily routine for all three surahs.