Regarding His words, “in the breasts of mankind”: by “mankind” He meant those mentioned afterward—namely, the jinn and mankind. Thus, He called the jinn “people,” just as He called them “men,” saying: “And there were men among mankind who sought refuge in men among the jinn” (al-Jinn 72:6).

It has been related that one of the Arabs, while recounting an event, said: “A group of jinn came and settled.” He was asked, “Who are you?” They replied, “We are people among the jinn.” This is the meaning of al-Farra’s statement (1).

Some said: This establishes that a human being may whisper to another human being just as Satan whispers. Thus, “the whisperer” is made an act of both the jinn and mankind, as He says: “Thus We have appointed for every prophet an enemy: devils from among mankind and the jinn” (al-An‘am 6:112). It is as though he was commanded to seek refuge from the evil of both jinn and mankind.

Isma‘il ibn Abd al-Qahir informed us that Abd al-Ghafir (2) ibn Muhammad informed us; Muhammad ibn ‘Isa informed us; Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Sufyan related to us; Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj related to us; Qutaybah ibn Sa‘id related to us; Jarir related from Bayan, from Qays ibn Abi Hazim, from ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir, who said: The Messenger of Allah said, “Have you not seen verses that were revealed tonight, the like of which has never been seen: ‘Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak,’ and ‘Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind’?” (3)

Abu Sa‘id Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Shurayhi informed us; Abu Ishaq Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Tha‘labi informed us; Abu al-Hasan ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Ibrahim al-‘Adl informed us; Abu al-‘Abbas Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub related to us; Abu al-‘Abbas ibn al-Walid ibn Marthad related to us; my father informed me; al-Awza‘i related to us; Yahya ibn Abi Kathir related to me; Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Harith al-Taymi related to me, from ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir al-Juhani, that the Messenger of Allah said to him, “Shall I not tell you of the best words by which those seeking refuge seek refuge?” I said, “Certainly.” He said, “‘Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak,’ and ‘Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind.’” (4)

Abu Muhammad ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abd al-Samad al-Jawzajani informed us; Abu al-Qasim ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Khuza‘i informed us; Abu Sa‘id al-Haytham ibn Kulayb al-Shashi informed us; Abu ‘Isa al-Tirmidhi informed us; Qutaybah related to us; al-Mufaddal ibn Fadalah related to us from ‘Uqayl, from al-Zuhri, from ‘Urwah, from ‘A’ishah, who said: Whenever the Messenger of Allah retired to his bed at night, he would cup his hands together and blow lightly into them. Then he would recite into them: “Say, He is Allah, the One,” “Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak,” and “Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind.” Then he would wipe with them as much of his body as he could, beginning with his head, his face, and the front of his body. He would do this three times (5).