Shaykh al-Islām—may Allah sanctify his soul—said:

Section: On Surahs al-Falaq and al-Nās

The interpretations of al-falaq vary in scope, from general to specific. It has been interpreted as creation in general; as everything in creation that is split open, such as daybreak, grain, and date stones—which encompasses most of creation; and as daybreak specifically. As for interpreting it as the Fire, or a pit or tree within it, this requires revealed evidence.

As for al-ghāsiq (the darkening one), a hadith narrated from ‘Ā’ishah and traced back to the Prophet is recorded in the collections of al-Tirmidhī and al-Nasā’ī:

“The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, looked at the moon and said to her: ‘O ‘Ā’ishah, seek refuge in Allah from this, for this is the darkening one when it enters.’”

Ibn Qutaybah said: “Al-ghāsiq is the moon when it is eclipsed and turns dark, and waqaba means that it enters an eclipse.”

The well-known interpretation among Quranic commentators and linguists is that al-ghāsiq means the night, and waqaba means that it enters