in the knots, and from the evil of an envier when he envies.
Reflect on the harmony among these three verses—“and from the evil of darkness when it settles.” Night is singled out because calamity lurks in it unseen; sorcery, too, works in secret, and the evil eye is likewise concealed. Hence we seek refuge with the Lord of daybreak, the One who cleaves the dawn until its light becomes manifest and splits the seed until it emerges and appears. Such is the apt correspondence between the One invoked and the evils from which protection is sought.

As for “Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind,” this is the other sūrah in which refuge is sought with Allah:
“Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind, the King of mankind.” He is the Lord, the Sovereign possessed of the supreme authority—none can oppose Him and none can alter His words, exalted be He.
“The King of mankind, the God of mankind”—that is, their true Deity; none deserves to be worshipped in truth except Allah.

“From the evil of the whisperer who withdraws, who whispers in the breasts of mankind.” These are the inner promptings Satan casts into the heart of the son of Adam, and how numerous are the grave whisperings he casts in our own era—whisperings that unsettle a person.

Glory be to Allah the Majestic: the dunya takes its very name from its baseness; it is never perfected on one side without becoming deficient on others. In these days we live in unprecedented luxury—blessings abound, wealth and children are plentiful, every comfort is at hand, and physical ease is evident—yet the people are overwhelmed by an upsurge of whisperings, psychological ailments, and afflictions, so that this world never attains completion and man is kept from leaning upon it. For if the world were perfect in every respect, it would make the Hereafter fade from mind, just as the Prophet ﷺ said, “By Allah, it is not poverty that I fear for you; rather, I fear that the world will be opened up for you and you will compete over it…”