Al-Falaq, "The Daybreak," is the 113th surah — five short verses that, with the surah that follows it, close the Quran. It is a prayer of protection: each verse begins from the command "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak," then names something to be protected from.13
What it is about
The surah asks God for refuge from four harms in turn: "the evil of that which He created"; "the evil of darkness when it settles"; "the evil of the blowers in knots" (understood as those who work sorcery); and "the evil of an envier when he envies." Rather than deny that such harms exist, the surah directs the believer to the only sure protection — the Lord of the daybreak, the One who splits the dawn out of darkness.
Why it matters
Al-Falaq and An-Nas are together called the Mu'awwidhatayn, "the two of refuge-seeking." Uqbah ibn Amir reported the Prophet ﷺ saying of them, "Have you not seen the verses revealed tonight the like of which has never been seen? They are 'Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the daybreak' and 'Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind.'"2 The two surahs became a staple of morning and evening remembrance and of seeking healing. To read Al-Falaq in Arabic with translations and recitation, open it on Quran.com.