An-Nas, "Mankind," is the 114th and final surah of the Quran — six short Meccan verses. Like the surah before it, it is a prayer of refuge, but where Al-Falaq turns outward to harms in the world, An-Nas turns inward to the harm of temptation.13
What it is about
The surah names God three ways in its first three verses — "Lord of mankind," "Sovereign of mankind," "God of mankind" — building the case that the One being asked for refuge is completely in charge of the very people who need protecting. It then names what it seeks refuge from: "the evil of the retreating whisperer — who whispers [evil] into the breasts of mankind — from among the jinn and mankind." The whisperer is the tempter who suggests wrong quietly to the heart and slinks away when God is remembered.
Why it matters
An-Nas and Al-Falaq are the Mu'awwidhatayn, the pair the Prophet ﷺ praised as verses "the like of which has never been seen."2 Recited together they became part of daily morning and evening remembrance and of seeking refuge before sleep. Ending the Quran on a plea for protection from temptation returns the reader to where Al-Fatiha began — dependence on God and the need for His guidance. To read An-Nas in Arabic with translations and recitation, open it on Quran.com.