An-Nas — Mankind · سُورَةُ النَّاس

Verse 4 of 6
Stage 1 of 5 · Feel It

✦ Full verse · No translation yet · Just listen

مِن شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ

Min sharri l-waswāsi l-khannās

From the evil of the whisperer who slinks away. Shaytan — named and described.

3 Words — the enemy named
و-س-و-س Root — whisper, rustling
الْخَنَّاس The one who slinks back
1 / 5
Stage 2 of 5 · Break It
مِن شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ

Min sharri l-waswāsi l-khannās

Word 1 مِن شَرِّ min sharri From the evil of Preposition + noun
Word 2 الْوَسْوَاسِ al-waswās The whisperer / the whispering Intensive noun — both the act and agent
Word 3 الْخَنَّاسِ al-khannās The one who slinks back / retreats Intensive — habitual retreating
2 / 5
Stage 3 of 5 · Discover It
🌱 The Root of This Verse
و
—
س
—
و
—
س

Whispering · Rustling · Subtle suggestion

Root و-س-و-س appears 4 times in the Quran

وَسْوَسَ
waswasa — he whispered / suggested subtly Verb form
وَسْوَاس
waswās — the whisperer / the whisper itself This verse — both meanings
وَسْوَسَة
waswasa — a whispering thought The act
وِسْوَاس
wiswās — obsessive whispering Medical term — OCD
الوَسْوَاس is the sound of rustling — like wind through leaves or silk. Al-Sa'di: Shaytan's whisper is subtle, barely perceptible. He doesn't shout commands — he plants soft suggestions that feel like your own thoughts.

Source: تفسير السعدي · مفردات الراغب الأصفهاني · لسان العرب

3 / 5
Stage 4 of 5 · Connect It
👂

The Whisper — Not a Shout

Al-Sa'di: Shaytan uses وَسْوَسَة — not loud commands but soft whispers. He makes sin look attractive, doubt look reasonable, and laziness look wise. Recognizing the whisper is the first step to resisting it.

🐍

الْخَنَّاس — The Retreater

Ibn Kathir: الخَنَّاس comes from خَنَسَ — to retreat, to slink back. When you remember Allah, Shaytan retreats. His power depends on your forgetting. The most powerful weapon against the whisperer is ذِكْر Allah — remembrance.

💭

Your Thoughts Are Not All Yours

Al-Sa'di: وَسْوَاس explains why bad thoughts appear even in righteous people. Not every dark thought is yours — some are planted. Recognizing the source removes the guilt and empowers the response: أَعُوذُ بِاللَّه.

Insights: تفسير السعدي · تفسير ابن كثير

4 / 5
Stage 5 of 5 · Seal It
مِن شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ

Min sharri l-waswāsi l-khannās

Quick Check

What does الْخَنَّاسِ tell us about Shaytan's strategy?

الْخَنَّاسِ al-khannās
✨

Verse Complete

An-Nas 4:6 · Understood

3Words learned
و-س-و-سRoot discovered
4/6An-Nas
مِن شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ

Min sharri l-waswāsi l-khannās

Next Lesson →
5 / 5