Say, ‘I seek refuge in the Lord of the Daybreak,He said:Truly God, Exalted is He, commanded him [the Prophet] in these two sūras [113 and 114] to take refuge (iʿtiṣām) in Him, seek help (istiʿāna) from Him, and show [his] need (faqr) for Him.He was asked, ‘What is showing [one’s] need?’ He replied:It is the [substitution of one] state by another (huwa’l-ḥāl bi’l-ḥāl), for the natural disposition (ṭabʿ) is dead [in and of itself] and its life is in displaying this. He also said:The best form of purification (ṭahāra) is that the servant purifies himself from [the illusion of] his own power (ḥawl) and strength (quwwa). Every act or saying that is not accompanied by the words: ‘there is no power or strength save in God’, will not have God’s support, Mighty and Majestic is He. Furthermore, every saying which is not accompanied by the proviso, will incur a punishment for [the person who said it], even if it was an act [or saying] of righteousness.And for every affliction (muṣība) which is received without being accompanied by the saying of ‘return’ (istirjāʿ), the afflicted person will not be given steadfastness when facing it [affliction] on the Day of Resurrection.He said:According to Ibn ʿAbbās y, al-falaq means the morning (ṣubḥ) while according to al-Ḍaḥḥāk it refers to a valley in the Hellfire. [On the other hand], according to Wuhayb it refers to a chamber in Hell, and according to Ḥasan it refers to a well in Hell.It has also been said that He intended by it all people (jamīʿ al-khalq). Or it has been said that it refers to the rock from which water springs forth.
