1. Surah Al-Kafirun (109): The Disbelievers
Six verses declaring that a believer's worship is for Allah alone.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
قُلْ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْكَٰفِرُونَ ﴿١﴾
Transliteration: Qul yaa ayyuhal-kaafiroon
Meaning: Say, "O disbelievers,
لَآ أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ ﴿٢﴾
Transliteration: Laa a'budu maa ta'budoon
Meaning: I do not worship what you worship.
وَلَآ أَنتُمْ عَٰبِدُونَ مَآ أَعْبُدُ ﴿٣﴾
Transliteration: Wa laa antum 'aabidoona maa a'bud
Meaning: Nor are you worshippers of what I worship.
وَلَآ أَنَا۠ عَابِدٌۭ مَّا عَبَدتُّمْ ﴿٤﴾
Transliteration: Wa laa ana 'aabidum-maa 'abadtum
Meaning: Nor will I be a worshipper of what you worship.
وَلَآ أَنتُمْ عَٰبِدُونَ مَآ أَعْبُدُ ﴿٥﴾
Transliteration: Wa laa antum 'aabidoona maa a'bud
Meaning: Nor will you be worshippers of what I worship.
لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِىَ دِينِ ﴿٦﴾
Transliteration: Lakum deenukum wa liya deen
Meaning: For you is your religion, and for me is my religion."
2. Surah Al-Ikhlas (112): Sincerity
Four verses describing the Oneness of Allah. Often the first surah children learn after Al-Fatiha.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ﴿١﴾
Transliteration: Qul huwal-laahu ahad
Meaning: Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One,
ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ ﴿٢﴾
Transliteration: Allaahus-samad
Meaning: Allah, the Eternal Refuge.
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ﴿٣﴾
Transliteration: Lam yalid wa lam yoolad
Meaning: He neither begets nor is born,
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌۢ ﴿٤﴾
Transliteration: Wa lam yakul-lahoo kufuwan ahad
Meaning: Nor is there to Him any equivalent."
3. Surah Al-Falaq (113): The Daybreak
Five verses seeking Allah's protection from outside harms, including darkness, magic and envy.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْفَلَقِ ﴿١﴾
Transliteration: Qul a'oodhu bi rabbil-falaq
Meaning: Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak
مِن شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ ﴿٢﴾
Transliteration: Min sharri maa khalaq
Meaning: From the evil of that which He created
وَمِن شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ ﴿٣﴾
Transliteration: Wa min sharri ghaasiqin idhaa waqab
Meaning: And from the evil of darkness when it settles
وَمِن شَرِّ ٱلنَّفَّٰثَٰتِ فِى ٱلْعُقَدِ ﴿٤﴾
Transliteration: Wa min sharrin-naffaathaati fil-'uqad
Meaning: And from the evil of the blowers in knots
وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ ﴿٥﴾
Transliteration: Wa min sharri haasidin idhaa hasad
Meaning: And from the evil of an envier when he envies."
4. Surah An-Nas (114): Mankind
Six verses seeking Allah's protection from the whispering of Shaytan. It is the last surah of the Quran.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلنَّاسِ ﴿١﴾
Transliteration: Qul a'oodhu bi rabbin-naas
Meaning: Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind,
مَلِكِ ٱلنَّاسِ ﴿٢﴾
Transliteration: Malikin-naas
Meaning: The Sovereign of mankind.
إِلَٰهِ ٱلنَّاسِ ﴿٣﴾
Transliteration: Ilaahin-naas
Meaning: The God of mankind,
مِن شَرِّ ٱلْوَسْوَاسِ ٱلْخَنَّاسِ ﴿٤﴾
Transliteration: Min sharril-waswaasil-khannaas
Meaning: From the evil of the retreating whisperer -
ٱلَّذِى يُوَسْوِسُ فِى صُدُورِ ٱلنَّاسِ ﴿٥﴾
Transliteration: Alladhee yuwaswisu fee sudoorin-naas
Meaning: Who whispers [evil] into the breasts of mankind -
مِنَ ٱلْجِنَّةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ ﴿٦﴾
Transliteration: Minal-jinnati wan-naas
Meaning: From among the jinn and mankind."
Virtues of the Quls and when to recite them
- Al-Ikhlas equals a third of the Quran. The Prophet ﷺ said that Surah Al-Ikhlas is equal to one third of the Quran (Sahih al-Bukhari 5013; Sahih Muslim 811).
- Before sleeping. Every night the Prophet ﷺ would cup his hands, blow lightly into them, recite Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq and An-Nas, and wipe over as much of his body as he could, three times (Sahih al-Bukhari 5017).
- Morning and evening. Reciting Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq and An-Nas three times in the morning and evening is reported to suffice a person against everything (Sunan Abi Dawud 5082; Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3575).
- In the Sunnah prayer before Fajr. The Prophet ﷺ recited Al-Kafirun and Al-Ikhlas in the two rak'ahs before Fajr (Sahih Muslim 726).
- Al-Kafirun before sleep. A hadith in Sunan Abi Dawud (5055) describes reciting Al-Kafirun before sleeping as a declaration of freedom from shirk.
A simple 4-week plan to memorise the 4 Quls
| Week | Surah | Daily routine (10 minutes) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al-Ikhlas (4 verses) | Listen 3 times, then one new verse a day; recite the whole surah at bedtime. |
| 2 | Al-Falaq (5 verses) | One new verse a day; revise Al-Ikhlas first. |
| 3 | An-Nas (6 verses) | One new verse a day; revise the previous two surahs. |
| 4 | Al-Kafirun (6 verses) | One or two verses a day; recite all four in Salah. |
Common mistakes we correct in lessons: mixing up ح and ه in ahad and hasad, a light ص in as-samad, and skipping the ghunnah in an-naas. Read our Tajweed rules for beginners, continue with Ayatul Kursi, or let a teacher guide your child in our kids Quran classes.