Al-Mu'awwidhatayn

Al-Mu'awwidhitayn (Arabic المعوذتين), meaning "the two (verses) for seeking refuge", refers to the last two chapters of the Qur'an. The word is derived from the word 'awadha (عوذ), which means 'he refuged'. Al-Falaq and An-Nas are two consecutive short prayers beginning with "Say: I seek refuge in the Lord...". Although these two chapters are separate entities in the Qur'an and also are written in the Mushaf (copy of Qur-an) under separate names, they are so deeply related mutually with their contents closely resembling each other's that they have been designated by a common name Mu'awwidhitayn (the two chapters in which refuge with Allah has been sought). Imam Baihaqi in Dala'in Nubuwwat has written that these chapters were revealed together, and hence their combined name of Mu'awwidhatayn. There is a tradition from Muhammad of reading them over the sick or before sleeping and they are also considered a healing.

=Ibn Mas'ud didn't record Al-Mu'awwidhatayn in his Mushaf=

According to Sahih Ahmad:20244, Zirr ibn Hubaysh once told Ubayy ibn Ka'b that Ibn Mas'ud did not record the Mu`awwidhatayn in his Mushaf (copy of the Qur-an).

Then Ubayy said, "I testify that the Messenger of Allah informed me that Jibril recited to him: Say, I seek refuge with the Lord of the dawn (i.e. Al Falaq), and he said it, then Jibril said to him: Say, I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind, and he said it. And we recite what was the Prophet recited".

=The Virtues of Al-Falaq and An-Nas=


 * The Messenger of Allah said that the like of Al Falaq and An Nas has not been seen before and they are uncomparable (Muslim:1348, Muslim:1349, Tirmidhi:2827, Tirmidhi:3289, Nasai:945, Nasai:944, Nasai:5345, Ahmad:16665, Ahmad:16715, Ahmad:16730, Ahmad:16738, Darimi:3306 supported by weak hadith Ahmad:16684, Ahmad:16711, Ahmad:16726).


 * Reciting these two chapters are better than anything people do when seeking refuge (Ahmad:16748, Abu Dawud:1251, Nasai:5337 supported by weak hadith Nasai:5334, Nasai:5335, Nasai:5336, Ahmad:14901, Ahmad:16659) and when people on supplication (Nasai:5343, Darimi:3305). In Ahmad:16661, it's clear that Al Mu'awwidhatain are uncomparable with other recitation for seeking refuge.
 * On every night before the Messenger of Allah went to sleep, he collected his palms, then puffed them while reciting Al Ikhlas, Al Falaq, and An Nas, then rub the reachable parts of his body using his palms, starting from his head, his face, and parts of body. He repeated that three times. Even when he's ill, A'isha did that to him. (Bukhari:4630, Bukhari:5294, Bukhari:5307, Bukhari:5310, Bukhari:5844, Ahmad:24052, Ahmad:24308 supported by weak narrations Abu Dawud:4397, Tirmidhi:3324, Ahmad:23708, Ahmad:24170).
 * On the third raka'ah of a Witr prayer by the Messenger of Allah, he recited Al Ikhlas and Al Mu'awwidhatayn (Abu Dawud:1213, supported by weak hadith Tirmidhi:425, Ibn Majah:1163)
 * If we don't like them, we underestimate them (Nasai:5338, supported by weak hadith Nasai:5341, Ahmad:16751).
 * Those are the best chapters to recite (Nasai:5344, Ahmad:16813, Ahmad:16703 supported by weak hadith Abu Dawud:1250, Nasai:5346) and the most beneficial chapters to recite (Darimi:3304)
 * Those are the chapters that Allah love when someone recites it (Ahmad:16777) especially Al Falaq (Ahmad:16702)
 * We must recite them when we stay overnight. They've never been sent down in Torah, Bible, Psalm, and the Qur-an (Ahmad:16810).

=Weak Narrations about Al-Falaq and An-Nas=


 * The Messenger of Allah ordered us to recite them after our prayer (Tirmidhi:2828, Abu Dawud:1302).
 * Reciting them three times in the morning and afternoon will suffice us from all bad things or everything (Abu Dawud:4419, Tirmidhi:3499, Nasai:5333).
 * When these chapters were sent down the Messenger of Allah recited them and leave other recitation for seeking refuge from the evil and 'Ain disease on human (Tirmidhi:1984, Nasai:5399).
 * We must recite them before and after sleeping (Nasai:5342, Ahmad:16658).
 * They are sent down in Torah, Bible, Psalm, and the Qur-an (Ahmad:16696).
 * To heal people with pain, we recite Al Fatihah, the first four verses of Al Baqarah, Al Baqarah 163, Al Baqarah 255 (i.e. Throne verse), the last three verses of Al Baqarah, Ali 'Imran 18, Al A'raaf 54, Al Mukminun 116, Al Jin 3, the first ten verses of As Saffaat, the last three verses of Al Hashr, then Al Ikhlas, and Al Mu'awwidhatayn (Ahmad:20237)
 * To heal people (Ruqyah), we recite "Rabbunallahul ladhii fis samawati taqaddasa ismuka, amruka fis sama-i wal ardh, Allahumma kamaa amruka fis sama-i faj'al rahmataka 'alainaa fil ardh, Rabbit tayyibin igfirlanaa haubanaa wa dhunubanaa wa khataayaanaa wa nazzil rahmatan min rahmatika wa shifa'an min shifa'ika 'alaa maa  min shakwaa" three times, then we seek refuge by reciting Al Mu'awwidhatayn three times (Ahmad:22832).
 * Ruqyah using other than them is one of ten things the Messenger of Allah hate (Ahmad:3423).