Then Allah the Exalted states:
مِنۡ شَرِّ الۡوَسۡوَاسِ ۬ۙ الۡخَنَّاسِ
Meaning, seek refuge from the evil of the whisperings of khannas (the evil whisperer). In Arabic, the snake is called khannas, or nahash in Hebrew, on account of the sin that it committed in earlier times. Here, Allah Almighty does not use the name Iblis or Satan so that man is reminded of the trial he confronted in the very beginning, when Satan deceived his two ancestors. At that time, his name was khannas. Allah the Exalted employed this sequence so that man is reminded of past events and realises that just as Satan once deceived man, turning him away from obedience to God, he must not be allowed, in any future time, to make you rebel or turn away from obedience to the ruler of the time. In this way, man is moved to continuously scrutinise and judge the intentions and designs of the inner self to see the extent to which he is willing to obey their ruling king, and so that he continues to strive positively in this regard, and continues to supplicate before God Almighty that may Satan not infiltrate him by any avenue.
Hence, the commandment of obedience given in this chapter is obedience to God Almighty, for true obedience is due to Him. However, there is also an instruction to obey one’s parents, a spiritual mentor or guide, and the ruler of the time, because it is God Almighty Himself who has instructed man to show obedience to these people as well. The benefit of obedience will be that one will be saved from the grip of khannas. Therefore, man has been taught to seek refuge from the evil whisperings of khannas because a believer is not bitten from the same hole twice. You must not fall prey to an affliction in which you have been entangled before. So, there is a clear indication in this chapter to obey the ruler of the time.
The khannas (evil whisperer) has been invested with certain properties just as God Almighty has placed certain properties in trees, water, fire, and various other objects and elements. The Arabic word for ‘element’ is عنصر (unsar), which is actually from عن سر (i.e. an-sir, literally meaning ‘from secret’). In Arabic the letter س (seen) and ص (saad) are sometimes interchangeable, so the meaning of this word would be ‘something from among the secrets of God.’ In actuality, this word refers to a point where human investigations can go no further. In short, everything originates from God, whether they are single elements or compounds.
It is a fact that by sending such rulers, God has saved us from a thousand hardships and has transformed our state. We have been pulled out of a burning furnace and brought into a garden with delightful plants, and running streams in every direction, along with cool and pleasant winds. How ungrateful, therefore, would one be if one was to neglect these favours. My community—to which God has granted insight and which is free from duplicity—ought to be a paragon of gratitude, especially because its members have forged a relationship with a man who is free from hypocrisy.