The Four Quls (4 Qul / Char Qul) — Meaning, Arabic & PDF

The “Four Quls” — often called “Char Qul” in Urdu and Hindi — refers to four short surahs of the Quran that each open with the word “Qul” (“Say”): Al-Kafirun, Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, and An-Nas. They’re widely recited together, especially before sleep, though — as covered below — three of them share one well-authenticated basis for that practice, and the fourth is a separate, less strongly established addition.

TSurah Al-Kafirun (The Disbelievers)

قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ ﴿١﴾ لَا أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ ﴿٢﴾ وَلَا أَنتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ ﴿٣﴾ وَلَا أَنَا عَابِدٌ مَّا عَبَدتُّمْ ﴿٤﴾ وَلَا أَنتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ ﴿٥﴾ لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِيَ دِينِ ﴿٦﴾

Transliteration: Qul yaa ayyuhal kaafiroon. Laa a’budu maa ta’budoon. Wa laa antum ‘aabidoona maa a’bud. Wa laa ana ‘aabidum maa ‘abattum. Wa laa antum ‘aabidoona maa a’bud. Lakum deenukum wa liya deen.

Translation: “Say, ‘O disbelievers, I do not worship what you worship. Nor are you worshippers of what I worship. Nor will I be a worshipper of what you worship. Nor will you be worshippers of what I worship. For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.'”

Theme: A clear declaration of monotheistic belief and a firm boundary against religious compromise.

Surah Al-Ikhlas (Sincerity)

قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ﴿١﴾ اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ ﴿٢﴾ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ﴿٣﴾ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ ﴿٤﴾

Transliteration: Qul huwa Allahu ahad. Allahu s-samad. Lam yalid wa lam yoolad. Wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad.

Translation: “Say, ‘He is Allah, [who is] One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent.'”

Theme: A concise statement of Tawheed (Allah’s absolute oneness) — reported to carry reward equivalent to a third of the Quran due to how completely it summarizes this core belief.

Surah Al-Falaq (The Daybreak)

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ ﴿١﴾ مِن شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ ﴿٢﴾ وَمِن شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ ﴿٣﴾ وَمِن شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ ﴿٤﴾ وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ ﴿٥﴾

Transliteration: Qul a’oodhu bi rabbil falaq. Min sharri maa khalaq. Wa min sharri ghaasiqin idhaa waqab. Wa min sharrin naffaathaati fil ‘uqad. Wa min sharri haasidin idhaa hasad.

Translation: “Say, ‘I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak, from the evil of that which He created, and from the evil of darkness when it settles, and from the evil of the blowers in knots, and from the evil of an envier when he envies.'”

Theme: Seeking Allah’s protection from external harm — darkness, malicious intent, and envy.

Surah An-Nas (Mankind)

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ ﴿١﴾ مَلِكِ النَّاسِ ﴿٢﴾ إِلَٰهِ النَّاسِ ﴿٣﴾ مِن شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ ﴿٤﴾ الَّذِي يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ النَّاسِ ﴿٥﴾ مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ ﴿٦﴾

Transliteration: Qul a’oodhu bi rabbin naas. Malikin naas. Ilaahin naas. Min sharril waswaasil khannaas. Alladhee yuwaswisu fee sudoorin naas. Minal jinnati wan naas.

Translation: “Say, ‘I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, the Sovereign of mankind, the God of mankind, from the evil of the retreating whisperer who whispers [evil] into the breasts of mankind, from among the jinn and mankind.'”

Theme: Seeking protection specifically from internal, whispered temptation — complementing Al-Falaq’s focus on external harm.

Why Are They Recited Together?

This distinction matters and most pages on this topic skip it entirely.

The “Three Quls” — Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, and An-Nas (Al-Mu’awwidhat) — have a genuinely well-authenticated basis for nightly recitation. It’s reported in Sahih al-Bukhari, on the authority of Aisha (RA), that the Prophet ﷺ would recite these three surahs before sleeping each night, blow into his cupped hands, and wipe them over as much of his body as he could reach. This is one of the better-documented nightly practices found across popular Quranic recitation traditions.

Al-Kafirun’s inclusion as the “fourth Qul” rests on separate, weaker grounds. A hadith reported in Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi has the Prophet ﷺ instructing a companion to recite Surah Al-Kafirun before sleeping, “for it is a disavowal of shirk (associating partners with Allah).” Scholars differ on this narration’s strength — some grade it hasan, others da’if. It’s a widely practiced addition, but on a different evidentiary footing than the three Mu’awwidhat above.

None of this makes reciting all four together wrong — it’s a long-standing, reasonable practice. It just means the “three” and the “fourth” shouldn’t be presented with equal certainty, which is why we’ve separated them here.

When to Recite the Four Quls | Best times to recite Char Qul

• Before sleeping — the primary, most well-supported occasion, per the hadith above.
• After the five daily prayers — a widely practiced habit for ongoing protection and remembrance.
• In times of anxiety or seeking protection — a common practice, consistent with the surahs’ themes of seeking refuge in Allah.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the Four Quls?

Four short surahs that each begin with “Qul” (“Say”): Al-Kafirun, Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, and An-Nas.

What does “Char Qul” mean?

“Char Qul” is the Urdu/Hindi term for the same four surahs — “char” means “four.”

Why are they called Quls?

Because each one opens with the Arabic word “Qul,” meaning “Say” — an instruction to the Prophet ﷺ to declare what follows.

Is it authentic to recite all four before sleeping?

Reciting the three Mu’awwidhat (Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, An-Nas) before sleep is well-authenticated in Sahih al-Bukhari. Adding Al-Kafirun as a fourth rests on a separate hadith of debated strength (hasan by some scholars, da’if by others) — see the section above for the full explanation.

Where can I download the Four Quls PDF?

Use the download button above for the free PDF with Arabic text, transliteration, and translation.

Alongside the Four Qul, learning the proper recitation through guides like Noorani Qaida ensures that the words of the Quran are pronounced with the precision they deserve. Whether you’re new to reading the Quran or looking to improve your recitation, Noorani Qaida can be a valuable tool in perfecting your connection to Allah’s words, ensuring your recitation is accurate and impactful.

If you want to read Other surahs of Quran.