Tafsir of Al-Falaq 113:3

(And from the evil of the Ghasiq): This specifies certain evils by mentioning them, even though they are included in the general term mentioned previously, to highlight the urgent need to seek refuge from it due to its frequent occurrence. Furthermore, specifying that from which one seeks refuge is more indicative of the reliance upon seeking refuge and is more conducive to receiving protection.

Al-Ghasiq is the night when its darkness intensifies. The root of al-ghasaq is "fullness"; it is said "the eye ghasaqat" when it is full of tears. It has also been said that it means "flowing," and the ghasaq of the night is the pouring of its darkness, by way of metaphor, just as the ghasaq of the eye is the flowing of its tears. The attribution of evil to the night is due to its association with it, as evil often occurs therein, similar to the phrase "his day is fasting." The indefinite form (nakirah) indicates the comprehensiveness of the evil, encompassing all its instances and every part of it.

(When it waqaba): Meaning, when its darkness enters into everything. The root of waqb is a depression or a hole, then it was used to mean entering. From this is His saying: "The punishment waqaba upon them," meaning as if the scorching fire of the samum wind overtook them and extinguished them, as stated in al-Maghib, because that is like entering into a hole or depression. It has also been interpreted here as "coming." The restriction to this time is because the occurrence of evil in it is more frequent, and protection from it is more difficult and arduous. Among their proverbs is: "The night hides the woe."

Al-Ghasiq being the night and al-wuqub being the entering of its darkness is the view reported by Ibn Jarir and Ibn al-Mundhir from Ibn Abbas and Mujahid, and by Ibn Abi Hatim from al-Dahhak. It is also narrated from al-Hasan, and al-Zajjaj held this view, although he made ghasaq mean "cold," saying it was applied to the night because it is colder than the day. Muhammad ibn Ka’b said it is the day, and waqaba means it enters into the night, which is as you see.

It is also said that it is the moon when it is full of light, on the basis that ghasaq means fullness, and its wuqub is its entering into an eclipse and becoming dark. It is also said that it is expressed as ghasiq due to its rapid movement and traversal of the zodiac signs, assuming ghasaq is a metaphor for flowing. It is also said it is expressed as such because its body is dark and only illuminated by the light of the sun; its wuqub—according to both views—is the muhaq (waning) at the end of the month. Astrologers consider this an omen of evil, which is why sorcery that causes illness is only practiced at that time. It is said that this is what fits the cause of revelation. Evidence for the interpretation of the moon is what Imam Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi, al-Hakim (who authenticated it), and others recorded from Aishah, who said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) looked at the moon when it rose and said: 'O Aishah, seek refuge in Allah from the evil of this, for this is the ghasiq when it waqaba.'" Whoever deems this narration authentic should not deviate to another interpretation.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Ibn Shihab that he said: "The ghasiq when it waqaba is the sun when it sets." It is as if applying ghasiq to it is because it is full of its light. Ibn Zayd narrated from the Arabs that the ghasiq is the Pleiades and its wuqub is its setting, and that illnesses and plagues were frequent at that time. It is narrated from Abu Hurayrah in a marfu’ (elevated) manner. In the hadith: "When the star rises, the blight is lifted," and in some narrations, there is the addition "from the Arabian Peninsula," and in others: "The star does not rise on any morning except that every plague or blight is lifted or lightened." There are other narrations regarding this; refer to al-Manawi’s great commentary on al-Jami’ al-Saghir.

It is also said that it refers to the snake when it bites. The application of ghasiq to it is due to it being full of venom, and "it waqaba" refers to its venom when it enters the body; it is called ghasiq due to the flowing of the venom from its fangs. Neither of these two statements is reliable. It is also said that it is every evil that befalls a human, for evil is described by darkness and blackness, and its wuqub is its sudden attack.

Majd al-Din al-Fayruzabadi mentioned in al-Qamus, under the entry wa-qaf-ba, a statement regarding the meaning of the verse, claiming that al-Ghazali and others narrated it from Ibn Abbas. I do not believe its attribution is correct, as its invalidity is evident among the various scholarly opinions.