No. | Transliteration | English | Arabic |
---|---|---|---|
1. | Wad duhaa | By the Glorious Morning Light, | وَالضُّحَىٰ |
2. | Wal laili iza sajaa | And by the Night when it is still,- | وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا سَجَىٰ |
3. | Ma wad da'aka rabbuka wa ma qalaa | Thy Guardian-Lord hath not forsaken thee, nor is He displeased. | مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ |
4. | Walal-aakhiratu khairul laka minal-oola | And verily the Hereafter will be better for thee than the present. | وَلَلْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنَ الْأُولَىٰ |
5. | Wa la sawfa y'uteeka rabbuka fatarda | And soon will thy Guardian-Lord give thee (that wherewith) thou shalt be well-pleased. | وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَىٰ |
6. | Alam ya jidka yateeman fa aawaa | Did He not find thee an orphan and give thee shelter (and care)? | أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًا فَآوَىٰ |
7. | Wa wa jadaka daal lan fahada | And He found thee wandering, and He gave thee guidance. | وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالًّا فَهَدَىٰ |
8. | Wa wa jadaka 'aa-ilan fa aghnaa | And He found thee in need, and made thee independent. | وَوَجَدَكَ عَائِلًا فَأَغْنَىٰ |
9. | Fa am mal yateema fala taqhar | Therefore, treat not the orphan with harshness, | فَأَمَّا الْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ |
10. | Wa am mas saa-ila fala tanhar | Nor repulse the petitioner (unheard); | وَأَمَّا السَّائِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ |
11. | Wa amma bi ni'mati rabbika fahad dith | But the bounty of the Lord - rehearse and proclaim! | وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ |
Recitation by Mishary Al-Alfasy
The Surah takes its name Ad-Duha from the very first word.
Period of Revelation
Its subject matter clearly
indicates that it belongs to the earliest period at Makkah. Traditions also show
that the revelations were suspended for a time, which caused the Holy Prophet
(upon whom be Allah's peace) to be deeply distressed and grieved. On this
account he felt very anxious that perhaps he had committed some error because of
which his Lord had become angry with him and had forsaken him. Thereupon he was
given the consolation that revelation had not been stopped because of some
displeasure but this was necessitated by the same expediency as underlies the
peace and stillness of the night after the bright day, as if to say: "If you had
continuously been exposed to the intensely bright light of Revelation (Wahi)
your nerves could not have endured it. Therefore, an interval was given in order
to afford you peace and tranquility." This state was experienced by the Holy
Prophet in the initial stage of the Prophethood when he was not yet accustomed
to hear the intensity of Revelation. On this basis, observance of a pause in
between was necessary. This we have already explained in the introduction to
Surah Al Muddaththir; and in E. N. 5 of Surah Al-Muzzammil also we have
explained what great burden of the coming down of Revelation he had to bear.
Later, when the Holy Prophet developed the power to bear this burden, there was
no longer any need for long gaps.
Theme and Subject Matter
Its theme is to console the
Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) and its object to remove his anxiety and
distress, which he had been caused by the suspension of Revelation. First of
all, swearing an oath by the bright morning and the stillness of night, he has
been reassured, so as to say: "Your Lord has not at all forsaken you, nor is he
displeased with you." Then, he has been given the good news that the hardships
that he was experiencing in the initial stage of his mission, would not last
long, for every later period of life for him would be better than the former
period, and before long Allah would bless him so abundantly that he would be
well pleased. This is one of the express prophecies of the Quran, which proved
literally true, afterwards, whereas when this prophecy was made there seemed not
to be the remotest chance that the helpless and powerless man who had come out
to wage a war against the ignorance and paganism of the entire nation, would
ever achieve such wonderful success.
Then, addressing His Holy Prophet
(upon whom be peace) Allah says:"O My dear Prophet, what has caused you the
anxiety and distress that your Lord has forsaken you, and that We are displeased
with you? Whereas the fact is that We have been good to you with kindness after
kindness ever since the day of your birth. You were born an orphan, We made the
best arrangement for your upbringing and care: you were unaware of the Way, We
showed you the Way; you were indigent, We made you rich. All this shows that you
have been favored by Us from the very beginning and Our grace and bounty has
been constantly focused on you."Here, one should also keep in view vv. 37-42 of
Surah Ta Ha, where Allah, while sending the Prophet Moses to confront a tyrant
like Pharaoh, encouraged and consoled him, saying: "We have been looking after
you with kindness ever since your birth; therefore, you should be satisfied that
you will not be left alone in this dreadful mission. Our bounty will constantly
be with you."
In conclusion, Allah has instructed His Prophet (upon whom
be peace) telling him how he should treat the creatures of God to repay for the
favors He has done him and how he should render thanks for the blessings He has
bestowed on him.
Here, the word duha has been used in contrast to the night; therefore, it
implies the bright hours of the day. A precedent of it are vv. 97-98 of Surah
Al-A'raf, which say: Do the people of the settlements now feel secure that Our
punishment will not come to them all of a sudden at night, while they might be
fast asleep? Or, do they feel secure that Our punishment will not smite them all
of a sudden during the day while they might be engaged in pastimes?" In these
verses also since the word duha has been used in contrast to the night, it
implies the day and not just forenoon.
2The word raja in the original
does not only signify the spreading of darkness but it also contains the meaning
of stillness and peace that prevails at night. This quality of night deeply
relates to the theme that follows.
3Traditions show that Revelations to
the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) had remained suspended. for some period of
time. Different traditions have mentioned different durations of this period.
Ibn Juraij has mentioned it to be 12 days, Kalbi 15 days, Ibn 'Abbas 25 days,
and Suddi and Muqatil have stated that it extended to 40 days. In any case the
period was so long that it made the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) sorrowful,
and the opponents also had the opportunity to taunt him. For whenever a new
Surah came down, the Holy Prophet would recite it before the people. Therefore,
when he did not recite any new Revelation to them for quite some days, the
opponents thought that the fountainhead from where the revelation came, had
dried up. Jundub bin 'Abdullah al-Bajali has related that when Gabriel (peace he
on him) stopped coming, the pagans started saying that Muhammad (upon whom be
Allah's peace and blessings) had been forsaken by his Lord. (Ibn Jarir, Tabarani,
'Abd bin Humaid, Sa'id bin Mansur, Ibn Marduyah). Other traditions show that Umm
Jamil, wife of Abu Lahab, who was an aunt of the Holy Prophet and whose house
adjoined his, said to him: "It appears your satan has forsaken you." `Aufi and
Ibn Jarir have related, on the authority of Ibn `Abbas, that when Gabriel did
not visit him for several days, the Holy Prophet became anxious and distressed,
and the pagans began to say that his Lord had become angry with him and had
forsaken him. In the mursal traditions of Qatadah and Dahhak almost the same
theme has been expressed. The Holy Prophet's extreme grief and anguish in this
condition has also been referred to in several traditions. And this was natural.
The apparent indifference on the part of the beloved, the apparent deprivation
of the contact with the source of power, which was his chief support, in the
soul-destroying conflict between belief and unbelief, and above all, the taunts
and jeers of the enemy, when all these things combined they must have caused
great anguish to the Holy Prophet, and he must be thinking that because of some
error that he might have committed his Lord had become displeased with him and
had forsaken and left him to fight the battle between truth and falsehood alone.
This was the state when this Surah was sent down to console the Holy
Prophet. In it, swearing an oath by the light of the day and the peacefulness of
the night, he has been told: "Your Lord has neither forsaken you, nor is He
displeased with you." The relevance of the oath by these two things to the theme
is: "Just as brightening up of the day and spreading of the night with darkness
and stillness is not for the reason that Allah is pleased with the people during
the day and displeased with them during the night but both states are based on
supreme wisdom and expedience, so sending down of revelation to you at one-time
and suspending it at another time, also is based on wisdom and expedience; it
has nothing to do with Allah's being pleased with you when He sends down
revelation and his being displeased with you when He suspends it. Besides,
another relevance of the oath to the subject is that if man is constantly
exposed to the light of days it wearies him; so, it is necessary that night
should fall after the day has remained bright for a certain period so that man
may have rest and peace in it. Likewise, if you are constantly exposed to the
light of revelation, your nerves would not stand it. Therefore, fatrah (break or
gap in the revelation) also has been provided by Allah on account of expedience
so that the effects of the strain of revelation that you have to bear pass away
and complete peace is restored to you. In other words, rising of the sun of
-revelation is analogous to the bright day and the period of the fatrah to the
stillness and peace of the night. "
4This good news was given by Allah
to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) in a state when he had only a handful
of Muslims with him, the entire nation was hostile and there was no remote
chance of success even. The candle of Islam was flickering only in Makkah and
storms were brewing all around to blow it out. At that juncture Allah said to
His Prophet "Do not at all grieve at the hardships of the initial stage: every
later period of life will be better for you than the former period. Your power
and glory, your honor and prestige, will go on enhancing and your influence will
go on spreading. This promise is not only confined to the world, but it also
includes the promise that the rank and. position you will be granted in the
Hereafter will be far higher and nobler than the rank and position you attain in
the world. " Tabarani in A wsat and Baihaqi in Ad-dala il have related, on the
authority of Ibn `Abbas .that the Holy Prophet said: "All the victories which
would be attained by my Ummah after me, were presented before me. This pleased
me much. Then, Allah sent down this Word, saying: 'The Hereafter is far better
for you than the world'."
5That is "Although it will take some time, yet
the time is not far when your Lord will bless you with so much that you will be
well pleased "This promise was fulfilled during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet
and all Arabia, from the southern coasts to the Syrian frontiers of the
Byzantine empire and the Iraqi frontiers of the Persian empire in the north, and
from the Persian Gulf in the east to the Red Sea in the west, carne under his
control. For the first time in the history of Arabia this land became subject to
one law and rule. Whichever power clashed with it was doomed to destruction. The
slogan La ilaha ill-allah-u Muhammad ur-Rasul-Allah reverberated throughout the
land where the polytheists and the followers of the earlier scriptures had tried
their utmost to keep their false creeds and slogans aloft till the last. The
people not only bowed their heads in obedience, their hearts also were
conquered, and their .beliefs, morals and acts were revolutionized. There is no
precedent in human history that nation sunk in paganism might have completely
changed in only 33 years. Then the movement started by the Holy Prophet gathered
such power that it spread over a large part of Asia, Africa and Europe and its
influence reached every nook and corner of the world. This much Allah gave His
Messenger in the world, the glory and extent of what he will give him in the
Hereafter cannot be imagined." (Also see E.N. 112 of Surah Ta Ha).
6That
is, "There can be no question of forsaking you and being displeased with you; We
have, in fact, been good to you ever since the time you were born an orphan."
The Holy Prophet's father passed away three months before his birth; thus he was
an orphan at birth. But Allah did not leave him without support even for a day.
Up to six years of age his mother nourished and looked after him. After her
death, his grandfather took him and brought him up with great love. He would
proudly tell the people; "My this son has a great future.' When he also died,
his uncle, Abu Talib, became his guardian and treated him with such rare love
that one father could treat his son better. So much so that when after his
proclamation to be a Prophet the entire nation turned hostile, Abu Talib alone
stood firm as his chief supporter for as long as ten years.
7The word
daallan as used in the original is derived from dalalat, which has several
meanings in Arabic. Its one meaning is to be lost in error and deviation;
another, to be unaware of the way and to be bewildered at the crossroads as to
which way one should choose; still another meaning is of being lost and astray.
The tree also is daallah which stands alone and lonely in the desert; the word
dalal is also used for a thing which is wasting in unfavorable and uncongenial
condition and climate, and also for heedlessness, of which there is an example
in the Qur'an itself: La yadillu Rabbi wa la yansa:. "My Lord is neither
heedless nor He forgets." ('Ta Ha: 52). Out of these different meanings. The
first meaning does not apply here, for in the historical accounts of the Holy
Prophet's life, from childhood till just before Prophethood, there is no trace
that he ever might have been involved in idolatry, polytheism or atheism, or in
any of the acts, customs and practices of paganism prevalent among his people.
Therefore, inevitably wa wa. jadaka daallan cannot mean that Allah had found him
erring and astray in respect of creed or deed. The other meanings, however, can
be applicable here in one or other aspect, and possibly all are applicable in
their own particular aspect. Before Prophethood the Holy Prophet was certainly a
believer in the existence of Allah and His Unity, and his life was free from sin
and reflected excellent morals, yet he was unaware of true Faith, its principles
and injunctions, as it has been pointed out in the Qur'an: "You did not know at
all what was the Book and what was the Faith." (Ash-Shura: 52). This verse may
also mean that the Holy Prophet was lost in a society, engrossed in ignorance,
and his personality as a guide and leader was not in anyway prominent before
Prophethood. It may as well mean that in the desert of ignorance, he was
standing like a lonely tree, which had the capability to bear fruit and turn the
whole desert into a garden, but this capability was not being put to any use
before Prophethood. It may also imply that the extraordinary powers that Allah
had blessed him with, were going waste in the unfavorable environment of
ignorance. Dalal can also be taken in the meaning of heedlessness, so as to say:
"You were heedless of the truths and sciences of which Allah made you aware
after Prophethood." This thing also has been referred to in the Qur'an itself:
"Though before this you were utterly unaware of these truths." (Yusuf: 3). (Also
see AI-Baqarah: 282, Ash-Shu'ara: 20).
8The Holy Prophet's father had
left only a she-camel and a slave-girl in heritage for him; so he started his
life in a state of poverty. Then a time came when the wealthiest lady among the
Quraish, Hadrat Khadijah, first made him her partner in trade, then married him,
and he took charge of all her trade and business. Thus, he not only became
wealthy but his riches in no way were dependent on the resources of his wife;
his own hard work and ability had gone a long way towards promoting her trade
and commerce.
9That is, "As you yourself have been an orphan, and Allah
graced you with the bounty that he made the best possible arrangements to help
you in that state, therefore, in gratitude you should see that no orphan is
treated unjustly and harshly."
10It has two meanings.
If sa'il is
taken in the sense of a needy person, who asks for help, it would mean that if
you can,, you should help him; if you cannot you should excuse yourself
politely, but should never scold him. In this sense the instruction corresponds
to Allah's this favor: "You were poor, then Allah enriched you. "
And if
sa'il is taken in the sense of the one who inquires, i. e. asks for
enlightenment on a religious matter or injunction, it would mean that even if
such a person be extremely ignorant and ill-mannered and might put the question,
or present his problem, impolitely, you should in any case answer him politely
and kindly, and should not turn him away like the rude people proud of their
knowledge.
In this meaning, the instruction corresponds to Allah's this
favor: "You were unaware of the Way, then he guided you." Hadrat Abud-Darda`,
Hasan Basri, Sufyan Thauri and some other scholars have preferred this second
meaning, for in view of the order and sequence this instruction corresponds to:
wa wajadaka daalllan fa hada.
11The word ni 'mat . (bounty) is general,
which also implies those bounties, which Allah had bestowed on His Messenger
until the revelation of this Surah as well as those which He bestowed on him
afterwards according to the promise made in this Surah, which He fulfilled
completely. Then, it is enjoined:"O Prophet, mention and proclaim every bounty
that Allah has favored you with." Now, obviously, there can be different forms
and ways of mentioning and proclaiming the bounties and every bounty in view of
its nature, requires a special form or its mention and proclamation. As a whole,
the way of proclaiming the bounties is that Allah be thanked with the tongue and
the truth be acknowledged that all the bounties received are only due to His
grace and favor and none is the result of any personal excellence and merit on
his part. The blessing of Prophethood can be proclaimed by preaching and
conveying its message in the best way possible. The blessing of the Qur'an can
be proclaimed by publicizing it widely and impressing its teachings on the
peoples minds as far as one can. The blessing of Allah's guidance can be
proclaimed by showing the right way to the people who are gone astray and by
enduring patiently all the bitternesses and hardships of the way. The favor that
Allah has done of helping during orphanhood, demands that the orphans be treated
well. The favor that Allah did of enriching after poverty requires that Allah's
needy servants be helped and supported. In short, this is a very comprehensive
instruction which Allah gave His Messenger (upon whom be His peace) in this
brief sentence after having described His bounties and blessings.