Indexed OCR Text

801
Surah Ash-Shams : 91 : 1 - 15
sun'. This relation of attribution, in this case, would be a metaphorical
relationship. Although the sun is usually understood to be the cause of
the day to come out, here the day is said to brighten up the sun. Thus the
verse would signify 'when the sun is seen brightened up because the day
is out'.
The fourth oath is taken thus:
and by the night when it envelops him, ... 91:4). In other) وَالَّيُلِ إِذَا يَغُشُهَا
words, when it [the night] sets in, the brightness of the sun is concealed
[and only darkness prevails].
The fifth oath is:
and by the sky, and the One who built it ... 91:5). Most) وَالسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنْهَا
clearly the context suggests that the ma may be taken as infinitival
particle [masdariyyah], signifying 'by the sky and its make ' as elsewhere
in the Qur'an غَفَرَلِى رَبِى ' ... how my Lord has forgiven me [36:27]'(1)
The sixth oath is:
.(91:6 ... and by the earth, and the One who spread it) وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَخبهَا
The ma in this phrase too stands for masdariyyah or infinitival particle,
signifying 'by the earth and its expanse'. The word tahwun means 'to
spread'. Thus in the two verses above attention has been focused on the
great Designer and Architect of the sky and earth [that is, the universe],
and on the perfection and complete freedom from flaw or defect in the
design and creation of the universe. Sayyidna Qatadah 4
é and others
reported this interpretation. Kashshaf, Baidawi and Qurtubi preferred
this interpretation. Some of the commentators have taken ma in the sense
of man 'the One Who' and refer it to 'Allah', signifying 'by the sky and its
Maker and by the earth and One who spreads it. Thus far, all the oaths
were taken by the created objects and phenomena. In between is taken
oath by Allah. And Allah knows best! The seventh oath is taken thus:
,and by the soul, and the One who made it well, ... 91:7) If) وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَؤُهَا
in this phrase, the particle ma is taken to function as infinitival particle, it
signifies 'by the human soul and its perfection'. If ma is taken in the sense
of man (), it signifies 'by the soul and the One who proportioned it'. The
1. It should be kept in mind that the translation of the text is not based on this
construction. It is based on taking 'ma' as mousulah in the sense of 'the one' as adopted
by Maulana Thanawi, and explained by the author in the following verse.
(Muhammad Taqi Usmani)

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Surah Ash-Shams : 91 : 1 - 15
word taswiyah means, to proportion, balance, perfect. The meaning of this
word has been explained in the previous Surah.
then inspired it with its [instincts of] evil and) فَاَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقُونَهَا
piety ... 91:8) The word ilham denotes 'to cast into the heart'. The word
fujur denotes 'open transgression'. The meaning of taqwa is well-known.
This sentence is linked with the seventh oath وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوّهَا 'and by the
soul, and the One who made it well, [91:7]', signifying that Allah has
equipped man with human soul which has the capacity to distinguish
between good and bad, and right and wrong. In other words, in his
make-up Allah has built in him a special ability to choose freely the
righteous path or the sinful path. Whichever way he takes out of his own
free will, he will be rewarded or punished. This interpretation is deducible
from a traceable Hadith which is transmitted by Muslim on the authority
of Sayyidna 'Imran Ibn Husain 4
e. The Holy Prophet was sitting in
the company of his followers. They asked him a question regarding Divine
Destination. In response, the Holy Prophet
recited this verse. This
verse will allay the doubt about Divine Destination only if the words 'then
inspired it with its (instincts of) evil and piety, [91:8]' are taken in the
sense that human soul has been inspired with conscience to distinguish
between right and wrong, and has also been granted the ability to do
good as well as the ability to commit sin. Man is not a creature of pure
force or coercion. He has free will to choose his path of good or evil. He, in
fact, has the option to do good or refrain from sin. The choice is his, for
which he is rewarded or punished.
Sayyidna Abu Hurairah and Ibn 'Abbas
report that whenever the
Holy Prophet g recited the verses [91:7-8] under comment would stop and
recite the following supplication aloud:
اللّهُمَّ أتِ نَفْسِىُ تَقُونَهَا أَنْتَ وَلِيُّهَا وَمَوْلاَهَا وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ مَنْ زَكْبهَا
'O Allah! Give my soul its good. You are its Guardian and
Master, and the best to purify it.'
success is really attained by him who) قَدُ اَفْلَحَ مَنُ زَكّهَا وَقَدْخَابَ مَنْ دَشُهَا
purifies it, and failure is really suffered by him who pollutes it .... 91:10).
This is the subject of the seven oaths. The primitive meaning of tazkiyah
is 'inner cleanliness', signifying 'he who obeyed Allah and purified his
inner and outer selves.' Verse [10] signifies 'he who caused his soul to sink
in the swamp of sins will be deprived'. The word dassa is derived from the
basic word dass' which denotes 'to bury in the ground' as for instance it

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Surah Ash-Shams : 91 : 1 - 15
occurs elsewhere in the Qur'an, thus:
أَمْ يَدُسُّهُ فِى التّرَابِ
" ... or put it away into the dust? [16:59]'
Some of the commentators have analysed that the pronouns of zakka
'He purified' and dassa 'He caused to pollute' as referring to 'Allah',
signifying that 'he is successful indeed whose soul Allah has purified and
he has failed whose soul Allah pollutes'. This verse has divided the entire
mankind into two groups: [1] successful; and [2]nsuccessful. An example
of the second group has been cited to show how it rejected the message of
Allah and consequently how Allah destroyed them. Such a group will
receive severe punishment in the Hereafter. Sometimes, however, an
instalment of punishment is meted out to them in this world as in the case
of Thamud. Their story is recounted fully in Surah A'raf [S.7:73-79;
S.11:61-68; S. 26:141-159; S.27:45-53; S .. 41:17-18; S.54:23-32; and S. 69:4-5]. Here a
brief reference is made to that story and their punishment.
so their Lord sent eradicating torment ... ) فَدَمُدَمَ عَلَيْهِمُ رَبُّهُمُ بِذَنْبِهِمْ فَسَوُّهَا
upon them, and made it equal for all. And He has no fear of its
consequence .... 91:14-15). The word damdama refers to such tormenting
scourge as is unleashed on a person or a nation again and again, until it
destroys or crushes them completely. Fa-sawwaha signifies that the
scourge overtook the entire nation, men, women, children, and young and
old.
In conclusion, the verse says: وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقُبُهَا 'Allah has no fear of its
consequence'. It means that Divine torment that destroys a nation
completely cannot be compared to the torment inflicted by the greatest
king of this world, because a tyrant king who destroys his people on a
large scale, fears for his life, lest the survivors or the supporters of the
people destroyed should revenge on him and rebel against him. Whoever
destroys others is himself in danger of avenge. Those who attack others
must necessarily bear the brunt of counter-attack except Allah. When a
people incur Divine punishment and are thus destroyed, Allah has no
fear from any one.
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah Ash-Shams
Ends here

804
Surah Al-Lail : 92 : 1 - 21
Surah Al-Lail
(The Night)
This Surah is Makki, and it has 21 verses
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 21
وَالَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشِىْ ﴿٢﴾ وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّى ﴿٢﴾ وَمَا خَلَقَ الذَّكَرَ
لا
﴿ُ﴾ فَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطى وَاتَّقى
وَالْأُنثِىّ ﴿٢﴾ إِنَّ سَعُيَكُمُ لَشَتّى
وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسُنِى ﴿٢﴾ فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَى ﴿٢﴾ وَآَمَّا مَنْ بَخِلَ
وَاسْتَغْنَى ﴿﴿﴿ وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسُنِى ﴿٤﴾ فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرِى (١٠)
وَمَا يُغْنِىُ عَنْهُ مَالُهٌ إِذَا تَرَدّى ﴿٢١﴾ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا لَلْهُدى ﴿١٢٠)﴾ وَإِنَّ لَنَا
لَلْآخِرَةَ وَالْأُوْلِىِ ﴿١٣﴾ فَنْذَرْتُكُمْ نَارًا تَلَظَّى ﴿١٤﴾ لاَ لَصُلِبِهَا إِلَّا
الْأَشْقى ﴿١٥) الَّذِىُ كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّى ﴿١٢ٌ﴾ وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا الْأَتُقى ﴿١٧﴾
الَّذِىُ يُؤْتِىُ مَالَةُ يَتَزَكّى ﴿١٨﴾ وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِنْدَهُ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ تُجْزِىَ ﴿١٩﴾
إِلَّ ابْتِغَاءَ وَجُهِ رَبِّهِ الْأَعُلى ﴿ٌ﴾ وَلَسَوُفَ يَرْضِى ﴿أَمْ﴾
I swear by the night when it covers (the sun), [1] and by
the day when it is unveiled, [2] and by the One who
created the male and the female, [3] your efforts are
diverse: [4] As for the one who gives (in charity) and
fears Allah, [5] and believes in the best (religion), [6] We
will facilitate for him the way to extreme ease (i.e. the
comforts of Paradise). [7] But the one who is miser and
deems himself self-sufficient, [8] and rejects the best

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Surah Al-Lail : 92 : 1 - 21
(religion), [9] for him We will facilitate the way to
extreme distress. [10] And his wealth will not help him
when he will fall down (into Hell). [11] Of course, it is
undertaken by Us to guide, [12] and in Our control is the
Hereafter and the worldly life. [13] So I have warned you
of a blazing fire. [14] None will enter it but the wretched
one [15] who rejected (the truth) and turned away (from
it). [16] And saved from it will be the most God-fearing
one, [17] who gives his wealth (in charity) to become
purified, [18] while no one has conferred any favour on
him for which he would give a return, [19] but (he gave
his wealth in charity) only to seek the Countenance of
his Lord, the Most High. [20] And surely he will soon be
happy. [21]
Commentary
your efforts are diverse .... 92:4). This statement is like the) إِنَّ سَعْيَكُمْ لَشَتَّى
statement in Surah Inshiqaq, verse [6]:
إِنَّكَ كَادِحٌّإِلَى رَبِّكَ كَدُحًا
'O man, you have to work hard constantly to reach your Lord.
[84:6]'
which has already been explained in that Surah. The sense is that man,
by his nature, is used to making efforts for one objective or another. But
the nature and the results of these efforts are different. Some people work
hard for an objective that brings eternal happiness to them, and others
work hard for an objective that makes them suffer eternal perdition. It is
reported in a Tradition that the Messenger of Allah
'said: "Each
morning when a man gets up, he goes to conduct his business and keeps
himself busy. His business is either successful and emancipates himself
from Hell, or unsuccessful and his efforts become the cause of his
destruction." Therefore, a wise person should first apply his mind to think
whether his efforts will pay dividends, and he should never undertake
those efforts that bring about temporary comfort and pleasure, but
eternal perdition and grief.
The Two Diverse Types of Human Efforts Divide Humankind into
Two Groups
The Qur'an further shows that, broadly speaking, the humankind
may be divided into two opposing groups in terms of their opposing
efforts. Each of the two groups are characterised by three qualities. The

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Surah Al-Lail : 92 : 1 - 21
first group is a successful one, and its three characteristics are: [1] they
give in charity in the cause of Allah; [2] fear Allah and avoid violating the
injunctions of Allah in every aspect of life; and [3] believe in the 'best
word'. The 'best words' refer to the credo of 'there is no god but Allah' [as
Ibn ‘Abbas, Daḥhak
have explained]. Testifying to the kalimah
signifies 'to profess the True Faith'. Faith or belief is the essence of all
actions, and comes first in order of rank, but on this occasion, it is
mentioned last, probably because the main theme in this context is that of
physical exertion, efforts and actions. 'Iman or faith, on the other hand,
pertains to the heart. It signifies the acceptance and confirmation of Allah
and His Messenger with one's heart. Confession of this must be made by
means of reciting kalimah shahadah 'testimony of faith'. Obviously, none
of these things involve physical exertion or effort, nor are they generally
counted as actions.
The second group is [the unsuccessful one] and its three
characteristics are: [1] they are misers to such an extent that they even
fail to pay the zakah and other obligatory alms; [2] they deem themselves
self-sufficient rather than obeying Allah; and [3] they reject the 'best
word' [that is, the kalimah of 'Iman]. Referring to the first group, the
verse says:
.We will facilitate for him the way to extreme ease [i.e) فَسَنْيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسُرى
the comforts of Paradise] .... 92:7). The word yusra literally denotes 'ease
and comfort' or a thing in which there is no difficulty, but here it refers to
"Paradise". Likewise, referring to the second group it says:
for him We will facilitate the way to extreme) فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرى
distress ... 92:10). The opposite of yusra is 'usra which literally denotes
'extreme distress, referring to "Hell"'. The two statements signify that
those who exert their efforts in the first three acts, that is, spending in the
cause of Allah, fearing Allah and testifying to the kalimah, Allah will
pave their way to extreme ease, that is, to deeds that will lead them to the
comforts of Paradise. On the other hand, those who exert their efforts in
the latter three acts, Allah will pave their way to extreme distress, that is,
make easy for them to perform deeds that will lead them to Hell. By right,
here it should have been said that the deeds of Paradise or Hell are made
easy for them, because 'easy' or 'difficult' qualify deeds, and not persons
or people. But the Qur'an says that the people or the people themselves

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Surah Al-Lail : 92 : 1 - 21
will be made easy to do the deeds. This probably implies that the first
group will be predisposed to behave in a particular way that behaving
otherwise will make them feel uneasy. The second group will be
predisposed to behave in a way that will make them feel comfortable to do
deeds of Hell, and they will feel uneasy doing deeds of Paradise. Each of
these two groups will have their own nature and predisposition, and will
find it easier to behave in that particular way. A Hadith confirms that the
Messenger of Allah g said:
اعملوا فكل ميسرلما خلق له امّا من كان من اهل السّعادة فييسّر لعمل السّعادة،
وامّا من كان من اهل الشّقاوة فييسّر لعمل أهل الشقاوة
"Perform deeds, for everyone will have the deeds of what he was
created for [Paradise or Hell] made easy for him. Those people
who are the people of happiness, they will have the deeds of the
people of happiness made easy for them. And those who are the
people of misery, they will have the deeds of the people of misery
made easy for them."
But both these things are the results of the use of the God-given
choice and free will. Therefore, man is rewarded or punished.
Thereafter the unfortunate inmates of Hell are warned, thus:
And his wealth will not help him when he will fall) وَمَايُغُنِىُ عَنْهُ مَالُهُ، إِذَا تَرَدّى
down ... 92:11). The word taradda literally denotes 'to fall into a pit and
perish'. The expression 'When he fall' signifies that when Divine decree
regarding his destruction comes into operation, nothing - not even his
wealth - will save him, whether in grave after his death, or on the Day of
Judgement, when he will be falling into the abyss of Hell.
None will enter it but the wretched one) لَا يَصُلْبِهَا إِلاَّ الْأَشْقى. الَّذِىُ كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّى
who rejected [the truth] and turned away .... 92:16). This describes the fire
of Hell. It is quite clear that only a kafir will reject Allah and His
Messenger. Apparently, it seems that a sinful believer who does not reject
the truth will not enter Hell, whereas the Qur'an and Hadith are replete
with clear texts that a sinful believer will enter Hell, unless he had
repented, or someone interceded for him, or was forgiven out of pure
Grace. He will abide in Hell until he has received punishment for the sins
he has committed. After paying for his sins, he will be taken out of Hell,
and through the blessings of his faith, he will be admitted into Paradise.

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Surah Al-Lail : 92 : 1 - 21
Apparently, the wordings of the verse are contrary to this interpretation.
Therefore, it is necessary that the interpretation of the verse under
comment be brought in line with other Qur'anic verses and authentic
Ahadith. Its plain and simple interpretation would be that this verse
refers to entering the Hell for good, which is peculiar to the unbelievers.
They will be tortured eternally in the Hell-fire. The sinful believers, on
the other hand, will receive punishment for their sins and will eventually
- at some time or the other - be taken out of Hell. Other scholars of Tafsir
have given some other interpretations too, which can also be appropriate.
Tafsir Mazhari has come up with another explanation according to which
'the wretched one' and 'the most God-fearing one' should not be taken in
its general sense. Both words refer particularly to people who lived during
the blessed time of the Holy Prophet
3. From amongst them, no Muslim,
who lived at that time, will enter Hell through the blessings of the Holy
Prophet's
company, even though he might have committed some sins
incidentally.
All of The Blessed Companions will be Saved from the Ordeal of
Hell
The reason for this is that the Companions rarely ever committed sins.
Furthermore, even if they did commit sins, they must have repented by
dint of the fear of the Hereafter - as their living conditions indicate . If
any of them committed a sin, his good deeds are so many that they can
wipe out the sin as the Qur'an says:
إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذُهِبُنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ
' ... Surely good deeds erase bad deeds_[11:114]'
Adopting the company of the Holy Prophet
is an act that can
outweigh all other good deeds. The Holy Prophet
is reported to have
said regarding the righteous members of the community:
هم قوم لا يشْقى جليسهم ولا يخاف انيسهم
"The one who sits with them is never deprived, and the one who
feels happy in their company is never unsuccessful.' [Sahiņain]
Obviously, a person who sits in the company of the Holy Prophet
and is his intimate associate cannot be wretched. Therefore, there are
express texts available in the authentic Traditions that all the noble

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Surah Al-Lail : 92 : 1 - 21
Companions are safe from the punishment of Hell. The Qur'an itself bears
testimony that -
وَكُلُّ وَّعُدَ اللَّهُ الْحُسْنِى
' ... and to each Allah has promised good [4:95]'
Husna in this statement refers to 'Paradise'. In another verse, the
Qur'an says:
إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ سَبَقَتْ لَهُمْ مِنَّا الْحُسُنى لا أُولَئِكَ عَنْهَا مُبْعَدُونَ
Surely, those for whom the good (news) from Us has come
earlier shall be kept far away from it. [21:101]
Husna in this statement also refers to 'Paradise'. The pronoun 'it' in
the phrase 'from it' refers to 'Hell', signifying that they will be far away
from Hell. A Tradition says that 'Hell-Fire will not touch him who has
seen me'. [Tirmidhi transmitted it from Jabir 4%].
And saved from it will be the most) وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا الْآَتُقى. الَّذِىُ يُؤْتِىُ مَالَةً يَتَزَتّى
God-fearing one who gives his wealth [in charity] to become
purified, .... 92:17-18). This verse describes the reward of the most
God-fearing person, as opposed to the punishment of the most wretched
in the preceding verse. The word atqa is the superlative form and signifies
a man of taqwa, that is, the most God-fearing person, who spends his
wealth in obedience of his Lord in order to purify himself from sins, will be
kept far away from the fire of Hell.
The wordings of the verse give good news, in general, to anyone who
spends in Allah's cause in a state of faith, but the occasion of revelation
indicates that atqa refers to Sayyidna Abu Bakr As-Siddiq 4ee
in
particular. Ibn Abi Hatim reports from Sayyidna 'Urwah
that seven
Muslims had been enslaved by the Makkan disbelievers. When they
became Muslims, they were persecuted in a variety of ways. Sayyidna
Abu Bakr
spent a great amount of his money, and purchased them
and set them free. Verses [17-21] were revealed on this occasion. [Mazhari]
while no one has conferred any favour on him) وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِنْدَهُ مِنْ نِعُمَةٍ تُجْزِىَ
for which he would give a return, ... 92:19) Sayyidna Abu Bakr 4ge did this
great favour by spending abundant wealth. The emancipated slaves had
not done him any favour in the past, so that one could say that he was

810
Surah Al-Lail : 92 : 1 - 21
returning their favour. He took this step for one purpose only as the verse
says:
but [he gave his wealth in charity] only to seek the) إِلَّ ابْتِغَاءَ وَجُهِ رَبِّهِ الْأَعُلى
Countenance of his Lord, the Most High .... 92:20). Mustadrak of Hakim
records that it was a usual practice of Sayyidna Abu Bakr
that he
used to purchase Muslim slaves from the disbelievers and set them free
whenever he found them in their bondage. Generally, these people were
weak and helpless. Abu Qahafah, the father of Abu Bakr 4%, said to him:
"Since you are emancipating slaves, why do you not set free strong and
brave people, so that they may assist you in fighting the enemies and
protect you." He replied: "My purpose of emancipating them is not to
expect any benefit in return. My only purpose is to seek the pleasure of
Allah." [Mazharī]
And surely he will soon be happy ... 92:21). Whoever spends) وَلَسَوُفَ يَرُضى
in Allah's way with pure and good intentions of pleasing Allah, and not
for any personal worldly gains, will acquire the pleasure of Allah in the
Hereafter by achieving the wonderful and eternal blessings of Paradise.
It is confirmed that these verses were revealed about Sayyidna Abu Bakr
. Therefore, this last verse of the Surah is a great and splendid news
and honour for him given in this very world by Allah.
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah Al-Lail
Ends here

811
Surah Ad-Duņa : 93 : 1 - 11
Surah Ad-Duha
(The Forenoon)
This Surah is Makki, and it has 11 verses
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 11
! وَالضُّحِى ﴿٢﴾ وَالَّيْلٍ إِذَا سَجى ﴿٢﴾ مَاوَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَى ﴿ُ
وَلَلْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌلَّكَ مِنَ الْأُوْلِى ﴿٤﴾ وَلَسَوُفَ يُعْطِيْكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضِى
اَلَمْ يَجِدُكَ يَتِيُّمًا فَاوَى ﴿ٌ﴾ وَوَجَدَكَ ضَأَلَّا فَهَدى ﴿1﴾
وَوَجَدَكَ عَائِلاً فَأَغْنَى ﴿٨ٌ﴾ فَمَّا الْيَتِيْمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرُ ﴿٩ُ﴾ وَأَمَّا السَّآئِلَ
ع
فَلَا تَنْهَرُ ﴿١٠﴾ وَآَمَّا بِنِعُمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثُ
I swear by the forenoon, [1] and by the night when it
becomes peaceful, [2] your Lord (O Holy Prophet,) has
neither forsaken you, nor has become displeased. [3]
And the Hereafter is much better for you than the
present life. [4] And of course, your Lord will give you so
much that you will be pleased. [5] Did He not find you
an orphan, and give you shelter? [6] And He found you
unaware of the way (the Shari'ah), then He guided you.
[7] and He found you in need, then made you need-free.
[8] Therefore, as for orphan, do not oppress him, [9] and
as for the beggar, do not scold him. [10] And about the
bounty of your Lord, do talk. [11]
Commentary
Occasion of Revelation
Bukhari, Muslim and Tirmidhi have narrated from Sayyidna Jundub

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Surah Ad-Duņa : 93 : 1 - 11
that once a finger of the Holy Prophet
was wounded and started
bleeding, he said:
ان انت الّ اصبع دميت ...... وفى سبيل الله مالقيت
'You are merely a finger that is bleeding; [what does it matter]
if you are hurt: it all happened in Allah's cause.'
Sayyidna Jundub 4
narrated this incident and said that revelation
of the Qur'an to the Holy Prophet
came to a halt, and that Jibra'il cell
stopped coming to him for a while. The unbelievers taunted, saying:
"Muhammad's Lord has forsaken him, and is displeased with him." Surah
Ad-Duha was revealed on this occasion. According to the narration in
Bukhari by Sayyidna Jundub 4
the Holy Prophet
was unable to
wake up for a few nights for tahajjud prayer owing to illness. In this
narration, there is no mention of 'delay in revelation'. In Timidhi's
narration, there is mention about the 'delay in revelation' but no mention
about his inability to wake up for tahajjud prayer. These reports are not
conflicting. The narrator might have narrated one incident at one time,
and reported another incident at another time. The lady who taunted the
Holy Prophet
was Umm Jamil, the wife of Abu Lahab, as other reports
indicate. 'Delay in revelation' took place twice. Once in the very early
stage of the call. This is known as fatrah al-wahy 'temporary break in the
revelation'. This was the longest period. Another narration states that
when the pagans or the Jews asked the Holy Prophet @ about the soul,
he promised them that he would give them a reply the next day.
However, he forgot to add insha 'Allah (if Allah wills). As a result,
revelation ceased for a few days. The pagans began to taunt the Holy
Messenger %
, saying that Allah had abandoned him, and is displeased
with him. It was on this occasion that the Surah was revealed.
And the Hereafter is much better for you than) وَلَلْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لَّكَ مِنَ الأُولى
the present life .... 93:4). The word 'akhirah may be taken in its popular
sense of the 'Hereafter' and its opposite 'ula may be taken in the sense of
the present 'world'. With these words, Allah tells the Holy Prophet _ not
to be disturbed by the taunts of the pagans, because they will see in this
world that their assumptions and accusations were absolutely false. In the
Hereafter, he will be blessed with Divine favours to his heart's content -

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Surah Ad-Duņa : 93 : 1 - 11
much more than what he will receive in this fleeting world. The word
'akhirah may also be taken in its primitive sense i.e. 'the later state or
condition' as opposed to 'ula 'the former state or condition'. The verse, in
this case, would mean that every succeeding moment of the Holy
Prophet's
life is better than the preceding one. It includes progress in
knowledge and wisdom, as well as in degrees of his nearness to Allah, and
it also includes progress in economic and political fields.
And of course, your Lord will give you so much) وَلَسَوُفَ يُعْطِيُكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرُضى
that you will be pleased .... 93:5). Allah does not specify here what he will
give him. The statement is open and general. The Holy Prophet
g will be
granted everything he desires so much that he will be pleased. Among his
desired thing is the progress of Islam; the general spread of Islam in the
world; fulfilment of every need of the Ummah; triumph of the Holy
Prophet
himself over his enemies and raising the word of Allah in the
land of the enemy. When this verse was revealed, the Holy Prophet
said:
إِذًا لَّا أَرْضِى وَ وَاحِدٌ مِّنْ أُمَّتِىُ فِى النَّارِ
'If that is the case, then I will not be pleased as long as one
[single member] of my Ummah [remains] in Fire.' [Qurțubi].
In a narration by Sayyidna 'Ali 4%,
the Holy Prophet
said: "Allah
will accept my intercession for my Ummah [community]. Allah will ask:
My " يَارَبّ رَضِيتُ :O Muhammad, are you pleased?" He will reply رضيتَ يا محمد
Lord, I am pleased." Muslim records from Sayyidna 'Amr Ibn-ul-'As to the
effect that the Holy Prophet
recited a verse concerning the Prophet
Ibrahim Sell:
فَمَنُ تَبِعَنِىُ فَإِنَّهُ مِنِّىُ وَمَنْ عَصَانِىٌ فَإِنَّكَ غَفُورٌرَّحِيمٌ
' ... So, one who follows me is surely mine, and the one who
disobeys me, then You are Most Forgiving, Very Merciful.
[14:36]'
Then he recited a verse which contains the words of Sayyidna 'Isa Becky
إِنْ تُعَذِّبُهُمُ فَإِنَّهُمُ عِبَادُكَ
'If You punish them, then, they are Your slaves [5:118]'
Then he raised his hands, he wept and prayed:

814
Surah Ad-Duņa : 93 : 1 - 11
اَلْهُمَّ أُمَّتِىُ أُمَّتِىٌ
'O Allah, my ummah, my ummah!'
Allah sent Jibra'il & to inquire as to why he was weeping [while
Allah knows the reason]. Jibra'il Amin & came and inquired why he
was weeping. The Holy Prophet & replied: "I seek my ummah's
forgiveness." Allah sent Jibra'il Se back to inform him that He has
pardoned them, and that Allah would please him and would not displease
him regarding his ummah.
In response to the unbelievers' taunts, it was briefly mentioned that
the Holy Prophet
has already been blessed with many Divine favours.
The Surah elaborates on three of them in particular.
Favour [1]
Did He not find you an orphan, and give you) أَلَمْ يَجِدُكَ يَتِيُمًا فَاوى
shelter ?... 93:6). The Holy Prophet
was an orphan. His father died
before he was born, leaving no wealth or property to look after him. The
words 'and gave you shelter' signify that the Holy Prophet
received
such deep love and affection from his grand-father, 'Abd-ul-Muttalib, and
after him from his uncle, Abu Talib , who took care of him more than their
own children.
Favour [2]
And He found you unaware of the way [the) وَوَجَدَكَ ضَأَلَّا فَهَدى
Shari'ah], then He guided you .... 93:7). The word dall has two meanings:
[1] stray; and [2] unaware. Here it stands for the second meaning. The
verse signifies that before Muhammad
was commissioned as the
Prophet, he was unaware of Divine Shari'ah. He was granted the status
of the Prophet
and thus was guided.
Favour [3]
and He found you in need, then made you) وَوَجَدَكَ عَائِلاً فَاغُنى
need-free .... 93:8). The word 'a'il is derived from 'ailah which means 'to be
in need'. The verse signifies that Allah found him impoverished and
enriched him. This happened in the beginning through a business
partnership with Sayyidah Khadijah al-Kubra رضى الله عنها, then once she
became his wife and 'Mother of the Faithful', her entire wealth was

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Surah Ad-Duņa : 93 : 1 - 11
devoted to his service.
After elaborating on the three favours of Allah, three injunctions
follow:
Injunction [1]
Therefore, as for orphan, do not oppress him, ... 93:9). The) فَمَّا الْيَتِيْمَ فَلَا تَقُهَرُ
word qahr means 'to treat people who are less powerful in an unfair and
cruel way'. In the present context, the verse means: 'Since you were a
poor orphan, and Allah sheltered you, do not oppress the orphan.' [In
words, 'do not seize their wealth by force and squander it. Do not scorn
them, humiliate them or despise them. Rather, you should be kind and
gentle to them.'] As a result, the Holy Prophet
emphasised that the
orphan be treated kindly and gently, and has forbidden any hurting
attitude towards them. The Holy Prophet g is reported to have said that
the best house of a Muslim is the one in which there is an orphan who is
treated kindly, and with love and affection. The worst house is the one in
which there is an orphan who is treated badly. [This is transmitted by
Bukhari in Al-Adab-ul- Mufrad, and by Ibn Majah and Baghawi, as quoted by
Mazharī].
Injunction [2]
and as for the beggar, do not scold him .... 93:10). The) وَأَمَّا السَّآئِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرُ
verb tanhar is derived from nahr which means 'to scold'. The word sa'il
means 'one who asks'. It includes a person who asks people's wealth, that
is, a beggar, and it also includes the one who asks a question of
knowledge, that is, an academic investigator. The Holy Prophet = has
forbidden to berate either of them. The best course of action is to give the
beggar something. If one is unable to give a beggar anything, one should
at least apologise to him politely [so as not to give him any further grief].
Likewise, anyone who is searching knowledge and asks questions, it is
forbidden to respond to him harshly and unkindly. The teacher should
reply kindly and politely. However, if the investigator is unreasonable in
his approach, it is permissible to scold him to the degree that is necessary.
Injunction [3]
.(93:11 .... And about the bounty of your Lord, do talk) وَأَمَّا بِنِعُمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثُ
The verb haddith is derived from tahdith which means 'to talk' meaning,

816
Surah Ad-Duņa :
'just as you were poor and needy, and Allah made you wealthy, then talk
about Allah's favours upon you'. Talking about Divine favours to people is
one way of thanking Allah. If a person has done something good to
another, he should be thanked. Therefore, the Holy Prophet
is
reported to have said: "Whoever is not thankful to people on their favours
is not thankful to Allah." [This is transmitted by Ahmad. The chain of authorities
are reliable - vide Mazharī].
The Holy Prophet
is reported to have said: "Whoever has done good
to you, you ought to return the good. If you are unable to return the
pecuniary good, then praise him in public, because he who praises people
in public fulfils his moral obligation." [Al-Baghawi transmitted it from Jabir
Ibn 'Abdullah, vide Mazharī].
Ruling
It is obligatory to offer gratitude to Allah on every favour He has
bestowed. (But the way of offering gratitude may be different.) If Allah
has granted a person wealth, a part of that wealth may be spent with the
sincerity in Allah's way. If Allah has given a person strong body, his
bodily strength may be utilised in fulfilling Divine obligations. If Allah
has granted a person Divine knowledge, he should impart it to others.
[Mazharī].
Ruling
It is sunnah to recite takbir at the beginning of every Surah from
Surah Duha to the end of the Qur'an. The wordings of the takbir,
according to Shaikh Salih al-Misri, are as follows:
لّ إِلهَ إِلَّ اللّهُ وَاللهُ أَكْبَرُ
"There is no god except Allah and Allah is the greatest'
[Mazharī].
According to Ibn Kathir, the takbir may be recited at the end of every
Surah and, according to Baghawi, it may be recited once at the beginning
of every Surah. [Mazhari]. Either way the requirement of sunnah will be
fulfilled. And Allah knows best!
Note
In most Surahs from Surah Duha to the end of Qur'an, Allah's special

Surah Ad-Duņa : 93 : 1 - 11
817
favours upon the Holy Prophet
and his special virtues and
characteristics are mentioned. In a few of the Surahs, the Day of
Judgement and its conditions are mentioned. The earlier part of the
Qur'an asserts the greatness and authenticity of the Qur'an, while the
later part asserts the greatness of the personality to whom the Qur'an was
revealed.
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah Ad-Duha
Ends here

818
Surah Al-Inshiraķ : 94 : 1 - 8
Surah Al-Inshirah
(Peace of Heart)
This Surah is Makki, and it has 8 verses
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 8
آَلَمُ نَشْرَحْ لَكَ صَدْرَكَ ﴿٢﴾ وَوَضَعْنَا عَنُكَ وِزْرَكَ ﴿٢﴾ الَّذِى أَنْقَضَ
ظَهْرَكَ ﴿٢﴾ وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ ﴿٤﴾ فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسُرًّا ﴿٥﴾ إِنَّ مَعَ
الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا﴿٢﴾ فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَانْصَبُ ﴿٢﴾ وَإِلَى رَبِّكَ فَارْغَبُ
Did We not cause your bosom to be wide open for your
benefit? [1] And We removed from you your burden [2]
that had (almost) broken your back, [3] and We raised
high for you your name. [4] So undoubtedly, along with
hardship there is ease. [5] Undoubtedly, along with
hardship there is ease. [6] So when you are free (from
collective services), exert yourself (in worship), [7] and
towards your Lord turn with eagerness. [8]
Commentary
It was mentioned at the end of the preceding Surah that twenty-two
Surahs from Surah Ad-Duha to the end of the Qur'an are mainly
concerned with Divine favours conferred upon the Holy Prophet
É and
with his greatness. Only a few Surahs are concerned with the conditions
of the Hereafter or some other subject. Surah Al-Inshirah is concerned
with special favours that Allah conferred upon the Holy Prophet
. Its
style is the same as that of the preceding Surah - the interrogative style.
In the preceding Surah, the style was 'Did He not find you ...? ' [Here the
style is]:

819
Surah Al-Inshirah : 94 : 1 - 8
Did We not cause your bosom to be wide open for) آلَمُ نَشُرَحُ لَكَ صَدْرَکَ
your benefit ?... 94:1). The word sharh literally denotes 'to open, to cause
the bosom to be widely opened'. [In the present context] it is to cause the
bosom to be wide open to comprehend the Divine mysteries. The verse
signifies that Allah illuminated his bosom with wisdom, Divine light and
peace and made it spacious, vast and wide as is said in another verse:
فَمَنْ تُّرِدِ اللهُ أَنْ يَّهْدِيَهِ، يَشْرَحُ صَدْرَهُ لِلْإِسْلامِ
'So, he whom Allah wills to give guidance, He opens his heart
for Islam [6:125]'
The Holy Prophet's
bosom was expanded to receive the knowledge
and wisdom and the gracious morals and ethical qualities, which the
greatest philosophers could not match. As a result of this expansion of
heart, tawajjuh ilal-makhluq (attentiveness to the creation) did not
disturb his attentiveness to and concentration on Allah. Some of the
authentic Traditions report that the angels, with Allah's permission,
physically opened the blessed chest of the Holy Prophet
Some of the
commentators interpret this 'expansion of the chest' to refer to the same
miracle, as mentioned in Ibn Kathir and others. And Allah knows best!
And We removed from you your burden) وَوَضَعُنَا عَنْكَ وِزُرَكَ الَّذِى أَنْقَضَ ظَهْرَکَ
that had [almost] broken your back ... 94:2-3). The word wizr literally
denotes 'burden' and the phrase naqd-uz-zahr means 'to break one's back
as for instance when a heavy load is put on one's back, it bends'. This
verse signifies that Allah had relieved him of his burden that was
breaking his back. What was that burden or heavy load? One answer to
this question is that now and then the Holy Prophet
did certain
permissible deeds, thinking that they were of benefit and in the interest
[of spiritual development]. Later on he discovered that they were not in
keeping with wisdom, or they were undesirable. The Holy Prophet
was
conscious of his high status and close proximity to Allah. He regarded
even such things as serious infractions. This was naturally a very heavy
load that made him grieved. But Allah relieved him of his burden in that
a blanket pardon was granted to him and it was declared that he would
not be held accountable for such things.
Some commentators say that wizr (burden) refers to the effect of
revelation. It weighed heavily on him in the initial stages of the

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Surah Al-Inshirah : 94 : 1 - 8
Prophet-hood. He was saddled with a nerve-racking and back-breaking
task of raising [a morally degenerated people], through propagation of
Tauhid and elimination of kufr and shirk, [from the depths of moral
turpitude to the peaks of spiritual excellence, and then through them to
cleanse and purify the whole of mankind of the dross of iniquity,
ignorance and superstition ]. The task enjoined:
فَاسْتَقِمُ كَمَا أُمِرُتَ
'So, stand firm - as you have been commanded [11:112]'
The Holy Prophet
used to feel the heavy weight of this task and
responsibility. Some narration report that a few strands of his beard had
turned grey as a result of this command. The Holy Prophet
¿ is reported
to have said that the following verse has made me old:
فَاسْتَقِمُ كَمَآ أُمِرُتَ
'So, stand firm - as you have been commanded [11:112]'
Verses [2-3] give the cheerful news that Allah will remove from him
the load which was weighing down his back. The following verses show
how the back-breaking load will be removed, and every difficulty will be
followed by ease and relief. By means of expansion of bosom, Allah gave
the Holy Prophet
so much of courage that no instance of hardship
seemed hardship, and no burden of any magnitude seemed a burden.
And Allah knows best!
and We raised high for you your name .... 94:4). The) وَرَفَعُنَا لَكَ ذِكُرَكَ
meaning of raising the name of the Holy Prophet &g is that his blessed
name is remembered together with the name of Allah in all the symbols of
Islam, like the kalimah, the adhan, the iqamah, and in sermons from the
minarets and pulpits [throughout the world]:
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَّ إِلهَ إِلََّ اللهُ
اَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَّسُولُ الله
(I bear witness that there is no God worthy of worship except
Allah; I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of
Allah.'
No sensible person utters the Holy Prophet's
name without respect
and honour even though he may not be a Muslim.