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Surah Ad-Duha - The Brightness

(Revealed at Mecca)

11 Verses in 1 Section

Sections of Surah Ad-Duha

  1. The Prophet promised to be blessed to his heart’s content.

Ad-Duha - The Prophet Promised To Be Blessed To His Heart’s Content

The hereafter for the Prophet better than the present, The Prophet promised to be blessed to his heart’s content.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

“In the name of God the Beneficent the Merciful”

وَالضُّحَىٰ

“(O’ Our Apostle Muhammad!) By the Noonday (Radiation) (Brightness)1“ (93:1)

وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا سَجَىٰ

“By the Night when it darkeneth2!” (93:2)

مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ

“Hath forsaken not thee thy Lord, nor hath He been displeased (with thee)!” (93:3)

وَلَلْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنَ الْأُولَىٰ

“And verily the end is better for thee than the beginning (of life)3!” (93:4)

وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَىٰ

“And soon will give thee thy Lord that thou shalt be well pleased!” (93:5)

أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًا فَآوَىٰ

“What! Found He not thee an orphan, and sheltered (thee)4?” (93:6)

وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالًّا فَهَدَىٰ

“And (He) found thee in loss (and immediately) guided thee” (93:7)

وَوَجَدَكَ عَائِلًا فَأَغْنَىٰ

“And (He) found thee in need, and (immediately) made thee independent” (93:8)

فَأَمَّا الْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ

“So, unto an orphan, oppress5not!” (93:9)

وَأَمَّا السَّائِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ

“And as to the beggar, chide him not!” (93:10)

وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ

“And as to the bounties of thy Lord, thou announce6(them unto others)” (93:11)

Commentary

Verse 1

‘Doha’, i.e., the glory of the earliest moments of the dawn that heralds the arrival of the light of the sun, which gradually increases in its brightness and heat7. It is practically the resurrection of the light of the day and its activities when after dark, stillness or quietness of the night, the life on earth is once again quickened. The darkness of the night does not mean that God has forsaken the light for all times and similarly the stillness or the quietness of the night does not mean that the daily life and its activities have once for all been forsaken.

The darkness, and its quietness, has to go and in its place light and activity has again to be returned. The darkness and its quietness is in its own place essential to give those who labour hard during the light and the heat of the day, to rest, and those who are eager after any spiritual development or progress are also given an opportunity of solitude and silence to concentrate and meditate and develops the latent faculties endowed in them to get into communion with the All-Divine. The earliest hours of the dawn are best hours for man’s getting God-minded.

Verse 2

Things or qualities are understood better by the contrast with their opposites. The darkness, the silence, the stillness of the night is mentioned to compare and contrast with the light, the life and the activity of the day. An insight into the marvels of the phenomenon active on the wonderful forces of nature, will help man to realise the real significance of bringing such daily occurrences to witness the greatness and the Glory of the Almighty Author of the Universe.

Verse 3

In the early stages of the ministry, there was some suspense or a short interval between a revelation and another. The pagans of Mecca taunted that God had forsaken the Holy Prophet and started a slander to the effect. But neither this nor even the worst of the torturous persecution had in the least affected the feelings of the Holy Prophet, though an apostle of God like Jesus is reported by the Christians themselves to have cried in the agony, ‘‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”8 the Crier was not in fact Jesus, the Spirit of God, but the one crucified in his stead.

The brief pause is said to be only of a short duration viz. two or three days (SB.). The occasion was as follows:

At the open declaration of Islam, the pagans of Mecca had written to the Madinites most of whom were Jews and Christians about the apostleship claimed by the Holy Prophet, to verify the matter with their scriptures and inform them of the truth or the fallacy in the claim with regard to any prophecy they might find about the advent of any one like him. The reply came telling them to put the three questions to the Holy Prophet and if he answers all the three or even two of them, he would surely be the Promised Apostle of God.

The three questions were:

  1. The story of the fellows of the eave.

  2. The double horned one.

  3. What is a soul?

The Holy Prophet replied that he never spoke anything but only that which was revealed to him, and he would wait for the revelation of the answers from God. For some days together, no revelation came, and the pagans started slandering and taunting that God has forsaken the Holy Prophet. The revelation came after a few days. The delay in the communication from God was obviously a divine plan to put the people to a trial and to disclose how eager they were and how impatiently they only waited for the least opportunity to persecute God’s apostle. It is also misinterpreted that since the Holy Prophet, while promising the replies to the questions, did not say ‘If God wills’ (i.e., he did not rely upon God) the consequence was the delay. This story is an untenable conjecture because the very fact that he said that he would reply only when God reveals to him the answers, which clearly implies dependence or reliance only upon God’s will.

This verse was revealed not by way of any solace to relieve the Holy Prophet of the burden of any effect of the taunts of the disbelievers on his divinely conditioned mind, but it was only in reply to the taunts and slander and to remove the evil effect of it on the mind of the common man, this declaration was made. It is paradoxical to imagine that the one conditioned by God Himself for the fulfilment of His own plan to deliver His Final Word to mankind and to reform the human race as a whole in all aspects and all walks of life and who was purified to the maximum extent possible, to have still laboured under the common weakness of the mind to be affected by mere taunts from an ignorant and degenerate people like the pagans of Mecca, which even ordinary man with the common sense intact, would patiently bear.

Regarding the occasion for the revelation of this passage, commentators have given different accounts. All that the passage itself implies is that due to some delay in revelation, the opponents remarked that God has forsaken him and God getting tired of him, which is negated by the passage - and from reading this with the subsequent verses the justification of the oath to begin with, is obvious to mean that ‘‘the life might have ups and downs, but this does not affect the fact that thou art in the constant care of the Lord” (A.P.)

Verse 4

This refers to the great promise of the Lord to the Holy Prophet that greatness in this world and also in the hereafter, will be his.

Because in spite of the ups and downs, he is in constant progress towards infinite perfection9. (A.P.).

Verse 5

The grant to the utmost satisfaction or the pleasure of the Holy Prophet, could never be restricted to anything of this material world, which is low, mean and strictly temporary. It is the right of intercession for the sinners. It is said that the Holy Prophet said that he will not be pleased even if a single believer in God, is left unredeemed of his sins and admitted to the bliss in the heaven. The granting mentioned, is indefinite, anything indefinitely mentioned means everything possible under the term. The grant or the gift is always according to the position or the greatness or the excellence of the giver. The one who grants here is the All-Merciful, All-Mighty and All-Divine and the Omnipresent Being with all His divine attributes. The grant from Him when mentioned indefinitely, would mean the grant of the reflection of all His excellence and glory. Hence it is granted under promise to the Holy Prophet, to receive all the divine attributes in his divinely purified personality and manifest them to mankind as His Vicegerent on earth. People ignorant of the actual position of the Holy Prophet and his Ahl Al-Bayt, imagines them as ordinary mortals like themselves, whereas a proper study of the Holy Qur’an, discloses the degree of the divinity endowed in these holy ones. It is said that the Holy Prophet was so much pleased at the revelation of this verse that he went to his daughter Lady Fatimah’s house and happily recited it giving here the glad tidings of the life in the hereafter. (DM.). The Holy Prophet was extremely happy to receive this promise from God for the authority was to save the sinners to his heart’s content.

This is an unequivocal assurance that he will be given whatever may satisfy him. The following- verses illustrate his being in the constant care of the Lord. This point should be noted that three subsequent verses wherein is used the term ‘His being found.’ The conjunctive particle – ‘fa’ is used to show the action taken by God as the consequence of His finding was immediate without any lapse of time between His finding and the action taken. The commentators have given different interpretations and accounts for the use of the word ‘Zol’ here, to answer.

Some criticise but there is no need of any deviation from the literal meaning of the verse, i.e., whenever God found thee lost or in loss in whatever direction it may be physical or spiritual, He guided thee immediately, that means there is no lapse of time between God’s finding and His guidance, and it is obvious that there cannot be any lapse of time between God’s creation of Muhammad and God’s finding Muhammad’s need. Therefore, God’s guidance is with Muhammad from the commencement of his existence whether in this physical or pr al-physical spiritual realms. Thus, this verse is one of the Qur’anic proofs of the Holy Prophet being infallible in absolute conformity with - 53:2 and 55:1-4. (A.P.).

Verse 6

Commentators say that this is a reference to the providential protection which was divinely arranged for the Holy Prophet through guardian after guardian when he was orphaned. Only a few days after the Holy Prophet’s birth his father Abdullah passed away and he was taken into the care of his grandfather Abdul Muttalib and when he was only of two years, his mother Amina Bint Wahab also left this world. And when he was of eight years his grandfather Abdul Muttalib departed handing over the charge of his grandson the Hob, Prophet, to his son Abu Talib (Ali’s father). And it was the protection of Abu Talib (Ali’s father) that was a providential plan to give the Holy Prophet the protection he needed from the evil hands of the wicked pagans of Mecca, to start his ministry and proceed with his mission until he could bear the hardships and also manage the affairs of his ministry. Abu Talib was a father, a guardian, the strongest protector of the Holy Prophet who suffered the brunt of hostilities of his people but never left the side of the Holy Prophet and never allowed Islam’s progress to be stopped or marred by its enemies.

He was the shield with which the Truth (Islam) could hate its start and its progress despite the heavy attacks from falsehood. The year Abu Talib passed away, was called the ‘Aam al-Huzn’, i.e., the Year of Grief. It was after the death of Abu Talib that the pagan hostilities against the Holy Prophet took the most aggressive turn. Abu Talib left the world donating his son Ali, the Lion of God, to the Holy Prophet to be his protector and the ever-triumphant victor in all the battles that were fought to protect Islam and the Muslims. It needs one only to know the peculiarly adverse circumstances through which the Holy Prophet was made to pass through safe and was allowed to start the mission and how he was providentially helped by the miraculous strength, dauntless valour, the inimitable courage, the indefatigable and the unshakable faith of Ali under the circumstances when far from achieving any victory the very survival itself was impossible and how the most unconquerable enemies were captured and crushed never to rise again.

It will be only with the correct knowledge of the facts about the services of Abu Talib and his godly son, the Lion-hearted Ali, that the extent to which the Holy Prophet was helped by God on earth, will be properly assessed and understood. History bears the clearest testimony to the fact that it was Abu Talib and his son Ali that stood by the Holy Prophet and Islam, in all the most adverse and the most difficult circumstances with none else to match them in this regard.

History says that Abu Talib took special care about the safety of the Holy Prophet when still a boy he was entrusted to his care. It is reported that Abu Talib used to make the Holy Prophet sleep in his bed for half the night and the other half, he laid Ali in it, shifting the Holy Prophet to Ali’s bed. The question arises, when the Holy Prophet was yet a boy and had not started his mission, none knew or could even say that one day he was to be the apostle of God and there was no necessity for anyone to be an enemy to him, Abu Talib’s special care of the Holy Prophet could never be without some inspired knowledge of the actual position of the Holy Prophet beforehand, even while he was yet a boy.

The attitude which Abu Talib had adopted, was that of the Momin al-Aale Fir’awn.

 مُؤْمِنٌ مِنْ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَكْتُمُ إِيمَانَهُ

‘‘The believer of the people of Fir’awn who hid his faith” (40:28).

To speak the truth, Abu Talib was the first believer in Islam and Khadija and Ali come only after him.

Since an apostle of God is the supreme authority of God as His Vicegerent on earth, he cannot be subjected to any authority excepting that of the Lord. Hence all the elders, the father, the mother, the grandfather, were withdrawn from this world and the uncle Abu Talib was kept only until it was necessary for the mission and when Ali was there to take the place of his father to defend the Holy Prophet and the faith, even the uncle was withdrawn from this world.

The Christian missionary force is ever vigilant, not to know any truth about Islam or the Holy Prophet but to avail of even the least falsehood which could be coined against Islam and its Holy Teacher.

Verse 7

Mere common sense would suggest to any learned one to take the meaning of every word in its proper context or study any event with its background. The meaning of the word ‘Zall’ is taken as ignorant, whereas it means also lost and in view of the common story connected with the interpretation of this verse, it means only lost. What the common story says is that when Halima the nurse to the Holy Prophet, started on her journey to Mecca to restore the young Muhammad to his grandfather, she left him at a place at the outskirts of the town and went into the desert to answer the call of nature. When she returned, she did not find the holy child in the place where she had left. Getting perturbed, the lady reported the matter to Abd al-Muttalib the grandfather of the Holy Prophet. Abd al-Muttalib apprehended some foul play on the part of some enemies, came out with a drawn sword and collecting all his tribesmen carried out a thorough search for the child, but everyone returned disappointed.

Halima ran hither and thither and met an old man and implored him to give her the whereabouts of Muhammad. The moment the Holy name Muhammad was pronounced, in the Ka’ba Habl with all the other idols, fell headlong to the ground. The old man seemed to be troubled. Meanwhile arrived Abdul Muttalib with his tribesmen and offering his prayer to God, to be informed of the whereabouts of the child.

A voice came saying ‘‘Go! he is in the valley of Tahumah” Abdul Muttalib started for the place and on his way, he met Waraqa Ibn Nawfil who told him that he saw the boy in the valley of Tahumah. Abd al-Muttalib went there and found the boy playing with the branches of a tree. Abd al-Muttalib had not seen Muhammad since he as a baby was handed over to Halima. He could not recognise the boy and asked the boy if he had seen the child Muhammad. The hoy replied, I am Muhammad. Abd al-Muttalib took his grandson and pressed him to his heart and brought him home. The verse is said to refer to his having been taken for lost and the people having been guided towards him.

The verse may also mean that whatever knowledge the Holy Prophet possessed, it was not that which he acquired in this world but that which was gifted to him by God Himself, in his very genesis, i.e., he was only the mouthpiece of God. Let none think that whatever is said of the Holy Prophet, is his own, but the revelation from the Lord. The Eighth Holy Imam interprets this to mean that ‘‘the people did not know the actual position, i.e., thou wert lost in their ignorance and God guided mankind to know thee and thus raised thee in their knowledge”

The word ‘Zall’ has been used in the Holy Qur’an given different meanings in the different places10.

Let those who interpret ‘Zall’ as gone astray refer to 53:2 wherein God emphatically asserts that the Holy Prophet is the one who has not gone astray.

Verse 8

Commentators interpret this verse as a reference to the pecuniary provisions which the Holy Prophet received from the wealth of his wife Khadija and what he got through the leftover of the enemies, he dedicated for the defensive battles. But it would be too low and even a very mean estimate of the provision which God says that He has made for the Holy Prophet. God’s provision would be in accordance with God’s Greatness and glory. The Eighth Holy Imam Ali Ibn Musa ar-Riza says that the word ‘Yateem’ here means lonely. The Holy Prophet was lonely, alone without any friends or sympathisers and God directed the hearts of men and got the people around him as his devotees.

Verse 9

The address is to the Holy Prophet, but it is an ordinance for the believers in particular and mankind as a whole.

The Holy Prophet said that ‘‘he who pleases an orphan, I shall be pleased with him on the day of Judgment” Again the Holy Prophet said ‘‘He who maintains an orphan in honour, he and I will be together in heaven”. While saying this he raised his palm and showed his two fingers and said ‘‘as these two fingers are together”.

Verse 10

‘Sayil’, i.e., a seeker need not always be a Begger asking for any pecuniary charity. It may as well refer to the seeker of knowledge. Taking the meaning as a Begger, we are warned against rebuking them or treating them with the least hardship or scorn.

The Holy Prophet said that ‘‘If any seeker comes to thee even mounted on a horse even then, return him not disappointed. Even then he has a right over thee to help him as much as thou canst do it”

Though begging is condemned in Islam, yet as the Holy Prophet has suggested in one of his sayings - If a person gives up his self-respect and stretches out his hand in begging, he should not be further humiliated by being chided. (A.P.).

Verse 11

Man is enjoined to be always grateful and thankful to God’s grace and bounties and be mindful of his grace and mercy. He who does not thank for a little will not thank for much also. Man must always be celebrating the grace and the bounties he receives from the Lord, before the others.

To make it known to the people by contribution - not boastfully. (A.P.).

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