Surat Al-Duha is one of the short surahs in the Holy Qur’an, and carries with it important messages and lessons for humans. This surah glides in the hearts of believers with tenderness and mercy, giving them hope and optimism in life, and reminding them that God Almighty is sufficient and the One who takes care of their affairs and rewards them for His blessings with goodness.
The date and reasons for the revelation of Surah Ad-Duha
Surah Ad-Duha is one of the Meccan surahs, and it was revealed after Surat Al-Fajr and before Surat Al-Sharh, and the number of its verses is eleven verses, and its order is the ninety-third surah,
and it is contained in this surah the personality of the Prophet Muhammad – may God’s peace and blessings be upon him – and what Allah has bestowed upon him from the credit in the worldly and the hereafter, and several reasons have been given for the descent of Surat Al-Duha, including:
1- The reason for its revelation is that the polytheists said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): Your Lord has bid you farewell, so Allaah revealed this surah to reassure him that Allaah is with him, and that He has not left him, and will not abandon him.
2- The reason for its revelation is that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) complained of a disease, and a woman from the polytheists came to him and said to him: I do not see your devil except he has left you, so Allah Almighty revealed this surah to reassure him that he did not abandon him, and that Allah Almighty will heal him.
But the most likely reason is the first reason, which is that the polytheists said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):
Your Lord has bid you farewell, so this surah was revealed to reassure him that he did not leave him, and will not abandon him. The revelation of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was delayed and the polytheists spread in that lie and slander, that Allah (may He be pleased with him) had bid farewell to the Prophet and left him, so these verses were revealed to silence these tongues, and to announce to the Prophet that his Lord is with him and that he is pleased with him, and it was stated in the hadith:
Jibreel slowed down the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), and the idolaters said: “I have bid farewell to Muhammad” [Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh] So Allah, the Almighty, revealed: (And the duha and the night if what your Lord bids you farewell and what is said)
Significance of Surat Al-Duha
Surat Al-Duha has many connotations, including:
- It is an indication of Allah’s care for the Prophet Muhammad, and his reassurance that he will not abandon him.
- An indication that the reward in the Hereafter is better than in this world.
- An indication that Allah Almighty guides whomever He wants, and provides him from where it is not counted.
- An indication of the importance of social solidarity, and helping the needy, especially orphans and the needy.
- An indication of the importance of thanking Allah Almighty for His blessings, and His gratitude for them.
These indications are explained below:
1- An indication of Allah’s care for the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
The first verses of Surat Al-Duha emphasize Allah’s care for the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his assurance that He will not abandon him.
{And the sacrifice and the night, if it is satisfied, your Lord will not say goodbye to you and what is said} That is, Allah Almighty did not leave you, did not hate you, but cared for you and cared for you.
This indication is very important for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and for the believers after him, as it confirms that Allah Almighty is with us, and that He will not abandon us, no matter how difficult and difficult we may be.
2- An indication that the reward in the Hereafter is better than this world
The third verse of Surat Al-Duha confirms that the reward in the Hereafter is better than the world, in the words of the Almighty:
And to the end there is a good for you from the first 1
That is, the reward in the Hereafter is better for you than in this world, and that Allah Almighty will give you what you love and please, so that you will be satisfied with it. This sign is very important for believers, as it urges them to endure adversity in this world and to prepare for the hereafter, which is the real abode of retribution.
3- An indication that Allah Almighty guides whomever He wants, and provides him from where it is not calculated
The fifth verse of Surat Al-Duha confirms that Allah Almighty guides whomever He wants, and provides him from where it is not counted, in His saying:
And your Lord will give you a period
That is, Allah Almighty will give you what you love and please, so that you will be satisfied with Him. This sign is very important for believers, as it urges them to be patient in the face of adversity, and to rely on Allah Almighty in all their affairs.
4- An indication of the importance of social solidarity, and helping the needy, especially orphans and the needy
The last verses of Surat Al-Duha urge social solidarity and help the needy, especially orphans and the needy, in the words of the Almighty:
But the orphan shall not be revived, but the one who asks shall not be rejected.1
But by the grace of your Lord, it happened.
That is, as for the orphan, do not oppress him, do not take advantage of his weakness, do not despise him, but have mercy on him, respect him, and treat him well. As for the questioner, do not rebuke him, do not disdain him, but feed him, give him whatever money you can, or return him with a favor.
But by the grace of your Lord, speak it, thank Allah for it, be grateful for it, and spread it among men. This sign is very important for the Islamic community, as it encourages good morals, helping the needy, and spreading goodness among people.
5- An indication of the importance of thanking Allah Almighty for His blessings, and His gratitude for them
The last verse of Surat Al-Duha emphasizes the importance of thanksgiving to Allah Almighty.
Tafsir of Surah Ad-Duha
وَٱلضُّحَىٰ (1) وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا سَجَىٰ (2) مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ (3) وَلَلۡأٓخِرَةُ خَيۡرٞ لَّكَ مِنَ ٱلۡأُولَىٰ (4) وَلَسَوۡفَ يُعۡطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرۡضَىٰٓ (5) أَلَمۡ يَجِدۡكَ يَتِيمٗا فَـَٔاوَىٰ (6) وَوَجَدَكَ ضَآلّٗا فَهَدَىٰ (7) وَوَجَدَكَ عَآئِلٗا فَأَغۡنَىٰ (8) فَأَمَّا ٱلۡيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقۡهَرۡ (9) وَأَمَّا ٱلسَّآئِلَ فَلَا تَنۡهَرۡ (10) وَأَمَّا بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثۡ (11)
By the forenoon (after sun-rise);
And by the night when it is still (or darkens);
Your Lord (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him)) has neither forsaken you nor hated you.
And indeed the Hereafter is better for you than the present (life of this world).
And verily, your Lord will give you (all i.e. good) so that you shall be well-pleased.
Did He not find you (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him)) an orphan and gave you a refuge?
And He found you unaware (of the Quran, its legal laws, and Prophethood, etc.) and guided you?
And He found you poor, and made you rich (selfsufficient with selfcontentment, etc.)?
Therefore, treat not the orphan with oppression,
And repulse not the beggar;
And proclaim the Grace of your Lord (i.e. the Prophethood and all other Graces).
“And by the morning brightness,”
Ad-Duha (the morning brightness) is the time when the sun rises, it is a blessed time that signifies goodness and hope.
“And [by] the night when it covers,”
As-Sajja (the night when it covers) refers to the darkness and the covering of the earth with its darkness.
“Your Lord has not taken leave of you, [O Muhammad], nor has He detested [you].”
This means that Allah has not abandoned or disliked you, rather He takes care of you and is concerned about you.
“And the Hereafter is better for you than the first [life].”
This means that the reward in the Hereafter is better for you than the worldly life, and Allah will give you what satisfies you.
“And your Lord is going to give you, and you will be satisfied.”
This means that Allah will give you what you love and are pleased with, so you will be content with Him.
“Did He not find you an orphan and give [you] refuge?”
Allah found you as an orphan and provided you with refuge, protection, and care.
“And He found you lost and guided [you].”
Allah found you astray and guided you to the straight path of truth.
“And He found you poor and made [you] self-sufficient.”
Allah found you in need and enriched you, making you self-sufficient and among the leaders and reformers.
“So as for the orphan, do not oppress [him].”
Regarding the orphan, do not oppress him, do not exploit his vulnerability, and treat him with kindness and respect.
“And as for the petitioner, do not repel [him].”
Regarding the one who asks, do not repel him or scold him. Instead, feed him or give him what you can of your wealth or respond to him with kindness.
“And as for the favor of your Lord, report [it].”
Regarding the blessings and favors of your Lord, speak about them, express gratitude to Allah, benefit from them, and share them with others.
At the end of our words, Surat Al-Duha contains with it great messages and through value that we can extract and apply in our daily lives, it invites us to patience and calculation, and reminds us that Allah Almighty is the merciful and generous, and that He will reward us with good and success if we remain believers and adhere to the truth and righteousness,
so let’s be inspired by Surat Al-Duha its vibrant spirit of hope and optimism, and let’s work hard and diligently to achieve good and success in our lives, and let us be assured that Allah Almighty watches us and rewards us for every good we do.
In this regard, you can join the Quran Memorization Academy online, to start your educational stages, and contemplate the verses of the Holy Quran, as Wahion Youha Academy provides many courses by a group of teachers and specialists in the sciences of the Qur’an and Islamic studies, contact us now, and book your first trial class.