Sūrat al-Layl

سورۃ اللیل

Sūrat al-Layl was revealed in Makkah and contains twenty-one (21) āyāt.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In this sūra Allah Most High informs human beings about the two-coloured nature of human existence — that there is some good and some bad, and some very bad — a pious man is not a coward, and a brave man — some people are always righteous, some are always wicked — in every case the colour of the human being's nature is not one. He says the following:

وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰ

wa-l-layli idhā yaghshā.

"By the night when it covers." (al-Layl 92:1)

Wa-l-layl — and the night; by the night I am presenting testimony. Idhā yaghshā — when it covers; yaghshā — he covers; ghishāwatan — a cover, ghushn — covering, without awareness, wrapping up; a veil. The night covers the — this is the intended meaning.

Translation: I present the night as testimony (when it covers and comes).

Friends! Some people are dark-hearted, corrupt by nature — it is not at all that they accept the right thing. The example of this is Umayya ibn Khalaf — Bilāl (may Allah be pleased with him) was the slave of whose hands. And Bilāl (may Allah be pleased with him) was from different directions subjected to torment.

وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّىٰ

wa-l-nahāri idhā tajallā.

"And the day when it shines in glory." (al-Layl 92:2)

Wa-l-nahār — and the day; the day's testimony will be given — when. Idhā — when; tajallā — it becomes bright. The day is the testimony of Abū Bakr Ṣiddīq (may Allah be pleased with him) — just as Abū Bakr Ṣiddīq (may Allah be pleased with him) bought Bilāl (may Allah be pleased with him) from Umayya ibn Khalaf with a few coins and freed him.

Translation: And I present the day as testimony when it shines in brightness.

وَمَا خَلَقَ الذَّكَرَ وَالْأُنثَىٰ

wa-mā khalaqa l-dhakara wa-l-unthā.

"And He who created the male and female." (al-Layl 92:3)

Wa-mā khalaqa — and His (power's) testimony; the one who created; He created. Al-dhakara — the male; wa-l-unthā — and the female — men, the strong ones, and women, the weak ones, the helpless, the silly.

Translation: And I present as testimony His (power's) testimony — the one who created both male and female (manifested all their kinds).

إِنَّ سَعْيَكُمْ لَشَتَّىٰ

inna saʿyakum la-shattā.

"Indeed, your efforts are diverse." (al-Layl 92:4)

Inna — beyond doubt. Saʿyakum — your striving, your effort. La-shattā — is certainly diverse and different, absolutely different. Abū Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) is always the most righteous and Umayya ibn Khalaf never believed and was always dark-natured. And the striving of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Muljam was going dark from the influence of others too.

Translation: Beyond doubt, your striving is of different and diverse kinds.

فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَىٰ وَاتَّقَىٰ

fa-ammā man aʿṭā wa-ttaqā.

"As for he who gives and fears Allah." (al-Layl 92:5)

Fa-ammā man — then. Aʿṭā — the one who gives; who gave, gave in the path of God, freed the slave in order to obtain nearness to God. Wa-ttaqā — and who observed piety; ittaqā — to observe piety; who chose the avoidance of God's anger — originally wāw has merged into tā in the verbal forms.

Translation: Then the one who gave (in God's path and freed the slave) and who chose piety —

(Like Abū Bakr Ṣiddīq (may Allah be pleased with him))

وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَىٰ

wa-ṣaddaqa bi-l-ḥusnā.

"And believed in the best (reward)." (al-Layl 92:6)

Wa-ṣaddaqa — and he verified, he accepted as true; ṣacha — good speech. The best speech in the largest thing is a matter of faith. Imān, good things, praiseworthy deeds, divine ordinances and other good things — for Abū Bakr Ṣiddīq (may Allah be pleased with him) all these good deeds are fitting — it is for this that he is called Abū Bakr Ṣiddīq Akbar.

Translation: And he verified the good.

فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَىٰ

fa-sanuyassirahu li-l-yusrā.

"We will ease him toward ease." (al-Layl 92:7)

Fa-sanuyassirahu — then We will make it easy for them, provide ease. Li-l-yusrā — toward the ease; the means of ease — toward ease and comfort for the sake of the spirit.

Translation: Then We will make easy for them the means of ease (to reach Paradise) in great comfort.

وَأَمَّا مَن بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَىٰ

wa-ammā man bakhila wa-staghnā.

"But as for he who withholds and considers himself free of need." (al-Layl 92:8)

Wa-ammā — and. Man bakhila — the one who was miserly; who acted miserly. Wa-staghnā — and who regarded himself as self-sufficient; who thought of himself as needless of God, who acted heedlessly.

Translation: And the one who acted miserly (giving nothing in God's path) and regarded himself as free of God's help (he neither cared nor had any care for God).

وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَىٰ

wa-kadhdhabа bi-l-ḥusnā.

"And denied the best (reward)." (al-Layl 92:9)

Wa-kadhdhabа — and he denied; he rejected. Bi-l-ḥusnā — the best thing; the good faith; the best thing is faith, Islām, divine ordinances, rejecting those and wasting the good deeds of those who follow Islām — it is an example of the likes of Umayya ibn Khalaf who rejected all of these.

Translation: And the denial of the good (meaning Islām).

فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَىٰ

fa-sanuyassirahu li-l-ʿusrā.

"We will ease him toward difficulty." (al-Layl 92:10)

Fa-sanuyassirahu — then We will bring ease for them; We will make it easy. Li-l-ʿusrā — toward extreme hardship; ʿusrā — toward extreme and harsh difficulty.

Translation: Then We will give him extreme hardship with utmost ease.

وَمَا يُغْنِي عَنْهُ مَالُهُ إِذَا تَرَدَّىٰ

wa-mā yughnī ʿanhu māluhu idhā taraddā.

"And what will his wealth avail him when he falls?" (al-Layl 92:11)

Wa-mā yughnī ʿanhu — and it will not avail him, come to his use. Māluhu — his wealth. Idhā taraddā — when he falls; when he falls into a state of ruin — his wealth will be of no use. When he goes into ruin — when he becomes penniless and destitute and falls into dishonor, his situation will change.

Translation: When he falls into (the abyss of disgrace) his wealth will avail him nothing, nothing will come in useful.

إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا لَلْهُدَىٰ

inna ʿalaynā la-l-hudā.

"Indeed, upon Us is guidance." (al-Layl 92:12)

Inna ʿalaynā — indeed it is upon Us, it is contingent upon Our will. La-l-hudā — certainly guidance; al-hudā — certainly guidance.

Translation: Indeed certainly guiding (someone) is Our work.

وَإِنَّ لَنَا لَلْآخِرَةَ وَالْأُولَىٰ

wa-inna lanā la-l-ākhirata wa-l-ūlā.

"And indeed, to Us belongs the Hereafter and the first (life)." (al-Layl 92:13)

Wa-inna lanā — and indeed by our hands is. La-l-ākhirata — the Hereafter certainly; the state after death, the Day of Resurrection. Wa-l-ūlā — and the first condition, the worldly condition, this life.

Translation: And indeed the Hereafter too is certainly Ours and the worldly life too is Ours.

فَأَنذَرْتُكُمْ نَارًا تَلَظَّىٰ

fa-andhartukum nāran talaẓẓā.

"So I have warned you of a Fire that is blazing." (al-Layl 92:14)

Fa-andhartukum — then We have given you a warning; We have informed you of the bad consequence. Nārā — fire. Talaẓẓā — blazing, a roaring fire.

Translation: Then We have warned you of a blazing fire.

But who will enter it?

لَا يَصْلَاهَا إِلَّا الْأَشْقَى

lā yaṣlāhā illā l-ashqā.

"None will enter it except the most wretched one." (al-Layl 92:15)

Lā yaṣlāhā — will not enter this fire. Illā l-ashqā — except the most wretched — the most wretched of all; the most miserable.

Translation: Into it none will enter except the most wretched, most miserable.

Why is he wretched?

الَّذِي كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ

alladhī kadhdhaba wa-tawallā.

"Who had denied and turned away." (al-Layl 92:16)

Alladhī — the one who. Kadhdhaba — he denied; he rejected God and the Messenger. Wa-tawallā — and turned away; who took to turning away, took to turning back — like Umayya ibn Khalaf. He would hide the true thing behind his back.

Translation: (Into Hell will enter) the one who denied the truth and turned away from it.

وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا الْأَتْقَى

wa-sa-yujannab-hā l-atqā.

"But the most righteous one will be kept away from it." (al-Layl 92:17)

Wa-sa-yujannabuhā — and from Hell he will be kept aside, kept separate. Al-atqā — the most God-fearing, the most pious, the most righteous.

Translation: And from it (Hell) the most God-fearing will be kept apart.

Friends! This verse was revealed for Abū Bakr Ṣiddīq (may Allah be pleased with him). Abū Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) is the greatest elder and the greatest of all. Logic is that inna akramakum ʿinda llāhi atqākum — to be the greatest with God the most pious of all is needed — Abū Bakr Ṣiddīq (may Allah be pleased with him) is greater than all the Companions by this argument — we will mention the virtues ahead.

Why was he the greatest? Because:

الَّذِي يُؤْتِي مَالَهُ يَتَزَكَّىٰ

alladhī yuʾtī mālahu yatazakkā.

"Who gives his wealth to purify himself." (al-Layl 92:18)

Alladhī yuʾtī — the one who gives. Mālahu — his wealth. Yatazakkā — he is purifying himself — who gives his wealth so that he can progress, he keeps growing in spiritual progress.

Translation: Who gives his own wealth (so that he can grow) and (spiritually) purifies himself and keeps advancing.

وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِندَهُ مِن نِّعْمَةٍ تُجْزَىٰ

wa-mā li-aḥadin ʿindahu min niʿmatin tujzā.

"And not (giving) for anyone who has (given) him a favor to be rewarded." (al-Layl 92:19)

Wa-mā li-aḥadin — and for anyone there is nothing with him; ʿindahu — with him; no favor of any kind; meaning he has no obligation to anyone.

Translation: And he does not give for the sake of repaying anyone's favor.

إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِ الْأَعْلَىٰ

illā btighaʾa wajhi rabbihī l-aʿlā.

"But only seeking the countenance of his Lord, the Most High." (al-Layl 92:20)

Illā btighaʾ — except the desire of. Wajha Rabbih — the countenance of his Lord. Al-aʿlā — the Most High, the Most Exalted; some time the word wajh also has the meaning of pleasure and contentment — of the satisfaction of his exalted Lord.

Translation: (He gives and spends) only for the pleasure of his high and exalted Lord.

وَلَسَوْفَ يَرْضَىٰ

wa-la-sawfa yarḍā.

"And he is going to be satisfied." (al-Layl 92:21)

Wa-la-sawfa — and very soon. Yarḍā — God will make him pleased; God will give him so that he becomes content.

Translation: And soon this person will be content and pleased.