The Tafsīr of Sūrah Wash-Shams wa Ḍuḥāhā (Chapter - 91)

Which was revealed in Makkah

Recitation of Sūrah Ash-Shams wa Ḍuḥāhā in the 'Ishā' Prayer

The Ḥadīth of Jābir which was recorded in the Two Ṣaḥīḥs has already been mentioned. In it the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said to Mu'ādh,

«هَلَّا صَلَّيْتَ بِـ

Qur’an 87:1سَبِّحِ ٱسْمَ رَبِّكَ ٱلْأَعْلَى

Qur’an 91:1وَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا

Qur’an 92:1وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰ

؟»

«Why didn't you pray with (the recitation of) «Glorify the Name of your Lord the Most High» (87), «By the sun and Ḍuḥāhā» (91), and «By the night as it envelops?» (92)»^{1Fatḥ Al-Bāri 2:234, and Muslim 1:340.}

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Qur’an 91:1–10وَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا وَٱلْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰهَا وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَىٰهَا وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا

«1. By the sun and Ḍuḥāhā.» «2. By the moon as it Talāhā.» «3. By the day as it Jallāhā.» «4. By the night as it Yaghshāhā.» «5. By the heaven and Mā Banāhā.» «6. By the earth and Mā Ṭahhāhā.» «7. By Nafs, and Mā Sawwāhā (Who apportioned it).» «8. Then He showed it its Fujūr and its Taqwā.» «9. Indeed he succeeds who purifies it.» «10. And indeed he fails who Dassāhā.»

Allāh swears by His Creation that the Person Who purifies Himself will be Successful and the Person Who corrupts Himself will fail

Mujāhid said,

Qur’an 91:1وَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا

«By the sun and Ḍuḥāhā.» "This means, by its light."^{1Aṭ-Ṭabari 24:451.} Qatādah said,

Qur’an 91:1وَضُحَىٰهَا

«wa Ḍuḥāhā.» "The whole day."^{2Aṭ-Ṭabari 24:451.} Ibn Jarīr said, "The correct view is what has been said, 'Allāh swears by the sun and its daytime, because the clear light of the sun is daytime.'

"

Qur’an 91:2وَٱلْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا

«By the moon as it Talāhā.» Mujāhid said, "It follows it (the sun)."^{3Aṭ-Ṭabari 24:452.} Al-'Awfi reported from Ibn 'Abbās that he said,

Qur’an 91:2وَٱلْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا

«By the moon as it Talāhā.» "It follows the day."^{4Aṭ-Ṭabari 24:452.} Qatādah said, " as it Talāhā (follows it)' is referring to the night of the Hilāl (the new crescent moon). When the sun goes down, the Hilāl is visible."^{5Aṭ-Ṭabari 24:452.} Concerning Allāh's statement,

Qur’an 91:3وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا

«By the day as it Jallāhā.» Mujāhid said, "When it illuminates."^{6Aṭ-Ṭabari 24:529.} Thus, Mujāhid said,

Qur’an 91:3وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا

«By the day as it Jallāhā.» "This is similar to Allāh's statement,

Qur’an 92:2وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّىٰ

«By the day as it Tajallā.» (92:2)"

And they have said concerning Allāh's statement,

Qur’an 91:4وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰهَا

«By the night as it Yaghshāhā.» meaning, when it covers the sun, which takes place when sun disappears and the horizons become dark.

Concerning Allāh's statement,

Qur’an 91:5وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَىٰهَا

«By the heaven and Mā Banāhā.» The meaning here could be for descriptive purposes, meaning "By the heaven and its construction." This was said by Qatādah. It could also mean "By the heaven and its Constructor." This was stated by Mujāhid.^{7Aṭ-Ṭabari 24:453.} Both views are interrelated, and construction means raising. This is as Allāh says,

Qur’an 51:47وَٱلسَّمَآءَ بَنَيْنَٰهَا بِأَيْي۟دٍ

«With Hands did We construct the heaven.» (51:47) meaning, with strength.

Qur’an 51:47–48وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ وَٱلْأَرْضَ فَرَشْنَٰهَا فَنِعْمَ ٱلْمَٰهِدُونَ

«Verily, We are able to extend the vastness of space thereof. And We have spread out the earth: how excellent a spreader are We!» (51:47-48)

This is also similar to Allāh's statement,

Qur’an 91:6وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا

«By the earth and Mā Ṭaḥāhā.» Mujāhid said, "Ṭaḥāhā means He spread it out."^{8Aṭ-Ṭabari 24:454.} Al-'Awfi reported from Ibn 'Abbās that he said,

Qur’an 91:6وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا

«and Mā Ṭaḥāhā.» "This means what He created in it."^{9Aṭ-Ṭabari 24:453.} 'Ali bin Abi Ṭalḥah reported from Ibn 'Abbās that he said, "Ṭaḥāhā means that He proportioned it."^{10Aṭ-Ṭabari 24:454.} Mujāhid, Qatādah, Aḍ-Ḍaḥḥāk, As-Suddi, Ath-Thawri, Abu Ṣāliḥ and Ibn Zayd all said that

Qur’an 91:6طَحَىٰهَا

«Ṭaḥāhā» means, He spread it out.^{11Aṭ-Ṭabari 24:454, and Ad-Durr Al-Manthūr 8:529, 530.}

Allāh then says,

Qur’an 91:7وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا

«By Nafs, and Mā Sawwāhā (Who apportioned it).»

meaning, He created it sound and well-proportioned upon the correct nature (Al-Fiṭrah). This is as Allāh says,

Qur’an 30:30فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًا فِطْرَتَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّتِى فَطَرَ ٱلنَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ ٱللَّهِ

«So set you your face towards the religion, Ḥanīf. Allāh's Fiṭrah with which He has created mankind. No change let there be in the Khalqillāh.» (30:30)

The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said,

Ḥadīthكُلُّ مَوْلُودٍ يُولَدُ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ فَأَبَوَاهُ يُهَوِّدَانِهِ أَوْ يُنَصِّرَانِهِ أَوْ يُمَجِّسَانِهِ، كَمَا تُولَدُ الْبَهِيمَةُ بَهِيمَةً جَمْعَاءَ، هَلْ تُحِسُّونَ فِيهَا مِنْ جَدْعَاءَ؟

«Every child that is born, is born upon the Fiṭrah, but his parents make him a Jew, a Christian, or a Zoroastrian. This is just as the animal is born, complete with all of its parts. Do you notice any mutilation in it?»

Both Al-Bukhāri and Muslim recorded this Ḥadīth from Abu Hurayrah.^{12Fatḥ Al-Bāri 3:290, and Muslim 4:2048.} In Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, it has been narrated from 'Iyāḍ bin Ḥimār Al-Mujāshi'ī that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said,

Ḥadīthيَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: إِنِّي خَلَقْتُ عِبَادِي حُنَفَاءَ فَجَاءَتْهُمُ الشَّيَاطِينُ فَاجْتَالَتْهُمْ عَنْ دِينِهِمْ

«Allāh the Mighty and Majestic says, "Verily I created My servants Ḥunafā' (as monotheists), but then the devils came to them and distracted them from their religion.»"^{13Muslim 4 :2197.}

Then Allāh says,

Qur’an 91:8فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا

«Then He showed it its Fujūr and its Taqwā.»

meaning, He showed him to his transgression and his Taqwā. This means that He clarified that for it and He guided it to what has been ordained for him. Ibn 'Abbās said,

Qur’an 91:8فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا

«Then He showed it its Fujūr and its Taqwā.»

"He explained the good and the evil to it (the soul)."^{14Aṭ-Ṭabari 24 :454.}

Mujāhid, Qatādah, Aḍ-Ḍaḥḥāk and Ath-Thawri all said the same.^{15Aṭ-Ṭabari 24 :455.} Sa'īd bin Jubayr said, "He gave him inspiration (to see what was) good and evil." Ibn Zayd said, "He made its Fujūr and its Taqwā inside of it."^{16Aṭ-Ṭabari 24 :455.}

Ibn Jarīr recorded from Abul-Aswad Ad-Dīli that he said, "Imrān bin Ḥuṣayn said to me, 'Do you think that what the people do, and what they strive for is a thing that is pre- ordained and predestined for them, or is it a thing which is only written after the Message comes to them from the Prophet ﷺ, when there will be an evidence against them?' I said, 'Rather it is something preordained upon them.' Then he said, 'Is that an injustice?' Then I became extremely frightened of him (due to what he was saying), and I said to him, 'There is nothing except that He (Allāh) created it and possesses it in His Hand. He is not asked about what He does, while they (His creation) will be asked.' He ('Imrān) then said, 'May Allāh guide you! I only asked you about that in order to inform you that a man from Muzaynah or Juhaynah tribe came to the Allāh's Messenger ﷺ and asked him:

"O Messenger of Allāh! Do you consider the actions of mankind and their struggles to be preordained for them and written for them from Qadr, or something written for them only after the Message came to them from their Prophet, when there will be an evidence against them?" He (the Prophet ﷺ) replied:

Ḥadīthبَلْ شَيْءٌ قَدْ قُضِيَ عَلَيْهِمْ

«Rather it is something preordained for them.»

So the man said, "Then what is the point of our actions?" The Prophet ﷺ replied,

«مَنْ كَانَ اللَّهُ خَلَقَهُ لِإِحْدَى الْمَنْزِلَتَيْنِ يُهَيِّئُهُ لَهَا، وَتَصْدِيقُ ذَلِكَ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى:

Qur’an 91:7–8وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا

»

«Whoever Allāh created for one of the two positions (Paradise or Hell), He makes it easy for him (to attain). The proof of that is in the Book of Allāh «By Nafs, and Mā Sawwāhā (Who apportioned it). Then He showed it its Fujūr and its Taqwā».»"^{17Aṭ-Ṭabari 24:455.}

Aḥmad and Muslim both recorded this Ḥadīth.^{18Aḥmad 4:438, and Muslim 4:2041.}

Allāh then says,

Qur’an 91:9–10قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا

«Indeed he succeeds who purifies it. And indeed he fails who Dassāhā.»

This could mean that whoever purifies himself by obedience to Allāh, then he will be successful. This is as Qatādah said, "He cleanses it from the lowly and despicable characteristics."

Similar to this has been reported from Mujāhid, 'Ikrimah and Sa'īd bin Jubayr.

Qur’an 91:10وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا

«And indeed he fails who Dassāhā.» meaning, to conceal it. This means that he makes it dull, and he disregards it by neglecting to allow it to receive guidance. He treats it in this manner until he performs acts of disobedience and he abandons obedience of Allāh.

It also could mean that he is indeed successful whose soul Allāh purifies, and he has failed whose soul Allāh corrupts. This is like what was reported by Al-'Awfi and 'Ali bin Abi Ṭalḥah from Ibn 'Abbās.^{19Aṭ-Ṭabari 24:457.}

Aṭ-Ṭabarāni recorded that Ibn 'Abbās said, "The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ used to stop whenever he recited this Āyah,

Qur’an 91:7–8وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا

«By Nafs, and Mā Sawwāhā (Who apportioned it). Then He showed it its Fujūr and its Taqwā.»

Then he would say,

Ḥadīthاللَّهُمَّ آتِ نَفْسِي تَقْوَاهَا، أَنْتَ وَلِيُّهَا وَمَوْلَاهَا، وَخَيْرُ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا

«O Allāh! Give my soul its good. You are its Guardian and Master, and the best to purify it.»"^{20Aṭ-Ṭabarāni 11:106.}

Another Ḥadīth

Imām Aḥmad recorded that Zayd bin Arqam said that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said,

Ḥadīthاللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ، وَالْهَرَمِ وَالْجُبْنِ وَالْبُخْلِ وَعَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ. اللَّهُمَّ آتِ نَفْسِي تَقْوَاهَا، وَزَكِّهَا أَنْتَ خَيْرُ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا، أَنْتَ وَلِيُّهَا وَمَوْلَاهَا. اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ قَلْبٍ لَا يَخْشَعُ، وَمِنْ نَفْسٍ لَا تَشْبَعُ، وَعِلْمٍ لَا يَنْفَعُ، وَدَعْوَةٍ لَا يُسْتَجَابُ لَهَا

«O Allāh! Verily, I seek refuge with You from weakness, laziness, senility (of old age), cowardliness, stinginess and the torment of the grave. O Allāh! Give my soul its good and purify it, for You are the best to purify it. You are its Guardian and Master. O Allāh! Verily, I seek refuge with You from a heart that is not humble, a soul that is not satisfied, knowledge that does not benefit and a supplication that is not answered.»

Zayd then said, "The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ used to teach us these (words) and we now teach them to you."^{21Aḥmad 4:371.} Muslim also recorded this Ḥadīth.^{22Muslim 4:2088.}

Arabic quotation as printed; not matched to Tanzil, so not shown as the Qur’anوَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا وَٱلْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰهَا وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَىٰهَا وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ بِطَغْوَىٰهَآ إِذِ ٱنۢبَعَثَ أَشْقَىٰهَا فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ نَاقَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَسُقْيَٰهَا فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُم بِذَنۢبِهِمْ فَسَوَّىٰهَا وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقْبَٰهَا وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰ وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّىٰ وَمَا خَلَقَ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلْأُنثَىٰٓ إِنَّ سَعْيَكُمْ لَشَتَّىٰ فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَىٰ وَٱتَّقَىٰ وَصَدَّقَ بِٱلْحُسْنَىٰ فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُۥ لِلْيُسْرَىٰ وَأَمَّا مَنۢ بَخِلَ وَٱسْتَغْنَىٰ وَكَذَّبَ بِٱلْحُسْنَىٰ فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُۥ لِلْعُسْرَىٰ وَمَا يُغْنِى عَنْهُ مَالُهُۥٓ إِذَا تَرَدَّىٰٓ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا لَلْهُدَىٰ وَإِنَّ لَنَا لَلْـَٔاخِرَةَ وَٱلْأُولَىٰ فَأَنذَرْتُكُمْ نَارًا تَلَظَّىٰ

Qur’an 91:11–15كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ بِطَغْوَىٰهَآ إِذِ ٱنۢبَعَثَ أَشْقَىٰهَا فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ نَاقَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَسُقْيَٰهَا فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُم بِذَنۢبِهِمْ فَسَوَّىٰهَا وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقْبَٰهَا

«11. Thamūd denied through their transgression.» «12. When their most wicked went forth.» «13. But the Messenger of Allāh said to them: "Be cautious! That is the she-camel of Allāh! (Do not harm it) and (bar it not from having) its drink!"» «14. Then they denied him and they killed it. So their Lord destroyed them because of their sin, Fasawwāhā!» «15. And He feared not the consequences thereof.»

The Rejection of Thamūd and Allāh's Destruction of Them

Allāh informs that Thamūd rejected their Messenger because of the injustice and transgression they practiced. This was said by Mujāhid, Qatādah and others.^{1Aṭ-Ṭabari 24:458.} Therefore, this resulted in a rejection in their hearts for the guidance and conviction their Messenger came to them with.

Qur’an 91:12إِذِ ٱنۢبَعَثَ أَشْقَىٰهَا

«When their most wicked went forth.» meaning, the most wicked person of the tribe, and he was Qudār bin Sālif, the one who killed the she-camel. He was leader of the tribe of Thamūd, and he is the one whom Allāh refers to in His saying,

Qur’an 54:29فَنَادَوْا۟ صَاحِبَهُمْ فَتَعَاطَىٰ فَعَقَرَ

«But they called their comrade and he took (a sword) and killed (her).» (54:29)

This man was mighty and respected among his people. He was of noble lineage and a leader who was obeyed. This is just as Imām Aḥmad recorded from 'Abdullāh bin Zam'ah. He said that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ gave a sermon in which he mentioned the she-camel and he mentioned the man who killed her. Then he said,

«

Qur’an 91:12إِذِ ٱنۢبَعَثَ أَشْقَىٰهَا

انْبَعَثَ لَهَا رَجُلٌ عَارِمٌ عَزِيزٌ مَنِيعٌ فِي رَهْطِهِ مِثْلُ أَبِي زَمْعَةَ»

««When their most wicked went forth.» A strong and mighty man who was invincible among his tribe, like Abu Zam'ah, went forth to her.»^{2Aḥmad 4:17.}

This Ḥadīth was recorded by Al-Bukhāri in his Book of Tafsīr, and Muslim in his Book of the Description of the Hellfire. At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasā'ī both recorded it in their Sunans in their Books of Tafsīr.^{3Fatḥ Al-Bāri 8:575, Muslim 4:2191, Tuḥfat Al-Aḥwadhi 9:268, and An-Nasā'ī in Al-Kubrā 6:515.}

The Story of Ṣāliḥ's She-Camel

Allāh then says,

Qur’an 91:13فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ

«But the Messenger of Allāh said to them» referring to Ṣāliḥ.

Qur’an 91:13نَاقَةَ ٱللَّهِ

«That is the she-camel of Allāh!» meaning, 'beware of touching the she-camel of Allāh with any harm.'

Qur’an 91:13وَسُقْيَٰهَا

«and its drink!» meaning, 'do not transgress against her in her drinking, for she has been allocated a day to drink and you have been allocated a day to drink, as is known to you.' Then Allāh says,

Qur’an 91:14فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا

«Then they denied him and they killed it.»

which means they rejected what he came with. This resulted in them killing the she-camel that Allāh had brought out of the rock as a sign for them and a proof against them.

Qur’an 91:14فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُم بِذَنۢبِهِمْ

«So their Lord destroyed them because of their sin,»

meaning, He became angry with them and He annihilated them.

Qur’anفَسَوَّىٰهَا

«Fasawwāhā!» meaning, He made the punishment descend upon them all equally.

Qatādah said, "It has reached us that the leader of tribe of Thamūd did not kill the she-camel until their youth, their elderly, their males and their females all pledged allegiance to him. So when the people cooperated in killing her, Allāh destroyed them all with the same punishment due to their sin."^{4Aṭ-Ṭabari 24:460.} Allāh said,

Qur’an 91:15وَلَا يَخَافُ

«And He feared not» it has also been recited as

(فَلَا يَخَافُ)

(So He feared not)

Qur’an 91:15عُقْبَٰهَا

«the consequences thereof.» Ibn 'Abbās said, "Allāh does not fear any consequences from anyone else."^{5Aṭ-Ṭabari 24:416.} Mujāhid, Al-Ḥasan, Bakr bin 'Abdullāh Al-Muzani and others all said the same.^{6Aṭ-Ṭabari 24:461.}

This is the end of the Tafsīr of Sūrat Ash-Shams, and all praise and thanks are due to Allāh.