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89: The Daybreak (Al-Fajr)

Revealed at Makkah

The important Daybreak mentioned in the first verse, after which this chapter is named, is the first morning of the month of Dhu-l-Ḥijjah, the month of the pilgrimage, because this institution had given Makkah great importance as a trade centre and brought material prosperity to its residents. A warning is given here of the punishment that must overtake the city, as punishment over-took earlier people. It is one of the earliest revelations.

89:1

وَ الۡفَجۡرِ ۙ﴿۱﴾

By the daybreak!

89:2

وَ لَیَالٍ عَشۡرٍ ۙ﴿۲﴾

And the ten nights!

89:3

وَّ الشَّفۡعِ وَ الۡوَتۡرِ ۙ﴿۳﴾

And the even and the odd!

89:4

وَ الَّیۡلِ اِذَا یَسۡرِ ۚ﴿۴﴾

And the night when it departs!

Note 89:4

There is a great variety of opinion as to what is meant by the daybreak, the ten nights, and the even and the odd. The reference may be to the importance attached to Makkah (which is mentioned as The City at the commencement of the next chapter), because it was not only the spiritual centre of Arabia, but had also become its trade centre, on account of pilgrims resorting to it from all parts of Arabia. The daybreak would thus signify the daybreak of the first of the month of Dhu-l-Ḥijjah; the ten nights would stand for the first ten nights of that month, the tenth day being the day of sacrifices. The even may refer to the creation, which consists of pairs (51:49), and the odd to the Creator Who is one. The whole is a warning to the people of Makkah that, if they do not heed the warning, their end will be the same as the end of previous rejectors of truth.

89:5

ہَلۡ فِیۡ ذٰلِکَ قَسَمٌ لِّذِیۡ حِجۡرٍ ؕ﴿۵﴾

Truly in this is an oath for those who have understanding.

89:6

اَلَمۡ تَرَ کَیۡفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّکَ بِعَادٍ ۪ۙ﴿۶﴾

Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with Ād,

89:7

اِرَمَ ذَاتِ الۡعِمَادِ ۪ۙ﴿۷﴾

(of) Iram, having lofty buildings,

Note 89:7

Iram or Aram may be the name of the grandfather of Ād, from whom the tribe took its name or the name of a city in which it lived.

89:8

الَّتِیۡ لَمۡ یُخۡلَقۡ مِثۡلُہَا فِی الۡبِلَادِ ۪ۙ﴿۸﴾

whose like were not created in the land;

89:9

وَ ثَمُوۡدَ الَّذِیۡنَ جَابُوا الصَّخۡرَ بِالۡوَادِ ۪ۙ﴿۹﴾

and (with) Thamūd, who carved out rocks in the valley (to make houses);

89:10

وَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ ذِی الۡاَوۡتَادِ ﴿۪ۙ۱۰﴾

and Pharaoh, the lord of armies,

89:11

الَّذِیۡنَ طَغَوۡا فِی الۡبِلَادِ ﴿۪ۙ۱۱﴾

who exceeded limits in the cities,

89:12

فَاَکۡثَرُوۡا فِیۡہَا الۡفَسَادَ ﴿۪ۙ۱۲﴾

and made great mischief in them?

89:13

فَصَبَّ عَلَیۡہِمۡ رَبُّکَ سَوۡطَ عَذَابٍ ﴿ۚۙ۱۳﴾

So your Lord poured on them a portion of punishment.

Note 89:13

The meaning is that they received a portion of the punishment here, greater punishment overtaking them after death.

89:14

اِنَّ رَبَّکَ لَبِالۡمِرۡصَادِ ﴿ؕ۱۴﴾

Surely your Lord is Watchful.

89:15

فَاَمَّا الۡاِنۡسَانُ اِذَا مَا ابۡتَلٰىہُ رَبُّہٗ فَاَکۡرَمَہٗ وَ نَعَّمَہٗ ۬ۙ فَیَقُوۡلُ رَبِّیۡۤ اَکۡرَمَنِ ﴿ؕ۱۵﴾

As for man, when his Lord tries him, so (that) He gives him honour and favours him, he says: My Lord honours me.

89:16

وَ اَمَّاۤ اِذَا مَا ابۡتَلٰىہُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَیۡہِ رِزۡقَہٗ ۬ۙ فَیَقُوۡلُ رَبِّیۡۤ اَہَانَنِ ﴿ۚ۱۶﴾

But when He tries him, so (that) He restricts for him his (means of) subsistence, he says: My Lord has disgraced me.

Note 89:16

God tries man both by granting him affluence, in which case he is puffed up with pride and says that his wealth is an indication that God honours him, and by poverty, in which case he thinks that God has disgraced him.

89:17

کَلَّا بَلۡ لَّا تُکۡرِمُوۡنَ الۡیَتِیۡمَ ﴿ۙ۱۷﴾

No, but you do not honour the orphan,

89:18

وَ لَا تَحٰٓضُّوۡنَ عَلٰی طَعَامِ الۡمِسۡکِیۡنِ ﴿ۙ۱۸﴾

nor do you urge one another to feed the poor,

Note 89:18

Verses 17–19 show how the Prophet felt for the orphans, the poor and the weak, so much so that he warns his powerful and wealthy opponents that their indifference to the orphans and the poor and their injustice to the weak will bring down upon them the Divine judgment, which will shatter their power. He remained, to the end, a true well-wisher of the weak and the oppressed. When he became the head of a State, he provided for the orphans and the poor out of the public funds; see 9:60.

89:19

وَ تَاۡکُلُوۡنَ التُّرَاثَ اَکۡلًا لَّمًّا ﴿ۙ۱۹﴾

and you devour heritage, devouring all,

Note 89:19

Among the Arabs, women and young children were not allowed to have any share in the inheritance, because they could not fight the enemy.