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92: The Night (Al-Lail)

Revealed at Makkah

The object of this chapter is to show that The Night of disbelief and ignorance, indicated in the first verse, will give place to the light of the day. It tells us that while people are striving after different ends, those who strive for good and charitable works will have their path eased for them but those who go after evil will find themselves in distress. It is one of the earliest revelations.

92:1
وَ الَّیۡلِ اِذَا یَغۡشٰی ۙ﴿۱﴾
By the night when it draws a veil!
92:2
وَ النَّہَارِ اِذَا تَجَلّٰی ۙ﴿۲﴾
And the day when it shines!
92:3
وَ مَا خَلَقَ الذَّکَرَ وَ الۡاُنۡثٰۤی ۙ﴿۳﴾
And the creating of the male and the female! —
92:4
اِنَّ سَعۡیَکُمۡ لَشَتّٰی ؕ﴿۴﴾
Your striving is surely (for) diverse (ends).
Note 92:4
Evil is here compared with the darkness of the night and good with the light of day. The creation of the male and the female, which stands for the creation of the whole of animate nature, because all living beings are created either male or female, is also a witness to the same truth, for there we find everyone striving for an end, and everyone reaping according to the manner of his striving.
92:5
فَاَمَّا مَنۡ اَعۡطٰی وَ اتَّقٰی ۙ﴿۵﴾
Then as for him who gives (charitably) and keeps his duty,
92:6
وَ صَدَّقَ بِالۡحُسۡنٰی ۙ﴿۶﴾
and accepts what is good —
92:7
فَسَنُیَسِّرُہٗ لِلۡیُسۡرٰی ؕ﴿۷﴾
We facilitate for him (the way to) ease.
92:8
وَ اَمَّا مَنۡۢ بَخِلَ وَ اسۡتَغۡنٰی ۙ﴿۸﴾
And as for him who is miserly and considers himself self-sufficient,
92:9
وَ کَذَّبَ بِالۡحُسۡنٰی ۙ﴿۹﴾
and rejects what is good —
92:10
فَسَنُیَسِّرُہٗ لِلۡعُسۡرٰی ﴿ؕ۱۰﴾
We facilitate for him (the way to) distress.
92:11
وَ مَا یُغۡنِیۡ عَنۡہُ مَا لُہٗۤ اِذَا تَرَدّٰی ﴿ؕ۱۱﴾
And his wealth will not avail him when he perishes.
Note 92:11
The two examples given in these verses represent those who accept and those who reject the Truth, respectively; the one goes on doing good deeds, finding his way quite easy, until he finds himself in ease, and the other goes on doing evil, the doing of which seems easy to him, until he finds himself in distress.
92:12
اِنَّ عَلَیۡنَا لَلۡہُدٰی ﴿۫ۖ۱۲﴾
Surely Ours is it to show the way,
92:13
وَ اِنَّ لَنَا لَلۡاٰخِرَۃَ وَ الۡاُوۡلٰی ﴿۱۳﴾
and surely Ours is the Hereafter and the former.
Note 92:13
The wicked one is here told that he will find himself in distress not only in the Hereafter but also in this life, as God has control of both. Or the two words refer to what is coming later, i.e. what is promised, and the present state.
92:14
فَاَنۡذَرۡتُکُمۡ نَارًا تَلَظّٰی ﴿ۚ۱۴﴾
So I warn you of the Fire that flames.
92:15
لَا یَصۡلٰىہَاۤ اِلَّا الۡاَشۡقَی ﴿ۙ۱۵﴾
None will enter it but the most unfortunate,
92:16
الَّذِیۡ کَذَّبَ وَ تَوَلّٰی ﴿ؕ۱۶﴾
who rejects and turns (his) back.
92:17
وَ سَیُجَنَّبُہَا الۡاَتۡقَی ﴿ۙ۱۷﴾
And away from it shall be kept the most faithful to duty,
92:18
الَّذِیۡ یُؤۡتِیۡ مَالَہٗ یَتَزَکّٰی ﴿ۚ۱۸﴾
who gives his wealth, purifying himself.
92:19
وَ مَا لِاَحَدٍ عِنۡدَہٗ مِنۡ نِّعۡمَۃٍ تُجۡزٰۤی ﴿ۙ۱۹﴾
And none has with him any favour for a reward,
92:20
اِلَّا ابۡتِغَآءَ وَجۡہِ رَبِّہِ الۡاَعۡلٰی ﴿ۚ۲۰﴾
except the seeking of the pleasure of his Lord, the Most High.
Note 92:20
The pleasure of the Lord is the only favour for which a person should hope, and hence this is the goal of a Muslim’s life — his paradise in this as well as the next life. This is in accordance with what is said in 9:72, one of the latest revelations: “And greatest of all is Allah’s goodly pleasure. That is the mighty achievement”.
92:21
وَ لَسَوۡفَ یَرۡضٰی ﴿٪۲۱﴾
And he will soon be well-pleased.
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