سُورَةُ اللَّيۡلِ
Surah 92 - Al-Lail
The Night
- 21 verses
- Juz 30
- Pages 595 to 596 of the Mushaf
Al-Lail opens on three oaths: the night as it covers, the day as it shows itself, and what was created male and female. The fourth verse gives the sentence the rest unfolds: the efforts of men diverge. Two portraits follow, built on the same pattern, three verses each, answering one another word for word - one gives, fears and holds the finest reward to be true; the other holds back, thinks himself beyond need, and denies it. Each is eased along a road, but in opposite directions. The text then sets down what belongs to Allah, and warns of a fire. The last five verses describe the one kept from it: he gives expecting nothing back.
The main parts
The text of the surah
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰ
By the night when it covers
وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّىٰ
And [by] the day when it appears
وَمَا خَلَقَ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلْأُنثَىٰٓ
And [by] He who created the male and female,
إِنَّ سَعْيَكُمْ لَشَتَّىٰ
Indeed, your efforts are diverse.
فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَىٰ وَٱتَّقَىٰ
As for he who gives and fears Allah
وَصَدَّقَ بِٱلْحُسْنَىٰ
And believes in the best [reward],
فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُۥ لِلْيُسْرَىٰ
We will ease him toward ease.
وَأَمَّا مَنۢ بَخِلَ وَٱسْتَغْنَىٰ
But as for he who withholds and considers himself free of need
وَكَذَّبَ بِٱلْحُسْنَىٰ
And denies the best [reward],
فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُۥ لِلْعُسْرَىٰ
We will ease him toward difficulty.
وَمَا يُغْنِى عَنْهُ مَالُهُۥٓ إِذَا تَرَدَّىٰٓ
And what will his wealth avail him when he falls?
إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا لَلْهُدَىٰ
Indeed, [incumbent] upon Us is guidance.
وَإِنَّ لَنَا لَلْءَاخِرَةَ وَٱلْأُولَىٰ
And indeed, to Us belongs the Hereafter and the first [life].
فَأَنذَرْتُكُمْ نَارًۭا تَلَظَّىٰ
So I have warned you of a Fire which is blazing.
لَا يَصْلَىٰهَآ إِلَّا ٱلْأَشْقَى
None will [enter to] burn therein except the most wretched one.
ٱلَّذِى كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
Who had denied and turned away.
وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا ٱلْأَتْقَى
But the righteous one will avoid it -
ٱلَّذِى يُؤْتِى مَالَهُۥ يَتَزَكَّىٰ
[He] who gives [from] his wealth to purify himself
وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِندَهُۥ مِن نِّعْمَةٍۢ تُجْزَىٰٓ
And not [giving] for anyone who has [done him] a favor to be rewarded
إِلَّا ٱبْتِغَآءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ
But only seeking the countenance of his Lord, Most High.
وَلَسَوْفَ يَرْضَىٰ
And he is going to be satisfied.
Key verses of the surah
The sentence the whole surah unfolds: the efforts of men do not run the same way.
إِنَّ سَعْيَكُمْ لَشَتَّىٰ
Indeed, your efforts are diverse.
A short statement on what belongs to Allah, set between the two portraits and the warning.
إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا لَلْهُدَىٰ
Indeed, [incumbent] upon Us is guidance.
The only motive kept for the one who gives: to seek the Face of the Lord, nothing else.
إِلَّا ٱبْتِغَآءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ
But only seeking the countenance of his Lord, Most High.
What is surah Al-Lail about?
About a divergence, announced in verse 4 and then unfolded. The text sets two ways of handling what one owns side by side, gives each its sequel, and comes back at the close to the first to say what really marks it out.
What does surah Al-Lail say about those who give?
It makes them the first of the two portraits, in verses 5 to 7, then returns to them at the close. Verses 18 to 20 set out what marks that giving: it repays no service received and looks for no return.
How does surah Al-Lail end?
With five verses that take up the first portrait and sharpen it, down to a very short last line announcing a contentment. The surah thus closes on an outcome, not on the warning that comes before it.
How is surah Al-Lail built?
On a symmetry. After three oaths and a sentence that announces the subject, two portraits of three verses answer each other term for term. The text then pauses, warns, and takes up the first portrait again to finish.
Why is surah Al-Lail called that?
“Al-Lail” means “the Night”. The name comes from the first verse, where the night opens the run of oaths and is at once paired with the day, in the verse that follows. Neither word appears again: the surah keeps the pair they form, but moves on to conducts.
How many verses does surah Al-Lail have?
Surah Al-Lail has 21 verses. It stands at number 92 in the order of the Mushaf, which holds 114.
The Arabic text is that of the Mushaf. The summary, the outline and the answers on this page describe the text and how it is built: they are not religious commentary.