بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى (١) وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّى (٢) وَمَا خَلَقَ الذَّكَرَ وَالأنْثَى (٣) إِنَّ سَعْيَكُمْ لَشَتَّى (٤) فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى (٥) وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَى (٦) فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَى (٧) وَأَمَّا مَنْ بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَى (٨) وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَى (٩) فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَى (١٠) وَمَا يُغْنِي عَنْهُ مَالُهُ إِذَا تَرَدَّى (١١) إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا لَلْهُدَى (١٢) وَإِنَّ لَنَا لَلآخِرَةَ وَالأولَى (١٣) فَأَنْذَرْتُكُمْ نَارًا تَلَظَّى (١٤) لا يَصْلاهَا إِلا الأشْقَى (١٥) الَّذِي كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّى (١٦) وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا الأتْقَى (١٧) الَّذِي يُؤْتِي مَالَهُ يَتَزَكَّى (١٨) وَمَا لأحَدٍ عِنْدَهُ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ تُجْزَى (١٩) إِلا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِ الأعْلَى (٢٠) وَلَسَوْفَ يَرْضَى (٢١)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
- By the night when it veils
- and the day when it shines brightly
- and by Him who creates male and female
- surely your effort is for different goals
- As for the one who gives (to others) and fears Allah,
- and is a truthful witness to goodness,
- We will ease his way to comfort (in the next life)
- But as for the greedy one who keeps everything for himself, thinking that he is self-sufficient,
- and lies about goodness,
- We will ease his way to hardship
- His wealth will not save him when he perishes.
- Surely it is for Us to give guidance
- And surely to Us belongs the end and the beginning.
- Therefore I warn you of a blazing Fire;
- none but the miserable one will enter it –
- the one who lies about the Truth and turns his back
- But the most righteous one will be taken Far away from it –
- the one who gives away his wealth to purify himself,
- and have in his mind no favour from anyone for which a reward is expected in return.
- Other than seeking the Face of his Lord Most High,
- he will surely reach complete satisfaction.
Vocabulary & Meanings:
1. اللَّيْلِ –the night
2 النَّهَارِ – the day
3. الذَّكَرَ- the male
4. الأنْثَى- the female
5. سَعْيَكُمْ- your effort, your endeavor
6. أَعْطَى- gives
7. صَدَّقَ- testifies to the truth
8. بِالْحُسْنَى- with goodness
9. لِلْيُسْرَى- to comfort, to ease
10. بَخِلَ- a greedy one, a miser
11. كَذَّبَ- lies
12. لِلْعُسْرَى- to hardship, to difficulty
13. مَالُهُ – his wealth
14. لَلْهُدَى- to (give) guidance
15. نَارًا- fire
16. الأشْقَى- the miserable one
17. َتَوَلَّى- turns his back
18. الأتْقَى- the righteous one, the one who fears Allah
19. يُؤْتِي- gives
20. وَجْهِ رَبِّهِ- Face of his Lord
Questions and Answers:
1. In this Surah, Allah is taking oath on certain things. List them.
Allah takes oath on:
1. The night 2. The day 3. On Himself
2. What is meant by “surely your effort is for different goals”?
Allah says that human beings live and endeavor for different goals. The aim and struggle of life of one person is different from that of others.
3. What do you mean by ‘giving to others’?
It means sharing the Allah-given wealth with the poor, the needy, and in the cause of Islam.
4. Explain what is meant by being ‘truthful witness to goodness’?
To believe in Allah and to be believe that righteousness is inspired by Him and to live by the teachings of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Goodness is a comprehensive word, which includes goodness of belief, morals and deeds. Goodness of belief means that one should give up polytheism; atheism, and disbelief, and affirm faith in the Oneness of Allah (Tawheed), the Hereafter (Aakhirah) and the Prophethood. Affirming belief in goodness of morals and deeds is to live by the teachings of Qur’an and Hadith.
5. In this Surah, Allah says, ‘We will ease his way to comfort’. Whose way will Allah ease to comfort?
Allah will make the way easy towards achieving comfort for ‘the one who gives to others and fears Allah, and is a truthful witness to goodness’.
6. In this Surah, Allah says, ‘We will ease his way to hardship’. Whose way will Allah ease to hardship?
Allah will make the way easy towards hardship for ‘the greedy one who keeps everything for himself, thinking that he is self-sufficient, and lies about goodness’.
7. What do you understand by ‘Surely it is for Us to give guidance’?
It means that Allah is the One who bestows the Right Guidance upon people & that it is the exclusive right of Allah to bestow Guidance upon His noble creation.
8. What is referred to as ‘the blazing Fire’ and who will enter it?
The blazing Fire means the Hell – the Jahannum. None but the miserable one will enter it – the one who lies about the Truth and turns his back.
9. Why does the Righteous one gives his wealth to others?
The Righteous one gives his wealth to others ‘to purify himself’ and ‘to seek the pleasure of none but Allah’.
10. Is it right to expect favours from those with whom you share your wealth?
No, it is not right to expect favours from those with whom we share our wealth.
11. Who will attain complete satisfaction?
The one who does things to please Allah, and Allah only, will attain complete satisfaction.
