Ash-Shams الشمس

By the Sun and by its Duha

Commentary covering verses 1–10

This Surah is dedicated to the human soul, to our essence. This Surah will define what it is and then the next surah, Surah Layl, will tell us what purifies our soul. It is a question as old as time itself, what is the human being, what is the human essence.

﴾ ١ ﴿ وَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا

By the Sun and by its Duha

This surah will mostly consist of two oaths in one verse like this. The first oath is by the Sun. The second oath by Duha.

Duha is the early part of the morning, after sunrise when the sun becomes easily and clearly visible in the sky. Initially after sunrise, the sun is not visible. After a couple of hours, it is right above us such that if we look above at the sky, the sun is clearly visible. This time when it becomes easily and clearly visible is Duha But the word Duha can also refer to the light of the sun during this time as well. The light of the sun is soft and pleasant at this time. In the context of this surah, Duha refers to the light of the sun during this period; not the time period itself. We will first just go through all the oaths and then bring them all together at the end In sha Allah.

﴾ ٢ ﴿ وَٱلْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا By the moon as it follows it, The word Tala is translated as follows. It is important to note that this root contains the meaning of being subservient. For example, it was used for a baby fowl when it follows its mother right after birth etc.⁹³ ﴾ ٣ ﴿ وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا By the day when it gives it glory This is Majaz Aqli. The use of Majaz Aqli keeps the focus on the sun which as we will see, forms the center of this surah.

﴾ ٤ ﴿ وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰهَا By the night as it conceals it

Majaz Aqli again. The pronoun it refers back to the sun again.

﴾ ٥ ﴿ وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَىٰهَا

By the sky and by its erection/ building Translations normally translate it as “ By the sky and he who built/ erected it .” They

translate the particle ما as what. But I take ما to be Ma al Musdariyah - which turns the verb after it into a verbal noun - because this keeps it true to the theme and context of the surah. This is also the position of al-Farrāʾ, al-Zajjāj, Qatādah, al-Mubarrad.⁹⁴

﴾ ٦ ﴿ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا By the earth and by its spreading/ flattening.

Ma al Masdaryah again.

﴾ ٧ ﴿ وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا By Soul, and by its balancing

Notice the lack of the definite article. There was a definite article “al” with every object whose oath was taken off. Allah said - By the Sun, By the Moon, By the sky, By the earth; but here, there is no definite article, it is simply - By Soul.

This is for two reasons.

Firstly, to highlight that this is the main thing or subject being talked about. The lack of the definite article here suggests that every single oath that came before it, came in the context of the Soul and hence has something to do with the Soul. The Soul is the main and central subject being talked about. Every oath is in light of it. This is following the position that the definite article can be omitted to highlight the great and grand nature of a thing as is commonly understood in balāgha.

Secondly, the omission of the definite article creates plurality. It means that Allah is swearing by all souls. Every single human soul in every single human being, believer or disbeliever, man or woman alike. Every single human being has the same soul.

Collective Meaning of the Oaths This is the order of all the oaths.

1. The Sun 2. Duha 3. Moon 4. Day 5. Night 6. Sky 7. The elevation of the sky 8. Earth 9. The flattening and spreading of the earth 10. Soul 11. The balancing of the soul The oath by the sun is followed by an oath by the moon. The oath by the day is followed by an oath by the night. The oath by the Sky is followed by an oath by the earth. The oath by the flatness (lowness) of the earth is followed by the erection of the sky.

Each object is followed by its opposite.

The opposite of the sun is the moon; the opposite of the day is the night; the opposite of the sky is the earth, the opposite of the lowliness of the earth is the elevation of the sky.

When two opposites come together, balance is achieved.

Hence, Allah says right next:

﴾ ٧ ﴿ وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا

By Soul, and by its balancing The human soul has been balanced by bringing together two opposites like the multiple phenomena that have been mentioned.

Now what are these two opposites? They are specified in the next verse and alluded to in the erection of the sky and the spreading of the earth. Allah says next:

﴾ ٨ ﴿ فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا Then he inspired it, its destruction and protection Allah put inside the human being, knowledge of good and bad, of what protects his soul and destroys it. Righteousness protects the soul, its boundary, its sanctity, and its rights whereas evil destroys it. Allah balanced the human being by putting inside him these two opposites - knowledge of good and bad. He can choose either and is given free will to do so.

Secondly, the phraseology is very generic and hence it can mean additional things. Allah put inside the human being what destroys his soul and what protects it. Namely, He put inside the human being lowly, worldly desires which destroy his soul, and He also put inside him what protects his soul, namely - the desire for the divine and righteousness. Islam asks of a human being to balance these two desires within himself. Man should neither dedicate himself solely to his spiritual needs and neglect the desires and needs of his body, nor should he live chasing bodily desires and neglect his spiritual needs. Marriage serves as a perfect example of this. The bodily desire for the other gender needs to be exercised under the oath and protection of marriage only. Hence, exercising bodily desires after fulfilling Islamic requirements harmonizes them with spiritual responsibilities and this extends to all other things. Another example is the money someone earns. Islam does not stop or put a threshold on how much money one should earn, but rather on how much effort he spends. If all he is occupied with is earning money, then this leads to neglecting his spiritual needs. Instead, he is to earn money whilst also taking care of religious duties. On the money he earns, he is to pay a fixed percentage of Zakāh annually too. This way, both the material and the spiritual needs are balanced and go hand in hand. Islam does not treat the physical and spiritual as exclusive that cannot be reconciled with each other. Rather, Islam reconciles and harmonizes them in such a way that they both go hand in hand. A perfect balance.

Now the question arises why specifically mention the sun with the moon and the day with the night? If the point was just to highlight the coming together of two opposites, Allah could have mentioned any pair of opposites such as for example; a man with a woman, an animal with an angel etc. Why specifically mention these objects?

Because these oaths are exactly what the human soul is. Sometimes it is bright and sometimes it is dark. Sometimes it is radiant, and sometimes it is dull. Just like the constant battle of the day and night, where sometimes the light takes over and then darkness gets over it right after, so is this battle going on within the human soul. Sometimes it is righteous and radiant like the day but then darkness and evil take over it like the night. Sometimes it is happy and joyful, other times, it is sad and dull.

﴾ ٩ ﴿ قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا

Qad Aflaha mn Zakka ha ﴾ ١٠ ﴿ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا

Wa Qd Khāba Mn Dassa Ha These two verses are impossible to translate.

Notice the first word in blue- Aflaha. This word was used for plowing land. A farmer is called “fallāḥ” in Arabic which comes from the same root.

The second word is Zakka which we have already covered in surah al- Nāziʿāt. It was used for a nourished and fertile land as well as for crops that produced increased yield.

The word Khāba comes from the root khāʾ wāw bāʾ which was used for ● A land that did not receive rain. Situated between two lands that received rain ● Uncultivated land While the root of the next word Dassa was used for: ● A snake that burrows deep inside the earth ● Burying ● Hiding You can see from these four words Aflaha, Zakka, Khāba and Dassa that this is a clear imagery of a land being either cultivated or not being taken care of.

The one who works hard like a farmer, plowing his land (his soul), and then purifies it, cultivates it, helping it grow and flourish - will gain great harvest, produce and benefit from his land (soul). That farmer has been successful. Just like fertile land that is tilled, watered, and taken care of, the soul responds to care and blossoms with goodness. The one who neglects his land (soul), buries its potential, hides its seed (potential and light) under layers of darkness (earth and desires) will have a barren soul like a land left unwatered and untouched. They miss out even when others around them (the other lands that received water) flourish.

Allah is presenting the human soul like a piece of land 1. Some lands (souls) are plowed, nurtured and purified, and so they become fruitful and successful.

2. Other lands (souls) are buried, ignored, hidden and receive no rain (divine guidance or inner effort)- and thus, they become fruitless, dry and ultimately, failures.

Allah is asking people to take care of their spiritual needs as well. We all take care of bodily desires. Just as we take care of our material needs daily, build our capital and investment salary by salary, so should we take care and try to increase in spiritual good. Just as a farmer consistently takes care of his crops to prevent them from rotting away, so should men tend to their souls daily to protect it from being wasted away.

⁹³ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 1, p.213
⁹⁴ See also - al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 29, p. 67

By the moon as it follows it,

Commentary covering verses 1–10

This Surah is dedicated to the human soul, to our essence. This Surah will define what it is and then the next surah, Surah Layl, will tell us what purifies our soul. It is a question as old as time itself, what is the human being, what is the human essence.

﴾ ١ ﴿ وَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا

By the Sun and by its Duha

This surah will mostly consist of two oaths in one verse like this. The first oath is by the Sun. The second oath by Duha.

Duha is the early part of the morning, after sunrise when the sun becomes easily and clearly visible in the sky. Initially after sunrise, the sun is not visible. After a couple of hours, it is right above us such that if we look above at the sky, the sun is clearly visible. This time when it becomes easily and clearly visible is Duha But the word Duha can also refer to the light of the sun during this time as well. The light of the sun is soft and pleasant at this time. In the context of this surah, Duha refers to the light of the sun during this period; not the time period itself. We will first just go through all the oaths and then bring them all together at the end In sha Allah.

﴾ ٢ ﴿ وَٱلْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا By the moon as it follows it, The word Tala is translated as follows. It is important to note that this root contains the meaning of being subservient. For example, it was used for a baby fowl when it follows its mother right after birth etc.⁹³ ﴾ ٣ ﴿ وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا By the day when it gives it glory This is Majaz Aqli. The use of Majaz Aqli keeps the focus on the sun which as we will see, forms the center of this surah.

﴾ ٤ ﴿ وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰهَا By the night as it conceals it

Majaz Aqli again. The pronoun it refers back to the sun again.

﴾ ٥ ﴿ وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَىٰهَا

By the sky and by its erection/ building Translations normally translate it as “ By the sky and he who built/ erected it .” They

translate the particle ما as what. But I take ما to be Ma al Musdariyah - which turns the verb after it into a verbal noun - because this keeps it true to the theme and context of the surah. This is also the position of al-Farrāʾ, al-Zajjāj, Qatādah, al-Mubarrad.⁹⁴

﴾ ٦ ﴿ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا By the earth and by its spreading/ flattening.

Ma al Masdaryah again.

﴾ ٧ ﴿ وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا By Soul, and by its balancing

Notice the lack of the definite article. There was a definite article “al” with every object whose oath was taken off. Allah said - By the Sun, By the Moon, By the sky, By the earth; but here, there is no definite article, it is simply - By Soul.

This is for two reasons.

Firstly, to highlight that this is the main thing or subject being talked about. The lack of the definite article here suggests that every single oath that came before it, came in the context of the Soul and hence has something to do with the Soul. The Soul is the main and central subject being talked about. Every oath is in light of it. This is following the position that the definite article can be omitted to highlight the great and grand nature of a thing as is commonly understood in balāgha.

Secondly, the omission of the definite article creates plurality. It means that Allah is swearing by all souls. Every single human soul in every single human being, believer or disbeliever, man or woman alike. Every single human being has the same soul.

Collective Meaning of the Oaths This is the order of all the oaths.

1. The Sun 2. Duha 3. Moon 4. Day 5. Night 6. Sky 7. The elevation of the sky 8. Earth 9. The flattening and spreading of the earth 10. Soul 11. The balancing of the soul The oath by the sun is followed by an oath by the moon. The oath by the day is followed by an oath by the night. The oath by the Sky is followed by an oath by the earth. The oath by the flatness (lowness) of the earth is followed by the erection of the sky.

Each object is followed by its opposite.

The opposite of the sun is the moon; the opposite of the day is the night; the opposite of the sky is the earth, the opposite of the lowliness of the earth is the elevation of the sky.

When two opposites come together, balance is achieved.

Hence, Allah says right next:

﴾ ٧ ﴿ وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا

By Soul, and by its balancing The human soul has been balanced by bringing together two opposites like the multiple phenomena that have been mentioned.

Now what are these two opposites? They are specified in the next verse and alluded to in the erection of the sky and the spreading of the earth. Allah says next:

﴾ ٨ ﴿ فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا Then he inspired it, its destruction and protection Allah put inside the human being, knowledge of good and bad, of what protects his soul and destroys it. Righteousness protects the soul, its boundary, its sanctity, and its rights whereas evil destroys it. Allah balanced the human being by putting inside him these two opposites - knowledge of good and bad. He can choose either and is given free will to do so.

Secondly, the phraseology is very generic and hence it can mean additional things. Allah put inside the human being what destroys his soul and what protects it. Namely, He put inside the human being lowly, worldly desires which destroy his soul, and He also put inside him what protects his soul, namely - the desire for the divine and righteousness. Islam asks of a human being to balance these two desires within himself. Man should neither dedicate himself solely to his spiritual needs and neglect the desires and needs of his body, nor should he live chasing bodily desires and neglect his spiritual needs. Marriage serves as a perfect example of this. The bodily desire for the other gender needs to be exercised under the oath and protection of marriage only. Hence, exercising bodily desires after fulfilling Islamic requirements harmonizes them with spiritual responsibilities and this extends to all other things. Another example is the money someone earns. Islam does not stop or put a threshold on how much money one should earn, but rather on how much effort he spends. If all he is occupied with is earning money, then this leads to neglecting his spiritual needs. Instead, he is to earn money whilst also taking care of religious duties. On the money he earns, he is to pay a fixed percentage of Zakāh annually too. This way, both the material and the spiritual needs are balanced and go hand in hand. Islam does not treat the physical and spiritual as exclusive that cannot be reconciled with each other. Rather, Islam reconciles and harmonizes them in such a way that they both go hand in hand. A perfect balance.

Now the question arises why specifically mention the sun with the moon and the day with the night? If the point was just to highlight the coming together of two opposites, Allah could have mentioned any pair of opposites such as for example; a man with a woman, an animal with an angel etc. Why specifically mention these objects?

Because these oaths are exactly what the human soul is. Sometimes it is bright and sometimes it is dark. Sometimes it is radiant, and sometimes it is dull. Just like the constant battle of the day and night, where sometimes the light takes over and then darkness gets over it right after, so is this battle going on within the human soul. Sometimes it is righteous and radiant like the day but then darkness and evil take over it like the night. Sometimes it is happy and joyful, other times, it is sad and dull.

﴾ ٩ ﴿ قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا

Qad Aflaha mn Zakka ha ﴾ ١٠ ﴿ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا

Wa Qd Khāba Mn Dassa Ha These two verses are impossible to translate.

Notice the first word in blue- Aflaha. This word was used for plowing land. A farmer is called “fallāḥ” in Arabic which comes from the same root.

The second word is Zakka which we have already covered in surah al- Nāziʿāt. It was used for a nourished and fertile land as well as for crops that produced increased yield.

The word Khāba comes from the root khāʾ wāw bāʾ which was used for ● A land that did not receive rain. Situated between two lands that received rain ● Uncultivated land While the root of the next word Dassa was used for: ● A snake that burrows deep inside the earth ● Burying ● Hiding You can see from these four words Aflaha, Zakka, Khāba and Dassa that this is a clear imagery of a land being either cultivated or not being taken care of.

The one who works hard like a farmer, plowing his land (his soul), and then purifies it, cultivates it, helping it grow and flourish - will gain great harvest, produce and benefit from his land (soul). That farmer has been successful. Just like fertile land that is tilled, watered, and taken care of, the soul responds to care and blossoms with goodness. The one who neglects his land (soul), buries its potential, hides its seed (potential and light) under layers of darkness (earth and desires) will have a barren soul like a land left unwatered and untouched. They miss out even when others around them (the other lands that received water) flourish.

Allah is presenting the human soul like a piece of land 1. Some lands (souls) are plowed, nurtured and purified, and so they become fruitful and successful.

2. Other lands (souls) are buried, ignored, hidden and receive no rain (divine guidance or inner effort)- and thus, they become fruitless, dry and ultimately, failures.

Allah is asking people to take care of their spiritual needs as well. We all take care of bodily desires. Just as we take care of our material needs daily, build our capital and investment salary by salary, so should we take care and try to increase in spiritual good. Just as a farmer consistently takes care of his crops to prevent them from rotting away, so should men tend to their souls daily to protect it from being wasted away.

⁹³ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 1, p.213
⁹⁴ See also - al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 29, p. 67

By the day as it gives it glory

Commentary covering verses 1–10

This Surah is dedicated to the human soul, to our essence. This Surah will define what it is and then the next surah, Surah Layl, will tell us what purifies our soul. It is a question as old as time itself, what is the human being, what is the human essence.

﴾ ١ ﴿ وَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا

By the Sun and by its Duha

This surah will mostly consist of two oaths in one verse like this. The first oath is by the Sun. The second oath by Duha.

Duha is the early part of the morning, after sunrise when the sun becomes easily and clearly visible in the sky. Initially after sunrise, the sun is not visible. After a couple of hours, it is right above us such that if we look above at the sky, the sun is clearly visible. This time when it becomes easily and clearly visible is Duha But the word Duha can also refer to the light of the sun during this time as well. The light of the sun is soft and pleasant at this time. In the context of this surah, Duha refers to the light of the sun during this period; not the time period itself. We will first just go through all the oaths and then bring them all together at the end In sha Allah.

﴾ ٢ ﴿ وَٱلْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا By the moon as it follows it, The word Tala is translated as follows. It is important to note that this root contains the meaning of being subservient. For example, it was used for a baby fowl when it follows its mother right after birth etc.⁹³ ﴾ ٣ ﴿ وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا By the day when it gives it glory This is Majaz Aqli. The use of Majaz Aqli keeps the focus on the sun which as we will see, forms the center of this surah.

﴾ ٤ ﴿ وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰهَا By the night as it conceals it

Majaz Aqli again. The pronoun it refers back to the sun again.

﴾ ٥ ﴿ وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَىٰهَا

By the sky and by its erection/ building Translations normally translate it as “ By the sky and he who built/ erected it .” They

translate the particle ما as what. But I take ما to be Ma al Musdariyah - which turns the verb after it into a verbal noun - because this keeps it true to the theme and context of the surah. This is also the position of al-Farrāʾ, al-Zajjāj, Qatādah, al-Mubarrad.⁹⁴

﴾ ٦ ﴿ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا By the earth and by its spreading/ flattening.

Ma al Masdaryah again.

﴾ ٧ ﴿ وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا By Soul, and by its balancing

Notice the lack of the definite article. There was a definite article “al” with every object whose oath was taken off. Allah said - By the Sun, By the Moon, By the sky, By the earth; but here, there is no definite article, it is simply - By Soul.

This is for two reasons.

Firstly, to highlight that this is the main thing or subject being talked about. The lack of the definite article here suggests that every single oath that came before it, came in the context of the Soul and hence has something to do with the Soul. The Soul is the main and central subject being talked about. Every oath is in light of it. This is following the position that the definite article can be omitted to highlight the great and grand nature of a thing as is commonly understood in balāgha.

Secondly, the omission of the definite article creates plurality. It means that Allah is swearing by all souls. Every single human soul in every single human being, believer or disbeliever, man or woman alike. Every single human being has the same soul.

Collective Meaning of the Oaths This is the order of all the oaths.

1. The Sun 2. Duha 3. Moon 4. Day 5. Night 6. Sky 7. The elevation of the sky 8. Earth 9. The flattening and spreading of the earth 10. Soul 11. The balancing of the soul The oath by the sun is followed by an oath by the moon. The oath by the day is followed by an oath by the night. The oath by the Sky is followed by an oath by the earth. The oath by the flatness (lowness) of the earth is followed by the erection of the sky.

Each object is followed by its opposite.

The opposite of the sun is the moon; the opposite of the day is the night; the opposite of the sky is the earth, the opposite of the lowliness of the earth is the elevation of the sky.

When two opposites come together, balance is achieved.

Hence, Allah says right next:

﴾ ٧ ﴿ وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا

By Soul, and by its balancing The human soul has been balanced by bringing together two opposites like the multiple phenomena that have been mentioned.

Now what are these two opposites? They are specified in the next verse and alluded to in the erection of the sky and the spreading of the earth. Allah says next:

﴾ ٨ ﴿ فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا Then he inspired it, its destruction and protection Allah put inside the human being, knowledge of good and bad, of what protects his soul and destroys it. Righteousness protects the soul, its boundary, its sanctity, and its rights whereas evil destroys it. Allah balanced the human being by putting inside him these two opposites - knowledge of good and bad. He can choose either and is given free will to do so.

Secondly, the phraseology is very generic and hence it can mean additional things. Allah put inside the human being what destroys his soul and what protects it. Namely, He put inside the human being lowly, worldly desires which destroy his soul, and He also put inside him what protects his soul, namely - the desire for the divine and righteousness. Islam asks of a human being to balance these two desires within himself. Man should neither dedicate himself solely to his spiritual needs and neglect the desires and needs of his body, nor should he live chasing bodily desires and neglect his spiritual needs. Marriage serves as a perfect example of this. The bodily desire for the other gender needs to be exercised under the oath and protection of marriage only. Hence, exercising bodily desires after fulfilling Islamic requirements harmonizes them with spiritual responsibilities and this extends to all other things. Another example is the money someone earns. Islam does not stop or put a threshold on how much money one should earn, but rather on how much effort he spends. If all he is occupied with is earning money, then this leads to neglecting his spiritual needs. Instead, he is to earn money whilst also taking care of religious duties. On the money he earns, he is to pay a fixed percentage of Zakāh annually too. This way, both the material and the spiritual needs are balanced and go hand in hand. Islam does not treat the physical and spiritual as exclusive that cannot be reconciled with each other. Rather, Islam reconciles and harmonizes them in such a way that they both go hand in hand. A perfect balance.

Now the question arises why specifically mention the sun with the moon and the day with the night? If the point was just to highlight the coming together of two opposites, Allah could have mentioned any pair of opposites such as for example; a man with a woman, an animal with an angel etc. Why specifically mention these objects?

Because these oaths are exactly what the human soul is. Sometimes it is bright and sometimes it is dark. Sometimes it is radiant, and sometimes it is dull. Just like the constant battle of the day and night, where sometimes the light takes over and then darkness gets over it right after, so is this battle going on within the human soul. Sometimes it is righteous and radiant like the day but then darkness and evil take over it like the night. Sometimes it is happy and joyful, other times, it is sad and dull.

﴾ ٩ ﴿ قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا

Qad Aflaha mn Zakka ha ﴾ ١٠ ﴿ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا

Wa Qd Khāba Mn Dassa Ha These two verses are impossible to translate.

Notice the first word in blue- Aflaha. This word was used for plowing land. A farmer is called “fallāḥ” in Arabic which comes from the same root.

The second word is Zakka which we have already covered in surah al- Nāziʿāt. It was used for a nourished and fertile land as well as for crops that produced increased yield.

The word Khāba comes from the root khāʾ wāw bāʾ which was used for ● A land that did not receive rain. Situated between two lands that received rain ● Uncultivated land While the root of the next word Dassa was used for: ● A snake that burrows deep inside the earth ● Burying ● Hiding You can see from these four words Aflaha, Zakka, Khāba and Dassa that this is a clear imagery of a land being either cultivated or not being taken care of.

The one who works hard like a farmer, plowing his land (his soul), and then purifies it, cultivates it, helping it grow and flourish - will gain great harvest, produce and benefit from his land (soul). That farmer has been successful. Just like fertile land that is tilled, watered, and taken care of, the soul responds to care and blossoms with goodness. The one who neglects his land (soul), buries its potential, hides its seed (potential and light) under layers of darkness (earth and desires) will have a barren soul like a land left unwatered and untouched. They miss out even when others around them (the other lands that received water) flourish.

Allah is presenting the human soul like a piece of land 1. Some lands (souls) are plowed, nurtured and purified, and so they become fruitful and successful.

2. Other lands (souls) are buried, ignored, hidden and receive no rain (divine guidance or inner effort)- and thus, they become fruitless, dry and ultimately, failures.

Allah is asking people to take care of their spiritual needs as well. We all take care of bodily desires. Just as we take care of our material needs daily, build our capital and investment salary by salary, so should we take care and try to increase in spiritual good. Just as a farmer consistently takes care of his crops to prevent them from rotting away, so should men tend to their souls daily to protect it from being wasted away.

⁹³ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 1, p.213
⁹⁴ See also - al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 29, p. 67

By the night as it conceals it

Commentary covering verses 1–10

This Surah is dedicated to the human soul, to our essence. This Surah will define what it is and then the next surah, Surah Layl, will tell us what purifies our soul. It is a question as old as time itself, what is the human being, what is the human essence.

﴾ ١ ﴿ وَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا

By the Sun and by its Duha

This surah will mostly consist of two oaths in one verse like this. The first oath is by the Sun. The second oath by Duha.

Duha is the early part of the morning, after sunrise when the sun becomes easily and clearly visible in the sky. Initially after sunrise, the sun is not visible. After a couple of hours, it is right above us such that if we look above at the sky, the sun is clearly visible. This time when it becomes easily and clearly visible is Duha But the word Duha can also refer to the light of the sun during this time as well. The light of the sun is soft and pleasant at this time. In the context of this surah, Duha refers to the light of the sun during this period; not the time period itself. We will first just go through all the oaths and then bring them all together at the end In sha Allah.

﴾ ٢ ﴿ وَٱلْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا By the moon as it follows it, The word Tala is translated as follows. It is important to note that this root contains the meaning of being subservient. For example, it was used for a baby fowl when it follows its mother right after birth etc.⁹³ ﴾ ٣ ﴿ وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا By the day when it gives it glory This is Majaz Aqli. The use of Majaz Aqli keeps the focus on the sun which as we will see, forms the center of this surah.

﴾ ٤ ﴿ وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰهَا By the night as it conceals it

Majaz Aqli again. The pronoun it refers back to the sun again.

﴾ ٥ ﴿ وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَىٰهَا

By the sky and by its erection/ building Translations normally translate it as “ By the sky and he who built/ erected it .” They

translate the particle ما as what. But I take ما to be Ma al Musdariyah - which turns the verb after it into a verbal noun - because this keeps it true to the theme and context of the surah. This is also the position of al-Farrāʾ, al-Zajjāj, Qatādah, al-Mubarrad.⁹⁴

﴾ ٦ ﴿ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا By the earth and by its spreading/ flattening.

Ma al Masdaryah again.

﴾ ٧ ﴿ وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا By Soul, and by its balancing

Notice the lack of the definite article. There was a definite article “al” with every object whose oath was taken off. Allah said - By the Sun, By the Moon, By the sky, By the earth; but here, there is no definite article, it is simply - By Soul.

This is for two reasons.

Firstly, to highlight that this is the main thing or subject being talked about. The lack of the definite article here suggests that every single oath that came before it, came in the context of the Soul and hence has something to do with the Soul. The Soul is the main and central subject being talked about. Every oath is in light of it. This is following the position that the definite article can be omitted to highlight the great and grand nature of a thing as is commonly understood in balāgha.

Secondly, the omission of the definite article creates plurality. It means that Allah is swearing by all souls. Every single human soul in every single human being, believer or disbeliever, man or woman alike. Every single human being has the same soul.

Collective Meaning of the Oaths This is the order of all the oaths.

1. The Sun 2. Duha 3. Moon 4. Day 5. Night 6. Sky 7. The elevation of the sky 8. Earth 9. The flattening and spreading of the earth 10. Soul 11. The balancing of the soul The oath by the sun is followed by an oath by the moon. The oath by the day is followed by an oath by the night. The oath by the Sky is followed by an oath by the earth. The oath by the flatness (lowness) of the earth is followed by the erection of the sky.

Each object is followed by its opposite.

The opposite of the sun is the moon; the opposite of the day is the night; the opposite of the sky is the earth, the opposite of the lowliness of the earth is the elevation of the sky.

When two opposites come together, balance is achieved.

Hence, Allah says right next:

﴾ ٧ ﴿ وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا

By Soul, and by its balancing The human soul has been balanced by bringing together two opposites like the multiple phenomena that have been mentioned.

Now what are these two opposites? They are specified in the next verse and alluded to in the erection of the sky and the spreading of the earth. Allah says next:

﴾ ٨ ﴿ فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا Then he inspired it, its destruction and protection Allah put inside the human being, knowledge of good and bad, of what protects his soul and destroys it. Righteousness protects the soul, its boundary, its sanctity, and its rights whereas evil destroys it. Allah balanced the human being by putting inside him these two opposites - knowledge of good and bad. He can choose either and is given free will to do so.

Secondly, the phraseology is very generic and hence it can mean additional things. Allah put inside the human being what destroys his soul and what protects it. Namely, He put inside the human being lowly, worldly desires which destroy his soul, and He also put inside him what protects his soul, namely - the desire for the divine and righteousness. Islam asks of a human being to balance these two desires within himself. Man should neither dedicate himself solely to his spiritual needs and neglect the desires and needs of his body, nor should he live chasing bodily desires and neglect his spiritual needs. Marriage serves as a perfect example of this. The bodily desire for the other gender needs to be exercised under the oath and protection of marriage only. Hence, exercising bodily desires after fulfilling Islamic requirements harmonizes them with spiritual responsibilities and this extends to all other things. Another example is the money someone earns. Islam does not stop or put a threshold on how much money one should earn, but rather on how much effort he spends. If all he is occupied with is earning money, then this leads to neglecting his spiritual needs. Instead, he is to earn money whilst also taking care of religious duties. On the money he earns, he is to pay a fixed percentage of Zakāh annually too. This way, both the material and the spiritual needs are balanced and go hand in hand. Islam does not treat the physical and spiritual as exclusive that cannot be reconciled with each other. Rather, Islam reconciles and harmonizes them in such a way that they both go hand in hand. A perfect balance.

Now the question arises why specifically mention the sun with the moon and the day with the night? If the point was just to highlight the coming together of two opposites, Allah could have mentioned any pair of opposites such as for example; a man with a woman, an animal with an angel etc. Why specifically mention these objects?

Because these oaths are exactly what the human soul is. Sometimes it is bright and sometimes it is dark. Sometimes it is radiant, and sometimes it is dull. Just like the constant battle of the day and night, where sometimes the light takes over and then darkness gets over it right after, so is this battle going on within the human soul. Sometimes it is righteous and radiant like the day but then darkness and evil take over it like the night. Sometimes it is happy and joyful, other times, it is sad and dull.

﴾ ٩ ﴿ قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا

Qad Aflaha mn Zakka ha ﴾ ١٠ ﴿ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا

Wa Qd Khāba Mn Dassa Ha These two verses are impossible to translate.

Notice the first word in blue- Aflaha. This word was used for plowing land. A farmer is called “fallāḥ” in Arabic which comes from the same root.

The second word is Zakka which we have already covered in surah al- Nāziʿāt. It was used for a nourished and fertile land as well as for crops that produced increased yield.

The word Khāba comes from the root khāʾ wāw bāʾ which was used for ● A land that did not receive rain. Situated between two lands that received rain ● Uncultivated land While the root of the next word Dassa was used for: ● A snake that burrows deep inside the earth ● Burying ● Hiding You can see from these four words Aflaha, Zakka, Khāba and Dassa that this is a clear imagery of a land being either cultivated or not being taken care of.

The one who works hard like a farmer, plowing his land (his soul), and then purifies it, cultivates it, helping it grow and flourish - will gain great harvest, produce and benefit from his land (soul). That farmer has been successful. Just like fertile land that is tilled, watered, and taken care of, the soul responds to care and blossoms with goodness. The one who neglects his land (soul), buries its potential, hides its seed (potential and light) under layers of darkness (earth and desires) will have a barren soul like a land left unwatered and untouched. They miss out even when others around them (the other lands that received water) flourish.

Allah is presenting the human soul like a piece of land 1. Some lands (souls) are plowed, nurtured and purified, and so they become fruitful and successful.

2. Other lands (souls) are buried, ignored, hidden and receive no rain (divine guidance or inner effort)- and thus, they become fruitless, dry and ultimately, failures.

Allah is asking people to take care of their spiritual needs as well. We all take care of bodily desires. Just as we take care of our material needs daily, build our capital and investment salary by salary, so should we take care and try to increase in spiritual good. Just as a farmer consistently takes care of his crops to prevent them from rotting away, so should men tend to their souls daily to protect it from being wasted away.

⁹³ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 1, p.213
⁹⁴ See also - al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 29, p. 67

By the sky and by its building/ elevation

Commentary covering verses 1–10

This Surah is dedicated to the human soul, to our essence. This Surah will define what it is and then the next surah, Surah Layl, will tell us what purifies our soul. It is a question as old as time itself, what is the human being, what is the human essence.

﴾ ١ ﴿ وَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا

By the Sun and by its Duha

This surah will mostly consist of two oaths in one verse like this. The first oath is by the Sun. The second oath by Duha.

Duha is the early part of the morning, after sunrise when the sun becomes easily and clearly visible in the sky. Initially after sunrise, the sun is not visible. After a couple of hours, it is right above us such that if we look above at the sky, the sun is clearly visible. This time when it becomes easily and clearly visible is Duha But the word Duha can also refer to the light of the sun during this time as well. The light of the sun is soft and pleasant at this time. In the context of this surah, Duha refers to the light of the sun during this period; not the time period itself. We will first just go through all the oaths and then bring them all together at the end In sha Allah.

﴾ ٢ ﴿ وَٱلْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا By the moon as it follows it, The word Tala is translated as follows. It is important to note that this root contains the meaning of being subservient. For example, it was used for a baby fowl when it follows its mother right after birth etc.⁹³ ﴾ ٣ ﴿ وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا By the day when it gives it glory This is Majaz Aqli. The use of Majaz Aqli keeps the focus on the sun which as we will see, forms the center of this surah.

﴾ ٤ ﴿ وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰهَا By the night as it conceals it

Majaz Aqli again. The pronoun it refers back to the sun again.

﴾ ٥ ﴿ وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَىٰهَا

By the sky and by its erection/ building Translations normally translate it as “ By the sky and he who built/ erected it .” They

translate the particle ما as what. But I take ما to be Ma al Musdariyah - which turns the verb after it into a verbal noun - because this keeps it true to the theme and context of the surah. This is also the position of al-Farrāʾ, al-Zajjāj, Qatādah, al-Mubarrad.⁹⁴

﴾ ٦ ﴿ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا By the earth and by its spreading/ flattening.

Ma al Masdaryah again.

﴾ ٧ ﴿ وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا By Soul, and by its balancing

Notice the lack of the definite article. There was a definite article “al” with every object whose oath was taken off. Allah said - By the Sun, By the Moon, By the sky, By the earth; but here, there is no definite article, it is simply - By Soul.

This is for two reasons.

Firstly, to highlight that this is the main thing or subject being talked about. The lack of the definite article here suggests that every single oath that came before it, came in the context of the Soul and hence has something to do with the Soul. The Soul is the main and central subject being talked about. Every oath is in light of it. This is following the position that the definite article can be omitted to highlight the great and grand nature of a thing as is commonly understood in balāgha.

Secondly, the omission of the definite article creates plurality. It means that Allah is swearing by all souls. Every single human soul in every single human being, believer or disbeliever, man or woman alike. Every single human being has the same soul.

Collective Meaning of the Oaths This is the order of all the oaths.

1. The Sun 2. Duha 3. Moon 4. Day 5. Night 6. Sky 7. The elevation of the sky 8. Earth 9. The flattening and spreading of the earth 10. Soul 11. The balancing of the soul The oath by the sun is followed by an oath by the moon. The oath by the day is followed by an oath by the night. The oath by the Sky is followed by an oath by the earth. The oath by the flatness (lowness) of the earth is followed by the erection of the sky.

Each object is followed by its opposite.

The opposite of the sun is the moon; the opposite of the day is the night; the opposite of the sky is the earth, the opposite of the lowliness of the earth is the elevation of the sky.

When two opposites come together, balance is achieved.

Hence, Allah says right next:

﴾ ٧ ﴿ وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا

By Soul, and by its balancing The human soul has been balanced by bringing together two opposites like the multiple phenomena that have been mentioned.

Now what are these two opposites? They are specified in the next verse and alluded to in the erection of the sky and the spreading of the earth. Allah says next:

﴾ ٨ ﴿ فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا Then he inspired it, its destruction and protection Allah put inside the human being, knowledge of good and bad, of what protects his soul and destroys it. Righteousness protects the soul, its boundary, its sanctity, and its rights whereas evil destroys it. Allah balanced the human being by putting inside him these two opposites - knowledge of good and bad. He can choose either and is given free will to do so.

Secondly, the phraseology is very generic and hence it can mean additional things. Allah put inside the human being what destroys his soul and what protects it. Namely, He put inside the human being lowly, worldly desires which destroy his soul, and He also put inside him what protects his soul, namely - the desire for the divine and righteousness. Islam asks of a human being to balance these two desires within himself. Man should neither dedicate himself solely to his spiritual needs and neglect the desires and needs of his body, nor should he live chasing bodily desires and neglect his spiritual needs. Marriage serves as a perfect example of this. The bodily desire for the other gender needs to be exercised under the oath and protection of marriage only. Hence, exercising bodily desires after fulfilling Islamic requirements harmonizes them with spiritual responsibilities and this extends to all other things. Another example is the money someone earns. Islam does not stop or put a threshold on how much money one should earn, but rather on how much effort he spends. If all he is occupied with is earning money, then this leads to neglecting his spiritual needs. Instead, he is to earn money whilst also taking care of religious duties. On the money he earns, he is to pay a fixed percentage of Zakāh annually too. This way, both the material and the spiritual needs are balanced and go hand in hand. Islam does not treat the physical and spiritual as exclusive that cannot be reconciled with each other. Rather, Islam reconciles and harmonizes them in such a way that they both go hand in hand. A perfect balance.

Now the question arises why specifically mention the sun with the moon and the day with the night? If the point was just to highlight the coming together of two opposites, Allah could have mentioned any pair of opposites such as for example; a man with a woman, an animal with an angel etc. Why specifically mention these objects?

Because these oaths are exactly what the human soul is. Sometimes it is bright and sometimes it is dark. Sometimes it is radiant, and sometimes it is dull. Just like the constant battle of the day and night, where sometimes the light takes over and then darkness gets over it right after, so is this battle going on within the human soul. Sometimes it is righteous and radiant like the day but then darkness and evil take over it like the night. Sometimes it is happy and joyful, other times, it is sad and dull.

﴾ ٩ ﴿ قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا

Qad Aflaha mn Zakka ha ﴾ ١٠ ﴿ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا

Wa Qd Khāba Mn Dassa Ha These two verses are impossible to translate.

Notice the first word in blue- Aflaha. This word was used for plowing land. A farmer is called “fallāḥ” in Arabic which comes from the same root.

The second word is Zakka which we have already covered in surah al- Nāziʿāt. It was used for a nourished and fertile land as well as for crops that produced increased yield.

The word Khāba comes from the root khāʾ wāw bāʾ which was used for ● A land that did not receive rain. Situated between two lands that received rain ● Uncultivated land While the root of the next word Dassa was used for: ● A snake that burrows deep inside the earth ● Burying ● Hiding You can see from these four words Aflaha, Zakka, Khāba and Dassa that this is a clear imagery of a land being either cultivated or not being taken care of.

The one who works hard like a farmer, plowing his land (his soul), and then purifies it, cultivates it, helping it grow and flourish - will gain great harvest, produce and benefit from his land (soul). That farmer has been successful. Just like fertile land that is tilled, watered, and taken care of, the soul responds to care and blossoms with goodness. The one who neglects his land (soul), buries its potential, hides its seed (potential and light) under layers of darkness (earth and desires) will have a barren soul like a land left unwatered and untouched. They miss out even when others around them (the other lands that received water) flourish.

Allah is presenting the human soul like a piece of land 1. Some lands (souls) are plowed, nurtured and purified, and so they become fruitful and successful.

2. Other lands (souls) are buried, ignored, hidden and receive no rain (divine guidance or inner effort)- and thus, they become fruitless, dry and ultimately, failures.

Allah is asking people to take care of their spiritual needs as well. We all take care of bodily desires. Just as we take care of our material needs daily, build our capital and investment salary by salary, so should we take care and try to increase in spiritual good. Just as a farmer consistently takes care of his crops to prevent them from rotting away, so should men tend to their souls daily to protect it from being wasted away.

⁹³ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 1, p.213
⁹⁴ See also - al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 29, p. 67

By the earth and by its spreading

Commentary covering verses 1–10

This Surah is dedicated to the human soul, to our essence. This Surah will define what it is and then the next surah, Surah Layl, will tell us what purifies our soul. It is a question as old as time itself, what is the human being, what is the human essence.

﴾ ١ ﴿ وَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا

By the Sun and by its Duha

This surah will mostly consist of two oaths in one verse like this. The first oath is by the Sun. The second oath by Duha.

Duha is the early part of the morning, after sunrise when the sun becomes easily and clearly visible in the sky. Initially after sunrise, the sun is not visible. After a couple of hours, it is right above us such that if we look above at the sky, the sun is clearly visible. This time when it becomes easily and clearly visible is Duha But the word Duha can also refer to the light of the sun during this time as well. The light of the sun is soft and pleasant at this time. In the context of this surah, Duha refers to the light of the sun during this period; not the time period itself. We will first just go through all the oaths and then bring them all together at the end In sha Allah.

﴾ ٢ ﴿ وَٱلْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا By the moon as it follows it, The word Tala is translated as follows. It is important to note that this root contains the meaning of being subservient. For example, it was used for a baby fowl when it follows its mother right after birth etc.⁹³ ﴾ ٣ ﴿ وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا By the day when it gives it glory This is Majaz Aqli. The use of Majaz Aqli keeps the focus on the sun which as we will see, forms the center of this surah.

﴾ ٤ ﴿ وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰهَا By the night as it conceals it

Majaz Aqli again. The pronoun it refers back to the sun again.

﴾ ٥ ﴿ وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَىٰهَا

By the sky and by its erection/ building Translations normally translate it as “ By the sky and he who built/ erected it .” They

translate the particle ما as what. But I take ما to be Ma al Musdariyah - which turns the verb after it into a verbal noun - because this keeps it true to the theme and context of the surah. This is also the position of al-Farrāʾ, al-Zajjāj, Qatādah, al-Mubarrad.⁹⁴

﴾ ٦ ﴿ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا By the earth and by its spreading/ flattening.

Ma al Masdaryah again.

﴾ ٧ ﴿ وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا By Soul, and by its balancing

Notice the lack of the definite article. There was a definite article “al” with every object whose oath was taken off. Allah said - By the Sun, By the Moon, By the sky, By the earth; but here, there is no definite article, it is simply - By Soul.

This is for two reasons.

Firstly, to highlight that this is the main thing or subject being talked about. The lack of the definite article here suggests that every single oath that came before it, came in the context of the Soul and hence has something to do with the Soul. The Soul is the main and central subject being talked about. Every oath is in light of it. This is following the position that the definite article can be omitted to highlight the great and grand nature of a thing as is commonly understood in balāgha.

Secondly, the omission of the definite article creates plurality. It means that Allah is swearing by all souls. Every single human soul in every single human being, believer or disbeliever, man or woman alike. Every single human being has the same soul.

Collective Meaning of the Oaths This is the order of all the oaths.

1. The Sun 2. Duha 3. Moon 4. Day 5. Night 6. Sky 7. The elevation of the sky 8. Earth 9. The flattening and spreading of the earth 10. Soul 11. The balancing of the soul The oath by the sun is followed by an oath by the moon. The oath by the day is followed by an oath by the night. The oath by the Sky is followed by an oath by the earth. The oath by the flatness (lowness) of the earth is followed by the erection of the sky.

Each object is followed by its opposite.

The opposite of the sun is the moon; the opposite of the day is the night; the opposite of the sky is the earth, the opposite of the lowliness of the earth is the elevation of the sky.

When two opposites come together, balance is achieved.

Hence, Allah says right next:

﴾ ٧ ﴿ وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا

By Soul, and by its balancing The human soul has been balanced by bringing together two opposites like the multiple phenomena that have been mentioned.

Now what are these two opposites? They are specified in the next verse and alluded to in the erection of the sky and the spreading of the earth. Allah says next:

﴾ ٨ ﴿ فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا Then he inspired it, its destruction and protection Allah put inside the human being, knowledge of good and bad, of what protects his soul and destroys it. Righteousness protects the soul, its boundary, its sanctity, and its rights whereas evil destroys it. Allah balanced the human being by putting inside him these two opposites - knowledge of good and bad. He can choose either and is given free will to do so.

Secondly, the phraseology is very generic and hence it can mean additional things. Allah put inside the human being what destroys his soul and what protects it. Namely, He put inside the human being lowly, worldly desires which destroy his soul, and He also put inside him what protects his soul, namely - the desire for the divine and righteousness. Islam asks of a human being to balance these two desires within himself. Man should neither dedicate himself solely to his spiritual needs and neglect the desires and needs of his body, nor should he live chasing bodily desires and neglect his spiritual needs. Marriage serves as a perfect example of this. The bodily desire for the other gender needs to be exercised under the oath and protection of marriage only. Hence, exercising bodily desires after fulfilling Islamic requirements harmonizes them with spiritual responsibilities and this extends to all other things. Another example is the money someone earns. Islam does not stop or put a threshold on how much money one should earn, but rather on how much effort he spends. If all he is occupied with is earning money, then this leads to neglecting his spiritual needs. Instead, he is to earn money whilst also taking care of religious duties. On the money he earns, he is to pay a fixed percentage of Zakāh annually too. This way, both the material and the spiritual needs are balanced and go hand in hand. Islam does not treat the physical and spiritual as exclusive that cannot be reconciled with each other. Rather, Islam reconciles and harmonizes them in such a way that they both go hand in hand. A perfect balance.

Now the question arises why specifically mention the sun with the moon and the day with the night? If the point was just to highlight the coming together of two opposites, Allah could have mentioned any pair of opposites such as for example; a man with a woman, an animal with an angel etc. Why specifically mention these objects?

Because these oaths are exactly what the human soul is. Sometimes it is bright and sometimes it is dark. Sometimes it is radiant, and sometimes it is dull. Just like the constant battle of the day and night, where sometimes the light takes over and then darkness gets over it right after, so is this battle going on within the human soul. Sometimes it is righteous and radiant like the day but then darkness and evil take over it like the night. Sometimes it is happy and joyful, other times, it is sad and dull.

﴾ ٩ ﴿ قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا

Qad Aflaha mn Zakka ha ﴾ ١٠ ﴿ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا

Wa Qd Khāba Mn Dassa Ha These two verses are impossible to translate.

Notice the first word in blue- Aflaha. This word was used for plowing land. A farmer is called “fallāḥ” in Arabic which comes from the same root.

The second word is Zakka which we have already covered in surah al- Nāziʿāt. It was used for a nourished and fertile land as well as for crops that produced increased yield.

The word Khāba comes from the root khāʾ wāw bāʾ which was used for ● A land that did not receive rain. Situated between two lands that received rain ● Uncultivated land While the root of the next word Dassa was used for: ● A snake that burrows deep inside the earth ● Burying ● Hiding You can see from these four words Aflaha, Zakka, Khāba and Dassa that this is a clear imagery of a land being either cultivated or not being taken care of.

The one who works hard like a farmer, plowing his land (his soul), and then purifies it, cultivates it, helping it grow and flourish - will gain great harvest, produce and benefit from his land (soul). That farmer has been successful. Just like fertile land that is tilled, watered, and taken care of, the soul responds to care and blossoms with goodness. The one who neglects his land (soul), buries its potential, hides its seed (potential and light) under layers of darkness (earth and desires) will have a barren soul like a land left unwatered and untouched. They miss out even when others around them (the other lands that received water) flourish.

Allah is presenting the human soul like a piece of land 1. Some lands (souls) are plowed, nurtured and purified, and so they become fruitful and successful.

2. Other lands (souls) are buried, ignored, hidden and receive no rain (divine guidance or inner effort)- and thus, they become fruitless, dry and ultimately, failures.

Allah is asking people to take care of their spiritual needs as well. We all take care of bodily desires. Just as we take care of our material needs daily, build our capital and investment salary by salary, so should we take care and try to increase in spiritual good. Just as a farmer consistently takes care of his crops to prevent them from rotting away, so should men tend to their souls daily to protect it from being wasted away.

⁹³ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 1, p.213
⁹⁴ See also - al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 29, p. 67

By Soul, and by its balancing

Commentary covering verses 1–10

This Surah is dedicated to the human soul, to our essence. This Surah will define what it is and then the next surah, Surah Layl, will tell us what purifies our soul. It is a question as old as time itself, what is the human being, what is the human essence.

﴾ ١ ﴿ وَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا

By the Sun and by its Duha

This surah will mostly consist of two oaths in one verse like this. The first oath is by the Sun. The second oath by Duha.

Duha is the early part of the morning, after sunrise when the sun becomes easily and clearly visible in the sky. Initially after sunrise, the sun is not visible. After a couple of hours, it is right above us such that if we look above at the sky, the sun is clearly visible. This time when it becomes easily and clearly visible is Duha But the word Duha can also refer to the light of the sun during this time as well. The light of the sun is soft and pleasant at this time. In the context of this surah, Duha refers to the light of the sun during this period; not the time period itself. We will first just go through all the oaths and then bring them all together at the end In sha Allah.

﴾ ٢ ﴿ وَٱلْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا By the moon as it follows it, The word Tala is translated as follows. It is important to note that this root contains the meaning of being subservient. For example, it was used for a baby fowl when it follows its mother right after birth etc.⁹³ ﴾ ٣ ﴿ وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا By the day when it gives it glory This is Majaz Aqli. The use of Majaz Aqli keeps the focus on the sun which as we will see, forms the center of this surah.

﴾ ٤ ﴿ وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰهَا By the night as it conceals it

Majaz Aqli again. The pronoun it refers back to the sun again.

﴾ ٥ ﴿ وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَىٰهَا

By the sky and by its erection/ building Translations normally translate it as “ By the sky and he who built/ erected it .” They

translate the particle ما as what. But I take ما to be Ma al Musdariyah - which turns the verb after it into a verbal noun - because this keeps it true to the theme and context of the surah. This is also the position of al-Farrāʾ, al-Zajjāj, Qatādah, al-Mubarrad.⁹⁴

﴾ ٦ ﴿ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا By the earth and by its spreading/ flattening.

Ma al Masdaryah again.

﴾ ٧ ﴿ وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا By Soul, and by its balancing

Notice the lack of the definite article. There was a definite article “al” with every object whose oath was taken off. Allah said - By the Sun, By the Moon, By the sky, By the earth; but here, there is no definite article, it is simply - By Soul.

This is for two reasons.

Firstly, to highlight that this is the main thing or subject being talked about. The lack of the definite article here suggests that every single oath that came before it, came in the context of the Soul and hence has something to do with the Soul. The Soul is the main and central subject being talked about. Every oath is in light of it. This is following the position that the definite article can be omitted to highlight the great and grand nature of a thing as is commonly understood in balāgha.

Secondly, the omission of the definite article creates plurality. It means that Allah is swearing by all souls. Every single human soul in every single human being, believer or disbeliever, man or woman alike. Every single human being has the same soul.

Collective Meaning of the Oaths This is the order of all the oaths.

1. The Sun 2. Duha 3. Moon 4. Day 5. Night 6. Sky 7. The elevation of the sky 8. Earth 9. The flattening and spreading of the earth 10. Soul 11. The balancing of the soul The oath by the sun is followed by an oath by the moon. The oath by the day is followed by an oath by the night. The oath by the Sky is followed by an oath by the earth. The oath by the flatness (lowness) of the earth is followed by the erection of the sky.

Each object is followed by its opposite.

The opposite of the sun is the moon; the opposite of the day is the night; the opposite of the sky is the earth, the opposite of the lowliness of the earth is the elevation of the sky.

When two opposites come together, balance is achieved.

Hence, Allah says right next:

﴾ ٧ ﴿ وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا

By Soul, and by its balancing The human soul has been balanced by bringing together two opposites like the multiple phenomena that have been mentioned.

Now what are these two opposites? They are specified in the next verse and alluded to in the erection of the sky and the spreading of the earth. Allah says next:

﴾ ٨ ﴿ فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا Then he inspired it, its destruction and protection Allah put inside the human being, knowledge of good and bad, of what protects his soul and destroys it. Righteousness protects the soul, its boundary, its sanctity, and its rights whereas evil destroys it. Allah balanced the human being by putting inside him these two opposites - knowledge of good and bad. He can choose either and is given free will to do so.

Secondly, the phraseology is very generic and hence it can mean additional things. Allah put inside the human being what destroys his soul and what protects it. Namely, He put inside the human being lowly, worldly desires which destroy his soul, and He also put inside him what protects his soul, namely - the desire for the divine and righteousness. Islam asks of a human being to balance these two desires within himself. Man should neither dedicate himself solely to his spiritual needs and neglect the desires and needs of his body, nor should he live chasing bodily desires and neglect his spiritual needs. Marriage serves as a perfect example of this. The bodily desire for the other gender needs to be exercised under the oath and protection of marriage only. Hence, exercising bodily desires after fulfilling Islamic requirements harmonizes them with spiritual responsibilities and this extends to all other things. Another example is the money someone earns. Islam does not stop or put a threshold on how much money one should earn, but rather on how much effort he spends. If all he is occupied with is earning money, then this leads to neglecting his spiritual needs. Instead, he is to earn money whilst also taking care of religious duties. On the money he earns, he is to pay a fixed percentage of Zakāh annually too. This way, both the material and the spiritual needs are balanced and go hand in hand. Islam does not treat the physical and spiritual as exclusive that cannot be reconciled with each other. Rather, Islam reconciles and harmonizes them in such a way that they both go hand in hand. A perfect balance.

Now the question arises why specifically mention the sun with the moon and the day with the night? If the point was just to highlight the coming together of two opposites, Allah could have mentioned any pair of opposites such as for example; a man with a woman, an animal with an angel etc. Why specifically mention these objects?

Because these oaths are exactly what the human soul is. Sometimes it is bright and sometimes it is dark. Sometimes it is radiant, and sometimes it is dull. Just like the constant battle of the day and night, where sometimes the light takes over and then darkness gets over it right after, so is this battle going on within the human soul. Sometimes it is righteous and radiant like the day but then darkness and evil take over it like the night. Sometimes it is happy and joyful, other times, it is sad and dull.

﴾ ٩ ﴿ قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا

Qad Aflaha mn Zakka ha ﴾ ١٠ ﴿ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا

Wa Qd Khāba Mn Dassa Ha These two verses are impossible to translate.

Notice the first word in blue- Aflaha. This word was used for plowing land. A farmer is called “fallāḥ” in Arabic which comes from the same root.

The second word is Zakka which we have already covered in surah al- Nāziʿāt. It was used for a nourished and fertile land as well as for crops that produced increased yield.

The word Khāba comes from the root khāʾ wāw bāʾ which was used for ● A land that did not receive rain. Situated between two lands that received rain ● Uncultivated land While the root of the next word Dassa was used for: ● A snake that burrows deep inside the earth ● Burying ● Hiding You can see from these four words Aflaha, Zakka, Khāba and Dassa that this is a clear imagery of a land being either cultivated or not being taken care of.

The one who works hard like a farmer, plowing his land (his soul), and then purifies it, cultivates it, helping it grow and flourish - will gain great harvest, produce and benefit from his land (soul). That farmer has been successful. Just like fertile land that is tilled, watered, and taken care of, the soul responds to care and blossoms with goodness. The one who neglects his land (soul), buries its potential, hides its seed (potential and light) under layers of darkness (earth and desires) will have a barren soul like a land left unwatered and untouched. They miss out even when others around them (the other lands that received water) flourish.

Allah is presenting the human soul like a piece of land 1. Some lands (souls) are plowed, nurtured and purified, and so they become fruitful and successful.

2. Other lands (souls) are buried, ignored, hidden and receive no rain (divine guidance or inner effort)- and thus, they become fruitless, dry and ultimately, failures.

Allah is asking people to take care of their spiritual needs as well. We all take care of bodily desires. Just as we take care of our material needs daily, build our capital and investment salary by salary, so should we take care and try to increase in spiritual good. Just as a farmer consistently takes care of his crops to prevent them from rotting away, so should men tend to their souls daily to protect it from being wasted away.

⁹³ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 1, p.213
⁹⁴ See also - al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 29, p. 67

Then he inspired it, its destruction and protection

Commentary covering verses 1–10

This Surah is dedicated to the human soul, to our essence. This Surah will define what it is and then the next surah, Surah Layl, will tell us what purifies our soul. It is a question as old as time itself, what is the human being, what is the human essence.

﴾ ١ ﴿ وَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا

By the Sun and by its Duha

This surah will mostly consist of two oaths in one verse like this. The first oath is by the Sun. The second oath by Duha.

Duha is the early part of the morning, after sunrise when the sun becomes easily and clearly visible in the sky. Initially after sunrise, the sun is not visible. After a couple of hours, it is right above us such that if we look above at the sky, the sun is clearly visible. This time when it becomes easily and clearly visible is Duha But the word Duha can also refer to the light of the sun during this time as well. The light of the sun is soft and pleasant at this time. In the context of this surah, Duha refers to the light of the sun during this period; not the time period itself. We will first just go through all the oaths and then bring them all together at the end In sha Allah.

﴾ ٢ ﴿ وَٱلْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا By the moon as it follows it, The word Tala is translated as follows. It is important to note that this root contains the meaning of being subservient. For example, it was used for a baby fowl when it follows its mother right after birth etc.⁹³ ﴾ ٣ ﴿ وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا By the day when it gives it glory This is Majaz Aqli. The use of Majaz Aqli keeps the focus on the sun which as we will see, forms the center of this surah.

﴾ ٤ ﴿ وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰهَا By the night as it conceals it

Majaz Aqli again. The pronoun it refers back to the sun again.

﴾ ٥ ﴿ وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَىٰهَا

By the sky and by its erection/ building Translations normally translate it as “ By the sky and he who built/ erected it .” They

translate the particle ما as what. But I take ما to be Ma al Musdariyah - which turns the verb after it into a verbal noun - because this keeps it true to the theme and context of the surah. This is also the position of al-Farrāʾ, al-Zajjāj, Qatādah, al-Mubarrad.⁹⁴

﴾ ٦ ﴿ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا By the earth and by its spreading/ flattening.

Ma al Masdaryah again.

﴾ ٧ ﴿ وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا By Soul, and by its balancing

Notice the lack of the definite article. There was a definite article “al” with every object whose oath was taken off. Allah said - By the Sun, By the Moon, By the sky, By the earth; but here, there is no definite article, it is simply - By Soul.

This is for two reasons.

Firstly, to highlight that this is the main thing or subject being talked about. The lack of the definite article here suggests that every single oath that came before it, came in the context of the Soul and hence has something to do with the Soul. The Soul is the main and central subject being talked about. Every oath is in light of it. This is following the position that the definite article can be omitted to highlight the great and grand nature of a thing as is commonly understood in balāgha.

Secondly, the omission of the definite article creates plurality. It means that Allah is swearing by all souls. Every single human soul in every single human being, believer or disbeliever, man or woman alike. Every single human being has the same soul.

Collective Meaning of the Oaths This is the order of all the oaths.

1. The Sun 2. Duha 3. Moon 4. Day 5. Night 6. Sky 7. The elevation of the sky 8. Earth 9. The flattening and spreading of the earth 10. Soul 11. The balancing of the soul The oath by the sun is followed by an oath by the moon. The oath by the day is followed by an oath by the night. The oath by the Sky is followed by an oath by the earth. The oath by the flatness (lowness) of the earth is followed by the erection of the sky.

Each object is followed by its opposite.

The opposite of the sun is the moon; the opposite of the day is the night; the opposite of the sky is the earth, the opposite of the lowliness of the earth is the elevation of the sky.

When two opposites come together, balance is achieved.

Hence, Allah says right next:

﴾ ٧ ﴿ وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا

By Soul, and by its balancing The human soul has been balanced by bringing together two opposites like the multiple phenomena that have been mentioned.

Now what are these two opposites? They are specified in the next verse and alluded to in the erection of the sky and the spreading of the earth. Allah says next:

﴾ ٨ ﴿ فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا Then he inspired it, its destruction and protection Allah put inside the human being, knowledge of good and bad, of what protects his soul and destroys it. Righteousness protects the soul, its boundary, its sanctity, and its rights whereas evil destroys it. Allah balanced the human being by putting inside him these two opposites - knowledge of good and bad. He can choose either and is given free will to do so.

Secondly, the phraseology is very generic and hence it can mean additional things. Allah put inside the human being what destroys his soul and what protects it. Namely, He put inside the human being lowly, worldly desires which destroy his soul, and He also put inside him what protects his soul, namely - the desire for the divine and righteousness. Islam asks of a human being to balance these two desires within himself. Man should neither dedicate himself solely to his spiritual needs and neglect the desires and needs of his body, nor should he live chasing bodily desires and neglect his spiritual needs. Marriage serves as a perfect example of this. The bodily desire for the other gender needs to be exercised under the oath and protection of marriage only. Hence, exercising bodily desires after fulfilling Islamic requirements harmonizes them with spiritual responsibilities and this extends to all other things. Another example is the money someone earns. Islam does not stop or put a threshold on how much money one should earn, but rather on how much effort he spends. If all he is occupied with is earning money, then this leads to neglecting his spiritual needs. Instead, he is to earn money whilst also taking care of religious duties. On the money he earns, he is to pay a fixed percentage of Zakāh annually too. This way, both the material and the spiritual needs are balanced and go hand in hand. Islam does not treat the physical and spiritual as exclusive that cannot be reconciled with each other. Rather, Islam reconciles and harmonizes them in such a way that they both go hand in hand. A perfect balance.

Now the question arises why specifically mention the sun with the moon and the day with the night? If the point was just to highlight the coming together of two opposites, Allah could have mentioned any pair of opposites such as for example; a man with a woman, an animal with an angel etc. Why specifically mention these objects?

Because these oaths are exactly what the human soul is. Sometimes it is bright and sometimes it is dark. Sometimes it is radiant, and sometimes it is dull. Just like the constant battle of the day and night, where sometimes the light takes over and then darkness gets over it right after, so is this battle going on within the human soul. Sometimes it is righteous and radiant like the day but then darkness and evil take over it like the night. Sometimes it is happy and joyful, other times, it is sad and dull.

﴾ ٩ ﴿ قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا

Qad Aflaha mn Zakka ha ﴾ ١٠ ﴿ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا

Wa Qd Khāba Mn Dassa Ha These two verses are impossible to translate.

Notice the first word in blue- Aflaha. This word was used for plowing land. A farmer is called “fallāḥ” in Arabic which comes from the same root.

The second word is Zakka which we have already covered in surah al- Nāziʿāt. It was used for a nourished and fertile land as well as for crops that produced increased yield.

The word Khāba comes from the root khāʾ wāw bāʾ which was used for ● A land that did not receive rain. Situated between two lands that received rain ● Uncultivated land While the root of the next word Dassa was used for: ● A snake that burrows deep inside the earth ● Burying ● Hiding You can see from these four words Aflaha, Zakka, Khāba and Dassa that this is a clear imagery of a land being either cultivated or not being taken care of.

The one who works hard like a farmer, plowing his land (his soul), and then purifies it, cultivates it, helping it grow and flourish - will gain great harvest, produce and benefit from his land (soul). That farmer has been successful. Just like fertile land that is tilled, watered, and taken care of, the soul responds to care and blossoms with goodness. The one who neglects his land (soul), buries its potential, hides its seed (potential and light) under layers of darkness (earth and desires) will have a barren soul like a land left unwatered and untouched. They miss out even when others around them (the other lands that received water) flourish.

Allah is presenting the human soul like a piece of land 1. Some lands (souls) are plowed, nurtured and purified, and so they become fruitful and successful.

2. Other lands (souls) are buried, ignored, hidden and receive no rain (divine guidance or inner effort)- and thus, they become fruitless, dry and ultimately, failures.

Allah is asking people to take care of their spiritual needs as well. We all take care of bodily desires. Just as we take care of our material needs daily, build our capital and investment salary by salary, so should we take care and try to increase in spiritual good. Just as a farmer consistently takes care of his crops to prevent them from rotting away, so should men tend to their souls daily to protect it from being wasted away.

⁹³ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 1, p.213
⁹⁴ See also - al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 29, p. 67

(Impossible to translate)

Commentary covering verses 1–10

This Surah is dedicated to the human soul, to our essence. This Surah will define what it is and then the next surah, Surah Layl, will tell us what purifies our soul. It is a question as old as time itself, what is the human being, what is the human essence.

﴾ ١ ﴿ وَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا

By the Sun and by its Duha

This surah will mostly consist of two oaths in one verse like this. The first oath is by the Sun. The second oath by Duha.

Duha is the early part of the morning, after sunrise when the sun becomes easily and clearly visible in the sky. Initially after sunrise, the sun is not visible. After a couple of hours, it is right above us such that if we look above at the sky, the sun is clearly visible. This time when it becomes easily and clearly visible is Duha But the word Duha can also refer to the light of the sun during this time as well. The light of the sun is soft and pleasant at this time. In the context of this surah, Duha refers to the light of the sun during this period; not the time period itself. We will first just go through all the oaths and then bring them all together at the end In sha Allah.

﴾ ٢ ﴿ وَٱلْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا By the moon as it follows it, The word Tala is translated as follows. It is important to note that this root contains the meaning of being subservient. For example, it was used for a baby fowl when it follows its mother right after birth etc.⁹³ ﴾ ٣ ﴿ وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا By the day when it gives it glory This is Majaz Aqli. The use of Majaz Aqli keeps the focus on the sun which as we will see, forms the center of this surah.

﴾ ٤ ﴿ وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰهَا By the night as it conceals it

Majaz Aqli again. The pronoun it refers back to the sun again.

﴾ ٥ ﴿ وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَىٰهَا

By the sky and by its erection/ building Translations normally translate it as “ By the sky and he who built/ erected it .” They

translate the particle ما as what. But I take ما to be Ma al Musdariyah - which turns the verb after it into a verbal noun - because this keeps it true to the theme and context of the surah. This is also the position of al-Farrāʾ, al-Zajjāj, Qatādah, al-Mubarrad.⁹⁴

﴾ ٦ ﴿ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا By the earth and by its spreading/ flattening.

Ma al Masdaryah again.

﴾ ٧ ﴿ وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا By Soul, and by its balancing

Notice the lack of the definite article. There was a definite article “al” with every object whose oath was taken off. Allah said - By the Sun, By the Moon, By the sky, By the earth; but here, there is no definite article, it is simply - By Soul.

This is for two reasons.

Firstly, to highlight that this is the main thing or subject being talked about. The lack of the definite article here suggests that every single oath that came before it, came in the context of the Soul and hence has something to do with the Soul. The Soul is the main and central subject being talked about. Every oath is in light of it. This is following the position that the definite article can be omitted to highlight the great and grand nature of a thing as is commonly understood in balāgha.

Secondly, the omission of the definite article creates plurality. It means that Allah is swearing by all souls. Every single human soul in every single human being, believer or disbeliever, man or woman alike. Every single human being has the same soul.

Collective Meaning of the Oaths This is the order of all the oaths.

1. The Sun 2. Duha 3. Moon 4. Day 5. Night 6. Sky 7. The elevation of the sky 8. Earth 9. The flattening and spreading of the earth 10. Soul 11. The balancing of the soul The oath by the sun is followed by an oath by the moon. The oath by the day is followed by an oath by the night. The oath by the Sky is followed by an oath by the earth. The oath by the flatness (lowness) of the earth is followed by the erection of the sky.

Each object is followed by its opposite.

The opposite of the sun is the moon; the opposite of the day is the night; the opposite of the sky is the earth, the opposite of the lowliness of the earth is the elevation of the sky.

When two opposites come together, balance is achieved.

Hence, Allah says right next:

﴾ ٧ ﴿ وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا

By Soul, and by its balancing The human soul has been balanced by bringing together two opposites like the multiple phenomena that have been mentioned.

Now what are these two opposites? They are specified in the next verse and alluded to in the erection of the sky and the spreading of the earth. Allah says next:

﴾ ٨ ﴿ فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا Then he inspired it, its destruction and protection Allah put inside the human being, knowledge of good and bad, of what protects his soul and destroys it. Righteousness protects the soul, its boundary, its sanctity, and its rights whereas evil destroys it. Allah balanced the human being by putting inside him these two opposites - knowledge of good and bad. He can choose either and is given free will to do so.

Secondly, the phraseology is very generic and hence it can mean additional things. Allah put inside the human being what destroys his soul and what protects it. Namely, He put inside the human being lowly, worldly desires which destroy his soul, and He also put inside him what protects his soul, namely - the desire for the divine and righteousness. Islam asks of a human being to balance these two desires within himself. Man should neither dedicate himself solely to his spiritual needs and neglect the desires and needs of his body, nor should he live chasing bodily desires and neglect his spiritual needs. Marriage serves as a perfect example of this. The bodily desire for the other gender needs to be exercised under the oath and protection of marriage only. Hence, exercising bodily desires after fulfilling Islamic requirements harmonizes them with spiritual responsibilities and this extends to all other things. Another example is the money someone earns. Islam does not stop or put a threshold on how much money one should earn, but rather on how much effort he spends. If all he is occupied with is earning money, then this leads to neglecting his spiritual needs. Instead, he is to earn money whilst also taking care of religious duties. On the money he earns, he is to pay a fixed percentage of Zakāh annually too. This way, both the material and the spiritual needs are balanced and go hand in hand. Islam does not treat the physical and spiritual as exclusive that cannot be reconciled with each other. Rather, Islam reconciles and harmonizes them in such a way that they both go hand in hand. A perfect balance.

Now the question arises why specifically mention the sun with the moon and the day with the night? If the point was just to highlight the coming together of two opposites, Allah could have mentioned any pair of opposites such as for example; a man with a woman, an animal with an angel etc. Why specifically mention these objects?

Because these oaths are exactly what the human soul is. Sometimes it is bright and sometimes it is dark. Sometimes it is radiant, and sometimes it is dull. Just like the constant battle of the day and night, where sometimes the light takes over and then darkness gets over it right after, so is this battle going on within the human soul. Sometimes it is righteous and radiant like the day but then darkness and evil take over it like the night. Sometimes it is happy and joyful, other times, it is sad and dull.

﴾ ٩ ﴿ قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا

Qad Aflaha mn Zakka ha ﴾ ١٠ ﴿ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا

Wa Qd Khāba Mn Dassa Ha These two verses are impossible to translate.

Notice the first word in blue- Aflaha. This word was used for plowing land. A farmer is called “fallāḥ” in Arabic which comes from the same root.

The second word is Zakka which we have already covered in surah al- Nāziʿāt. It was used for a nourished and fertile land as well as for crops that produced increased yield.

The word Khāba comes from the root khāʾ wāw bāʾ which was used for ● A land that did not receive rain. Situated between two lands that received rain ● Uncultivated land While the root of the next word Dassa was used for: ● A snake that burrows deep inside the earth ● Burying ● Hiding You can see from these four words Aflaha, Zakka, Khāba and Dassa that this is a clear imagery of a land being either cultivated or not being taken care of.

The one who works hard like a farmer, plowing his land (his soul), and then purifies it, cultivates it, helping it grow and flourish - will gain great harvest, produce and benefit from his land (soul). That farmer has been successful. Just like fertile land that is tilled, watered, and taken care of, the soul responds to care and blossoms with goodness. The one who neglects his land (soul), buries its potential, hides its seed (potential and light) under layers of darkness (earth and desires) will have a barren soul like a land left unwatered and untouched. They miss out even when others around them (the other lands that received water) flourish.

Allah is presenting the human soul like a piece of land 1. Some lands (souls) are plowed, nurtured and purified, and so they become fruitful and successful.

2. Other lands (souls) are buried, ignored, hidden and receive no rain (divine guidance or inner effort)- and thus, they become fruitless, dry and ultimately, failures.

Allah is asking people to take care of their spiritual needs as well. We all take care of bodily desires. Just as we take care of our material needs daily, build our capital and investment salary by salary, so should we take care and try to increase in spiritual good. Just as a farmer consistently takes care of his crops to prevent them from rotting away, so should men tend to their souls daily to protect it from being wasted away.

⁹³ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 1, p.213
⁹⁴ See also - al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 29, p. 67

(Impossible to translate)

Commentary covering verses 1–10

This Surah is dedicated to the human soul, to our essence. This Surah will define what it is and then the next surah, Surah Layl, will tell us what purifies our soul. It is a question as old as time itself, what is the human being, what is the human essence.

﴾ ١ ﴿ وَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا

By the Sun and by its Duha

This surah will mostly consist of two oaths in one verse like this. The first oath is by the Sun. The second oath by Duha.

Duha is the early part of the morning, after sunrise when the sun becomes easily and clearly visible in the sky. Initially after sunrise, the sun is not visible. After a couple of hours, it is right above us such that if we look above at the sky, the sun is clearly visible. This time when it becomes easily and clearly visible is Duha But the word Duha can also refer to the light of the sun during this time as well. The light of the sun is soft and pleasant at this time. In the context of this surah, Duha refers to the light of the sun during this period; not the time period itself. We will first just go through all the oaths and then bring them all together at the end In sha Allah.

﴾ ٢ ﴿ وَٱلْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا By the moon as it follows it, The word Tala is translated as follows. It is important to note that this root contains the meaning of being subservient. For example, it was used for a baby fowl when it follows its mother right after birth etc.⁹³ ﴾ ٣ ﴿ وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا By the day when it gives it glory This is Majaz Aqli. The use of Majaz Aqli keeps the focus on the sun which as we will see, forms the center of this surah.

﴾ ٤ ﴿ وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰهَا By the night as it conceals it

Majaz Aqli again. The pronoun it refers back to the sun again.

﴾ ٥ ﴿ وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَىٰهَا

By the sky and by its erection/ building Translations normally translate it as “ By the sky and he who built/ erected it .” They

translate the particle ما as what. But I take ما to be Ma al Musdariyah - which turns the verb after it into a verbal noun - because this keeps it true to the theme and context of the surah. This is also the position of al-Farrāʾ, al-Zajjāj, Qatādah, al-Mubarrad.⁹⁴

﴾ ٦ ﴿ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا By the earth and by its spreading/ flattening.

Ma al Masdaryah again.

﴾ ٧ ﴿ وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا By Soul, and by its balancing

Notice the lack of the definite article. There was a definite article “al” with every object whose oath was taken off. Allah said - By the Sun, By the Moon, By the sky, By the earth; but here, there is no definite article, it is simply - By Soul.

This is for two reasons.

Firstly, to highlight that this is the main thing or subject being talked about. The lack of the definite article here suggests that every single oath that came before it, came in the context of the Soul and hence has something to do with the Soul. The Soul is the main and central subject being talked about. Every oath is in light of it. This is following the position that the definite article can be omitted to highlight the great and grand nature of a thing as is commonly understood in balāgha.

Secondly, the omission of the definite article creates plurality. It means that Allah is swearing by all souls. Every single human soul in every single human being, believer or disbeliever, man or woman alike. Every single human being has the same soul.

Collective Meaning of the Oaths This is the order of all the oaths.

1. The Sun 2. Duha 3. Moon 4. Day 5. Night 6. Sky 7. The elevation of the sky 8. Earth 9. The flattening and spreading of the earth 10. Soul 11. The balancing of the soul The oath by the sun is followed by an oath by the moon. The oath by the day is followed by an oath by the night. The oath by the Sky is followed by an oath by the earth. The oath by the flatness (lowness) of the earth is followed by the erection of the sky.

Each object is followed by its opposite.

The opposite of the sun is the moon; the opposite of the day is the night; the opposite of the sky is the earth, the opposite of the lowliness of the earth is the elevation of the sky.

When two opposites come together, balance is achieved.

Hence, Allah says right next:

﴾ ٧ ﴿ وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا

By Soul, and by its balancing The human soul has been balanced by bringing together two opposites like the multiple phenomena that have been mentioned.

Now what are these two opposites? They are specified in the next verse and alluded to in the erection of the sky and the spreading of the earth. Allah says next:

﴾ ٨ ﴿ فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا Then he inspired it, its destruction and protection Allah put inside the human being, knowledge of good and bad, of what protects his soul and destroys it. Righteousness protects the soul, its boundary, its sanctity, and its rights whereas evil destroys it. Allah balanced the human being by putting inside him these two opposites - knowledge of good and bad. He can choose either and is given free will to do so.

Secondly, the phraseology is very generic and hence it can mean additional things. Allah put inside the human being what destroys his soul and what protects it. Namely, He put inside the human being lowly, worldly desires which destroy his soul, and He also put inside him what protects his soul, namely - the desire for the divine and righteousness. Islam asks of a human being to balance these two desires within himself. Man should neither dedicate himself solely to his spiritual needs and neglect the desires and needs of his body, nor should he live chasing bodily desires and neglect his spiritual needs. Marriage serves as a perfect example of this. The bodily desire for the other gender needs to be exercised under the oath and protection of marriage only. Hence, exercising bodily desires after fulfilling Islamic requirements harmonizes them with spiritual responsibilities and this extends to all other things. Another example is the money someone earns. Islam does not stop or put a threshold on how much money one should earn, but rather on how much effort he spends. If all he is occupied with is earning money, then this leads to neglecting his spiritual needs. Instead, he is to earn money whilst also taking care of religious duties. On the money he earns, he is to pay a fixed percentage of Zakāh annually too. This way, both the material and the spiritual needs are balanced and go hand in hand. Islam does not treat the physical and spiritual as exclusive that cannot be reconciled with each other. Rather, Islam reconciles and harmonizes them in such a way that they both go hand in hand. A perfect balance.

Now the question arises why specifically mention the sun with the moon and the day with the night? If the point was just to highlight the coming together of two opposites, Allah could have mentioned any pair of opposites such as for example; a man with a woman, an animal with an angel etc. Why specifically mention these objects?

Because these oaths are exactly what the human soul is. Sometimes it is bright and sometimes it is dark. Sometimes it is radiant, and sometimes it is dull. Just like the constant battle of the day and night, where sometimes the light takes over and then darkness gets over it right after, so is this battle going on within the human soul. Sometimes it is righteous and radiant like the day but then darkness and evil take over it like the night. Sometimes it is happy and joyful, other times, it is sad and dull.

﴾ ٩ ﴿ قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا

Qad Aflaha mn Zakka ha ﴾ ١٠ ﴿ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا

Wa Qd Khāba Mn Dassa Ha These two verses are impossible to translate.

Notice the first word in blue- Aflaha. This word was used for plowing land. A farmer is called “fallāḥ” in Arabic which comes from the same root.

The second word is Zakka which we have already covered in surah al- Nāziʿāt. It was used for a nourished and fertile land as well as for crops that produced increased yield.

The word Khāba comes from the root khāʾ wāw bāʾ which was used for ● A land that did not receive rain. Situated between two lands that received rain ● Uncultivated land While the root of the next word Dassa was used for: ● A snake that burrows deep inside the earth ● Burying ● Hiding You can see from these four words Aflaha, Zakka, Khāba and Dassa that this is a clear imagery of a land being either cultivated or not being taken care of.

The one who works hard like a farmer, plowing his land (his soul), and then purifies it, cultivates it, helping it grow and flourish - will gain great harvest, produce and benefit from his land (soul). That farmer has been successful. Just like fertile land that is tilled, watered, and taken care of, the soul responds to care and blossoms with goodness. The one who neglects his land (soul), buries its potential, hides its seed (potential and light) under layers of darkness (earth and desires) will have a barren soul like a land left unwatered and untouched. They miss out even when others around them (the other lands that received water) flourish.

Allah is presenting the human soul like a piece of land 1. Some lands (souls) are plowed, nurtured and purified, and so they become fruitful and successful.

2. Other lands (souls) are buried, ignored, hidden and receive no rain (divine guidance or inner effort)- and thus, they become fruitless, dry and ultimately, failures.

Allah is asking people to take care of their spiritual needs as well. We all take care of bodily desires. Just as we take care of our material needs daily, build our capital and investment salary by salary, so should we take care and try to increase in spiritual good. Just as a farmer consistently takes care of his crops to prevent them from rotting away, so should men tend to their souls daily to protect it from being wasted away.

⁹³ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 1, p.213
⁹⁴ See also - al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 29, p. 67

Thamud denied because of its Taghwa

Allah now presents an example of what happens when this balance is broken with Thamūd serving as a case study.

The pronoun goes back to the soul. Thamūd denied (God and his prophet Ṣāliḥ)

because of the Taghwa of the soul. Taghwa is the verbal noun of ṭāghīn which we

have covered earlier. It means exceeding limits and overwhelming something.

Originally, it was used for the peak of a mountain and for water to submerge and overwhelm its surroundings inside it. We have covered this earlier. Recall the oaths. By the Day as it gives it (the sun) glory. By the night as it covers it. Look at the second oath - by the night as it covers the sun. Is that not exactly what

Taghwa means? The night overwhelms and covers the sun. Or in other words, darkness overwhelms and engulfs the source of light.

This is exactly what thamūd did. They let the darkness inside them overwhelm the light. They were meant to maintain balance between their bodily and spiritual needs but they let their desires overwhelm and take over their hearts and hence broke the balance.

When the most miserable of them rose up

The person who rose up to slaughter the she-camel.

Commentary covering verses 12–13

This is just an urgent way of speaking to convey warning which is why the word Nāqah (she-camel) is in accusative case. The messenger (Ṣāliḥ) warned them sternly to leave the she-camel alone. The reason why Allah calls him “a messenger of Allah” rather than naming him is to imply a universal principle. They disobeyed a messenger of Allah and deemed him a liar. Whosoever does this with a messenger of Allah, will deserve the same fate mentioned in the next verse. Had Allah said Ṣāliḥ instead of “a messenger of Allah” it could have been implied that it held true for Ṣāliḥ only. Hence, when Allah mentions this, this includes all those who deem Prophet Muhammad ﷺ a liar too, past and present, even in our age.

This she-camel came out of a rock in front of them. This was God’s miracle to Ṣāliḥ. A normal person would believe this as an obvious sign from God and believe. If we saw a camel coming out in front of us from a rock, would we not come to believe?

But just as the night covers the sun, so did the darkness in them overwhelm and completely cover the good in them and also their intellects.

Allah is highlighting the severe consequences that follow when people violate the balance they are meant to maintain within themselves. When this balance is broken, it can make a person utterly blind and senseless to the extent that they will even reject a miracle in plain sight.

So a Messenger of Allah said to them, ‘The she-camel of Allah and her drink!’

Commentary covering verses 12–13

This is just an urgent way of speaking to convey warning which is why the word Nāqah (she-camel) is in accusative case. The messenger (Ṣāliḥ) warned them sternly to leave the she-camel alone. The reason why Allah calls him “a messenger of Allah” rather than naming him is to imply a universal principle. They disobeyed a messenger of Allah and deemed him a liar. Whosoever does this with a messenger of Allah, will deserve the same fate mentioned in the next verse. Had Allah said Ṣāliḥ instead of “a messenger of Allah” it could have been implied that it held true for Ṣāliḥ only. Hence, when Allah mentions this, this includes all those who deem Prophet Muhammad ﷺ a liar too, past and present, even in our age.

This she-camel came out of a rock in front of them. This was God’s miracle to Ṣāliḥ. A normal person would believe this as an obvious sign from God and believe. If we saw a camel coming out in front of us from a rock, would we not come to believe?

But just as the night covers the sun, so did the darkness in them overwhelm and completely cover the good in them and also their intellects.

Allah is highlighting the severe consequences that follow when people violate the balance they are meant to maintain within themselves. When this balance is broken, it can make a person utterly blind and senseless to the extent that they will even reject a miracle in plain sight.

But they deemed him a liar and hamstrung her. So their Lord engulfed them under the earth

for their Dhanb and levelled it.

The word damdama has been translated as engulfed. Much has been said about its meaning. Scholars have mentioned meanings such as a loud cry, being overtaken by punishment, as well as being swallowed up and buried inside the earth.⁹⁵ Its root meaning actually has to do with levelling and evening something out which quite well fits with the overall theme of the surah.⁹⁶ The ayah does not end there. It says just one more word

فَسَوَّىٰهَا

Then He levelled/ balanced it The very same word as in verse 8 وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا By Soul and by its balancing We need to know what the pronoun it is referring to.

Dhanb is normally translated as sin. Its root was used mostly to refer to an animal’s

tail and also to the bottom or narrow ends of a valley; as well as to low ranked people in society. This word is mostly used in the Qurʾān for disobeying Allah, and for sins and guilt. It is derived from the root meanings of being left behind, lowered status and degradation. Sins degrade a person and lower his status. This root was also used in the meaning of following someone because a tail is behind the animal’s body as if it follows it wherever it goes.⁹⁷ This ayah could mean that when that person rose to kill the she-camel, thamūd - the entire people - approved of his act and followed him. Hence, Allah balanced out the punishment to each one of them. Though the one who killed it was only one man, thamūd’s assistance and approval of his action led them to have an equal and balanced share in the punishment. The majority of scholars have held this position but without mentioning the reason. They hold that taswiyah (balancing) means that Allah punished all of thamūd equally, without exception 98 and when we look at the word dhanb, it becomes clear that it was due to their approval and following of the one who killed the she-camel.

Secondly, taswiyah could also mean that their houses and buildings collapsed over them and buried them beneath the rubble, or that the earth swallowed them up, burying them alive inside it, and then the surface got levelled as though nothing remained.⁹⁹ Now it all goes back to the taswiyah of the soul that is the central point of this surah. Why use the same word here when describing thamūds punishment?

When people destroy the taswiyah that Allah established within them, then Allah destroys them with a taswiyah of another kind. When that scale of justice is violated and trampled on, Allah restores that scale and justice with His punishment. Allah’s punishment is rooted in justice and restoration. The one who fashioned the soul with perfect balance, is the same one who can perfectly restore this balance when it is violated, and also the one who perfectly levels and hands out punishment and justice to all those who deserve it. Think of taswiyah as setting things up in proper balance and order. When it is violated, Allah restores it back.

⁹⁵ al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 29, p. 75; Ibn ʿĀshūr, al-Taḥrīr wa al-Tanwīr, vol. 30, p. 375; al-Rāzī, Mafātīḥ al-Ghayb, vol. 31, p. 196;
⁹⁶ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 2, p. 674
⁹⁷ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 2, p. 724
⁹⁸ al-Ṭ abarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān ʿan Taʾwīl Āy al-Qurʾān, vol. 24, p. 450; al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 29, p. 75
⁹⁹ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 2, p. 724; al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 29, p. 75. This opinion is present unanimously in tafsir literature as a whole.

While he does not fear its consequence

There are two possibilities as to whom the pronoun “he” refers back to. Some said it goes back to the most miserable one who rose up to kill the she-camel, 100 while others held that it goes back to Allah Himself.¹⁰¹ The generic nature of this verse allows for both positions to be true.

If it refers back to the person who killed the she-camel, it means that he rose to kill the she-camel while not fearing the consequences of doing so. Allah first mentions what He did with him and his people, and then mentions how that person did not expect any of this to happen as if to mock him and his stupidity. Recall how earlier Allah mentioned how breaking apart the intricate balance of the soul leads people to even become intellectually handicapped and this is a continuation of that point. If the pronoun goes back to Allah Himself, then this verse serves as a kināyah - an allusion or an indirect expression - of the fact Allah is the overpowering One whose defeated adversary is incapable of taking revenge against Him. It could also be an analogy of their condition after being annihilated by Allah, where Allah likens them to someone who leaves behind no one who can take revenge on their behalf.¹⁰²

¹⁰⁰ al-Ṭ abarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān ʿan Taʾwīl Āy al-Qurʾān, vol. 24, p. 452-453
¹⁰¹ al-Ṭ abarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān ʿan Taʾwīl Āy al-Qurʾān, vol. 24, p. 451
¹⁰² Ibn ʿĀshūr, al-Taḥrīr wa al-Tanwīr, vol. 30, p. 375