Al-Layl الليل

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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Giving Life to the Dead Soul

Surah Layl

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‫بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِیمِ 

وَٱلَّیۡلِ إِذَا یَغۡشَىٰ‬

By the night as it envelops

‫وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّىٰ﴿ ٢ ﴾‬

By the day as it manifests

‫وَمَا خَلَقَ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلۡأُنثَىٰۤ﴿ ٣ ﴾‬

By what He created; the male and the female

‫إِنَّ سَعۡیَكُمۡ لَشَتَّىٰ﴿ ٤ ﴾‬

Your efforts are diverse

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This surah is closely tied to Surah Shams. It cannot be understood without it. 

The oaths in this surah are very similar to the oaths of Surah Shams except that they are flipped. In Surah Shams the day was mentioned before the night but here the night is mentioned before the day. 

This surah will show us what brings the dead soul back to life. That is why the night is mentioned before.

 The night (darkness) has overwhelmed the sun (soul). By the day as it manifests - by the soul that has broken out of this darkness. The arrival of the day means that the sun is now out of the darkness of the night.

The next oath by the male and female is again the continuation of the theme of Surah Shams of mentioning two opposites together. The bringing together of two opposites creates balance, an example of which is the relationship between the male and female. 

Men and women are very different beings. They have very different desires, very different perspectives.

Just as the night is different from the day; the male from the female; so are our efforts different from the efforts of another person. What we desire, what we strive for, what we want, our likes and dislikes and hence our struggles and efforts are different from each other. This also means that our needs are different from each other as well.

Now since we are all different from each other, it would stand that each person has his own struggle to get out of the darkness of the night. Each person has different challenges and hurdles that prevent him from getting out of the darkness of the night. This is what we would normally think. But this surah says otherwise.

Despite all of this, the principles remain the same. What will get us out of this darkness? The answer is the same for all of us. Despite us being so different from each other, the solution for all of us is the same. Why? Because we all have the same Ruh. Recall in Surah Shams the word Nafs (soul) lacked the definite article which meant that each one of us, man and woman, has the very same spirit of God. 

This solution is what this Surah will now focus on.

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‫فَأَمَّا مَنۡ أَعۡطَىٰ وَٱتَّقَىٰ﴿ ٥ ﴾‬

So for the one who gave and had Taqwa

‫وَصَدَّقَ بِٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ﴿ ٦ ﴾‬

Confirming the truth of the ultimate beauty

‫فَسَنُیَسِّرُهُۥ لِلۡیُسۡرَىٰ﴿ ٧ ﴾‬

Then soon, we will create ease for him to the ultimate ease.

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The word I translated as gave, A’ta, means reaching out with one’s hand. It was used for something that was within your reach or within your hand and when used in the meaning of giving, it means to voluntarily give with your own hands.

The word Taqwa was explained in Surah Shams. In the Quran, Taqwa has come in the meaning of all divine commandments. Many times, the Quran simply says “Have Taqwa of Allah.” This simply means to not break the commandments of Allah and to protect His boundaries. This refers to all of God’s boundaries, related to Allah Himself and to people’s rights too but here in this ayah, it refers to the right of Allah himself. 

The word A’ata refers to the rights of people. The word Taqwa means the rights of Allah. In two words, Allah summarized this religion. Give to people what is theirs and give to Allah what is His.

Once a person fulfills the rights of both people and Allah, he has brought Islam  He is a Muslim, a believer in Islam. This is why the next ayah is

‫وَصَدَّقَ بِٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ﴿ ٦ ﴾‬

Confirming the truth of the ultimate beauty

Ultimate beauty means Islam or the truth. When a person has done these two things; A’ta and Taqwa, he has proven that he believes in the truth of Islam.

As a result,

‫فَسَنُیَسِّرُهُۥ لِلۡیُسۡرَىٰ﴿ ٧ ﴾‬

Then soon, we will create ease for him to the ultimate ease.

The ultimate ease means Paradise.  Paradise is a place where there is no hardship or difficulty of any kind. Just peace and security. 

Allah will facilitate such a person to Paradise. Allah will help him and create situations for him that ease the way for him to Paradise. The ayah uses the word ‘soon’ because first we have to prove ourselves by being consistent and patient in this path. Once we have proven ourselves, Allah Himself will help us in this life as well as the next one.

Normally we would expect that Allah would mention His rights before the rights of people. A disbeliever who helps people will not gain any good from his actions. Belief in Allah and protecting His rights is the very first foundation and principle of this religion then why is it mentioned after the rights of people? 

Because this is the path of spiritual healing. Helping other people will remove the rust from our hearts. This will then ease our way to protect the boundaries of Allah. Many people complain that they just cannot stop sinning. That it feels too heavy when you are obeying Allah. Help other people in their needs and Allah will ease this for you. You will be able to stop sinning and then you will find peace in obeying Allah. You will not feel heavy inside when you are protecting His boundaries. Helping other people will ease your way to protect the rights of Allah, to obey Him. 

This is why the ayah says. “We will create ease for him to the ultimate ease’ rather than simply saying “We will lead him to Paradise.’ 

Create ease for other people and Allah will create ease for you to obey Him. This will then facilitate your way to Paradise and Allah Himself will actively facilitate this for you. He will remain by your side to see you through in both this life and the next.

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‫وَأَمَّا مَنۢ بَخِلَ وَٱسۡتَغۡنَىٰ﴿ ٨ ﴾‬

But for the one who held back and was self satisfied

‫وَكَذَّبَ بِٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ﴿ ٩ ﴾‬

Denying the ultimate beauty

‫فَسَنُیَسِّرُهُۥ لِلۡعُسۡرَىٰ﴿ ١٠ ﴾‬

We will ease him towards the ultimate difficulty

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Held Back — refused to give people their rights and from helping them

Self - Satisfied — Felt he has no need to obey Allah. Content with his own self and his possessions.

Ultimate difficulty — Hell

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‫وَمَا یُغۡنِی عَنۡهُ مَالُهُۥۤ إِذَا تَرَدَّىٰۤ﴿ ١١ ﴾‬

His wealth does not save him when he falls

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The word Maal is translated as wealth. It literally means a thing to which we are drawn to. It can be money but other things as well but it is most commonly used for money because we are naturally most inclined towards money and wealth. 

Falls — falls in Hell. 

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‫إِنَّ عَلَیۡنَا لَلۡهُدَىٰ﴿ ١٢ ﴾‬

Upon us is to provide guidance

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The particle ‘alā (على), when it occurs between a noun and something indicating an action, conveys the meaning of obligation or incumbency. Therefore the meaning is: “It is obligatory upon Us to guide mankind.” This denotes a commitment from God, required by His grace and wisdom, so He undertook to guide people toward goodness before holding them accountable for their evil deeds.

Allah’s responsibility is to provide guidance. To show people what is good for them and what isn't, what purifies them and what degrades them. The human being has the choice to choose either. If he chooses the wrong way he is responsible himself. If he chooses goodness, it is to his own benefit. 

When a person chooses goodness, Allah will create further ease for him, facilitating him to do and achieve more good to get to paradise; obeying Allah will give him peace, disobeying Allah will disturb his heart. 

When a person decides to go the wrong way, Allah will facilitate him to commit more sins, Allah will ease for him the path to Hell. He will not find peace in obeying Allah but rather will feel heavy inside and constricted. Sinning will be made easy for him. Obeying Allah will be made difficult for him. 

Allah says in Surah An’am

‫فَمَن یُرِدِ ٱللَّهُ أَن یَهۡدِیَهُۥ یَشۡرَحۡ صَدۡرَهُۥ لِلۡإِسۡلَـٰمِۖ وَمَن یُرِدۡ أَن یُضِلَّهُۥ یَجۡعَلۡ صَدۡرَهُۥ ضَیِّقًا حَرَجࣰا كَأَنَّمَا یَصَّعَّدُ فِی ٱلسَّمَاۤءِۚ كَذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ یَجۡعَلُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلرِّجۡسَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِینَ لَا یُؤۡمِنُونَ﴿ ١٢٥ ﴾‬

Whosoever Allah wills to guide - He expands his chest to Islam and whoever He wills to lead astray, He makes his breast tight and filled (with their sins) as if he were climbing into the sky. Like this, Allah rebounds the defilement of those who do not believe, on them.

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‫وَإِنَّ لَنَا لَلۡـَٔاخِرَةَ وَٱلۡأُولَىٰ﴿ ١٣ ﴾‬

Ours is the last and the first.

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What is meant is the afterlife and the first life but Allah just says “ Ours is the last and the first.” To say it this way denotes total control and power. Allah owns everything, from the very last thing to the very first thing of both this life and the hereafter.

To Us belongs the dominion of both abodes (this world and the Hereafter); We grant whatever We want to whoever We want. Therefore, happiness in both abodes must be sought from Us. Do not follow the path of sins and disobedience. The temporary pleasure that you get will be replaced by consistent and longlasting pain and difficulty. Seek help from Me, follow My path, I will create ease for you, will facilitate things for you both here and in the afterlife. Everything belongs to Me, I can make things easy for you and I can also make your lives miserable and difficult.

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‫فَأَنذَرۡتُكُمۡ نَارࣰا تَلَظَّىٰ﴿ ١٤ ﴾‬

So I have warned you of a raging fire.

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God’s responsibility was to guide people, to show them what is good and bad for them. Part of this responsibility is to let people know about Hell and what it contains.  He warned about it when He said

 ‫وَمَا یُغۡنِی عَنۡهُ مَالُهُۥۤ إِذَا تَرَدَّىٰۤ﴿ ١١ ﴾‬

His wealth does not save him when he falls (into Hell)

Tallazza (raging) also means to reach the highest extent. It is a fire which reaches the highest intensity a fire can possibly reach. This is why it is called “the ultimate/greatest difficulty.”

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‫لَا یَصۡلَىٰهَاۤ إِلَّا ٱلۡأَشۡقَى﴿ ١٥ ﴾‬

None but the most wretched will burn in it

‫ٱلَّذِی كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ﴿ ١٦ ﴾‬

He who denied and turned away

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Ashqaa - the most wretched; is the same word that was used for the person who killed the camel in Surah Shams. 

There is Hisaar in this verse.  Hisaar is when you limit or contain something to a specific condition.

 The fire of Hell has been limited to the most wretched person. Other than the absolute worst of the worst, nobody will enter it. 

This creates hope. Going to hell is not simple and easy. It is not that you do a sin or are a bad person and you enter Hell immediately. Everybody sins, everybody has faults, everybody slips and makes mistakes. Only the worst of the worst will enter it.

The next ayah defines who the most wretched people are. This first quality is to call and consider the truth a lie and the second is to turn away from the truth. If somebody denies something and considers it a lie he will obviously turn away from it so why mention it even? Because it implies arrogance. He considered the truth a lie not because of any fault in the truth, but because of the arrogance inside him. His arrogance led him to deny the truth. His arrogance and pride made the path of Hell easy for him. 

The same word was used for the person who cruelly killed the camel. How on earth do you deny such an obvious miracle? You’d have to be the worst of the worst to not only deny this miracle but also to kill the camel in such a horrific way.

 This person is the embodiment of what it means to be an Ashqaa. When arrogance takes hold of you, when it rules over you, it will blind you. Arrogance did not allow this man to consider another human being (the messenger Salih) as being better than him. So he rejected the obvious truth not because of any fault in it but because his pride did not allow him to consider another human being as superior to him, because accepting Salih as a messenger means you’d have to follow and obey what he says as well which his pride did not allow.

This arrogance exists today as well. The miracle of Salih was the camel. The miracle of Muhammad, our Messenger, is the Quran. Denying the Quran is the same as denying the miracle of the camel coming out of the rock. Denying the Quran and turning away from it, is what makes a person Ashqaa today.

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‫وَسَیُجَنَّبُهَا ٱلۡأَتۡقَى﴿ ١٧ ﴾‬

The most pious will be kept afar from it

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Compare this with Ayah 15 which says that only the worst of the worst will enter Hell. It uses the superlative here as well - the most pious; but it does not say only the most pious will be kept afar from the fire. It simply says that the most righteous person will be kept afar from the fire.

This means that others will be protected from the fire as well. You do not have to be the best of the best to be protected from the fire. You just have to be good. It is very difficult to enter the fire and it is quite easy to be protected from it. Only the worst of the worst will enter the fire; and to be safe from the fire, you do not have to be the best. You just have to be good. 

But if you want to be the best of the best, if you want to excel, if you refuse to just be good and instead want to be at the top, at the pinnacle, then the next verse tells you the way.

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‫ٱلَّذِی یُؤۡتِی مَالَهُۥ یَتَزَكَّىٰ﴿ ١٨ ﴾‬

He who gives wealth to nourish himself

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The same word Zakka was used in Surah Shams. 

‫قَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا﴿ ٩ ﴾‬

Qd aflaha mn Zakka ha

Zakka means for a land to flourish and bring out excess crops of high quality. This person spent his wealth so that he can nourish his soul, make it pure and get rid of bad qualities from it.

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‫وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِندَهُۥ مِن نِّعۡمَةࣲ تُجۡزَىٰۤ﴿ ١٩ ﴾‬

Not to return a favour/ not for a favour to be returned.

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This person spent his wealth just to nourish and flourish the garden of his soul, to make his soul fertile with good and high quality crops( qualities and characteristics) and to get rid of the bad crops (bad qualities and characteristics) from it. It is as if when you are giving away that money, you are basically giving away the foulness inside you. The evil inside of you goes away with that money.

He did not spend it to either return a favour or to count a favour on another person. As the next ayah will explain, his intentions are only to do with self purification and Allah alone; not with other people. 

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‫إِلَّا ٱبۡتِغَاۤءَ وَجۡهِ رَبِّهِ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰ﴿ ٢٠ ﴾‬

Only to seek the face of his Master, the most high.

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We will meet Allah on judgement day and see Him. Allah says in Surah Qiyamah:

‫وُجُوهࣱ یَوۡمَىِٕذࣲ نَّاضِرَةٌ﴿ ٢٢ ﴾‬

Some faces that day will be radiant

‫إِلَىٰ رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةࣱ﴿ ٢٣ ﴾‬

Looking at their Master

Al Qiyamah (75: 22-23)

These are the only intentions of this person. To purify himself and to see Allah on the last day.

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‫وَلَسَوۡفَ یَرۡضَىٰ﴿ ٢١ ﴾‬

Soon, he will become satisfied

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This person was not satisfied with being just good. He wanted to be the best of the best. He did not accept mediocrity, only utmost excellence. Just as he was only satisfied with being the absolute best, so will he be satisfied with the absolute best reward and the highest honor with God.

Explained together with the first verse. Please click here to view

Explained together with the first verse. Please click here to view

Explained together with the first verse. Please click here to view

Explained together with the first verse. Please click here to view

Explained together with the first verse. Please click here to view

Explained together with the first verse. Please click here to view

Explained together with the first verse. Please click here to view

Explained together with the first verse. Please click here to view

Explained together with the first verse. Please click here to view

Explained together with the first verse. Please click here to view

Explained together with the first verse. Please click here to view

Explained together with the first verse. Please click here to view

Explained together with the first verse. Please click here to view

Explained together with the first verse. Please click here to view

Explained together with the first verse. Please click here to view

Explained together with the first verse. Please click here to view

Explained together with the first verse. Please click here to view

Explained together with the first verse. Please click here to view

Explained together with the first verse. Please click here to view