Al-Layl الليل
The Night
Al-Layl swears by the night as it covers, the day as it shines, and the creation of male and female, to make a claim about how people diverge: efforts are diverse, because people are diverse in the choice underneath them. Those who give, are conscious of God, and affirm the good will be eased toward ease; those who withhold, feel self-sufficient, and deny the good will be eased toward hardship — and their wealth will not save them when they fall. The surah names guidance as God's responsibility to provide and warns of a fire meant for the most wretched, who denied and turned away, before closing by describing the one most distant from that fire: the one who gives his wealth purifying himself, seeking only his Lord's highest pleasure, expecting no favor in return — a description tradition connects to Abu Bakr, though the verses state the principle generally rather than naming him.
وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰ
By the enshrouding night,
وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّىٰ
by the radiant day,
وَمَا خَلَقَ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلْأُنثَىٰٓ
by His creation of male and female!
إِنَّ سَعْيَكُمْ لَشَتَّىٰ
The ways you take differ greatly.
فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَىٰ وَٱتَّقَىٰ
There is the one who gives, who is mindful of God,
وَصَدَّقَ بِٱلْحُسْنَىٰ
who testifies to goodness––
فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُۥ لِلْيُسْرَىٰ
We shall smooth his way towards ease.
وَأَمَّا مَنۢ بَخِلَ وَٱسْتَغْنَىٰ
There is the one who is miserly, who is self-satisfied,
وَكَذَّبَ بِٱلْحُسْنَىٰ
who denies goodness––
فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُۥ لِلْعُسْرَىٰ
We shall smooth his way towards hardship
وَمَا يُغْنِى عَنْهُ مَالُهُۥٓ إِذَا تَرَدَّىٰٓ
and his wealth will not help him as he falls.
إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا لَلْهُدَىٰ
Our part is to provide guidance––
وَإِنَّ لَنَا لَلْـَٔاخِرَةَ وَٱلْأُولَىٰ
this world and the next belong to Us––
فَأَنذَرْتُكُمْ نَارًا تَلَظَّىٰ
so I warn you about the raging Fire,
لَا يَصْلَىٰهَآ إِلَّا ٱلْأَشْقَى
in which none but the most wicked one will burn,
ٱلَّذِى كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
who denied [the truth], and turned away.
وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا ٱلْأَتْقَى
The most pious one will be spared this––
ٱلَّذِى يُؤْتِى مَالَهُۥ يَتَزَكَّىٰ
who gives his wealth away as self-purification,
وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِندَهُۥ مِن نِّعْمَةٍ تُجْزَىٰٓ
not to return a favour to anyone
إِلَّا ٱبْتِغَآءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ
but for the sake of his Lord the Most High––
وَلَسَوْفَ يَرْضَىٰ
and he will be well pleased.
Arabic text and translation (M.A.S. Abdel Haleem) via the Quran.Foundation API.
Frequently asked
Twenty-one verses.
Meccan, revealed in Makkah.
Whether they give and are conscious of God, or withhold and feel self-sufficient — the surah frames the outcome as following from that underlying choice.
Commentators commonly connect it to Abu Bakr, though the verses themselves state the description as a general principle rather than naming an individual.