Al-Lail
سُورَةُ اللَّيۡلِ
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
About Surah Al-Lail
Meccan · 21 verses
Main Themes
Two contrasting paths of human life, divine guidance, giving in charity, the consequences of greed and generosity
Significance
Al-Layl (The Night) presents one of the Quran's clearest binary frameworks: two paths, two outcomes, two kinds of people. The one who gives, fears Allah, and affirms the good — Allah will ease their way. The one who is miserly, feels self-sufficient, and denies the good — Allah will not ease their way. The surah removes all ambiguity about the relationship between generosity, taqwa, and divine facilitation of success.
Key Verse Explained
Ayah 5–7 ("As for he who gives and fears Allah and believes in the best reward, We will ease him toward ease") establish the Islamic formula for divine facilitation (taysir): giving freely, maintaining taqwa, and affirming the truth. Scholars note that ease (yusra) here refers not merely to worldly comfort but to the ease of doing good — generosity becomes self-reinforcing when Allah facilitates more opportunities for giving.
Related Practices
Al-Layl was reportedly connected to the story of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq who freed Bilal ibn Rabah from slavery — and its opening verses's description of the generous soul is connected to Abu Bakr's character in Islamic tradition. The surah's description of wealth as temporary (92:11 — "His wealth will not avail him when he falls") is widely cited in Islamic sermons on detachment from material possession.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰ 1
By the night when it covers
وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّىٰ 2
And [by] the day when it appears
وَمَا خَلَقَ الذَّكَرَ وَالْأُنْثَىٰ 3
And [by] He who created the male and female,
إِنَّ سَعْيَكُمْ لَشَتَّىٰ 4
Indeed, your efforts are diverse.
فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَىٰ وَاتَّقَىٰ 5
As for he who gives and fears Allah
وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَىٰ 6
And believes in the best [reward],
فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَىٰ 7
We will ease him toward ease.
وَأَمَّا مَنْ بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَىٰ 8
But as for he who withholds and considers himself free of need
وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَىٰ 9
And denies the best [reward],
فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَىٰ 10
We will ease him toward difficulty.
وَمَا يُغْنِي عَنْهُ مَالُهُ إِذَا تَرَدَّىٰ 11
And what will his wealth avail him when he falls?
إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا لَلْهُدَىٰ 12
Indeed, [incumbent] upon Us is guidance.
وَإِنَّ لَنَا لَلْآخِرَةَ وَالْأُولَىٰ 13
And indeed, to Us belongs the Hereafter and the first [life].
فَأَنْذَرْتُكُمْ نَارًا تَلَظَّىٰ 14
So I have warned you of a Fire which is blazing.
لَا يَصْلَاهَا إِلَّا الْأَشْقَى 15
None will [enter to] burn therein except the most wretched one.
الَّذِي كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ 16
Who had denied and turned away.
وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا الْأَتْقَى 17
But the righteous one will avoid it -
الَّذِي يُؤْتِي مَالَهُ يَتَزَكَّىٰ 18
[He] who gives [from] his wealth to purify himself
وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِنْدَهُ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ تُجْزَىٰ 19
And not [giving] for anyone who has [done him] a favor to be rewarded
إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِ الْأَعْلَىٰ 20
But only seeking the countenance of his Lord, Most High.
وَلَسَوْفَ يَرْضَىٰ 21
And he is going to be satisfied.