Many of us may wonder about the reason why Surah Duha was revealed and the story behind it. And that’s what we will learn shortly. What is the meaning of surah Duha?
What is the reason for the revelation of Surah Duha?
For a period of time, the revelation of the Quran stopped for 6 months, which made the prophet depressed, he thought that Allah was angry with him for something he did and he started losing hope. The disbelievers kept mocking him and the believers started to have doubts. That’s why Allah revealed this Surah that directly speaks to the Prophet to comfort him.
Why was Surah Duha revealed? Here is the reason for the revelation of surah Duha from hadiths:
(By the morning hours, and by the night when it is stillest, thy Lord hath not forsaken thee nor doth He hate thee) [93:1-3].
Abu Mansur al-Baghdadi informed us that Abu’l-Husayn Ahmad ibn al-Sarraj from al-Husayn ibn al-Muthanna ibn Mu‘adh from Abu Hudhayfah from Sufyan al-Thawri from al-Aswad ibn Qays from Jundub who said: “A woman from the Quraysh said to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace: ‘I think your demon has forsaken you’, and so it was revealed (By the morning hours, and by the night when it is stillest, thy Lord hath not forsaken thee nor doth He hate thee)”.
What is the story behind Surah Duha?
For a period of time, the revelation of the Quran stopped which made the disbelievers mock the prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and say that Allah forsaken him. This made the prophet depressed and sad, and that’s why Allah revealed surah Al-Duha to comfort him and make him happy. Allah says in the surah:
مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ ﴿3﴾
Your Lord has neither forsaken you nor is He displeased with you.
This verse comforts the prophet telling him that Allah is not angry with him and didn’t abandon him.
وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَىٰ ﴿5﴾
Soon your Lord will give you [that with which] you will be pleased.
The verses of this Surah made the prophet happy and showed him that Allah was not as angry with him as he thought.
Where was Surah Al Duha revealed?
Suran Al Duha was revealed in Makkah, it is one of the first surahs revealed to the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him). The Surah has only 11 verses and it’s number 93 in the Quran.
In which para is Surah Duha?
Surah ad-Duha is in the para (juz) number 30, it consists of 11 verses, and it is the surah number 93 in the holy Quran. It was revealed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) when he was in Makkah.
Meaning of surah duha
“BY THE MORNING BRIGHTNESS”
Seeing the morning makes us feel happy, the sun of the new day and the bright light that shines show us that there is always a new beginning. It gives us the motivation to keep going and never lose hope. That’s why surah AL-Duha starts with the verse “BY THE MORNING BRIGHTNESS”.
As a motivation and to tell us to never lose our faith. In this verse, Allah reminds the Prophet of the beauty of the morning and its bright light that will shine to remove all his worries.
“AND [BY] THE NIGHT WHEN IT COVERS WITH DARKNESS” (93:2)
The existence of the morning and light is a sign that every darkness will end. And this verse shows us that when morning comes it removes the darkness of the night.
“Your Lord has not taken leave of you, [O Muhammad], nor has He detested [you]” (93:3)
This beautiful verse shows the prophet that Allah is not angry with him and that he didn’t forsake him as the disbelievers said.
“And the Hereafter is better for you than the first [life]” (93:4)
This verse shows us that the afterlife is much better than the life we live now. So when you start to feel depressed and think that you are over with this life remember that it is only a test that you must pass to go to heaven. The life we live now is temporary and it’s normal to faith hardships and loss that’s the nature of life.
But remember, the afterlife is filled with everything that you could ever dream of, and every time you feel depressed or start losing hope remind yourself of that. That’s why Allah reminds the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) that this life is temporary and that the afterlife is much better.
“And your Lord is going to give you, and you will be satisfied” (93:5)
This verse shows the prophet that what he will have in the afterlife will satisfy him, showing us all that we will be rewarded in the afterlife for having faith in Allah and never losing hope no matter what happens in this life.
“Did He not find you an orphan and give [you] refuge?” (93:6)
This verse directly talks to the prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) to comfort him and erase his worries. Allah tells him that he was there for him when he lost his parents protecting him. And we should all learn from this verse that Allah is always there for us when we need him, protecting us and helping us. Even if we don’t feel it there are many situations in which we lose hope and think that it is impossible to overcome but Allah makes the impossible possible for us, helping us out of the situation of hardship.
“And He found you lost and guided [you]” (93:7)
Allah tells the prophet and reminds him that he was there to guide him and he always will. What we learn here is that Allah will always help us and guide us in our lives and that we shouldn’t lose hope no matter what happens.
Surah ad duha English translation.
Here is Surah Duha and its English translation
وَٱلضُّحَىٰ ١
By the morning sunlight,
وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا سَجَىٰ ٢
and the night when it falls still!
مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ ٣
Your Lord ˹O Prophet˺ has not abandoned you, nor has He become hateful ˹of you˺.
وَلَلْـَٔاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكَ مِنَ ٱلْأُولَىٰ ٤
And the next life is certainly far better for you than this one.
وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَىٰٓ ٥
And ˹surely˺ your Lord will give so much to you that you will be pleased.
أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًۭا فَـَٔاوَىٰ ٦
Did He not find you as an orphan then sheltered you?
وَوَجَدَكَ ضَآلًّۭا فَهَدَىٰ ٧
Did He not find you unguided then guided you?
وَوَجَدَكَ عَآئِلًۭا فَأَغْنَىٰ ٨
And did He not find you needy then satisfied your needs?
فَأَمَّا ٱلْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ ٩
So do not oppress the orphan,
وَأَمَّا ٱلسَّآئِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ ١٠
nor repulse the beggar.
وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ ١١
And proclaim the blessings of your Lord.
How to recite al duha in English?
Bismillaahi Rahmaanir Raheem
Wad duhaa
Wal laili iza sajaa
Ma wad da’aka rabbuka wa ma qalaa
Walal-aakhiratu khairul laka minal-oola
Wa la sawfa y’uteeka rabbuka fatarda
Alam ya jidka yateeman fa aawaa
Wa wa jadaka daal lan fahada
Wa wa jadaka ‘aa-ilan fa aghnaa
Fa am mal yateema fala taqhar
Wa am mas saa-ila fala tanhar
Wa amma bi ni’mati rabbika fahad dith
Surah Duha Tafseer.
Here is the tafsir of Surah Ad-Duha, ibn Kathir:
﴿ وَٱلضُّحَىٰ • وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا سَجَىٰ • مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ ﴾
(By the forenoon. By the night when it darkens. Your Lord has neither forsaken you nor hates you.)” Al-Bukhari, Muslim, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa’i, Ibn Abi Hatim, and Ibn Jarir, all recorded this Hadith. This Jundub (who narrated it) is Ibn `Abdullah Al-Bajali Al-`Alaqi. In a narration from Al-Aswad bin Qays, he said that he heard Jundub say that Jibril was slow in coming to the Messenger of Allah. So the idolaters said, “Muhammad’s Lord has abandoned him.” So Allah revealed,
﴿ وَٱلضُّحَىٰ • وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا سَجَىٰ • مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ ﴾
(By the forenoon. By the night when it darkens. Your Lord has neither forsaken you nor hates you.
﴿ وَٱلضُّحَىٰ • وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا سَجَىٰ ﴾
(By the forenoon. By the night when it darkens.) Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas, “When the Qur’an was revealed to the Messenger of Allah, Jibril was delayed from coming to him for a number of days (on one occasion). Therefore, the Messenger of Allah was affected by this. Then the idolaters began to say, `His Lord has abandoned him and hates him.’ So Allah revealed,
﴿ مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ ﴾
(Your Lord has neither forsaken you nor hates you.)” In this, Allah is swearing by the forenoon and the light that He has placed in it.
﴿ وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا سَجَىٰ ﴾
(By the night when it darkens (Saja).) meaning, it settles, darkens meaning, it settles, darkens and overcomes them. This was said by Mujahid, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, Ibn Zayd and others. This is a clear proof of the power of the Creator of this (light) and that (darkness). This is as Allah says,
﴿ وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا يَغۡشَىٰ • وَٱلنَّہَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّىٰ ﴾
(By the night as it envelops. By the Day as it appears.) (92:1-2) Allah also says,
﴿ فَالِقُ ٱلۡإِصۡبَاحِ وَجَعَلَ ٱلَّيۡلَ سَكَنً۬ا وَٱلشَّمۡسَ وَٱلۡقَمَرَ حُسۡبَانً۬اۚ ذَٲلِكَ تَقۡدِيرُ ٱلۡعَزِيزِ ٱلۡعَلِيمِ ﴾
((He is the) Cleaver of the daybreak. He has appointed the night for resting, and the sun and the moon for reckoning. Such is the measuring of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.) (6:96) Allah then says,
﴿ مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ ﴾
(Your Lord has neither forsaken you) meaning, `He has not abandoned you.’
﴿ وَمَا قَلَىٰ ﴾
(nor hates (Qala) you.) meaning, `He does not hate you.’
﴿ وَلَلۡأَخِرَةُ خَيۡرٌ۬ لَّكَ مِنَ ٱلۡأُولَىٰ ﴾
(And indeed the Hereafter is better for you than the present.) meaning, the abode of the Hereafter is better for you than this current abode. For this reason, the Messenger of Allah used to be the most abstinent of the people concerning worldly things, and he was the greatest of them in his disregard for worldly matters.
This is well known by necessity from his biography. When the Prophet was given the choice at the end of his life between remaining in this life forever and then going to Paradise, or moving on to the company of Allah, he chose that which is with Allah over this lowly world. Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, “The Messenger of Allah was lying down on a straw mat and it left marks on his side. Then when he woke up he began to rub his side. So I said, `O Messenger of Allah! Will you allow us to spread something soft over this straw mat’ He replied,
« مَالِي وَلِلدُّنْيَا، إِنَّمَا مَثَلِي وَمَثَلُ الدُّنْيَا كَرَاكِبٍ ظَلَّ تَحْتَ شَجَرَةٍ ثُمَّ رَاحَ وَتَرَكَهَا »
(I have nothing to do with this world. The parable of me and this world is like a rider who rests in the shade of a tree, then he passes on and leaves it.)” At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah both recorded this Hadith by way of Al-Mas`udi. At-Tirmidhi said, “Hasan Sahih.”
﴿ وَلَسَوۡفَ يُعۡطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرۡضَىٰٓ ﴾
(And verily, your Lord will give you so that you shall be well-pleased.) meaning, in the final abode Allah will give him until He pleases him concerning his followers, and in that which He has prepared for him from His generosity. From this will be the River of Al-Kawthar, which will have domes of hollowed pearls on its banks, and the mud on its banks will be the strongest fragrance of musk, as will be mentioned. Imam Abu `Amr Al-Awza`i recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, “The Messenger of Allah was shown that which his Ummah would be blessed with after him, treasure upon treasure. So he was pleased with that. Then Allah revealed,
﴿ وَلَسَوۡفَ يُعۡطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرۡضَىٰٓ ﴾
(And verily, your Lord will give you so that you shall be well-pleased.) So, Allah will give him in Paradise one million palaces, and each palace will contain whatever he wishes of wives and servants.” This was recorded by Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim from his route of transmission. This chain of narration is authentic to Ibn `Abbas, and statements like this can only be said from that which is Tawqif.
﴿ أَلَمۡ يَجِدۡكَ يَتِيمً۬ا فَـَٔاوَىٰ ﴾
(Did He not find you an orphan and give you refuge) This refers to the fact that his father died while his mother was still pregnant with him, and his mother, Aminah bint Wahb died when he was only six years old. After this, he was under the guardianship of his grandfather, `Abdul-Muttalib, until he died when Muhammad was eight years old. Then his uncle, Abu Talib took responsibility for him and continued to protect him, assist him, elevate his status, honor him, and even restrain his people from harming him when he was forty years of age and Allah commissioned him with the prophethood. Even with this, Abu Talib continued to follow the religion of his people, worshipping idols.
All of this took place by the divine decree of Allah and His decree is most excellent. Until Abu Talib died a short time before the Hijrah. After this (Abu Talib’s death) the foolish and ignorant people of the Quraysh began to attack him, so Allah chose for him to migrate away from them to the city of Al-Aws and Al-Khazraj among those who helped him (in Al-Madinah). Allah caused his Sunnah to be spread in the most perfect and complete manner. Then, when he arrived at their city, they gave him shelter, supported him, defended him, and fought before him (against the enemies of Islam) (may Allah be pleased with all of them). All of this was from Allah’s protection for him, guarding over him and caring for him. Then Allah says,
﴿ وَوَجَدَكَ ضَآلاًّ۬ فَهَدَىٰ ﴾
(He found you unaware and guided you) This is similar to Allah’s saying,
﴿ وَكَذَٲلِكَ أَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ رُوحً۬ا مِّنۡ أَمۡرِنَاۚ مَا كُنتَ تَدۡرِى مَا ٱلۡكِتَـٰبُ وَلَا ٱلۡإِيمَـٰنُ وَلَـٰكِن جَعَلۡنَـٰهُ نُورً۬ا نَّہۡدِى بِهِۦ مَن نَّشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِنَاۚ ﴾
(And thus We have sent to you a Ruh from Our command. you knew not what is the Book, nor what is Faith. But We have made it a light wherewith We guide whosoever of our servants We will…) (42:52) Allah says,
﴿ وَوَجَدَكَ عَآٮِٕلاً۬ فَأَغۡنَىٰ ﴾
(And He found you poor and made you rich) meaning, `You were poor having dependents, so Allah made you wealthy and independent of all others besides Him.’ Thus, Allah combined for him the two positions: the one who is poor and patient, and the one who is wealthy and thankful. In the Two Sahihs, it has been recorded from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah said,
« لَيْسَ الْغِنَى عَنْ كَثْرَةِ الْعَرَضِ، وَلَكِنَّ الْغِنَى غِنَى النَّفْس »
(Wealth is not determined by the abundance of possessions, but wealth is the richness of the soul.) In Sahih Muslim, it is recorded from `Abdullah bin `Amr that the Messenger of Allah said,
« قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَرُزِقَ كَفَافًا وَقَنَّعَهُ اللهُ بِمَا آتَاه »
(Whoever accepts Islam, is provided with his basic needs, and Allah makes him content with what He has given him, then he will be successful.)
﴿ فَأَمَّا ٱلۡيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقۡهَرۡ ﴾
(Therefore, treat not the orphan with oppression.) meaning, `Just as you were an orphan and Allah sheltered you, then do not oppress the orphan.’ In other words, `do not humiliate him, scorn him or despise him. Rather, you should be kind and gentle to him.’ Qatadah said, “Be like a merciful father to the orphan.”
﴿ وَأَمَّا ٱلسَّآٮِٕلَ فَلَا تَنۡہَرۡ ﴾
(And repulse not the one who asks.) meaning, `just as you were astray and Allah guided you, then do not scorn the one who asks for knowledge seeking to be guided.’ Ibn Ishaq said,
﴿ وَأَمَّا ٱلسَّآٮِٕلَ فَلَا تَنۡہَرۡ ﴾
(And repulse not the one who asks.) “This means do not be oppressive, arrogant, wicked, or mean to the weak among Allah’s servants.” Qatadah said, “This means to respond to the poor with mercy and gentleness.”
﴿ وَأَمَّا بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثۡ ﴾
(And proclaim the grace of your Lord.) meaning, `Just as you were poor and needy, and Allah made you wealthy, then tell about Allah’s favor upon you.’ Abu Dawud recorded from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said,
« لَا يَشْكُرُ اللهَ مَنْ لَا يَشْكُرُ النَّاس »
(Whoever is not thankful to the people, then he is not thankful to Allah.) At-Tirmidhi also recorded this Hadith and he said, “Sahih”. Abu Dawud recorded from Jabir that the Prophet said,
« مَنْ أُبْلِيَ بَلَاءً فَذَكَرَهُ فَقَدْ شَكَرَهُ، وَمَنْ كَتَمَهُ فَقَدْ كَفَرَه »
(Whoever overcomes some test (i.e., calamity) and mentions it (to others), then he is indeed thankful. And whoever conceals it, then indeed he was ungrateful.) Abu Dawud was alone in recording this Hadith. This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Ad-Duha, and unto Allah is due all praise and thanks.
What is the theme of surah Duha?
The theme of Surah Ad-Duha and the reason for revelation is to comfort the prophet and to remove his anxiety and depression. To show the disbelievers that Allah has not forsaken the prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as they claimed. Allah revealed the verse (By the forenoon. By the night when it darkens. Your Lord has neither forsaken you nor hates you.) to comfort the prophet and reassure him.
Benefits of Reciting Surah Duha
- The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said about reading Surah Duha: “One who recites this Chapter will be among those accepted by Allah, the most Exalted One, as being a member of the nation of Muhammad (S) worthy of his intercession, and he will receive ten good deeds for each orphan and beggar.”
- If a person gets lost and this surah is recited that person will return home safely.
- If you lost something and you recited Surah Duha, you will find it again.
- Reciting surah Duha while being depressed will remove all your worries.
- It helps in treating the sadness and anxiety of the reciter
- It reminds us that life is a test and that we should keep going in our lives no matter what happens and never give up
- The surah reminds us of the hereafter.
Benefits of understanding the meaning of surah duha?
Among the many surahs, Duha benefits are that it heals the heart, gives hope to its reader, and peace of mind. Whenever you feel depressed, sad, hapless, or anxious recite this surah with care and ponder over its meaning. Then you will see how everything changes and the feeling of hope and comfort that creeps into your life once again.
What are surah ad-Duha benefits for depression? When you recite surah Duha verses and ponder over them you will feel inner peace and all your worries will go away as hope takes over and wipe away all the depression and sadness.
“By the morning sunlight,
And [by] the night when it covers with darkness,
Your Lord [O Prophet] has not abandoned you, nor has He become hateful [of you].
And the next life is certainly far better for you than this one.
And your Lord will give you, and you will be satisfied.
Did He not find you as an orphan and then sheltered you?
And He found you lost and guided [you],
And He found you poor and made [you] self-sufficient.
So as for the orphan, do not oppress [him].
And as for the beggar, do not repel [him].
And proclaim the blessings of your Lord.” [surah Duha]
From the verses we can understand that Allah is always there for us, we are not alone and he doesn’t hate us. We come to understand that our life is nothing but a test and we should do our best for the hereafter. Instead of feeling depressed think of all the blessings you have in life, Allah has blessed us with many blessings, he guides us, helps us when we feel helpless, and he is always there when we need him the most.
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