Explanations are simplified from tafsirs by Ibn Kathir, Mufti Muhammad Shafi, and Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Spot an inaccuracy? Let us know.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
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1
١
wal-ḍuḥā
By the morning brightness
2
٢
wa-al-layli idhā sajā
And [by] the night when it covers with darkness,
3
٣
mā waddaʿaka rabbuka wamā qalā
Your Lord has not taken leave of you, [O Muḥammad], nor has He detested [you].
4
٤
walalākhiratu khayrun laka mina l-ūlā
And the Hereafter is better for you than the first [life].
5
٥
walasawfa yuʿ'ṭīka rabbuka fatarḍā
And your Lord is going to give you, and you will be satisfied.
6
٦
alam yajid'ka yatīman faāwā
Did He not find you an orphan and give [you] refuge?
7
٧
wawajadaka ḍāllan fahadā
And He found you lost and guided [you],
8
٨
wawajadaka ʿāilan fa-aghnā
And He found you poor and made [you] self-sufficient.
9
٩
fa-ammā l-yatīma falā taqhar
So as for the orphan, do not oppress [him].
10
١٠
wa-ammā l-sāila falā tanhar
And as for the petitioner, do not repel [him].
11
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wa-ammā biniʿ'mati rabbika faḥaddith
But as for the favor of your Lord, report [it].
Surah Ad-Duhaa (The Morning Hours) — Full Text
Ayah 1
وَٱلضُّحَىٰ
By the morning brightness
Allah opens this surah by swearing an oath by the bright morning light — the duha, that warm glow when the sun has fully risen and the day is shining. This isn't random; it sets up a beautiful metaphor. Just like the morning always comes after the darkness of night, Allah is about to reassure the Prophet that the light of revelation hasn't been extinguished. The backdrop here is that revelation had paused for a while, and the Prophet was deeply worried — and his enemies were taunting him, saying God had abandoned him.
Ayah 2
وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا سَجَىٰ
And [by] the night when it covers with darkness,1
And then Allah swears by the night when it becomes still and covers everything in darkness. The night here represents those difficult, quiet seasons in life when it feels like nothing is happening and you're just... stuck. But here's the thing — both the bright morning and the dark night are essential parts of how the world works. One can't exist without the other. Allah is saying that the hard times aren't a sign of abandonment; they're a necessary part of your growth and development.
Ayah 3
مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ
Your Lord has not taken leave of you, [O Muḥammad], nor has He detested [you].
This is the core message that everything has been building toward: Your Lord has not abandoned you, and He is not displeased with you. Period. When revelation paused, the Prophet's enemies mocked him, saying his Lord had forsaken him. Allah shuts that down directly — He hasn't left, and He isn't upset. If you've ever felt like God has gone silent on you, like your duas aren't being heard, or like you've been left behind, this ayah is speaking to you too. Silence doesn't mean rejection.
Ayah 4
وَلَلْـَٔاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لَّكَ مِنَ ٱلْأُولَىٰ
And the Hereafter is better for you than the first [life].
Now Allah makes an incredible promise: what's coming next for you is way better than what you've already experienced. On one level, this means the Hereafter is infinitely better than this temporary world. But it also means that every next chapter of the Prophet's life would be better than the last — more knowledge, more closeness to Allah, more victory. The Prophet used to live the simplest life imaginable, not because he couldn't have more, but because he knew the real reward was coming later.
Ayah 5
وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَىٰٓ
And your Lord is going to give you, and you will be satisfied.
And your Lord is absolutely going to give you so much that you'll be completely satisfied. This is one of the most emotionally powerful promises in the Quran. Allah doesn't even specify what He'll give — it's left wide open because it's beyond anything we can list. And the Prophet's response to this verse is incredible: he said he wouldn't be satisfied as long as a single member of his ummah (his community of followers) remained in the Hellfire. That's the level of love he has for his people — for us.
Ayah 6
أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًا فَـَٔاوَىٰ
Did He not find you an orphan and give [you] refuge?
Now Allah starts reminding the Prophet of His track record — like, look at the receipts. Didn't He find you as an orphan and give you shelter? The Prophet's father died before he was even born, and his mother passed when he was only six. But Allah didn't leave him hanging. He was taken in by his grandfather Abdul-Muttalib, and then by his uncle Abu Talib, who both loved and protected him deeply. Allah is saying: I've been looking out for you since day one, so why would I stop now?
Ayah 7
وَوَجَدَكَ ضَآلًّا فَهَدَىٰ
And He found you lost and guided [you],
And He found you unaware of the divine path, and He guided you. Before prophethood, the Prophet didn't have the Quran or the specific details of Islamic law — he hadn't received revelation yet. The word used here doesn't mean he was lost in the sense of being misguided; it means he was searching, seeking truth in a society drowning in idol worship. And then Allah opened the door of Truth wide open for him, giving him the ultimate guidance. Sometimes you don't know what you're looking for until God shows you.
Ayah 8
وَوَجَدَكَ عَآئِلًا فَأَغْنَىٰ
And He found you poor and made [you] self-sufficient.
And He found you in need, and made you self-sufficient. The Prophet didn't grow up wealthy — he was an orphan with no inheritance. But Allah took care of that too, first through his work in trade and then through his marriage to Khadijah, whose support and wealth were devoted entirely to him and the mission. But real richness here isn't just about money — the Prophet taught that true wealth is the richness of the soul, being content with what Allah gives you rather than always chasing more.
Ayah 9
فَأَمَّا ٱلْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ
So as for the orphan, do not oppress [him].
Now the surah shifts from blessings to action items — since Allah took care of you when you were vulnerable, here's how you pay it forward. First: don't be harsh with orphans. Don't push them around, seize their rights, or make them feel small. Since the Prophet himself was an orphan, he gets it on a deeply personal level. He taught that the best home is one where an orphan is treated with love, and the worst is one where an orphan is mistreated. This isn't just about charity — it's about dignity.
Ayah 10
وَأَمَّا ٱلسَّآئِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ
And as for the petitioner,1 do not repel [him].
Second: don't turn away anyone who comes to you asking for help. This covers both someone asking for money and someone asking for knowledge or guidance. You don't have to say yes to every request, but you should never respond with harshness, rudeness, or contempt. If you can't give someone what they need, at least let them walk away with their dignity intact. A kind word or a gentle apology for not being able to help goes a long way — way further than a cold dismissal.
Ayah 11
وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ
But as for the favor of your Lord, report [it].
And finally: talk about the blessings Allah has given you. This isn't about flexing or bragging — it's about gratitude. When you openly acknowledge that the good things in your life came from God, that itself is an act of worship. The Prophet taught that if someone can't return a favor, they should at least speak well of the person who helped them. And when it comes to God, talking about His favors is one of the most beautiful ways to say thank you. This surah started with the Prophet feeling anxious and abandoned, and it ends with a call to gratitude — because when you count your blessings, the darkness doesn't feel so heavy anymore.