By Eman Abdallah Kamel
Eman is a writer and engineer. She also studied Shariah at Zad Scientific Academy (an online course).
Al-Fajr (The Dawn)
In Surah Al-Fajr, God Almighty swears by some great connotations that confirm His oneness and power.
Allah Almighty swore in the first four verses by the dawn time and the first ten nights of the month of Dhul-Hijjah; some interpretation scholars said the last ten nights of Ramadan. Allah also swore by every even and odd, as well as by the night when it passes. Allah then says, Is all this not an oath sufficient for those with sense?
Then God mentioned some examples of people to whom God sent His messengers to guide them to Islam (submission to God) and the worship of God, but they became arrogant and transgressed.
God Almighty mentioned the people of Aad, Thamud, and Pharaoh. Allah sent His prophets Hud, Salih, and Moses (peace and blessings upon them all) to the people of Aad, Thamud, and Pharaoh. These people were famous for their strength. They refused to worship God and were tyrannical and corrupt. So God destroyed them and saved among them His prophets and the believers who followed them.
The verses then remind a person to thank his Lord when Allah gives him much goodness. And for a person to be patient when God afflicts him with poverty, illness, or something else. Because with patience, hardships go away, and Allah compensates the afflicted person with goodness.
A person’s thinking or belief should not be like the thinking of an oppressor or an ignorant person who thinks that when God gives him goodness, he deserves it because of his closeness to God.
Or a person thinks that when he suffers from adversity, God insults him. Because conditions do not remain as they are but rather change, the believer must thank God in all circumstances.
Instead, Allah honors the person when He guides him to obey Him. Allah humiliates the person when He turns him away from obeying Him. The unjust or ignorant person, when God blesses him with a lot of money, does not honor the orphan, does not encourage feeding the poor, eats up the inheritance of others evilly, and loves money very much.
After that, the verses remind us of the Day of Resurrection and God’s reckoning of every human being for their deeds. When the unbeliever and sinner wish to return to this worldly life to worship God and do good deeds so that their deeds will benefit them in the Hereafter, regret will be of no use when it is too late.
At the end of the verses, Allah Almighty gives good tidings to the believers who are sincere in their worship of Him of the Paradise (Jannah) that He promised them.
Tafsir (Explanation)
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
{1} By the dawn,
Dawn is the light that appears on the eastern horizon before sunrise. The period between dawn and sunrise is sometimes long and sometimes short, according to the seasons.
God Almighty swore by dawn because it is the beginning of the day, which is the transition from the deep darkness of the night to the bright light of dawn. Dawn is one of the cosmic phenomena that indicates the power of the One God, the Creator of this universe. Allah says:
Ask them, [O Prophet]: Imagine if Allah were to make the night continuous for you until the Day of Judgment, which god other than Allah could bring you sunlight? Will you not then hear?”
Al-Qasas (The stories) 28:71
Therefore, day and night are two signs of God in the universe for those who see and have sense.
Also, Allah Almighty swore by dawn because it entails significant legal in Islam (submission to God), including fasting and prayer. In obligatory or voluntary fasting, when dawn breaks, the fasting person must abstain from food, drink, and everything that spoils the fast. Fajr is also the time for dawn prayer.
{2} And (by) the ten nights,
The ten nights are the first ten days of the month of Dhul-Hijjah, according to some interpreters of the Holy Quran. The Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings of Allah upon him) said:
(There are no days during which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these days), meaning the (first) ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. They said: “O Messenger of Allah! Not even Jihad in the way of Allah?” He replied: “Not even Jihad in the way of Allah except for a man goes out with himself and his wealth and does not return with anything of that (Meaning: The enemy kills him and seizes his weapons and mount. This person, who lost his life and property while Jihad in the way of Allah, is one of the best performers of Jihad.)
Narrated by the companion Ibn Abbas (Grade: Sahih, Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah 1727, In-book reference: Book 7, Hadith 90, English translation: Vol. 1, Book 7, Hadith 1727
A good deed includes prayer, charity, fasting, reading the Qur’an, honoring one’s parents, maintaining family ties, being kind to others, being a good neighbor, and other good deeds.
Some other interpreters said that the ten nights are the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan because they contain the Night of Destiny (Laylat al-Qadr). Allah says:
1. Indeed, We sent this (Quran) down during the Night of Glory.
2. And what can make you realize what is the Night of Glory?
3. The Night of Glory is better than a thousand months.
4. The angels and the Spirit (Gabriel) descend therein by the permission of their Lord for every (decreed) matter.
Surah Al-Qadr 97:1,2,3,4
{3} And (by) the even and the odd,
Some interpreters of the Holy Qur’an said that the even and the odd are the entire creation and all acts of worship. Allah said:
And We created pairs of all things; perhaps you would be mindful.
Adh-Dhariyat (The Winnowing Winds) 51:49
Other scholars said that (even) is all of creation, and Witr (Odd) is God Almighty. The Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings of Allah upon him) said:
“Allah is Witr (Odd) and loves what is Witr.”
Hadith Sahih/Authentic. – (Ibn Maajah)
You can learn more about the above Hadith at hadeethenc.com/hadith/11271.
{4} And (by) the night when it passes!
The night begins at sunset and ends at dawn. God made the night for stillness and rest. God swears by the night when it passes. Also, Allah swore by it because of the worship in its hours, such as the Maghrib, the Isha, the Tahajjud (night), and the Witr prayer.
Some interpreters of the Holy Quran said in interpreting this verse that it refers to the phenomenon of the alternation of day and night and the movement of creatures at night.
{5} Is all this [not] a sufficient oath for those who have sense? Meaning: those who have intellect, understanding, and religious discernment will find adequate proof in them.
Based upon the following verses, what has been sworn to by Allah Almighty is that He will surely punish the unbelievers.
{6} Have you not seen how your Lord dealt withʿAad —
Aad was a tribe in the southern Arabian Peninsula. The message of Islam was conveyed to them by God’s Prophet Hud (peace and blessings be upon him). But they became arrogant and unjust. Allah Almighty said:
15. As for ʿAad, they were arrogantly throughout the land with no right and said, “Who is greater than us in strength?” Did they not see that Allah, Who created them, was greater than them in strength? But they were denying Our signs.
16. So We sent upon them a furious wind during days of misfortune to make them taste a humiliating punishment in the worldly life. But the punishment of the Hereafter is far more humiliating, and they will not be helped.
Fussilat (Explained in Details) 41:15,16
Allah Almighty also said:
6. And as for ʿAad, they were destroyed by a furious, violent wind,
7. Which Allah imposed upon them for seven nights and eight days in succession, so that you would see its people lying dead as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees.
Al-Haqqah (The Reality) 69:6,7
Allah Almighty also said:
It (a furious wind) destroyed everything by the command of its Lord, leaving nothing visible except their dwellings. Thus do We recompense the wicked people.
Al-Ahqaf (The Wind Curved-Sandhills) 46:25
{7} [the people] of Iram – who had lofty pillars,
The people of Iram were known for their impressive buildings and great stature. So, the Prophet Hud reminded them of this blessing and directed them to use it in obedience to their Lord, Who created them.
{8} The like of which had never been created in the land;
Meaning: Nothing like it has been made on land due to its strength.
{9} And Thamūd, who carved (their homes into) the rocks in the Valley;
Thamūd: They were strong and carved mountains to make their homes. They were a people to whom Allah Almighty sent His Prophet Saleh (peace be upon him) to invite them to worship God. They responded to his call to Islam. Then most of them abandoned the religion. So God Almighty destroyed the wrongdoers among them and saved the Prophet Saleh and the believers. Allah Almighty mentioned that the Thamud people were in the land of Al-Hijr.
Indeed, the people of Al-Hijr (The Stone Valley) also denied the messengers.
Al-Hijr (The Stone Valley) 15:80
Al-Hijr Valley is located in present-day northern Saudi Arabia. It is located 20 kilometers north of Al-Ula town and approximately 400 kilometers northwest of Al-Madinah.
When the Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings upon him) passed by it on his way to Tabuk, he hurried and said,
Do not enter but weepingly (the habitations) of these people who had been punished by (Allah), and in case you do not feel weeping, then do not enter that you may not meet the same calamity as had fallen to their lot.
Narrated by Abdullah Ibn Umar (Sahih Muslim 2980a, In-book reference: Book 55, Hadith 47)
Allah Almighty said:
73. And to the people of Thamud, (We sent) their brother Salih. He said, “O my people! Worship Allah—you have no god except Him. There has a clear proof come to you from your Lord: this is Allah’s she-camel as a sign to you. So leave her to graze on Allah’s land and do not harm her, or else a painful punishment will seize you.
74. Remember when He made you successors after ’Aad and established you in the land—you make palaces on its plains and carved homes in the mountains. So remember Allah’s bounties, and do not spread corruption in the land.”
75. The arrogant chiefs of his people said to those believers who were oppressed, “Do you really know that Ṣâliḥ has been sent by his Lord?” They replied, “We certainly believe in what he has been sent with.”
76. The arrogant said, “We surely disbelieve what you believe in.”
77. Then they killed the she-camel and defied their Lord’s command, and said (O Salih), “Bring us what you threaten us with if you are indeed one of the messengers.”
78. Then an ˹overwhelming˺ earthquake seized them, and they fell lifeless in their homes.
Al-Al-A‘rāf (The Heights) 7:73,74,75,76,77,78
{10} And Pharaoh, owner of the stakes (Al-Awtad)?
Meaning: the one with power, because his soldiers were like a peg (Al-Watad) to him.
The Pharaoh is the one to whom God Almighty sent the Prophet Moses, peace and blessings be upon him, and he humiliated the children of Israel in Egypt, slaughtering their sons and sparing their women.
Some religious scholars said that the reason that prompted Pharaoh to do this was that his priests said to him, “A man will be born among the children of Israel who will destroy you.” So he started killing the male children and sparing the women. Some scholars said that he did this to weaken the Children of Israel. Perhaps these two things were the reasons behind this action.
But by the power of God Almighty, this man (Prophet Moses) was a reason to destroy Pharaoh. The Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, was raised in the house of Pharaoh.
Pharaoh’s wife, Asiya, picked him up from the river and raised him in Pharaoh’s house.
Allah Almighty said:
38. When We inspired your mother with this,
39. Cast him into the chest and cast it into the river, and the river will throw it onto the bank, and he will be taken by [Pharaoh], an enemy to Me and an enemy to him.’ And I bestowed you love from Me [O Moses] so that you would be brought up under My eye [i.e., observation and care].
Taha 20:38,39
Allah Almighty also said:
Indeed, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land and divided its people into factions, oppressing a sector among them, slaughtering their [newborn] sons, and keeping their females alive. Indeed, he was one of the corrupters.
Al-Qasas (The Stories) 28:4
Allah Almighty said:
And [remember] when We parted the sea, saved you, and drowned the people of Pharaoh while you were looking on.
Al-Baqarah (The Cow) 2:50
Did You Know?
Asiya, Pharaoh’s wife, was a follower of the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him. She was a Muslim and believed in Allah, the one God.
Allah Almighty says:
And Allah sets an example for those who believed: the wife of Pharaoh, who prayed, “My Lord, build for me near You a house in Paradise and save me from Pharaoh and his [evil] doing and save me from the wrongdoing people.”
At-Tahrim (The Prohibition) 66:11
{11} They all transgressed within the land.
Meaning: Aad, Thamud, Pharaoh, and those who followed their path. They have exceeded their limits, transgressed, assaulted the servants of God, and harmed their religion and their world.
{12} And made therein much mischief.
Meaning: They went about causing corruption in the land, committed many sins, fought the messengers, and harmed people.
{13} So your Lord unleashed upon them a scourge of punishment.
Meaning: So God poured upon them a severe punishment as a result of their tyranny and corruption on land.
{14} Indeed, your Lord is truly vigilant.
Meaning: God Almighty hears, sees, and watches over those who disobey Him and all who are unjust and arrogant. He leaves them for a while and then punishes them.
{15} And as for a human, when his Lord tests him through His generosity and blessings, he says, “My Lord has honored me!”
Meaning: God Almighty tests man through His blessings. The ignorant person thinks that this condition will continue and will not go away, and he thinks that honoring God indicates his closeness to Him. As for the believer, he is thankful to Allah Almighty.
{16} But when He tests him by limiting his provision, he says, “My Lord has humiliated me.”
Meaning: When God Almighty tests a person by restricting his provision. The ignorant object and say, “My Lord has humiliated me.” As for the believer, he is patient in the face of affliction and adversity.
{17} No! But you do not gracious the orphan!
(But no!) Not everyone whom Allah Almighty blesses in this world deserves it. And not everyone whose sustenance Allah Almighty restricts is to be humiliated. Rather, wealth and poverty are tests from God Almighty. In all circumstances, the believing servant must be grateful and patient.
(But you do not gracious the orphan!) If God Almighty honors you with blessings, you do not show compassion to orphans who deserve honor. In this verse, God Almighty commands honoring the orphan.
The Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings of Allah upon him) also said:
(I and the one who takes care of an orphan in Paradise are like these two) and he combined his two fingers: the middle and index fingers.
Narrated by Sahl bin Sa`d. Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 6005, in-book reference: Book 78, Hadith 36.
{18} Nor do you encourage one another to feed the poor.
Meaning: You do not urge one another to feed the poor. The verse commands us to encourage one another to feed the poor because they are in need.
The Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings upon him) said:
Whoever relieves a believer from one of the hardships of this world, Allah will relieve him of one of the hardships of the Day of Resurrection. Whoever makes things easy for someone in difficulty, Allah will make things easy for him in this world and the Hereafter. If anyone conceals the faults of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his faults in this world and the hereafter. And Allah helps His servant as long as he helps his brother.
Narrated by Abu Hurairah-Sahih Muslim.
To learn more about the above Hadith, visit hadeethenc.com.
{19} And you devour [others] inheritance greedily,
Meaning: They get the inheritance, not caring if it is lawful or unlawful.
{20} And you love wealth with massive love.
{21} No! When the earth is [entirely] crushed over and over,
Meaning: The wealth you loved will not remain for you. But there is a great day ahead of you, in which the earth and the mountains will be flattened and leveled, and the creatures will rise from their graves for their Lord.
This verse reminds us of the resurrection after death, where God Almighty holds every human being accountable for their deeds.
{22} And your Lord comes and the angels, rank upon rank,
Meaning: Allah Almighty comes for a session of judgment between His creatures. And all angels come rank upon rank to surround the entire creation.
{23} and Hell will be brought forth on that Day—that Day, when every man will remember [his sins], but what is the use of remembrance then?
Meaning: Hellfire will be brought, and the person will remember his sins in this world, but the remembrance will not benefit him.
The Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings of Allah upon him) said:
Hellfire will be brought on that Day (the Day of Resurrection) with seventy thousand bridles, and with every handle, there will be seventy thousand angels pulling it.
Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud-Sahih Muslim
To learn more about the above hadith, visit hadeethenc.com/hadith/5463.
{24} He will say, “Oh, I wish I had sent forth [something good] for my life.”
The meaning of life in this verse is the afterlife.
Meaning: A person will say, “I wish I had done good deeds that would benefit me in my afterlife.”
{25} So on that Day, none will punish as His punishment,
Meaning: No one is more severely punished than those whom Allah punishes for disobeying Him.
{26} And none will bind as His binding.
Meaning: And none will bind as tightly as His binding of the evildoers.
Then Allah Almighty says:
{27} “O reassured soul,
Souls who are reassured by the remembrance of God, who believe in what Allah Almighty said and His promise to the believers, and who are patient with His commands and obedience.
{28} Return to your Lord, well-pleased [with Him] and well-pleasing [to Him].
Meaning: Return to your Lord and His reward and what He has prepared for His faithful servants in His Paradise, pleased with the reward, pleasing to its Lord.
Allah Almighty says:
Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him.
Al-Ma’idah (The Table Spread) 5:119
{29} And enter among My servants,
Meaning: Enter among My righteous servants.
{30} And enter My Paradise.”
This is God’s Almighty promise to His righteous servants, who are pleased with Him as their Lord, are patient in worshiping Him, and obey Him.
And this will be said to it at the time of death and on the Day of Resurrection.
The Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings of Allah upon him) said:
Whoever is pleased with Allah as their Lord, with Islam (submission to God) as their religion, and with Mohammad as their Messenger, Paradise is guaranteed for him.
Narrated by Abu Sa‘īd al Khudri-Sahih Muslim
To learn more about the hadith above, you can visit hadeethenc.com.
Benefits
- The last third of the night is the time for prayers to be answered. One should take advantage of this opportunity and pray Tahajjud and supplicate to God Almighty for whatever good he wants in this world and the hereafter; perhaps Allah Almighty will respond to him.
- When believers learn of God’s punishment of previous nations that disobeyed Him, they are committed to obeying God. Allah also punishes sinners in this life before punishing them in the afterlife.
- The believer must be patient when afflicted. He should be thankful to God Almighty in times of prosperity.
- Verses 17 and 18 urge us to honor the orphan and help those in need.
- Verse 24 encourages us to do good deeds and abstain from sins in worldly life so that we do not regret our actions in the afterlife.
- The verses teach us that God is severe in punishment for those who disobey Him and that He is the Most Merciful of those who obey Him and are patient in worshiping Him.
Sources
- tafsir.app/ibn-uthaymeen.
- youtube.com/Dr. Zaghloul Al-Najjar
- sunnah.com/ibnmajah:1727
- hadeethenc.com/hadith/6255
- hadeethenc.com/hadith/11271
- quranpedia.net/book/16815
- wikipedia.org/Iram of the Pillars.
- reviewofreligions.org/sands iram of the pillars and the people of ad/
- wikipedia.org/Mada’in Salih.
- sunnah.com/muslim:2980a
- sunnah.com/bukhari:6005
- abuaminaelias.com/dailyhadithonline/Allah-helps-brother/
©Eman Abdallah Kamel, 2024
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