عَمَُّْ ْ 1534 اَلَّیْل
وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى ﴿۱﴾ وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّى ﴿۲﴾ وَمَا خَلَقَ الذَّكَرَ وَالْأُنْثَى ﴿۳﴾ إِنَّ سَعْيَكُمْ لَشَتَّى ﴿۴﴾
﴾1﴿ Wallaili izaa yaghshaa
﴾2﴿ Wannahaari izaa tajalla
﴾3﴿ Wa maa khalaqaz zakara wal unthaa
﴾4﴿ Inna sa'yakum lashattaa
﴾1﴿ By the night when it spreads
﴾2﴿ And by the day when it brightens
﴾3﴿ And by the One who created the male and the female
﴾4﴿ Indeed, your deeds (efforts) are diverse
And it is also called Surah Wal-Lail.
Relevancy:
This surah has several connections with the previous surah. The first connection is that in the previous surah, the final outcome of the two groups was mentioned, while in this surah, the reason for that outcome is explained, which is the difference in belief and actions. The second connection is that in the previous surah, worldly warning was mentioned, while in this surah, the deeds are mentioned through which one attains safety from Allah’s punishment.
Claim of this surah:
The division lies in belief and actions (in verse 4), and one name of Allah, the Exalted, is mentioned, which is "Rabb" (Lord), along with five active attributes associated with it.
Summary of the surah:
First, two witnesses are mentioned as evidence for the claim of the surah up to verse (4). Then, the details of this distinction follow: the state of one group up to verse (7) and the state of the other group up to verse (11). Encouragement is given in two verses (12, 13). Then, a warning about the Hereafter is directed at one group by mentioning three of their attributes until verse (16). Finally, glad tidings are given to the other group by describing five of their conditions until verse (21).
[1,2] These are two oaths: (إِذَا يَغْشَى) – referring to the covering of things along with darkness, which brings stillness to everything in its place, provides rest and sleep, enables night prayers (Tahajjud), and serves many other benefits. (إِذَا تَجَلَّى) – the brightness of the day removes darkness, allows movement on the earth in search of sustenance, and enables the observation of signs and manifestations of Allah’s Oneness and power. Thus, it is evident that there is a great difference in the effects and benefits of the night and the day.
[3] This is the third oath of Allah, the Exalted, upon His own essence, with the attribute of creation and the specification of creation. The mention of male and female is for a particular reason, as there is a great difference in their creation and attributes, which is being indicated here. The meaning of الذَّكَرَ وَالْأُنْثَى includes all males and females, whether they are from humans or other creatures.
[4] This is the response: (سَعْيَكُمْ) – "Sa‘y" refers to a specific type of action, meaning an effort in which one puts dedication and strives to the best of their ability. (لَشَتَّى) – is the plural of Shatīt, meaning diverse and different from one another. Some engage in good deeds, while others commit evil; some are obedient, while others are disobedient; some strive for worldly gains, while others strive for the Hereafter and religion. Similarly, there is also a difference in their rewards and punishments.