Surah 93 · Meccan · 11 Verses
الضحى
SURAH AD-DUHAA
The Morning Hours
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
وَٱلضُّحَىٰ
By the morning brightness
مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ
Your Lord has not taken leave of you, [O Muḥammad], nor has He detested [you].
وَلَلْءَاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكَ مِنَ ٱلْأُولَىٰ
And the Hereafter is better for you than the first [life].
وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَىٰٓ
And your Lord is going to give you, and you will be satisfied.
أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًۭا فَـَٔاوَىٰ
Did He not find you an orphan and give [you] refuge?
وَوَجَدَكَ ضَآلًّۭا فَهَدَىٰ
And He found you lost and guided [you],
وَوَجَدَكَ عَآئِلًۭا فَأَغْنَىٰ
And He found you poor and made [you] self-sufficient.
فَأَمَّا ٱلْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ
So as for the orphan, do not oppress [him].
وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ
But as for the favor of your Lord, report [it].
About This Surah
Surah Ad-Duha reassures the Messenger that his Lord has neither abandoned nor rejected him. It recalls protection in vulnerability, guidance and provision, then turns reassurance into duties: do not oppress the orphan, do not repel the requester and speak of the Lord’s favor. The chapter offers hope without promising that every hardship ends on a fixed schedule.
Morning brightness and the still night frame an answer to the pain of apparent interruption: the Messenger has not been abandoned or hated. The future is said to be better, and a gift will bring satisfaction.
The reassurance is grounded in remembered care. The Messenger was found orphaned and sheltered, seeking and guided, in need and made self-sufficient. The middle description concerns guidance in the course of the Messenger’s life; it is not a denial of prophetic integrity.
Memory becomes ethics. Because the orphan received shelter, the orphan must not be oppressed. Because need was answered, the requester must not be repelled. Gratitude is voiced by speaking of the Lord’s favor.
The surah can comfort readers, but it is not a clinical treatment or a promise that grief, poverty or unanswered questions disappear immediately. Its hope is tied to God’s care and to care for vulnerable people.
For a first reading, follow the movement from “No abandonment and a better future” to “Orphan, requester and grateful speech.” On a second pass, pause at 93:6–8 and ask how the theme “Apparent silence is not divine abandonment” informs “Remembered care can sustain present hope.” This method keeps the chapter’s sequence visible, connects belief with conduct and prevents a memorable image from being detached from its surrounding argument. It also separates the verses’ direct claims from later explanations that need their own evidence.
Core Themes
- Apparent silence is not divine abandonment
- Remembered care can sustain present hope
- Personal consolation creates social duty
- Orphans and requesters must be treated with dignity
- Gratitude should avoid self-display
Structure
Verses 1-5: no abandonment and a better future — 1-5
Verses 1-5 focus on no abandonment and a better future.
Verses 6-8: remembered shelter, guidance and provision — 6-8
Verses 6-8 focus on remembered shelter, guidance and provision.
Verses 9-11: orphan, requester and grateful speech — 9-11
Verses 9-11 focus on orphan, requester and grateful speech.
Key Passages
Reassurance — 1-5
Verses 1-5 address reassurance.
Remembered care — 6-8
Verses 6-8 address remembered care.
Duties of gratitude — 9-11
Verses 9-11 address duties of gratitude.
Interpretation Limits
- Do not promise immediate relief from every hardship.
- Do not market the surah as a substitute for mental-health care.
- Handle translations of 93:7 with established edition wording and qualified commentary.