الضحى
Surah Ad-Duha (الضحى) - Transliteration, Translation and Audio
Chapter 93 of the Quran, 11 verses, "The Morning Hours"
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Surah Ad-Duha Transliteration and English Translation
- 1
وَٱلضُّحَىٰ
Wad duhaa
By the morning brightness
- 2
وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا سَجَىٰ
Wal laili iza sajaa
And [by] the night when it covers with darkness,
- 3
مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ
Ma wad da'aka rabbuka wa ma qalaa
Your Lord has not taken leave of you, [O Muhammad], nor has He detested [you].
- 4
وَلَلْءَاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكَ مِنَ ٱلْأُولَىٰ
Walal-aakhiratu khairul laka minal-oola
And the Hereafter is better for you than the first [life].
- 5
وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَىٰٓ
Wa la sawfa y'uteeka rabbuka fatarda
And your Lord is going to give you, and you will be satisfied.
- 6
أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًۭا فَـَٔاوَىٰ
Alam ya jidka yateeman fa aawaa
Did He not find you an orphan and give [you] refuge?
- 7
وَوَجَدَكَ ضَآلًّۭا فَهَدَىٰ
Wa wa jadaka daal lan fahada
And He found you lost and guided [you],
- 8
وَوَجَدَكَ عَآئِلًۭا فَأَغْنَىٰ
Wa wa jadaka 'aa-ilan fa aghnaa
And He found you poor and made [you] self-sufficient.
- 9
فَأَمَّا ٱلْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ
Fa am mal yateema fala taqhar
So as for the orphan, do not oppress [him].
- 10
وَأَمَّا ٱلسَّآئِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ
Wa am mas saa-ila fala tanhar
And as for the petitioner, do not repel [him].
- 11
وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ
Wa amma bi ni'mati rabbika fahad dith
But as for the favor of your Lord, report [it].
About Surah Ad-Duha
Surah Ad-Duha (Arabic: الضحى), meaning "The Morning Hours", is the 93rd chapter of the Quran and has 11 verses. It was revealed in Makkah in the early years of the mission of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), after a pause in revelation that some of his opponents mocked him over. The surah is a direct reassurance from Allah that He has not abandoned His Prophet.
Allah swears by the brightness of the morning and by the night when it grows still, then declares: your Lord has not forsaken you, nor does He hate you. Verse 4, addressed to the Prophet, tells him that the Hereafter is better for him than this first life, and verse 5 promises that his Lord will give him until he is satisfied. It then recalls Allah's past favors: He found him an orphan and gave him shelter, found him lost and guided him (commentators understand the word for lost in more than one way), and found him in need and made him self-sufficient. From these favors come three instructions: do not oppress the orphan, do not turn away the one who asks, and speak of the blessings of your Lord.
Main Themes of Surah Ad-Duha
- Allah's reassurance to the Prophet after a pause in revelation
- The Hereafter is better for the Prophet than this life
- Remembering past favors: shelter, guidance and provision
- Kindness to the orphan and to the one who asks
- Speaking of the blessings of one's Lord
Listen to Surah Ad-Duha with Audio-Synced Transliteration
Play Surah Ad-Duha and follow the Arabic text and Latin transliteration as each verse is recited. You can adjust the speed or loop a verse range for practice.
Frequently Asked Questions About Surah Ad-Duha
- Why was Surah Ad-Duha revealed?
- It is reported that revelation paused for a time and some opponents of the Prophet (peace be upon him) mocked him, claiming his Lord had abandoned him. The surah came to deny that and to reassure him that Allah had neither left him nor become displeased with him. Reports differ on how long the pause lasted.
- What does verse 4 of Surah Ad-Duha mean?
- Verse 4 is addressed to the Prophet and says that the Hereafter is better for him than the first life. It contrasts the lasting reward with Allah with the passing life of this world, rather than promising that worldly circumstances will always improve.
- What are the three commands at the end of Surah Ad-Duha?
- Do not oppress the orphan, do not turn away the one who asks, and speak of the favor of your Lord. They follow from the Prophet's own story: having been an orphan in need whom Allah sheltered and provided for, he is told to treat others with the same care and to acknowledge Allah's blessings.