Surah Al-Layl: Meaning, Translation and Transliteration

Surah Al-Layl, "The Night", is about two kinds of people. One gives, fears Allah and believes in the best reward, and Allah makes the path to ease easy for him. The other withholds, thinks he needs no one, and denies, and his path leads to hardship. Everything a person strives for, the surah says, ends up on one of these two roads.

This article gives the full surah in Arabic, a transliteration and the English translation, then explains it section by section.

The full surah

وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا يَغۡشَىٰ وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّىٰ وَمَا خَلَقَ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلۡأُنثَىٰٓ إِنَّ سَعۡيَكُمۡ لَشَتَّىٰ فَأَمَّا مَنۡ أَعۡطَىٰ وَٱتَّقَىٰ وَصَدَّقَ بِٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُۥ لِلۡيُسۡرَىٰ وَأَمَّا مَنۢ بَخِلَ وَٱسۡتَغۡنَىٰ وَكَذَّبَ بِٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُۥ لِلۡعُسۡرَىٰ وَمَا يُغۡنِي عَنۡهُ مَالُهُۥٓ إِذَا تَرَدَّىٰٓ إِنَّ عَلَيۡنَا لَلۡهُدَىٰ وَإِنَّ لَنَا لَلۡأٓخِرَةَ وَٱلۡأُولَىٰ فَأَنذَرۡتُكُمۡ نَارٗا تَلَظَّىٰ لَا يَصۡلَىٰهَآ إِلَّا ٱلۡأَشۡقَى ٱلَّذِي كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا ٱلۡأَتۡقَى ٱلَّذِي يُؤۡتِي مَالَهُۥ يَتَزَكَّىٰ وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِندَهُۥ مِن نِّعۡمَةٖ تُجۡزَىٰٓ إِلَّا ٱبۡتِغَآءَ وَجۡهِ رَبِّهِ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰ وَلَسَوۡفَ يَرۡضَىٰ

Transliteration

1. Wal-layli idhā yaghshā
2. Wan-nahāri idhā tajallā
3. Wa mā khalaqadh-dhakara wal-unthā
4. Inna saʿyakum la-shattā
5. Fa-ammā man aʿṭā wattaqā
6. Wa ṣaddaqa bil-ḥusnā
7. Fa-sanuyassiruhū lil-yusrā
8. Wa ammā man bakhila wastaghnā
9. Wa kadhdhaba bil-ḥusnā
10. Fa-sanuyassiruhū lil-ʿusrā
11. Wa mā yughnī ʿanhu māluhū idhā taraddā
12. Inna ʿalaynā lal-hudā
13. Wa inna lanā lal-ākhirata wal-ūlā
14. Fa-andhartukum nāran talaẓẓā
15. Lā yaṣlāhā illal-ashqā
16. Alladhī kadhdhaba wa tawallā
17. Wa sayujannabuhal-atqā
18. Alladhī yuʾtī mālahū yatazakkā
19. Wa mā li-aḥadin ʿindahū min niʿmatin tujzā
20. Illab-tighāʾa wajhi rabbihil-aʿlā
21. Wa lasawfa yarḍā

English translation (Saheeh International)

By the night when it covers and [by] the day when it appears and [by] He who created the male and female, Indeed, your efforts are diverse. As for he who gives and fears Allāh and believes in the best [reward], We will ease him toward ease. But as for he who withholds and considers himself free of need and denies the best [reward], We will ease him toward difficulty. And what will his wealth avail him when he falls? Indeed, [incumbent] upon Us is guidance. And indeed, to us belongs the Hereafter and the first [life]. So I have warned you of a Fire which is blazing. None will [enter to] burn therein except the most wretched one who had denied and turned away. But the righteous one will avoid it [He] who gives [from] his wealth to purify himself and not [giving] for anyone who has [done him] a favor to be rewarded but only seeking the face [i.e., acceptance] of his Lord, Most High. And he is going to be satisfied. (92:1-21)

If you learned to read the Quran in the IndoPak script, here is the same surah as it appears in a South Asian mushaf:

وَالَّيۡلِ اِذَا يَغۡشٰىۙ وَالنَّهَارِ اِذَا تَجَلّٰىۙ وَمَا خَلَقَ الذَّكَرَ وَالۡاُنۡثٰٓىۙ اِنَّ سَعۡيَكُمۡ لَشَتّٰىؕ فَاَمَّا مَنۡ اَعۡطٰى وَاتَّقٰىۙ وَصَدَّقَ بِالۡحُسۡنٰىۙ فَسَنُيَسِّرُهٗ لِلۡيُسۡرٰىؕ وَاَمَّا مَنۡۢ بَخِلَ وَاسۡتَغۡنٰىۙ وَكَذَّبَ بِالۡحُسۡنٰىۙ فَسَنُيَسِّرُهٗ لِلۡعُسۡرٰىؕ وَمَا يُغۡنِىۡ عَنۡهُ مَالُهٗۤ اِذَا تَرَدّٰىؕ اِنَّ عَلَيۡنَا لَـلۡهُدٰىۖ وَاِنَّ لَـنَا لَـلۡاٰخِرَةَ وَالۡاُوۡلٰى فَاَنۡذَرۡتُكُمۡ نَارًا تَلَظّٰىۚ لَا يَصۡلٰٮهَاۤ اِلَّا الۡاَشۡقَىۙ الَّذِىۡ كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلّٰىؕ وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا الۡاَتۡقَىۙ الَّذِىۡ يُؤۡتِىۡ مَالَهٗ يَتَزَكّٰىۚ وَمَا لِاَحَدٍ عِنۡدَهٗ مِنۡ نِّعۡمَةٍ تُجۡزٰٓىۙ اِلَّا ابۡتِغَآءَ وَجۡهِ رَبِّهِ الۡاَعۡلٰىۚ وَلَسَوۡفَ يَرۡضٰى

You can read and listen to Surah Al-Layl with its translation, or read it with the Urdu translation.

About the surah

Al-Layl is the 92nd surah of the Quran, with 21 verses, in the 30th juz. Its name comes from its first oath, wal-layl, "by the night". It is Meccan. It sits between Ash-Shams and Ad-Duha, and the Prophet ﷺ named it, together with Al-A'la and Ash-Shams, as a suitable length for leading people in prayer (Sahih al-Bukhari 705).

Verses 1-4: Your efforts are different

وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا يَغۡشَىٰ وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّىٰ وَمَا خَلَقَ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلۡأُنثَىٰٓ إِنَّ سَعۡيَكُمۡ لَشَتَّىٰ

By the night when it covers and [by] the day when it appears and [by] He who created the male and female, Indeed, your efforts are diverse. (92:1-4)

Allah swears by opposites: night that covers and day that shines, male and female. The thing sworn to is another pair of opposites: inna saʿyakum la-shattā, your efforts are scattered, wide apart. Everyone is busy, everyone is working hard; but what they work for, and where it takes them, are as different as night and day.

Verses 5-11: Two paths

فَأَمَّا مَنۡ أَعۡطَىٰ وَٱتَّقَىٰ وَصَدَّقَ بِٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُۥ لِلۡيُسۡرَىٰ وَأَمَّا مَنۢ بَخِلَ وَٱسۡتَغۡنَىٰ وَكَذَّبَ بِٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُۥ لِلۡعُسۡرَىٰ

As for he who gives and fears Allāh and believes in the best [reward], We will ease him toward ease. But as for he who withholds and considers himself free of need and denies the best [reward], We will ease him toward difficulty. (92:5-10)

The first path has three marks: giving, fearing Allah, and believing in al-ḥusnā, the best reward (Paradise, or the word of lā ilāha illallāh, as some explained it). For that person, good deeds become easier and easier.

The second has three opposite marks: withholding, considering oneself free of need (of Allah and of the Hereafter), and denying the best. For that person, the way to hardship becomes easy.

The Prophet ﷺ recited these verses to explain destiny. At a funeral he said: "There is none of you but his place in Paradise or the Fire has been written." They asked: "Then shall we rely on that and leave deeds?" He said: "Act, for everyone is eased toward what he was created for. The people of happiness are eased toward the deeds of happiness, and the people of misery toward the deeds of misery." Then he recited Fa-ammā man aʿṭā wattaqā… (Sahih al-Bukhari 4949; Sahih Muslim 2647).

Verse 11 ends the section: what use is his hoarded wealth when he falls, into the grave and into the Fire?

Verses 12-16: The guidance is from Us

إِنَّ عَلَيۡنَا لَلۡهُدَىٰ وَإِنَّ لَنَا لَلۡأٓخِرَةَ وَٱلۡأُولَىٰ فَأَنذَرۡتُكُمۡ نَارٗا تَلَظَّىٰ لَا يَصۡلَىٰهَآ إِلَّا ٱلۡأَشۡقَى ٱلَّذِي كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ

Indeed, [incumbent] upon Us is guidance. And indeed, to us belongs the Hereafter and the first [life]. So I have warned you of a Fire which is blazing. None will [enter to] burn therein except the most wretched one who had denied and turned away. (92:12-16)

Allah has taken it on Himself to show the way, and both this life and the next belong to Him. So the warning is clear: a blazing Fire, which only the most wretched will enter: the one who denied the truth and turned his back on it.

Verses 17-21: The giver who wanted only His face

وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا ٱلۡأَتۡقَى ٱلَّذِي يُؤۡتِي مَالَهُۥ يَتَزَكَّىٰ وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِندَهُۥ مِن نِّعۡمَةٖ تُجۡزَىٰٓ إِلَّا ٱبۡتِغَآءَ وَجۡهِ رَبِّهِ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰ وَلَسَوۡفَ يَرۡضَىٰ

But the righteous one will avoid it [He] who gives [from] his wealth to purify himself and not [giving] for anyone who has [done him] a favor to be rewarded but only seeking the face [i.e., acceptance] of his Lord, Most High. And he is going to be satisfied. (92:17-21)

The most righteous one gives his wealth to purify himself, not to pay back a favour, but only seeking the face of his Lord, the Most High. And the surah ends with a promise: wa lasawfa yarḍā, "and he is going to be satisfied".

Many commentators, including Ibn Kathir, said these verses were revealed about Abu Bakr al-Siddiq. In Makkah he bought and freed Muslim slaves who were being tortured for their faith, Bilal among them. When his father said he should at least free strong men who could protect him, Abu Bakr answered that he only wanted what was with Allah. The verses still apply to anyone who gives in the same way.

Living by Surah Al-Layl

• Ask where your effort is going. Everyone strives; the question is toward what.
• Give, fear Allah, believe. These three open the road to ease.
• Don't think you can do without Allah. Istighnāʾ, acting self-sufficient, is the start of the hard road.
• Act, and trust. Destiny is not a reason to stop: everyone is eased toward what they were created for, so do the deeds of the people of Paradise.
• Give without expecting a return. The best charity is not paying anyone back; it is only for His face.

Open Surah Al-Layl to read and listen to it with its translation.