Surah Al-Lail (92): Read Online and Download - English Translation

Commentary

إِنَّ سَعْيَكُمْ لَشَتَّىٰ (your efforts are diverse....92:4). This statement is like the statement in Surah Inshiqaq, verse [ 6]:

إِنَّكَ كَادِحٌ إِلَىٰ رَ‌بِّكَ كَدْحًا

'0 man, you have to work hard constantly to reach your Lord. [ 84:6] '

which has already been explained in that Surah. The sense is that man, by his nature, is used to making efforts for one objective or another. But the nature and the results of these efforts are different. Some people work hard for an objective that brings eternal happiness to them, and others work hard for an objective that makes them suffer eternal perdition. It is reported in a Tradition that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Each morning when a man gets up, he goes to conduct his business and keeps himself busy. His business is either successful and emancipates himself from Hell, or unsuccessful and his efforts become the cause of his destruction." Therefore, a wise person should first apply his mind to think whether his efforts will pay dividends, and he should never undertake those efforts that bring about temporary comfort and pleasure, but eternal perdition and grief.

The Two Diverse Types of Human Efforts Divide Humankind into Two Groups

The Qur'an further shows that, broadly speaking, the humankind may be divided into two opposing groups in terms of their opposing efforts. Each of the two groups are characterised by three qualities. The first group is a successful one, and its three characteristics are: [ 1] they give in charity in the cause of Allah; [ 2] fear Allah and avoid violating the injunctions of Allah in every aspect of life; and [ 3] believe in the 'best word'. The 'best words' refer to the credo of 'there is no god but Allah' [ as Ibn ` Abbas, Dahhak have explained ]. Testifying to the kalimah signifies 'to profess the True Faith'. Faith or belief is the essence of all actions, and comes first in order of rank, but on this occasion, it is mentioned last, probably because the main theme in this context is that of physical exertion, efforts and actions. 'Iman or faith, on the other hand, pertains to the heart. It signifies the acceptance and confirmation of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ with one's heart. Confession of this must be made by means of reciting kalimah shahadah 'testimony of faith'. Obviously, none of these things involve physical exertion or effort, nor are they generally counted as actions.

The second group is [ the unsuccessful one ] and its three characteristics are: [ 1] they are misers to such an extent that they even fail to pay the zakah and other obligatory alms; [ 2] they deem themselves self-sufficient rather than obeying Allah; and [ 3] they reject the 'best word' [ that is, the kalimah of 'Iman ]. Referring to the first group, the verse says:

فَسَنُيَسِّرُ‌هُ لِلْيُسْرَ‌ىٰ (We will facilitate for him the way to extreme ease [ i.e. the comforts of Paradise ]....92:7). The word yusra literally denotes 'ease and comfort' or a thing in which there is no difficulty, but here it refers to "Paradise". Likewise, referring to the second group it says:

فَسَنُيَسِّرُ‌هُ لِلْيُسْرَ‌ىٰ (for him We will facilitate the way to extreme distress...92:10). The opposite of yusra is ` usra which literally denotes 'extreme distress, referring to "Hell". The two statements signify that those who exert their efforts in the first three acts, that is, spending in the cause of Allah, fearing Allah and testifying to the kalimah, Allah. will pave their way to extreme ease, that is, to deeds that will lead them to the comforts of Paradise. On the other hand, those who exert their efforts in the latter three acts, Allah will pave their way to extreme distress, that is, make easy for them to perform deeds that will lead them to Hell. By right, here it should have been said that the deeds of Paradise or Hell are made easy for them, because 'easy' or 'difficult' qualify deeds, and not persons or people. But the Qur'an says that the people or the people themselves will be made easy to do the deeds. This probably implies that the first group will be predisposed to behave in a particular way that behaving otherwise will make them feel uneasy. The second group will be predisposed to behave in a way that will make them feel comfortable to do deeds of Hell, and they will feel uneasy doing deeds of Paradise. Each of these two groups will have their own nature and predisposition, and will find it easier to behave in that particular way. A Hadith confirms that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

اعملوا فکل میسر لما خلق لہ، امّا من کان من اھل السّعادۃ فییسّرلعمل السّعادۃ، وامّا من کان من اھل الشّقاوۃ فییسّر لعمل اھل الشّقاوۃ

"Perform deeds, for everyone will have the deeds of what he was created for [ Paradise or Hell ] made easy for him. Those people who are the people of happiness, they will have the deeds of the people of happiness made easy for them. And those who are the people of misery, they will have the deeds of the people of misery made easy for them."

But both these things are the results of the use of the God-given choice and free will. Therefore, man is rewarded or punished.

Thereafter the unfortunate inmates of Hell are warned, thus:

وَمَا يُغْنِي عَنْهُ مَالُهُ إِذَا تَرَ‌دَّىٰ (And his wealth will not help him when he will fall down...92:11). The word taradda literally denotes 'to fall into a pit and perish'. The expression 'When he fall' signifies that when Divine decree regarding his destruction comes into operation, nothing - not even his wealth - will save him, whether in grave after his death, or on the Day of Judgment, when he will be falling into the abyss of Hell.