Interpretation of Fortress 92 (The Night)
I seek refuge in God from the cursed Satan
In the Name of God, the All-Compassionate, the All-Merciful
1. “Behold the night as it lets fall its darkness,”
2. “And the day as it appears in glory.”
3. “Behold the creation of male and female.”
4. “Indeed, the ends you strive for are diverse,”
5. “For him that gives in charity and attains piety”
6. “And believes in the Best:”
7. “We shall smooth the path to ease;”
8. “But for him that gives nothing and thinks himself self-sufficient”
9. “And disbelieves the Best:”
10. “We shall smooth his path to difficulty.”
11. “His riches will avail him nothing when he breathes his last.”
12. “It is for Us to give guidance,”
13. “And truly the latter (the wrong way) and the former (the right way) belong to Us (by providing you with power and might),”
14. “Therefore I warn you of a Fire blazing fiercely,”
15. “None shall reach it but those most distressed,”
16. “The ones who deny (the truth) and turn away (from God),”
17. “But those most devoted to Allah shall be far removed from it,”
18. “Those who spend what they have for an increase in purity,”
19. “Not in recompense for someone’s favor,”
20. “But seeking the Countenance of their Lord, the Most High,”
21. “And soon they will be well pleased.”
§§§§§
Having clarified in ‘Morning Bright’ Fortress that God (glory to Him) keeps providing for humanity, watching them and overwhelming them with His Care and Tenderness, the Almighty then revealed this Fortress so as to show you, human, the way that leads to your happiness, and so as to guide you to the acts that will result in benefits for your life and for the life to come.
God begins this Fortress with a group of universal signs in order to acquaint you with the Grandeur of the One Who guides you, and to illustrate His comprehensive Favor towards you. He says:
Verse no. 1
1. “Behold the night as it lets fall its darkness,”
2. “And the day as it appears in glory.”
The “night” is meant as the darkness which creeps from the east to cover the earth, increasing little by little until it has spread over everything and veiled us all, so that we stop performing our work and go to find rest, surrendering to sleep in order to regain our energy, having become tired and exhausted.
As for the “day”, it is the light which comes with the sunrise to uncover all of our Provider’s Boons that we can see. We then go to work having reacquired our liveliness and got rid of the tiredness we had been feeling. It is as if we have been born once again, and have started a new stage in our life.
I wonder! Who has created this array for us? Who created the night for rest and gave the day its light? Who gave the earth its spherical form? Who lets it revolve, causing the night and the day to be created so that we can advance in our lives, perform our work and enjoy the graces of our Provider?
The meaning of these two Verses is not restricted only to this; it has many other senses which are known to nobody except Allah.
For example, when the night lets its darkness fall, it creates silence and quiet which help us to get some rest and surrender to sleep, as we have mentioned in ‘Ad-Duha’ Fortress.
The “night” also causes moisture and coolness, which have great benefits for both humans and animals as well as helping in the growth of plant life.
The night has various advantages: whatever you know of them, you can be sure that there are many others, far from your perception.
There are also various meanings folded under the Verse “And the day as it appears in glory”.
For example, during the day, all of the beings which your Provider has created for you come into view. Its heat and light also make the plants grow, the seeds spring forth from the ground, the flowers become fully formed and the fruit become ripe. Indeed, none can count the benefits of the day except their Creator.
If you think deeply of that, you will be guided to your Creator and will know a little of His Care and His Favor for you.
After mentioning the night and the day and the firm rule of their creation, God shows us another of His Signs when He says:
Verse no. 3
3. “Behold the creation of male and female.”
This Verse reveals to us that God has created all kinds of animals, insects, birds, fish, plants and humans in pairs. If you look around yourself carefully, you will find that this system includes even inanimate objects and everything that you see.
The Almighty Allah made a male and a female of everything and created a harmony and an attraction between them, and then gave each of them what is appropriate and what it requires. This was to make life run in good order, to make all beings continue to survive, and so that there would be complete grace and charity for you.
What great mercy the Creator has for us! What great favor He has obliged us with!
Verse no. 4
4. “Indeed, the ends you strive for are diverse.”
This Verse clarifies that creatures have different functions and that nothing has been created in vain. Each creature has its own activity and its own function. For example, the camels carry our belongings, the horses and the mules draw ploughs and vehicles, the bulls plough the fields, the sheep supply us with wool and milk, the hens produce eggs, the hyenas clean the wild of carrion so as to keep the environment disinfected and fresh of air, the dogs guard our houses, the cats rid the house of insects and mice, the bees make honey and help in pollinating the flowers, and so on.
Thus, each creature has its own function and the proper physical characteristics to allow it to perform this function, in addition to appropriate instincts to drive its tendencies in this life.
All these creatures work abreast in order to keep this universe moving in the discipline which we now see, to ensure happiness for you, and to guarantee the continuation of life.
I wonder: who has identified every creature and its own specialties? Who has supplied them with the equipment that will help them to achieve their function?
Who has made this entire universe as a single unified entity made up of interconnected parts, and has given it such amazing perfection?!
Was it not the Owner of Compassion and Tenderness?!
Was it not the Almighty Allah, the Owner of Majesty and Glory?!
Should you not think of this, so that you can recognize His Might? Should not you remind yourself of His Kindness and Graces?!
Should not you submit to His Orders and avoid His Prohibitions, which only target your well-being?!
After the four Verses with which the Almighty began this noble Fortress, He (glory to Him) wanted to show us the way that leads to real happiness and a good life. He says:
Verse no. 5-7
5. “For him that gives in charity and attains piety”
6. “And believes in the Best,”
7. “We shall smooth the path to ease;”
Your Grand Provider and High Creator did not create you for nothing. He revealed to you how to enjoy a happy life and draw advantages to yourself.
God began with the Verse: “For him that gives in charity and attains piety” in order to inform you that – after acquiring the belief of God in your mind through contemplation of this universe – the first step you should adopt is the rendering of good actions and charity.
This applies to the rich person who spends the money which their Provider granted them in charity, the strong person who helps weak people, the dignitary who uses their position to serve people, the scholar who teaches others what they know: for anyone that renders good deeds whenever they can, working within their abilities, their charity will lead them to piety.
As previously mentioned, “Piety” is the entrance of the spirit into the Presence of its Provider and Creator. However, the spirit cannot enter into God’s Presence unless it sacrifices something that it possesses, for one of spirit’s rules is that it must rely on good deeds in order to feel reassured and confident with itself. If it becomes sure that its deed is good and if it feels pleased with its charity, it will willingly draw near to its Provider.
Thus good work is the first thing which we should do after we acquire intellectual belief, because it is the means to help the spirit draw nearer to its Creator.
You may ask: what is the result of piety? The Almighty revealed that in His saying: “And believes in the Best”.
The “Best” is the guidance brought by the Holy Qur’an.
Entering into God’s Presence makes you become illuminated by His Light, and this illumination uncovers for you the goodness and happiness that are encompassed by His Commands.
If you see this, you will ascertain the Favor of your Provider, and thus become grateful for His Kindness to you. You will also give thanks to God’s Envoy (cpth) for the efforts he made in order to help you follow this guidance.
However, with what shall your Provider repay you if you make your best sacrifices to attain piety and follow the way of charity and humanity?
God has told you that He shall return charity for charity. He says: “We shall smooth the path to ease.”
That means that God will make your life full of ease and pleasure, and such ease will not only be restricted to your worldly life. Indeed, you will continue to enjoy this throughout the life to come, which will be even more easy and lasting.
Exercises:
Memorize Surah Al-Layl with your teacher and comprehend its noble meaning devoting your attention to that while you recite it.
Questions
1- Mention some benefits that the human gains from the Night?
2- Allah the Almighty Says: {Behold the creation of male and female}, what does this Verse indicate to?
3- What is the meaning of the word (piety: Al-Taqwa)?
Interpretation of Fortress 92 (The Night)
In the previous Verses, the Almighty has shown us the way that leads to our pleasure; in the following Verses He warns us of the way that leads to a life full of distress and difficulties. He says:
Verse no. 8-10
8. “But for him that gives nothing and thinks himself self-sufficient”
9. “And disbelieves the Best,”
10. “We shall smooth his path to difficulty.”
The Almighty began these Verses with the Verse “But for him that gives nothing and thinks himself self-sufficient.” He does so in order to acquaint you with the misery that results from a failure to do good deeds.
Sacrifice and charity help the spirit to become illuminated by God’s Light, whereas failing to help the poor and needy makes you ungenerous towards your spirit. This failure causes the spirit to be shackled and hampers it from advancing in the way of piety. Therefore it thinks that it has no need of approaching God or attaining His light.
The noble saying denotes: “Poverty is about to lead to disbelief.”[3]
‘Poverty’ here does not mean lack of money, but means a dearth of good deeds.
However, what shall follow such shunning for those who dispense with turning to God?
I say that blindness and perversity shall follow them. Through them, the spirit will become unable either to distinguish between evil and virtue or to witness the realities of its actions. Consequently, it denies the truth due to its blindness and its straying from the straight path.
God says: “And disbelieves the Best:” and the word “Best” refers to the guidance which the Holy Qur’an brought, which is so-called because it presents the best way for people to enjoy a good and happy life.
In fact, anyone that becomes ungenerous towards themselves – failing to make the necessary sacrifice for their heart-eye to be opened so that they will recognize their own advantages and disadvantages – will not realize the good that is contained in the Holy Qur’an; nor will they appreciate this guidance and the Godly Favor folded therein. On the contrary, you will see that they prefer the conduct of people of unbelief and shunning, and incline to those of corruption and disobedience.
For example, if such a person hears about the unveiling of women, they will forget God’s Saying in His Holy Book: “Prophet: say to your wives, your daughters, and the wives of true believers to draw their veils close around them. That is more proper, so that they do not get recognized and so that they do not get molested. Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.”
The Holy Qur’an,
Fortress 33, Al-Ahzab (The Combined Clans), Verse 59
This person will also forget the reason behind the battle against the Jewish tribe of Bani Qainuka'a. They will consider the unveiling of women to be the correct practice, claiming that veiling is an old, traditional practice.
They will also reject the prohibition on lending money at interest, under the pretense that it stimulates economic activity.
However, if this person were to give to charity and become pious – that is to say, if they were to perform good works and draw near to their Provider – they would see that unveiling the face of a woman disjoints family relationships and breaks up marital links, as well as leading to immorality and depravity in the upbringing of children and many other social ills.
If they were to give to charity and become pious, they would also understand that interest – whether it be a little or a lot – is most often the cause of merchants’ bankruptcy, generates serious economic problems, and leads to a slump in trade. It makes the poor even needier and makes them dependent, and when poverty increases, trade activity lessens and it is difficult to sell goods and services. As a result, the rich will be reduced to poverty, and misery will spread in all classes.
Thus you will find that those who oppose deny the truth. Their thoughts disagree with what is right and their behavior is far from humane. Besides, their only purpose in life is to fulfill their own whims and lowly desires.
What shall their deeds entail for them?
Will their Provider leave them alone, without doing anything?
Is not the Almighty Merciful towards humanity, even if they deviate from the right path and cling to this earthly life, succumbing to their mean lusts?
The Almighty clarified that He does not leave such a person alone or neglect him, for He (glory to Him) is Merciful.
Out of His Compassion, He exerts pressure on such a person, so that they may resort to Him to be cured of their disease and to render their heart pure of malice and its wicked tendencies. God says: “We shall smooth the path to difficulty.”
That is, God will fill their life with distress and difficulty. Therefore, you will see that this person is sometimes sick and sometimes anguished, and they will be distressed even if they obtain all worldly treasures.
Indeed, they will always live in suffering, misery and hardship. God says: “He that gives no heed to My Warning shall live in woe…”
The Holy Qur’an,
Fortress 20, Ta Ha ‘Ta-ha’ (Pure), Verse 124
However, if they die without repenting to God, what shall this person face?
I say, they will move from such a bitter life – filled with affliction, grief, and anguish – on to suffering the torment of the life to come, which is still harder and lower.
God says:
Verse no. 11
11. “His riches will avail him nothing when he breathes his last.”
That is, when a person dies and is buried in their tomb, what can their riches possibly do for them? Will their wealth follow them, to save them from the woe that will afflict them? Will they not wish that they had been charitable in this worldly life, and that they had avoided falling into such an abyss and suffering such great torture?
Anyone that refrains from charity only deprives themselves of blessings, for the failure to perform good actions leads to distance from God, in turn leading to blindness and denial of the truth. Nothing follows denying the truth except aberration, which causes people to end up in the Fire, where miserliness and the accumulation of money will avail them nothing.
Those who do good do it for themselves, and those who commit evil do so at their own peril.
Having shown us the way that leads to bliss and the way that leads to fire and distress, the Almighty God wanted to illustrate to humanity that we are completely free in our choices, and that He did not bind our will. The choice between the path of what is right or the path of error and delusion is ours alone, and comes down to our own will. God says:
Verse no. 12
12. “It is for Us to give guidance.”
God shows you the way that leads to your benefit and bliss, just as He exhorts you against what causes your misery. Then it is you alone who chooses the way you wish to follow. You are certainly not forced to follow a certain way or to perform a certain deed. God says: “No compulsion is in religion: Truth is distinct from Error...”
The Holy Qur’an,
Fortress 2, Al-Baqara (The Cow), Verse 256
The Almighty then tells you that He directs you and supplies you with power according to your choice and determination. He says:
Verse no. 13
13. “And truly the latter (the wrong way) and the former (the right way) belong to Us (by providing you with power and might),”
If you choose the first way – that is, the way of giving and piety – God will help you fulfil your purpose and will provide you with the power to attain the fruits of your actions. Similarly, if you choose the other way – that is, the way of distance from God and a failure to give – the Almighty will also supply you with the strength and power to discard the wicked desire and the hidden evil that is settled in your spirit, but your actions will bring you nothing but misery and difficulty.
Thus the creature has the freedom to choose, but steering and sustenance belong to Allah. God says: “Of the Bounties of your Provider, We bestow freely on all these as well as those; the Bounties of your Provider, none are deprived of.”
The Holy Qur’an,
Fortress 17, Al-Isra’ (The Night Journey), Verse 20
Praise is to God in all cases.
Exercises:
Memorize Surah Al-Layl by the help of your teacher and collaborate with your friends to learn it by heart, contemplate sincerely its sublime meanings.
Questions:
1-Explain the Nobel speech of the Prophet (cpth): (Poverty is about to lead to disbelief)?
2-Mention some of the bad dangerous results of dealing with the interest (on money) and explain how it negatively affects the society?
3-How do the latter and the former belong to Allah? Explain that in detail.