وَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا 1
Translations
By the sun and its brightness
Transliteration
Wa ash-shamsi wa duḥāhā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This opening ayah of Surah Ash-Shams invokes an oath by the sun and its brightness (duḥā), establishing the magnificence of Allah's creation as evidence of His power and wisdom. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that Allah swears by these celestial phenomena to draw attention to the signs of divine creation and to introduce the surah's themes of spiritual purification and moral choice. The oath structure (qasam) emphasizes the importance of what follows regarding the purification of the soul and the consequences of rejecting guidance.
Revelation Context
Surah Ash-Shams is a Meccan chapter revealed during the early period of Islam in Mecca. The surah's broader context addresses the struggle between good and evil, purity and corruption of the soul, particularly relevant to the early Muslim community facing opposition. This opening ayah sets the stage by invoking natural phenomena as signs (ayat) of Allah's creation, a common Quranic rhetorical device to establish the foundation for moral teachings.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly explicates this specific ayah, Surah Ash-Shams thematically relates to the hadith: 'The best of you are those who have the best character' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi), as the surah emphasizes the importance of purifying one's soul (tazkiyah). Additionally, the Quranic principle of using creation as evidence is reinforced in numerous hadiths about contemplating Allah's signs in nature.
Themes
Key Lesson
Reflecting on the natural wonders around us—such as the sun—is a means of recognizing Allah's majesty and wisdom, and should inspire us toward inner spiritual development and moral consciousness. The opening oath emphasizes that understanding our soul's capacity for good and evil is as significant as understanding the heavens, making self-examination and ethical purification central to faith.