وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰهَا 4
Translations
And [by] the night when it covers [i.e., conceals] it
Transliteration
Wa-al-layli idha yaghshaha
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the night when it covers and envelops the earth, continuing Allah's oath in Surah Ash-Shams which begins by swearing by various celestial and natural phenomena. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this verse is part of a series of oaths (qasam) that Allah takes to emphasize the certainty of what follows—the human soul's capacity for righteousness or wickedness. The night's covering of the earth symbolizes darkness and obscurity, contrasting with the sun's clarity, representing the spiritual states of guidance and misguidance that the human soul experiences.
Revelation Context
Surah Ash-Shams is a Meccan surah revealed during the early period of Islam in Mecca. The surah opens with a series of cosmic oaths—by the sun, the moon, the day, the night, and the sky—to emphasize the fundamental truths about human nature and moral responsibility. This particular ayah is part of that opening sequence establishing the gravity of the message about human souls' capacity for purification or corruption.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly quotes this specific ayah, Surah Ash-Shams as a whole relates to hadiths about the soul (nafs). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those who have the best character' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi), connecting to the surah's theme of soul purification mentioned in verse 91:9-10.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that just as night naturally covers the earth in darkness, our souls can be veiled from truth and goodness through negligence and vice—yet this is not inevitable, as the soul retains the capacity for purification through conscious effort and obedience to Allah.