Ad-Duhaa

Commentary

Occasion of Revelation

Bukhari, Muslim and Tirmidhi have narrated from Sayyidna Jundub ؓ that once a finger of the Holy Prophet ﷺ was wounded and started bleeding, he said:

ان انت الّا اصبع دمیت وفی سبیل اللہ ما لقیت

'You are merely a finger that is bleeding; [ what does it matter ]

if you are hurt: it all happened in Allah's cause.'

Sayyidna Jundub ؓ عنہ narrated this incident and said that revelation of the Qur'an to the Holy Prophet ﷺ came to a halt, and that Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) stopped coming to him for a while. The unbelievers taunted, saying: "Mulhammad's Lord has forsaken him, and is displeased with him." Surah Ad-Duha was revealed on this occasion. According to the narration in Bukhari by Sayyidna Jundub ؓ ، the Holy Prophet ﷺ was unable to wake up for a few nights for tahajjud prayer owing to illness. In this narration, there is no mention of 'delay in revelation'. In Timidhi's narration, there is mention about the 'delay in revelation' but no mention about his inability to wake up for tahajjud prayer. These reports are not conflicting. The narrator might have narrated one incident at one time, and reported another incident at another time. The lady who taunted the Holy Prophet ﷺ was Umm Jamil, the wife of Abu Lahab, as other reports indicate. 'Delay in revelation' took place twice. Once in the very early stage of the call. This is known as fatrah al-wahy 'temporary break in the revelation'. This was the longest period. Another narration states that when the pagans or the Jews asked the Holy Prophet ﷺ about the soul, he promised them that he would give them a reply the next day. However, he forgot to add insha'Allah (if Allah wills). As a result, revelation ceased for a few days. The pagans began to taunt the Holy Messenger ﷺ ، saying that Allah had abandoned him, and is displeased with him. It was on this occasion that the Surah was revealed.

وَلَلْآخِرَ‌ةُ خَيْرٌ‌ لَّكَ مِنَ الْأُولَىٰ (And the Hereafter is much better for you than the present life....93:4). The word 'akhirah may be taken in its popular sense of the 'Hereafter' and its opposite ula may be taken in the sense of the present 'world'. With these words, Allah tells the Holy Prophet not to be disturbed by the taunts of the pagans, because they will see in this world that their assumptions and accusations were absolutely false. In the Hereafter, he will be blessed with Divine favours to his heart's content - much more than what he will receive in this fleeting world. The word 'akhirah may also be taken in its primitive sense i.e. 'the later state or condition' as opposed to ula 'the former state or condition'. The verse, in this case, would mean that every succeeding moment of the Holy Prophet's ﷺ life is better than the preceding one. It includes progress in knowledge and wisdom, as well as in degrees of his nearness to Allah, and it also includes progress in economic and political fields.

وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَ‌بُّكَ فَتَرْ‌ضَىٰ (And of course, your Lord will give you so much that you will be pleased....93:5). Allah does not specify here what he will give him. The statement is open and general. The Holy Prophet ﷺ will be granted everything he desires so much that he will be pleased. Among his desired thing is the progress of Islam; the general spread of Islam in the world; fulfillment of every need of the Ummah; triumph of the Holy Prophet himself over his enemies and raising the word of Allah in the land of the enemy. When this verse was revealed, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said:

اِذا ! لّا اَرضٰی وَ وَاحدُ مِّن اُمَّتِی فِی النَّار

'If that is the case, then I will not be pleased as long as one [ single member ] of my Ummah [ remains ] in Fire.' [ Qurtubi ].

In a narration by Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ ، the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: "Allah will accept my intercession for my Ummah [ community ]. Allah will ask: رضیتَ یا محمد '0 Muhammad, are you pleased?' He will reply: یا رَبِّ رَضِیتُ "My Lord, I am pleased." Muslim records from Sayyidna ` Amr Ibn-ul-` As to the effect that the Holy Prophet ﷺ recited a verse concerning the Prophet Ibrahim : (علیہ السلام)

فَمَن تَبِعَنِي فَإِنَّهُ مِنِّي وَمَنْ عَصَانِي فَإِنَّكَ غَفُورٌ‌ رَّ‌حِيمٌ

'...So, one who followsme is surely mine, and the one who

disobeys me, then You are Most Forgiving, Very Merciful. [ 14:36] '

Then he recited a verse which contains the words of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام)

إِن تُعَذِّبْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ

'If You punish them, then, they are Your slaves [ 5:118] '

Then he raised his hands, he wept and prayed:

اَللّٰھُمَّ اُمَّتِی اُمَّتِی

'0 Allah, my ummah, my ummah!'

Allah sent Jibra'il علیہ السلام to inquire as to why he was weeping [ while Allah knows the reason ]. Jibra'il Amin علیہ السلام came and inquired why he was weeping. The Holy Prophet ﷺ replied: "I seek my ummah's forgiveness." Allah sent Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) back to inform him that He has pardoned them, and that Allah would please him and would not displease him regarding his ummah.

In response to the unbelievers' taunts, it was briefly mentioned that the Holy Prophet ﷺ has already been blessed with many Divine favours. The Surah elaborates on three of them in particular.

Favour [ 1]

أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًا فَآوَىٰ (Did He not find you an orphan, and give you shelter?...93:6). The Holy Prophet ﷺ was an orphan. His father died before he was born, leaving no wealth or property to look after him. The words 'and gave you shelter' signify that the Holy Prophet ﷺ received such deep love and affection from his grand-father, ` Abd-ul-Muttalib, and after him from his uncle, Abu Talib , who took care of him more than their own children.