2. Introduction
The name of the surah means the Comer by
Night.
This surah was revealed during the early
stages in Makkah.
During this time, the disbelievers of Makkah
were trying all sorts of things to prevent the
Prophet (sws) to spread the message of the
Quran.
3. Introduction (cont.)
The surah discusses 2 themes/main ideas:
1. Every single human being has to appear
before Allah after their death.
2. The Quran is the word of Allah and no plan or
device of the disbelievers can defeat it.
4. Introduction (cont.)
The stars are used as an example: nothing in
the universe can continue to exists without a
guardian or protector over it
Human beings must think about how we even
came to exist in the first place from a small
sperm drop
Whoever created us the first time can create
us a second time with no problem
In the Hereafter, all justice will be served
5. Ayah One: By the heaven, and the night-visitor,
Ayah Two: what do you know what the night-visitor is?
Ayah Three: It is the piercing star.
Allah first swears by the skies and the star.
The night-visitor refers to the stars.
Allah wants us to think about the world around
us and contemplate based on what we see.
6. Ayah Four: There is no living being but there is
a protector over it.
Allah refers to Himself as the Guardian or
protector over all creations, big and small.
The star or the night visitor is just an example of
one creation that Allah is responsible for.
Every creation of Allah is a sign of His existence.
7. Ayah Five: So let man consider of what he was
created.
Our creation in itself is a sign of Allah’s existence.
The way human beings are created is so intricate
and systematic that it is too complex to be a
coincidence.
Think about it: millions of spermatozoon come into the mothers
body but only one fertilizes an ovum which in itself has a
complex and systematic process. Then that combination slowly
develops one system after another, a bunch of organs and
processes from what is nothing. Then think of how the baby
develops in the mothers belly, month after month, and how even
after being given birth to, we develop until death. Are all of these
processes actually just a coincidence?
8. Ayah Six: He was created of a gushing fluid,
Ayah Seven: emanating from between the loins
and the ribs,
We were created from fluids coming from the
bodies of our parents.
These fluids are non-living things, yet Allah puts
in life and creates human beings from essentially
nothing.
This is a miracle of the Creator.
9. Ayah Eight: Surely He (the Creator) has the
power to bring him back (to life).
If Allah has the power to create us once, then of
course He has the power to create us a second
time.
That is why we are asked to think about our first
creation. If someone so powerful can do it once,
then we should not think that He cannot do it
another time. That would be foolish.
10. Questions (Intro + 1-8)
1. What does the name of the surah mean?
2. During what stage was the surah revealed?
3. Where was this surah revealed?
4. What were the disbelievers of the time trying to
do?
5. What are the two main ideas/ themes of this
surah?
6. Who is the night-visitor?
7. Who is the Guardian over all creations?
8. Why does Allah tell us to consider what we were
created from?
11. Ayah Nine: On the Day when man’s deepest
secrets shall be put to the test.
On the DOJ, we will not be able to keep any
secrets.
Everything that we’ve ever did will be out on the
open for all to see.
Only the deeds of the believers will be kept from
public eye.
On that day, we will not be able to deny anything
that we did and we will be held accountable for all
of our sins.
12. Ayah Ten: he shall have no power and no
helper.
On the DOJ, there will be no one to help us and
we will have no power.
We will be subject to whatever Allah wills of us.
In this life, Allah allows us to make our own
decisions and do what we want. On that day, He
will be the only One to make decisions and we will
have to stand for our judgment.
13. Ayah Eleven: By the heaven with its recurring
cycle of rain,
Rain falls over and over again.
Also the water cycle is so that the water from the
ocean (vapor) falls back as rain and it’s a
continuous cycle.
This is a serious systematic process that Allah
oversees.
Allah swears by this that the Quran is a decisive
Word.
14. Ayah Twelve: and by the earth ever bursting
with verdure,
The earth contains vegetation for us humans so
that we can eat and drink and survive.
The process by which fruit and vegetables and
other grains are created is also a serious and
complex process overlooked by Allah.
Allah also swears by this that the Quran is a
decisive Word.
15. Ayah Thirteen: this (Quran) is surely a decisive
Word, Ayah Fourteen: not a flippant jest.
Just as serious the cycles of water and the
processes of earth are, so is the Quran a serious
thing.
There is wisdom in it and what the Quran
promises will occur.
16. Ayah Fifteen: They are devising a guile,
The disbelievers were planning different ways of
stopping the Prophet(sws) from spreading the
message of Islam
They wanted to continue their ways of life, no
matter how wrong or sinful it was
17. Ayah Sixteen: and I too am devising a guile.
Allah also plans so that they will not be
successful.
Without a doubt, Allah’s plan prevails over all
plans.
18. Ayah Seventeen: So leave the unbelievers to
themselves; respite them awhile.
Allah says then the disbelievers can do whatever
they want.
They will have to deal with the consequences of
their actions eventually.
19. Questions (9-17)
1. How will the deepest secrets be put to the
test?
2. What does it mean that the heavens has a
recurring cycle of rain?
3. What two things does Allah swear by that
the Quran is a decisive word?
4. What kind of plan were the disbelievers
making?
5. What is Allah’s plan?
6. What does Allah say to do in the last verse
of the surah about the disbelievers?
20. Disclaimer
These slides are an abridged, simplified
version of tafseer. For detailed explanations,
please view other sources.
