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 وَٱلْلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰ
1. By the Night as it conceals;
Waallayli itha yaghsha    

Ansāri: Allah has assigned high rank & nobility to the night and made the night as the object of a Qasam (Divine Swear, Oath) in Qur’an and this is so since during the night the friends of Allah are awake, in solitude of soliloquies, for the entire night drinking the wine of purity and enrobing the garment of Redhā (Divine Assent) gulping down the luring the guilt (of being away) and the Qahar (Subjugation that forced them away) of That Divine Beloved.

And when comes the dawn, the doors of the day are wide opened, the curtains cloaking the Majestic ‘Arsh (Divine Throne) are pulled down and the Muqar-rab-bin (Those enjoying the Divine Nearness) in presence of the Divine Being under the orders of the Haqq (Absolute Reality & Truth, Allah) are silenced. Since the Jab-bār (Colossus, Omnipotent) within Hus (ITs) ‘Ulūw (Exaltedness, Sublimity) & Kibriyā (Grandeur, Magnificence) calls out: Each lover is in solitude & beatitude of his beloved but where are My Lovers?

The night is gloomy and the rebels are asleep
Yet the worshippers of The Glorious One are awake praying
 

  
  تفسير روح البيان في تفسير القرآن/ حقي

وفى كشف الاسرار) الله تعالى شب رامرتبتى وشرفى دادكه آنرا درقرآن مجيد محل قسم خود كردانيد واين شرف ازان يافت كه شب درآيد دوستان خداتنها درمناجات شوند هما شب شراب صفامى نوشند وخلعت رضا مى بوشند وعتاب محبوب مى نيوشند وجون وقت سحر باشد كه فرمان رسد تادرهاى اين قبه بيروزه بازكشايند ودامنها سراد قات عرش مجيد براندازند ومقربان حضرت بامر حق خاموش شوندآنكه جبار كائنات درعلو وكبرياى خود خطاب كندكه الا قد خلا كل حبيب بحيبيه فاين احبائى يعنى هر دوستى بادوست خود درخلوت وشادى آمدند دوستان من كجا اند

الليل داج والعصاة نيام     والعابدون لذى الجلال قيام

2. By the Day as it appears in glory;
Waalnnahari itha tajalla 

3. By (the mystery of) the creation of male and female;-
Wama khalaqa alththakara waalontha  

4. Verily, (the ends) ye strive for are diverse.
Inna saAAyakum lashatta  

5. So he who gives (in charity) and fears ((Allah))
Faamma man aAAta waittaqa    

Ibn Ajiba: The Exalted has sworn an oath by the darkness of the veil as it conceals the veiled hearts and by the lucent day of Reappearance (Tajalli) that overcomes the pure hearts. It is as if The Sublime One has sworn by the Qahar (Subjugation) of Hus (ITs) Jalāl (Momentous Glory), the Lotf (Indivisibility Immateriality & Subtlety) of Hus (ITs) Beauty and by the impact of Hus (ITs) Power upon all species of living beings (as an indicator) that the people strive for varied causes/ends. The person who offers his money and Nafs (Psyche, Self) (for the pleasure of Allah) and wards against all that which busies him away from his Maulā (Divine Close Friend, Allah) We shall make the path of the journey easy for him, the journey being the path that reaches out towards the Divine Presence of his Maulā (Divine Close Friend, Allah). Al-Wartajbi has said: Hu (IT) made the path to reach Hu (IT) easy and removed from him the burden and hardships of ‘Ubudiya (Divinity). Qushairi said: We made easy for him all Obeisance, made him avoid or dislike of what causes contentions (with Allah), We provided the accommodation & adaptations of Qurb (Divine Nearness), cause his heart to love Imān (Faith, loves though sees not, loves though knows not) and We ornate his heart with Ihsān (Divine Beauty & Goodness). On the other hand, if he becomes a stingy hoarder, enriching his Self with the Ma’refat (Gnosis, Cognizance) of what is externally visible turning away from the Ma’refat (Divine Gnosis) of his Lord (what is internally visible inside), and becomes satisfied with frugality of Imān (Faith), We shall ease his path towards hardships (spiritual hardships). The latter is the Tariq (Path) of Bu’d (Farness) and Hijāb (Veil against the Divine Light) whereat preoccupied with the life of this world, obsessed with collecting/accumulating more and more, and yet his wealth suffices nothing for him whenever he is to be returned from the chasm of Bu’d (Divine Farness) and vileness.
.
تفسير البحر المديد في تفسير القران المجيد/ ابن عجيبة
الإشارة: أقسم تعالى بليل الحجاب، إذا يغشى القلوبَ المحجوبة، ونهار التجلِّي إذا يغشى القلوب الصافية، وكأنه تعالى أقسم بقهر جلاله، ولُطف جماله، وقدرته على خلق أصناف الحيوانات، إنَّ سعي الناس لشتى، فأمّا مَن أعطى مالَه ونفسَه، واتقى كلَّ ما يشغله عن المولى، فَسنُيَسِّره لسلوك الطريق اليُسرى، التي توصل إلى حضرة المولى. وقال الورتجبي: سهّل له طريقَ الوصول إليه، ويرفع عنه الكلفة والتعب في العبودية. وقال القشيري: نُسَهِّلُ عليه الطاعات، ونُكَرِّه إليه المخالفات، ونهيىء له القُربَ ، ونُحَبِّبُ له الإيمان، ونُزَيِّن في قلبه الإحسان. هـ. وأمَّا مَن بَخِلَ بماله ونفسه، واستغنى عن معرفة ربه معرفة العيان, وقنع بمقام الإيمان، فسَنُيسره للعُسرى، وهي طريق البُعد والحجاب، كاشتغاله بحب الدنيا، وجمع المال، وما يُغني عنه ماله إذا تردى في مهاوي البُعد والردى.

6. And (in all sincerity) testifies to Husnā
Wasaddaqa bialhusna    

Meaning with characteristic of Husnā which is Iman (Faith) or with the Kalima (Word) of Husnā which is Tauhid (Divine Oneness) or with the Nation of Husnā which is Islam or with the Recompense of Husnā which is Paradise. And the veracity of this is that he sees/understands that which Allah has promised shall reach him (inescapably) and therefore no doubt passes through his heart. (Note that the verb Sadaq is in the Bāb (Template) Fa’ala indicating intensity or constancy or devotion)

تفسير البحر المديد في تفسير القران المجيد/ ابن عجيبة
  وصدَّق بالحسنى }؛ بالخصلة الحُسنى، وهي الإيمان، أو بالكلمة الحسنى، وهي كلمة التوحيد, أو بالملة الحسنى، وهي الإسلام، أو بالمثوبة الحسنى، وهي الجنة، والتصديق هو أن يرى أنَّ ما وعده اللهُ به يوصله إليه، ولا يجري على قلبه خاطر شك
 
19. And have in their minds no favour from anyone for which a reward is expected in return,
Wama liahadin AAindahu min niAAmatin tujza    

20. But only the desire to seek for the Countenance of their Lord Most High;
Illa ibtighaa wajhi rabbihi alaAAla   


This verse was revealed about the Abu Bakr who purchased and manumitted Bilāl who was being tortured by the polytheists (because Bilāl was a monotheist Muslim). Ibn Abbās has narrated: Idol worshipers repeatedly and brutally tortured Bilāl, an Ethiopian slave, and he used to cry: “Ahadun Ahadun (The Divine One The Divine One)”. So the Prophet passed by him and said: “Ahadun Ahad shall rescue you”. The Prophet informed the Abu Bakr about this (implicitly): “Bilāl is suffering Fil-Lāh (In presence of Allah, for the sake of Allah) Abu Bakr understood the Prophet’s intent and bought him for some gold. However the Idol worshipers alleged that Abu Bakr bought through trade (no cash payment indeed Abu Bakr paid 1000 Dinars and other payments), hence the revelation of this verse. Some narrated that Bilāl was found buried under rocks suffering for Islam. . (Please note the Adab (Etiquette) in Presence of The Divine Being, on one had Bilāl is so close to Allah that does not ask Allah to be rescued from the brutal torture and only bemoans “Ahadun Ahadun” and on the other hand the Prophet does not explicitly ask Abu Bakr to rescue Bilāl and just drops a hint. These are the Adab (Etiquette) of those who enjoy Qurb (Divine Nearness) and their language is altered to match their soul so close to Allah.)

تفسير البحر المديد في تفسير القران المجيد
والآية نزلت في أبي بكر الصدّيق رضي الله عنه حين اشترى بلالاً في جماعة كان المشركون يؤذونهم، فأعتقهم.
وعن ابن عباس رضي الله عنه: عذَّب المشركون بلالاً، وبلالٌ يقول: أَحَدٌ أَحَدٌ، فمرّ به النبيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال: " ينجيك أحد أحد " ثم أخبر النبيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أبا بكر، وقال له: " إنَّ بلالاً يُعذَّب في الله " فعرف مراده, فاشتراه برطل من ذهب، وقيل: اشتراه بعبدٍ كان عنده اسمه " نسطاس " وكان له عشرة آلاف دينار وغلمان وجواري، وكان مشركاً، فقال له الصدِّيق: أسْلِم ولك جميع مالك، فأبى، فدفعه لأمية بن خلف، وأخذ بلالاً، فأعتقه، فقال المشركون: ما أعتقه إلا ليدٍ كانت له عنده، فنزلت
رُوي أنه اشتراه، وهو مدفون بالحجارة، يُعَذَّب على الإسلام،  




Virtues  

Zamakhshari: The Prophet said: He who reads the Surah Al-Layl (The Night), Allah shall endow him until satisfied, and wipe out the hardship from him and ease for him pleasant circumstances.
وعن رسول صلى الله عليه وسلم:
 من قرأ سورة والليل، أعطاه الله حتى يرضى، وعافاه من العسر ويسر له اليسر





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Apercu   

Night of the Qur’an is not merely the sun-less solar night. This Divine Entity Al-Layl (Night) is the conduit for human soliloquies and the incubator for the broken hearts in search of their Divine Beloved.

The Burning Bush of Moses burnt ablaze with the Divine Words during the Night. Laylatol Qadar (The Night of the Power) lasts during the Night.

Darkness is an attribute of this Divine Entity and not the entirety of its definition. As the plants change their biological operations during the Night, as most living beings alter their metabolism during the Night, so does the human spirituality as the heart is altered during the hours of the Night.

There are many other solar systems in the Cosmos and within many planets with dark nights. However there is one planet, that its dark night is the custom created manifold incubating the human heart’s spirituality.

© 2005-2002,  Dara O. Shayda, Hind Rifai M.D.