Revealed in Makkah during a period when revelation had temporarily ceased and the pagans mocked the Prophet (ﷺ) for being abandoned by his Lord, Surah Ad-Duhaa (The Morning Hours) serves as a source of divine comfort. It reassures him that his Lord has not forsaken him, promising that the Hereafter will be better than the present. It recounts God's past favors to him as an orphan, lost, and needy, commanding him to care for orphans and beggars.
Transliteration
Waaldduha
Translation
By the morning light
God swears by the pleasant, warm morning sunlight, bringing emotional warmth to the Prophet's heart after days of sorrow.
Transliteration
Waallayli itha saja
Translation
And the night as it settles
God swears by the deep peace and stillness of the night, symbolizing tranquil rest rather than divine abandonment.
Transliteration
Ma waddaAAaka rabbuka wama qala
Translation
Your Lord did not abandon you, nor did He forget
A tender, loving divine reassurance to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: 'Your Lord has not abandoned you, nor does He detest you' ('Ma wadda'aka Rabbuka wa-ma qala')—erasing his distress and affirming His eternal love.
Transliteration
Walalakhiratu khayrun laka mina aloola
Translation
The Hereafter is better for you than the First
Consoles the Prophet ﷺ and all believers that eternal rewards, ultimate peace, and divine closeness in the afterlife infinitely surpass all transient worldly struggles.
Transliteration
Walasawfa yuAAteeka rabbuka fatarda
Translation
And your Lord will give you, and you will be satisfied
An extraordinary divine promise: 'And your Lord will give you, and you will be well pleased' ('Wa-lasawfa yu'tika Rabbuka fa-tarda')—the Prophet ﷺ declared that he would never be satisfied while even a single member of his sincere community remained in Hell.
Transliteration
Alam yajidka yateeman faawa
Translation
Did He not find you orphaned, and sheltered you
Recalls the Prophet's vulnerable childhood: born an orphan with no wealth, God sheltered him through his grandfather Abdul-Muttalib and uncle Abu Talib, guiding his spiritual contemplation, and enriching him through his business marriage with Khadijah.
Transliteration
Wawajadaka dallan fahada
Translation
And found you wandering, and guided you
Refers to the Prophet's ﷺ early spiritual longing and searching before revelation: living in a pagan society, he abhorred idolatry and wandered seeking truth until God illuminated his heart with the Quran.
Transliteration
Wawajadaka AAailan faaghna
Translation
And found you in need, and enriched you
Recalls his early poverty in Mecca, and how God granted him financial dignity and contentment through lawful business trade and his marriage to Khadijah.
Transliteration
Faamma alyateema fala taqhar
Translation
Therefore, do not mistreat the orphan
Establishes a timeless social ethic: because the Prophet ﷺ experienced being an orphan and a poor petitioner, he and all believers are commanded never to mistreat or oppress an orphan, never to harsh-harshly dismiss a beggar, and to openly share and proclaim God's blessings.
Transliteration
Waamma alssaila fala tanhar
Translation
Nor rebuff the seeker
Commands kindness toward anyone asking—whether asking for financial charity or seeking religious knowledge—forbidding harshness, scolding, or humiliation.
Transliteration
Waamma biniAAmati rabbika fahaddith
Translation
But proclaim the blessings of your Lord
Teaches the spiritual etiquette of gratitude: actively acknowledging, speaking of, and sharing God's material and spiritual blessings with others in humble appreciation rather than arrogant boasting.