The Morning Light - الضحى
Surah Ad-Duha is chapter number 93 of the Quran, with 11 verses.
"Ad-Duha" is the bright morning light — that hour when the sun is well up and the whole world is warm and clear.
Allah begins by swearing an oath by that light, and by the quiet night — and then says something to His Prophet ﷺ that anyone who has ever felt alone needs to hear.
For a while, no revelation came to the Prophet ﷺ. No new verses. Just silence. People who disliked him started saying his Lord had left him.
Then this surah came down, and the very first thing it says is: your Lord has not left you, and He is not angry with you.
Instead of only promising the future, Allah reminds His Prophet ﷺ of his own past. You were an orphan — He sheltered you. You did not yet know the way — He guided you. You had little — He gave you enough.
It is a beautiful way to comfort someone: look at what has already been done for you. The One who carried you then is the same One carrying you now.
The surah does not stop at comfort. It turns it into work. You were an orphan, so never be harsh with an orphan. You were in need, so never push away someone who asks. You were given, so talk about what you were given.
That is the whole shape of the surah: Allah was kind to you, so be kind with someone else.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Raheem
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"
وَالضُّحَىٰ
Wad-duha
"By the morning light."
Allah swears by the bright part of the morning — the warm, clear light after the sun has climbed. A picture of things being good again.
وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا سَجَىٰ
Wal-layli idha saja
"And by the night when it grows still."
And by the night — not a scary night, a calm one, gone quiet and settled. Both the light and the dark belong to Allah.
مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ
Ma wadda'aka Rabbuka wa ma qala
"Your Lord has not left you, nor is He displeased with you."
Here is the answer to the whole worry. He has not said goodbye, and He is not angry. Two fears, both put to rest in one line.
وَلَلْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنَ الْأُولَىٰ
Wa lal-akhiratu khayrul-laka minal-ula
"And the next life is better for you than this first one."
Whatever is hard right now is the first part. What comes after is better — and it lasts.
وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَىٰ
Wa lasawfa yu'teeka Rabbuka fatarda
"And your Lord is going to give you, until you are pleased."
Not just "He will give you" — He will keep giving until you are happy with it. Some scholars called this the most hopeful verse in the Quran.
أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًا فَآوَىٰ
Alam yajidka yateeman fa-awa
"Did He not find you an orphan, and give you shelter?"
The Prophet ﷺ lost his father before he was born and his mother when he was six. And Allah made a home for him every single time.
وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالًّا فَهَدَىٰ
Wa wajadaka dallan fahada
"And find you not yet knowing the way, and guide you?"
Before the Quran came, he did not yet know all that Allah would teach him. Then Allah showed him the way — and through him, showed everyone.
وَوَجَدَكَ عَائِلًا فَأَغْنَىٰ
Wa wajadaka 'a-ilan fa-aghna
"And find you in need, and make you rich enough?"
He had little, and Allah gave him enough. The real richness the Prophet ﷺ taught about was a heart that is content.
فَأَمَّا الْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ
Fa-ammal-yateema fala taqhar
"So as for the orphan, do not be harsh with him."
You know what it feels like — so never make a child who has lost a parent feel small. Be gentle with them, always.
وَأَمَّا السَّائِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ
Wa ammas-sa-ila fala tanhar
"And as for the one who asks, do not turn him away harshly."
Whether someone asks for help or asks a question, do not snap at them. If you have nothing to give, give a kind word.
وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ
Wa amma bini'mati Rabbika fahaddith
"And as for the blessing of your Lord, speak about it."
Talk about the good Allah has given you — not to show off, but to thank Him out loud so others remember Him too.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ وَالضُّحَىٰ وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا سَجَىٰ مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ وَلَلْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنَ الْأُولَىٰ وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَىٰ أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًا فَآوَىٰ وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالًّا فَهَدَىٰ وَوَجَدَكَ عَائِلًا فَأَغْنَىٰ فَأَمَّا الْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ وَأَمَّا السَّائِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ
Eleven verses of comfort, from morning light to a promise — listen and repeat!
Answer these questions about Surah Ad-Duha
What does "Ad-Duha" mean?
It is surah number 93 in the Quran
It is a Makki surah, revealed before the Hijrah
It came after a pause in revelation
Duha is the late-morning light
There is a voluntary prayer named after it
It moves from comfort to kindness
Verses 1-8 are Allah speaking about His care. Verses 9-11 are what to do about it.
Verses 6, 7 and 8 all follow the same shape: He found you… so He gave you…
Read it in the morning light it is named after, and the meaning arrives with it.
Ask Allah to help you memorize and understand His words.
Ask your child: When was a time you felt sad, and something good came right after?
Finish with: Allah did not forget you then, and He has not forgotten you now.