92. Al-Layl
92.1 It was narrated from Jabir (رضي الله عنه)
That Mu’adh bin Jabal led his companions for the ‘Isha’ and he made the prayer too long for them. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: “Recite ‘By the sun and its brightness,’[Al-Shams (91)] ‘Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High,’ [Al-A’la (87)] ‘By the night as it envelops,’ [Al-Lail (92)] or, ‘Read! In the Name of your Lord Who has created.’” [Al-‘Alaq (96)]
Sunan Ibn Majah Vol. 1, Book 5, Hadith 836
92.2 Jabir b. samurah (رضي الله عنه) said
When the sun declined, the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) offered the noon prayer and recited surahs like “By the night when it covers over” (92) and (recited similar surahs) in the afternoon prayer, and in the other prayers except the dawn prayer which he used to prolong.
92.3 It was narrated that Jabir bin Samurah (رضي الله عنه) said
“The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) used to recite “By the night as it envelops” in Zuhr and something similar in ‘Asr, and he would recite something longer than that in subh.”
92.4 ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) said
“The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was in a funeral procession an he picked up something and began to scratch the ground with it. He said, ‘There is none of you who does not have his seat written either in the Fire or in the Garden.’ They said, ‘Messenger of Allah, then should we not rely on what is written for us and abandon action?’ ‘Act.’ he said. ‘Every thing is easy if you were created for it.’ He added, ‘As for someone who is one of the people of happiness, it is easy for him to perform the actions of happiness. As for someone who is one of the people of wretchedness, it is easy for him to perform the actions of wretchedness.’ Then he recited,
﴾ فأما من أعطى واتقى ﴿
As for he who gives and fears Allah
﴾ وصدق بالحسنى ﴿
And believes in the best [reward],
﴾ فسنيسره لليسرى ﴿
We will ease him toward ease.
﴾ وأما من بخل واستغنى ﴿
But as for he who withholds and considers himself free of need
﴾ وكذب بالحسنى ﴿
And denies the best [reward],
﴾ فسنيسره للعسرى ﴿
We will ease him toward difficulty. (92:5-10)
92.5 Ibn Kathir (رحمه الله) related about
﴾ الذي كذب وتولى ﴿
Who denies and turns away (92:16)
That Imam Ahmad recorded from Abu Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said, “All of my followers will enter Paradise on the Day of Judgement except for whoever refuses.” They (the Companions) said, “Who would refuse, O Messenger of Allah” He replied, “Whoever obeys me, he will enter Paradise, and whoever disobeys me, then he has refused.”
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir)
92.6 Ibn Kathir (رحمه الله) related about
﴾ وما لأحد عنده من نعمة تجزى ﴿
And not [giving] for anyone who has [done him] a favor to be rewarded
﴾ إلا ابتغاء وجه ربه الأعلى ﴿
But only seeking the countenance of his Lord, Most High
﴾ ولسوف يرضى ﴿
And he is going to be satisfied (92:19-21)
That in the Two Sahihs it is recorded that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said, “Whoever equipped two riding animals in the way of Allah, the Gatekeepers (on the door of Jihad) of Paradise will call to him saying, ‘O servant of Allah! This is good.'” So Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) said, “O Messenger of Allah! The one who is called from them will not have any need. Will there be anyone who will be called from all (the guards on the different doors to Jannah) of them” The Prophet replied, “Yes, and I hope that you will be one of them.”
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir)
92.7 Al-Wahidi (رحمه الله) recorded
(As for him who giveth and is dutiful (toward Allah) and believeth in goodness) [92:5-6].
Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ibrahim informed us> Muhammad ibn Ja‘far ibn Haytham al-Anbari> Ja‘far ibn Muhammad ibn Shakir> Qubaysah> Sufyan al-Thawri> Mansur and al-A‘mash> Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubaydah> Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami> ‘Ali (رضي الله عنهم) who related that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said:
“There is no one amongst you except that his abode is registered either in Paradise or in hell!” Some asked: “O Messenger of Allah, shall we then not rely [on works]?” He said: “Do perform works, everyone is helped to follow that which he was created for”, and then he recited (As for him who giveth and is dutiful (toward Allah) and believeth in goodness, surely We will ease his way unto the state of ease).
This was narrated by Bukhari> Abu Nu‘aym> al-A‘mash and also by Muslim> Abu Zuhayr ibn Harb> Jarir> Mansur. ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Hamdan informed us> Ahmad ibn Ja‘far ibn Malik> ‘Abd Allah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal> Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ayyub> Ibrahim ibn Sa‘d> Muhammad ibn Ishaq> Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah> Ibn Abi ‘Atiq> ‘Amir ibn ‘Abd Allah> someone from his family who related that Abu Quhafah said to his son Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنهم):
“O my son, I see that you only free weak slaves. If you must free slaves, why do you not free strong ones who would defend you and stand against anyone who would want to harm you?” Abu Bakr responded: “O father, I have my own reasons for doing what I do”. It was said: these verses were revealed about him and what his father had said
(As for him who giveth and is dutiful (toward Allah) and believeth in goodness) up to the end of the Surah.
Someone heard Ibn al-Zubayr (رضي الله عنه) say while he was on the pulpit: “Abu Bakr used to buy weak slaves and then free them. His father said to him: ‘Why do you not buy slaves who can defend you?’ Abu Bakr responded: ‘It is not my defence that I seek’, and so the following verses were revealed about him
(Far removed from it will be the righteous who giveth his wealth that he may grow (in goodness)) [92:17-18] up to the end of the Surah”.
‘Ata’ reported that Ibn ‘Abbas (رضي الله عنه) said: “Upon embracing Islam, Bilal (رضي الله عنه)
— who was a slave of ‘Abd Allah ibn Jud‘an — proceeded to the idols [of the Ka‘bah] and defecated on them. The idolaters complained to Ibn Jud‘an about what Bilal had done and so he gave Bilal to them along with one hundred camels to be sacrificed for their gods. The idolaters took Bilal and tortured him in the scorchedness of the desert. All he said while he was being tortured was “Uniquely One! Uniquely One!” The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, happened to pass by him and he said to him: ‘The Uniquely One will save you!’
The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, then informed Abu Bakr, saying: ‘Bilal is being tortured for the sake of Allah!’ Abu Bakr took with him a pound of gold and went and bought Bilal. The idolaters said: ‘Abu Bakr did what he did only because he is obliged to Bilal for a favour’, and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed
(And none hath with him any favour for reward, except as seeking (to fulfil) the purpose of his Lord Most High. He verily will be content) [92:19-21]”.
(Asbab Al-Nuzul)
92.8 Imam Ibn Abi Hatim (رحمه الله) narrated from Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه)
That a man had a date tree in his own house and its branch had gone into the house of the neighbor. The neighbor was poor and he had a family. When the man used to climb his tree to break the date fruits, some fruits also used to drop in the house of the neighbor and his children used to pick up the dates. After coming down from the tree, he used to snatch away the dates that the children had picked and if by chance they had put any of them into their mouth he used to insert his finger and extricate it from their mouth.
At last the poor man complained to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) who told him to summon the man. When he arrived, the Prophet asked him: Give me the branch that has grown into the house of your neighbor, and in exchange I will give you a date tree in Paradise. That unlucky man said: “Although I own many date trees, I like its fruits best.”
Since Abu Dahda (رضي الله عنه) was present there he was watching all this. When he went away, he also arose and asked the Prophet: “O Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), if I purchase that tree and give it to you, will you give what you had offered its owner?” “Why not?” said the Prophet. Abu Dahda went to the owner of the said tree and expressed his desire to purchase it. He said: “Did you hear the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was giving me a tree in Paradise in exchange but I did not accept.” Abul Dahda asked: “Do you want to sell it or not?” He replied: “I will not sell it till I don’t get in exchange the maximum anyone can pay for it.” He asked: “How much do you want?” He said, “I want forty trees.”
Abu Dahda (رضي الله عنه) said, “How nice, that in exchange of a crooked tree you are asking for forty!” All right I will give that much. He said: “Call some people and let them witness the transaction, so that you might not deny it later.” Abu Dahda called a group of people and made them witness their deal and purchased that tree for forty trees and then he came to the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and said: “O Allah’s Messenger, I have purchased that tree and I hand it over to you.” After that the Prophet went to that poor man and said: “This tree now belongs to you and your family.” The verses of Surah Al-Layl (92:5-11) were revealed at that juncture.
(Dur al-Manthur and Hayat Al-Qulub)
﴾ بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم ﴿ 
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