Comprehensive Study Notes on Surah Ad-Duha (Lesson Two)

Lesson Overview and Divine Text of Surah Ad-Duha

The second lesson (وانه ی دووه م) focuses on Surah Ad-Duha (سورة الضحى), a revered chapter of the Quran. The Surah opens with a solemn divine oath and contains eleven complete verses (آيات) that offer comfort, spiritual reassurance, and explicit moral commands.

The complete Quranic text of the Surah begins with the Basmalah: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ. The eleven verses are revealed as follows:

وَالضُّحَى (١) وَالَّيْلِ إِذَا سَجَى (٢) مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَى (٣) وَلَلْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنَ الْأُولَى (٤) وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَى (٥) أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيماً فَآوَى (٦) وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالاً فَهَدَى (٧) وَوَجَدَكَ عَائِلاً فَأَغْنَى (٨) فَأَمَّا الْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ (٩) وَأَمَّا السَّائِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ (١٠) وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ (١١)

Verse-by-Verse Translation and Meaning

The first verse, وَالضُّحَى (1), translates in Kurdish as "سويند ده خوم به چیشته نگاو", which constitutes a divine oath swearing by the forenoon or early morning brightness when the sunlight illuminates the daylight hours.

The second verse, وَالَّيْلِ إِذَا سَجَى (2), translates in Kurdish as "سويند به شه و كاتيك به تاریکیه که ی زه وی داده پوشیت", which is a divine oath swearing by the night when it settles and covers the earth completely in deep darkness.

The third verse, مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَى (3), translates in Kurdish as "په روه ردگارت نه وازی له تؤ هيناوه، نه ليت قه لسه", declaring that your Lord has neither abandoned or forsaken you, nor is He displeased with you. A specific footnote clarifies the term قَلَى (qala) as "قه لسه به خشم و توره یه", which denotes displeased anger and fury.

The fourth verse, وَلَلْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنَ الْأُولَى (4), translates in Kurdish as "دیاره دواروژ بو تو له دنیا چاکتره", establishing that the Hereafter and the ultimate future are far better for you than this present worldly life.

The fifth verse, وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَى (5), translates in Kurdish as "له ناینده دا په روه ردگارت چاکه ی وه هات له گه ل ده کات رازی ده بیت", promising that in the future, your Lord will bestow upon you such immense favors and reward that you will be fully satisfied.

The sixth verse, أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيماً فَآوَى (6), translates in Kurdish as "ئایا بی باوك نه بوویت ئه و په نای پیدایت؟", posing a rhetorical question reminding how Allah found you an fatherless orphan and provided shelter and refuge.

The seventh verse, وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالاً فَهَدَى (7), translates in Kurdish as "بینی گومرای و ریی نیشان دایت؟", highlighting how Allah found you unguided or unaware of divine law and guided you directly onto the right path.

The eighth verse, وَوَجَدَكَ عَائِلاً فَأَغْنَى (8), translates in Kurdish as "دیتی هه ژاری و له نا تاجی رزگاری کردیت؟", underscoring how Allah found you poor and in need, relieving you from want and rendering you self-sufficient.

The ninth verse, فَأَمَّا الْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ (9), serves as a moral decree translated as "تقهر سا تؤش هه تیو مهر", instructing that you must never oppress, mistreat, or act harshly toward an orphan.

The tenth verse, وَأَمَّا السَّائِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ (10), commands "وَأَمَّا السَّائِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ", establishing that you must never repel, scold, or drive away a beggar or anyone who asks for help or knowledge.

The eleventh verse, وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحЕДِّثْ (11), commands "وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ", directing that you must actively proclaim, express, and speak of the blessings and favors bestowed by your Lord.

Theological Themes and Ethical Directives

The structure of Surah Ad-Duha highlights a deliberate thematic transition from spiritual comfort to moral responsibility. By swearing oaths by contrasting phenomena—the morning brightness (الضُّحَى) and the dark, quiet night (الَّيْلِ إِذَا سَجَى)—the divine text illustrates that periods of quietude or waiting in life do not signal divine abandonment or anger (مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَى).

The text anchors spiritual reassurance in three historical favors: offering shelter during orphanhood (أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيماً فَآوَى), bestowing guidance out of state of seeking (وَوَجЕДَكَ ضَالاً فَهَدَى), and granting self-sufficiency out of poverty (وَوَجَدَكَ عَائِلاً فَأَغْنَى). These divine acts demonstrate persistent care across all stages of development.

Finally, these past favors form the moral foundation for three explicit ethical mandates: protecting orphans from oppression (فَأَمَّا الْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ), treating petitioners and seekers with patience and respect without scolding (وَأَمَّا السَّائِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ), and continually acknowledging God's divine bounties through speech and deed (وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ).