In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.
Abridged by Dr. 'Aqil ibn Salim al-Shammar.
Surah al-Layl (The Night).
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
By the night when it covers.
And by the day when it shines forth.
“And Him Who hath created male and female,” (92:3)
Indeed, your efforts are diverse.
The Exalted says, swearing by the night,
When it covers the day with its darkness,
Removing its light and bringing forth its gloom.
And by the night as it covers the day.
And He swears by the day when it brightens and illuminates,
Making visible to the eyes what the darkness of the night
Had previously obscured and hidden,
Preventing it from being seen clearly.
And His saying:
“And Him Who hath created male and female,” (92:3)
It may be an oath from Allah, whose praise is exalted,
By the Creator of the male and the female,
Or it may be an oath by His act of creating the male and the female.
Indeed, your efforts are diverse.
Meaning: your deeds are varied, O people.
For among you are those who disbelieve in their Lord and disobey His commands and prohibitions,
And those who believe in Him and obey His commands and prohibitions.
As for he who gives and fears Allah,
And believes in the best (the truth),
We will facilitate for him the way to ease.
But as for he who withholds and considers himself self-sufficient,
And denies the best (the truth),
We will facilitate for him the way to hardship.
As for he who gives and fears Allah among you, O people, in the path of Allah,
And follows what Allah commanded him to give from his wealth and what He bestowed upon him of His bounty,
And fears Allah and avoids His prohibitions,
And believes in the reward from Allah for what he gave of his wealth,
In accordance with what Allah commanded him to spend,
We will prepare him for the path of ease,
Which is to perform the deeds that Allah is pleased with in this world,
So that He may grant him Paradise in the Hereafter.
As for he who is stingy with his spending in the path of Allah,
And withholds what Allah has bestowed upon him of His bounty,
Refusing to spend it in the ways Allah has commanded,
And considers himself independent of his Lord, not seeking His favor through obedience,
Nor seeking increase in what He has granted him,
And denies the reward,
We will prepare him in this world for the path of hardship.
“His riches will not save him when he perisheth.” (92:11)
Indeed, upon Us is the guidance.
“And lo! unto Us belong the latter portion and the former.” (92:13)
What will avail this person who is stingy with his wealth,
And considers himself independent of his Lord,
When he falls into Hell on the Day of Resurrection?
Indeed, it is for Us to clarify the truth from falsehood,
And obedience from disobedience.
And to Us belongs the dominion of all that is in this world and the Hereafter;
We give from both to whom We will among Our creation,
And withhold it from whom We will.
So I have warned you of a Fire which rages.
None will enter it except the most wretched,
Who denies and turns away.
But the righteous will be kept far from it,
He who gives his wealth to purify himself.
And he has no favor from anyone to be repaid,
“Except as seeking (to fulfil) the purpose of his Lord Most High.” (92:20)
And he will surely be satisfied.
I have warned you, O people, of a Fire that blazes,
Which none shall enter to be scorched by its flames except the most wretched,
Who denied the signs of his Lord and turned away from them,
And did not believe in them.
But the righteous will be saved from the fire that rages,
He who gives his wealth in this world,
Fulfilling the rights of Allah that He has obligated upon him,
Purifying himself from his sins by giving that wealth.
And he does not owe anyone among the creation of Allah,
Who gives his wealth in the path of Allah to purify himself,
Any favor that he is trying to repay.
He does not spend what he spends,
Nor does he give what he gives, as a recompense to a person,
To repay him for a favor he previously received,
Nor is it a reward for a blessing,
That someone had previously bestowed upon him.
Rather, he gives it for the sake of Allah's rights,
Seeking only the Countenance of Allah.
And this giver will surely be satisfied,
With what he gave in the rights of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic,
Purifying himself through what Allah will reward him with in the Hereafter,
As a compensation for what he gave in this world,
In His path, when he meets his Lord, the Blessed and Exalted.
A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.