Surah Ad-Duha
الضحى
Surah Ad-Duha is an 11-verse Meccan surah revealed to reassure the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, after a pause in revelation, that his Lord had not abandoned him.
- Meaning
- The Morning Hours
- Surah
- 93 of 114
- Verses
- 11
- Revealed in
- Mecca
- Found in
- Juz 30
What Surah Ad-Duha is about
Surah Ad-Duha, "The Morning Hours", is one of the most comforting surahs in the Quran. It begins with two oaths, by the bright morning light and by the night when it grows still and settles (verses 1 and 2). The pairing matters: just as night is followed by morning, a quiet period does not mean the light is gone.
Verse 3 is the heart of the surah. It tells the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ that his Lord has not left him and is not displeased with him. Verse 4 adds that what comes later will be better for him than what came before, and verse 5 promises that his Lord will give him so much that he will be content.
Verses 6 to 8 then look back at his own life as evidence. He was an orphan, and Allah gave him shelter. He was searching, and Allah guided him. He was in need, and Allah made him self-sufficient. Each of these is a real part of his biography: his father died before he was born, his mother when he was six, and he was raised by his grandfather and then his uncle Abu Talib.
The surah ends by turning those three blessings into three instructions (verses 9 to 11). Because he was once an orphan, he must not mistreat orphans. Because he once asked and was given, he must not turn away someone who asks. And he should speak of the blessings of his Lord.
According to reports in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, the surah came after revelation had paused for a time and someone mocked the Prophet ﷺ, saying his companion had abandoned him. Scholars differ on how long the pause lasted.
Main themes
Morning follows night
The surah opens with the morning light and the still night. The image prepares the listener for its message: a time of silence or darkness is not the end, and it does not mean Allah has turned away.
Verses 1–2You have not been abandoned
Verse 3 directly answers the fear of being left behind, and verses 4 and 5 promise that what lies ahead is better. Although addressed to the Prophet ﷺ, many Muslims read these verses in their own low moments.
Verses 3–5Remembering how far you have come
Verses 6 to 8 ask the Prophet ﷺ to look back at his own past: orphaned, searching and in need, and each time cared for. Past care is offered as a reason to trust the future.
Verses 6–8Turning gratitude into kindness
The closing verses mirror the three blessings with three duties: kindness to orphans, gentleness to those who ask, and speaking about Allah's favors. Comfort received becomes comfort given.
Verses 9–11
Verses to know
مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ ﴿٣﴾
Your Lord did not abandon you, nor did He forget.
The central reassurance of the surah, revealed when the Prophet ﷺ was being taunted that his Lord had left him. It is one of the most shared verses among Muslims going through hard or lonely periods.
وَلَسَوۡفَ يُعۡطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرۡضَىٰٓ ﴿٥﴾
And your Lord will give you, and you will be satisfied.
A promise of a gift so generous that the Prophet ﷺ will be fully satisfied. Commentators often connect it with what he will be given in the Hereafter, including intercession for his community.
فَأَمَّا ٱلۡيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقۡهَرۡ ﴿٩﴾ وَأَمَّا ٱلسَّآئِلَ فَلَا تَنۡهَرۡ ﴿١٠﴾ وَأَمَّا بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثۡ ﴿١١﴾
9Therefore, do not mistreat the orphan. 10Nor rebuff the seeker. 11But proclaim the blessings of your Lord.
Each instruction answers one of the blessings listed in verses 6 to 8. The structure shows how the surah turns personal comfort into care for others.
When Surah Ad-Duha is recited
Ad-Duha has no single prescribed occasion, but it is a common choice in daily prayers and is among the surahs listed in Sahih Muslim's version of the Prophet's advice to Mu'adh ibn Jabal about what to recite when leading the Isha prayer. Many Muslims also turn to it in times of sadness, worry or feeling distant from Allah, because of the reassurance at its center. Some reciters, following a practice associated with the Meccan reading of Ibn Kathir (the reciter), say a takbir at the end of Ad-Duha and each surah after it; this is a matter of recitation tradition, not an obligation.
Surah Ad-Duha in Arabic and English
All 11 verses, with the Arabic, a transliteration to help you read it aloud, and the English translation by Talal Itani.
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
- 1
وَٱلضُّحَىٰ
Waaldduha
By the morning light.
- 2
وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا سَجَىٰ
Waallayli itha saja
And the night as it settles.
- 3
مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ
Ma waddaAAaka rabbuka wama qala
Your Lord did not abandon you, nor did He forget.
- 4
وَلَلۡأٓخِرَةُ خَيۡرࣱ لَّكَ مِنَ ٱلۡأُولَىٰ
Walalakhiratu khayrun laka mina aloola
The Hereafter is better for you than the First.
- 5
وَلَسَوۡفَ يُعۡطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرۡضَىٰٓ
Walasawfa yuAAteeka rabbuka fatarda
And your Lord will give you, and you will be satisfied.
- 6
أَلَمۡ يَجِدۡكَ يَتِيمٗا فَـَٔاوَىٰ
Alam yajidka yateeman faawa
Did He not find you orphaned, and sheltered you?
- 7
وَوَجَدَكَ ضَآلّٗا فَهَدَىٰ
Wawajadaka dallan fahada
And found you wandering, and guided you?
- 8
وَوَجَدَكَ عَآئِلٗا فَأَغۡنَىٰ
Wawajadaka AAailan faaghna
And found you in need, and enriched you?
- 9
فَأَمَّا ٱلۡيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقۡهَرۡ
Faamma alyateema fala taqhar
Therefore, do not mistreat the orphan.
- 10
وَأَمَّا ٱلسَّآئِلَ فَلَا تَنۡهَرۡ
Waamma alssaila fala tanhar
Nor rebuff the seeker.
- 11
وَأَمَّا بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثۡ
Waamma biniAAmati rabbika fahaddith
But proclaim the blessings of your Lord.
Surah Ad-Duha PDF
The whole surah on printable pages: Arabic, transliteration and English side by side. Free to download, print and share.
Questions about Surah Ad-Duha
Why was Surah Ad-Duha revealed?
Reports in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim say revelation paused for a time and someone taunted the Prophet ﷺ that he had been abandoned. Surah Ad-Duha was revealed in response, assuring him that his Lord had neither left him nor become displeased.
How many verses are in Surah Ad-Duha?
Surah Ad-Duha has 11 verses. It is the 93rd surah of the Quran and was revealed in Mecca.
What is the main message of Surah Ad-Duha?
That Allah had not abandoned the Prophet ﷺ, that the future would be better than the past, and that the care he had received should be passed on to orphans, those who ask, and others.
Is Surah Ad-Duha good to read when feeling sad or depressed?
Many Muslims find comfort in it during difficult times, because verses 3 to 5 speak directly to the fear of being forgotten. There is no specific narration prescribing it for sadness; it is simply loved for its message.