Surah Ad-Duha (الضُّحَى) — The Morning Hours
Ad-Duha is eleven verses long, and it has one of the warmest tones in the entire Quran. The reason for that goes back to its context.
For a period of time during the Prophet ﷺ's (PBUH) early mission in Makkah, the revelations stopped coming. Days, weeks, by some accounts longer. The Prophet ﷺ was distressed. Was Allah angry with him? Had he done something wrong? The disbelievers around him noticed the gap and started mocking him, saying his Lord had abandoned him. Then Ad-Duha came down.
The surah opens with two oaths. "By the morning light. And by the night when it is still." Then the answer. "Your Lord has not forsaken you, nor is He displeased with you. And the Hereafter will be better for you than this present life. And your Lord will give you, and you will be satisfied."
The rest of the surah is Allah reminding the Prophet ﷺ of His care, listing favours from his life. "Did He not find you an orphan and shelter you? Did He not find you searching and guide you? Did He not find you in need and provide for you?" The surah ends with three commands to him, and through him to anyone reading it. Don't oppress the orphan. Don't push away the one who asks. And speak about the favours your Lord has given you.
If there's a surah for someone going through a quiet difficult stretch, Ad-Duha is usually the first one Muslims point to. It's about not abandoning someone who feels alone, including not abandoning yourself.
How many verses are in Surah Ad-Duha?
Eleven verses. It's the 93rd surah in the Quran.
What is the context of Surah Ad-Duha?
There was a period when revelation stopped coming to the Prophet ﷺ, and people around him started mocking him saying his Lord had abandoned him. Ad-Duha was revealed as the answer, telling him Allah had not forsaken him.
What does Surah Ad-Duha teach?
That hard times don't mean Allah has left you. The surah lists Allah's past favours to the Prophet ﷺ as proof, then ends with three instructions: don't oppress the orphan, don't reject the asker, and speak about the favours you've been given.