The theme of Surah Al Dhua: In Surah Al-Duha, there is a message of hope and consolation to the Holy Prophet PBUH in particular and mankind in general. This surah was revealed during the Prophet’s early life when the people of Makkah persecuted him and his followers. Although he was very firm in faith and was never shaken continued hardships and isolation could create a sense of loneliness and abandonment in his mind. He was going through emotional and psychological distress.
As this life of ours is full of trials. There is no stage in our lives except that we face in it anxieties, grief, stress, and worries. And if you look at the life of our Prophet PBUH, he faced far more powerful struggles than we did. His anxieties were far greater than anything we can imagine.
Background and Revelation : And Allah revealed at the very first major crisis of his life, of his spiritual life, Allah revealed a surah that console him by revealing Surah Dhuha. Because it deals with how to grapple with anxiety and stress. It deals with what to do when you’re facing challenges. It deals with what to do when you’re so overcome. You might be verging on depression, you might be thinking thoughts that are unIslamic. And our Prophet PBUH himself went through something of this nature, a very minuscule amount at the beginning of his prophethood. And Allah revealed the surah that sets him a right in this regard. And we have read it many times but will try to ponder upon its meaning and how to heal our anxiety and grief. And that is how we understand the psychology of depression, the psychology of feeling negative when it comes to the Quran, and the Sunnah.
If you look at the early seerah of the Prophet pub in the first year of the revelation of the Quran, there was a timeframe some scholars set up to six months that Allah did not reveal any Quran. The some of the Quran’s Surah was revealed like Surah Iqra, Muzammil, and Mudassir and then after a while, no Quran. And the Prophet PBUH began wondering what was wrong. Is there something wrong with me? Maybe Allah doesn’t love me anymore. Maybe I’ve done something to displease Allah, and I’m not worthy of Allah’s love. These feelings that we now call anxiety, borderline depression, and these feelings of doubting your self-worth. They came to none other than the greatest human being, ever to walk on the face of this earth. And for many weeks, many months, no revelation came, so much so that he began to think that Allah does not like him anymore, that he is not beloved by Allah, that he has failed in the mission.
Then, at the very end of this timeframe, Abu lahbs’ wife taunted him and said, What’s this? We haven’t seen Quran for so long? Maybe your Shaitaan has abandoned you (Nawaz bila) And this really hurt him and he went home, very depressed, and anxious. And it was then that Allah revealed the Surah Al Dhuha.
Translation:
▪︎ By the morning brightness (1)
▪︎ And [by] the night when it covers with darkness, (2)
▪︎ Your Lord has not taken leave of you, [O Muhammad], nor has He detested [you]. (3)
▪︎ And the Hereafter is better for you than the first [life]. (4)
▪︎ And your Lord is going to give you, and you will be satisfied. (5)
▪︎ Did He not find you an orphan and give [you] refuge? (6)
▪︎ And He found you lost and guided [you], (7)
▪︎ And He found you poor and made [you] self-sufficient. (8)
▪︎ So as for the orphan, do not oppress [him]. (9)
▪︎ And as for the petitioner, do not repel [him]. (10)
▪︎ But as for the favour of your Lord, report [it]. (11)
Now, one of the most beautiful surahs, we can grasp its meaning by dividing it into four different sections. The first of them is two verses of the oath, these are very positive oaths. Then the second is three verses, the third is three verses and the fourth is three verses three plus three plus three plus which gives us a total of the number of verses in the surah which is 11.
2+3+3+3 = 11
The first of the three verses negates this the feeling of worthless in the eyes of Allah, the spiritual depression, the feeling of negativity, that I’m not worth anything, there’s no good in me, alone negates that get rid of it and replaces it with positive energy, replace it with optimism,
The second series of three verses. it negates the feeling of being useless in society of not being blessed in society. All my luck is against me alone negates that. And Allah substitutes it with the feeling of positivity in this Dunya and the final three verses, it directs the energies of the person to do something everlasting. To do something positive channel your negativity, and do something worthwhile. And instead of just sulking around and doing nothing, direct that feeling and then go channel it and do something positive for others.
So any person who is going through any hardship or feeling low about himself. Then he should keep in mind that we are not alone, Allah is with us. This life is temporary, Allah will inshaAllah grant us everlasting blessings in the Hereafter. Even during his sufferings, Allah will fill his soul with complete satisfaction and pleasure. A righteous man has just to trust His goodness. Keep doing good work. Direct your negativity by doing something valuable deeds, helping humanity. And proclaim the bounty of your lord.
This final ayah is about maintaining that renewed faith and bond with Allah – by pondering, glorifying and talking about the blessings of Allah! The more we remember Him and his blessing, the more we would be content and thankful to Him. This is the nutshell of the Surah.
Islamic Gems 