Surah Adh-Dhariyat belongs to the Mufassal by which the Prophet ﷺ was favoured over the other prophets, and he recited it in the night prayer together with Surah At-Tur in a single rak’ah. It swears that the resurrection and the recompense are true, and ends by stating that Allah created the jinn and mankind only to worship Him.
The Prophet ﷺ used to recite the similar surahs of the Mufassal in each rak’ah, including At-Tur and Adh-Dhariyat in a single rak’ah, as Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported.
It belongs to the Mufassal, given to the Prophet ﷺ as an extra gift by which he was favoured over the other prophets, according to the hadith of Wathilah ibn al-Asqa’: “… and I was favoured with the Mufassal.”
It describes the pious who slept little at night, sought forgiveness before dawn and recognised in their wealth a right for the beggar and the deprived.
It ends by stating that Allah created the jinn and mankind only to worship Him, and that He is the Provider, the Possessor of strength, the Firm.
Arabic text, translation, reference and authenticity grade of each hadith.
أتاه رجل فقال: إني أقرأ المفصل في ركعة. فقال: هذًّا كهذ الشعر، ونثرًا كنثر الدقل، ولكن رسول الله ﷺ كان يقرأ النظائر في كل ركعة. الرحمن والنجم، في ركعة، والطور والذاريات في ركعة…
A man came to him and said: “I recite the Mufassal in a single rak’ah.” He replied: “Rushing through it like poetry and scattering it like dry dates! The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to recite the similar surahs (an-naza’ir) in each rak’ah: Ar-Rahman and An-Najm in one rak’ah, At-Tur and Adh-Dhariyat in one rak’ah…”
Main purpose: To teach the jinn and mankind that their provision comes from Allah alone, so that they worship Him sincerely.
Adh-Dhariyat is an entirely Meccan surah of sixty verses, revealed after Al-Ahqaf. It opens with Allah’s oath by some of His creatures: “By those scattering, by those bearing a load, by those gliding with ease, by those apportioning by command”, affirming that what people are promised is true and that the recompense will come. It belongs to the Mufassal.
Tafsir of Surah Adh-Dhariyat Listen to Adh-Dhariyat by other reciters
The full Arabic text: introduction, virtues, themes, and a study of the chain and authenticity of each hadith.
