Skip to content
Assabile

Virtues and benefits of Surah Al-Layl

Surah 92 21 verses Meccan

Surah Al-Layl is one of the surahs the Prophet ﷺ told Mu’adh to recite in the night prayer (al-’isha) after he had lengthened his people’s prayer with Al-Baqarah: “Are you putting people to trial?” he asked him, then pointed him to Ash-Shams, Ad-Duhaa, Al-Layl and Al-A’la. It also belongs to the Mufassal.

by Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais Read Surah Al-Layl All recitations

Its virtues at a glance

  • A surah for the night prayer (’isha)

    When Mu’adh lengthened his people’s ’isha prayer with Al-Baqarah, the Prophet ﷺ said to him: “O Mu’adh, are you putting people to trial?” and told him to recite Ash-Shams, Ad-Duhaa, Al-Layl and Al-A’la; he himself used to recite Ash-Shams and similar surahs in that prayer.

    Authentic (sahih)Al-Bukhari (701) and Muslim (465) Good (hasan)At-Tirmidhi (309) and An-Nasa’i

  • A surah of the Mufassal

    It belongs to the Mufassal, given to the Prophet ﷺ as an extra gift and 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.”

  • The surah of generosity and miserliness

    In it Allah swears by three things that people’s deeds differ; it shows the honour of the believers and the merit of their deeds, and censures the idolaters and their misdeeds. Ibn Abbas said: “I say that this surah was revealed about generosity and miserliness.”

When to recite it

  • In the ’isha prayer, as the Prophet ﷺ advised Mu’adh, to lighten the prayer for those behind him (Al-Bukhari 701 and Muslim 465)

Hadiths on its virtues

Arabic text, translation, reference and authenticity grade of each hadith.

إن معاذًا صلى معك العشاء ثم أتى فافتتح بسورة البقرة، فأقبل رسول الله ﷺ على معاذ فقال: يا معاذ أفتان أنت؟ اقرأ بكذا، واقرأ بكذا … اقرأ: ﴿وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا﴾ ﴿وَالضُّحَى﴾ و﴿وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى﴾ و﴿سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى﴾

“Mu’adh prayed the night prayer with you, then came and began it with Surah Al-Baqarah.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ turned to Mu’adh and said: “O Mu’adh, are you putting people to trial? Recite such-and-such, recite such-and-such … Recite ‘By the sun and its brightness’, ‘By the morning brightness’, ‘By the night when it covers’ and ‘Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High’.”

Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah Al-Bukhari (701) and Muslim (465) Authentic (sahih) narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim; At-Tirmidhi: good and authentic

كان رسول الله ﷺ يقرأ في العشاء الآخرة، بالشمس وضحاها ونحوها من السور

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to recite in the last night prayer “By the sun and its brightness” and similar surahs.

Narrated by Buraydah At-Tirmidhi (309) and An-Nasa’i Good (hasan) graded good by At-Tirmidhi; Ahmad Shakir: authentic chain

What the surah is about

  • The oath on how people differ in doing evil and good
  • The honour of the believers, the merit of their deeds and their reward
  • The censure of the idolaters, their evil deeds and their recompense
  • Generosity and miserliness, as Ibn Abbas said
  • The Messenger ﷺ sent to remind of the truth and warn those who oppose Allah’s command
  • The Fire as the end of the deniers, and the salvation of the God-fearing

Main purpose: To describe people’s states in faith and spending, and the fate of each group.

About Surah Al-Layl

Al-Layl, called “Wal-layl” in some works of exegesis and “Wal-layli idha yaghsha” by Al-Bukhari, has twenty-one verses and is the 92nd surah in the order of the Qur’an. Most scholars hold it to be Meccan; others say it is Medinan or partly both, but the preferred view is that it is entirely Meccan. Ibn Abbas said: “Wal-layli idha yaghsha was revealed in Mecca.” It was revealed after Al-A’la, the ninth of the Meccan surahs in the order of revelation.

Tafsir of Surah Al-Layl Listen to Al-Layl by other reciters

Detailed study in Arabic

The full Arabic text: introduction, virtues, themes, and a study of the chain and authenticity of each hadith.

  1. التعريف بسورة الليل
  2. فضائل سورة الليل
  3. موضوعات سورة الليل
  4. تلخيص سورة الليل
  5. الأحاديث الواردة في الفضل ودرجتها

Sunday, October 25, 2026 14 جمادى الأولى 1448 هـ