Surah Ash-Shams is one of the surahs the Prophet ﷺ recommended for the Isha prayer: to Mu’adh, who had made the prayer too long, he said “Are you putting people to trial?” and told him to recite Ash-Shams and similar surahs, which he himself recited at Isha. A surah of the Mufassal, it contains the longest oath in the Qur’an on the success of whoever purifies his soul.
When Mu’adh lengthened the Isha prayer by starting Al-Baqarah, the Prophet ﷺ said to him: “Are you putting people to trial?” and told him to recite Ash-Shams and similar surahs; he himself recited it at Isha.
Authentic (sahih)Al-Bukhari (701) and Muslim (465) Good (hasan)At-Tirmidhi (309) and An-Nasa’i
Its main objective is to affirm, through the longest oath in the Qur’an, the greatness of purifying the soul through obedience and the loss of whoever corrupts it through sins.
It belongs to the Mufassal, by which the Prophet ﷺ was favoured over the other prophets, according to the hadith of Wathilah ibn al-Asqa’: “… and I was favoured with the Mufassal.”
Arabic text, translation, reference and authenticity grade of each hadith.
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﴾
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 light’, ‘By the night when it covers’ and ‘Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High’.”
كان رسول الله ﷺ يقرأ في العشاء الآخرة، بالشمس وضحاها ونحوها من السور
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to recite in the last evening prayer (al-isha) “By the sun and its brightness” and similar surahs.
Main purpose: To affirm, through the longest oath in the Qur’an, the greatness of purifying the soul through obedience and the loss of whoever corrupts it through sins.
Most commentators call it “Ash-Shams” (the Sun), and Ibn Kathir titles it “Wash-shamsi wa duhaha”. Wholly Meccan, it has fifteen verses in most copies of the Qur’an and sixteen in the Meccan count; it was revealed after Al-Qadr and before Al-Buruj. Allah opens it with oaths by great creations of immense benefit, which clearly show His oneness, His perfect power and the wonder of His making.
Tafsir of Surah Ash-Shams Listen to Ash-Shams by other reciters
The full Arabic text: introduction, virtues, themes, and a study of the chain and authenticity of each hadith.
