Surah Al-Layl

There is no disagreement that it consists of twenty-one verses. There is, however, disagreement regarding whether it is Meccan or Medinan. The majority hold that it is Meccan, while Ali bin Abi Talhah said it is Medinan. It has also been said that part of it is Meccan and part is Medinan. Similarly, there is disagreement regarding the occasion of its revelation; the majority maintain that it was revealed concerning Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah the Exalted be pleased with him. This has been narrated with authentic chains of authority from Ibn Mas'ud, Ibn Abbas, and others.

Al-Suddi said that it was revealed concerning Abu al-Dahdah al-Ansari. This occurred because a hypocrite had a palm tree that hung over the house of some orphans in his neighborhood, and whenever a date would fall from it into their house, he would take it from them. The Prophet, may Allah the Exalted bless him and grant him peace, said to him, "Leave it for them, and you shall have in exchange for it a place in Paradise," but he refused. Abu al-Dahdah then bought the tree from him along with its garden. The Prophet, may Allah the Exalted bless him and grant him peace, asked, "Would you grant it to them in exchange for the palm tree in Paradise?" He replied, "Yes." He then granted it to them, and this was revealed, with a long and ambiguous account regarding Abu al-Dahdah, as reported by Ibn Abi Hatim from Ibn Abbas with a weak chain, as indicated by Hafiz al-Suyuti.

Some have mentioned that the saying of the Exalted in it, “But the righteous one shall be kept away from it,” (92:17) was revealed regarding Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah the Exalted be pleased with him, remaining silent about the rest. It has been reported from some exegetes that this is a matter of consensus, and that the claim of some Shi'a that it was revealed regarding the Commander [Ali], may Allah honor his face, will be addressed, God willing, in the explanation of what relates to its revelation.

When the Exalted mentioned in the preceding [Surah], "Indeed, he who purifies himself has succeeded," (87:14) He mentioned therein those attributes through which success is achieved and through which failure is incurred. Thus, it contains a type of detail regarding that, especially since the Majestic and Exalted followed that with some of the types of success and types of failure—may Allah protect us from it—by saying, the Most Mighty of speakers:

Al-Layl: (1) By the night when it covers.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

"By the night when it covers," meaning: when it covers the sun, as in His saying, the Exalted, "And by the night when it covers it [the sun]," or [when it covers] the day, as in His saying, the Exalted, "He covers the day with the night," or [when it covers] everything that it conceals generally with its darkness. The entity being sworn by in all three interpretations is the night in its entirety.