Surah At-Tariq (The Nightcomer)

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Seventeen verses, Meccan.

It encompasses encouragement toward knowing the Originator (al-Mabda') and the Return (al-Ma'ad).

Al-Tariq (The Nightcomer): (1) By the heaven and the nightcomer.

It is known that the Almighty frequently mentions the heaven, the sun, and the moon in His Book because their conditions—their shapes, movements, risings, and settings—are wondrous.

As for Al-Tariq (the nightcomer), it refers to anything that comes to you at night, whether it is a star or something else. Thus, the Tariq does not occur during the day. The evidence for this is the saying of Muslims in their supplication: "We seek refuge in Allah from the calamities of the night (tawariq al-layl)." It is narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) "forbade a man from approaching his wife in a manner of sudden arrival (turuqan)." The Arabs also use turuq to describe phantoms/illusions, as this state mostly occurs at night.

Then, when the Almighty said, {And by the nightcomer}, the listener would inevitably need to know what is meant by it. So, He said: {And what will make you know what the Nightcomer is?} Sufyan ibn Uyaynah said: "Whatever in the Qur'an is preceded by Mā adrāka (What will make you know), the Messenger has been informed about it. And whatever is preceded by Mā yudrīka (What will make you know), he has not been informed about it, like His saying: {And what will make you know? Perhaps the Hour is near} (Ash-Shura: 17)."

Then He said: {The piercing star} (An-Najm ath-Thāqib). This means it is a nightcomer of great significance and high status. It is the star by which one is guided in the darkness of the land and the sea, and by which the times of rain are known.

Herein lie several issues:

Issue 1: Why the Star is Described as Piercing (Thāqib)

There are several reasons for describing the star as thāqib:

1. It pierces the darkness with its light, penetrating it. This is similar to the saying: darā’ahu (he repelled it), meaning he pushed it away.
2. It appears from the East, penetrating the air like something that pierces an object.
3. It is what the devils are seen by, thus it pierces them, meaning it penetrates and burns them.
4. Al-Farra’ said: {The piercing star} refers to the star that is elevated above the other stars. The Arabs say of a bird that ascends high into the belly of the sky: "It has pierced (thaqaba)."

Issue 2: Why the Star is Described as a Nightcomer (Tāriq)

It is described as a nightcomer because it appears at night, and you already know that this is called tariq. Alternatively, it is because it strikes (yaṭruqu) the Jinn.

Issue 3: Disagreement on the Identity of {The Piercing Star}

They differed regarding His saying: {The piercing star}.

• Some said it refers to the collective noun (the category of stars), just as He said: {Indeed, mankind is in loss} (Al-'Asr: 2).
• Others said it refers to a specific star. Ibn Zayd said it is the Pleiades (Ath-Thurayya).
• Al-Farra’ said it is Saturn, because its light pierces the seven heavens.
• Others said it refers to the meteors (shuhub) by which the devils are stoned, based on His saying: {Then there followed him a piercing flame} (As-Saffat: 10).

Issue 4: Narration concerning Abu Talib

It is narrated that Abu Talib came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and presented him with bread and milk. While he was sitting and eating, a star descended, filled with water, then fire. Abu Talib was startled and asked, "What is this?" The Prophet replied, "This is a star that was thrown, and it is one of Allah's signs." Abu Talib was amazed, and the Surah was revealed.

Know that after mentioning what the oath is sworn by, the Almighty follows it by mentioning what the oath is sworn upon: {Indeed, every soul is over it a guardian.} (Inna kulla nafsin lammā 'alayhā ḥāfiẓ).

Herein lie several issues:

Issue 1: Regarding the word {Lammā}

There are two readings for {Lammā}:

1. The reading of Ibn Kathir, Abu ‘Amr, Nafi’, and Al-Kisā’ī: with a lightened mīm (لَمَا).
2. The reading of ‘Asim, Hamzah, and An-Nakha’ī: with a stressed mīm (لَمَّا).

Abu Ali Al-Fasi said: For those who lighten the mīm, the word is considered أَن (an) which is the lightened form of the heavy أَنَّ (anna). The lām in {lammā} is the one that enters with this lightened form to free it from the negative inna (if it were إِنْ), and the mā is extra, like the mā in {Fabi-mā raḥmatun min Allāh} (But by the mercy of Allah) (Al 'Imran: 159), and the result is {illā qalīl} (except a few). In this case, أَن is receiving the oath, just as it receives it when stressed.

As for those who stress the mīm, لَمَّا is considered أَن (an) which is the negative particle, like in {Mā in makkannākum} (If We had not established you). And {lammā} here means alā (indeed/verily). He said that {lammā} is used to mean alā in two contexts: one is this case, and the other is in the context of an oath, such as saying: "I ask you by Allah lammā you do it," meaning "Indeed, do it."

It is narrated from Al-Akhfash, Al-Kisā’ī, and Abu ‘Ubaydah that they said: The use of {lammā} to mean alā has not been found in the speech of the Arabs. Ibn ‘Awn said: I read {lammā} with stress in front of Ibn Sirin, and he rejected it, saying, "Glory be to Allah, Glory be to Allah!" Al-‘Utbi claimed that {lammā} means alā, even though the lightened form meaning mā (not) exists in the dialect of Hudhayl.

Issue 2: Who is the Guardian, and What is Guarded?

The verse does not specify who this guardian is, nor does it specify what the guardian guards the soul from.

Regarding the first point (Who is the guardian?): There are two opinions.

1. The first opinion: Some commentators say the guardian is Allah Almighty. In reality, this is because every existence other than Allah is contingent (mumkin), and every contingent being requires a determiner (murajjih) to make its existence preferable to its non-existence, which ultimately leads back to the Necessary Being (Allah), who exists by Himself. Thus, He is the Sustainer (Al-Qayyūm) by whose preservation and sustenance existents remain. Furthermore, the Almighty clarified this general meaning concerning the heavens and the earth in His saying: {Indeed, Allah restrains the heavens and the earth from ceasing to exist} (Fatir: 41), and He clarified it specifically concerning mankind in this verse. The essence of the statement reverts to Allah swearing that everything other than Him is contingent, created, dependent, and nurtured. This is if we interpret "soul" (nafs) as the absolute essence. However, if we interpret it as the breathing soul (the animal soul), it is possible that the meaning of Allah being its guardian is that He is fully aware of its conditions, conveys all benefits to it, and wards off all harms from it.

2. The second opinion: That guardian is the angels, as He said: {And He sends over you guardians} (Al-An'am: 61), and {When two recorders sit on the right and on the left, one sitting on the right and one on the left. Not a word does he utter except that with him is an observer prepared} (Qaf: 17-18), and {And indeed, over you are guardians, Honorable recorders, who know what you do} (Al-Infitar: 10-12), and {For him are successive angels before and behind him who guard him by the command of Allah} (Ar-Ra'd: 11).

Regarding the second point (What is guarded?): There are several interpretations:

1. These guardians write down all of his deeds, minor and major, so that a book is presented to him on the Day of Resurrection, which he will find open.
2. {Indeed, every soul is over it a guardian} means He guards its deeds, its provision, and its appointed term. When the person exhausts his term and provision, he is taken back to his Lord. The essence of this returns to a warning for the disbelievers and comfort for the Prophet (peace be upon him), like His saying: {So do not hasten against them; indeed, they will soon be turned away} (referring to the Hereafter) to be recompensed for what they deserve.
3. Every soul has a guardian who guards it from calamities and perils, so that nothing befalls it except what Allah has decreed for it.
4. Al-Farra’ said: Every soul has a guardian who guards it until it is delivered to the graves. This is the view of Al-Kalbi.

Know that after Allah swore that every soul has a guardian watching over it and recording its deeds, it becomes incumbent upon everyone to strive and endeavor to attain the most important matters. The divine laws and intellects agree that the most important matters are knowing the Originator (Al-Mabda’) and knowing the Return (Al-Ma'ād). They agree that knowing the Originator precedes knowing the Return. For this reason, Allah began after this with what indicates the Originator.

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