وَاللَّيلِ إِذا يَسرِ

And by the night when it runs its course.

EXEGESIS

The imperfect tense verb yasri whose root letters are s-r-y, means: to seep, to spread unobtrusively, and to travel by night.^{‎[1]Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur’anic Usage, p. 435.}

The description of the night expressed in this verse as running its course seems to grant the night the visage of a conscious being, a being that senses and moves as if by its own volition, advancing and making progress through the night in its bid to meet the light of day.^{‎[2]Amthal, 19/175.}

EXPOSITION

This is the fourth and final oath in this series of oaths and it resembles the oath in 74:33 and 81:17.

Again, exegetes have differed regarding the identity of this night and whether it refers to all nights in general or to a special night. Thus, as mentioned with respect to the previous verses, if the letters alif and lām in the word al-layl (the night) denote generalisation and a reference to the species of a thing, then it can be taken to refer to the night in general as a manifestation of God’s greatness and wise creation, and His magnificence and transcendence. Indeed, the night along with the day and other elements of the field of astronomy, such as the sun and the moon, the stars, the planets, and the wind, among others, are repeatedly invoked by the Quran as signs pointing to the existence, omnipotence, and omniscience of God. The following verses are some examples of Quranic verses where the phenomenon of the night is mentioned as a sign of God: 2:164, 3:27, 3:190, 6:96, 7:54, 10:6, 10:67, 13:3, 14:33, 16:12, 17:12, 21:33, 22:61, 23:80, 24:44, 25:47, 25:62, 27:86, 28:71-73, 30:23, 31:29, 35:13, 36:37, 36:40, 39:5, 40:61, 41:37, 45:5, 57:6, 78:10, 91:4, 92:1, and 93:2. This interpretation is in light of the verse’s literal and apparent sense^{‎[3]Mizan, 20/280.} and in light of the fact that the night appears unqualified.

Alternatively, if the letters alif and lām in the word al-layl are taken to denote definite specificity, then it would refer to the night of Eid al-Aḍḥā,^{‎[4]Burhan, 5/651; Amthal, 19/175; Nur, 5/571; Tabrisi, 10/737.} a suggestion made especially in light of the identification of the ten nights in the second verse with the first ten nights of Dhū al-Ḥijjah.^{‎[5]Mizan, 20/280.} This is the night when the pilgrims move from Arafat to Muzdalifah, sojourning that night in that sacred valley, and in the morning they move to Mina. This night is also referred to as the night of congregation (laylat al-jamʿ), so called because of the gathering of the pilgrims at Muzdalifah.

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

The opinion that the night in this verse refers to night in general has been recorded as attributed to ʿAbd-Allāh ibn al-Zubayr, Ibn Abbas, Mujāhid, and Qatādah,^{‎[6]Tabari, 30/110; Suyuti, 6/347; Zamakhshari, 4/746.} as well as to Jubbāʾī.^{‎[7]Tabrisi, 10/737.} However, Mujāhid has also been reported to have favoured the alternative, specific identification of this verse as referring to the night of Eid al-Aḍḥā, along with ʿIkramah,^{‎[8]Tabari, 30/110; Suyuti, 6/347; Qummi, 2/419.} Kalbī,^{‎[9]Tabrisi, 10/737.} Muqātil,^{‎[10]Muqatil, 4/687.} and Tustarī,^{‎[11]Tustari, p. 282.} among others.

[1] Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur’anic Usage, p. 435.
[2] Amthal, 19/175.
[3] Mizan, 20/280.
[4] Burhan, 5/651; Amthal, 19/175; Nur, 5/571; Tabrisi, 10/737.
[5] Mizan, 20/280.
[6] Tabari, 30/110; Suyuti, 6/347; Zamakhshari, 4/746.
[7] Tabrisi, 10/737.
[8] Tabari, 30/110; Suyuti, 6/347; Qummi, 2/419.
[9] Tabrisi, 10/737.
[10] Muqatil, 4/687.
[11] Tustari, p. 282.