Al-Qur'an Surah At-Takwir Verse 17

Mufti Taqi Usmani

and by the night when it departs,

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

and the night as it falls

Ruwwad Translation Center

and by the night as it departs,

A. J. Arberry

by the night swarming,

Abdul Haleem

by the night that descends,

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And by the night when it departeth,

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And the Night as it dissipates;

Abul Ala Maududi

and by the night as it recedes,

Ahmed Ali

The closing night,

Ahmed Raza Khan

And by oath of the night when it turns back.

Ali Quli Qarai

by the night as it approaches,

Ali Ünal

And by the night as it inclines to depart,

Amatul Rahman Omar

And (I call to witness) the night when its darkness begins to depart,

English Literal

And the night when/if (it) passed/lightened .

Faridul Haque

And by oath of the night when it turns back.

Hamid S. Aziz

And the Night when it departs,

Hilali & Khan

And by the night as it departs;

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And the morning when it brightens,

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And the night when it departs,

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And the close of night,

Muhammad Sarwar

and sit during the day, or by the darkening night

Qaribullah & Darwish

by the night when it approaches

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And by the night when it `As`as.

Wahiduddin Khan

and the night that falls,

Talal Itani

And by the night as it recedes.

Tafsir jalalayn

and [by] the night as it approaches, as it falls with its darkness, or [it means] as it recedes;

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

And by the night when it `As`as.

There are two opinions about this statement.

- One of them is that this refers to its advancing with its darkness.

Mujahid said, "It means its darkening."

Sa`id bin Jubayr said, "When it begins."

Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "When it covers the people."

This was also said by `Atiyah Al-`Awfi.

Ali bin Abi Talhah and Al-`Awfi both reported from Ibn `Abbas;
إِذَا عَسْعَسَ
(when it `As`as)

"This means when it goes away."

Mujahid, Qatadah and Ad-Dahhak, all said the same.

Zayd bin Aslam and his son Abdur-Rahman also made a similar statement, when they said,
إِذَا عَسْعَسَ
(when it `As`as)

"This means when it leaves, and thus it turns away."

I believe that the intent in Allah's saying,
إِذَا عَسْعَسَ
(when it `As`as) is when it approaches, even though it is correct to use this word for departing also. However, approachment is a more suitable usage here.

It is as if Allah is swearing by the night and its darkness when it approaches, and by the morning and its light when it shines from the east.

This is as Allah says,

وَالَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى

وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّى

By the night as it envelops.

By the day as it appears in brightness. (92;1-2)

and He also says,

وَالضُّحَى

وَالَّيْلِ إِذَا سَجَى

By the forenoon. By the night when it darkens. (93;1-2)

Allah also says,

فَالِقُ الاِصْبَاحِ وَجَعَلَ الَّيْلَ سَكَناً

Cleaver of the daybreak. He has appointed night for resting. (6;96)

And there are other similar Ayat that mention this.

Many of the scholars of the fundamentals of language have said that the word `As`as is used to mean advancing and retreating, with both meanings sharing the same word. Therefore, it is correct that the intent could be both of them, and Allah knows best.

Concerning Allah's statement,

وَالصُّبْحِ إِذَا تَنَفَّسَ