591 Page Notes

Surah At-Tariq

Page 591 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Surah Al-Ala

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 591 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Surah At-Tariq

Page 591 of the Quran contains the entirety of Surah At-Tariq (The Night-Comer, Chapter 86, verses 1 through 17).

Revealed during the early Meccan period when the disbelievers were actively plotting against Islam, this short, rhythmic chapter focuses on two massive themes: the certainty of resurrection and the ultimate authority of divine revelation.

The prophetic Sunnah preserves specific prayers where the Prophet ﷺ recited this Surah, provides linguistic context for its unique cosmic oaths, and echoes its warnings about human vulnerability.

1. The Sunnah of Recitation in Daily Prayers

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ valued the striking cadence and urgent message of Surah At-Tariq, frequently making it a staple of the loud, public prayers.

Midday and Afternoon Prayers

While many believe short Surahs were only read at night, the Sunnah shows that the Prophet ﷺ used them during daytime prayers to keep the congregation focused:

Narrated Jabir bin Samurah:

"For Zuhr (midday) and Asr (afternoon) prayers, Allah's Messenger ﷺ would recite: 'By the heavens, holding the Buruj' (Surah 85) and 'By the heavens and At-Tariq' (Surah 86) and chapters similar to them."

(Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 307 / Sunan an-Nasa'i, Hadith 979 — Graded Sahih)

The Isha Prayer

The Prophet ﷺ also designated it as an ideal Surah for the night prayer. When the companion Mu'adh bin Jabal lengthened the Isha prayer so much that working men left the congregation in exhaustion, the Prophet ﷺ corrected him and gave him a specific list of beautifully balanced Surahs to recite instead:

"Why did you not pray with 'Glorify the Name of your Lord the Most High' (Surah Al-A'la), 'By the sun and its brightness' (Surah Ash-Shams), or 'By the heaven and the night-comer' (Surah At-Tariq)?"

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 705 / Sahih Muslim, Hadith 465)

2. Unpacking the Oath: What is At-Tariq? (Verses 1–3)

"By the sky and the night-comer (At-Tariq). And what can make you know what the night-comer is? It is the piercing star." (Quran 86:1-3)

The word Tariq stems from the root taraqa, which fundamentally means "to knock" or "to strike." In classical Arabic, it was used to describe anyone or anything arriving unexpectedly at night, requiring them to knock on a door to announce their arrival.

The Sunnah preserves how the Prophet ﷺ used this exact linguistic imagery in his daily prayers and personal life:

• The Prophet's Supplication: The Prophet ﷺ used to pray: "O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the night-comers (tawariq) of this night, except for a night-comer who knocks with good news, O Rahman!" (Musnad Ahmad)

• The Social Etiquette: Because a night arrival (tariq) causes sudden disruption, the Prophet ﷺ established a travel rule: "He forbade that a man should knock at the door of his family unexpectedly at night (an yatruqa ahlahu laylan)" so that the household has time to properly prepare for their return. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 5243)

By calling the star At-Tariq, Allah compares its sudden, brilliant striking through the pitch-black sky to an uninvited visitor knocking in the dead of night.

3. The Divine Auditing of Human Secrets (Verses 8–10)

"Indeed, Allah, to return him [to life], is Able. The Day when secrets will be put on trial (Tubla as-Sara'ir). Then man will have no power or any helper." (Quran 86:8-10)

Verse 9 introduces a terrifying concept: Tubla as-Sara'ir—the day human secrets are thoroughly tested, exposed, and put on public trial. The Sunnah connects this verse directly to the spiritual danger of hidden treachery and hypocrisy:

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

"On the Day of Resurrection, a distinct banner will be raised for every single person who committed an act of betrayal or treachery. It will be placed right by their backside, and it will be announced to the public: 'This is the betrayal of so-and-so, the child of so-and-so.'"

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6178 / Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1735)

The Sunnah emphasizes that while Allah hides a person's private faults out of mercy in this world, those who weaponized hidden malice will have their innermost "secrets" dragged into the light on the Day of Judgment, leaving them with "no power or helper" (Verse 10).

4. The Respite for the Corrupt (Verses 15–17)

"Indeed, they are planning a plan. But I am planning a plan. So allow time for the disbelievers; leave them awhile." (Quran 86:15-17)

Page 591 closes with an intense warning to the chieftains of Mecca who were plotting to crush Islam. Allah commands the Prophet ﷺ to leave them alone for "just a little while."

The Sunnah maps out how this promise materialized. A few short years after this Meccan revelation, the "awhile" expired at the Battle of Badr and the eventual Conquest of Mecca. The Prophet ﷺ repeatedly referenced how Allah's master plan overrides human schemes:

The Prophet ﷺ said:

"Verily, Allah gives respite to the oppressor. But when He finally seizes him, He never lets him go."

The Prophet ﷺ then recited: "Such is the seizure of your Lord when He seizes the towns while they are doing wrong..." (Quran 11:102)

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 4686 / Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2583)

Summary of Reference Sources

• Prayer Guidelines (Zuhr/Asr): Jami` at-Tirmidhi (Hadith 307) and Sunan an-Nasa'i (Hadith 979).

• The Isha Congregational Balance: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 705) and Sahih Muslim (Hadith 465).

• Linguistic Definition of Tariq: Sahih al-Bukhari (Book of Wedlock, Hadith 5243) and Musnad Ahmad.

• Exposing of Private Secrets (Verse 9): Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 6178) and Sahih Muslim (Hadith 1735).

• Respite for Oppressive Plotters (Verse 17): Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 4686).

Surah Al-Ala

Page 591 of the Quran marks a transition: it finishes Surah At-Tariq and introduces the opening of Surah Al-A'la (The Most High, Chapter 87), verses 1 through 10.

quran.com

Surah Al-A'la held an incredibly dear place in the daily life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. It balances cosmic praise for Allah’s creative design with deep, intimate reassurances to the Prophet ﷺ regarding his memory and his mission.

en.wikipedia.org

The prophetic Sunnah provides beautiful rituals, liturgical templates, and theological context for these ten verses.

1. The Sunnah of Direct Vocal Response (Verse 1)

The Surah opens with a direct command from Allah:

“Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High.” (Quran 87:1)

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Whenever the Prophet ﷺ recited this opening verse—whether he was leading a congregational prayer, praying alone at night, or simply reviewing the text—he established a beautiful Sunnah of vocally talking back to the text to fulfill the command instantly:

islamqa.info

Narrated Abdullah bin Abbas: "Whenever the Prophet ﷺ recited: 'Sabbih isma Rabbika al-A'la' (Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High), he would immediately say: 'Subhana Rabbiyal-A'la' (Glory be to my Lord, the Most High)." (Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 883 / Musnad Ahmad — Graded Sahih)

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The Companions like Ali ibn Abi Talib and Abu Musa al-Ash'ari practiced this so strictly during formal prayers that onlookers once asked Ali if he was adding text to the Quran. He responded: "No, rather we were commanded to say something, so I said it."

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2. A Staple of Friday, Eid, and Witr Prayers

The Prophet ﷺ selected Surah Al-A'la as a primary liturgical anthem for major public and private gatherings, making it one of the most frequently heard chapters in Medina:

• Friday and Eid Congregations: The Prophet ﷺ paired Surah Al-A'la (Verse 1–19) in the first unit (Rak'ah) with Surah Al-Ghashiyah in the second unit for both the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) and the two Eid prayers. If Eid fell on a Friday, he would cheerfully recite them in both gatherings (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 878a).
  en.wikipedia.org

• The Nightly Closing (Witr): In his personal nightly prayers, the Prophet ﷺ consistently used Surah Al-A'la to anchor his final prayers:
  "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to recite in the Witr prayer: 'Glorify the Name of your Lord the Most High' (Surah 87), 'Say: O you disbelievers' (Surah 109), and 'Say: He is Allah, the One' (Surah 112)." (Sunan an-Nasa'i, Hadith 1699 — Graded Sahih)

3. Reassurance Against Cognitive Anxiety (Verses 6–7)

“We shall make you recite [O Muhammad], so you shall not forget. Except what Allah may will...” (Quran 87:6-7)

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During the early stages of revelation, the Prophet ﷺ used to experience massive stress when the Angel Jibril delivered verses. He would frantically move his tongue and lips while Jibril was still speaking, terrified that a word might slip his mind before he could memorize it.

The Sunnah links this verse directly to that deep vulnerability. Allah intervened to tell him to calm down and listen, promising that He would personally hardwire the text into the Prophet's memory. The scholar Qatadah noted from the Companions: "The Prophet never forgot a single thing after this, except what Allah deliberately willed to abrogate (remove from the active text)" (Tafsir Ibn Kathir).

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4. The Law of the "Way of Ease" (Verse 8)

“And We shall make easy for you the easy [way].” (Quran 87:8)

quran.com

This verse is a divine promise that Islam's legal framework would never be designed to break the human spirit. The Prophet's entire lifestyle was an execution of this verse. The Sunnah captures this fundamental trait perfectly:

Narrated Aisha, Mother of the Believers: "Whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was given a choice between two matters, he always chose the easier of the two, as long as it did not involve a sin." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3560 / Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2327)

5. The Historical Arrival of Page 591 in Medina

The Sunnah preserves how deeply sentimental these specific ten verses were to the early Muslim community. When the persecuted Meccan Muslims were migrating to Medina to escape torture, they didn't have printing presses; they carried fragments of text in their hearts.

The companion Al-Bara bin Azib recorded how the arrival of Surah Al-A'la signaled the dawn of their new society:

"The very first people to arrive to us in Medina were Mus'ab bin 'Umayr and Ibn Umm Maktum, who began teaching us the Quran. Then came Ammar, Bilal, and Sa'd... Finally, the Prophet ﷺ arrived. I never saw the people of Medina happier about anything than his arrival... And he did not arrive until I had already fully memorized 'Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High' (Surah Al-A'la)." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 4941)

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Summary of Reference Sources

en.wikipedia.org

• The Verbal Response Sunnah (Verse 1): Sunan Abi Dawud (Hadith 883).
  islamqa.info

• Friday and Eid Routines: Sahih Muslim (Book of Prayer on the Two Eids, Hadith 878a).

• Witr Prayer Sequence: Sunan an-Nasa'i (Hadith 1699).

• Choosing the Way of Ease (Verse 8): Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 3560) and Sahih Muslim (Hadith 2327).

• The Medina Migration Memory: Sahih al-Bukhari (Book of Virtues of the Quran, Hadith 4941).