& The Returning Nafs
The Nightcommer (86:1-17)
وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلطَّارِقِ ١
وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلطَّارِقُ ٢
ٱلنَّجْمُ ٱلثَّاقِبُ ٣
إِن كُلُّ نَفْسٍۢ لَّمَّا عَلَيْهَا حَافِظٌۭ ٤
فَلْيَنظُرِ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ مِمَّ خُلِقَ ٥
خُلِقَ مِن مَّآءٍۢ دَافِقٍۢ ٦
يَخْرُجُ مِنۢ بَيْنِ ٱلصُّلْبِ وَٱلتَّرَآئِبِ ٧
إِنَّهُۥ عَلَىٰ رَجْعِهِۦ لَقَادِرٌۭ ٨
يَوْمَ تُبْلَى ٱلسَّرَآئِرُ ٩
فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن قُوَّةٍۢ وَلَا نَاصِرٍۢ ١٠
وَٱلسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ ٱلرَّجْعِ ١١
وَٱلْأَرْضِ ذَاتِ ٱلصَّدْعِ ١٢
إِنَّهُۥ لَقَوْلٌۭ فَصْلٌۭ ١٣
وَمَا هُوَ بِٱلْهَزْلِ ١٤
إِنَّهُمْ يَكِيدُونَ كَيْدًۭا ١٥
وَأَكِيدُ كَيْدًۭا ١٦
فَمَهِّلِ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ أَمْهِلْهُمْ رُوَيْدًۢا ١٧
[https://quran.com/86/1-17]
The Sky, atTariq (The Piercing Star), Guarded Nafs, Created from Water, Able to Return, Returning Sky, are some of the key points highlighted in the Arabic text of Surah atTariq quoted above.
- The Sky (وَٱلسَّمَآءِ)
- atTariq (The Piercing Star) ((وَٱلطَّارِقِ, (ٱلنَّجْمُ ٱلثَّاقِبُ)
- Guarded Nafs (إِن كُلُّ نَفْسٍۢ لَّمَّا عَلَيْهَا حَافِظٌۭ)
- Created from Water (خُلِقَ مِن مَّآءٍۢ دَافِقٍۢ)
- Able to Return (إِنَّهُۥ عَلَىٰ رَجْعِهِۦ لَقَادِرٌۭ)
- The Returning Sky (وَٱلسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ ٱلرَّجْعِ)
The Surah begins with an oath of The Sky (وَٱلسَّمَآءِ), and later in the surah, an oath is taken by The Returning Sky (وَٱلسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ ٱلرَّجْعِ).
We can observe the sky. We see it on a daily basis. Day and night, season after season. We see how it gradually changes from day to night, from long days to shorter days, from hot summers to cool winters, changing constellations in the night sky, returning every year at approximately the same places, at the same time, as if clockwork, literally. Sun, moon, clouds, rain, and the earth's changing landscape with the seasons heralded in the sky.
The Surah, along with The Sky (وَٱلسَّمَآءِ) also takes an oath by atTariq (وَٱلطَّارِقِ), and knowing that we cannot comprehend it, explains that it is The Piercing Star ((وَٱلطَّارِقِ, (ٱلنَّجْمُ ٱلثَّاقِبُ). Then, it informs us that on every soul (nafs), there is a guard.
The Quran informs us that our Nafs is daily taken, during sleep, and returned to all who are to continue living. It is permanently removed at the time of death. The death is given to the soul, while the body consequently disintegrates and returns to the dust it was created with, losing all the water, unable to retain it in the cells of the body, vitally critical to its functioning.
Like the sky and earth, we undergo various phases, both internally and externally.
Our body keeps changing as we grow and age.
We also experience various situations throughout our life.
The Quran also informs us that everything that happens to us depends on Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى 's decisions: the good is all from Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى , while the bad is due to our nafs. The Quran invites us to do 'tazkiya' of our nafs, that is: make it 'grow', by obeying Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى 's guidance, so that Allah restores our nafs to its original, pristine form of Nur, as it was before the Fall of Adam.
So, is the nafs like the sky, and the body like the earth?
During the day, we can see the sky.
When our nafs is restored its Nur, shall we be surrounded by a light that makes everything visible?
At night, we cannot see the sky itself, but we can see the bright objects that decorate it.
Presently, we cannot see our nafs, as it is in a state of 'zulm' (darkness).
Like the sky returns, so our nafs returns, daily.
Is the nafs then an external cloak that adorns us when we are awake?
As the nafs grows, our personal space increases.
As the sky expands, so the spacetime continuum increases?
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Surah ashShams takes seven oaths by the Sun, the Moon, the Day, the Night, the Sky, the Earth, and the Nafs:
The Sun (91:1-15)
وَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا ١
وَٱلْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا ٢
وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا ٣
وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰهَا ٤
وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَىٰهَا ٥
وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا ٦
وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا ٧
فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا ٨
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا ٩
وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا ١٠
كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ بِطَغْوَىٰهَآ ١١
إِذِ ٱنۢبَعَثَ أَشْقَىٰهَا ١٢
فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ نَاقَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَسُقْيَـٰهَا ١٣
فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُم بِذَنۢبِهِمْ فَسَوَّىٰهَا ١٤
وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقْبَـٰهَا ١٥
[https://quran.com/91/1-15]
Translating and paraphrasing, according to the Arabic grammar:
The Sun and her brightness, the Moon when he follows her, the Day when he reveals her, the Night when he covers her, the Sky and He who constructed her, the Earth and He who spread her, the Nafs and He who سَوَّىٰهَا her: He inspired her فُجُورَهَا and تَقْوَىٰهَا:
- Successful is the one who makes her grow;
- Unsuccessful is the one who stuns her.
Denied the Thamud with their rebellious pride (transgression). When rose up the one who was the most wicked of them. Their Messenger from Allah said do not harm Allah's she-camel who is pregnant, and her right to drink. So, they belied him, and made her barren, so crushed them to the ground (فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ), their Lord (رَبُّهُم), for their crime (بِذَنۢبِهِمْ), levelling all to the ground (فَسَوَّىٰهَا). He has no fear of the consequences.
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Notice Q91:7 (سَوَّىٰهَا) and Q91:14(فَسَوَّىٰهَا). Both contain the same word. Our nafs has been levelled with our body. It should be grown to make it successful. But, we cannot make it grow. What we can do is do acts of تَقْوَىٰهَا . Then, we can hope for Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى to make it grow and glow:
The Star (53:32)
ٱلَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَـٰٓئِرَ ٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْفَوَٰحِشَ إِلَّا ٱللَّمَمَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَٰسِعُ ٱلْمَغْفِرَةِ ۚ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ إِذْ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَإِذْ أَنتُمْ أَجِنَّةٌۭ فِى بُطُونِ أُمَّهَـٰتِكُمْ ۖ فَلَا تُزَكُّوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۖ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰٓ ٣٢
وہ لوگ جو بڑے بڑے گناہوں اور بےحیائی سے بچتے ہیں سوائے کچھ آلودگی کے۔ یقینا آپ کا ربّ بہت ہی وسیع مغفرت والا ہے۔ وہ تمہیں خوب جانتا ہے جبکہ اس نے تمہیں زمین سے اٹھایا اور جب کہ تم اپنی مائوں کے پیٹوں میں جنین کی شکل میں تھے۔ تو تم خود کو بہت پاکباز نہ ٹھہرائو۔ وہ اسے خوب جانتا ہے جو تقویٰ اختیار کرتا ہے۔
— بیان القرآن (ڈاکٹر اسرار احمد)
[https://quran.com/53/32]
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Last updated on: April 6, 2026
