Makkah LiveSurah Ad-Duha (The Morning Brightness) — Full Text in Clear Arabic Script
11 ayahs · Meccan· Hafs ‘an ‘Asim · reading time ~1 minute · the sixteenth surah of Juz ‘Amma
Listen to the recitation
By Saad Al-Ghamdi
Surah sections
Font size
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
About Surah Ad-Duha
Surah Ad-Duha is the 93rd surah in the order of the mushaf, and one of the Meccan surahs — revealed to the Prophet ﷺ before the migration to Madinah. It contains 11 ayahs, and it is the sixteenth surah of Juz ‘Amma, the final part of the Quran that most Muslims begin their memorisation with.
The surah opens with an oath — «wad-duha» (“by the morning brightness”) and «wal-layli idha saja» (“and the night when it is still”) — followed at once by the reassurance that gives the surah its meaning: “your Lord has not forsaken you, nor does He hate you.” Jundub ibn Sufyan related that revelation had paused for a time and the Prophet ﷺ was grieved by it, until a woman remarked that his Lord had abandoned him; it was then that these opening verses were revealed, as recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
The text shown on this page is the narration of Hafs ‘an ‘Asim, the reading used in most of the Muslim world, in the Uthmani script that follows the Madinah mushaf. The audio recitation is by Sheikh Saad Al-Ghamdi.
Virtues and place of Surah Ad-Duha
1. The consolation of the Prophet ﷺ
Surah Ad-Duha was revealed to console the Prophet ﷺ at a moment when he felt the silence of revelation most keenly. Through him, it speaks to every believer who feels distant from Allah’s favour: a pause is not abandonment — “your Lord has not forsaken you, nor does He hate you.”
2. A structure built on gratitude
The surah moves from oath to promise to memory: it recalls Allah’s past kindnesses — shelter as an orphan, guidance, and sufficiency — as the ground on which hope for the future rests.
3. Practical commands to close the surah
Ad-Duha ends not with a promise but with instruction: do not oppress the orphan, do not repel the one who asks, and speak of your Lord’s favour. Gratitude for Allah’s kindness is turned outward, into kindness towards others.
Themes of the Surah
1. Your Lord Has Not Forsaken You (ayahs 1–3)
The surah opens with an oath by the morning brightness and the night when it is still, then delivers its reassurance: your Lord has not forsaken you, nor does He hate you — the consolation revealed after the pause in revelation had grieved the Prophet ﷺ.
Read from ayah 1 →2. The Promise of What Is Better (ayahs 4–5)
The Hereafter is better for you than the first life, and your Lord is going to give you until you are pleased — a promise that lifts the gaze from present hardship to what is prepared beyond it.
Read from ayah 4 →3. Did He Not Find You? (ayahs 6–8)
Three questions recall Allah’s past kindness: did He not find you an orphan and shelter you, find you wandering — unacquainted with the details of revelation before it came — and guide you, and find you poor and enrich you?
Read from ayah 6 →4. So Give in Turn (ayahs 9–11)
The surah closes with three commands that turn its gratitude outward: do not oppress the orphan, do not repel the one who asks, and proclaim the favour of your Lord.
Read from ayah 9 →Tips for reading and memorising
- At 11 short ayahs, it can be memorised in a day or two.
- Read it alongside Surah Ash-Sharh, which continues its message of consolation.
- Listen to the recitation above by Sheikh Saad Al-Ghamdi and repeat after him.
- Reflect on the three questions in the middle of the surah as a personal reminder of Allah’s past kindnesses to you.
- Use the “font size” buttons at the top of the page for a comfortable read.
- You can print the surah from your browser (Ctrl+P) for a clean paper copy.
Frequently asked questions
How many ayahs are in Surah Ad-Duha?
Surah Ad-Duha has 11 ayahs. It is the 93rd surah in the order of the mushaf, and it is a Meccan surah.
Why is it called Surah Ad-Duha?
It is called Surah Ad-Duha (“The Morning Brightness”) after its opening oath, «wad-duha» — “by the morning brightness” — with which the surah begins.
What was the occasion of its revelation?
Jundub ibn Sufyan related that revelation paused for a time and the Prophet ﷺ was grieved by it; a woman then said that his Lord had abandoned him. Allah then revealed: “Your Lord has not forsaken you, nor does He hate you” — a report recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
Why is the Prophet ﷺ described as “wandering” in ayah 7?
The word used is «dall», which here means unacquainted with the details of revelation and prophethood before they came to him — not misguided in conduct. Allah found him in that state and guided him with revelation.
What is Surah Ad-Duha about?
It opens with an oath reassuring the Prophet ﷺ that his Lord has not forsaken him, promises that the Hereafter is better than this life, recalls Allah’s past kindnesses to him — shelter as an orphan, guidance, and sufficiency — and closes with commands to show that same kindness to the orphan and the one who asks, and to speak of Allah’s favour.
How is Surah Ad-Duha connected to Surah Ash-Sharh?
Surah Ash-Sharh directly follows Surah Ad-Duha in the mushaf and continues the same message of consolation to the Prophet ﷺ, which is why the two are often read and reflected on together.
Where does Surah Ad-Duha fall in Juz ‘Amma?
It is the sixteenth surah of Juz ‘Amma — the 30th and final juz of the Quran — which is the part most Muslims begin their memorisation with.
How long does it take to read the full surah?
A complete recitation of Surah Ad-Duha takes about a minute. Being so short, it is one of the easiest surahs to memorise in a day or two.
Which recitation is the text on this page based on?
The text shown on this page is the narration of Hafs ‘an ‘Asim — the most widely used reading in the Muslim world — written in the Uthmani script that follows the Madinah mushaf. The audio recitation on this page is by Sheikh Saad Al-Ghamdi.
More surahs to read
- Surah Al-Fatihah — full text — Mother of the Book — recited in every rakah of every prayer
- Surah Al-Kahf — full text — recommended to read on Fridays
- Surah As-Sajdah — full text — recited in the Fajr prayer on Fridays and every night before sleep
- Surah Yasin — full text — the Heart of the Quran
- Surah Ar-Rahman — full text — the Bride of the Quran
- Surah Al-Waqi‘ah — full text — the terrors of the Day of Judgment and the three groups of people
- Surah Al-Mulk — full text — recommended every night before sleep
- Surah Al-Insan — full text — recited with As-Sajdah in the Fajr prayer on Fridays
- Surah An-Naba — full text — the first surah of Juz ‘Amma — a powerful proof of the Resurrection
- Surah An-Nazi‘at — full text — the angels who pull out souls, the story of Musa and Pharaoh, and the Great Calamity
- Surah ‘Abasa — full text — the blind man who came seeking, and the Day a man flees from his own brother
- Surah At-Takwir — full text — “when the sun is wrapped up” — as if witnessing the Day of Resurrection
- Surah Al-Infitar — full text — “O man, what has deceived you concerning your Generous Lord?”
- Surah Al-Mutaffifin — full text — woe to those who give short measure — honesty as a matter of faith
- Surah Al-Inshiqaq — full text — contains a verse of prostration — “you will surely ride stage upon stage”
- Surah Al-Buruj — full text — the People of the Ditch — steadfastness of the believers tested by fire
- Surah At-Tariq — full text — the piercing star — every soul has a keeper over it
- Surah Al-A‘la — full text — recited in the Eid and Friday prayers — “glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High”
- Surah Al-Ghashiyah — full text — recited with Al-A‘la in the Eid and Friday prayers — the two kinds of faces on the Last Day
- Surah Al-Fajr — full text — “O reassured soul, return to your Lord well-pleased”
- Surah Al-Balad — full text — the steep path — freeing the enslaved and feeding the hungry
- Surah Ash-Shams — full text — “he has succeeded who purifies the soul”
- Surah Al-Layl — full text — your striving is diverse — the path of ease and the path of hardship
- Surah Ash-Sharh — full text — “indeed, with hardship comes ease” — the companion of Ad-Duha
- Surah At-Tin — full text — man created in the best of stature — “is not Allah the most just of judges?”
- Surah Al-‘Alaq — full text — the first revelation — “Read in the name of your Lord” — contains a verse of prostration
- Surah Al-Qadr — full text — Laylat al-Qadr — the Night of Decree, better than a thousand months
- Surah Al-Bayyinah — full text — the clear evidence — the best of creation and their reward
- Surah Az-Zalzalah — full text — “whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it”
- Surah Al-‘Adiyat — full text — the charging steeds — man’s ingratitude and the overturning of the graves
- Surah Al-Qari‘ah — full text — the Striking Calamity — the day the scales are set
- Surah At-Takathur — full text — rivalry in worldly increase — “until you visit the graves”
- Surah Al-‘Asr — full text — by time, man is in loss — the surah ash-Shafi‘i said would suffice the people
Selected verses
- Ayat al-Kursi — the greatest verse of the Holy Quran
- Khawatim Surah Al-Baqarah — “whoever recites them at night, they will suffice him”
- Allah does not burden a soul — the closing verse of Surah Al-Baqarah
Listen and watch
- Saudi Quran Radio — listen to recitations of the Holy Quran
- Live broadcast of Masjid al-Haram