Surah At-Tariq (The Night Visitor) Full Text

About Surah At-Tariq

Surah At-Tariq is the 86th 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 17 ayahs, and it is the ninth surah of Juz ‘Amma, the final part of the Quran that most Muslims begin their memorisation with.

The surah opens with an oath — «was-sama’i wat-tariq» (“By the sky and the night visitor”) — from which it takes its name. The surah itself explains what at-tariq is: «an-najm ath-thaqib», the piercing star whose light penetrates the darkness. The oath introduces a solemn truth: there is no soul but that over it is a keeper. The surah then calls man to look at his own creation from a humble fluid as proof that the One who created him is able to return him to life on the Day the secrets are tested — and it closes with a second oath declaring that the Quran is a decisive word, not amusement — and that while its deniers plot a plot, Allah is planning a plan: “so allow time for the disbelievers; leave them awhile.”

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 At-Tariq

1. Recited by the Prophet ﷺ in Zuhr and ‘Asr

Jabir ibn Samurah related that the Prophet ﷺ used to recite «was-sama’i dhat il-buruj» (Surah Al-Buruj) and «was-sama’i wat-tariq» (Surah At-Tariq) in the Zuhr and ‘Asr prayers — recorded by Abu Dawud and an-Nasa’i with a sound chain. Its short, weighty ayahs make it a natural choice for the daily prayers.

2. A concentrated argument for the Resurrection

In a few short ayahs the surah settles the question the deniers raised: let man simply look at what he was created from. The One who brought him into being from a fluid ejected is surely able to bring him back. It is one of the Quran’s most compact and piercing proofs of the Resurrection.

3. An awareness that shapes the heart

The surah plants two truths that transform how a believer lives: every soul has a keeper watching over it, and every secret will one day be examined. Whoever recites it with reflection carries a quiet vigilance into private moments as well as public ones.

Themes of the Surah

1. The night visitor (ayahs 1–4)

The surah opens with an oath by the sky and at-tariq — the night visitor — then asks, “And what can make you know what the night visitor is?” It is «an-najm ath-thaqib», the piercing star. The oath affirms a solemn truth: there is no soul but that over it is a keeper, an appointed guardian angel.

Read from ayah 1 →

2. Let man look at his creation (ayahs 5–10)

Let man observe from what he was created: from a fluid ejected, emerging from between the backbone and the ribs. Indeed, He who created him is able to return him to life — on the Day the secrets are put on trial, «tubla as-sara’ir», when man will have no power and no helper.

Read from ayah 5 →

3. The decisive word (ayahs 11–17)

A second oath — by the sky of returning rain and the earth that cracks open with growth — declares that the Quran is a decisive word, «qawlun fasl», and that it is not amusement. The deniers are plotting a plot, and Allah is planning a plan: “So allow time for the disbelievers; leave them awhile.”

Read from ayah 11 →

Tips for reading and memorising

With only 17 short ayahs, it is one of the easiest surahs to commit to memory.
A simple plan is one section a day over three days (ayahs 1–4, 5–10, 11–17).
Listen to the recitation above by Sheikh Saad Al-Ghamdi and repeat after him.
Memorise it by its three sections: the night visitor, man’s creation, and the decisive word.
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 At-Tariq?

Surah At-Tariq has 17 ayahs. It is the 86th surah in the order of the mushaf, the ninth surah of Juz ‘Amma, and it is a Meccan surah.

Why is it called Surah At-Tariq?

It is called Surah At-Tariq (“The Night Visitor”) after its opening oath — «was-sama’i wat-tariq», “By the sky and the night visitor”. The surah itself then explains what at-tariq is in its third ayah: «an-najm ath-thaqib», the piercing star.

What is «an-najm ath-thaqib» (the piercing star)?

It is the star whose sharp light pierces through the darkness of the night. After asking “And what can make you know what the night visitor is?”, the surah answers that at-tariq is this piercing star, and swears by the sky and by it.

Who is the keeper over every soul in ayah 4?

Ayah 4 declares that there is no soul but that over it is a keeper. According to the commentators, this keeper is a guardian angel appointed over the soul — a reminder that no person is ever left unwatched.

What does “the Day the secrets are tested” mean?

Ayah 9 speaks of the Day «tubla as-sara’ir» — when the secrets are put on trial. On the Day of Resurrection everything hidden in the hearts and deeds will be brought out and examined, and man will have no power of his own and no helper.

What is the “decisive word” (qawlun fasl) in Surah At-Tariq?

It is the Quran. The surah swears by the sky of returning rain and the earth that cracks open with growth that the Quran is a decisive word — «qawlun fasl» — which decisively separates truth from falsehood, and that it is not amusement.

Did the Prophet ﷺ recite Surah At-Tariq in prayer?

Yes. Jabir ibn Samurah related that the Prophet ﷺ used to recite «was-sama’i dhat il-buruj» (Surah Al-Buruj) and «was-sama’i wat-tariq» (Surah At-Tariq) in the Zuhr and ‘Asr prayers — recorded by Abu Dawud and an-Nasa’i with a sound chain.

How long does it take to read the full surah?

A complete recitation of Surah At-Tariq takes about 2 minutes at a moderate pace. Its 17 short ayahs make it well suited to daily reading and memorisation.

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.

Surah At-Tariq (The Night Visitor) — Full Text in Clear Arabic Script

Listen to the recitation