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Chapter 86

The Nightly Visitoral-Ṭāriq ( الطارق )

17 verses • revealed at Meccan

»The surah that opens with the oath of the Divine One swearing by the sky of the world and The Nightly Visitor so called because it comes by night and leaves by day. It takes its name from verse 1 which mentions “the night-comer” or “nightly visitor” (ṭāriq). The surah focuses on a series of examples of things coming out: the piercing night-star, spurting semen, the baby that bursts out of the womb, and plants that sprout out of the ground. All of these are used to illustrate resurrection from the grave.«

The surah is also known as The Night Star, The Night-Comer, The Night-Visitant, The Nightcomer, The Nightly Visitant, The Piercing Star

بِسمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحمٰنِ الرَّحيمِ

Yusuf Ali: In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

1
وَالسَّماءِ وَالطّارِقِ

Yusuf Ali

This Sūra also belongs to the early Meccan period, perhaps not far removed from the last Sūra.
Its subject-matter is the protection afforded to every soul in the darkest period of its spiritual history. The physical nature of man may be insignificant, but the soul given to him by God must win a glorious Future in the end.
[86:1-17] Through the darkest night comes the penetrating light of a glorious Star. Such is the power of Revelation: it protects and guides the erring. For what is man but a creature of flesh and bones! But God by His Power doth raise man’s state to a Life Beyond!—when lo! all things hidden will be made plain. Man’s help will then be but the Word of God, which none can thwart. So wait with gentle patience—for His Decision.
By the Sky1 and the Night-Visitant2 (therein);—
  • The appeal here is to a single mystic Symbol, viz.: the Sky with its Night-Visitant: and the substantive proposition is in verse 4: “There is no soul but has a protector over it”. In the last Sūra we considered the persecution of God’s votaries, and how God protects them. Here the same theme is presented in another aspect. In the darkest sky shines out most brilliantly the light of the most brilliant star. So in the night of spiritual darkness—whether through ignorance of distress—shines the glorious star of God’s revelation. By the same token the man of Faith and Truth has nothing to fear. God will protect His own.
  • This is explained in verse 3 below. The “Star of piercing brightness” is understood by some to be the Morning Star, by others to be the planet Saturn, by others again to be Sirius, or the Pleiades or shooting stars. I think it is best to take “Star” in the collective or generic sense, for stars shine on every night in the year, and their piercing brightness is most noticeable on the darkest night.