Teachers Book Surah Ad-Dhuha

ILQ | Teachers’ Book Al-Ḍuḥā SURAH 93: AL-ḌUḤĀ ‫سورة الضحى‬ THE MORNING LIGHT Learning Outcomes: At the end of this Surah, the students will be able to: 1. Understand the reason for the pause of revelation. 2. The promise that Allah made for the Prophet and Muslims. 3. The new commandments that Allah sanctioned for the Prophet and Muslims. SURAH OVERVIEW Surah al-Ḍuḥā is a Mekkan surah and was revealed in the third year of the Prophet’s mission. “Ḍuḥā” means the morning light. It also refers to the morning time where sunlight has already illuminated the whole world. This surah was revealed as an answer to the Prophet’s plea who was sad because Revelation was halted for quite a long time. It is reported that the pause was almost three months. The pause made the Prophet felt extremely sad to the extent that he fell sick and was unable to perform his ʿibādah properly. Seeing the Prophet in such a sorry state, the wife of Abū Lahab made fun of him by claiming that Allah has abandoned the Prophet and hated him. This word more or less hurt the Prophet’s feelings. And he felt that perhaps he has done something wrong that made Allah disliked him. Furthermore, his prophetic mission is in its early phase. With still a few experiences, with the daily oppositions, the small number of Muslims and the weak economic condition, the Prophet felt that his mission might have a short span of life and will cease just like that. Hence, this surah was revealed to calm the Prophet down and deny the disbelievers’ false claims. Then, Allah promises to the Prophet some good tidings to rid his sadness away. And he also promised the Prophet a happy ending for his mission – whether in this world or the next. Besides that, Allah also reminded the Prophet about all the other blessings that He has already bestowed upon him even before his prophethood. After uplifting the Prophet’s spirit, Allah entrusted the Prophet with some new commands on how to interact with the newly converted Muslims. Surah al-Ḍuḥā is related to surah al-Inshirāḥ in that it serves as the preliminary for it. Both surahs are revealed specifically to and for the Prophet to give him strength.

ILQ | Teachers’ Book Al-Ḍuḥā And it is related to surah al-Layl in that it serves as a pair to it, as a metaphor for the condition of mankind before and after Revelation was sent down. When night covers everything with its blanket of darkness, everyone is unable to perform their daily tasks. But when daytime arrives, suddenly life is renewed. Similarly, before the coming of Revelation, everyone is struggling to find the meaning of life. But when it came, mankind can get to know his destiny and go after it. TAFSIR CORNER 1. Allah Makes an Oath on the Morning Time. “By the morning light.” Allah makes an oath by the time of Ḍuḥā, corresponding to the time of the revelation of the surah. “Ḍuḥā” means morning light. Some interpretations say that it is a metaphor for Revelation. Just as the morning light brings calmness and hope, so too the Revelation comes to calm down the hearts that seek the truth. 2. Allah Makes an Oath by the Night-Time. “And the night as it quiets down.” Then, He makes an oath by the still night. Naturally, night-time always comes before the morning time. But Allah purposely states the situation in an inversed order to signal something.  It is referring to the interval time when the Revelation stops. Just as the night-time is still and silent, messing around sleepless hearts, so too the pause of the Revelation made the Prophet restless. Nevertheless, the still night can also be appreciated for its rehabilitative nature. Although night-time is scary, it also brings rest for those who need it. If the daytime persists continuously, then people will not have enough rest and will tire themselves (al-Qaṣaṣ: 73). Similarly, the pause in Revelation enabled the newly appointed Prophet to have a rest from the task of prophethood, so that he can slowly get used to the tasks and complete them. Had the revelation been revealed without stop, then surely the Prophet will tire himself. This is because the task of prophethood is very heavy.

ILQ | Teachers’ Book Al-Ḍuḥā LESSON 1: LIGHTS IN THE SKY (AYAT 1) Introduction: The first two verses portray a metaphor for the message that the surah wishes to convey regarding the postponement of Revelation and the nature of human life. Lesson 1 experiments on the revelation of this surah and its relation to the tranquillity of life. Set Induction: In verse 1, Allah makes an oath with the morning light. Just as Allah has created the light morning as a source of calmness, he has also revealed surah al-Ḍuḥā as a source of calmness for the Prophet. Lesson Outcome: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to: 1. Understand the metaphor of verse 1. 2. Explain the phenomenon of light and colour. 3. Relate the phenomenon mentioned with the message of verse 1. Materials: 1. Water. 2. Milk. 3. Torchlight. 4. Two glass jars. 5. A dark room. Procedure: 1. Pour water into a jar until its full. 2. Pour some milk and shake until properly mixed.  3. Make sure the environment is a dark room.  4. Direct the light towards the jar from below. And then from other directions. 5. Observe what happens! 6. Repeat steps 1 to 5 with thicker milk mixtures. Lessons: 1. Forget directed into the jar will produce the colours that can be found in the sky all day. (Refer: https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/blue-sky/en/) 2. Morning time is one of the most relaxing times due to the soft colour of the light. 3. Compared to the time of noon, its light is much intense and hot. 4. In this surah, Revelation is likened to the intense light of the noon. Although bright, it was heavy for the Prophet.  5. Therefore, Allah paused the Revelation for a while to give some time for a rest. 6. Then, when its being sent down was resumed, it is likened to the mor light which calmed him and gave him strength. Lesson Assessment: 1. How are the colours of the sky produced? And why does the sky have a different colour at different times of the day? 2. What is the message of the first verse? 3. What is the relationship between the phenomenon of light and the pause of Revelation?

ILQ | Teachers’ Book Al-Ḍuḥā LESSON 2: THE ENCOMPASSING NIGHT (AYAT 2) Introduction: Lesson 2 conducts an activity on the importance of night-time as a means for rest. Set Induction: In verse 2, Allah takes an oath with the still and encompassing nighttime. Just as the stillness of the night provides some rest from the hecticness of the day, so too the pause of revelation provides some rest for the Prophet. Lesson Outcome: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to: 1. Understand the message of verse 2. 2. Explain the phenomenon of the refraction of light. 3. Relate the phenomenon with the message of verse 2. Materials: 1. A big clear glass bowl. 2. “Jelly marble” (Refer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTtdNQVADSI) 3. Water.  4. Food colouring.  Procedure: Before Activity: 1. The teacher prepares the materials. 2. “Jelly marbles” are soaked in water until it enlarges to their maximum. During Activity: 1. Prepare the “jelly marbles” already in the glass bowl, fully enlarged. Make sure the students do not notice the presence of the marbles.  2. Ask the students whether they can identify anything inside the glass bowl or not. 3. Drop some food colourings in the bowl. The invisible objects are now visible. 4. Observe the reaction of the students! Lessons: 1. “Jelly marble” is a type of object that can refract light. 2. Because of the refraction, the eye cannot see the object. This is because the light that carries the image of the marbles did not enter the eye. Instead, the light beam went somewhere else. 3. The word “sajaa” means stillness, silence, and encompassing, referring to the attributes of night-time. 4. Such qualities hide the creatures of God in its dark blanket. 5. The night environment can trigger fear in the heart but it can also instil calmness. 6. Similarly, the Prophet felt the silence of the pause of Revelation. 7. However, the Revelation was paused to provide rest for him from his da’wah responsibilities.

ILQ | Teachers’ Book Al-Ḍuḥā Lesson Assessment: 1. How does “jelly marble” disappear from sight? 2. What is the refraction of light? 3. How can we relate the phenomenon with the message of the verse?

ILQ | Teachers’ Book Al-Ḍuḥā TAFSIR CORNER 3. Allah Never Leaves the Prophet. “Your Lord did not abandon you, nor did He forget.” Then, Allah immediately denies the claims brought forward by the disbelievers that the Prophet was abandoned by Allah. He is the lover of God. So, it is absurd to say that he was left alone. “Waddaʿa” means to say goodbye. It refers to the kind of farewell between a pair of lovers that will not meet each other forever. “Qalā”, on the other hand, means disappointed and upset. It is when something is left because of its expired usefulness. Just like when honeycombs are thrown away after the honey has been extracted. Both of these types of separation are denied forcefully by Allah. Allah never considers the Prophet as a mere tool and never leaves him alone. Instead, he is His eternal love. 4. The Happy Ending. “The Hereafter is better for you than the First.” In this verse, Allah uses the generic pair of words – “al-ʾūlā” and “al-ākhirah”. This means that the beginning and the end something general. So, the beginning and the end refers to both this world and the next. Therefore, it can be understood that the prophetic mission will end with the victory of Islam. It can also be understood to mean the rewards in the hereafter which are better than the hardships that they had to face.

ILQ | Teachers’ Book Al-Ḍuḥā LESSON 3: ALLAH’S AID (AYAT 3) Introduction: Verses 3 & 5 explain the wisdom behind the pause of Revelation. The pause was to provide some rest for the Prophet. With regards to the da’wah responsibilities, Allah has already guaranteed its success. And the pause is a part of His plans. Therefore, Lesson 3 conducts an activity on Allah’s aid on the Prophet and the religion of Islam. Set Induction: In verse 3, Allah guarantees the Prophet that He will never leave him. Therefore, we must have faith in Allah and never abandon our dependence on Him. To understand the nature of His help, let us do an activity. Refer: (https://oneshetwoshe.com/gods-hands/) Lesson Outcome: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to: 1. Understand the pause of Revelation as a part of Allah’s plan. 2. Understand the importance of Allah’s help to attain the success of this world and the next. Materials: 1. Marker pen. 2. Paper plates.  At least two students are needed. Procedure: 1. The students are divided into two groups. 2. Assign a plate and a marker pen to one of the students. And put the plate on the student’s head. 3. Instruct the students to draw some objects in this order. 1. A house. 2. The sun. 3. A line to mark the ground. 4. Flowers that sprout from the ground. 5. A smiley face on the sun. 6. A tree at the side of the house. 7. A man under the tree.  2. Ask the students whether the attempt was difficult or not.  3. Give them another plate. This time, they can draw with the help of their friends. 4. Sit in a circle and discuss. Lessons: 1. When the prophet received this verse, he was feeling guilty. 2. He thought that the pause was because of something that he had done wrong. 3. Therefore, this is a reminder that Allah never leaves us, even though we have done many things wrong. 4. So, we must always depend on Allah to face this life. Lesson Assessment: 1. Why did Allah pause Revelation according to verse 3? 2. Can we succeed with our life without Allah?

ILQ | Teachers’ Book Al-Ḍuḥā TAFSIR CORNER 5. Allah’s Blessings Guarantee. “And your Lord will give you, and you will be satisfied.” To remedy his sadness, Allah promised to His Prophet some blessings for him and his people so that he will be satisfied. Then, he will be spirited again to resume his daʿwah. Some of the blessings are al-Kawthar, the privilege for him to provide intercession for his people in the hereafter and answer his prayers for his ummah. Also, the victory of Islam at the end of his prophetic career. 6. Prophet Muhammad the Orphan. “Did He not find you orphaned, and sheltered you?” As evidence of this promise and guarantee, Allah reminds the Prophet about the blessings that He already gave to him even before his appointment. The first blessing is that Allah has taken care of him in his orphaned childhood. And He surrounded the Prophet with good people, Ḥalimah al-Saʿdiyyah, ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, and Abū Ṭālib. And even after his appointment, he is still protected by his uncle for ten years. 7. The Prophet Sought for Truth. “And found you wandering, and guided you?” The second blessing that Allah has bestowed upon him is the blessing of guidance and appointment. The word “ḍāllan” can be understood to mean two meanings. The first is cluelessness and the second is restlessness. The first means that the Prophet, before his prophethood, has tried to answer big questions such as “from where did the universe come from?”, “What is the purpose of human existence?”, “who is the creator of the world?” and many others. Thus, Allah sent down the Revelation to answer these questions. Secondly, it means the Prophet being clueless on how to solve the social problems faced by his society. He felt restless with their moral depravity, but he did not find any solution to the problems. Therefore, Allah guided him and appointed him as a Prophet. With this appointment, he carried the answers to the questions that he asked in the beginning. And he was obligated to spread the teachings. 8. The Prophet Became Rich. “And found you in need, and enriched you?” The third blessing that was bestowed to the Prophet was his independence from having to cling to someone other than Allah. He was born poor. But then Allah put him under the care of his rich grandfather and uncle, and also married a rich businesswoman. Through her, the Prophet was able to build his wealth without having to depend on anyone. Also, after he was appointed a Prophet, Allah taught him total dependence on God. Therefore, even when he became poor again after his appointment, he never felt worried about his life sustenance.

ILQ | Teachers’ Book Al-Ḍuḥā LESSON 4: I AM SATISFIED WITH ALLAH’S BLESSINGS (AYAT 5) Introduction: Lesson 4 conducts an activity on the promised victory which will satisfy the Prophet. Set Induction: In verse 5, Allah promised the Prophet that he would be bestowed with a wonderful blessing that the Prophet will be satisfied fully with it. But this promise comes with a condition. What is it? It is gratitude (shukr). Let us learn about the importance of shukr. Lesson Outcome: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to: 1. Understand the importance of riḍā. 2. Differentiate between riḍā and shukr. Materials: 1. Students. 2. Their respective favourite objects. Procedure: Before Activity: 1. A day before the activity, ask the students to bring their favourite objects to school the next day.  During Activity:  1. Ask the students to sit in a circle.  2. The students have to put their favourite objects in the middle of the circle. 3. On the count of three, the students have to pick an object immediately (Note: They have to pick other objects than their own). 4.  Then, invite the students one by one to share why the objects are their favourite. 5. The students have to return the objects to their respective owners.  6. Gather the students and discuss the lessons. Lessons: 1. Allah promised the Prophet that he will be bestowed with a very wonderful blessing that the Prophet will be satisfied fully with it.  2. We, too, have been bestowed with many types of blessings. Therefore, we must be satisfied with the blessings that we are currently enjoying. 3. If we are grateful, Allah will provide us with more than that which we asked for. 4. Riḍā is an example of shukr. In fact, it is a higher form of shukr. 5. Shukr is accepting everything that is given by Allah but is ensued with desires for other things as well. 6. Meanwhile, riḍā is satisfied with everything that God has provided us with and not asking for anything extra. Lesson Assessment: 1. What did Allah promise to the Prophet? 2. What is the condition for the promise to be fulfilled? 3. What is the difference between shukr and riḍā?

ILQ | Teachers’ Book Al-Ḍuḥā LESSON 5: THE PROPHET’S EMOTIONS (AYAT 6-8) Introduction: Lesson 5 gives attention to the emotions of the Prophet as the receiver of the surah. He felt many mixed negative emotions – sadness, stress, depression, confusion, helplessness, guilty, etc. So, Allah reminded him of the blessings that were once given to him as proof that He has never left the Prophet alone. This lesson focuses on the Prophet’s emotions before he received surah al-Ḍuḥā. Set Induction: In verses 6 to 8, Allah reminded the Prophet of the blessings that He gave him. And this helped in soothing the Prophet from all of his negative feelings. What did the Prophet feel? Let us find out! Lesson Outcome: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to understand the emotions of the Prophet before surah al-Ḍuḥā was revealed. Materials: 1. Paper. 2. Pen. 3. Scissors. Procedure: 1. Write down some forms of emotion on a piece of paper and cut them out. 2. In turns, take a piece of paper and act the emotions out – or they can even draw it. 3. To make the game more interesting, replace the words with some pictures showing the expressions of the emotions. 4. Gather the students and discuss the lessons. Lessons: 1. Allah has taken away the negative feelings felt by the Prophet.  2. Once he was an orphan and Allah gave him a family. 3. Once he sought guidance, and then Allah made him a Prophet.  4. Once he was very poor, then Allah enriched him with the love of God. 5. Because the Prophet once felt sadness, therefore he has to make sure other people are not sad as well. 6. Just as Allah has cheered him up, he too must cheer other people up.  7. Therefore, we too must emulate the Prophet. We must share the goodness that Allah has blessed us with and share to others the beauty of Islam. Lesson Assessment: 1. What did the Prophet feel before he was consoled by surah al-Ḍuḥā? 2. Why did he feel all those negative feelings? 3. Can you act the emotions out?

ILQ | Teachers’ Book Al-Ḍuḥā TAFSIR CORNER 9. The Command to Honour the Orphans. “Therefore, do not mistreat the orphan.” After Allah has reminded him of the blessings that He has provided, he then gave a new command. The first command is not to mistreat the orphans. This does not mean, however, that the Prophet mistreated the orphans. Instead, whatever commands that Allah gave to the Prophet are, by extension, commands for his ummah as well. Thus, just as he was an orphan, he, therefore, needs to ensure that other orphans will never experience any misfortune. Similarly, we, too, need to ensure the same thing. 10. The Prohibition from Mistreating Fellow Muslims. “Nor rebuff the seeker.” Then, Allah reminded the Prophet not to be harsh towards the people who are ‘asking’. The act of ‘asking’ can be understood in two meanings. The first refers to beggars and the second meaning refers to those who wish to be guided in the path of Islam. Therefore, beggars are to be addressed with respect and compassion. If we do not have sufficient wealth to share with them, then we have to be polite in saying no. As for those who seek guidance, we have to be patient in guiding them. This is because some of them are not intelligent people, who ask a lot, who are unconsciously insolent, and others. Hence, with all these weaknesses, we need to be patient. 11. The Command to Spread Islam. “But proclaim the blessings of your Lord.” Lastly, Allah commands us to spread the reports of the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon His Prophet and all of mankind. What kind of reports are referred to here? By informing mankind that all of the blessings that they enjoy now are from Allah. Consequently, we have to worship only Him. SUMMARY Surah al-Ḍuḥā was revealed to comfort the Prophet from his sadness and hopelessness. It also reminds the Prophet of all the blessings that Allah has provided for him, as a guarantee of other upcoming promises. These blessings are also shared by the community of Prophet Muhammad. And, therefore, it is an obligation to share these blessings and remind others that the blessings require us to worship Allah alone.

ILQ | Teachers’ Book Al-Ḍuḥā LESSON 6: KEYWORDS: ANAGRAM Introduction: This focuses on the general themes of the surah. Lesson Outcome: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to familiarize with the keywords of surah al-Ḍuḥā. Materials: New key terms: 1. Dhuha. 2. Sajaa. 3. Wadda’a. 4. Walaa. 5. Khayr. 6. I’thaa’. 7. Ridha. 8. Yatim. 9. Hidayah. 10. Ighnaa’. 11. Ni’mat. 12. Tahdith. Procedure: You may use your own ideas to do this exercise. For example, like: Wordwall / Anagram/ Word Puzzle etc. LESSON 7: JOURNAL Introduction: Let us write a journal to record everything that we have learned. Lesson Outcome: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to recap the lessons before. Materials: Journal Procedure: 1. Update the lessons of surah al-Dhuha in your journal.  2. Write down the important things in every verse. 3. Write down all the general lessons of the surah.