Additional reading: Commentary on Surah Ad-Duḥā: From the Prophet’s Life to Each Devout Believer

Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD

Both Surah Ar-Rahman (The Most Merciful) and Surah Ad-Duha (The Morning Brightness) celebrate Allah’s mercy and call believers to gratitude. In Surah Ar-Rahman (chapter 55), God is repeatedly named Ar-Rahman – “the Most Compassionate” – and the Quran enumerates countless blessings in creation. In Surah Ad-Duha (93), revealed to console the Prophet during a period of distress, Allah’s care (al-Raheem, the Most Merciful) is highlighted through comforting oaths and promises. Each chapter emphasizes thankfulness for divine mercy: Ar-Rahman through a chorus of wonders and refrains of God’s favors, Ad-Duha through reassurance and commands to proclaim His bounty. Both surahs thus teach that recognizing Al-Rahman and Al-Raheem should inspire profound gratitude and righteous action.

Surah Ar-Rahman opens with God’s name Al-Rahman (“The Most Compassionate”) and immediately draws attention to His blessings. It vividly lists elements of creation – the sun, moon, plants, pearls, rivers, and more – as evidence of Allah’s bounty thequran.love. Every morning sunrise and starry night sky remind us of His beneficence. Classical commentators note that Ar-Rahman “raised the heaven and established the balance,” meaning He perfectly ordered the universe and justice thequran.love. Indeed, verses 5–7 declare: “The sun and the moon [move] by precise calculation… And the sky, Allah raised it up high; and He set up the balance (al-mīzān) that you may not transgress the balance” thequran.love. This cosmic mīzān (balance) signifies the moral order willed by the Merciful Creator. As one modern exegesis puts it, “the ultimate purpose of creating the heaven and the earth was to establish justice, peace and harmony… Without justice, chaos would prevail” thequran.love. Thus Surah Ar-Rahman not only celebrates natural wonders but links them to social justice and environmental stewardship: God’s mercy manifests in a balanced creation, and we owe it to Him to “weigh with justice… and don’t fall short in the measure” thequran.love.

Importantly, Surah Ar-Rahman continually urges gratitude. Its famous refrain “فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ” – “Which of your Lord’s favors will you deny?” – is repeated 31 times throughout the chapter thequran.love. Each recurrence appears after mentioning some blessing, prompting the listener to acknowledge Allah’s gifts. As one commentator observes, this refrain is a call-and-response: when confronted with God’s bounties in creation, we respond in gratitude, saying there are truly endless favors from the Lord of Mercy thequran.love. For example, verse 5-8 describe the regulated motions of celestial bodies and the plants’ obedience, immediately followed by “Which of your Lord’s favors will you deny?” thequran.love thequran.love. The chapter culminates with human and environmental lessons, concluding, “Is the reward for goodness other than goodness?” – reminding that the best response to divine benevolence is to practice kindness and justice thequran.love thequran.love. In short, Surah Ar-Rahman frames God’s attribute Al-Rahman through creation’s marvels and insists we answer with grateful recognition of His mercy thequran.love thequran.love.

Shared Themes and Divine Names

Both surahs are prefaced by the names of mercy. The phrase “Bismillāh al-Raḥmān al-Raḥīm” – “In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate” – precedes almost every chapter of the Qur’an thequran.love. Linguistically, Al-Rahman (الرحمن) denotes God’s all-encompassing mercy, and Al-Raheem (الرحيم) His special compassion, particularly towards believers thequran.love. Both names share the root R-Ḥ-M (mercy/womb), symbolizing nurturing care thequran.love. As one Qur’anic commentary notes, invoking Al-Rahman and Al-Raheem together “signals that every divine action ‘begins’ with mercy” thequran.love. In Surah Ar-Rahman, the name itself anchors the theme of boundless mercy showered on all creation. In Surah Ad-Duha, although the title refers to the dawn, the surah’s content – oaths by day and night and repeated affirmations – highlights that Allah’s Ar-Raheem care never fails even in darkness. As classical sources explain, the word waddaka (“forsaken” or “left you”) in 93:3 comes from the root meaning to bid farewell; Allah emphatically declares He “has not forsaken you” (nor does He hate you) thequran.love, echoing His merciful loyalty. Thus, both chapters, in content and invocation, emphasize Divine mercy and instruct grateful devotion in response.

Surah Ad-Duha: Consolation and Command to Proclaim

Surah Ad-Duha opens with vivid imagery: “By the morning brightness (duhā), and by the night when it is still” (93:1–2). These oaths set the scene – dawn breaking the night – symbolizing renewal after hardship. Revealed during a fatrah (period when revelation paused), this 11-verse surah reassured Prophet Muhammad that his Lord’s mercy was ever-present thequran.love. The verses proclaim “Your Lord has not forsaken you, nor is He displeased” (93:3) thequran.love. In other words, even in trials God’s Ar-Raheem compassion remains; He has neither abandoned nor resented the Prophet thequran.love thequran.love. This divine reassurance (for example, “Mā waddaka rabbuka wa-mā qalā” – “your Lord has not forsaken you, nor does He hate you” (93:3) in Arabic) uses double negation for emphasis thequran.love. The image of dawn breaking the night mirrors this promise: just as morning surely follows dark, so Allah’s grace follows hardship. In fact, classical exegesis links duhā (“morning”) to hope and growth, and sajā (“stillness of night”) to trials overcome thequran.love.

After comforting the Prophet, Surah Ad-Duha shifts to gratitude and action. It reminds him of past favors: “Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter?… Did He not find you in need and make you independent?” (93:6–8). These rhetorical questions affirm Allah’s mercy in the Prophet’s own life story. The final verses then command believers to respond with kindness. Verse 9–10 instruct: “Therefore do not oppress the orphan, nor repel the beggar” (93:9–10) alim.org alim.org. The chapter concludes: “But the bounty of your Lord – proclaim it!” (93:11) alim.org. In other words, share and announce God’s favors. This culminates the lesson: gratitude to the Most Compassionate means doing good to the vulnerable and openly celebrating His gifts. One modern commentator paraphrases: Surah Ad-Duha ties “divine care with human duty” – comforting the soul yet mandating social compassion thequran.love. In practice, after receiving Allah’s favors, we are urged to spread the bounty wide – proclaim it and share it with all alim.org.

Common Messages and Duties

• Mercy and Compassion: Both surahs center on God’s mercy. Surah Ar-Rahman explicitly invokes Ar-Rahman (“the Most Compassionate”) quran.com and enumerates merciful blessings. Surah Ad-Duha, framed by the dawn’s light and night’s calm, reassures that Allah’s Ar-Raheem care endures (e.g. “Your Lord has not forsaken you” thequran.love). In each case the believer feels enveloped by divine kindness.
• Enumerating Blessings: Ar-Rahman is a litany of divine favors – the sun, moon, plants, pearls, rainfall and more are all cited to remind humanity of God’s generosity thequran.love. Ad-Duha likewise recalls blessings in the Prophet’s life (rescue from orphanhood, guidance from error, provision in poverty) as signs of Allah’s mercy alim.org.
• Refrains of Gratitude: Surah Ar-Rahman’s famous refrain “Which of your Lord’s favors will you deny?” thequran.love punctuates the chapter, demanding acknowledgment of each gift. In parallel, Surah Ad-Duha ends with “Rehearse and proclaim the bounty of your Lord” (93:11) alim.org, instructing believers to openly celebrate and share God’s goodness. Both usages highlight that gratitude isn’t silent – it must be declared.
• Ethical Response: Recognizing mercy leads to righteous behavior. In Ar-Rahman, the cosmic mīzān is interpreted as a divine command to justice thequran.love. The surah admonishes us to live in harmony with the balance God set, warning “so weigh with justice… and don’t fall short” thequran.love. Ad-Duha makes this explicit: after reminding of mercy shown, Allah commands social compassion – “Treat not the orphan harshly… Nor repel the petitioner”alim.orgalim.org. In sum, both chapters teach that true gratitude to Al-Rahman/Al-Raheem is shown by fairness, kindness, and generosity.
• Hope and Divine Support: Each surah was revealed in context to uplift believers. Ar-Rahman, with its lavish imagery, instills awe and thankfulness. Ad-Duha was revealed during a low point for the Prophet, affirming that just as “day and night alternate without implying Allah’s pleasure or anger,” so too revelation’s pause did not mean God’s abandonment thequran.love thequran.love. The common message is that divine mercy is constant, whether through visible blessings or promised return of favor.

Expressing Gratitude to Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem

In light of these chapters, gratefulness to God can take many forms:

• Reflect on His Blessings: Surah Ar-Rahman encourages contemplation: every sunrise, star, plant, and fruit is “signs for people who reflect” (13:3). Recall Ar-Rahman’s gifts daily and ask “which of my Lord’s favors will I deny?” thequran.love.
• Praise and Remembrance: Use God’s names often. The Qur’an itself begins almost every chapter with Bismillah al-Rahman al-Raheem, and the believer repeats these Names in prayer. This connects our hearts to Allah’s mercy thequran.love thequran.love.
• Proclaim and Share: As Ad-Duha 93:11 instructs, openly speak of Allah’s grace. Share beneficial knowledge, provide for orphans and the needy, and encourage others to remember God’s kindness alim.org.
• Live Justly: Uphold the mīzān of justice God set in nature thequran.love. Be fair in all dealings, protect the balance in society and the environment. The refrain “nothing is the reward of good except good” (55:60) thequran.love implies that responding to divine mercy with moral excellence is the true thanks.

In conclusion, Surah Ar-Rahman and Surah Ad-Duha together weave a powerful theme: Allah’s mercies – His attribute al-Rahman and al-Raheem – are boundless, and our proper response is heartfelt gratitude. This gratitude is expressed not only in words, but in caring for others, justice, and celebrating the divine favors bestowed upon us. As both chapters make clear, recognizing God’s loving compassion should inspire a life of praise and benevolence, for “Is the reward of goodness anything but goodness?” thequran.love.

Sources: The above reflections draw on the Qur’an and scholarly commentaries. In particular, classical and modern insights on these surahs were integrated from The Glorious Quran and Science commentary thequran.love thequran.love thequran.love thequran.love, Yusuf Ali’s translation notesalim.orgalim.org, and thematic analyses of Al-Rahmān/Al-Raḥīmthequran.lovethequran.love. All Qur’anic quotes and references are as cited from these sources.