وَبِٱلْأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ 18
Translations
And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness,
Transliteration
Wa bil-ashari hum yastaghfirūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the righteous servants of Allah who seek forgiveness during the last hours of the night (al-ashar), demonstrating their devotion and consciousness of Allah. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that seeking forgiveness in the pre-dawn hours reflects deep spiritual awareness, as this is a time when hearts are most attentive and the veil between the servant and Lord feels closest. This practice exemplifies the characteristic of the pious mentioned throughout Surah Adh-Dhariyat, who balance worldly duties with constant remembrance and repentance.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Adh-Dhariyat (a Meccan chapter) which describes the attributes and deeds of the righteous servants of Allah. The surah contrasts the believers' devotion with the arrogance of disbelievers, and this particular ayah is part of a passage (51:15-19) that enumerates the noble qualities of Allah's sincere servants, including their night prayer and pre-dawn supplications.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Muslim records that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'The closest the Lord comes to His servant is in the latter part of the night, so if you are able to be among those who remember Allah at that time, then do so.' Additionally, Tirmidhi narrates that the Prophet encouraged tahajjud (night prayer) and seeking forgiveness in the hours before dawn as a means of drawing near to Allah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that true devotion involves dedicating the most private and precious hours to seeking Allah's forgiveness and mercy, encouraging us to establish a practice of pre-dawn remembrance and repentance as a means of strengthening our relationship with the Divine.