Surah At-Taariq 86
سُورَةُ الطَّارِقِ“The Morning Star”17 Ayat
وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلطَّارِقِ
By the sky and the night comer -
وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلطَّارِقُ
And what can make you know what is the night comer?
ٱلنَّجْمُ ٱلثَّاقِبُ
It is the piercing star -
إِن كُلُّ نَفْسٍ لَّمَّا عَلَيْهَا حَافِظٌ
There is no soul but that it has over it a protector.
فَلْيَنظُرِ ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ مِمَّ خُلِقَ
So let man observe from what he was created.
خُلِقَ مِن مَّآءٍ دَافِقٍ
He was created from a fluid, ejected,
يَخْرُجُ مِن بَيْنِ ٱلصُّلْبِ وَٱلتَّرَآئِبِ
Emerging from between the backbone and the ribs.
إِنَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَجْعِهِ لَقَادِرٌ
Indeed, Allah, to return him [to life], is Able.
يَوْمَ تُبْلَى ٱلسَّرَآئِرُ
The Day when secrets will be put on trial,
فَمَا لَهُ مِن قُوَّةٍ وَلَا نَاصِرٍ
Then man will have no power or any helper.
وَٱلسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ ٱلرَّجْعِ
By the sky which returns [rain]
وَٱلْأَرْضِ ذَاتِ ٱلصَّدْعِ
And [by] the earth which cracks open,
إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلٌ فَصْلٌ
Indeed, the Qur'an is a decisive statement,
وَمَا هُوَ بِٱلْهَزْلِ
And it is not amusement.
إِنَّهُمْ يَكِيدُونَ كَيْدًا
Indeed, they are planning a plan,
وَأَكِيدُ كَيْدًا
But I am planning a plan.
فَمَهِّلِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ أَمْهِلْهُمْ رُوَيْدًا
So allow time for the disbelievers. Leave them awhile.
The Virtues of Surat At-Tariq
An-Nasa'i recorded that Jabir said, "Mu'adh lead the Maghrib prayer and he recited Al-Baqarah and An-Nisa'. So the Prophet ﷺ said,
أَفَتَّانٌ أَنْتَ يَا مُعَاذُ، مَا كَانَ يَكْفِيكَ أَنْ تَقْرَأَ بِالسَّمَاءِ وَالطَّارِقِ وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا وَنَحْوِهَا؟
(Are you putting the people to trial O Mu'adh? Was it not sufficient for you to recite As-Sama'i wat-Tariq, and Ash-Shamsi wa Duhaha, and something like them?)
Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — the surah's virtues, naming and revelation context.