“By the night as it departs (4). Is there in that an oath sufficient for one endowed with reason (5)? Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with ‘Ad (6)—Iram of the lofty pillars (7)?”

“By the night as it departs,” that is, when it passes away and goes, as the Exalted says: “By the night as it departs” (al-Muddaththir 74:33). Qatadah said: When it comes and approaches; He meant every night.

Mujahid, ‘Ikrimah, and al-Kalbi said: It is the night of Muzdalifah.

The reciters of the Hijaz and Basra read it with the final ya retained in connected recitation. Ibn Kathir and Ya‘qub also retained it when pausing, whereas the rest omitted it in both cases. Those who omitted it did so to conform to the verse-endings, while those who retained it did so because it is the final letter of the verb, and a verb does not have its final letter omitted when pausing—as in the expression, “He decides, and I decide.” Al-Akhfash was asked about the reason ⦗191/b⦘ for dropping the ya, and he said: “The night does not travel; rather, travel takes place during it. Thus, the expression has been shifted from its proper construction, and once it was shifted, it was denied its due inflection. This is like His saying: ‘Your mother was not an unchaste woman,’ where He did not say baghiyyah, because the word had been shifted from baghiyah.”

“Is there in that”—that is, in what I have mentioned—“an oath,” meaning an oath that is convincing and sufficient, “for one endowed with reason,” that is, one possessed of intellect (1). It is called such because it restrains its possessor from what is unlawful and improper, just as it is called intellect because it restrains him from vile deeds, and discernment because it forbids what is improper (2). The basic meaning of hijr is restraint.

The answer to the oath is His saying: “Indeed, your Lord is ever watchful.” Between the oath and its answer comes the saying of the Exalted: “Have you not seen?” Al-Farra’ said: “Have you not been informed?” Al-Zajjaj said: “Have you not known?” Its meaning is one of amazement.

“How your Lord dealt with ‘Ad—Iram”: this warns the people of Mecca, meaning, how He destroyed them, even though they lived longer and possessed greater strength than these people.

They differed concerning Iram of the lofty pillars. Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib said: “Iram of the lofty pillars is Damascus.” ‘Ikrimah held the same view.

Al-Qurazi said that it was Alexandria. Mujahid said: It was a nation. It was also said that its meaning is: the ancient one.

Qatadah and Muqatil said: They were a tribe from ‘Ad. Muqatil said: Sovereignty was among them, and they were [in Mahrah] (3). ‘Ad was their father, so they were ascribed to him. He was Iram ibn ‘Ad ibn Iram ibn Shem ibn Noah.