Surah Al-Layl — Verse 13

Word Meanings:

• Al-Ākhirah (الآخرة): The Hereafter — the eternal life after death.
• Al-Ūlā (الأولى): The first life — i.e., this worldly life (ad-Dunyā).

Explanation of the Verse:

This verse establishes a profound and comforting truth: both the life of this world and the life of the Hereafter belong exclusively to Allah Almighty. He alone possesses full sovereignty, absolute control, and perfect wisdom over both realms. Nothing happens in this world or the next except by His will, His decree, and His justice.

The verse comes as a reassurance to the believers — a reminder that the One who has taken it upon Himself to guide humanity to the path of righteousness is also the One who owns everything. He gives from His bounty in this world to whom He wills, and He grants from His mercy and reward in the Hereafter to whom He wills. No one else holds any share of this dominion, and no one can prevent what He gives or give what He prevents.

This is a call to place one's trust entirely in Allah. If you seek success in this life, know that its keys are in His hands. If you yearn for salvation and bliss in the Hereafter, know that His mercy and generosity are boundless. So direct your hopes to Him alone, and let your heart rest in the certainty that your Lord — who owns both worlds — is the Most Generous, the Most Wise, and the Most Just.

A Da'wah Reflection:

Dear reader, this verse invites you to a beautiful realization: your Lord is not the owner of a distant world only — He is the Master of your present moment and your eternal future. When you turn to Him in prayer, you are asking the One who holds the treasures of both lives. No door is closed to you when you knock on His door. So never despair of His mercy, and never limit your dreams to this world alone — for with Allah, the best is yet to come, both here and forever.