Surah Al-Layl — Verse 9

Word Meanings:

• Kadhdhaba (كَذَّبَ): Denied, rejected, or declared as false.
• Bil-Ḥusnā (بِالْحُسْنَىٰ): The best, the most excellent — referring to the word of Tawḥīd (Lā ilāha illallāh), the promise of reward, and the ultimate goodness that awaits the believers.

Tafsir (Explanation):

This verse describes the second trait of the one who is destined for hardship and difficulty in the Hereafter. After mentioning stinginess and self-sufficiency in the previous verse, Allah now says that such a person denies the best — meaning he rejects the testimony of faith, “There is no god but Allah,” and all that it entails: the resurrection, the reckoning, the reward for good deeds, and the promise of Allah to replace whatever is spent in His cause with something better.

Such a person does not merely withhold his wealth out of miserliness; he goes further and denies the truth in his heart. He refuses to believe in the beautiful promise of Allah — that whoever gives in charity, fears Allah, and affirms the truth will find ease and Paradise. He rejects the very foundation of hope and goodness, turning away from the light of faith and the certainty of divine reward.

The verse teaches us that denial of the truth is the root of all ruin. When a person refuses to affirm the Oneness of Allah and the promise of the Hereafter, his heart becomes closed to every form of goodness. His stinginess is not just about money — it is a symptom of a deeper spiritual disease: the absence of faith and trust in Allah’s promises.

A Call to Reflection and Action:

Dear reader, look at your own heart. Do you truly believe in the “best” — in the beautiful promise of Allah that every good deed will be rewarded, every penny spent in His way will be compensated, and every step toward Him will be honored? If you do, then let that faith transform your hands into instruments of generosity and your heart into a vessel of hope. Do not let denial creep into your soul, for it is the gateway to every form of misery. Embrace the truth, affirm it with your tongue, and live it with your actions — and you will find that Allah makes the path of goodness smooth and easy for you, in this life and the next.