By the dawn

Allah begins this remarkable Surah with a series of oaths, and the first is by ‎ٱلۡفَجۡرِ‎, the breaking of dawn.

This word carries profound significance in Arabic. ‎ٱلۡفَجۡر‎ comes from the root meaning an explosion or bursting forth, similar to how rocks might burst open to gush water.

It captures that moment when darkness tears open and light comes pouring through in the morning.

This is the time when the night of darkness gives way to the illumination of a new day.

For the believer, ‎ٱلۡفَجۡر‎ represents the most challenging yet most rewarding time of prayer. It is when the ‎نَفۡس‎ (soul) is at its weakest, when the struggle to rise is greatest, yet it is precisely this time when the believer draws closest to Allah.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught us that the last third of the night, the time leading up to dawn, is when the door of mercy is most open, when supplication is most readily accepted.