Surah At-Tariq (The Nightcommer)

About Surah At-Tariq

At-Tariq, “The Nightcomer”, opens by swearing by the sky and by something that comes at night, then explains it: a star whose light pierces the darkness. From there the surah turns to the human being — watched over, created from humble beginnings, and fully able to be brought back to life — and closes by describing the Quran as a serious, decisive word.

Verse by verse

• The star (86:1–3): the sky and the nightcomer, explained as the piercing star.
• Every soul has a guardian (86:4): commentators understand this as angels who watch over and record each person.
• From what was man made? (86:5–8): the human being comes from a gushing fluid, and the One who made him can surely return him.
• The Day secrets are tested (86:9–10): hidden intentions are laid bare, and no one has strength or helper.
• Sky and earth (86:11–14): by the sky that sends back rain and the earth that splits with plants, the Quran is a decisive word, not a joke.
• Plans (86:15–17): the deniers are scheming, God also plans, so the Prophet is told to give them a little time.

The pairing of images

The surah works through pairs: the star above and the guardian over each soul; the rain returning from the sky and the seed bursting from the earth, echoing the person returning to life. Its closing verses ask for patience rather than haste, a theme that recurs in many Meccan surahs.

Along with Al-Buruj, At-Tariq is mentioned in reports in the Sunan collections as a surah the Prophet recited in the midday and afternoon prayers.

Frequently asked questions

What is At-Tariq?

The surah itself explains it in verse 3 as the piercing star — something that appears at night.

How many verses are in Surah At-Tariq?

17.

How many ayahs are in Surah At-Tariq?

Surah At-Tariq has 17 ayahs. It is surah number 86 in the Quran and is Meccan.

Can I read Surah At-Tariq in English or save it as a PDF?

Yes. This page shows the Arabic text of every ayah with the Saheeh International English meaning under it. Use “Print / Save as PDF” for a clean printable copy that you can save as a PDF file from your browser.

Is Surah At-Tariq the same as Surah Tariq?

Yes. Tariq, Al Tariq and At-Tariq are different English spellings of the same surah name, الطارق.

Summaries describe the surah’s content and commonly cited reports for general readers; they are not a tafsir or a religious ruling.