سُوْرَةُ الْفَجْرِ

Surah Al-Fajr (89) — Ayah 3

The Dawn · Meccan · Juz 30 · Page 593

وَٱلشَّفْعِ وَٱلْوَتْرِ ﴿3﴾
And by the even and the odd (of all the creations of Allâh).
وَٱلشَّفْعِ wal-shafʿi And the even
وَٱلْوَتْرِ wal-watri and the odd

Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

(Ayah 3){ وَ الشَّفْعِ وَ الْوَتْرِ :} Even is that number which can be divided into two equal parts, such as two, four, six, etc., and odd is that number which cannot be divided in this way, for example, one, three, five, etc. No thing in the universe is exempt from these two states when counted. All things, when increasing, go from odd to even and from even to odd, and the same happens when decreasing. For example, from one to two, then three, then four, and so on, and from ten to nine, then eight to seven, and so on.

Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

3. 1. By this is meant even and odd numbers, or those counted things which are even and odd. Some say that this actually refers to the category of creation, because creation is either even or odd, and nothing else.

Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

And by the even [3] and the odd.

[3]
The Literal Meaning of ﴿شفع﴾ and Witr:

The word ﴿شَفْعَ﴾ is applied to those things in which there is no distinction between male and female, and the meaning of ﴿شَفْعِ﴾ is to join one thing with another similar thing, and in this way, two paired things are called ﴿شفع﴾. And that which does not have anything similar to it is called Witr. The best example of Witr is the Being of Allah Himself. In prayers, its example is the obligatory Maghrib prayer and the Witr prayer at the end of ‘Isha, and the Witr prayer is called Witr because however many are performed—such as one, three, five, seven, nine, eleven—they will remain Witr. And in reality, Witr is only one rak‘ah; now, however many even-numbered nawafil are performed with it, one Witr will make all of them Witr. And in numbers, every digit that can be divided by two is shaf‘ or even, such as two, four, six, eight, etc., and that which cannot be completely divided by two is Witr or odd, such as one, three, five, seven, etc. For example, the meaning of seven being Witr is that six are made into three pairs, and the seventh Witr, by joining, makes all of them Witr. In the universe, most things are divided into male and female, and those in which this division is not found, even in them there is a pair. For example, one shoe is the pair of the other shoe, and when both are together, they become shaf‘ or even. And there are some things for which there is nothing similar; these things are Witr, and the existence and independence of such things have a special significance in their own place.