سُوْرَةُ هُوْدٍ
Surah Hud (11) — Ayah 114
وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ طَرَفَىِ ٱلنَّهَارِ وَزُلَفًا مِّنَ ٱلَّيْلِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلْحَسَنَـٰتِ يُذْهِبْنَ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ذِكْرَىٰ لِلذَّٰكِرِينَ ﴿114﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And perform As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât ), at the two ends of the day and in some hours of the night [i.e. the five compulsory Salât (prayers)]. Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds (i.e. small sins). That is a reminder (an advice) for the mindful (those who accept advice).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَأَقِمِ
wa-aqimi
And establish
ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ
l-ṣalata
the prayer
طَرَفَىِ
ṭarafayi
(at the) two ends
ٱلنَّهَارِ
l-nahāri
(of) the day
وَزُلَفًۭا
wazulafan
and (at) the approach
مِّنَ
mina
of
ٱلَّيْلِ ۚ
al-layli
the night
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱلْحَسَنَـٰتِ
l-ḥasanāti
the good deeds
يُذْهِبْنَ
yudh'hib'na
remove
ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ ۚ
l-sayiāti
the evil deeds
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
That
ذِكْرَىٰ
dhik'rā
(is) a reminder
لِلذَّٰكِرِينَ
lildhākirīna
for those who remember
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
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 establish prayer at the two ends of the day [126] and in some hours of the night. Surely, good deeds remove evil deeds. This is a reminder [127] for those who remember Allah.
[126]
The Removal of Sins Through Good Deeds:
By "the edges of the day" is meant the Fajr and Maghrib prayers, and by "some part of the night" is meant the Isha prayer. Thus, from this verse, these three prayers are established, and if the prayer is performed with complete etiquette, a person's minor sins are automatically forgiven, as is made clear by the following hadiths:
1. Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud ؓ says that a man kissed an (Ansari) woman. Then he came to the Prophet ﷺ and confessed his sin. At that time, this verse was revealed. (After hearing this verse) the man asked the Prophet ﷺ: "Is this matter (the forgiveness of minor sins through prayer) specific to me?" The Prophet ﷺ replied: "No, rather, whoever from my Ummah does so." In [ بخاري، كتاب التفسير مسلم، كتاب التوبه، باب ﴿اِنَّ الْحَسَنٰتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّاٰتِ﴾] this incident is mentioned in more detail.
2. Sayyiduna Hudhaifah رضي اللہ عنہ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "A man's trial is in his wife, his wealth, his children, and his neighbor, and prayer, fasting, charity, enjoining good, and forbidding evil become their expiation." [ بخاري، كتاب مواقيت الصلوة۔ باب الصلوة كفارة]
3. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "The five prayers, from one Jumu'ah to the next, and from one Ramadan to the next, are expiation for the sins committed in between, as long as major sins are avoided." [مسلم، کتاب الطھارۃ، باب فضل الوضوء والصلوۃ عقبہ]
4. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Tell me, if there were a river at the door of one of you and he bathed in it five times a day, would any dirt remain on his body?" The people replied, "No, not a trace would remain." The Prophet ﷺ said: "That is the example of the five prayers; Allah wipes away sins through them." [بخاری، کتاب مواقیت الصلوۃ باب فضل الصلوۃ لوقتھا]
Three Ways Good Deeds Remove Sins:
And there are three ways in which good deeds remove sins: one is that whoever does many good deeds, his sins are forgiven; the second is that he loses the habit of evil; and the third is that in a society where good deeds are abundant, evils automatically begin to depart from there and cannot raise their heads.
[127] That is, the best means to make you righteous and to protect you from evil is prayer, through which the remembrance of Allah is kept alive. With its strength, you can confront the individual and collective forces of evil.
[126]
The Removal of Sins Through Good Deeds:
By "the edges of the day" is meant the Fajr and Maghrib prayers, and by "some part of the night" is meant the Isha prayer. Thus, from this verse, these three prayers are established, and if the prayer is performed with complete etiquette, a person's minor sins are automatically forgiven, as is made clear by the following hadiths:
1. Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud ؓ says that a man kissed an (Ansari) woman. Then he came to the Prophet ﷺ and confessed his sin. At that time, this verse was revealed. (After hearing this verse) the man asked the Prophet ﷺ: "Is this matter (the forgiveness of minor sins through prayer) specific to me?" The Prophet ﷺ replied: "No, rather, whoever from my Ummah does so." In [ بخاري، كتاب التفسير مسلم، كتاب التوبه، باب ﴿اِنَّ الْحَسَنٰتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّاٰتِ﴾] this incident is mentioned in more detail.
2. Sayyiduna Hudhaifah رضي اللہ عنہ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "A man's trial is in his wife, his wealth, his children, and his neighbor, and prayer, fasting, charity, enjoining good, and forbidding evil become their expiation." [ بخاري، كتاب مواقيت الصلوة۔ باب الصلوة كفارة]
3. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "The five prayers, from one Jumu'ah to the next, and from one Ramadan to the next, are expiation for the sins committed in between, as long as major sins are avoided." [مسلم، کتاب الطھارۃ، باب فضل الوضوء والصلوۃ عقبہ]
4. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Tell me, if there were a river at the door of one of you and he bathed in it five times a day, would any dirt remain on his body?" The people replied, "No, not a trace would remain." The Prophet ﷺ said: "That is the example of the five prayers; Allah wipes away sins through them." [بخاری، کتاب مواقیت الصلوۃ باب فضل الصلوۃ لوقتھا]
Three Ways Good Deeds Remove Sins:
And there are three ways in which good deeds remove sins: one is that whoever does many good deeds, his sins are forgiven; the second is that he loses the habit of evil; and the third is that in a society where good deeds are abundant, evils automatically begin to depart from there and cannot raise their heads.
[127] That is, the best means to make you righteous and to protect you from evil is prayer, through which the remembrance of Allah is kept alive. With its strength, you can confront the individual and collective forces of evil.
