A reflection on Surah Ad-Duha 93:10-11 - the surah's final commands, kindness to those who ask and gratitude spoken aloud.
Surah Ad-Duha closes with two short commands that complete everything the surah has been building toward. At Darus Saulieghien Quraan Academy, we find this ending especially fitting: after reassurance, promise, and remembered blessing, the surah insists that gratitude must finally become visible, in how we treat people and in what we say.
Kindness to Whoever Asks
Allah (SWT) says:
وَأَمَّا السَّائِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ ١٠
"And as for the one who asks, do not repel him." (Surah Ad-Duha 93:10)
Scholars explain that as-sa'il refers primarily to someone seeking material help, though it also extends to anyone approaching with a genuine need, for knowledge, guidance, or support. Just as the previous ayah asked the Prophet (SAW) to show mercy to the orphan, this one widens that mercy to anyone who comes asking. The Prophet (SAW) himself was known for exactly this: patient, generous, and willing to listen, whoever came to him.
Gratitude Spoken Aloud
The final ayah turns from action to speech:
وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ ١١
"And as for the favour of your Lord, proclaim it." (Surah Ad-Duha 93:11)
This is not an instruction to boast. It means acknowledging Allah's favours openly, speaking of them with gratitude, and using them in ways that please Him. Every blessing, faith, health, family, knowledge, provision, comes from Allah (SWT), and naming that source keeps the heart from forgetting it. As the Prophet (SAW) said, "He who does not thank people does not thank Allah." (Sunan Abi Dawud 4811)
Gratitude as a Habit, Not Just a Feeling
Placed at the very end of the surah, this instruction ties everything together. Allah (SWT) first reminded the Prophet (SAW) of the blessings he had received, then commanded him to show mercy to those without them, and finally to speak of Allah's favour rather than stay silent about it. Gratitude, the surah teaches, lives in speech and action as much as in the heart.
We encourage our students to practise exactly this: naming a specific blessing Allah (SWT) has given them, and using it, whether it is knowledge shared, time given, or simply an encouraging word, to benefit someone else. That is where the surah's message becomes real rather than only recited.
May Allah (SWT) make us among those who speak of His favours with gratitude, and who use every blessing He gives us in ways that please Him. Ameen.