In this video, Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan offers deep insight into an oath Allah makes in verses 7-8 of Surat Ash-Shams. Here Allah swears by the human nafs, the self, that He created in perfect proportions. Khan explains how it is this nafs that Allah inspired within every human being which distinguishes us from other creatures, and that He has given it the capacity to both destroy or protect and save itself.

In the context of the previous oaths comparing night and day, these powerful verses are a metaphor for the tug-of-war between good and evil, light and darkness within ourselves; between our material and spiritual needs.

Allah has created this cycle so we can navigate the trials of life, knowing that like the moon, our hearts too go through phases. This constant struggle to purify our souls is the natural order of things.