What does « Night blindness » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Night blindness (عشا) in the Quran, with 14 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

عشا

Night blindness

Root: ع - ش

Quranic language 14 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 2 min read

Definition of Night blindness

Al-'ashiyy: from the sun's decline until morning.

The Almighty says: 'except during the evening' (Maryam 11) concerning Zechariah. 'Morning and evening' (Ghafir 46).

Al-'asha: weakness of sight appearing in the evening.

Night blindness in the Quran (14)

Meccan: 12 Medinan: 2

Distribution of verses by surah

Maryam 2

Sad 2

Ghafir 2

Âl 'Imrân 1

Al-An'am 1

Yusuf 1

Al-Kahf 1

An-Nur 1

Ar-Rum 1

Az-Zukhruf 1

+ 1 more surahs

Surah Âl 'Imrân : 41 Medinan

﴿قَالَ رَبِّ ٱجْعَل لِّىٓ ءَايَةًۭ ۖ قَالَ ءَايَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ ٱلنَّاسَ ثَلَـٰثَةَ أَيَّامٍ إِلَّا رَمْزًۭا ۗ وَٱذْكُر رَّبَّكَ كَثِيرًۭا وَسَبِّحْ بِٱلْعَشِىِّ وَٱلْإِبْكَـٰرِ﴾

He said, "My Lord, make for me a sign." He Said, "Your sign is that you will not [be able to] speak to the people for three days except by gesture. And remember your Lord much and exalt [Him with praise] in the evening and the morning."

Surah Al-An'am : 52 Meccan

﴿وَلَا تَطْرُدِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلْغَدَوٰةِ وَٱلْعَشِىِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُۥ ۖ مَا عَلَيْكَ مِنْ حِسَابِهِم مِّن شَىْءٍۢ وَمَا مِنْ حِسَابِكَ عَلَيْهِم مِّن شَىْءٍۢ فَتَطْرُدَهُمْ فَتَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ﴾

And do not send away those who call upon their Lord morning and afternoon, seeking His countenance. Not upon you is anything of their account and not upon them is anything of your account. So were you to send them away, you would [then] be of the wrongdoers.

Surah Yusuf : 16 Meccan

﴿وَجَآءُوٓ أَبَاهُمْ عِشَآءًۭ يَبْكُونَ﴾

And they came to their father at night, weeping.

Surah Al-Kahf : 28 Meccan

﴿وَٱصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلْغَدَوٰةِ وَٱلْعَشِىِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُۥ ۖ وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُۥ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَٱتَّبَعَ هَوَىٰهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُۥ فُرُطًۭا﴾

And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.

Surah Maryam : 11 Meccan

﴿فَخَرَجَ عَلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلْمِحْرَابِ فَأَوْحَىٰٓ إِلَيْهِمْ أَن سَبِّحُوا۟ بُكْرَةًۭ وَعَشِيًّۭا﴾

So he came out to his people from the prayer chamber and signaled to them to exalt [Allah] in the morning and afternoon.

Surah Maryam : 62 Meccan

﴿لَّا يَسْمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغْوًا إِلَّا سَلَـٰمًۭا ۖ وَلَهُمْ رِزْقُهُمْ فِيهَا بُكْرَةًۭ وَعَشِيًّۭا﴾

They will not hear therein any ill speech - only [greetings of] peace - and they will have their provision therein, morning and afternoon.

Surah An-Nur : 58 Medinan

﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لِيَسْتَـْٔذِنكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُكُمْ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَبْلُغُوا۟ ٱلْحُلُمَ مِنكُمْ ثَلَـٰثَ مَرَّٰتٍۢ ۚ مِّن قَبْلِ صَلَوٰةِ ٱلْفَجْرِ وَحِينَ تَضَعُونَ ثِيَابَكُم مِّنَ ٱلظَّهِيرَةِ وَمِنۢ بَعْدِ صَلَوٰةِ ٱلْعِشَآءِ ۚ ثَلَـٰثُ عَوْرَٰتٍۢ لَّكُمْ ۚ لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَا عَلَيْهِمْ جُنَاحٌۢ بَعْدَهُنَّ ۚ طَوَّٰفُونَ عَلَيْكُم بَعْضُكُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍۢ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌۭ﴾

O you who have believed, let those whom your right hands possess and those who have not [yet] reached puberty among you ask permission of you [before entering] at three times: before the dawn prayer and when you put aside your clothing [for rest] at noon and after the night prayer. [These are] three times of privacy for you. There is no blame upon you nor upon them beyond these [periods], for they continually circulate among you - some of you, among others. Thus does Allah make clear to you the verses; and Allah is Knowing and Wise.

Surah Ar-Rum : 18 Meccan

﴿وَلَهُ ٱلْحَمْدُ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَعَشِيًّۭا وَحِينَ تُظْهِرُونَ﴾

And to Him is [due all] praise throughout the heavens and the earth. And [exalted is He] at night and when you are at noon.

Surah Sad : 18 Meccan

﴿إِنَّا سَخَّرْنَا ٱلْجِبَالَ مَعَهُۥ يُسَبِّحْنَ بِٱلْعَشِىِّ وَٱلْإِشْرَاقِ﴾

Indeed, We subjected the mountains [to praise] with him, exalting [Allah] in the [late] afternoon and [after] sunrise.

Surah Sad : 31 Meccan

﴿إِذْ عُرِضَ عَلَيْهِ بِٱلْعَشِىِّ ٱلصَّـٰفِنَـٰتُ ٱلْجِيَادُ﴾

[Mention] when there were exhibited before him in the afternoon the poised [standing] racehorses.

Surah Ghafir : 46 Meccan

﴿ٱلنَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوًّۭا وَعَشِيًّۭا ۖ وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ ٱلسَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُوٓا۟ ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ ٱلْعَذَابِ﴾

The Fire, they are exposed to it morning and evening. And the Day the Hour appears [it will be said], "Make the people of Pharaoh enter the severest punishment."

Surah Ghafir : 55 Meccan

﴿فَٱصْبِرْ إِنَّ وَعْدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقٌّۭ وَٱسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنۢبِكَ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ بِٱلْعَشِىِّ وَٱلْإِبْكَـٰرِ﴾

So be patient, [O Muhammad]. Indeed, the promise of Allah is truth. And ask forgiveness for your sin and exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord in the evening and the morning.

Surah Az-Zukhruf : 36 Meccan

﴿وَمَن يَعْشُ عَن ذِكْرِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ نُقَيِّضْ لَهُۥ شَيْطَـٰنًۭا فَهُوَ لَهُۥ قَرِينٌۭ﴾

And whoever is blinded from remembrance of the Most Merciful - We appoint for him a devil, and he is to him a companion.

Surah An-Nazi'at : 46 Meccan

﴿كَأَنَّهُمْ يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَهَا لَمْ يَلْبَثُوٓا۟ إِلَّا عَشِيَّةً أَوْ ضُحَىٰهَا﴾

It will be, on the Day they see it, as though they had not remained [in the world] except for an afternoon or a morning thereof.