وَالْفَجْرِ (1)
By the dawn and its mystery and what it entails of religious rites |
وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍ (2)
By the ten highly esteemed sacred nights |
وَالشَّفْعِ وَالْوَتْرِ (3)
And by the contrasted yet related, the even and the odd |
وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَسْرِ (4)
And by the night when it flows along its way, then it softly moves away |
هَلْ فِي ذَٰلِكَ قَسَمٌ لِّذِي حِجْرٍ (5)
Is there not enough assertion in these corroboratory facts for those who ponder |
أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ (6)
Did you not see how Allah, Your Creator, dealt with the people of ‘Ad, the Adites; (said to be fifth generation of descendants of Noah) |
إِرَمَ ذَاتِ الْعِمَادِ (7)
And with their city of Iram with its lofty and strong architectural pillars imposing, by reason of beauty coupled with magnitude that was indeed grand |
الَّتِي لَمْ يُخْلَقْ مِثْلُهَا فِي الْبِلَادِ (8)
The like of which was never created in the land |
وَثَمُودَ الَّذِينَ جَابُوا الصَّخْرَ بِالْوَادِ (9)
And how He dealt with the people of Thamud, who hewed out of the huge rocks in the valley outstanding buildings |
وَفِرْعَوْنَ ذِي الْأَوْتَادِ (10)
And how He dealt with Pharaoh who impaled people on the stakes |
الَّذِينَ طَغَوْا فِي الْبِلَادِ (11)
All of whom practiced tyrannies in the land |
فَأَكْثَرُوا فِيهَا الْفَسَادَ (12)
They encouraged mischief therein and promoted an age of discord |
فَصَبَّ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّكَ سَوْطَ عَذَابٍ (13)
In consequence did Allah, your Creator, requite them with. painful misfortunes which together with their principles and practice well accord |
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَبِالْمِرْصَادِ (14)
Allah your Creator is ever vigilant, He pays off the equivalent |
فَأَمَّا الْإِنسَانُ إِذَا مَا ابْتَلَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَأَكْرَمَهُ وَنَعَّمَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّي أَكْرَمَنِ (15)
When Allah tests man by crediting him with plenty, he immodestly says: "Allah, my Creator, has ministered to my necessities and honoured me with gratification |
وَأَمَّا إِذَا مَا ابْتَلَاهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّي أَهَانَنِ (16)
And when He tests him by restricting his means, he despairingly says: "Allah, my Creator, has disregarded me and reduced me to humiliation |
كَلَّا ۖ بَل لَّا تُكْرِمُونَ الْيَتِيمَ (17)
No, but you do not take good care of the orphan to make him feel comfortable and secure |
وَلَا تَحَاضُّونَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ (18)
Nor do you encourage benevolence to the indigent who is really poor |
وَتَأْكُلُونَ التُّرَاثَ أَكْلًا لَّمًّا (19)
You eat greedily all you can get of the inheritance |
وَتُحِبُّونَ الْمَالَ حُبًّا جَمًّا (20)
And you love to hoard wealth inordinately |
كَلَّا إِذَا دُكَّتِ الْأَرْضُ دَكًّا دَكًّا (21)
No, but indeed when the earth will be severely pounded |
وَجَاءَ رَبُّكَ وَالْمَلَكُ صَفًّا صَفًّا (22)
And there come Allah, your Creator, with His angels ranked in row after row |
وَجِيءَ يَوْمَئِذٍ بِجَهَنَّمَ ۚ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَتَذَكَّرُ الْإِنسَانُ وَأَنَّىٰ لَهُ الذِّكْرَىٰ (23)
And then Hell is brought face to face, and there is no escape from the encounter with the infernal hiss and crackle of the flame. Now man remembers his deeds, but how late it is to hope for a better fate |
يَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي قَدَّمْتُ لِحَيَاتِي (24)
He will wish he had done better in life than what he used to perpetrate |
فَيَوْمَئِذٍ لَّا يُعَذِّبُ عَذَابَهُ أَحَدٌ (25)
But then no one requites for sins the way Allah does |
وَلَا يُوثِقُ وَثَاقَهُ أَحَدٌ (26)
Nor does anyone bind in captivity the way Allah makes fast with bonds |
يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ (27)
O you, the untroubled soul |
ارْجِعِي إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرْضِيَّةً (28)
Return to Allah, your Creator, pleased and blessed |
فَادْخُلِي فِي عِبَادِي (29)
Join My devotees |
وَادْخُلِي جَنَّتِي (30)
And take up your abode in My Paradise |
