وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰ (1)
By the night when its shades of darkness serve as a veil |
وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّىٰ (2)
And by the day-light and the illumination that emanates from it and does prevail |
وَمَا خَلَقَ الذَّكَرَ وَالْأُنثَىٰ (3)
And by the creation of the, male and the female |
إِنَّ سَعْيَكُمْ لَشَتَّىٰ (4)
That your endeavour you people to attain your goals is diverse; to some, righteousness is but a goal to their will, others in vanity they waste their days, others compromise between opposite motives and exercise adjustment of rival courses of action, and others attain it through benefaction |
فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَىٰ وَاتَّقَىٰ (5)
So that he who gives gratuitously and fears Allah indeed |
وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَىٰ (6)
And solemnly believes in deeds imprinted with wisdom and piety and that the\ end crowns the deed |
فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَىٰ (7)
We will facilitate his task and lead him to the facile and ready course |
وَأَمَّا مَن بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَىٰ (8)
But he ho is niggardly thinking he is self-sufficient and exercises greed |
وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَىٰ (9)
Denying the Day of Judgment and the requital that is commensurate with one’s deed |
فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَىٰ (10)
We will allow his course to what is miserable, unfavourable and bad |
وَمَا يُغْنِي عَنْهُ مَالُهُ إِذَا تَرَدَّىٰ (11)
Nor will his material advantages save him from the infernal abode which is dark, troublesome and sad |
إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا لَلْهُدَىٰ (12)
It is We who indicate to the people what is right and what is wrong |
وَإِنَّ لَنَا لَلْآخِرَةَ وَالْأُولَىٰ (13)
And to Us indeed do the beginning and the end belong, for, one’s own self and all his possessions are not truly his own, but Ours |
فَأَنذَرْتُكُمْ نَارًا تَلَظَّىٰ (14)
Therefore I have warned you people of a fiercely blazing fire |
لَا يَصْلَاهَا إِلَّا الْأَشْقَى (15)
No one suffers it but the unfortunate who obstinately denies the truth and to arrogance does he aspire |
الَّذِي كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ (16)
Who whole heartedly denies Allah and deviates from the path of righteousness and piety |
وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا الْأَتْقَى (17)
But saved from it will be the one who entertains the profound reverence dutiful to Allah and carries his reverence to Allah from contemplation to reality |
الَّذِي يُؤْتِي مَالَهُ يَتَزَكَّىٰ (18)
Who spends of his wealth in benefaction |
وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِندَهُ مِن نِّعْمَةٍ تُجْزَىٰ (19)
With no obligation to any, or expectation of a reward or a favour in return or a mundane satisfaction |
إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِ الْأَعْلَىٰ (20)
But only on account of his interest, to please Allah, his Creator – the Supreme -, and to gain His welcome into His realm and be held precious in His esteem; a welcome featured by the illumination proceeding from Him and by the language spoken by His countenance |
وَلَسَوْفَ يَرْضَىٰ (21)
Such a person shall be rewarded to his satisfaction |
