Surah Ash-Shams

وَٱلشَّمْسِوَضُحَىٰهَا

CONSIDER the sun and its radiant brightness,

وَٱلْقَمَرِإِذَاتَلَىٰهَا

and the moon as it reflects the sun!

وَٱلنَّهَارِإِذَاجَلَّىٰهَا

Consider the day as it reveals the world,

وَٱلَّيْلِإِذَايَغْشَىٰهَا

and the night as it veils it darkly!

وَٱلسَّمَآءِوَمَابَنَىٰهَا

Consider the sky and its wondrous make,

وَٱلْأَرْضِوَمَاطَحَىٰهَا

and the earth and all its expanse!

وَنَفْسٍۢوَمَاسَوَّىٰهَا

Consider the human self, and how it is formed in accordance with what it is meant to be,

فَأَلْهَمَهَافُجُورَهَاوَتَقْوَىٰهَا

and how it is imbued with moral failings as well as with consciousness of God!

قَدْأَفْلَحَمَنزَكَّىٰهَا

To a happy state shall indeed attain he who causes this [self] to grow in purity,

وَقَدْخَابَمَندَسَّىٰهَا

and truly lost is he who buries it [in darkness].

كَذَّبَتْثَمُودُبِطَغْوَىٰهَآ

TO [THIS] TRUTH gave the lie, in their overweening arrogance, [the tribe of] Thamud,

إِذِٱنۢبَعَثَأَشْقَىٰهَا

when that most hapless wretch from among them rushed forward [to commit his evil deed],

فَقَالَلَهُمْرَسُولُٱللَّهِنَاقَةَٱللَّهِوَسُقْيَٰهَا

although God's apostle had told them, "It is a she-camel belonging to God, so let her drink [and do her no harm]!"

فَكَذَّبُوهُفَعَقَرُوهَافَدَمْدَمَعَلَيْهِمْرَبُّهُمبِذَنۢبِهِمْفَسَوَّىٰهَا

But they gave him the lie, and cruelly slaughtered her - whereupon their Sustainer visited them with utter destruction for this their sin, destroying them all alike:

وَلَايَخَافُعُقْبَٰهَا

for none [of them] had any fear of what might befall them.