Al Shams

1 By the Sun and his (glorious) splendour;

1 In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. By the sun and its brightness.

2 By the Moon as she follows him;

2 By the moon as it follows it (the sun).

3 By the Day as it shows up (the Sun's) glory;

3 By the day as it shows up (the sun's) brightness.

4 By the Night as it conceals it;

4 By the night as it conceals it (the sun).

5 By the Firmament and its (wonderful) structure;

5 By the heaven and Him Who built it.

6 By the Earth and its (wide) expanse:

6 By the earth and Him Who spread it.

7 By the Soul, and the proportion and order given to it;

7 By Nafs (Adam or a person or a soul), and Him Who perfected him in proportion;

8 And its enlightenment as to its wrong and its right; -

8 Then He showed him what is wrong for him and what is right for him.

9 Truly he succeeds that purifies it,

9 Indeed he succeeds who purifies his ownself (i.e. obeys and performs all that Allah ordered, by following the true Faith of Islamic Monotheism and by doing righteous good deeds).

10 And he fails that corrupts it!

10 And indeed he fails who corrupts his ownself (i.e. disobeys what Allah has ordered by rejecting the true Faith of Islamic Monotheism or by following polytheism or by doing every kind of evil wicked deeds).

11 The Thamud (people) rejected (their prophet) through their inordinate wrong - doing,

11 Thamud (people) denied (their Prophet) through their transgression (by rejecting the true Faith of Islamic Monotheism, and by following polytheism, and by committing every kind of sin).

12 Behold, the most wicked man among them was deputed (for impiety).

12 When the most wicked man among them went forth (to kill the she-camel).

13 But the Messenger of Allah said to them: "It is a She - camel of Allah! And (bar her not from) having her drink!"

13 But the Messenger of Allah [Salih عليه السلام] said to them: "Be cautious! (Fear the evil end). That is the she-camel of Allah! (Do not harm it) and bar it not from having its drink!"

14 Then they rejected him (as a false prophet), and they hamstrung her. So their Lord, on account of their crime, obliterated their traces and made them equal (in destruction, high and low)!

14 Then they denied him and they killed it. So their Lord destroyed them because of their sin, and made them equal in destruction (i.e. all grades of people, rich and poor, strong and weak, etc.)!

15 And for Him is no fear of its consequences.

15 And He (Allah) feared not the consequences thereof.