Chapter 91, 15 verses
By the sun and its brightness
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم والشمس وضحاها
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. By the sun and its brightness.
And [by] the moon when it follows it
والقمر إذا تلاها
By the moon as it follows it (the sun).
And [by] the day when it displays it
والنهار إذا جلاها
By the day as it shows up (the sun's) brightness.
And [by] the night when it covers it
والليل إذا يغشاها
By the night as it conceals it (the sun).
And [by] the sky and He who constructed it
والسماء وما بناها
By the heaven and Him Who built it.
And [by] the earth and He who spread it
والأرض وما طحاها
By the earth and Him Who spread it.
And [by] the soul and He who proportioned it
ونفس وما سواها
By Nafs (Adam or a person or a soul), and Him Who perfected him in proportion;
And inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness,
فألهمها فجورها وتقواها
Then He showed him what is wrong for him and what is right for him.
He has succeeded who purifies it,
قد أفلح من زكاها
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).
And he has failed who instills it [with corruption].
وقد خاب من دساها
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).
Thamud denied [their prophet] by reason of their transgression,
كذبت ثمود بطغواها
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).
When the most wretched of them was sent forth.
إذ انبعث أشقاها
When the most wicked man among them went forth (to kill the she-camel).
And the messenger of Allah [Salih] said to them, "[Do not harm] the she - camel of Allah or [prevent her from] her drink."
فقال لهم رسول الله ناقة الله وسقياها
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!"
But they denied him and hamstrung her. So their Lord brought down upon them destruction for their sin and made it equal [upon all of them].
فكذبوه فعقروها فدمدم عليهم ربهم بذنبهم فسواها
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.)!
And He does not fear the consequence thereof.
ولا يخاف عقباها
And He (Allah) feared not the consequences thereof.