By the dawn
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم والفجر
By the break of Day
I swear by the daybreak,
Chapter 89, 30 verses
By the dawn
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم والفجر
By the break of Day
I swear by the daybreak,
And [by] ten nights
وليال عشر
By the Nights twice five;
And the ten nights,
And [by] the even [number] and the odd
والشفع والوتر
By the even and odd (contrasted);
And the even and the odd,
And [by] the night when it passes,
والليل إذا يسر
And by the Night when it passeth away; -
And the night when it departs.
Is there [not] in [all] that an oath [sufficient] for one of perception?
هل في ذلك قسم لذي حجر
Is there (not) in these an adjuration (or evidence) for those who understand?
Truly in that there is an oath for those who possess understanding.
Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with 'Aad -
ألم تر كيف فعل ربك بعاد
Seest thou not how thy Lord dealt with the 'Ad (people), -
Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with Ad,
[With] Iram - who had lofty pillars,
إرم ذات العماد
Of the (city of) Iram, with lofty pillars,
(The people of) Aram, possessors of lofty buildings,
The likes of whom had never been created in the land?
التي لم يخلق مثلها في البلاد
The like of which were not produced in (all) the land?
The like of which were not created in the (other) cities;
And [with] Thamud, who carved out the rocks in the valley?
وثمود الذين جابوا الصخر بالواد
And with the Thamud (people), who cut out (huge) rocks in the valley? -
And (with) Samood, who hewed out the rocks in the valley,
And [with] Pharaoh, owner of the stakes? -
وفرعون ذي الأوتاد
And with Pharaoh, lord of stakes?
And (with) Firon, the lord of hosts,
[All of] whom oppressed within the lands
الذين طغوا في البلاد
(All) these transgressed beyond bounds in the lands,
Who committed inordinacy in the cities,
And increased therein the corruption.
فأكثروا فيها الفساد
And heaped therein mischief (on mischief).
So they made great mischief therein?
So your Lord poured upon them a scourge of punishment.
فصب عليهم ربك سوط عذاب
Therefore did thy Lord pour on them a scourge of diverse chastisements:
Therefore your Lord let down upon them a portion of the chastisement.
Indeed, your Lord is in observation.
إن ربك لبالمرصاد
For thy Lord is (as a Guardian) on a watch - tower.
Most surely your Lord is watching.
And as for man, when his Lord tries him and [thus] is generous to him and favors him, he says, "My Lord has honored me."
فأما الإنسان إذا ما ابتلاه ربه فأكرمه ونعمه فيقول ربي أكرمن
Now, as for man, when his Lord trieth him, giving him honour and gifts, then saith he, (puffed up), "My Lord hath honoured me."
And as for man, when his Lord tries him, then treats him with honor and makes him lead an easy life, he says: My Lord honors me.
But when He tries him and restricts his provision, he says, "My Lord has humiliated me."
وأما إذا ما ابتلاه فقدر عليه رزقه فيقول ربي أهانن
But when He trieth him, restricting his subsistence for him, then saith he (in despair), "My Lord hath humiliated me!"
But when He tries him (differently), then straitens to him his means of subsistence, he says: My Lord has disgraced me.
No! But you do not honor the orphan
كلا ۖ بل لا تكرمون اليتيم
Nay, nay! but ye honour not the orphans!
Nay! but you do not honor the orphan,
And you do not encourage one another to feed the poor.
ولا تحاضون على طعام المسكين
Nor do ye encourage one another to feed the poor! -
Nor do you urge one another to feed the poor,
And you consume inheritance, devouring [it] altogether,
وتأكلون التراث أكلا لما
And ye devour inheritance - all with greed,
And you eat away the heritage, devouring (everything) indiscriminately,
And you love wealth with immense love.
وتحبون المال حبا جما
And ye love wealth with inordinate love!
And you love wealth with exceeding love.
No! When the earth has been leveled - pounded and crushed -
كلا إذا دكت الأرض دكا دكا
Nay! When the earth is pounded to powder,
Nay! when the earth is made to crumble to pieces,
And your Lord has come and the angels, rank upon rank,
وجاء ربك والملك صفا صفا
And thy Lord cometh, and His angels, rank upon rank,
And your Lord comes and (also) the angels in ranks,
And brought [within view], that Day, is Hell - that Day, man will remember, but what good to him will be the remembrance?
وجيء يومئذ بجهنم ۚ يومئذ يتذكر الإنسان وأنى له الذكرى
And Hell, that Day, is brought (face to face), - on that Day will man remember, but how will that remembrance profit him?
And hell is made to appear on that day. On that day shall man be mindful, and what shall being mindful (then) avail him?
He will say, "Oh, I wish I had sent ahead [some good] for my life."
يقول يا ليتني قدمت لحياتي
He will say: "Ah! Would that I had sent forth (good deeds) for (this) my (Future) Life!"
He shall say: O! would that I had sent before for (this) my life!
So on that Day, none will punish [as severely] as His punishment,
فيومئذ لا يعذب عذابه أحد
For, that Day, His Chastisement will be such as none (else) can inflict,
But on that day shall no one chastise with (anything like) His chastisement,
And none will bind [as severely] as His binding [of the evildoers].
ولا يوثق وثاقه أحد
And His bonds will be such as none (other) can bind.
And no one shall bind with (anything like) His binding.
[To the righteous it will be said], "O reassured soul,
يا أيتها النفس المطمئنة
(To the righteous soul will be said:) "O (thou) soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction!
O soul that art at rest!
Return to your Lord, well - pleased and pleasing [to Him],
ارجعي إلى ربك راضية مرضية
"Come back thou to thy Lord, - well pleased (thyself), and well - pleasing unto Him!
Return to your Lord, well - pleased (with him), well - pleasing (Him),
And enter among My [righteous] servants
فادخلي في عبادي
"Enter thou, then, among My devotees!
So enter among My servants,
And enter My Paradise."
وادخلي جنتي
"Yea, enter thou My Heaven!
And enter into My garden.