Al-Burooj
سُورَةُ البُرُوجِ
The Constellations
**In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful** The early Muslim believers of Mecca lived in turmoil especially at the beginning period of Islam. They were always faced with torture; bodily and spiritually, by the pagan Arabs who forced them to leave their Faith. Some of them, the weak ones, succumbed, but, the stronger ones resisted. This is a Meccan Surah whose main objective seems to be the spiritual strengthening of the believers against that process, and encouraging them to persevere. Concerning this point, it tells the story of 'the makers of the pit of fire', those who dug some ditches in which they burnt people for their Faith. They threatened them and burnt them, but the true believers did not loose their Faith. In another section of the Surah, the pagans are threatened with the blazing fire of Hell for the persecution of Allah’s votaries, while the believers are given good news about the gardens of Bliss. Then, to attract their attention to past generations, it illustrates the story of Pharaoh, the people of Thamud and some other arrogant sects. They lived in such great authority, in the past, that the pagans of Mecca were naught in comparison with them, but they could not stand for Allah’s command and perished. Besides, these examples are for soothing the heart of the Prophet (S) and of the believers. Finally, the Surah ends wilh an explanation about the greatness and the extraordinary importance of the Holy Qur'an. On the whole, this is a Surah of resistant perseverance, and patience from the side of the believers against the persecutions of the enemies, amongst which the promise Allah’s victory is found. The name of the Surah is taken from the oath which occurred in the beginning verse of the Surah.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ وَٱلسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ ٱلْبُرُوجِ
Wassamaaa'i zaatil burooj
I CALL TO witness the sky (bespangled) with the signs of the Zodiac,
وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْمَوْعُودِ
Wal yawmil maw'ood
And the promised day,
وَشَاهِدٍۢ وَمَشْهُودٍۢ
Wa shaahidinw wa mashhood
And the witness and the witnessed,
قُتِلَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْأُخْدُودِ
Qutila as haabul ukhdood
That accursed are the men of the trench
ٱلنَّارِ ذَاتِ ٱلْوَقُودِ
Annaari zaatil waqood
Full of fire fed by faggots,
إِذْ هُمْ عَلَيْهَا قُعُودٌۭ
Iz hum 'alaihaa qu'ood
As they sat around it
وَهُمْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَفْعَلُونَ بِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ شُهُودٌۭ
Wa hum 'alaa maa yaf'aloona bilmu 'mineena shuhood
Witnessing what they had done to the believers!
وَمَا نَقَمُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ إِلَّآ أَن يُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْحَمِيدِ
Wa maa naqamoo minhum illaaa aiyu'minoo billaahil 'azeezil Hameed
They had no other reason for hating them except that they believed in God the mighty, worthy of praise,
ٱلَّذِى لَهُۥ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ شَهِيدٌ
Allazee lahoo mulkus samaawaati wal ard; wallaahu 'alaa kulli shai 'in Shaheed
Whose kingdom spreads over the heavens and the earth. God is witness over everything.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ فَتَنُوا۟ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَتُوبُوا۟ فَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ ٱلْحَرِيقِ
Innal lazeena fatanul mu'mineena wal mu'minaati summa lam yatooboo falahum 'azaabu Jahannama wa lahum 'azaabul hareeq
Surely for those who persecute believers, men and women, and do not repent afterwards, is the punishment of Hell, and the punishment of burning.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ لَهُمْ جَنَّٰتٌۭ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَٰرُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْكَبِيرُ
Innal lazeena aamanoo wa 'amilus saalihaati lahum Jannaatun tajree min tahtihal anhaar; zaalikal fawzul kabeer
Surely for those who believe and do the right are gardens with rivers running by. That is the greatest success.
إِنَّ بَطْشَ رَبِّكَ لَشَدِيدٌ
Inna batsha Rabbika lashadeed
The grip of your Lord is severe indeed!
إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ يُبْدِئُ وَيُعِيدُ
Innahoo Huwa yubdi'u wa yu'eed
It is verily He who initiates and repeats.
وَهُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلْوَدُودُ
Wa Huwal Ghafoorul Wadood
He is the forgiving and the loving,
ذُو ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱلْمَجِيدُ
Zul 'Arshil Majeed
The Lord of the glorious Throne,
فَعَّالٌۭ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ
Fa' 'aalul limaa yureed
Who does as He pleases.
هَلْ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ ٱلْجُنُودِ
Hal ataaka hadeesul junood
Has the story of the hordes
فِرْعَوْنَ وَثَمُودَ
Fir'awna wa Samood
Of Pharaoh and Thamud come to you?
بَلِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فِى تَكْذِيبٍۢ
Balil lazeena kafaroo fee takzeeb
Yet the infidels persist in denial.
وَٱللَّهُ مِن وَرَآئِهِم مُّحِيطٌۢ
Wallaahu minw waraaa'ihim muheet
But God surrounds them from all sides.
بَلْ هُوَ قُرْءَانٌۭ مَّجِيدٌۭ
Bal huwa Quraanum Majeed
This is indeed the glorious Qur'an
فِى لَوْحٍۢ مَّحْفُوظٍۭ
Fee Lawhim Mahfooz
(Preserved) on the guarded tablet.