Ash-Shams

سُورَةُ الشَّمۡسِ

The Sun

**In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful** This Surah, which is in fact a Surah on the purification of the 'carnal soul' and sanctification of the heart from vice and impurities', explains the same themes as in previous Suras, but at the beginning of the Surah eleven great subjects from the world of creation and Divine essence are mentioned and to prove that salvation depends upon 'purification of the carnal soul' some oaths are made. These oaths envelop most of the Qur'anic oaths collectively. At the end of the Surah, the Thamood, as an example or a disobedient people, are briefly pointed out. They defied Allah's sacred Law and His prophet, Salih (as), and were destroyed for their crime; which was the fruit of neglecting 'the purification of the carnal soul’. This short Surah, in fact, restates one of the most important instructive points for the destiny of Man's life, and leads him to true Islamic values.

1. بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ وَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا

   Wash shamsi wa duhaa haa

   I CALL TO witness the sun and his early morning splendour,

2. وَٱلْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا

   Wal qamari izaa talaa haa

   And the moon as she follows in his wake,

3. وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا

   Wannahaari izaa jallaa haa

   The day when it reveals his radiance,

4. وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰهَا

   Wallaili izaa yaghshaa haa

   The night when it covers him over,

5. وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَىٰهَا

   Wassamaaa'i wa maa banaahaa

   The heavens and its architecture,

6. وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا

   Wal ardi wa maa tahaahaa

   The earth and its spreading out,

7. وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا

   Wa nafsinw wa maa sawwaahaa

   The soul and how it was integrated

8. فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا

   Fa-alhamahaa fujoorahaa wa taqwaahaa

   And given the faculty of knowing what is disruptive and what is intrinsic to it.

9. قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا

   Qad aflaha man zakkaahaa

   He who nourishes it will surely be successful,

10. وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا

    Wa qad khaaba man dassaahaa

    And he who confines it will surely come to grief.

11. كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ بِطَغْوَىٰهَآ

    Kazzabat Samoodu bi taghwaahaaa

    The Thamud denied (the truth) in their perverseness

12. إِذِ ٱنۢبَعَثَ أَشْقَىٰهَا

    Izim ba'asa ashqaahaa

    When among them the great wretch arose,

13. فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ نَاقَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَسُقْيَٰهَا

    Faqaala lahum Rasoolul laahi naaqatal laahi wa suqiyaahaa

    And the apostle of God had to tell them: "This is God's she-camel, let her drink."

14. فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُم بِذَنۢبِهِمْ فَسَوَّىٰهَا

    Fakazzaboohu fa'aqaroohaa fadamdama 'alaihim Rabbuhum bizambihim fasaw waahaa

    But they called him a liar and hamstrung her. So God obliterated them for their crime, and (destroyed) all of them alike.

15. وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقْبَٰهَا

    Wa laa yakhaafu'uqbaahaa

    He does not fear the consequence.