91:1
وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحٰىهَا
By the sun and its brightness
Surah 91 of 114 · Makkah · Juz 30
Surah Ash-Shams
The Sun
الشمس15 ayahs
Revealed in Makkah
Translation: Saheeh International
About Surah Ash-Shams
Seven oaths open this one, by the sun and its brightness, the moon that follows it, the day, the night, the sky and the One who built it, the earth and the One who spread it, and finally the soul and the One who proportioned it (91:1 to 91:7). That last oath is the hinge, because the soul is what the surah is actually about. Makkan, fifteen ayahs, moving from the widest possible view of creation down to one town that destroyed itself.
The point it builds to is that the soul was made aware of both its wickedness and its righteousness, so whoever purifies it has succeeded and whoever corrupts it has failed (91:8, 91:9, 91:10). The rest is a case in point, told in five verses. Thamud denied their prophet out of transgression, the most wretched among them was sent forth, and Salih warned them about the she-camel of God and her turn to drink (91:11, 91:12, 91:13). They hamstrung her, and the punishment fell equally on all of them (91:14). Sahih al-Bukhari records that when Muadh ibn Jabal made the prayer he was leading too long, the Prophet, peace be upon him, told him to recite this surah, Al-A'la and others of that size; the wording of the same incident in Sahih Muslim adds Al-Layl.
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
91:2
وَالْقَمَرِ اِذَا تَلٰىهَا
And [by] the moon when it follows it
91:3
وَالنَّهَارِ اِذَا جَلّٰىهَا
And [by] the day when it displays it
91:4
وَالَّیْلِ اِذَا یَغْشٰىهَا
And [by] the night when it covers [i.e., conceals] it
91:5
وَالسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنٰىهَا
And [by] the sky and He who constructed it
91:6
وَالْاَرْضِ وَمَا طَحٰىهَا
And [by] the earth and He who spread it
91:7
وَنَفْسٍ وَّمَا سَوّٰىهَا
And [by] the soul and He who proportioned it
91:8
فَاَلْهَمَهَا فُجُوْرَهَا وَتَقْوٰىهَا
And inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness,
91:9
قَدْ اَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكّٰىهَا
He has succeeded who purifies it,
91:10
وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ دَسّٰىهَا ۟ؕ
And he has failed who instills it [with corruption].
91:11
كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُوْدُ بِطَغْوٰىهَاۤ
Thamūd denied [their prophet] by reason of their transgression,
91:12
اِذِ انْۢبَعَثَ اَشْقٰىهَا
When the most wretched of them was sent forth.
91:13
فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ نَاقَةَ اللّٰهِ وَسُقْیٰهَا ۟ؕ
And the messenger of Allāh [i.e., Ṣāliḥ] said to them, "[Do not harm] the she-camel of Allāh or [prevent her from] her drink."
91:14
فَكَذَّبُوْهُ فَعَقَرُوْهَا فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَیْهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ بِذَنْۢبِهِمْ فَسَوّٰىهَا
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].
91:15
وَلَا یَخَافُ عُقْبٰهَا
And He does not fear the consequence thereof.
Surah Ash-Shams in the Quran, with the Arabic in IndoPak Nastaleeq, 15 ayahs, translation, word by word meaning and recitation. Recite it offline on your phone with the free Android app.