بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ وَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا

CONSIDER the sun and its radiant brightness,

وَٱلْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا

and the moon as it reflects the sun!

وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا

Consider the day as it reveals the world,

وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰهَا

and the night as it veils it darkly!

وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَىٰهَا

Consider the sky and its wondrous make,

وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا

and the earth and all its expanse!

وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا

Consider the human self, and how it is formed in accordance with what it is meant to be,

فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا

and how it is imbued with moral failings as well as with consciousness of God!

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا

To a happy state shall indeed attain he who causes this [self] to grow in purity,

وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا

and truly lost is he who buries it [in darkness].

كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ بِطَغْوَىٰهَآ

TO [THIS] TRUTH gave the lie, in their overweening arrogance, [the tribe of] Thamud,

إِذِ ٱنۢبَعَثَ أَشْقَىٰهَا

when that most hapless wretch from among them rushed forward [to commit his evil deed],

فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ نَاقَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَسُقْيَٰهَا

although God's apostle had told them, "It is a she-camel belonging to God, so let her drink [and do her no harm]!"

فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُم بِذَنۢبِهِمْ فَسَوَّىٰهَا

But they gave him the lie, and cruelly slaughtered her - whereupon their Sustainer visited them with utter destruction for this their sin, destroying them all alike:

وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقْبَٰهَا

for none [of them] had any fear of what might befall them.