Ash-Shams

By the sun in its morning brightness

وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا

wal-shamsi waḍuḥāhā

and by the moon as it follows it,

وَالْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَاهَا

wal-qamari idhā talāhā

by the day as it displays the sun’s glory

وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّاهَا

wal-nahāri idhā jallāhā

and by the night as it conceals it,

وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَاهَا

wa-al-layli idhā yaghshāhā

by the sky and how He built it

وَالسَّمَاءِ وَمَا بَنَاهَا

wal-samāi wamā banāhā

and by the earth and how He spread it,

وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَاهَا

wal-arḍi wamā ṭaḥāhā

by the soul and how He formed it

وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّاهَا

wanafsin wamā sawwāhā

and inspired it [to know] its own rebellion and piety!

فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا

fa-alhamahā fujūrahā wataqwāhā

The one who purifies his soul succeeds

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا

qad aflaḥa man zakkāhā

and the one who corrupts it fails.

وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ دَسَّاهَا

waqad khāba man dassāhā

In their arrogant cruelty, the people of Thamud called [their messenger] a liar,

كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ بِطَغْوَاهَا

kadhabat thamūdu biṭaghwāhā

when the most wicked man among them rose [against him].

إِذِ انْبَعَثَ أَشْقَاهَا

idhi inbaʿatha ashqāhā

The messenger of God said to them, ‘[Leave] God’s camel to drink,’

فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ نَاقَةَ اللَّهِ وَسُقْيَاهَا

faqāla lahum rasūlu l-lahi nāqata l-lahi wasuq'yāhā

but they called him a liar and hamstrung her. Their Lord destroyed them for their crime and levelled them.

فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ بِذَنْبِهِمْ فَسَوَّاهَا

fakadhabūhu faʿaqarūhā fadamdama ʿalayhim rabbuhum bidhanbihim fasawwāhā

He did not hesitate to punish them.

وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقْبَاهَا

walā yakhāfu ʿuq'bāhā