وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا

CONSIDER the sun and its radiant brightness, (1)

وَالْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَاهَا

and the moon as it reflects the sun! (2)

وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَاهَا

and the night as it veils it darkly! (4)

وَالسَّمَاءِ وَمَا بَنَاهَا

Consider the sky and its wondrous make, (5)

وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَاهَا

and the earth and all its expanse! (6)

وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّاهَا

Consider the human self, and how it is formed in accordance with what it is meant to be, (7)

فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا

and how it is imbued with moral failings as well as with consciousness of God! (8)

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا

To a happy state shall indeed attain he who causes this [self] to grow in purity, (9)

وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ دَسَّاهَا

and truly lost is he who buries it [in darkness]. (10)

كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ بِطَغْوَاهَا

TO [THIS] TRUTH gave the lie, in their overweening arrogance, [the tribe of] Thamūd, (11)

إِذِ انْبَعَثَ أَشْقَاهَا

when that most hapless wretch from among them rushed forward [to commit his evil deed], (12)

فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ نَاقَةَ اللَّهِ وَسُقْيَاهَا

although God's apostle had told them, "It is a she-camel belonging to God, so let her drink [and do her no harm]!" (13)

فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ بِذَنْبِهِمْ فَسَوَّاهَا

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: (14)

وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقْبَاهَا

for none [of them] had any fear of what might befall them. (15)