Setting
Surah The Dawn [Al-Fajr] in English
وَٱلْفَجْرِ ﴿١﴾
By the dawn,
وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍۢ ﴿٢﴾
by the Ten (secret) Nights,
وَٱلشَّفْعِ وَٱلْوَتْرِ ﴿٣﴾
by the odd and even (8th and 9th Dhil-hajj)
وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَسْرِ ﴿٤﴾
and by the night when it moves on towards daybreak (reward and retribution in the next life is an absolute reality).
هَلْ فِى ذَٰلِكَ قَسَمٌۭ لِّذِى حِجْرٍ ﴿٥﴾
Is this not a sufficient oath for intelligent people?
أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ ﴿٦﴾
(Muhammad), consider how your Lord dealt with the tribe of Ad,
إِرَمَ ذَاتِ ٱلْعِمَادِ ﴿٧﴾
the people of the huge columned city of Eram
ٱلَّتِى لَمْ يُخْلَقْ مِثْلُهَا فِى ٱلْبِلَٰدِ ﴿٨﴾
whose like has never been created in any other land.
وَثَمُودَ ٱلَّذِينَ جَابُوا۟ ٱلصَّخْرَ بِٱلْوَادِ ﴿٩﴾
(Also consider how He dealt with) the Thamud, who carved their houses out of the rocks in the valley.
وَفِرْعَوْنَ ذِى ٱلْأَوْتَادِ ﴿١٠﴾
(Also consider the people of) the Pharaoh who victimized people by placing them on the stake,
ٱلَّذِينَ طَغَوْا۟ فِى ٱلْبِلَٰدِ ﴿١١﴾
led rebellious lives,
فَأَكْثَرُوا۟ فِيهَا ٱلْفَسَادَ ﴿١٢﴾
and spread much corruption in the land.
فَصَبَّ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّكَ سَوْطَ عَذَابٍ ﴿١٣﴾
Thus, your Lord afflicted them with torment;
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَبِٱلْمِرْصَادِ ﴿١٤﴾
your Lord keeps an eye on (all evil-doing people).
فَأَمَّا ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ إِذَا مَا ٱبْتَلَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَأَكْرَمَهُۥ وَنَعَّمَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّىٓ أَكْرَمَنِ ﴿١٥﴾
As for the human being, when his Lord tests him, honors him, and grants him bounty, he says, \"God has honored me\".
وَأَمَّآ إِذَا مَا ٱبْتَلَىٰهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّىٓ أَهَٰنَنِ ﴿١٦﴾
However, when his Lord tests him by a measured amount of sustenance, he says, \"God has disgraced me\".
كَلَّا ۖ بَل لَّا تُكْرِمُونَ ٱلْيَتِيمَ ﴿١٧﴾
(Since wealth does not necessarily guarantee everlasting happiness) then why do you not show kindness to the orphans,
وَلَا تَحَٰٓضُّونَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ ٱلْمِسْكِينِ ﴿١٨﴾
or urge one another to feed the destitute?
وَتَأْكُلُونَ ٱلتُّرَاثَ أَكْلًۭا لَّمًّۭا ﴿١٩﴾
Why do you take away the inheritance of others indiscriminately
وَتُحِبُّونَ ٱلْمَالَ حُبًّۭا جَمًّۭا ﴿٢٠﴾
and why do you have an excessive love of riches?
كَلَّآ إِذَا دُكَّتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ دَكًّۭا دَكًّۭا ﴿٢١﴾
When the earth is crushed into small pieces
وَجَآءَ رَبُّكَ وَٱلْمَلَكُ صَفًّۭا صَفًّۭا ﴿٢٢﴾
and (when you find yourself) in the presence of your Lord and the rows and rows of angels, your greed for riches will certainly be of no avail to you.
وَجِا۟ىٓءَ يَوْمَئِذٍۭ بِجَهَنَّمَ ۚ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ يَتَذَكَّرُ ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ وَأَنَّىٰ لَهُ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ ﴿٢٣﴾
On that day, hell will be brought closer and the human being will come to his senses, but this will be of no avail to him.
يَقُولُ يَٰلَيْتَنِى قَدَّمْتُ لِحَيَاتِى ﴿٢٤﴾
He will say, \"Would that I had done some good deeds for this life\".
فَيَوْمَئِذٍۢ لَّا يُعَذِّبُ عَذَابَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌۭ ﴿٢٥﴾
On that day the punishment of God and His detention will be unparalleled.
وَلَا يُوثِقُ وَثَاقَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌۭ ﴿٢٦﴾
And His bonds will be such as none other can bind.
يَٰٓأَيَّتُهَا ٱلنَّفْسُ ٱلْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ ﴿٢٧﴾
Serene soul,
ٱرْجِعِىٓ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةًۭ مَّرْضِيَّةًۭ ﴿٢٨﴾
return to your Lord well pleased with him and He will be pleased with you.
فَٱدْخُلِى فِى عِبَٰدِى ﴿٢٩﴾
Enter among My servants
وَٱدْخُلِى جَنَّتِى ﴿٣٠﴾
into My Paradise.