وَٱلْفَجْرِ
By the dawn
Surah 89 · Makkan · 30 ayahs
الفجر
The Dawn
Arabic in the Uthmani script. English translation by Saheeh International. Every ayah below carries its own reference.
Scholarly explanation
Name The Surah is so designated after the word wal-fajr with which it opens. Period of Revelation Its contents show that it was revealed at the stage when persecution of the new converts to Islam had begun in Makkah. On that very basis the people of Makkah have been warned of the evil end of the tribes of Ad and Thamud and of Pharaoh. Theme and Subject Matter Its theme is to affirm the meting out of rewards and punishments in the Hereafter, which the people of Makkah were not prepared to acknowledge, Let us consider the reasoning in the order in which it has been presented.
Reference · Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, Tafhim al-Qur'an — The Meaning of the Quran
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
وَٱلْفَجْرِ
By the dawn
وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍ
And [by] ten nights
وَٱلشَّفْعِ وَٱلْوَتْرِ
And [by] the even [number] and the odd
وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَسْرِ
And [by] the night when it passes,
هَلْ فِى ذَٰلِكَ قَسَمٌ لِّذِى حِجْرٍ
Is there [not] in [all] that an oath [sufficient] for one of perception?
أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ
Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with ʿAad -
إِرَمَ ذَاتِ ٱلْعِمَادِ
[With] Iram - who had lofty pillars,
ٱلَّتِى لَمْ يُخْلَقْ مِثْلُهَا فِى ٱلْبِلَـٰدِ
The likes of whom had never been created in the land?
وَثَمُودَ ٱلَّذِينَ جَابُوا۟ ٱلصَّخْرَ بِٱلْوَادِ
And [with] Thamūd, who carved out the rocks in the valley?
وَفِرْعَوْنَ ذِى ٱلْأَوْتَادِ
And [with] Pharaoh, owner of the stakes?
ٱلَّذِينَ طَغَوْا۟ فِى ٱلْبِلَـٰدِ
[All of] whom oppressed within the lands
فَأَكْثَرُوا۟ فِيهَا ٱلْفَسَادَ
And increased therein the corruption.
فَصَبَّ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّكَ سَوْطَ عَذَابٍ
So your Lord poured upon them a scourge of punishment.
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَبِٱلْمِرْصَادِ
Indeed, your Lord is in observation.
فَأَمَّا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ إِذَا مَا ٱبْتَلَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَأَكْرَمَهُۥ وَنَعَّمَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّىٓ أَكْرَمَنِ
And as for man, when his Lord tries him and [thus] is generous to him and favors him, he says, "My Lord has honored me."
وَأَمَّآ إِذَا مَا ٱبْتَلَىٰهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّىٓ أَهَـٰنَنِ
But when He tries him and restricts his provision, he says, "My Lord has humiliated me."
كَلَّا ۖ بَل لَّا تُكْرِمُونَ ٱلْيَتِيمَ
No! But you do not honor the orphan
وَلَا تَحَـٰٓضُّونَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ ٱلْمِسْكِينِ
And you do not encourage one another to feed the poor.
وَتَأْكُلُونَ ٱلتُّرَاثَ أَكْلًا لَّمًّا
And you consume inheritance, devouring [it] altogether,
وَتُحِبُّونَ ٱلْمَالَ حُبًّا جَمًّا
And you love wealth with immense love.
كَلَّآ إِذَا دُكَّتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ دَكًّا دَكًّا
No! When the earth has been leveled - pounded and crushed
وَجَآءَ رَبُّكَ وَٱلْمَلَكُ صَفًّا صَفًّا
And your Lord has come and the angels, rank upon rank,
وَجِا۟ىٓءَ يَوْمَئِذٍۭ بِجَهَنَّمَ ۚ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَتَذَكَّرُ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ وَأَنَّىٰ لَهُ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ
And brought [within view], that Day, is Hell - that Day, man will remember, but how [i.e., what good] to him will be the remembrance?
يَقُولُ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى قَدَّمْتُ لِحَيَاتِى
He will say, "Oh, I wish I had sent ahead [some good] for my life."
فَيَوْمَئِذٍ لَّا يُعَذِّبُ عَذَابَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ
So on that Day, none will punish [as severely] as His punishment,
وَلَا يُوثِقُ وَثَاقَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ
And none will bind [as severely] as His binding [of the evildoers].
يَـٰٓأَيَّتُهَا ٱلنَّفْسُ ٱلْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ
[To the righteous it will be said], "O reassured soul,
ٱرْجِعِىٓ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرْضِيَّةً
Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him],
فَٱدْخُلِى فِى عِبَـٰدِى
And enter among My [righteous] servants
وَٱدْخُلِى جَنَّتِى
And enter My Paradise."
Ayah 1 of 30
Recited by Mishari Rashid al-Afasy