بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Ash-Shams 91:13
The Sun · Juz 30 · Page 595
فَقَالَ لَهُمۡ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ نَاقَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَسُقۡيَٰهَا ١٣
And the messenger of Allāh [i.e., Ṣāliḥ] said to them, "[Do not harm] the she-camel of Allāh or [prevent her from] her drink."
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 91:9–13
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّاهَا ﴿9﴾ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّاهَا ﴿10﴾ (success is really attained by him who purifies it, and failure is really suffered by him who pollutes it....91:10). This is the subject of the seven oaths. The primitive meaning of tazkiyah is 'inner cleanliness', signifying 'he who obeyed Allah and purified his inner and outer selves.' Verse [ 10] signifies 'he who caused his soul to sink in the swamp of sins will be deprived'. The word dassa is derived from the basic word dass' which denotes 'to bury in the ground' as for instance it occurs elsewhere in the Qur'an, thus:
أَمْ يَدُسُّهُ فِي التُّرَابِ
...or put it away into the dust? [ 16:59] '
Some of the commentators have analysed that the pronouns of zakka 'He purified' and dassa 'He caused to pollute' as referring to 'Allah', signifying that 'he is successful indeed whose soul Allah has purified and he has failed whose soul Allah pollutes '. This verse has divided the entire mankind into two groups: [ 1] successful; and [ 2] unsuccessful. An example of the second group has been cited to show how it rejected the message of Allah and consequently how Allah destroyed them. Such a group will receive severe punishment in the Hereafter. Sometimes, however, an installment of punishment is meted out to them in this world as in the case of Thamud. Their story is recounted fully in Surah A` raf [ S.7:73-79; S.11:61-68; S. 26:141-159; S.27:45-53; S..41:17-18; S.54:23-32; and S. 69:4-5]. Here a brief reference is made to that story and their punishment.
Page 595
سورة الشمس
Ash-Shams
The Sun · Meccan · 15 ayahs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
91:1
وَٱلشَّمۡسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا ١
By the sun and its brightness
91:2
وَٱلۡقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا ٢
And [by] the moon when it follows it
91:3
وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا ٣
And [by] the day when it displays it1
1 translator’s note
- The earth. Also interpreted as the sun. The same applies to the following verse. ↩
91:4
وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا يَغۡشَىٰهَا ٤
And [by] the night when it covers [i.e., conceals] it
91:5
وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَىٰهَا ٥
And [by] the sky and He who constructed it
91:6
وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا ٦
And [by] the earth and He who spread it
91:7
وَنَفۡسٖ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا ٧
And [by] the soul and He who proportioned it1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., balanced and refined it, creating in it sound tendencies and consciousness. ↩
91:8
فَأَلۡهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقۡوَىٰهَا ٨
And inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness,
91:9
قَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا ٩
He has succeeded who purifies it,
91:10
وَقَدۡ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا ١٠
And he has failed who instills it [with corruption].
91:11
كَذَّبَتۡ ثَمُودُ بِطَغۡوَىٰهَآ ١١
Thamūd denied [their prophet] by reason of their transgression,
91:12
إِذِ ٱنۢبَعَثَ أَشۡقَىٰهَا ١٢
When the most wretched of them was sent forth.1
1 translator’s note
- To hamstring the she-camel which had been sent by Allāh as a sign to them. ↩
91:13
فَقَالَ لَهُمۡ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ نَاقَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَسُقۡيَٰهَا ١٣
And the messenger of Allāh [i.e., Ṣāliḥ] said to them, "[Do not harm] the she-camel of Allāh or [prevent her from] her drink."
91:14
فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمۡدَمَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ رَبُّهُم بِذَنۢبِهِمۡ فَسَوَّىٰهَا ١٤
But they denied him and hamstrung1 her. So their Lord brought down upon them destruction for their sin and made it equal [upon all of them].
1 translator’s note
- And then killed. ↩
91:15
وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقۡبَٰهَا ١٥
And He does not fear the consequence thereof.1
1 translator’s note
- Allāh is not asked about what He does, but His servants will be asked. See 21:23. ↩
سورة الليل
Al-Layl
The Night · Meccan · 21 ayahs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
92:1
وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا يَغۡشَىٰ ١
By the night when it covers1
1 translator’s note
- With darkness. ↩
92:2
وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّىٰ ٢
And [by] the day when it appears
92:3
وَمَا خَلَقَ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلۡأُنثَىٰٓ ٣
And [by] He who created the male and female,
92:4
إِنَّ سَعۡيَكُمۡ لَشَتَّىٰ ٤
Indeed, your efforts are diverse.
92:5
فَأَمَّا مَنۡ أَعۡطَىٰ وَٱتَّقَىٰ ٥
As for he who gives and fears Allāh
92:6
وَصَدَّقَ بِٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ ٦
And believes in the best [reward].
92:7
فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُۥ لِلۡيُسۡرَىٰ ٧
We will ease him toward ease.
92:8
وَأَمَّا مَنۢ بَخِلَ وَٱسۡتَغۡنَىٰ ٨
But as for he who withholds and considers himself free of need
92:9
وَكَذَّبَ بِٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ ٩
And denies the best [reward],
92:10
فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُۥ لِلۡعُسۡرَىٰ ١٠
We will ease him toward difficulty.
92:11
وَمَا يُغۡنِي عَنۡهُ مَالُهُۥٓ إِذَا تَرَدَّىٰٓ ١١
And what will his wealth avail him when he falls?1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., when he dies or is destroyed. It can also mean when he falls into the Hellfire. ↩
92:12
إِنَّ عَلَيۡنَا لَلۡهُدَىٰ ١٢
Indeed, [incumbent] upon Us is guidance.
92:13
وَإِنَّ لَنَا لَلۡأٓخِرَةَ وَٱلۡأُولَىٰ ١٣
And indeed, to us belongs the Hereafter and the first [life].
92:14
فَأَنذَرۡتُكُمۡ نَارٗا تَلَظَّىٰ ١٤
So I have warned you of a Fire which is blazing.