The Dawn
The opening gathers oaths involving dawn, nights, even and odd, and departing darkness. It then addresses the thinking listener. Attend to the images and bring questions about their explanation to a teacher.
Based on Quran 89:1–5. Original study prompt, not a complete tafsir. Compare the passage ↗English Translation - Noor International Center · QuranEnc.com · v1.1.2 ↗
Issued by Noor International Center. Publisher footnotes appear with their verses.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ وَٱلْفَجْرِ
(1) By the dawn
وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍۢ
(2) And [by] ten nights[1913]
وَٱلشَّفْعِ وَٱلْوَتْرِ
(3) And [by] the even [number] and the odd
وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَسْرِ
(4) And [by] the night when it passes,
هَلْ فِى ذَٰلِكَ قَسَمٌۭ لِّذِى حِجْرٍ
(5) Is there [not] in [all] that an oath [sufficient] for one of perception?[1914]
أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ
(6) Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with ʿAad -
إِرَمَ ذَاتِ ٱلْعِمَادِ
(7) [With] Iram[1915] - who had lofty pillars,[1916]
ٱلَّتِى لَمْ يُخْلَقْ مِثْلُهَا فِى ٱلْبِلَٰدِ
(8) The likes of whom had never been created in the land?
وَثَمُودَ ٱلَّذِينَ جَابُوا۟ ٱلصَّخْرَ بِٱلْوَادِ
(9) And [with] Thamūd, who carved out the rocks in the valley?
وَفِرْعَوْنَ ذِى ٱلْأَوْتَادِ
(10) And [with] Pharaoh, owner of the stakes?[1917]
ٱلَّذِينَ طَغَوْا۟ فِى ٱلْبِلَٰدِ
(11) [All of] whom oppressed within the lands
فَأَكْثَرُوا۟ فِيهَا ٱلْفَسَادَ
(12) And increased therein the corruption.
فَصَبَّ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّكَ سَوْطَ عَذَابٍ
(13) So your Lord poured upon them a scourge of punishment.
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَبِٱلْمِرْصَادِ
(14) Indeed, your Lord is in observation.
فَأَمَّا ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ إِذَا مَا ٱبْتَلَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَأَكْرَمَهُۥ وَنَعَّمَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّىٓ أَكْرَمَنِ
(15) 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."[1918]
وَأَمَّآ إِذَا مَا ٱبْتَلَىٰهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّىٓ أَهَٰنَنِ
(16) But when He tries him and restricts his provision, he says, "My Lord has humiliated me."
كَلَّا ۖ بَل لَّا تُكْرِمُونَ ٱلْيَتِيمَ
(17) No![1919] But you do not honor the orphan
وَلَا تَحَٰٓضُّونَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ ٱلْمِسْكِينِ
(18) And you do not encourage one another to feed the poor.
وَتَأْكُلُونَ ٱلتُّرَاثَ أَكْلًۭا لَّمًّۭا
(19) And you consume inheritance, devouring [it] altogether,[1920]
وَتُحِبُّونَ ٱلْمَالَ حُبًّۭا جَمًّۭا
(20) And you love wealth with immense love.
كَلَّآ إِذَا دُكَّتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ دَكًّۭا دَكًّۭا
(21) No! When the earth has been leveled - pounded and crushed
وَجَآءَ رَبُّكَ وَٱلْمَلَكُ صَفًّۭا صَفًّۭا
(22) And your Lord has come[1921] and the angels, rank upon rank,
وَجِا۟ىٓءَ يَوْمَئِذٍۭ بِجَهَنَّمَ ۚ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ يَتَذَكَّرُ ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ وَأَنَّىٰ لَهُ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ
(23) 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 يَٰلَيْتَنِى قَدَّمْتُ لِحَيَاتِى
(24) He will say, "Oh, I wish I had sent ahead [some good] for my life."[1922]
فَيَوْمَئِذٍۢ لَّا يُعَذِّبُ عَذَابَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌۭ
(25) So on that Day, none will punish [as severely] as His punishment,
وَلَا يُوثِقُ وَثَاقَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌۭ
(26) And none will bind [as severely] as His binding [of the evildoers].
يَٰٓأَيَّتُهَا ٱلنَّفْسُ ٱلْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ
(27) [To the righteous it will be said], "O reassured soul,
ٱرْجِعِىٓ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةًۭ مَّرْضِيَّةًۭ
(28) Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him],
فَٱدْخُلِى فِى عِبَٰدِى
(29) And enter among My [righteous] servants
وَٱدْخُلِى جَنَّتِى
(30) And enter My Paradise."