Dawn (Al-Fajr)
In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace
By the dawn, 1 and ten nights, 2 by the odd and even (8th and 9th Dhil-hajj) 3 and by the passing night, 4 Is there in this an oath for one endowed with understanding? 5 Have you not heard how your Lord dealt with Aad? 6 Who were very tall like lofty pillars, 7 The like of whom were never created in the realm; 8 And with Thamud who hewed out rocks in the vale, 9 (Also consider the people of) the Pharaoh who victimized people by placing them on the stake, 10 Who committed inordinacy in the cities, 11 and caused much corruption in them: 12 so your Lord unleashed on them the scourge of punishment: 13 For thy Lord is (as a Guardian) on a watch-tower. 14 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." 15 But when He tries him (differently), then straitens to him his means of subsistence, he says: My Lord has disgraced me. 16 But nay, nay, [O men, consider all that you do and fail to do:] you are not generous towards the orphan, 17 and do not urge one another to feed the poor, 18 And you readily devour the inheritance with greed. 19 And you love wealth with much love! 20 Nay, but when the earth is ground to atoms, grinding, grinding, 21 And when the command of your Lord comes – and the angels row by row, 22 And when hell is brought that day – on that day will man reflect, but where is the time now to think? 23 He will say: "Oh, would that I had provided beforehand for my life [to come]!" 24 For, that Day, His Chastisement will be such as none (else) can inflict, 25 and Allah will bind as none other can bind. 26 [But unto the righteous God will say,] "O thou human being that hast attained to inner peace! 27 Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him], 28 Enter among My servants 29 yea, enter thou My paradise!" 30