Dawn (Al-Fajr)
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful
By the dawn; 1 by the Ten (secret) Nights, 2 And by the even and the odd, 3 And by the Night when it passeth away;- 4 Is there in this an oath for one endowed with understanding? 5 (Muhammad), consider how your Lord dealt with the tribe of Ad, 6 Of the (city of) Iram, with lofty pillars, 7 The like of which were not created in the land? 8 And with Thamud who hewed out rocks in the vale, 9 And (with) Fir'aun (Pharaoh), who had pegs (who used to torture men by binding them to pegs)? 10 They were tyrants in the land 11 And made therein much mischief. 12 Thy Lord unloosed on them a scourge of chastisement; 13 for, indeed, your Sustainer is ever on the watch! 14 BUT AS FOR man, whenever his Sustainer tries him by His generosity and by letting him enjoy a life of ease, he says, "My Sustainer has been [justly] generous towards me"; 15 But when He trieth him, restricting his subsistence for him, then saith he (in despair), "My Lord hath humiliated me!" 16 (Since wealth does not necessarily guarantee everlasting happiness) then why do you not show kindness to the orphans, 17 and you do not urge one another to feed the needy, 18 Why do you take away the inheritance of others indiscriminately 19 And love wealth with all your heart. 20 Nay, but [how will you fare on Judgment Day,] when the earth is crushed with crushing upon crushing, 21 when your Lord comes down with the angels, rank upon rank, 22 and Hell is made to appear on that Day, then man will be mindful, but what will being mindful then avail him? 23 He will say: "Oh, would that I had provided beforehand for my life [to come]!" 24 Upon that day none shall chastise as He chastises, 25 and none can bind with bonds like His! 26 [To the righteous it will be said], "O reassured soul, 27 return unto thy Lord, well-pleased, well-pleasing! 28 Enter thou among My servants! 29 Enter then My garden." 30