Dawn (Al-Fajr)
In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace
I swear by the daybreak, 1 By the ten nights (i.e. the first ten days of the month of Dhul-Hijjah). 2 By the even and odd (contrasted); 3 And the night when it departeth, 4 Is there in that an oath for the mindful? 5 ART THOU NOT aware of how thy Sustainer has dealt with [the tribe of] 'Ad, 6 Of the (city of) Iram, with lofty pillars, 7 the like of which has never been created in the land, 8 And with (the tribe of) Thamud, who clove the rocks in the valley; 9 And with Firaun, who used to crucify. 10 Who terrorised the region, 11 and worked much corruption therein? 12 So your Lord poured upon them a scourge of punishment. 13 Lo! thy Lord is ever watchful. 14 As for man, whenever his Lord trieth him by honouring him, and is gracious unto him, he saith: My Lord honoureth me. 15 But whenever He trieth him by straitening his means of life, he saith: My Lord despiseth me. 16 No! But you show no good to the orphan, 17 And do not urge one another to feed the needy. 18 and greedily devour the entire inheritance, 19 And you harbour intense love for wealth. 20 Nay! When the earth is pounded to powder, 21 And when the command of your Lord comes – and the angels row by row, 22 And on that Day hell will be brought [within sight]; on that Day man will remember [all that he did and failed to do]: but what will that remembrance avail him? 23 He will say, "Oh, would that I had provided beforehand for my life!" 24 Then on that Day Allah will chastise as none other can chastise; 25 nor will any bind as He binds. 26 (On the other hand it will be said): “O serene soul! 27 return unto thy Lord, well-pleased, well-pleasing! 28 Enter among My servants 29 yea, enter thou My paradise!" 30