Dawn (Al-Fajr)
Allah - beginning with the name of - the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
By the dawn 1 by the Ten Nights, 2 And by oath of the even and the odd. 3 And by oath of the night when it recedes 4 Considering all this - could there be, to anyone endowed with reason, a [more] solemn evidence of the truth? 5 Have you not seen what your Lord did to the 'Ad 6 With many-columned Iram, 7 whose like has never been created in any other land. 8 And with Thamud who hewed out rocks in the vale, 9 and with Pharaoh of the [many] tent-poles? 10 who all were insolent in the land 11 And multiplied therein corruption. 12 So your Lord poured a scourge of punishment over them. 13 Indeed, your Lord is in observation. 14 So man, whenever his Lord tests him by giving him honour and favours – thereupon he says, “My Lord has honoured me.” 15 And if He tests him and restricts his livelihood – thereupon he says, “My Lord has degraded me!” 16 Nay! But you treat not the orphans with kindness and generosity (i.e. you neither treat them well, nor give them their exact right of inheritance)! 17 and you do not urge one another to feed the needy, 18 And you devour (others') inheritance greedily, 19 And ye love wealth with inordinate love! 20 Nay, but when the earth is ground to atoms, grinding, grinding, 21 And comes your Lord, and angels row on 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: Ah, would that I had sent before me (some provision) for my life! 24 On that day the punishment of God and His detention will be unparalleled. 25 And His bonds will be such 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 wellpleased, wellpleasing. 28 Join My servants. 29 And come into My Paradise! 30