Surah Ash-Shams

وَٱلشَّمۡسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا

By the sun and its brightness

وَٱلۡقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا

And [by] the moon when it follows it

وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا

And [by] the day when it displays it[1931]

[1931] The earth. Also interpreted as the sun. The same applies to the following verse.

وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا يَغۡشَىٰهَا

And [by] the night when it covers [i.e., conceals] it

وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَىٰهَا

And [by] the sky and He who constructed it

وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا

And [by] the earth and He who spread it

وَنَفۡسٖ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا

And [by] the soul and He who proportioned it[1932]

[1932] i.e., balanced and refined it, creating in it sound tendencies and consciousness.

فَأَلۡهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقۡوَىٰهَا

And inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness,

قَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا

He has succeeded who purifies it,

وَقَدۡ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا

And he has failed who instills it [with corruption].

كَذَّبَتۡ ثَمُودُ بِطَغۡوَىٰهَآ

Thamūd denied [their prophet] by reason of their transgression,

إِذِ ٱنۢبَعَثَ أَشۡقَىٰهَا

When the most wretched of them was sent forth.[1933]

[1933] To hamstring the she-camel which had been sent by Allāh as a sign to them.

فَقَالَ لَهُمۡ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ نَاقَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَسُقۡيَٰهَا

And the messenger of Allāh [i.e., Ṣāliḥ] said to them, "[Do not harm] the she-camel of Allāh or [prevent her from] her drink."

فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمۡدَمَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ رَبُّهُم بِذَنۢبِهِمۡ فَسَوَّىٰهَا

But they denied him and hamstrung[1934] her. So their Lord brought down upon them destruction for their sin and made it equal [upon all of them].

[1934] And then killed.

وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقۡبَٰهَا

And He does not fear the consequence thereof.[1935]

[1935] Allāh is not asked about what He does, but His servants will be asked. See 21:23.