Surah Ash-Shams (The Sun)

Topics in Surah Ash-Shams

Study guides that discuss verses of this surah, most connected first.

• Oaths (Qasam) (10 verses)
• The Sun (Shams) (10 verses)
• Cosmic Signs (Ayat Kawniyyah) (9 verses)
• Destruction (Ihlak) (5 verses)
• Tyranny (Tughyan) (5 verses)
• Man (Insan) (4 verses)
• Change (Taghyir) (4 verses)
• Thamud (4 verses)
• Repelling (Daf') (4 verses)
• The Self (Nafs) (4 verses)
• Evil (Sharr) (4 verses)
• Prophet Salih (4 verses)
• Giving (Ata') (4 verses)
• Daytime (Nahar) (3 verses)
• The Soul (Ruh) (2 verses)

Read Surah Ash-Shams with English translation

1. 91:1

   بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ وَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا

   By the sun in its morning brightness

2. 91:2

   وَٱلْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا

   and by the moon as it follows it,

3. 91:3

   وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا

   by the day as it displays the sun’s glory

4. 91:4

   وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰهَا

   and by the night as it conceals it,

5. 91:5

   وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَىٰهَا

   by the sky and how He built it

6. 91:6

   وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا

   and by the earth and how He spread it,

7. 91:7

   وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا

   by the soul and how He formed it

8. 91:8

   فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا

   and inspired it [to know] its own rebellion and piety!

9. 91:9

   قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا

   The one who purifies his soul succeeds

10. 91:10

    وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا

    and the one who corrupts it fails.

11. 91:11

    كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ بِطَغْوَىٰهَآ

    In their arrogant cruelty, the people of Thamud called [their messenger] a liar,

12. 91:12

    إِذِ ٱنۢبَعَثَ أَشْقَىٰهَا

    when the most wicked man among them rose [against him].

13. 91:13

    فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ نَاقَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَسُقْيَٰهَا

    The messenger of God said to them, ‘[Leave] God’s camel to drink,’

14. 91:14

    فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُم بِذَنۢبِهِمْ فَسَوَّىٰهَا

    but they called him a liar and hamstrung her. Their Lord destroyed them for their crime and levelled them.

15. 91:15

    وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقْبَٰهَا

    He did not hesitate to punish them.

English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.