The Sun
Ash-Shams
الشمس
LEARNING POINTS
people have free choice to either purify or corrupt their souls.
those who choose to be pure will be successful, and those who choose to be corrupt will be destroyed like the people of salih.
supporting evil in any form leads to punishment.
PURIFYING AND CORRUPTING THE SOUL
1By the sun and its brightness, 2and the moon as it follows it, 3and the day as it reveals it, 4and the night as it covers it! 5And by the sky and 'the One' Who built it 6and the earth and 'the One' Who spread it! 7And by the soul and 'the One' Who fashioned it, 8then with 'the knowledge of right and wrong' inspired it! 9Truly successful is the one who purifies their soul, 10and truly doomed is the one who corrupts it!
وَٱلشَّمۡسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا 1وَٱلۡقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا 2وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا 3وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا يَغۡشَىٰهَا 4وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَىٰهَا 5وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا 6وَنَفۡسٖ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا 7فَأَلۡهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقۡوَىٰهَا 8قَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا 9وَقَدۡ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا10
Verse 10: The sky usually refers to the universe-that's anything above us or beyond our planet.
BACKGROUND STORY
Prophet Şalih called his people, Thamud, to believe in Allah for many years, but they re- jected his message. To prove him wrong, they challenged him to split a rock open and bring a pregnant camel out of it. He said, "Are you sure you will believe ifl do that?" They said, "Of course!" But after they saw that miracle with their own eyes, they continued to deny him. He told them that the she-Camel would take turns with them to drink from the main well. He warned them that Allah would punish them if they harmed the camel. Still they challenged him ã and urged each other to act against the camel. One of them, named Qudar, sneaked up and killed her. So they were all destroyed. {Recorded by Imam lbn Kathir}
DESTRUCTION OF THE PEOPLE OF ŞALIH
11Thamud rejected 'the truth' out of arrogance, 12when the most wicked of them was urged to take action 'against the camel'. 13But the messenger of Allah warned them, "Do not disturb' Allah's Camel and her 'turn to' drink!" 14Still they challenged him and killed her. So their Lord crushed them for their crime, levelling all to the ground— 15He has no fear of consequences.
كَذَّبَتۡ ثَمُودُ بِطَغۡوَىٰهَآ 11إِذِ ٱنۢبَعَثَ أَشۡقَىٰهَا 12فَقَالَ لَهُمۡ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ نَاقَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَسُقۡيَٰهَا 13فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمۡدَمَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ رَبُّهُم بِذَنۢبِهِمۡ فَسَوَّىٰهَا 14وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقۡبَٰهَا15