Surah Ash-Shams (The Sun)

الشمس

15 Verses

In the Name of Almighty Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate
15 آية

بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Surah Ash-Shams is the 91st chapter of the Quran, containing 15 verses. Revealed in Makkah, it opens with a striking series of oaths by the sun and its brightness, the moon that follows it, the day, the night, the sky, the earth, and the soul and He who fashioned it and inspired it with both its wickedness and its righteousness, affirming that whoever purifies his soul truly succeeds, and whoever corrupts it truly fails. The surah then recounts the story of the people of Thamud, who in their arrogance hamstrung the she-camel sent to them as a sign from Salih and were utterly destroyed for their crime, Allah having no fear of the consequence. Below you can read the full Surah Ash-Shams in Arabic with a clear English translation and a verse-by-verse tafsir (explanation of the meaning) from Aysar al-Tafaseer, with the option to jump to any specific verse.

Tafsir of the Verses

{ وَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا }
{ ضُحَاهَا }

(1) – أَقْسَمَ اللهُ تَعَالَى بِالشَّمْسِ وَضَوئِهَا وَإِشْرَاقِهَا وَحَرَارَتِهَا.

وَضُحَاهَا – ضَوْئِهَا أَوْ دِفْئِهَا.
Surah Ash-Shams: Verse 1
1. Allah Almighty swears by the sun, its light, its splendour and its warmth.
{ وَٱلْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلاَهَا }
{ تَلاَهَا }

(2) – وَالقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلاَ الشَّمْسَ، وَحَلَّ مَحَلَّهَا فِي إِضَاءَةِ الأَرْضِ بَعْدَ غُرُوبِهَا.
Surah Ash-Shams: Verse 2
2. And the moon as it succeeds the sun, replaces it to light the earth after the sun sets.
{ وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلاَّهَا }
{ جَلاَّهَا }

(3) – وَأَقْسَمَ تَعَالَى بِالنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلاَ الظُّلْمَةَ عَنِ الأَرْضِ.

(وَقِيلَ إِنَّ المَعْنَى: قَسَماً بِالنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلاَ الشَّمْسَ وَأَظْهَرَهَا وَأَتَمَّ وُضُوحَهَا، إِذْ كُلَّمَا كَانَ النَّهَارُ أَجْلَى كَانَتِ الشَّمْسُ أَكْمَلَ وُضُوحاً).

جَلاَّهَا – أَظْهَرَهَا لِلرَّائِينَ.
Surah Ash-Shams: Verse 3
3. Allah Almighty also swears by the day as it drives out the darkness. (It is said that the meaning could be: The adjuration is by the day as it shows up the sun’s glory, because the clearer the day is, the more apparent is the sun.)
{ وَٱللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَاهَا }
{ ٱللَّيْلِ } { يَغْشَاهَا }

(4) – وَبَعْدَ أَنْ أَقْسَمَ تَعَالَى فِي الآيَاتِ الثَّلاَثِ السَّابِقَاتِ بِالضُّوْءِ تَعْظِيماً لأَِمْرِهِ، أَقْسَمَ هُنَا بِاللَّيْلِ إِذْ يَغْشَى الشَّمْسَ، وَيُغَطِّي ضَوْءَهَا.

(وَقَدْ يَكُونُ المَعْنَى وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى الأَرْضَ، وَيَلُفُّهَا بِظَلاَمِهِ).

يَغْشَاهَا – يُغَطِّيهَا حِينَ تَغِيبُ.
Surah Ash-Shams: Verse 4
4. After Allah Almighty swore in the three previous verses by the light to glorify it, He swore by the night as it conceals the sun and its light (it could also mean: by the night as it covers the earth and spreads its darkness over it),
{ وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَاهَا }
{ بَنَاهَا }

(5) – والسَّمَاءِ وَبُنْيَانِهَا وَتَسْوِيَتِهَا وَإِبْدَاعِ صُنْعِهَا.

(وَقِيلَ أَيْضاً إِنَّ المَعْنَى: قَسَماً بِالسَّمَاءِ وَمَنْ قَدَّرَهَا عَلَى هَذَا النَّحْوِ، وَتَكُونُ (مَا) اسْتُعْمِلَتْ هُنَا بِمَعْنَى (مَنْ).
Surah Ash-Shams: Verse 5
5. and by the firmament with its structure and its wonderful creation (it could also mean: by the sky and He who created it in its present structure).
{ وَٱلأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَاهَا }
{ طَحَاهَا }

(6) – وَالأَرْضِ وَبَسْطِهَا وَتَمْهيدِهَا لِلسُّكْنَى لِيَنْتَفِعَ النَّاسُ بِهَا، وَبِمَا عَلَى ظَهْرِهَا مِنْ نَبَاتٍ وَحَيَوانٍ وَجَمَادٍ.

طَحَاهَا – بَسَطَهَا أَيْ دَحَاهَا وَوَطَّأَهَا.
Surah Ash-Shams: Verse 6
6. And the earth with its wide expanse and its spreading out, so that people, plants, animals and inanimate bodies can benefit from it.
{ وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّاهَا }
{ سَوَّاهَا }

(7) – ثُمَّ أَقْسَمَ اللهُ تَعَالَى بِالنَّفْسِ وَخَلْقِهَا سَوِيَّةً مُسْتَقِيمَةً عَلَى الفِطْرَةِ القَوِيمَةِ.
Surah Ash-Shams: Verse 7
7. Allah Almighty swore by the spirit which He created as upright and sound with a natural disposition for good.
{ فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا }
{ تَقْوَاهَا }

(8) – فَبَيَّنَ لِلنَّفْسِ الخَيْرَ وَالشَّرَ، وَأَعْطَاهَا القُدْرَةَ عَلى التَّمْيِيزِ بَيْنَهُمَا، والقُدْرَةَ عَلَى الاخْتِيَارِ.

فُجُورَهَا – مَعْصِيَتَهَا.

تَقْوَاهَا – طَاعَتَهَا.
Surah Ash-Shams: Verse 8
8. He revealed to the spirit right and wrong, and gave it the faculty to distinguish between them as well as the power to choose.
{ قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّاهَا }
{ زَكَّاهَا }

(9) – وَبَعْدَ أَنْ بَيَّنَ اللهُ تَعَالَى أَنَّهُ أَلْهَمَ النُّفُوسَ مَعْرِفَةَ الخَيْرِ وَالشَّرِّ، ذَكَرَ مَا تَلْقَاهُ النُّفُوسُ مِنَ الجَزَاءِ عَلَى فِعْلِ كُلٍّ مِنْهُمَا، فَقَالَ تَعَالَى: مَنْ زَكَّى نَفْسَهُ بِطَاعَةِ اللهِ، وَنَمَّاهَا وَطَهَّرَهَا مِنَ الأَخْلاَقِ الدَّنِيئَةِ وَالرَّاذَائِلِ، فَازَ وَأَفْلَحَ. (وَهَذَا جَوَابُ القَسَمِ).

أَفْلَحَ – فَازَ بِالبُغْيَةِ.

زَكَّاهَا – طَهَّرَ نَفْسَهُ مِنْ دَنَسِ الكُفْرِ وَالمَعْصِيَةِ
Surah Ash-Shams: Verse 9
9. After Allah Almighty has indicated that He inspired the souls with the knowledge of good and evil, He then mentions what each soul receives as a reward for doing each. He said: “He who purifies his soul with obedience to Allah and purifies it from vice and corruption will succeed.”
{ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّاهَا }
{ دَسَّاهَا }

(10) – أَمَّا مَنْ أَخْفَى فَضَائِلَ نَفْسِهِ، وَأَمَاتَ اسْتِعْدَادَهَا لِلْخَيْرِ، بِفِعْلِ المَعَاصِي، وَاجْتِرَاحِ السَّيِّئَاتِ، وَمُجَانَبَةِ الخَيْرِ وَالبِرِّ وَالقُرُبَاتِ، فَقَدْ خَابَ وَخَسِرَ. وَقَدْ حَذَفَ اللهُ تَعَالَى المُقْسَمَ عَلَيْهِ لِلْعِلْمِ بِهِ مِنْ نَظَائِرِهِ، فَكَأَنَّهُ قَالَ: وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا.. ليَنْزِلَنَّ بِالمُكَذِّبِينَ مِنْكُمْ مَا نَزَلَ بِثَمُودَ.

خَابَ – خَسِرَ.
Surah Ash-Shams: Verse 10
10. But he who corrupts it and kills its readiness for good by disobedience, committing sin, and avoiding good, charity, and neighbourly kindness, such is a loser. Allah has omitted the mention of those He takes an oath against, for it is indicated by analogy. It is as if He is saying: “By the sun and its light .. those deniers among you shall undergo what the people of Thamud underwent.”
{ كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ بِطَغْوَاهَآ }
{ بِطَغْوَاهَآ }

(11) – كَذَّبَتُ ثَمُودُ نَبِيِّهَا صَالِحاً بِسَبَبِ طُغْيَانِهَا وَبَغْيِهَا.

بِطَغْوَاهَا – بِسَببِ طُغْيانِهَا.
Surah Ash-Shams: Verse 11
11. The people of Thamud denied their prophet Saleh through their inordinate tyranny and wrong-doing.
{ إِذِ ٱنبَعَثَ أَشْقَاهَا }
{ أَشْقَاهَا }

(12) – إِذ انْطَلَقَ أَكثَرُ ثمُودَ شَقَاوَةً لِيَعْقِرَ نَاقَةَ اللهِ.

(وَإِقْدَامُهُ عَلَى عَقْرِ النَّاقَةِ دَلِيلٌ عَلَى تَكْذِيبه نَبِيَّهُمْ صَالِحاً فِيمَا قَالَهُ لَهُمْ مِنْ أَنَّهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ، وَأَنَّ النَّاقَةَ نَاقَةُ اللهِ أَرْسَلَهَا إِلَيْهِمْ آيَةً عَلَى صِدْقِ نُبَوَّتِهِ).
Surah Ash-Shams: Verse 12
12. The most wicked man of Thamud set out to hamstring the she-camel of Allah. (His undertaking to kill the she-camel is an evidence of his denial of their prophet Saleh who told them that he was a messenger of Allah, and that the she-camel was sent by Allah, as a sign of the veracity of his prophecy.)
{ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ نَاقَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَسُقْيَاهَا }
{ سُقْيَاهَا }

(13) – فَقَالَ لَهُمْ نَبِيُّهُمْ صَالِحٌ، عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ: احْذَرُوا أَنْ تَمَسُّوا نَاقَةَ اللهِ بِسُوءٍ، وَاحْذَرُوا التَّعَدِّيَ عَلَى شُرْبِها الماءَ في اليومِ الذِي اخْتَصَّتْ بِهِ.

(وَكَانَ صَالحٌ، عَلَيهِ السَّلاَمُ، اتَّفَقَ مَعَ قَوْمِهِ عَلَى أَنْ يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ شُرْبُ المَاءِ يَوْماً، وَأَنْ يَكُونَ لِلنَّاقَةِ شُرْبُهُ يَوْماً).
Surah Ash-Shams: Verse 13
13. Their prophet Saleh said to them: “Beware of harming Allah’s she-camel and from infringing on the day assigned to her for drinking. (Saleh had agreed with his people that they should drink on one day and the she-camel on another.)
{ فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ بِذَنبِهِمْ فَسَوَّاهَا }
{ فَسَوَّاهَا }

(14) – فَكَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ صَالِحاً فِيمَا قَالَهُ لَهُمْ مِنْ أَنَّهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ، وَأَنَّ النَّاقَةَ هِيَ نَاقَةُ اللهِ أَرْسَلَهَا آيَةَ عَلَى صِدْقِ نُبُوّتِهِ، فَأَقْدَمُوا عَلى قَتْلِهَا (عَقَرُوهَا)، وَلَمْ يُبَالُوا بِمَا أَنْذَرَهُمْ بِهِ نَبِيُّهُمْ مِنَ العَذَابِ، فَأَطْبَقَ عَلَيْهِمُ العَذَابُ، وَأَهْلَكَهُمْ جَمِيعاً، وَسَوَّى القَبِيلَةَ كُلَّهَا فِي العُقُوبَةِ، فَلَمْ يُفْلِتْ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدٌ.

(وَقِيلَ إِنَّ مَعْنَى (سَوَّاهَا) قَدْ يَكُونُ إِنَّهُ تَعَالَى سَوَّى بَلَدَهُمْ بِالأَرْضِ بَعْدَ أَنْ دَكَّهَا دَكّاً، فَلَمْ يَتْرُكْ فِيهَا بِنَاءً قَائِماً أَيْ إِنَّهُ دَمَّرَهَا تَدْمِيراً كَامِلاً).

فَدَمْدَمَ – أَهْلَكَهُمْ وَأَطْبَقَ العَذَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ.

فَسَوَّاهَا – فَأَنْزَلَ العِقَابَ بِهِمْ جَمِيعاً عَلَى سَوَاءٍ.
Surah Ash-Shams: Verse 14
14. The people of Thamud denied that Saleh was a messenger from Allah, and that the she-camel was a sign from Allah to prove the truth of what he said. Thus, they undertook to kill her and did not fear the chastisement that the Prophet warned them of. Therefore, their Lord inflicted His punishment upon them, and destroyed them all. He punished all the members of the tribe equally; none remained. (It has been said that the meaning of “levelled’ is as follows: that Allah Almighty levelled their land after He had torn it down completely, and He destroyed it all, leaving no construction standing.)
{ وَلاَ يَخَافُ عُقْبَاهَا }
{ عُقْبَاهَا }

(15) – وَاللهُ تَعَالَى لاَ يَخَافُ عَاقِبَةَ فِعْلِهِ فِي هَلاَكِهِمْ وَدَمَارِهِمْ، لأَِنَّهُ عَزِيزٌ لاَ يُغَالَبُ وَلاَ يُمَانَعُ.
Surah Ash-Shams: Verse 15
15. Allah Almighty does not fear the consequence of His decree to destroy them, for He is Mighty; none can resist Him.
Source: This series of Tafsir books has been made available online by the family of Dr. Assaad Homad (may Allah have mercy on him). These volumes were entirely digitized to provide an accessible and easy format for todays digital age. Please keep Dr. Assaad and his family in your sincere prayers.
تم إتاحة هذه السلسلة من كتب التفسير عبر الإنترنت من قبل عائلة الدكتور أسعد حومد (رحمه الله). لقد قمنا برقمنة هذه المجلدات بالكامل لتوفير تنسيق يسهل الوصول إليه واستخدامه في عصرنا الرقمي الحالي. نرجو منكم ألا تنسوا الدكتور أسعد وعائلته من صالح دعائكم.