Surah Al-Fajr - English Translation by Shabbir Ahmed

وَٱلۡفَجۡرِ

Witness is the Daybreak
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 1

وَلَيَالٍ عَشۡرٖ

And ten Nights
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 2

وَٱلشَّفۡعِ وَٱلۡوَتۡرِ

And the Even and the Odd
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 3

وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا يَسۡرِ

And Witness to the Truth is the departing of the Night of Ignorance
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 4

هَلۡ فِي ذَٰلِكَ قَسَمٞ لِّذِي حِجۡرٍ

Is not all this a solemn evidence for every thinking person
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 5

أَلَمۡ تَرَ كَيۡفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ

Have you noted how your Lord dealt with Aad? (They had refused to see the Light)
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 6

إِرَمَ ذَاتِ ٱلۡعِمَادِ

Those whose capital was Iram, the city of towers and lofty mansions
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 7

ٱلَّتِي لَمۡ يُخۡلَقۡ مِثۡلُهَا فِي ٱلۡبِلَٰدِ

The like of which (the towers and castles) were never built in other cities
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 8

وَثَمُودَ ٱلَّذِينَ جَابُواْ ٱلصَّخۡرَ بِٱلۡوَادِ

And with Thamud, who slashed out for dwellings rocks in the valley. (Wadi)
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 9

وَفِرۡعَوۡنَ ذِي ٱلۡأَوۡتَادِ

And with the powerful Pharaoh of the great Pyramids
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 10

ٱلَّذِينَ طَغَوۡاْ فِي ٱلۡبِلَٰدِ

They all played God in the land, towns and cities
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 11

فَأَكۡثَرُواْ فِيهَا ٱلۡفَسَادَ

And increased corruption and crime therein
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 12

فَصَبَّ عَلَيۡهِمۡ رَبُّكَ سَوۡطَ عَذَابٍ

And so, your Lord chastised them with a whipping punishment
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 13

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَبِٱلۡمِرۡصَادِ

Behold, your Lord is ever on the watch
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 14

فَأَمَّا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ إِذَا مَا ٱبۡتَلَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَأَكۡرَمَهُۥ وَنَعَّمَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّيٓ أَكۡرَمَنِ

But as for man, whenever his Lord lets his life take a turn by giving him honor and Bliss, he says, "My Lord has honored me." (Honor or disgrace are subject to Divine Laws, and are not random phenomena)
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 15

وَأَمَّآ إِذَا مَا ٱبۡتَلَىٰهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيۡهِ رِزۡقَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّيٓ أَهَٰنَنِ

But when He lets his life take a turn by restricting his provision, he says, "My Lord has disgraced me
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 16

كَلَّاۖ بَل لَّا تُكۡرِمُونَ ٱلۡيَتِيمَ

Nay, nay, you honor not the orphan. (You forget to analyze what you do and what you do not do. 'Yatim' = Orphan= Widow = Solitary = Left alone in the society = The helpless. A benevolent society makes room for the 'Yatim)
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 17

وَلَا تَحَـٰٓضُّونَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ ٱلۡمِسۡكِينِ

And you do not encourage one another to feed the needy. ('Miskin' = Poor = Needy = Whose life is stranded for any reason = Whose business has stalled = Who has lost his job = Whose life has been hampered by circumstances. 'Ta'm' = Feeding, includes taking care of all aspects of life. A benevolent collective order takes care of everyone)
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 18

وَتَأۡكُلُونَ ٱلتُّرَاثَ أَكۡلٗا لَّمّٗا

And you devour the inheritances with greed
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 19

وَتُحِبُّونَ ٱلۡمَالَ حُبّٗا جَمّٗا

And you love wealth with boundless love
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 20

كَلَّآۖ إِذَا دُكَّتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ دَكّٗا دَكّٗا

Nay, when the earth is pounded, ground with a grinding
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 21

وَجَآءَ رَبُّكَ وَٱلۡمَلَكُ صَفّٗا صَفّٗا

And your Lord comes, and His angels, rank upon rank. (A great Revolution will come and the Divine System will be established. The Universal forces will line up to that end)
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 22

وَجِاْيٓءَ يَوۡمَئِذِۭ بِجَهَنَّمَۚ يَوۡمَئِذٖ يَتَذَكَّرُ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ وَأَنَّىٰ لَهُ ٱلذِّكۡرَىٰ

And Hell is brought close that Day. On that Day man will heed the Advisory, but of what avail will then be the remembrance
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 23

يَقُولُ يَٰلَيۡتَنِي قَدَّمۡتُ لِحَيَاتِي

He will say, "Ah, I wish I had sent forth some good for my life
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 24

فَيَوۡمَئِذٖ لَّا يُعَذِّبُ عَذَابَهُۥٓ أَحَدٞ

For, none chastises as He will chastise on that Day
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 25

وَلَا يُوثِقُ وَثَاقَهُۥٓ أَحَدٞ

And none binds as He binds. (The logical result of disregarding the Creator's Guidance is getting bound by shackles of mental slavery)
Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 26