Surah Al-Fajr (الفجر) is a Meccan surah of the Quran with 30 verses. Read, listen and memorize this surah with our interactive tools.
Updated on 07 March 2026 at 4:16 PM
📖 1 min readHis power is not limited by His will in separating creation, and if He were absent at any time or if His absence were possible to the extent that He would need to come, then He would be in need, and if He were in need, He would be powerless. And if He were powerless or if His powerlessness were possible under any circumstances, He would not be suitable for divinity - may God be exalted above what the oppressors and deniers say, a great exaltation. The repetition of 'purification' is a reminder of the diversion of 'coming' from its true meaning and a guidance to what was mentioned regarding representation.
And as a warning that it, due to its great admonition, is worthy for every listener to take heed, the Actor (God) mentioned the circumstance of its occurrence and its replacement, saying: {يتذكر الإنسان} meaning, in a manner of renewal and continuity, that he remembers all that was beneficial for him in the world and what was harmful, so he knows that his love for the world did not benefit him except with loss. Neither did his love for it increase anything that was not decreed for him, nor did his abandonment of it decrease anything that was decreed for him or given to him. And when he remembers that, giving up becomes easy for him, and this abode is not the abode of action. Therefore, He said: {وأنى} meaning, how and from which aspect {له الذكرى *} meaning, the benefit of great remembrance, for it is not in its proper place, so it does not benefit him at all, in any way, due to the loss of the abode of action. And all that occurs from it is regret, and an increase in grief, worry, and pains. And since regret necessitates that a person does what contradicts it, He clarified that there is no action there except the display of regret. So, He resumed His statement: {يقول} meaning, wishing for the impossible, in a manner of renewal and continuity: {يا ليتني} and does 'would that' benefit anything? {قدمت} meaning, I had brought forward and prioritized what benefits me from effort and action {لحياتي *} meaning, the days of my life in the world, or for the sake of this remaining life that has no death after it. And it is possible that the reason for his wish is his knowledge that he was in the world with choice, and that obedience in itself was possible, with no obstacle preventing him from it.
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وَٱلْفَجْرِ ﴿١﴾
By the dawn
وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍۢ ﴿٢﴾
And [by] ten nights
وَٱلشَّفْعِ وَٱلْوَتْرِ ﴿٣﴾
And [by] the even [number] and the odd
وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَسْرِ ﴿٤﴾
And [by] the night when it passes,
هَلْ فِى ذَٰلِكَ قَسَمٌۭ لِّذِى حِجْرٍ ﴿٥﴾
Is there [not] in [all] that an oath [sufficient] for one of perception?
أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ ﴿٦﴾
Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with 'Aad -
إِرَمَ ذَاتِ ٱلْعِمَادِ ﴿٧﴾
[With] Iram - who had lofty pillars,
ٱلَّتِى لَمْ يُخْلَقْ مِثْلُهَا فِى ٱلْبِلَـٰدِ ﴿٨﴾
The likes of whom had never been created in the land?
وَثَمُودَ ٱلَّذِينَ جَابُوا۟ ٱلصَّخْرَ بِٱلْوَادِ ﴿٩﴾
And [with] Thamud, who carved out the rocks in the valley?
وَفِرْعَوْنَ ذِى ٱلْأَوْتَادِ ﴿١٠﴾
And [with] Pharaoh, owner of the stakes? -
ٱلَّذِينَ طَغَوْا۟ فِى ٱلْبِلَـٰدِ ﴿١١﴾
[All of] whom oppressed within the lands
فَأَكْثَرُوا۟ فِيهَا ٱلْفَسَادَ ﴿١٢﴾
And increased therein the corruption.
فَصَبَّ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّكَ سَوْطَ عَذَابٍ ﴿١٣﴾
So your Lord poured upon them a scourge of punishment.
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَبِٱلْمِرْصَادِ ﴿١٤﴾
Indeed, your Lord is in observation.
فَأَمَّا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ إِذَا مَا ٱبْتَلَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَأَكْرَمَهُۥ وَنَعَّمَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّىٓ أَكْرَمَنِ ﴿١٥﴾
And as for man, when his Lord tries him and [thus] is generous to him and favors him, he says, "My Lord has honored me."
وَأَمَّآ إِذَا مَا ٱبْتَلَىٰهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّىٓ أَهَـٰنَنِ ﴿١٦﴾
But when He tries him and restricts his provision, he says, "My Lord has humiliated me."
كَلَّا ۖ بَل لَّا تُكْرِمُونَ ٱلْيَتِيمَ ﴿١٧﴾
No! But you do not honor the orphan
وَلَا تَحَـٰٓضُّونَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ ٱلْمِسْكِينِ ﴿١٨﴾
And you do not encourage one another to feed the poor.
وَتَأْكُلُونَ ٱلتُّرَاثَ أَكْلًۭا لَّمًّۭا ﴿١٩﴾
And you consume inheritance, devouring [it] altogether,
وَتُحِبُّونَ ٱلْمَالَ حُبًّۭا جَمًّۭا ﴿٢٠﴾
And you love wealth with immense love.
كَلَّآ إِذَا دُكَّتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ دَكًّۭا دَكًّۭا ﴿٢١﴾
No! When the earth has been leveled - pounded and crushed -
وَجَآءَ رَبُّكَ وَٱلْمَلَكُ صَفًّۭا صَفًّۭا ﴿٢٢﴾
And your Lord has come and the angels, rank upon rank,
وَجِا۟ىٓءَ يَوْمَئِذٍۭ بِجَهَنَّمَ ۚ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ يَتَذَكَّرُ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ وَأَنَّىٰ لَهُ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ ﴿٢٣﴾
And brought [within view], that Day, is Hell - that Day, man will remember, but what good to him will be the remembrance?
يَقُولُ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى قَدَّمْتُ لِحَيَاتِى ﴿٢٤﴾
He will say, "Oh, I wish I had sent ahead [some good] for my life."
فَيَوْمَئِذٍۢ لَّا يُعَذِّبُ عَذَابَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌۭ ﴿٢٥﴾
So on that Day, none will punish [as severely] as His punishment,
وَلَا يُوثِقُ وَثَاقَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌۭ ﴿٢٦﴾
And none will bind [as severely] as His binding [of the evildoers].
يَـٰٓأَيَّتُهَا ٱلنَّفْسُ ٱلْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ ﴿٢٧﴾
[To the righteous it will be said], "O reassured soul,
ٱرْجِعِىٓ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةًۭ مَّرْضِيَّةًۭ ﴿٢٨﴾
Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him],
فَٱدْخُلِى فِى عِبَـٰدِى ﴿٢٩﴾
And enter among My [righteous] servants
وَٱدْخُلِى جَنَّتِى ﴿٣٠﴾
And enter My Paradise."