وَهَدَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجۡدَيۡنِ
And have shown him the two ways?[1]
1- Of good and evil.
فَلَا ٱقۡتَحَمَ ٱلۡعَقَبَةَ
But he has not broken through the difficult pass.[1]
1- i.e., the steep incline or obstacle. In other words, he has not spent in the cause of AllŒh but only boasts of spending in front of others.
وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلۡعَقَبَةُ
And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass?
فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ
It is the freeing of a slave
أَوۡ إِطۡعَٰمٞ فِي يَوۡمٖ ذِي مَسۡغَبَةٖ
Or feeding on a day of severe hunger
يَتِيمٗا ذَا مَقۡرَبَةٍ
An orphan of near relationship
أَوۡ مِسۡكِينٗا ذَا مَتۡرَبَةٖ
Or a needy person in misery
ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡمَرۡحَمَةِ
And then being among those who believed and advised one another to patience and advised one another to compassion.
أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَيۡمَنَةِ
Those are the companions of the right.[1]
1- Or "the companions of good fortune," i.e., those who receive their records in their right hands and proceed to Paradise.
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمۡ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَشۡـَٔمَةِ
But they who disbelieved in Our signs - those are the companions of the left.[1]
1- Or "the companions of ill fortune," i.e., those who receive their records in their left hands and proceed to Hell.
عَلَيۡهِمۡ نَارٞ مُّؤۡصَدَةُۢ
Over them will be fire closed in.[1]
1- The cover over Hell will be sealed and locked, containing its fire and its inhabitants.
وَٱلشَّمۡسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا
By the sun and its brightness
وَٱلۡقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا
And [by] the moon when it follows it
وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا
And [by] the day when it displays it[1]
1- The earth. Also interpreted as the sun. The same applies to the following verse.
وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا يَغۡشَىٰهَا
And [by] the night when it covers [i.e., conceals] it
وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَىٰهَا
And [by] the sky and He who constructed it
وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا
And [by] the earth and He who spread it
وَنَفۡسٖ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا
And [by] the soul and He who proportioned it[1]
1- i.e., balanced and refined it, creating in it sound tendencies and consciousness.
فَأَلۡهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقۡوَىٰهَا
And inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness,
قَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا
He has succeeded who purifies it,
وَقَدۡ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا
And he has failed who instills it [with corruption].
كَذَّبَتۡ ثَمُودُ بِطَغۡوَىٰهَآ
Tham´d denied [their prophet] by reason of their transgression,
إِذِ ٱنۢبَعَثَ أَشۡقَىٰهَا
When the most wretched of them was sent forth.[1]
1- To hamstring the she-camel which had been sent by AllŒh as a sign to them.
فَقَالَ لَهُمۡ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ نَاقَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَسُقۡيَٰهَا
And the messenger of AllŒh [i.e., êŒliú] said to them, "[Do not harm] the she-camel of AllŒh or [prevent her from] her drink."
فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمۡدَمَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ رَبُّهُم بِذَنۢبِهِمۡ فَسَوَّىٰهَا
But they denied him and hamstrung[1] her. So their Lord brought down upon them destruction for their sin and made it equal [upon all of them].
1- And then killed.
وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقۡبَٰهَا
And He does not fear the consequence thereof.[1]
1- AllŒh is not asked about what He does, but His servants will be asked. See 21:23
وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا يَغۡشَىٰ
By the night when it covers[1]
1- With darkness.
وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّىٰ
And [by] the day when it appears
وَمَا خَلَقَ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلۡأُنثَىٰٓ
And [by] He who created the male and female,
إِنَّ سَعۡيَكُمۡ لَشَتَّىٰ
Indeed, your efforts are diverse.
إبلاغ عن خطأ