وَهَدَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجۡدَيۡنِ

And have shown him the two ways?[1]

فَلَا ٱقۡتَحَمَ ٱلۡعَقَبَةَ

But he has not broken through the difficult pass.[1]

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]

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمۡ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَشۡـَٔمَةِ

But they who disbelieved in Our signs - those are the companions of the left.[1]

عَلَيۡهِمۡ نَارٞ مُّؤۡصَدَةُۢ

Over them will be fire closed in.[1]

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]

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]

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]

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].

وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقۡبَٰهَا

And He does not fear the consequence thereof.[1]

وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا يَغۡشَىٰ

By the night when it covers[1]

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.