وَٱلشَّمۡسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا
By the sun and its brightness
Tarayya :
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