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Tafsir of Surah Ash-Shams (91) — The Sun · الشمس

Meccan surah, 15 ayat. Read the whole surah

Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Quran — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies. QuranEnc.com (english_mokhtasar), 2026-10-30.

Ash-Shams 91:1

وَٱلشَّمۡسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا

By the sun and its brightness

Tafsir 91:1

Allah takes an oath on the sun and its rising after breaking onto the eastern horizon.

Ash-Shams 91:2

وَٱلۡقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا

And [by] the moon when it follows it

Tafsir 91:2

He also takes an oath on the moon when it follows the sun after it has set.

Ash-Shams 91:3

وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا

And [by] the day when it displays it

Tafsir 91:3

Allah also takes an oath on the day when it reveals whatever is on the face of the earth through its light.

Ash-Shams 91:4

وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا يَغۡشَىٰهَا

And [by] the night when it covers it

Tafsir 91:4

And He also takes an oath on the night when it covers the face of the earth, darkening it.

Ash-Shams 91:5

وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَىٰهَا

And [by] the sky and He who constructed it

Tafsir 91:5

And He takes an oath on the sky, taking an oath on its perfect creation.

Ash-Shams 91:6

وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا

And [by] the earth and He who spread it

Tafsir 91:6

He also takes an oath on the earth: the way it has been spread so that people can live on it.

Ash-Shams 91:7

وَنَفۡسٖ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا

And [by] the soul and He who proportioned it

Tafsir 91:7

He also takes an oath on each soul, with Allah having created it equally.

Ash-Shams 91:8

فَأَلۡهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقۡوَىٰهَا

And inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness

Tafsir 91:8

Then He made it understand - without teaching it - what was evil so it could be abstained from, and what was good so it could be implemented.

Ash-Shams 91:9

قَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا

He has succeeded who purifies it

Tafsir 91:9

Verily, the one who has purified his soul by adorning it with virtuous characteristics and freeing it from evil traits, has succeeded.

Ash-Shams 91:10

وَقَدۡ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا

And he has failed who instills it [with corruption]

Tafsir 91:10

And verily the one who has secretly thrust his soul into sins and disobedience, has lost.

Ash-Shams 91:11

كَذَّبَتۡ ثَمُودُ بِطَغۡوَىٰهَآ

Thamud denied [their prophet] by reason of their transgression

Tafsir 91:11

After Allah mentions the loss of the one who thrust his soul secretly into sins, He mentions the Thamūd as an example of that, saying: The Thamūd rejected their Prophet Saleh due to their transgressing the limits in committing sins and disobedience.

Ash-Shams 91:12

إِذِ ٱنۢبَعَثَ أَشۡقَىٰهَا

When the most wretched of them was sent forth

Tafsir 91:12

When the most wretched among them stood up after his people has appointed him for the task.

Ash-Shams 91:13

فَقَالَ لَهُمۡ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ نَاقَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَسُقۡيَٰهَا

And the messenger of Allah [Salih] said to them, "[Do not harm] the she-camel of Allah or [prevent her from] her drink

Tafsir 91:13

The Messenger of Allah Saleh (peace be upon him) said to them: “Leave the camel of Allah alone; let it drink on its day and do not pursue it intending evil.”

Ash-Shams 91:14

فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمۡدَمَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ رَبُّهُم بِذَنۢبِهِمۡ فَسَوَّىٰهَا

But they denied him and hamstrung her. So their Lord brought down upon them destruction for their sin and made it equal [upon all of them]

Tafsir 91:14

But they rejected their Messenger with regards to the camel, and so the most wretched among them killed it with the consent of his people. Therefore, they were all guilty of the crime and so Allah enveloped them into His punishment and destroyed them by a shriek due to their sins. He made them equal in the punishment that He destroyed them with.

Ash-Shams 91:15

وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقۡبَٰهَا

And He does not fear the consequence thereof

Tafsir 91:15

Allah set the punishment that destroyed them, upon them, without Him, may He be glorified, fearing any reproach over His actions.

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Arabic: Uthmani text, Tanzil Project (tanzil.net) · English: Saheeh International · Bosnian: Besim Korkut