About Surah Al-Fajr

In early Makkah, an arrogant philosophy took hold: wealth proved divine favor, while poverty signaled disgrace. The tenth revelation arrived to dismantle this falsehood. Named al-Fajr (The Dawn) or Sūrat al-Fajr wa-layālin ʿashr (The Dawn and Ten Nights) after its opening oaths, these thirty verses assert that earthly provisions are tests, not measures of human worth.

The text opens by citing the destruction of powerful nations like ʿĀd, Thamūd, and Pharaoh, serving both as a warning and a consolation promising the defeat of the Prophet’s enemies. From this historical precedent, it pivots to a sharp condemnation of Makkan society, indicting those who neglect orphans and fail to feed the poor.

The chapter culminates at the Day of Judgment, where no amount of hoarded fortune or belated repentance will be accepted. The final words replace the false honor of worldly riches with a true, eternal reward, describing the profound welcome of the satisfied soul into the Garden of Paradise.

Surah Al-Fajr (The Dawn) — 30 verses

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

89:1

By the Daybreak,

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89:2

by the Ten Nights,

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89:3

by the even and the odd,

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89:4

by the passing night––

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89:5

is this oath strong enough for a rational person?

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89:6

Have you [Prophet] considered how your Lord dealt with [the people] of 'Ad,

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89:7

of Iram, [the city] of lofty pillars,

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89:8

whose like has never been made in any land,

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89:9

and the Thamud, who hewed into the rocks in the valley,

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