89-The Dawn / Al-Fajr with the Quran:

In God’s Name, whose Mercy is Great and Continuous:

(89:1)   I swear by the dawn,

(89:2)   and by the blessed ten nights of the month of Thul-Hijjah and Ramadan;

(89:3)   I swear by the pairs in creation and by Me the one and only,

(89:4)   and I swear by the night receding slowly, that I will hold you accountable.

(89:5)   This is enough of an oath for those who are responsible.

(89:6)   Didn’t you see what I did to the tribe of Aad,

(89:7)   from the people of Iram with their tents?

(89:8)   In their time they were strong and powerful.

(89:9)   Or the tribe of Thamud who carved their homes into the walls of the valley? In their time they were successful.

(89:10) Or did you see what I did to Pharaoh with his pyramids that were remarkable?

(89:11) They all were unjust,

(89:12) and they spread evil in the land.

(89:13) So I let loose on them a whip of punishment so terrible.

(89:14) I took them by surprise and held them accountable.

(89:15) If I test people by giving them wealth and power they say, “God has honored us because we deserve it.”

(89:16) And if I test them by reducing what I give them they say, “God has humiliated us. We don’t deserve this.”

(89:17) No they are wrong, and with orphans they are not generous.

(89:18) They don’t feed the poor because they are stingy,

(89:19) and take the rights of others to inheritance because they are greedy.

(89:20) And they love money and wealth tremendously.

(89:21) No, when the earth is pounded over and over,

(89:22) and I come with the angels in row after row;

(89:23) when Hell is brought forward, on that day, everyone will realize the truth and what good will it do them?

(89:24) They will say, “If only we had done more good deeds for this eternal life,” but their regret will not save them.

(89:25) Then on that day, there is no punishment like My punishment,

(89:26) and there are no chains like My chains that bind those who were disobedient.

(89:27) Oh those who lived faithfully,

(89:28) come to Me content and happy. I am content and happy with you.

(89:29) Come join My people who submitted to Me,

(89:30) and enter My gardens in Heaven I prepared for you.

CHAPTER NOTES:

Verse 2: Thul-Hijah is a month in the lunar calendar in which Muslims who are able perform the Hajj pilgrimage. Ramadan is the month of fasting. This verse literally translates, “and by the ten nights.” The majority of scholars interpreted this verse to refer to the first ten nights of the month of Thul-Hijjah, and some interpreted it to refer to the blessed ten nights at the end of the month of Ramadan. Either way, the wording of the verse is general, and neither interpretation is exclusive of the other. So they were combined in this verse.

Verse 6: Aad was a famous ancient tribe from the people of Iram. The tribe of Aad lived several hundred miles to the south east of Makkah in a land of sand dunes. They were a major power in their area and they worshiped idols. They rejected the messenger God sent them, and so they were destroyed. All that is left of them is the remains of some of their buildings.

Verse 9: The tribe of Thamud was a major tribe and ancient civilization that lived several hundred miles to the North of Makkah. The civilization was destroyed, leaving behind their homes and buildings which they had carved into the side of mountains. Their vacant remains can still be visited today.

Verse 10: This verse literally translates to “Pharaoh and his posts.” The classical explanation is that ‘posts’ references to his armies as they gave him strength and support. However, God compares mountains to posts in the Quran and the pyramids are like mountains. Referring to the pyramids also fits with the flow of talking about the major building accomplishments of the three peoples who disobeyed God and their power did not save them from God’s punishment.