بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا

And by the sun and its brightness;

وَالْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَاهَا

And by the moon as it follows it (the sun);

وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّاهَا

And by the day as it shows up (the sun's) brightness;

وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَاهَا

And by the night as it conceals it (the sun);

وَالسَّمَاءِ وَمَا بَنَاهَا

And by the heaven and Him Who built it;

وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَاهَا

And by the earth and Him Who spread it,

وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّاهَا

And by Nafs (Adam or a person or a soul, etc.), and Him Who perfected him in proportion;

فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا

Then He showed him what is wrong for him and what is right for him;

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا

Indeed he succeeds who purifies his ownself (i.e. obeys and performs all that Allah ordered, by following the true Faith of Islamic Monotheism and by doing righteous good deeds).

وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ دَسَّاهَا

And indeed he fails who corrupts his ownself (i.e. disobeys what Allah has ordered by rejecting the true Faith of Islamic Monotheism or by following polytheism, etc. or by doing every kind of evil wicked deeds).

كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ بِطَغْوَاهَا

Thamud (people) denied (their Prophet) through their transgression (by rejecting the true Faith of Islamic Monotheism, and by following polytheism, and by committing every kind of sin).

إِذِ انْبَعَثَ أَشْقَاهَا

When the most wicked man among them went forth (to kill the she-camel).

فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ نَاقَةَ اللَّهِ وَسُقْيَاهَا

But the Messenger of Allah [Salih (Saleh)] said to them: "Be cautious! Fear the evil end. That is the she-camel of Allah! (Do not harm it) and bar it not from having its drink!"

فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ بِذَنْبِهِمْ فَسَوَّاهَا

Then they denied him and they killed it. So their Lord destroyed them because of their sin, and made them equal in destruction (i.e. all grades of people, rich and poor, strong and weak, etc.)!

وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقْبَاهَا

And He (Allah) feared not the consequences thereof.