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Surah Al-Fajr

الفجر

Surah Al-Fajr is a 30-verse Meccan surah that recalls the downfall of powerful nations, corrects how people read their own ease and hardship, and ends by welcoming the soul at peace into Paradise.

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Meaning
The Dawn
Surah
89 of 114
Verses
30
Revealed in
Mecca
Found in
Juz 30

What Surah Al-Fajr is about

Surah Al-Fajr, "The Dawn", opens with oaths by the dawn, ten nights, the even and the odd, and the night as it passes (verses 1 to 4). Many commentators understand the ten nights as the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, while others suggest the last ten nights of Ramadan. Verses 6 to 14 recall three mighty peoples: Ad with their city of Iram and its pillars, Thamud who carved their homes from rock in the valley, and Pharaoh of the stakes. All of them spread corruption, and all were punished, because Allah is always watching.

Verses 15 and 16 describe a familiar human pattern. When Allah gives a person comfort and honor, they say their Lord has honored them; when their provision is tightened, they say their Lord has humiliated them. Verse 17 rejects both readings and points instead to how people actually behave: they do not honor the orphan, do not encourage feeding the poor, consume inheritance greedily and love wealth intensely.

Verses 21 to 26 describe the Day when the earth is crushed and the angels stand in rows, when Hell is brought near and a person finally remembers and wishes they had prepared something for their real life. The surah then changes tone completely. Verses 27 to 30 address the soul at peace and invite it to return to its Lord, pleased and pleasing, and to enter among His servants and into His Paradise.

Main themes

  1. Power that did not last

    Ad, Thamud and Pharaoh were known for their buildings and strength. The surah recalls them briefly to show that no civilization is beyond Allah's justice.

    Verses 6–14

  2. Ease and hardship are both tests

    Verses 15 and 16 correct the idea that wealth means Allah's favor and poverty means His contempt. Both are tests, and what matters is how a person treats the orphan and the poor.

    Verses 15–20

  3. Regret that comes too late

    On the Day of Judgment a person remembers and wishes they had sent something ahead for their life. The surah presents this regret so it can be avoided now.

    Verses 21–26

  4. The soul at peace

    The surah ends with a gentle invitation to the tranquil soul to return to its Lord, content and accepted. It is one of the most beloved endings in the Quran.

    Verses 27–30

Verses to know

فَأَمَّا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ إِذَا مَا ٱبۡتَلَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَأَكۡرَمَهُۥ وَنَعَّمَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّيٓ أَكۡرَمَنِ ﴿١٥﴾ وَأَمَّآ إِذَا مَا ٱبۡتَلَىٰهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيۡهِ رِزۡقَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّيٓ أَهَٰنَنِ ﴿١٦﴾ كَلَّاۖ بَل لَّا تُكۡرِمُونَ ٱلۡيَتِيمَ ﴿١٧﴾

15As for man, whenever his Lord tests him, and honors him, and prospers him, he says, “My Lord has honored me.” 16But whenever He tests him, and restricts his livelihood for him, he says, “My Lord has insulted me.” 17Not at all. But you do not honor the orphan.
Al-Fajr 89:15–17

These verses challenge the habit of reading wealth as a sign of honor and hardship as a sign of rejection. Verse 17 shifts attention from what one has to how one treats the vulnerable.

يَقُولُ يَٰلَيۡتَنِي قَدَّمۡتُ لِحَيَاتِي ﴿٢٤﴾

He will say, “If only I had forwarded for my life.”
Al-Fajr 89:24

Captures a person's regret on the Day of Judgment, wishing they had prepared for their life. Commentators note that the Hereafter is described here as the real life.

يَـٰٓأَيَّتُهَا ٱلنَّفۡسُ ٱلۡمُطۡمَئِنَّةُ ﴿٢٧﴾ ٱرۡجِعِيٓ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةٗ مَّرۡضِيَّةٗ ﴿٢٨﴾ فَٱدۡخُلِي فِي عِبَٰدِي ﴿٢٩﴾ وَٱدۡخُلِي جَنَّتِي ﴿٣٠﴾

27But as for you, O tranquil soul. 28Return to your Lord, pleased and accepted. 29Enter among My servants. 30Enter My Paradise.
Al-Fajr 89:27–30

The address to the tranquil soul is widely loved and often recited at funerals and in moments of grief, as a hope for the believer's return to Allah.

Surah Al-Fajr in Arabic and English

All 30 verses, with the Arabic, a transliteration to help you read it aloud, and the English translation by Talal Itani.

بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

  1. 1

    وَٱلۡفَجۡرِ

    Waalfajri

    By the daybreak.

  2. 2

    وَلَيَالٍ عَشۡرٖ

    Walayalin AAashrin

    And ten nights.

  3. 3

    وَٱلشَّفۡعِ وَٱلۡوَتۡرِ

    WaalshshafAAi waalwatri

    And the even and the odd.

  4. 4

    وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا يَسۡرِ

    Waallayli itha yasri

    And the night as it recedes.

  5. 5

    هَلۡ فِي ذَٰلِكَ قَسَمࣱ لِّذِي حِجۡرٍ

    Hal fee thalika qasamun lithee hijrin

    Is there in this an oath for a rational person?

  6. 6

    أَلَمۡ تَرَ كَيۡفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ

    Alam tara kayfa faAAala rabbuka biAAadin

    Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with Aad?

  7. 7

    إِرَمَ ذَاتِ ٱلۡعِمَادِ

    Irama thati alAAimadi

    Erum of the pillars.

  8. 8

    ٱلَّتِي لَمۡ يُخۡلَقۡ مِثۡلُهَا فِي ٱلۡبِلَٰدِ

    Allatee lam yukhlaq mithluha fee albiladi

    The like of which was never created in the land.

  9. 9

    وَثَمُودَ ٱلَّذِينَ جَابُواْ ٱلصَّخۡرَ بِٱلۡوَادِ

    Wathamooda allatheena jaboo alssakhra bialwadi

    And Thamood—those who carved the rocks in the valley.

  10. 10

    وَفِرۡعَوۡنَ ذِي ٱلۡأَوۡتَادِ

    WafirAAawna thee alawtadi

    And Pharaoh of the Stakes.

  11. 11

    ٱلَّذِينَ طَغَوۡاْ فِي ٱلۡبِلَٰدِ

    Allatheena taghaw fee albiladi

    Those who committed excesses in the lands.

  12. 12

    فَأَكۡثَرُواْ فِيهَا ٱلۡفَسَادَ

    Faaktharoo feeha alfasada

    And spread much corruption therein.

  13. 13

    فَصَبَّ عَلَيۡهِمۡ رَبُّكَ سَوۡطَ عَذَابٍ

    Fasabba AAalayhim rabbuka sawta AAathabin

    So your Lord poured down upon them a scourge of punishment.

  14. 14

    إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَبِٱلۡمِرۡصَادِ

    Inna rabbaka labialmirsadi

    Your Lord is on the lookout.

  15. 15

    فَأَمَّا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ إِذَا مَا ٱبۡتَلَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَأَكۡرَمَهُۥ وَنَعَّمَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّيٓ أَكۡرَمَنِ

    Faamma alinsanu itha ma ibtalahu rabbuhu faakramahu wanaAAAAamahu fayaqoolu rabbee akramani

    As for man, whenever his Lord tests him, and honors him, and prospers him, he says, “My Lord has honored me.”

  16. 16

    وَأَمَّآ إِذَا مَا ٱبۡتَلَىٰهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيۡهِ رِزۡقَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّيٓ أَهَٰنَنِ

    Waamma itha ma ibtalahu faqadara AAalayhi rizqahu fayaqoolu rabbee ahanani

    But whenever He tests him, and restricts his livelihood for him, he says, “My Lord has insulted me.”

  17. 17

    كَلَّاۖ بَل لَّا تُكۡرِمُونَ ٱلۡيَتِيمَ

    Kalla bal la tukrimoona alyateema

    Not at all. But you do not honor the orphan.

  18. 18

    وَلَا تَحَـٰٓضُّونَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ ٱلۡمِسۡكِينِ

    Wala tahaddoona AAala taAAami almiskeeni

    And you do not urge the feeding of the poor.

  19. 19

    وَتَأۡكُلُونَ ٱلتُّرَاثَ أَكۡلٗا لَّمّٗا

    Watakuloona altturatha aklan lamman

    And you devour inheritance with all greed.

  20. 20

    وَتُحِبُّونَ ٱلۡمَالَ حُبّٗا جَمّٗا

    Watuhibboona almala hubban jamman

    And you love wealth with immense love.

  21. 21

    كَلَّآۖ إِذَا دُكَّتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ دَكّٗا دَكّٗا

    Kalla itha dukkati alardu dakkan dakkan

    No—when the earth is leveled, pounded, and crushed.

  22. 22

    وَجَآءَ رَبُّكَ وَٱلۡمَلَكُ صَفّٗا صَفّٗا

    Wajaa rabbuka waalmalaku saffan saffan

    And your Lord comes, with the angels, row after row.

  23. 23

    وَجِاْيٓءَ يَوۡمَئِذِۭ بِجَهَنَّمَۚ يَوۡمَئِذٖ يَتَذَكَّرُ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ وَأَنَّىٰ لَهُ ٱلذِّكۡرَىٰ

    Wajeea yawmaithin bijahannama yawmaithin yatathakkaru alinsanu waanna lahu alththikra

    And on that Day, Hell is brought forward. On that Day, man will remember, but how will remembrance avail him?

  24. 24

    يَقُولُ يَٰلَيۡتَنِي قَدَّمۡتُ لِحَيَاتِي

    Yaqoolu ya laytanee qaddamtu lihayatee

    He will say, “If only I had forwarded for my life.”

  25. 25

    فَيَوۡمَئِذٖ لَّا يُعَذِّبُ عَذَابَهُۥٓ أَحَدࣱ

    Fayawmaithin la yuAAaththibu AAathabahu ahadun

    On that Day, none will punish as He punishes.

  26. 26

    وَلَا يُوثِقُ وَثَاقَهُۥٓ أَحَدࣱ

    Wala yoothiqu wathaqahu ahadun

    And none will shackle as He shackles.

  27. 27

    يَـٰٓأَيَّتُهَا ٱلنَّفۡسُ ٱلۡمُطۡمَئِنَّةُ

    Ya ayyatuha alnnafsu almutmainnatu

    But as for you, O tranquil soul.

  28. 28

    ٱرۡجِعِيٓ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةٗ مَّرۡضِيَّةٗ

    IrjiAAee ila rabbiki radiyatan mardiyyatan

    Return to your Lord, pleased and accepted.

  29. 29

    فَٱدۡخُلِي فِي عِبَٰدِي

    Faodkhulee fee AAibadee

    Enter among My servants.

  30. 30

    وَٱدۡخُلِي جَنَّتِي

    Waodkhulee jannatee

    Enter My Paradise.

Surah Al-Fajr PDF

The whole surah on printable pages: Arabic, transliteration and English side by side. Free to download, print and share.

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Questions about Surah Al-Fajr

What are the ten nights in Surah Al-Fajr?

Many commentators, including reports from Ibn Abbas, understand them as the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. Others suggested the last ten nights of Ramadan or the first ten of Muharram.

How many verses are in Surah Al-Fajr?

Surah Al-Fajr has 30 verses. It is the 89th surah and a Meccan surah.

Which verse of Surah Al-Fajr mentions the soul at peace?

Verses 27 to 30 address the tranquil soul (an-nafs al-mutma'innah), inviting it to return to its Lord pleased and accepted and to enter Paradise.