Al-Fajr 89
The DawnHow to read the Hangul
الرَّحْمَٰنِ르r라흐마니 بِسْمِ비스밀
- Bold = the stressed syllable of the word; a little stronger.
- Overline = long vowel (madd): hold it about two beats. Length matters most in recitation.
- Tiny = no vowel in the Arabic here — just the consonant, short.
- Small Latin letter = a sound Korean lacks, on the next syllable: f upper teeth on lower lip · θ/ð tongue tip between the teeth · r rolled tongue tip (a bare ㄹ is l).
How to read the Hangul
beginning the Christ salvation
- Bold, larger (ˈ) = say it strong and a little longer — the stressed syllable.
- Faint = weak and short (a reduced vowel). Don't give every syllable equal weight.
- Tiny 으 · 트 · 스 = barely voiced. English has no vowel there — stop on the consonant.
- Whole word faint (the, of, and, to…) = light and quick in a sentence; stress the content words.
- Small f v θ ð r = sounds Korean doesn't have — f: upper teeth on the lower lip; v: the same, voiced; θ/ð: tongue tip between the teeth; r: tongue curled back, touching nothing.
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Surah
About this surah
Classed as a Meccan sura, it opens with oaths by the dawn, the ten nights, the even and the odd, and the passing night. It then recalls how the Lord dealt with Ad — the people of Iram with their lofty pillars — with Thamud, who hewed the rocks of the valley, and with Pharaoh, owner of the stakes; all of them transgressed and spread corruption, and punishment came down on them. Next it examines a human attitude: when given honour and blessing, a person says his Lord has honoured him, but when his provision is restricted he says his Lord has humiliated him. The text rejects this and points instead to neglect of orphans, failure to feed the needy, devouring inheritance and loving wealth too much. It describes the Day when the earth is pounded to dust, Hell is brought near and a person wishes he had prepared for his life, and ends by calling the soul at peace to return to its Lord and enter His Garden.
- Oaths by the dawn
- Ad, Thamud and Pharaoh
- Wealth and want as tests
- Care for orphans
- The soul at peace
The name It is named after 'the dawn' (al-Fajr), the first oath in verse 1.
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1
By the dawn,
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and the ten nights,
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3
and the even and the odd,
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and the night when it passes!
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5
Is there not in that an oath for one of understanding?
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6
Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with Ad —
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[the people of] Iram, possessors of lofty pillars,
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8
the like of whom had never been created in the lands —
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9
and Thamud, who hewed the boulders of the valley's floor,
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10
and Pharaoh, owner of the stakes,
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11
who transgressed in the lands,
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12
and spread much corruption therein.
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13
So your Lord brought down on them the whip of punishment.
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14
Indeed your Lord is ever watchful.
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15
As for man, when his Lord tests him by honouring him and blessing him, he says, "My Lord has honoured me."
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16
But when He tests him by restricting his provision, he says, "My Lord has humiliated me."
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17
No! Rather, you do not honour the orphan,
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and you do not urge each other to feed the needy,
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and you devour inheritance, devouring [it] altogether,
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and you love wealth with immense love.
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21
No! When the earth is pounded to dust, pounding after pounding,
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and your Lord comes, and the angels, rank upon rank,
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and Hell is brought, that Day — that Day man will remember, but what good will the remembrance be to him?
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He will say, "Oh, I wish I had sent ahead [something] for my life!"
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So on that Day none will punish as He punishes,
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and none will bind as He binds.
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[To the righteous it will be said], "O soul at peace,
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come back to your Lord, satisfied and approved [by Him].
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29
So enter among My servants,
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and enter My Garden."