Sūrah Ash-Shams (سورة الشمس)
Meaning: The Sun
Chapter: 91
Verses: 15
Place of Revelation: Meccan
☀️ Name & Opening
The name Ash-Shams means “The Sun”, and it begins with an oath:
وَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا
“By the sun and its brightness…” (91:1)
Allah swears by a series of celestial signs to emphasize an urgent truth about the human soul and its moral compass.
📖 Verse-by-Verse Reflection
1. Oaths by the Cosmos (Verses 1–7)
"By the sun and its brightness,
And the moon when it follows it,
And the day when it displays it,
And the night when it covers it,
And the sky and He who built it,
And the earth and He who spread it,
And the soul and He who proportioned it…"
These seven oaths highlight the beauty, balance, and order of the universe. Each element is created with precision and purpose.
Then, Allah turns inward — from the cosmos to the human soul:
2. The Moral Compass of the Soul (Verses 8–10)
"And inspired it [the soul] with its wickedness and its righteousness,
He has succeeded who purifies it,
And he has failed who corrupts it."
🔹 Every human is born with a moral compass:
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You know right and wrong deep inside (fitrah).
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But you have the choice to follow or ignore it.
✨ The one who purifies the soul (cleanses it of arrogance, greed, envy, etc.) will be successful.
🔥 The one who corrupts it by giving in to selfish desires will fail.
This is the heart of the surah — a reminder that true success is moral and spiritual, not material.
3. The Warning from History (Verses 11–14)
"Thamūd denied [the truth] in their arrogance,
When the most wicked among them rose [to kill the she-camel],
And the Messenger of Allah said to them, 'Let the she-camel of Allah be [free], and [do] not hinder her from drinking.'
But they denied him and hamstrung her…"
⚠️ Thamūd was a powerful nation who rejected the prophet Ṣāliḥ عليه السلام:
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They were arrogant, rebellious, and destroyed a miraculous she-camel sent by Allah as a sign.
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This act of defiance symbolized their total rejection of divine guidance.
4. The Consequence (Verse 15)
"So their Lord crushed them for their sin and leveled them."
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Their destruction was total — not just physical, but also a moral erasure.
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Allah's punishment came swiftly, showing that no strength or status can protect from divine justice.
🧠 Key Themes of Sūrah Ash-Shams
| Theme | Message |
|---|---|
| The Signs in Creation | Nature reflects God’s wisdom and control — a reason to reflect. |
| The Human Soul | Each soul is born with knowledge of right and wrong. |
| Moral Responsibility | Success is in purifying the soul; failure is in corrupting it. |
| Historical Warning | Denying the truth, as Thamūd did, leads to destruction. |
| Divine Justice | God’s punishment is precise and just — but it comes after repeated warnings. |
🕊️ Reflection
🌞 "He has succeeded who purifies it, and he has failed who corrupts it." (91:9–10)
This verse is a life philosophy in a single sentence.
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Purify your intentions.
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Align your actions with conscience and truth.
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Strive for inner clarity, even when the outer world is chaotic.
📌 A Quick Summary
| Section | Content |
|---|---|
| 1–7 | Oaths by the sun, moon, day, night, sky, earth, and the soul |
| 8–10 | The soul’s inner knowledge and the call to purify it |
| 11–14 | The story of Thamūd and their rejection of Prophet Ṣāliḥ |
| 15 | The consequence: divine punishment and destruction |
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