بِسمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحمـٰنِ الرَّحيمِ وَاللَّيلِ إِذا يَغشىٰ

CONSIDER the night as it veils [the earth] in darkness,

وَالنَّهارِ إِذا تَجَلّىٰ

and the day as it rises bright!

وَما خَلَقَ الذَّكَرَ وَالأُنثىٰ

Consider the creation of the male and the female!¹

1. 1.  Lit., "Consider that which has created [or "creates"] the male and the female", i.e., the elements which are responsible for the differentiation between male and female. This, together with the symbolism of night and day, darkness and light, is an allusion - similar to the first ten verses of the preceding surah - to the polarity evident in all nature and, hence, to the dichotomy (spoken of in the next verse) which characterizes man's aims and motives.

إِنَّ سَعيَكُم لَشَتّىٰ

Verily, [O men,] you aim at most divergent ends!²

1. 2.  I.e., at good and bad ends (cf. note 6 on 91:8) - sc., "and so the consequences of your doings are, of necessity, divergent".

فَأَمّا مَن أَعطىٰ وَاتَّقىٰ

Thus, as for him who gives [to others] and is conscious of God,

وَصَدَّقَ بِالحُسنىٰ

and believes in the truth of the ultimate good³

1. 3.  I.e., in moral values independent of time and social circumstance and, hence, in the absolute validity of what may be described as "the moral imperative".

فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِليُسرىٰ

for him shall We make easy the path towards [ultimate] ease.⁴

1. 4.  See note 6 on 87:8.

وَأَمّا مَن بَخِلَ وَاستَغنىٰ

But as for him who is niggardly, and thinks that he is self-sufficient,⁵

1. 5.  Cf. 96:6.

وَكَذَّبَ بِالحُسنىٰ

and calls the ultimate good a lie –

فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلعُسرىٰ

for him shall We make easy the path towards hardship:

وَما يُغني عَنهُ مالُهُ إِذا تَرَدّىٰ

and what will his wealth avail him when he goes down [to his grave]?⁶

1. 6.  Or (as a statement): "of no avail will be to him his wealth when he. . .", etc.

إِنَّ عَلَينا لَلهُدىٰ

BEHOLD, it is indeed for Us to grace [you] with guidance;

وَإِنَّ لَنا لَلآخِرَةَ وَالأولىٰ

and, behold, Ours is [the dominion over] the life to come as well as [over] this earlier part [of your life]:⁷

1. 7.  This statement is meant to stress the fact that man's life in this world and in the hereafter are but two stages of one continuous entity.

فَأَنذَرتُكُم نارًا تَلَظّىٰ

and so I warn you of the raging fire -

لا يَصلاها إِلَّا الأَشقَى

[the fire] which none shall have to endure but that most hapless wretch

الَّذي كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلّىٰ

who gives the lie to the truth and turns away [from it].

وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا الأَتقَى

For, distant from it shall remain he who is truly conscious of God:

الَّذي يُؤتي مالَهُ يَتَزَكّىٰ

he that spends his possessions [on others] so that he might grow in purity –

وَما لِأَحَدٍ عِندَهُ مِن نِعمَةٍ تُجزىٰ

not as payment for favours received,⁸

1. 8.  Lit., "no one having with him any favour to be repaid". In its widest sense, projected towards the future, the phrase implies also the expectation of a reward.

إِلَّا ابتِغاءَ وَجهِ رَبِّهِ الأَعلىٰ

but only out of a longing for the countenance of his Sustainer, the All-Highest:

وَلَسَوفَ يَرضىٰ

and such, indeed, shall in time be well-pleased.