سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى (1)

EXTOL the limitless glory of thy Sustainer's name: [the glory of] the Al-Highest,

الَّذِي خَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ (2)

who creates [every thing], and thereupon forms it in accordance with what it is meant to be,

وَالَّذِي قَدَّرَ فَهَدَىٰ (3)

and who determines the nature [of all that exists], and thereupon guides it [towards its fulfilment],

وَالَّذِي أَخْرَجَ الْمَرْعَىٰ (4)

and who brings forth herbage,

فَجَعَلَهُ غُثَاءً أَحْوَىٰ (5)

and thereupon causes it to decay into rust-brown stubble!

سَنُقْرِئُكَ فَلَا تَنْسَىٰ (6)

WE SHALL teach thee, and thou wilt not forget [aught of what thou art taught],

إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ ۚ إِنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ الْجَهْرَ وَمَا يَخْفَىٰ (7)

save what God may will [thee to forget] - for, verily, He [alone] knows all that is open to [man's] perception as well as all that is hidden [from it]

وَنُيَسِّرُكَ لِلْيُسْرَىٰ (8)

and [thus] shall We make easy for thee the path towards [ultimate] ease.

فَذَكِّرْ إِنْ نَفَعَتِ الذِّكْرَىٰ (9)

REMIND, THEN, [others of the truth, regardless of] whether this reminding [would seem to] be of use [or not]:

سَيَذَّكَّرُ مَنْ يَخْشَىٰ (10)

in mind will keep it he who stands in awe [of God],

وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا الْأَشْقَى (11)

but aloof from it will remain that most hapless wretch –

الَّذِي يَصْلَى النَّارَ الْكُبْرَىٰ (12)

he who [in the life to come] shall have to endure the great fire

ثُمَّ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحْيَىٰ (13)

wherein he will neither die nor remain alive.

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ تَزَكَّىٰ (14)

To happiness [in the life to come] will indeed attain he who attains to purity [in this world],

وَذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّىٰ (15)

and remembers his Sustainer's name, and prays [unto Him].

بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا (16)

But nay, [O men,] you prefer the life of this world,

وَالْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰ (17)

although the life to come is better and more enduring.

إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَفِي الصُّحُفِ الْأُولَىٰ (18)

Verily, [all] this has indeed been [said] in the earlier revelations –

صُحُفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ (19)

the revelations of Abraham and Moses.