وَجَعَلۡنَا ٱلَّيۡلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ ءَايَتَيۡنِۖ فَمَحَوۡنَآ ءَايَةَ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَجَعَلۡنَآ ءَايَةَ ٱلنَّهَارِ مُبۡصِرَةٗ لِّتَبۡتَغُواْ فَضۡلٗا مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَلِتَعۡلَمُواْ عَدَدَ ٱلسِّنِينَ وَٱلۡحِسَابَۚ وَكُلَّ شَيۡءٖ فَصَّلۡنَٰهُ تَفۡصِيلٗا 12

12        And We have made the day and the night as two signs (of Our Power). So We have made the sign of the night dark (to rest and remove your tiredness), and We have made the sign of the day very bright, (everything is visible in it) so that you may seek the bounty of your Creator, and you may count the number of years and make other counting too. And We have explained everything (in the Quran) with (great) detail.

وَكُلَّ إِنسَٰنٍ أَلۡزَمۡنَٰهُ طَٰٓئِرَهُۥ فِي عُنُقِهِۦۖ وَنُخۡرِجُ لَهُۥ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ كِتَٰبٗا يَلۡقَىٰهُ مَنشُورًا 13

13        And We have fastened every person’s (good and bad) deeds to his neck (Tafseer Ibn-Kathir). And We will give his account to him on the Day of Judgement and he will be able to see it as an open (Book).

ٱقۡرَأۡ كِتَٰبَكَ كَفَىٰ بِنَفۡسِكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ عَلَيۡكَ حَسِيبٗا 14

14        (It will be said to him) read your Book (the life-register) and you are enough to make self assessment of your account this Day.

مَّنِ ٱهۡتَدَىٰ فَإِنَّمَا يَهۡتَدِي لِنَفۡسِهِۦۖ وَمَن ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيۡهَاۚ وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٞ وِزۡرَ أُخۡرَىٰۗ وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّىٰ نَبۡعَثَ رَسُولٗا 15

15        Whoever follows the guidance (in the world), he does it for his own benefit. And whoever goes astray, then he is responsible for it. Nobody will carry the weight of another person’s (sin). And (Our Royal rule is) We never punish until We have sent a messenger (to provide guidance and warning).

وَإِذَآ أَرَدۡنَآ أَن نُّهۡلِكَ قَرۡيَةً أَمَرۡنَا مُتۡرَفِيهَا فَفَسَقُواْ فِيهَا فَحَقَّ عَلَيۡهَا ٱلۡقَوۡلُ فَدَمَّرۡنَٰهَا تَدۡمِيرٗا 16

16        (The above rule is stated here from another angle) and when We decide to destroy a community, We send Our Command (to believe and obey Allah) to the well-to-do members of that society. (They not only deny it) but they also cause mischief there. This justifies punishment for them. Hence, We destroy this (community) completely.

وَكَمۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَا مِنَ ٱلۡقُرُونِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ نُوحٖۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِرَبِّكَ بِذُنُوبِ عِبَادِهِۦ خَبِيرَۢا بَصِيرٗا 17

17        And how many communities We have destroyed after Nuh ( peace be upon him ) . And your Creator is Sufficient and He is Well-Acquainted with and All-Seer of the sins of His slaves.

مَّن كَانَ يُرِيدُ ٱلۡعَاجِلَةَ عَجَّلۡنَا لَهُۥ فِيهَا مَا نَشَآءُ لِمَن نُّرِيدُ ثُمَّ جَعَلۡنَا لَهُۥ جَهَنَّمَ يَصۡلَىٰهَا مَذۡمُومٗا مَّدۡحُورٗا 18

18        Whoever intends to benefit quickly from this world, We give him in this world what We will and whom We will. Eventually, We have assigned Hell for him and he will enter Hell-Fire disgraced and rejected (from Allah’s Mercy).

وَمَنۡ أَرَادَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَ وَسَعَىٰ لَهَا سَعۡيَهَا وَهُوَ مُؤۡمِنٞ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ كَانَ سَعۡيُهُم مَّشۡكُورٗا 19

19        And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it as should be done (i.e. according to the Quran and Sunnah) and also he is a believer, then the effort on the part of such persons will be appreciated. [Hence, there are four pre-requisites for the acceptance of a deed. (i) Intention (ii) Action (iii) Correct action according to the Quran and Sunnah (iv) Belief]

كُلّٗا نُّمِدُّ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ وَهَٰٓؤُلَآءِ مِنۡ عَطَآءِ رَبِّكَۚ وَمَا كَانَ عَطَآءُ رَبِّكَ مَحۡظُورًا 20

20        (In this worldly life) We grant Our Bounties to this kind of people as well as to that kind of people. And the distribution of the Bounties of your Creator is never stopped.

ٱنظُرۡ كَيۡفَ فَضَّلۡنَا بَعۡضَهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖۚ وَلَلۡأٓخِرَةُ أَكۡبَرُ دَرَجَٰتٖ وَأَكۡبَرُ تَفۡضِيلٗا 21

21        Notice how We excel one over another (in this world, irrespective of belief or disbelief. Some disbelievers are more well-to-do than the believers). However the Hereafter has higher levels (of dignity) and higher honour.

لَّا تَجۡعَلۡ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا ءَاخَرَ فَتَقۡعُدَ مَذۡمُومٗا مَّخۡذُولٗا 22

22        Don’t set up other gods with Allah or you will sit disgraced and forsaken (in Hell-Fire).

۞وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعۡبُدُوٓاْ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ وَبِٱلۡوَٰلِدَيۡنِ إِحۡسَٰنًاۚ إِمَّا يَبۡلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ ٱلۡكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَآ أَوۡ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُل لَّهُمَآ أُفّٖ وَلَا تَنۡهَرۡهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوۡلٗا كَرِيمٗا 23

23        And your Creator has com-manded that you worship none except Him, and treat your parents nicely and if you see one or both of them reach old age, don’t express a single word of disrespect to them, nor shout at them, and talk to them very graciously.

وَٱخۡفِضۡ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ ٱلذُّلِّ مِنَ ٱلرَّحۡمَةِ وَقُل رَّبِّ ٱرۡحَمۡهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرٗا 24

24        And lower to them the wings of submission with humbleness and mercy and say: “O my Creator! Bestow upon them your Mercy as they were (merciful to me) while bringing me up in my childhood.”

رَّبُّكُمۡ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا فِي نُفُوسِكُمۡۚ إِن تَكُونُواْ صَٰلِحِينَ فَإِنَّهُۥ كَانَ لِلۡأَوَّٰبِينَ غَفُورٗا 25

25        (Don’t restrict yourself to physical and verbal respect only. Respect them sincerely from your heart). Your Creator fully knows what is in your innerselves. If you are sincerely obedient to your parents (and you happen to make a mistake, then you repent and ask for forgiveness) Allah is Very-Forgiving to those who turn to Him for repentance.

وَءَاتِ ذَا ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ حَقَّهُۥ وَٱلۡمِسۡكِينَ وَٱبۡنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَلَا تُبَذِّرۡ تَبۡذِيرًا 26

26        (Here the rights of other people are described). And give due rights (monetary and non-monetary) to your relatives and to the needy and to the travellers and don’t waste (your wealth) as a spendthrift.

إِنَّ ٱلۡمُبَذِّرِينَ كَانُوٓاْ إِخۡوَٰنَ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينِۖ وَكَانَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ لِرَبِّهِۦ كَفُورٗا 27

27        Indeed, the spendthrifts are brothers of Satan and Satan is ever ungrateful to his Creator.

وَإِمَّا تُعۡرِضَنَّ عَنۡهُمُ ٱبۡتِغَآءَ رَحۡمَةٖ مِّن رَّبِّكَ تَرۡجُوهَا فَقُل لَّهُمۡ قَوۡلٗا مَّيۡسُورٗا 28

28        (If you have nothing to give to the needy don’t be rude to them). If you have to turn away from the needy while seeking the mercy of Allah, which you expect, even then talk to them softly and kindly.

وَلَا تَجۡعَلۡ يَدَكَ مَغۡلُولَةً إِلَىٰ عُنُقِكَ وَلَا تَبۡسُطۡهَا كُلَّ ٱلۡبَسۡطِ فَتَقۡعُدَ مَلُومٗا مَّحۡسُورًا 29

29        And don’t tie your hand with your neck (i.e. don’t be a miser) nor leave it free (i.e. don’t be a spendthrift), so that you become blameworthy and very poor.

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَبۡسُطُ ٱلرِّزۡقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقۡدِرُۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ بِعِبَادِهِۦ خَبِيرَۢا بَصِيرٗا 30

30        (You don’t have to be extremely concerned about the poverty of the needy people). Indeed, your Creator gives in abundance to whom He wills and limits to whom He wills. Verily, He is Well-Acquainted and All-Seer (of the condition and welfare) of His slaves.

وَلَا تَقۡتُلُوٓاْ أَوۡلَٰدَكُمۡ خَشۡيَةَ إِمۡلَٰقٖۖ نَّحۡنُ نَرۡزُقُهُمۡ وَإِيَّاكُمۡۚ إِنَّ قَتۡلَهُمۡ كَانَ خِطۡ‍ٔٗا كَبِيرٗا 31

31        And don’t kill your children (for fear of poverty). We provide  for them and you. Surely, the killing of them is a great sin.