وَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا ١
1. By the sun and its brightness
Memorize Surah Ash-Shams
سورة الشمس
Surah Ash-Shams has 15 verses on one page of the Madinah mushaf (page 595), in juz 30. It is learned in a single portion: listen to it, repeat it, hide it bit by bit, then recite it from memory.
Memorization plan for Surah Ash-Shams
A single portion. Tap a portion to practise it; its status stays in this browser.
One portion: a few sessions are enough, then spaced reviews.
Tajweed rules
- Hamzat al-wasl (silent)
- Silent letter
- Lam shamsiyyah (assimilated)
- Normal madd (2 counts)
- Permissible madd (2, 4 or 6 counts)
- Obligatory madd (4 or 5 counts)
- Necessary madd (6 counts)
- Ghunnah (nasalisation, 2 counts)
- Qalqalah (echo)
- Ikhfa (concealment)
- Ikhfa shafawi (meem)
- Idgham with ghunnah
- Idgham without ghunnah
- Idgham shafawi (meem)
- Idgham mutajanisayn
- Idgham mutaqaribayn
- Iqlab (noon becomes meem)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
وَٱلْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا ٢
2. And [by] the moon when it follows it
وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا ٣
3. And [by] the day when it displays it1931
Notes
[1931] The earth. Also interpreted as the sun. The same applies to the following verse.
وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰهَا ٤
4. And [by] the night when it covers [i.e., conceals] it
وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَىٰهَا ٥
5. And [by] the sky and He who constructed it
وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا ٦
6. And [by] the earth and He who spread it
وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا ٧
7. And [by] the soul and He who proportioned it1932
Notes
[1932] i.e., balanced and refined it, creating in it sound tendencies and consciousness.
فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا ٨
8. And inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness,
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا ٩
9. He has succeeded who purifies it,
وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا ١٠
10. And he has failed who instills it [with corruption].
كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ بِطَغْوَىٰهَآ ١١
11. Thamūd denied [their prophet] by reason of their transgression,
إِذِ ٱنۢبَعَثَ أَشْقَىٰهَا ١٢
12. When the most wretched of them was sent forth.1933
Notes
[1933] To hamstring the she-camel which had been sent by Allāh as a sign to them.
فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ نَاقَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَسُقْيَٰهَا ١٣
13. And the messenger of Allāh [i.e., Ṣāliḥ] said to them, "[Do not harm] the she-camel of Allāh or [prevent her from] her drink."
فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُم بِذَنۢبِهِمْ فَسَوَّىٰهَا ١٤
14. But they denied him and hamstrung1934 her. So their Lord brought down upon them destruction for their sin and made it equal [upon all of them].
Notes
[1934] And then killed.
وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقْبَٰهَا ١٥
15. And He does not fear the consequence thereof.1935
Notes
[1935] Allāh is not asked about what He does, but His servants will be asked. See 21:23.
Verses not to confuse
2 verses of Surah Ash-Shams resemble other verses of the Quran: a classic trap when reciting from memory. The closest ones:
-
Ash-Shams 91:9
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا
Al-A’la 87:14قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ
-
Ash-Shams 91:10
وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا
Taha 20:61قَالَ لَهُم مُّوسَىٰ وَيْلَكُمْ لَا تَفْتَرُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا فَيُسْحِتَكُم بِعَذَابٍ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ
Recite what follows from memory. Next verse:
Did you know it?
The method in five steps
- Read and listen
Read the portion while following a reciter, verse by verse, until you can say it without hesitation.
- Repeat
Repeat each verse several times with a pause to say it after the reciter, then join the verses together.
- Hide
Hide one word in three, then two in three, then keep only the first letters, and finally the whole text.
- Recite
Recite from memory: get tested on what follows a random verse, record yourself or recite to someone.
- Review
Come back to each portion the next day, then at longer and longer intervals, and review before learning something new.