Learning from the Surah of Al-Quran: Surah ash-Shams (91: The Sun)

The first part of this surah explains that Allah has given everyone a conscience, or inner voice, to be able to know the difference between right and wrong. The person who learns to listen to the 'good voice' inside him will find that this voice becomes sharper and more clear; he will e successful in this life and the next. The one who does not listen to this conscience but follows his lower desires or the whisperings of Satan is the one who lets his conscience become corrupted; he will be a failure.

The second part of the surah tells some of the story of the ancient Arabian tribe of Thamud and their prophet Salih (PUH). It is said that there was not much water in the area where they lived, and that the rich and powerful tried to prevent the poor and weak from obtaining water for themselves and their cattle. As a test and punishment for their misbehaviour, Allah sent them a special camel as one of His signs. He instructed the Prophet Salih to tell the people of Thamud that they must allow this camel to grace at pasture freely and drink from the well without being disturbed for one whole day; they could graze and water their animals on the next day, and so on by turns. The people of Tahmud rebelled and disobeyed, crippling (or killing) the camel under the leadership of one especially evil man. Allah then destroyed them with an earthquake. They could have avoided this fate if they had learned to listen to the voices of their conscience.

- Surah Makki(16 verses)

TRANSLATION:

Surah ash-Shams (91: The Sun)

In the name of Allah, the Kindest and Most Merciful One..

1. By the sun and its brightness

2. And the moon when it follows (the sun),

3. By the day when it snows (the sun's brightness),

4. And the nigt when it hides it,

5. By the sky and He Who built it,

6. And the earth and He Who spread it,

7. By the soul and He Who perfected it

8. And inspired it (with conscience) to know what is wrong for it and what is right for it:

9. Surely the one who purifies it will be successful, 

10. And surely the one who corrupts it will fail.

11. (The people of )Thamud denied (their prophet) through their rebelliousness.

References:

i) http://quran.com/91
ii) http://www.quranexplorer.com/quran/ , go to Surah as-Shams
iii) The Meanings of the Noble Quran with explanatory notes(pg 1169) by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani (Maktaba Ma'ariful Quran - Quranic Studies Publishers, Karachi, Pakistan)

Video recitation at -->http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEEBX7qki24