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اَلطَّارِقِ
The Nightcomer
(or The Morning Star)

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

وَ السَّمَآءِ وَ الطَّارِقِ۔ وَ مَآ اَدْرٰىكَ مَا الطَّارِقُ۔ النَّجْمُ الثَّاقِبُ۔ اِنْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ لَّمَّا عَلَيْهَا حَافِظٌ۔ؕ فَلْيَنْظُرِ الْاِنْسَانُ مِمَّ خُلِقَ۔ؕ خُلِقَ مِنْ مَّآءٍ دَافِقٍ۔ يَّخْرُجُ مِنْ٘ بَيْنِ الصُّلْبِ وَ التَّرَآىِٕبِ۔ؕ اِنَّهُ عَلٰى رَجْعِهٖ لَقَادِرٌ۔ؕ يَوْمَ تُبْلَى السَّرَآىِٕرُ۔ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ قُوَّةٍ وَّ لَا نَاصِرٍ۔ؕ وَ السَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ الرَّجْعِ۔ وَ الْاَرْضِ ذَاتِ الصَّدْعِ۔ اِنَّهُ لَقَوْلٌ فَصْلٌ۔ وَّ مَا هُوَ بِالْهَزْلِ۔ؕ اِنَّهُمْ يَكِيْدُوْنَ كَيْدًا۔ وَّ اَكِيْدُ كَيْدًا۔ فَمَهِّلِ الْكٰفِرِيْنَ اَمْهِلْهُمْ رُوَيْدًا۔

In the name of God—the most compassionate, the most merciful.

By the sky and the Nightcomer! What will make you realize what the Nightcomer is? The star shining [before dawn]!

Each soul has a guardian [set up] over it, so let everyman notice what he has been created from. He was created from a fluid ejected from between his backbone and his ribs. He is Able to revive him on a day when secrets will be tested; so he will have no strength [left] nor any supporter.

By the sky with its cycle, by the earth cracking open, it is a decisive statement! It is no joke.

They are hatching some plot while I too am hatching a plot; so put up with disbelievers; put up with them as long as you can!

The title Tariq is a popular man’s name today, as it was with the conquerer of Spain in 711 A.D.

The translation should invoke some mystery, yet not confuse us; here the name clearly means the morning star that announces dawn. This shows the dramatic symbolism found in many Arabic names.

A star shining upon a man is a symbolic reminder of the fact that an Observer is watching him. This Observer is recording man’s deeds. He will resurrect man after his death and take the reckoning of all his deeds. It is the period of respite (during which man is put to the test) which acts as a ‘wedge’ between man and the aforesaid event. As soon as the period of trial is over, he will face the consequences—from which he seems to be far away today.