Surah Al-Buruj
البروج
Surah Al-Buruj is a 22-verse Meccan surah that recalls believers who were burned in a trench for their faith and reassures persecuted believers that Allah sees everything.
- Meaning
- The Mansions of the Stars
- Surah
- 85 of 114
- Verses
- 22
- Revealed in
- Mecca
- Found in
- Juz 30
What Surah Al-Buruj is about
Surah Al-Buruj, "The Mansions of the Stars", opens with oaths by the sky and its great constellations, the Promised Day, and the witness and what is witnessed (verses 1 to 3). Verses 4 to 9 then tell, in a few lines, the story of the People of the Trench: persecutors who dug a pit of fire and sat around it watching what they did to believers, whose only offense was believing in Allah, the Almighty, the Praiseworthy.
Verses 10 and 11 set out the outcome for both sides. Those who persecute believing men and women and do not repent face the punishment of burning, while those who believe and do good will have Gardens with rivers flowing beneath them, called the great triumph. Verses 12 to 16 describe Allah: His grip is severe, He begins creation and brings it back, He is the Forgiving, the Loving, Lord of the glorious Throne, who does whatever He wills. Verses 17 and 18 recall the armies of Pharaoh and Thamud as earlier examples of power that came to nothing. The surah ends by affirming that this is a glorious Quran, kept in a Preserved Tablet.
The surah was revealed in Mecca at a time when the early Muslims were being tortured, and commentators read it as consolation for them. Many connect the trench to the story of the boy, the king and the monk reported in Sahih Muslim, though the identity of the People of the Trench is discussed by scholars.
Main themes
Faith under persecution
The People of the Trench were punished only for believing in Allah. By telling their story briefly and without naming them, the surah speaks to anyone suffering for their faith.
Verses 4–9Persecutors can still repent
Verse 10 warns those who torment believers, but it adds the phrase about not repenting. Even here, the door to turning back is left open.
Verses 10–11The Forgiving, the Loving
The names given to Allah in verses 12 to 16 combine power with tenderness. Al-Wadud, the Loving, appears right after a description of His severe grip.
Verses 12–16A protected message
After recalling Pharaoh and Thamud, the surah closes by saying the Quran is glorious and preserved, beyond the reach of those who deny it.
Verses 17–22
Verses to know
وَمَا نَقَمُواْ مِنۡهُمۡ إِلَّآ أَن يُؤۡمِنُواْ بِٱللَّهِ ٱلۡعَزِيزِ ٱلۡحَمِيدِ ﴿٨﴾
They begrudged them only because they believed in Allah the Almighty, the Praiseworthy.
States plainly that the believers were persecuted for nothing except their faith in Allah. Many Muslims facing hostility for their beliefs have taken comfort in it.
وَهُوَ ٱلۡغَفُورُ ٱلۡوَدُودُ ﴿١٤﴾
And He is the Forgiving, the Loving.
Pairs two of Allah's names, the Forgiving and the Loving. Al-Wadud is relatively rare in the Quran, and its placement after a warning is striking.
بَلۡ هُوَ قُرۡءَانࣱ مَّجِيدࣱ ﴿٢١﴾ فِي لَوۡحٖ مَّحۡفُوظِۭ ﴿٢٢﴾
21In fact, it is a Glorious Quran. 22In a Preserved Tablet.
The surah's closing words describe the Quran as glorious and kept in a Preserved Tablet, a phrase widely cited in discussions of the Quran's preservation.
When Surah Al-Buruj is recited
A report in Sunan Abu Dawud and Sunan at-Tirmidhi from Jabir ibn Samurah says the Prophet ﷺ used to recite Al-Buruj and At-Tariq (86), and surahs like them, in the Dhuhr and Asr prayers.
Surah Al-Buruj in Arabic and English
All 22 verses, with the Arabic, a transliteration to help you read it aloud, and the English translation by Talal Itani.
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
- 1
وَٱلسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ ٱلۡبُرُوجِ
Waalssamai thati alburooji
By the sky with the constellations.
- 2
وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡمَوۡعُودِ
Waalyawmi almawAAoodi
And by the Promised Day.
- 3
وَشَاهِدٖ وَمَشۡهُودٖ
Washahidin wamashhoodin
And by the witness and the witnessed.
- 4
قُتِلَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡأُخۡدُودِ
Qutila ashabu alukhdoodi
Destroyed were the People of the Trench.
- 5
ٱلنَّارِ ذَاتِ ٱلۡوَقُودِ
Alnnari thati alwaqoodi
The fire supplied with fuel.
- 6
إِذۡ هُمۡ عَلَيۡهَا قُعُودࣱ
Ith hum AAalayha quAAoodun
While they sat around it.
- 7
وَهُمۡ عَلَىٰ مَا يَفۡعَلُونَ بِٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ شُهُودࣱ
Wahum AAala ma yafAAaloona bialmumineena shuhoodun
And were witnessing what they did to the believers.
- 8
وَمَا نَقَمُواْ مِنۡهُمۡ إِلَّآ أَن يُؤۡمِنُواْ بِٱللَّهِ ٱلۡعَزِيزِ ٱلۡحَمِيدِ
Wama naqamoo minhum illa an yuminoo biAllahi alAAazeezi alhameedi
They begrudged them only because they believed in Allah the Almighty, the Praiseworthy.
- 9
ٱلَّذِي لَهُۥ مُلۡكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ شَهِيدٌ
Allathee lahu mulku alssamawati waalardi waAllahu AAala kulli shayin shaheedun
To whom belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. Allah is Witness over everything.
- 10
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ فَتَنُواْ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتِ ثُمَّ لَمۡ يَتُوبُواْ فَلَهُمۡ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابُ ٱلۡحَرِيقِ
Inna allatheena fatanoo almumineena waalmuminati thumma lam yatooboo falahum AAathabu jahannama walahum AAathabu alhareeqi
Those who tempt the believers, men and women, then do not repent; for them is the punishment of Hell; for them is the punishment of Burning.
- 11
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَٰتِ لَهُمۡ جَنَّـٰتࣱ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡكَبِيرُ
Inna allatheena amanoo waAAamiloo alssalihati lahum jannatun tajree min tahtiha alanharu thalika alfawzu alkabeeru
Those who believe and do righteous deeds will have Gardens beneath which rivers flow. That is the great triumph.
- 12
إِنَّ بَطۡشَ رَبِّكَ لَشَدِيدٌ
Inna batsha rabbika lashadeedun
The onslaught of your Lord is severe.
- 13
إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ يُبۡدِئُ وَيُعِيدُ
Innahu huwa yubdio wayuAAeedu
It is He who begins and repeats.
- 14
وَهُوَ ٱلۡغَفُورُ ٱلۡوَدُودُ
Wahuwa alghafooru alwadoodu
And He is the Forgiving, the Loving.
- 15
ذُو ٱلۡعَرۡشِ ٱلۡمَجِيدُ
Thoo alAAarshi almajeedi
Possessor of the Glorious Throne.
- 16
فَعَّالࣱ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ
FaAAAAalun lima yureedu
Doer of whatever He wills.
- 17
هَلۡ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ ٱلۡجُنُودِ
Hal ataka hadeethu aljunoodi
Has there come to you the story of the legions?
- 18
فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَثَمُودَ
FirAAawna wathamooda
Of Pharaoh and Thamood?
- 19
بَلِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فِي تَكۡذِيبٖ
Bali allatheena kafaroo fee taktheebin
In fact, those who disbelieve are in denial.
- 20
وَٱللَّهُ مِن وَرَآئِهِم مُّحِيطُۢ
WaAllahu min waraihim muheetun
And Allah encloses them from beyond.
- 21
بَلۡ هُوَ قُرۡءَانࣱ مَّجِيدࣱ
Bal huwa quranun majeedun
In fact, it is a Glorious Quran.
- 22
فِي لَوۡحٖ مَّحۡفُوظِۭ
Fee lawhin mahfoothin
In a Preserved Tablet.
Surah Al-Buruj PDF
The whole surah on printable pages: Arabic, transliteration and English side by side. Free to download, print and share.
Questions about Surah Al-Buruj
Who were the People of the Trench in Surah Al-Buruj?
They were persecutors who threw believers into a pit of fire because of their faith (verses 4 to 8). Many commentators link the story to the account of the young boy and the king in Sahih Muslim, though scholars have discussed other identifications.
How many verses are in Surah Al-Buruj?
Surah Al-Buruj has 22 verses. It is the 85th surah and a Meccan surah.
What does Buruj mean?
Buruj refers to great stars or constellations in the sky, sometimes translated as mansions of the stars or towers. The surah is named after the oath in verse 1.