Surah “By the Sun and Its Morning Brightness”

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.

[Surah al-Shams (91): verses 9–10]
“Successful indeed is the one who purifies it (9), and failed indeed is the one who corrupts it (10).”

The meaning is that whoever makes his soul great, elevates it through obedience to Allah, and brings it to prominence has succeeded. Whoever conceals it, debases it, and diminishes it through disobedience to Allah has failed and lost.

The basic meaning of corrupting it here is concealing it. Hence His saying, exalted is He: 16: 49 “or bury it in the dust.” The sinner buries his soul through sin, conceals its place, and hides from people because of the evil he commits. He is abased in his own eyes, abased before Allah, and abased in the eyes of people.

Obedience and righteousness make the soul great, dignify it, and elevate it until it becomes the noblest, greatest, purest, and loftiest of all things. Yet it remains the humblest, lowliest, and smallest before Allah Most High.

Through this humility before Allah, it attains dignity, nobility, and growth. Nothing diminishes the soul like disobedience to Allah, and nothing makes it great, ennobles it, and raises it like obedience to Allah.