GEROBOK

This Gerobok or chest with a rectangular cover and side carrying handles is inscribed with Surah Ash-Shams. It was used by its previous owner to store luggage during his pilgrimage to Mecca.

SURAH ASH-SHAMS

Surah Ash-Shams is the 91st chapter of the Qur’an. The surah means “The Sun” and it consists of 15 verses.

The surah teaches us that a Muslim’s happiness or misery in life is directly dependent on the purity or corruption he has brought into it, meaning a person’s choices or actions determines his own fate.

The surah also tells us the story of Thamud – an ancient civilization near the time of Prophet Muhammad S.A.W located in the north of the peninsula – and their negative attitude and transgression towards Allah’s messenger. They disobeyed Allah’s command and killed the she-camel which inevitably lead to their own destruction.


وَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا
Wash shamsi wa duhaa haa
By the sun and its brightness

وَٱلْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا
Wal qamari izaa talaa haa
And by the moon when it follows it

وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّىٰهَا
Wannahaari izaa jallaa haa
And by the day when it displays it

وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰهَا
Wallaili izaa yaghshaa haa
And by the night when it covers it

وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَىٰهَا
Wassamaaa’I wa maa banaahaa
And by the sky and He who constructed it

وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا
Wal ardi wa maa tahaahaa
And by the earth and He who spread it

وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا
Wa nafsinw wa maa sawwaahaa
And by the soul and He who proportioned it

فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا
Fa-alhamahaa fujoorahaa wa taqwaahaa
And inspired it with discernment of its wickedness and its righteousness

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا
Qad aflaha man zakkaahaa
He has succeeded who purifies it

وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا
Wa Qad khaaba man dassaahaa
And he has failed who instills it with corruption

كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ بِطَغْوَىٰهَآ
Kazzabat samoodu bi taghwaahaaa
Thamud denied their prophet by reason of their transgression

إِذِ ٱنۢبَعَثَ أَشْقَىٰهَا
Izim ba’asa ashqaahaa
When the most wrenched of them was sent forth

فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ نَاقَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَسُقْيَـٰهَا
Faqaala lahum Rasoolul laahi naaqatal laahi wa suqiyaaha
And the messenger of Allah S.W.T said to them “Do not harm the she came of Allah or prevent her from her drink

فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُم بِذَنۢبِهِمْ فَسَوَّىٰهَا
Fakazzaboohu fa’aqaroohaa fadamdama ‘alaihim Rabbuhum bizambihim fasaw waahaa
But the denied him and hamstrung her. So their Lord brought down upon them destruction for their sin and made it equal upon all of them

وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقْبَـٰهَا
Wal aa yakhaafu’uqbaahaa
And he does not fear the consequence thereof

Note:
(سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ) S.W.T – “May He be praised and exalted”
(صَلَّى ٱللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ‎) S.A.W – Blessings of Allah S.W.T be upon him as well as peace.