Tafsir of Ash-Shams 91:11

The ba’ in bi-ṭughwāhā (by their transgression) is like the ba’ in katabtu bi-l-qalam (I wrote with the pen). Ṭughwā is derived from ṭughyān (transgression).

Grammarians distinguish between nouns and adjectives ending in -ā derived from roots ending in yā’ by changing the yā’ to a wāw in nouns, while leaving it as is in adjectives (e.g., khizyā and ṣidyā). Thus, the meaning is: "They committed the act of denial by means of their transgression," just as you would say, "He wronged me by his audacity against God."

It is also said: "They denied [the truth] because of the punishment they were threatened with, which possesses transgression," similar to His saying: "They were destroyed by the ṭāghiyah (the overwhelming blast)" (Al-Haqqah: 5). Al-Hasan read it as bi-ṭughwāhā with a ḍammah on the ṭā’, like al-ḥusnā and al-rujʿā in verbal nouns.

{ إذ انبعث } (When he rose up): This is in the accusative case, governed by kadhdhabat (denied), or it is linked to bi-ṭughwāhā.

{ أشقاها } (Their most wretched one): This refers to Qudar ibn Salif. It is possible that it refers to a group, but it is singular because the superlative form (afʿal) remains uniform whether it is attached to a singular, plural, masculine, or feminine noun. It would have been permissible to say ashqāhā (plural), just as you say afāḍiluhum. The pronoun in ashqāhā may refer to the most wretched ones, and the superlative is in terms of wretchedness, because whoever took charge of the act and engaged in it, his wretchedness was more manifest and extreme.

{ ناقة الله } (The she-camel of God): This is in the accusative case as a warning (taḥdhīr), like saying "The lion! The lion!" or "The child! The child!" implying: "Leave the she-camel of God alone," or "Beware of slaughtering her."

{ وسقياها } (And her drink): Do not withhold it from her, and do not prioritize yourselves over her.

{ فكذبوه } (But they denied him): Regarding what he warned them of—the descent of punishment if they acted.

{ فدمدم عليهم } (So He brought destruction upon them): He unleashed the punishment upon them. This is derived from the expression nāqah mudammumah (a she-camel covered in filth/misfortune).

{ بذنبهم } (For their sin): Because of their sin. This contains a great warning regarding the consequences of sin; every sinner should take heed and be cautious.

{ فسواها } (And He leveled it): The pronoun refers to the destruction (damdamah). It means He leveled it upon them, so that neither their young nor their old escaped it.

{ ولا يخاف عقباها } (And He does not fear its consequence): Meaning its aftermath or retribution, unlike any human ruler who fears the consequences of his actions and thus spares some. It is also possible the pronoun refers to Thamud, meaning: He leveled them to the ground, or leveled them in destruction, and He does not fear the consequence of their destruction. In the codices of the people of Medina and Syria, it is written as fa-lā yakhāfu (so He does not fear). In the recitation of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), it is wa-lam yakhuf (and He did not fear).

From the Messenger of God (peace be upon him): "Whoever recites Surah al-Shams, it is as if he has given in charity everything upon which the sun and the moon have risen."