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How to Teach Your Child Surah At-Takwir

By Nazeer AhmadFounder, QuranHub Online Quran AcademyM.A. Arabic & IslamiyatDars-e-Nizami (Tanzeem-ul-Madaris)10+ years teaching Quran and Islamic studies

Surah At-Takwir is the 81st surah of the Quran, and it has twenty-nine verses — which is why it is often one of the later short surahs a child learns, once the shorter ones are firm. A child learns it verse by verse: first the words, then the sounds, then the meaning, with a tutor or a parent reading each verse aloud and the child repeating it.

This guide gives the twenty-nine verses in Arabic with transliteration and plain English meaning, explains what each verse says in plain words, and shows how to teach the surah line by line at home. QuranHub teaches children from age 4, through Qaida, Nazra, Tajweed, and Hifz, and every lesson is shaped around the child in front of the tutor.

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The twenty-nine verses of Surah At-Takwir

Surah At-Takwir has twenty-nine verses, and each verse is one line. Read each verse aloud to your child, let the child repeat it, and then read it together — one verse at a time, until the child reads the verse alone. The Arabic below is the standard text of the surah, with a transliteration to help with the sounds and a plain English meaning for each verse.

Start with the first verse and stay with it until the child reads it without help, then add the second verse, then the third, and so on through the twenty-ninth. A child who learns one verse well holds it; a child who is pushed through all 29 at once holds none of them firmly.

  • إِذَا ٱلشَّمۡسُ كُوِّرَتۡ — Idhash-shamsu kuwwirat — When the sun is wrapped up.
  • وَإِذَا ٱلنُّجُومُ ٱنكَدَرَتۡ — Wa idhan-nujoomun-kadarat — And when the stars fall down.
  • وَإِذَا ٱلۡجِبَالُ سُیِّرَتۡ — Wa idhal-jibaalu suyyirat — And when the mountains are moved.
  • وَإِذَا ٱلۡعِشَارُ عُطِّلَتۡ — Wa idhal-'ishaaru 'uttilat — And when the pregnant camels are left untended.
  • وَإِذَا ٱلۡوُحُوشُ حُشِرَتۡ — Wa idhal-wuhooshu hushirat — And when the wild animals are gathered.
  • وَإِذَا ٱلۡبِحَارُ سُجِّرَتۡ — Wa idhal-bihaaru sujjirat — And when the seas are set on fire.
  • وَإِذَا ٱلنُّفُوسُ زُوِّجَتۡ — Wa idhan-nufoosu zuwwijat — And when the souls are paired.
  • وَإِذَا ٱلۡمَوۡءُۥدَةُ سُىِٕلَتۡ — Wa idhal-maw'oodatu su'ilat — And when the girl buried alive is asked.
  • بِأَیِّ ذَنۢبٍ قُتِلَتۡ — Bi-ayyi dhanbin qutilat — For what sin was she killed?
  • وَإِذَا ٱلصُّحُفُ نُشِرَتۡ — Wa idhas-suhufu nushirat — And when the pages are spread open.
  • وَإِذَا ٱلسَّمَاۤءُ كُشِطَتۡ — Wa idhas-samaa'u kushitat — And when the sky is stripped away.
  • وَإِذَا ٱلۡجَحِیمُ سُعِّرَتۡ — Wa idhal-jaheemu su''irat — And when the Hellfire is set ablaze.
  • وَإِذَا ٱلۡجَنَّةُ أُزۡلِفَتۡ — Wa idhal-jannatu uzlifat — And when Paradise is brought near.
  • عَلِمَتۡ نَفۡسٌ مَّاۤ أَحۡضَرَتۡ — 'Alimat nafsun maa ahdarat — Every soul will know what it has brought.
  • فَلَاۤ أُقۡسِمُ بِٱلۡخُنَّسِ — Falaa uqsimu bil-khunnas — So I swear by the stars that disappear.
  • ٱلۡجَوَارِ ٱلۡكُنَّسِ — Al-jawaaril-kunnas — That move swiftly and hide away.
  • وَٱلَّیۡلِ إِذَا عَسۡعَسَ — Wal-layli idhaa 'as'as — And by the night when it passes.
  • وَٱلصُّبۡحِ إِذَا تَنَفَّسَ — Was-subhi idhaa tanaffas — And by the morning when it breathes.
  • إِنَّهُۥ لَقَوۡلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِیمٍ — Innahu la-qawlu rasoolin kareem — Indeed, this is the word of a noble messenger.
  • ذِی قُوَّةٍ عِندَ ذِی ٱلۡعَرۡشِ مَكِینٍ — Dhee quwwatin 'inda dhil-'arshi makeen — Full of power, held in honour by the Lord of the Throne.
  • مُّطَاعٍ ثَمَّ أَمِینٍ — Mutaa'in thamma ameen — Obeyed there, and trustworthy.
  • وَمَا صَاحِبُكُم بِمَجۡنُونٍ — Wa maa saahibukum bi-majnoon — And your companion is not mad.
  • وَلَقَدۡ رَءَاهُ بِٱلۡأُفُقِ ٱلۡمُبِینِ — Wa laqad ra'aahu bil-ufuqil-mubeen — And he certainly saw him on the clear horizon.
  • وَمَا هُوَ عَلَى ٱلۡغَیۡبِ بِضَنِینٍ — Wa maa huwa 'alal-ghaybi bi-daneen — And he is not withholding knowledge of the unseen.
  • وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوۡلِ شَیۡطَـٰنٍ رَّجِیمٍ — Wa maa huwa bi-qawli shaytaanir-rajeem — And this is not the word of a cursed devil.
  • فَأَیۡنَ تَذۡهَبُونَ — Fa-ayna tadhhaboon — So where are you going?
  • إِنۡ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكۡرٌ لِّلۡعَـٰلَمِینَ — In huwa illaa dhikrun lil-'aalameen — This is only a reminder for all people.
  • لِمَن شَاۤءَ مِنكُمۡ أَن یَسۡتَقِیمَ — Liman shaa'a minkum an yastaqeem — For whoever among you wishes to walk straight.
  • وَمَا تَشَاۤءُونَ إِلَّاۤ أَن یَشَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِینَ — Wa maa tashaa'oona illaa an yashaa'allaahu rabbul-'aalameen — And you do not will, except that Allah wills — Lord of all people.

What each verse says, in plain words

The meaning helps the child hold the words, so teach the meaning with the words, not after them. Read the verse, say what it means in plain words, and let the child say the meaning back in their own words — a child who knows what a verse says reads it with more care.

Keep the meaning plain and short. A young child does not need a long explanation; one clear sentence for each verse is enough, and the tutor or the parent repeats that sentence each time the verse is read.

  • Verse 1: When the sun is wrapped up.
  • Verse 2: And when the stars fall down.
  • Verse 3: And when the mountains are moved.
  • Verse 4: And when the pregnant camels are left untended.
  • Verse 5: And when the wild animals are gathered.
  • Verse 6: And when the seas are set on fire.
  • Verse 7: And when the souls are paired.
  • Verse 8: And when the girl buried alive is asked.
  • Verse 9: For what sin was she killed?
  • Verse 10: And when the pages are spread open.
  • Verse 11: And when the sky is stripped away.
  • Verse 12: And when the Hellfire is set ablaze.
  • Verse 13: And when Paradise is brought near.
  • Verse 14: Every soul will know what it has brought.
  • Verse 15: So I swear by the stars that disappear.
  • Verse 16: That move swiftly and hide away.
  • Verse 17: And by the night when it passes.
  • Verse 18: And by the morning when it breathes.
  • Verse 19: Indeed, this is the word of a noble messenger.
  • Verse 20: Full of power, held in honour by the Lord of the Throne.
  • Verse 21: Obeyed there, and trustworthy.
  • Verse 22: And your companion is not mad.
  • Verse 23: And he certainly saw him on the clear horizon.
  • Verse 24: And he is not withholding knowledge of the unseen.
  • Verse 25: And this is not the word of a cursed devil.
  • Verse 26: So where are you going?
  • Verse 27: This is only a reminder for all people.
  • Verse 28: For whoever among you wishes to walk straight.
  • Verse 29: And you do not will, except that Allah wills — Lord of all people.

Teaching it line by line

Teach one verse at a time. Read the verse aloud slowly, let the child repeat it, then read it together — and only move to the next verse when the child reads the first one alone. If a sound is hard, say it slowly, break the word into its letters, and let the child build it again from the page.

When the child knows two verses, join them: read the first verse, then the second, in order, at the same even pace. Then add the third verse the same way, and then the fourth, and so on through the twenty-ninth — so the child always reads from the start, in order, and the surah grows one verse at a time.

  • One verse at a time — move on only when the child reads the verse alone
  • Read aloud, let the child repeat, then read it together
  • Break a hard word into its letters and build it again from the page
  • Join the verses in order as each new verse is learned

Practising together at home

Read the surah aloud together for a few minutes each day, at the same time, in the same quiet room. The child reads to a listener, the listener hears a dropped sound sooner than the reader, and the page stays open so a slipped word can be checked at once.

Keep the practice short and steady: a few minutes of reading aloud, a short rest, and the page closed while the day goes on. A child who reads the surah a little every day meets each verse several times, and each meeting makes the verse firmer.

  • Read the surah aloud together for a few minutes each day
  • Same time, same quiet room, every day — a short, steady routine
  • The child reads to a listener, who hears a dropped sound first
  • Keep the page open so a slipped word can be checked at once

When the words slip: stay calm

A child who knew a verse yesterday and cannot find it today has not failed — the verse is fragile until it has been met several times, and forgetting is one of the most ordinary things in learning. Stay calm, go back one verse, and rebuild the slipped verse from the page.

Do not correct the child in a rush, and do not teach the verse yourself if the child has a tutor — the parent listens, and the tutor teaches. Tell the tutor which verse slipped, and the tutor re-teaches that verse in the next lesson, at the same even pace.

  • A slipped verse is normal — go back one verse and rebuild it from the page
  • Stay calm, and let the child find the words again without rushing
  • Do not teach the verse yourself — the parent listens, the tutor teaches
  • Tell the tutor which verse slipped so it is re-taught in the next lesson

Trying it free: three classes before you decide

Three real classes with a real tutor cost nothing — that is the free 3-day trial, and it is the honest way to see how a tutor teaches your child, including how the tutor teaches a surah line by line. The trial tutor watches how your child reads, which sounds come easily, and which ones need more care — and then shapes the lessons around what your child needs.

Booking takes a short message: your child's age, level, and the times that suit your family. A matched tutor is then arranged, and after the three classes there is no pressure to continue — you judge by how your child responded, and how they sounded in the lessons. Families who want a longer free start can also ask about the free one-month Qaida course, open to the first 50 students.

  • Three real classes with a real tutor, free, at your child's level
  • The trial tutor watches how your child reads and shapes lessons around them
  • Judge by how your child responded — no pressure to continue after the trial
  • Ask about the free one-month Qaida course for a longer free start

Frequently asked questions

How long is Surah At-Takwir?+

Twenty-nine verses. A child learns it verse by verse — first the words, then the sounds, then the meaning — one verse at a time.

Does my child need to know Arabic before learning Surah At-Takwir?+

No — the tutor teaches the sounds letter by letter from Qaida, and the child does not need to know any Arabic before starting. The transliteration in this guide helps with the sounds at home.

How do I teach the Arabic sounds at home?+

Read the verse aloud, let the child repeat it, and listen for each sound. Teach one verse at a time, break a hard word into its letters, and read the verse together until the child reads it alone.

Should I teach the meaning as well as the words?+

Yes — the meaning helps the child hold the words. Teach the words first, then the plain meaning of each verse, in the child's own language, and repeat that meaning each time the verse is read.

Can we try a lesson before deciding?+

Yes — the free 3-day trial gives three real classes with a real tutor, and the free one-month Qaida course is open to the first 50 students. Book the trial and share your child's level and the times that suit your family.