Chapter 81, 29 verses
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم إذا الشمس كورت
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. When the sun is overthrown,
When the sun (with its spacious light) is folded up;
وإذا النجوم انكدرت
And when the stars fall,
When the stars fall, losing their lustre;
وإذا الجبال سيرت
And when the hills are moved,
When the mountains vanish (like a mirage);
وإذا العشار عطلت
And when the camels big with young are abandoned,
When the she - camels, ten months with young, are left untended;
وإذا الوحوش حشرت
And when the wild beasts are herded together,
When the wild beasts are herded together (in the human habitations);
وإذا البحار سجرت
And when the seas rise,
When the oceans boil over with a swell;
وإذا النفوس زوجت
And when souls are reunited,
When the souls are sorted out, (being joined, like with like);
وإذا الموءودة سئلت
And when the girl - child that was buried alive is asked
When the female (infant), buried alive, is questioned -
بأي ذنب قتلت
For what sin she was slain,
For what crime she was killed;
وإذا الصحف نشرت
And when the pages are laid open,
When the scrolls are laid open;
وإذا السماء كشطت
And when the sky is torn away,
When the world on High is unveiled;
وإذا الجحيم سعرت
And when hell is lighted,
When the Blazing Fire is kindled to fierce heat;
وإذا الجنة أزلفت
And when the Garden is brought nigh,
And when the Garden is brought near; -
علمت نفس ما أحضرت
(Then) every soul will know what it hath made ready.
(Then) shall each soul know what it has put forward.
فلا أقسم بالخنس
Oh, but I call to witness the planets,
So verily I call to witness the planets - that recede,
الجوار الكنس
The stars which rise and set,
Go straight, or hide;
والليل إذا عسعس
And the close of night,
And the Night as it dissipates;
والصبح إذا تنفس
And the breath of morning
And the Dawn as it breathes away the darkness; -
إنه لقول رسول كريم
That this is in truth the word of an honoured messenger,
Verily this is the word of a most honourable Messenger,
ذي قوة عند ذي العرش مكين
Mighty, established in the presence of the Lord of the Throne,
Endued with Power, with rank before the Lord of the Throne,
مطاع ثم أمين
(One) to be obeyed, and trustworthy;
With authority there, (and) faithful to his trust.
وما صاحبكم بمجنون
And your comrade is not mad.
And (O people!) your companion is not one possessed;
ولقد رآه بالأفق المبين
Surely he beheld Him on the clear horizon.
And without doubt he saw him in the clear horizon.
وما هو على الغيب بضنين
And he is not avid of the Unseen.
Neither doth he withhold grudgingly a knowledge of the Unseen.
وما هو بقول شيطان رجيم
Nor is this the utterance of a devil worthy to be stoned.
Nor is it the word of an evil spirit accursed.
فأين تذهبون
Whither then go ye ?
When whither go ye?
إن هو إلا ذكر للعالمين
This is naught else than a reminder unto creation,
Verily this is no less than a Message to (all) the Worlds:
لمن شاء منكم أن يستقيم
Unto whomsoever of you willeth to walk straight.
(With profit) to whoever among you wills to go straight:
وما تشاءون إلا أن يشاء الله رب العالمين
And ye will not, unless (it be) that Allah willeth, the Lord of Creation.
But ye shall not will except as Allah wills, - the Cherisher of the Worlds.