Chapter 81, 29 verses
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. When the sun is overthrown,
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم إذا الشمس كورت
Itha alshshamsu kuwwirat
When the sun (with its spacious light) is folded up;
And when the stars fall,
وإذا النجوم انكدرت
Waitha alnnujoomu inkadarat
When the stars fall, losing their lustre;
And when the hills are moved,
وإذا الجبال سيرت
Waitha aljibalu suyyirat
When the mountains vanish (like a mirage);
And when the camels big with young are abandoned,
وإذا العشار عطلت
Waitha alAAisharu AAuttilat
When the she - camels, ten months with young, are left untended;
And when the wild beasts are herded together,
وإذا الوحوش حشرت
Waitha alwuhooshu hushirat
When the wild beasts are herded together (in the human habitations);
And when the seas rise,
وإذا البحار سجرت
Waitha albiharu sujjirat
When the oceans boil over with a swell;
And when souls are reunited,
وإذا النفوس زوجت
Waitha alnnufoosu zuwwijat
When the souls are sorted out, (being joined, like with like);
And when the girl - child that was buried alive is asked
وإذا الموءودة سئلت
Waitha almawoodatu suilat
When the female (infant), buried alive, is questioned -
For what sin she was slain,
بأي ذنب قتلت
Biayyi thanbin qutilat
For what crime she was killed;
And when the pages are laid open,
وإذا الصحف نشرت
Waitha alssuhufu nushirat
When the scrolls are laid open;
And when the sky is torn away,
وإذا السماء كشطت
Waitha alssamao kushitat
When the world on High is unveiled;
And when hell is lighted,
وإذا الجحيم سعرت
Waitha aljaheemu suAAAAirat
When the Blazing Fire is kindled to fierce heat;
And when the Garden is brought nigh,
وإذا الجنة أزلفت
Waitha aljannatu ozlifat
And when the Garden is brought near; -
(Then) every soul will know what it hath made ready.
علمت نفس ما أحضرت
AAalimat nafsun ma ahdarat
(Then) shall each soul know what it has put forward.
Oh, but I call to witness the planets,
فلا أقسم بالخنس
Fala oqsimu bialkhunnasi
So verily I call to witness the planets - that recede,
The stars which rise and set,
الجوار الكنس
Aljawari alkunnasi
Go straight, or hide;
And the close of night,
والليل إذا عسعس
Waallayli itha AAasAAasa
And the Night as it dissipates;
And the breath of morning
والصبح إذا تنفس
Waalssubhi itha tanaffasa
And the Dawn as it breathes away the darkness; -
That this is in truth the word of an honoured messenger,
إنه لقول رسول كريم
Innahu laqawlu rasoolin kareemin
Verily this is the word of a most honourable Messenger,
Mighty, established in the presence of the Lord of the Throne,
ذي قوة عند ذي العرش مكين
Thee quwwatin AAinda thee alAAarshi makeenin
Endued with Power, with rank before the Lord of the Throne,
(One) to be obeyed, and trustworthy;
مطاع ثم أمين
MutaAAin thamma ameenin
With authority there, (and) faithful to his trust.
And your comrade is not mad.
وما صاحبكم بمجنون
Wama sahibukum bimajnoonin
And (O people!) your companion is not one possessed;
Surely he beheld Him on the clear horizon.
ولقد رآه بالأفق المبين
Walaqad raahu bialofuqi almubeeni
And without doubt he saw him in the clear horizon.
And he is not avid of the Unseen.
وما هو على الغيب بضنين
Wama huwa AAala alghaybi bidaneenin
Neither doth he withhold grudgingly a knowledge of the Unseen.
Nor is this the utterance of a devil worthy to be stoned.
وما هو بقول شيطان رجيم
Wama huwa biqawli shaytanin rajeemin
Nor is it the word of an evil spirit accursed.
Whither then go ye ?
فأين تذهبون
Faayna tathhaboona
When whither go ye?
This is naught else than a reminder unto creation,
إن هو إلا ذكر للعالمين
In huwa illa thikrun lilAAalameena
Verily this is no less than a Message to (all) the Worlds:
Unto whomsoever of you willeth to walk straight.
لمن شاء منكم أن يستقيم
Liman shaa minkum an yastaqeema
(With profit) to whoever among you wills to go straight:
And ye will not, unless (it be) that Allah willeth, the Lord of Creation.
وما تشاءون إلا أن يشاء الله رب العالمين
Wama tashaoona illa an yashaa Allahu rabbu alAAalameena
But ye shall not will except as Allah wills, - the Cherisher of the Worlds.