Chapter 79, 46 verses
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. By those who drag forth to destruction,
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم والنازعات غرقا
By the (angels) who tear out (the souls of the wicked) with violence;
By the meteors rushing,
والناشطات نشطا
By those who gently draw out (the souls of the blessed);
By the lone stars floating,
والسابحات سبحا
And by those who glide along (on errands of mercy),
By the angels hastening,
فالسابقات سبقا
Then press forward as in a race,
And those who govern the event,
فالمدبرات أمرا
Then arrange to do (the Commands of their Lord),
On the day when the first trump resoundeth.
يوم ترجف الراجفة
One Day everything that can be in commotion will be in violent commotion,
And the second followeth it,
تتبعها الرادفة
Followed by oft - repeated (commotions):
On that day hearts beat painfully
قلوب يومئذ واجفة
Hearts that Day will be in agitation;
While eyes are downcast
أبصارها خاشعة
Cast down will be (their owners') eyes.
(Now) they are saying: Shall we really be restored to our first state
يقولون أإنا لمردودون في الحافرة
They say (now): "What! shall we indeed be returned to (our) former state?
Even after we are crumbled bones ?
أإذا كنا عظاما نخرة
"What! - when we shall have become rotten bones?"
They say: Then that would be a vain proceeding.
قالوا تلك إذا كرة خاسرة
They say: "It would, in that case, be a return with loss!"
Surely it will need but one shout,
فإنما هي زجرة واحدة
But verily, it will be but a single (Compelling) Cry,
And lo! they will be awakened.
فإذا هم بالساهرة
When, behold, they will be in the (full) awakening (to Judgment).
Hath there come unto thee the history of Moses ?
هل أتاك حديث موسى
Has the story of Moses reached thee?
How his Lord called him in the holy vale of Tuwa,
إذ ناداه ربه بالواد المقدس طوى
Behold, thy Lord did call to him in the sacred valley of Tuwa: -
(Saying:) Go thou unto Pharaoh - Lo! he hath rebelled -
اذهب إلى فرعون إنه طغى
"Go thou to Pharaoh for he has indeed transgressed all bounds:
And say (unto him): Hast thou (will) to grow (in grace) ?
فقل هل لك إلى أن تزكى
"And say to him, 'Wouldst thou that thou shouldst be purified (from sin)? -
Then I will guide thee to thy Lord and thou shalt fear (Him).
وأهديك إلى ربك فتخشى
"'And that I guide thee to thy Lord, so thou shouldst fear Him?'"
And he showed him the tremendous token.
فأراه الآية الكبرى
Then did (Moses) show him the Great Sign.
But he denied and disobeyed,
فكذب وعصى
But (Pharaoh) rejected it and disobeyed (guidance);
Then turned he away in haste,
ثم أدبر يسعى
Further, he turned his back, striving hard (against Allah).
Then gathered he and summoned
فحشر فنادى
Then he collected (his men) and made a proclamation,
And proclaimed: "I (Pharaoh) am your Lord the Highest."
فقال أنا ربكم الأعلى
Saying, "I am your Lord, Most High".
So Allah seized him (and made him) an example for the after (life) and for the former.
فأخذه الله نكال الآخرة والأولى
But Allah did punish him, (and made an) example of him, - in the Hereafter, as in this life.
Lo! herein is indeed a lesson for him who feareth.
إن في ذلك لعبرة لمن يخشى
Verily in this is an instructive warning for whosoever feareth (Allah).
Are ye the harder to create, or is the heaven that He built ?
أأنتم أشد خلقا أم السماء ۚ بناها
What! Are ye the more difficult to create or the heaven (above)? (Allah) hath constructed it:
He raised the height thereof and ordered it;
رفع سمكها فسواها
On high hath He raised its canopy, and He hath given it order and perfection.
And He made dark the night thereof, and He brought forth the morn thereof.
وأغطش ليلها وأخرج ضحاها
Its night doth He endow with darkness, and its splendour doth He bring out (with light).
And after that He spread the earth,
والأرض بعد ذلك دحاها
And the earth, moreover, hath He extended (to a wide expanse);
And produced therefrom the water thereof and the pasture thereof,
أخرج منها ماءها ومرعاها
He draweth out therefrom its moisture and its pasture;
And He made fast the hills,
والجبال أرساها
And the mountains hath He firmly fixed; -
A provision for you and for your cattle.
متاعا لكم ولأنعامكم
For use and convenience to you and your cattle.
But when the great disaster cometh,
فإذا جاءت الطامة الكبرى
Therefore, when there comes the great, overwhelming (Event), -
The day when man will call to mind his (whole) endeavour,
يوم يتذكر الإنسان ما سعى
The Day when man shall remember (all) that he strove for,
And hell will stand forth visible to him who seeth,
وبرزت الجحيم لمن يرى
And Hell - Fire shall be placed in full view for (all) to see, -
Then, as for him who rebelled
فأما من طغى
Then, for such as had transgressed all bounds,
And chose the life of the world,
وآثر الحياة الدنيا
And had preferred the life of this world,
Lo! hell will be his home.
فإن الجحيم هي المأوى
The Abode will be Hell - Fire;
But as for him who feared to stand before his Lord and restrained his soul from lust,
وأما من خاف مقام ربه ونهى النفس عن الهوى
And for such as had entertained the fear of standing before their Lord's (tribunal) and had restrained (their) soul from lower desires,
Lo! the Garden will be his home.
فإن الجنة هي المأوى
Their abode will be the Garden.
They ask thee of the Hour: when will it come to port ?
يسألونك عن الساعة أيان مرساها
They ask thee about the Hour, - 'When will be its appointed time?
Why (ask they) ? What hast thou to tell thereof ?
فيم أنت من ذكراها
Wherein art thou (concerned) with the declaration thereof?
Unto thy Lord belongeth (knowledge of) the term thereof.
إلى ربك منتهاها
With thy Lord in the Limit fixed therefor.
Thou art but a warner unto him who feareth it.
إنما أنت منذر من يخشاها
Thou art but a Warner for such as fear it.
On the day when they behold it, it will be as if they had but tarried for an evening or the morn thereof.
كأنهم يوم يرونها لم يلبثوا إلا عشية أو ضحاها
The Day they see it, (It will be) as if they had tarried but a single evening, or (at most till) the following morn!