Chapter 70, 44 verses
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. A questioner questioned concerning the doom about to fall
One demanding, demanded the chastisement which must befall
سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ
Upon the disbelievers, which none can repel,
The unbelievers - - there is none to avert it - -
لِّلْكَٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌ
From Allah, Lord of the Ascending Stairways
From Allah, the Lord of the ways of Ascent.
مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ
(Whereby) the angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day whereof the span is fifty thousand years.
To Him ascend the angels and the Spirit in a day the measure of which is fifty thousand years.
تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ
But be patient (O Muhammad) with a patience fair to see.
Therefore endure with a goodly patience.
فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا
Lo! they behold it afar off
Surely they think it to be far off,
إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُۥ بَعِيدًا
While we behold it nigh:
And We see it nigh.
وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبًا
The day when the sky will become as molten copper,
On the day when the heaven shall be as molten copper
يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ
And the hills become as flakes of wool,
And the mountains shall be as tufts of wool
وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ
And no familiar friend will ask a question of his friend
And friend shall not ask of friend
وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا
Though they will be given sight of them. The guilty man will long to be able to ransom himself from the punishment of that day at the price of his children
(Though) they shall be made to see each other. The guilty one would fain redeem himself from the chastisement of that day by (sacrificing) his children,
يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ
And his spouse and his brother
And his wife and his brother
وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ
And his kin that harboured him
And the nearest of his kinsfolk who gave him shelter,
وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ
And all that are in the earth, if then it might deliver him.
And all those that are in the earth, (wishing) then (that) this might deliver him.
وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ
But nay! for lo! it is the fire of hell
By no means! Surely it is a flaming fire
كَلَّآ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ
Eager to roast;
Dragging by the head,
نَزَّاعَةً لِّلشَّوَىٰ
It calleth him who turned and fled (from truth),
It shall claim him who turned and fled (from truth),
تَدْعُوا۟ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
And hoarded (wealth) and withheld it.
And amasses (wealth) then shuts it up.
وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰٓ
Lo! man was created anxious,
Surely man is created of a hasty temperament
إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا
Fretful when evil befalleth him
Being greatly grieved when evil afflicts him
إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا
And, when good befalleth him, grudging;
And niggardly when good befalls him
وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا
Save worshippers.
Except those who pray,
إِلَّا ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ
Who are constant at their worship
Those who are constant at their prayer
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ
And in whose wealth there is a right acknowledged
And those in whose wealth there is a fixed portion.
وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُومٌ
For the beggar and the destitute;
For him who begs and for him who is denied (good)
لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ
And those who believe in the Day of Judgment,
And those who accept the truth of the judgment day
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ
And those who are fearful of their Lord's doom -
And those who are fearful of the chastisement of their Lord - -
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ
Lo! the doom of their Lord is that before which none can feel secure -
Surely the chastisement of their Lord is (a thing) not to be felt secure of - -
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍ
And those who preserve their chastity
And those who guard their private parts,
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَٰفِظُونَ
Save with their wives and those whom their right hands possess, for thus they are not blameworthy;
Except in the case of their wives or those whom their right hands possess - - for these surely are not to be blamed,
إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ
But whoso seeketh more than that, those are they who are transgressors;
But he who seeks to go beyond this, these it is that go beyond the limits - -
فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ
And those who keep their pledges and their covenant,
And those who are faithful to their trusts and their covenant
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ
And those who stand by their testimony
And those who are upright in their testimonies,
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمْ قَآئِمُونَ
And those who are attentive at their worship.
And those who keep a guard on their prayer,
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ
These will dwell in Gardens, honoured.
Those shall be in gardens, honored.
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّٰتٍ مُّكْرَمُونَ
What aileth those who disbelieve, that they keep staring toward thee (O Muhammad), open - eyed,
But what is the matter with those who disbelieve that they hasten on around you,
فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ
On the right and on the left, in groups ?
On the right hand and on the left, in sundry parties?
عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ
Doth every man among them hope to enter the Garden of Delight ?
Does every man of them desire that he should be made to enter the garden of bliss?
أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ
Nay, verily. Lo! We created them from what they know.
By no means! Surely We have created them of what they know.
كَلَّآ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ
But nay! I swear by the Lord of the rising - places and the setting - places of the planets that We verily are Able
But nay! I swear by the Lord of the Easts and the Wests that We are certainly able
فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ
To replace them by (others) better than them. And we are not to be outrun.
To bring instead (others) better than them, and We shall not be overcome.
عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ
So let them chat and play until they meet their Day which they are promised,
Therefore leave them alone to go on with the false discourses and to sport until they come face to face with that day of theirs with which they are threatened;
فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ
The day when they come forth from the graves in haste, as racing to a goal,
The day on which they shall come forth from their graves in haste, as if they were hastening on to a goal,
يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ
With eyes aghast, abasement stupefying them: Such is the Day which they are promised.
Their eyes cast down; disgrace shall overtake them; that is the day which they were threatened with.
خَٰشِعَةً أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يُوعَدُونَ