Chapter 81, 29 verses
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. When the sun is overthrown,
When the sun is wrapped up [in darkness]
When the sun (with its spacious light) is folded up;
And when the stars fall,
And when the stars fall, dispersing,
When the stars fall, losing their lustre;
And when the hills are moved,
And when the mountains are removed
When the mountains vanish (like a mirage);
And when the camels big with young are abandoned,
And when full - term she - camels are neglected
When the she - camels, ten months with young, are left untended;
And when the wild beasts are herded together,
And when the wild beasts are gathered
When the wild beasts are herded together (in the human habitations);
And when the seas rise,
And when the seas are filled with flame
When the oceans boil over with a swell;
And when souls are reunited,
And when the souls are paired
When the souls are sorted out, (being joined, like with like);
And when the girl - child that was buried alive is asked
And when the girl [who was] buried alive is asked
When the female (infant), buried alive, is questioned -
For what sin she was slain,
For what sin she was killed
For what crime she was killed;
And when the pages are laid open,
And when the pages are made public
When the scrolls are laid open;
And when the sky is torn away,
And when the sky is stripped away
When the world on High is unveiled;
And when hell is lighted,
And when Hellfire is set ablaze
When the Blazing Fire is kindled to fierce heat;
And when the Garden is brought nigh,
And when Paradise is brought near,
And when the Garden is brought near; -
(Then) every soul will know what it hath made ready.
A soul will [then] know what it has brought [with it].
(Then) shall each soul know what it has put forward.
Oh, but I call to witness the planets,
So I swear by the retreating stars -
So verily I call to witness the planets - that recede,
The stars which rise and set,
Those that run [their courses] and disappear -
Go straight, or hide;
And the close of night,
And by the night as it closes in
And the Night as it dissipates;
And the breath of morning
And by the dawn when it breathes
And the Dawn as it breathes away the darkness; -
That this is in truth the word of an honoured messenger,
[That] indeed, the Qur'an is a word [conveyed by] a noble messenger
Verily this is the word of a most honourable Messenger,
Mighty, established in the presence of the Lord of the Throne,
[Who is] possessed of power and with the Owner of the Throne, secure [in position],
Endued with Power, with rank before the Lord of the Throne,
(One) to be obeyed, and trustworthy;
Obeyed there [in the heavens] and trustworthy.
With authority there, (and) faithful to his trust.
And your comrade is not mad.
And your companion is not [at all] mad.
And (O people!) your companion is not one possessed;
Surely he beheld Him on the clear horizon.
And he has already seen Gabriel in the clear horizon.
And without doubt he saw him in the clear horizon.
And he is not avid of the Unseen.
And Muhammad is not a withholder of [knowledge of] the unseen.
Neither doth he withhold grudgingly a knowledge of the Unseen.
Nor is this the utterance of a devil worthy to be stoned.
And the Qur'an is not the word of a devil, expelled [from the heavens].
Nor is it the word of an evil spirit accursed.
Whither then go ye ?
So where are you going?
When whither go ye?
This is naught else than a reminder unto creation,
It is not except a reminder to the worlds
Verily this is no less than a Message to (all) the Worlds:
Unto whomsoever of you willeth to walk straight.
For whoever wills among you to take a right course.
(With profit) to whoever among you wills to go straight:
And ye will not, unless (it be) that Allah willeth, the Lord of Creation.
And you do not will except that Allah wills - Lord of the worlds.
But ye shall not will except as Allah wills, - the Cherisher of the Worlds.