Chapter 70, 44 verses
One demanding, demanded the chastisement which must befall
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم سأل سائل بعذاب واقع
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. A questioner asked concerning a torment about to befall
The unbelievers - - there is none to avert it - -
للكافرين ليس له دافع
Upon the disbelievers, which none can avert,
From Allah, the Lord of the ways of Ascent.
من الله ذي المعارج
From Allah, the Lord of the ways of ascent.
To Him ascend the angels and the Spirit in a day the measure of which is fifty thousand years.
تعرج الملائكة والروح إليه في يوم كان مقداره خمسين ألف سنة
The angels and the Ruh [Jibril (Gabriel)] ascend to Him in a Day the measure whereof is fifty thousand years.
Therefore endure with a goodly patience.
فاصبر صبرا جميلا
So be patient (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), with a good patience.
Surely they think it to be far off,
إنهم يرونه بعيدا
Verily, they see it (the torment) afar off.
And We see it nigh.
ونراه قريبا
But We see it (quite) near.
On the day when the heaven shall be as molten copper
يوم تكون السماء كالمهل
The Day that the sky will be like the boiling filth of oil, (or molten copper or silver or lead).
And the mountains shall be as tufts of wool
وتكون الجبال كالعهن
And the mountains will be like flakes of wool.
And friend shall not ask of friend
ولا يسأل حميم حميما
And no friend will ask a friend (about his condition),
(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,
يبصرونهم ۚ يود المجرم لو يفتدي من عذاب يومئذ ببنيه
Though they shall be made to see one another [(i.e. on the Day of Resurrection), there will be none but see his father, children and relatives, but he will neither speak to them nor will ask them for any help]. The Mujrim, (criminal, sinner, ) would desire to ransom himself from the punishment of that Day by his children,
And his wife and his brother
وصاحبته وأخيه
And his wife and his brother,
And the nearest of his kinsfolk who gave him shelter,
وفصيلته التي تؤويه
And his kindred who sheltered him,
And all those that are in the earth, (wishing) then (that) this might deliver him.
ومن في الأرض جميعا ثم ينجيه
And all that are in the earth, so that it might save him.
By no means! Surely it is a flaming fire
كلا ۖ إنها لظى
By no means! Verily, it will be the Fire of Hell,
Dragging by the head,
نزاعة للشوى
Taking away (burning completely) the head skin!
It shall claim him who turned and fled (from truth),
تدعو من أدبر وتولى
Calling (all) such as turn their backs and turn away their faces (from Faith) [picking and swallowing them up from that great gathering of mankind on the Day of Resurrection just as a bird picks up a food-grain from the earth with its beak and swallows it up] (Tafsir Al-Qurtubi)
And amasses (wealth) then shuts it up.
وجمع فأوعى
And collect (wealth) and hide it (from spending it in the Cause of Allah).
Surely man is created of a hasty temperament
۞ إن الإنسان خلق هلوعا
Verily, man () was created very impatient;
Being greatly grieved when evil afflicts him
إذا مسه الشر جزوعا
Irritable (discontented) when evil touches him;
And niggardly when good befalls him
وإذا مسه الخير منوعا
And niggardly when good touches him.
Except those who pray,
إلا المصلين
Except those who are devoted to Salat (prayers).
Those who are constant at their prayer
الذين هم على صلاتهم دائمون
Those who remain constant in their Salat (prayers);
And those in whose wealth there is a fixed portion.
والذين في أموالهم حق معلوم
And those in whose wealth there is a recognised right
For him who begs and for him who is denied (good)
للسائل والمحروم
For the beggar who asks, and for the unlucky who has lost his property and wealth, (and his means of living has been straitened).
And those who accept the truth of the judgment day
والذين يصدقون بيوم الدين
And those who believe in the Day of Recompense.
And those who are fearful of the chastisement of their Lord - -
والذين هم من عذاب ربهم مشفقون
And those who fear the torment of their Lord.
Surely the chastisement of their Lord is (a thing) not to be felt secure of - -
إن عذاب ربهم غير مأمون
Verily, the torment of their Lord is that before which none can feel secure. -
And those who guard their private parts,
والذين هم لفروجهم حافظون
And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts from illegal sexual acts).
Except in the case of their wives or those whom their right hands possess - - for these surely are not to be blamed,
إلا على أزواجهم أو ما ملكت أيمانهم فإنهم غير ملومين
Except from their wives or the (women slaves) whom their right hands possess - for (then) they are not blameworthy.
But he who seeks to go beyond this, these it is that go beyond the limits - -
فمن ابتغى وراء ذلك فأولئك هم العادون
But whosoever seeks beyond that, then it is those who are trespassers.
And those who are faithful to their trusts and their covenant
والذين هم لأماناتهم وعهدهم راعون
And those who keep their trusts and covenants.
And those who are upright in their testimonies,
والذين هم بشهاداتهم قائمون
And those who stand firm in their testimonies.
And those who keep a guard on their prayer,
والذين هم على صلاتهم يحافظون
And those who guard their Salat (prayers) well.
Those shall be in gardens, honored.
أولئك في جنات مكرمون
Such shall dwell in the Gardens (i.e. Paradise), honoured.
But what is the matter with those who disbelieve that they hasten on around you,
فمال الذين كفروا قبلك مهطعين
So what is the matter with those who disbelieve that they hasten to listen from you [O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), in order to belie you and to mock at you, and at Allah's Book (this Qur'an)].
On the right hand and on the left, in sundry parties?
عن اليمين وعن الشمال عزين
(Sitting) in groups on the right and on the left (of you, O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم)?
Does every man of them desire that he should be made to enter the garden of bliss?
أيطمع كل امرئ منهم أن يدخل جنة نعيم
Does every man of them hope to enter the Paradise of Delight?
By no means! Surely We have created them of what they know.
كلا ۖ إنا خلقناهم مما يعلمون
No, that is not like that! Verily, We have created them out of that which they know!
But nay! I swear by the Lord of the Easts and the Wests that We are certainly able
فلا أقسم برب المشارق والمغارب إنا لقادرون
So I swear by the Lord of all the [three hundred and sixty-five (365)] points of sunrise and sunset in the east and the west that surely We are Able
To bring instead (others) better than them, and We shall not be overcome.
على أن نبدل خيرا منهم وما نحن بمسبوقين
To replace them by (others) better than them; and We are not to be outrun.
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;
فذرهم يخوضوا ويلعبوا حتى يلاقوا يومهم الذي يوعدون
So leave them to plunge in vain talk and play about, until they meet their Day which they are promised -
The day on which they shall come forth from their graves in haste, as if they were hastening on to a goal,
يوم يخرجون من الأجداث سراعا كأنهم إلى نصب يوفضون
The Day when they will come out of the graves quickly as racing to a goal,
Their eyes cast down; disgrace shall overtake them; that is the day which they were threatened with.
خاشعة أبصارهم ترهقهم ذلة ۚ ذلك اليوم الذي كانوا يوعدون
With their eyes lowered in fear and humility, ignominy covering them (all over)! That is the Day which they were promised!