Chapter 70, 44 verses
One demanding, demanded the chastisement which must befall
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. A questioner asked concerning a torment about to befall
سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ
The unbelievers - - there is none to avert it - -
Upon the disbelievers, which none can avert,
لِّلْكَٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌ
From Allah, the Lord of the ways of Ascent.
From Allah, the Lord of the ways of ascent.
مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ
To Him ascend the angels and the Spirit in a day the measure of which is fifty thousand years.
The angels and the Ruh [Jibril (Gabriel)] ascend to Him in a Day the measure whereof is fifty thousand years.
تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ
Therefore endure with a goodly patience.
So be patient (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), with a good patience.
فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا
Surely they think it to be far off,
Verily, they see it (the torment) afar off.
إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُۥ بَعِيدًا
And We see it nigh.
But We see it (quite) near.
وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبًا
On the day when the heaven shall be as molten copper
The Day that the sky will be like the boiling filth of oil, (or molten copper or silver or lead).
يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ
And the mountains shall be as tufts of wool
And the mountains will be like flakes of wool.
وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ
And friend shall not ask of friend
And no friend will ask a friend (about his condition),
وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا
(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,
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,
يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ
And his wife and his brother
And his wife and his brother,
وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ
And the nearest of his kinsfolk who gave him shelter,
And his kindred who sheltered him,
وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ
And all those that are in the earth, (wishing) then (that) this might deliver him.
And all that are in the earth, so that it might save him.
وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ
By no means! Surely it is a flaming fire
By no means! Verily, it will be the Fire of Hell,
كَلَّآ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ
Dragging by the head,
Taking away (burning completely) the head skin!
نَزَّاعَةً لِّلشَّوَىٰ
It shall claim him who turned and fled (from truth),
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)
تَدْعُوا۟ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
And amasses (wealth) then shuts it up.
And collect (wealth) and hide it (from spending it in the Cause of Allah).
وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰٓ
Surely man is created of a hasty temperament
Verily, man () was created very impatient;
إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا
Being greatly grieved when evil afflicts him
Irritable (discontented) when evil touches him;
إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا
And niggardly when good befalls him
And niggardly when good touches him.
وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا
Except those who pray,
Except those who are devoted to Salat (prayers).
إِلَّا ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ
Those who are constant at their prayer
Those who remain constant in their Salat (prayers);
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ
And those in whose wealth there is a fixed portion.
And those in whose wealth there is a recognised right
وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُومٌ
For him who begs and for him who is denied (good)
For the beggar who asks, and for the unlucky who has lost his property and wealth, (and his means of living has been straitened).
لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ
And those who accept the truth of the judgment day
And those who believe in the Day of Recompense.
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ
And those who are fearful of the chastisement of their Lord - -
And those who fear the torment of their Lord.
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ
Surely the chastisement of their Lord is (a thing) not to be felt secure of - -
Verily, the torment of their Lord is that before which none can feel secure. -
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍ
And those who guard their private parts,
And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts from illegal sexual acts).
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَٰفِظُونَ
Except in the case of their wives or those whom their right hands possess - - for these surely are not to be blamed,
Except from their wives or the (women slaves) whom their right hands possess - for (then) they are not blameworthy.
إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ
But he who seeks to go beyond this, these it is that go beyond the limits - -
But whosoever seeks beyond that, then it is those who are trespassers.
فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ
And those who are faithful to their trusts and their covenant
And those who keep their trusts and covenants.
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ
And those who are upright in their testimonies,
And those who stand firm in their testimonies.
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمْ قَآئِمُونَ
And those who keep a guard on their prayer,
And those who guard their Salat (prayers) well.
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ
Those shall be in gardens, honored.
Such shall dwell in the Gardens (i.e. Paradise), honoured.
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّٰتٍ مُّكْرَمُونَ
But what is the matter with those who disbelieve that they hasten on around you,
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)].
فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ
On the right hand and on the left, in sundry parties?
(Sitting) in groups on the right and on the left (of you, O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم)?
عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ
Does every man of them desire that he should be made to enter the garden of bliss?
Does every man of them hope to enter the Paradise of Delight?
أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ
By no means! Surely We have created them of what they know.
No, that is not like that! Verily, We have created them out of that which they know!
كَلَّآ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ
But nay! I swear by the Lord of the Easts and the Wests that We are certainly able
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
فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ
To bring instead (others) better than them, and We shall not be overcome.
To replace them by (others) better than them; and We are not to be outrun.
عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ
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;
So leave them to plunge in vain talk and play about, until they meet their Day which they are promised -
فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ
The day on which they shall come forth from their graves in haste, as if they were hastening on to a goal,
The Day when they will come out of the graves quickly as racing to a goal,
يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ
Their eyes cast down; disgrace shall overtake them; that is the day which they were threatened with.
With their eyes lowered in fear and humility, ignominy covering them (all over)! That is the Day which they were promised!
خَٰشِعَةً أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يُوعَدُونَ