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
A supplicant asked for a punishment bound to happen
The unbelievers - - there is none to avert it - -
Upon the disbelievers, which none can avert,
To the disbelievers; of it there is no preventer.
From Allah, the Lord of the ways of Ascent.
From Allah, the Lord of the ways of ascent.
[It is] from Allah, owner of the ways of ascent.
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.
The angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him during a Day the extent of which is fifty thousand years.
Therefore endure with a goodly patience.
So be patient (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), with a good patience.
So be patient with gracious patience.
Surely they think it to be far off,
Verily, they see it (the torment) afar off.
Indeed, they see it [as] distant,
And We see it nigh.
But We see it (quite) near.
But We see it [as] near.
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).
On the Day the sky will be like murky oil,
And the mountains shall be as tufts of wool
And the mountains will be like flakes of wool.
And the mountains will be like wool,
And friend shall not ask of friend
And no friend will ask a friend (about his condition),
And no friend will ask [anything of] a friend,
(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,
They will be shown each other. The criminal will wish that he could be ransomed from the punishment of that Day by his children
And his wife and his brother
And his wife and his brother,
And his wife and his brother
And the nearest of his kinsfolk who gave him shelter,
And his kindred who sheltered him,
And his nearest kindred who shelter him
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.
And whoever is on earth entirely [so] then it could save him.
By no means! Surely it is a flaming fire
By no means! Verily, it will be the Fire of Hell,
No! Indeed, it is the Flame [of Hell],
Dragging by the head,
Taking away (burning completely) the head skin!
A remover of exteriors.
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)
It invites he who turned his back [on truth] and went away [from obedience]
And amasses (wealth) then shuts it up.
And collect (wealth) and hide it (from spending it in the Cause of Allah).
And collected [wealth] and hoarded.
Surely man is created of a hasty temperament
Verily, man () was created very impatient;
Indeed, mankind was created anxious:
Being greatly grieved when evil afflicts him
Irritable (discontented) when evil touches him;
When evil touches him, impatient,
And niggardly when good befalls him
And niggardly when good touches him.
And when good touches him, withholding [of it],
Except those who pray,
Except those who are devoted to Salat (prayers).
Except the observers of prayer -
Those who are constant at their prayer
Those who remain constant in their Salat (prayers);
Those who are constant in their prayer
And those in whose wealth there is a fixed portion.
And those in whose wealth there is a recognised right
And those within whose wealth is a known right
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).
For the petitioner and the deprived -
And those who accept the truth of the judgment day
And those who believe in the Day of Recompense.
And those who believe in the Day of Recompense
And those who are fearful of the chastisement of their Lord - -
And those who fear the torment of their Lord.
And those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord -
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. -
Indeed, the punishment of their Lord is not that from which one is safe -
And those who guard their private parts,
And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts from illegal sexual acts).
And those who guard their private parts
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.
Except from their wives or those their right hands possess, for indeed, they are not to be blamed -
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.
But whoever seeks beyond that, then they are the transgressors -
And those who are faithful to their trusts and their covenant
And those who keep their trusts and covenants.
And those who are to their trusts and promises attentive
And those who are upright in their testimonies,
And those who stand firm in their testimonies.
And those who are in their testimonies upright
And those who keep a guard on their prayer,
And those who guard their Salat (prayers) well.
And those who [carefully] maintain their prayer:
Those shall be in gardens, honored.
Such shall dwell in the Gardens (i.e. Paradise), honoured.
They will be in gardens, honored.
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)].
So what is [the matter] with those who disbelieve, hastening [from] before you, [O Muhammad],
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)?
[To sit] on [your] right and [your] left in separate groups?
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?
Does every person among them aspire to enter a garden of pleasure?
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!
No! Indeed, We have created them from that which they know.
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
So I swear by the Lord of [all] risings and settings that indeed We are able
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.
To replace them with better than them; and We are not to be outdone.
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 -
So leave them to converse vainly and amuse themselves 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,
The Day when they will come out of the graves quickly as racing to a goal,
The Day they will emerge from the graves rapidly as if they were, toward an erected idol, hastening.
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!
Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. That is the Day which they had been promised.