Chapter 78, 40 verses
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. What are they asking (one another) about?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم عم يتساءلون
Of what do they ask one another?
About the great news, (i.e. Islamic Monotheism, the Qur'an, which Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم brought and the Day of Resurrection)
عن النبإ العظيم
About the great event,
About which they are in disagreement.
الذي هم فيه مختلفون
About which they differ?
Nay, they will come to know!
كلا سيعلمون
Nay! they shall soon come to know
Nay, again, they will come to know!
ثم كلا سيعلمون
Nay! Nay! they shall soon know.
Have We not made the earth as a bed,
ألم نجعل الأرض مهادا
Have We not made the earth an even expanse?
And the mountains as pegs?
والجبال أوتادا
And the mountains as projections (thereon)?
And We have created you in pairs (male and female, tall and short, good and bad, etc.).
وخلقناكم أزواجا
And We created you in pairs,
And We have made your sleep as a thing for rest.
وجعلنا نومكم سباتا
And We made your sleep to be rest (to you),
And We have made the night as a covering (through its darkness),
وجعلنا الليل لباسا
And We made the night to be a covering,
And We have made the day for livelihood.
وجعلنا النهار معاشا
And We made the day for seeking livelihood.
And We have built above you seven strong (heavens),
وبنينا فوقكم سبعا شدادا
And We made above you seven strong ones,
And We have made (therein) a shining lamp (sun).
وجعلنا سراجا وهاجا
And We made a shining lamp,
And We have sent down from the rainy clouds abundant water.
وأنزلنا من المعصرات ماء ثجاجا
And We send down from the clouds water pouring forth abundantly,
That We may produce therewith corn and vegetations,
لنخرج به حبا ونباتا
That We may bring forth thereby corn and herbs,
And gardens of thick growth.
وجنات ألفافا
And gardens dense and luxuriant.
Verily, the Day of Decision is a fixed time,
إن يوم الفصل كان ميقاتا
Surely the day of decision is (a day) appointed:
The Day when the Trumpet will be blown, and you shall come forth in crowds (groups after groups). [Tafsir At-Tabari]
يوم ينفخ في الصور فتأتون أفواجا
The day on which the trumpet shall be blown so you shall come forth in hosts,
And the heaven shall be opened, and it will become as gates,
وفتحت السماء فكانت أبوابا
And the heaven shall be opened so that it shall be all openings,
And the mountains shall be moved away from their places and they will be as if they were a mirage.
وسيرت الجبال فكانت سرابا
And the mountains shall be moved off so that they shall remain a mere semblance.
Truly, Hell is a place of ambush -
إن جهنم كانت مرصادا
Surely hell lies in wait,
A dwelling place for the Taghun (those who transgress the boundary limits set by Allah like polytheists, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah, hyprocrites, sinners, criminals),
للطاغين مآبا
A place of resort for the inordinate,
They will abide therein for ages.
لابثين فيها أحقابا
Living therein for ages.
Nothing cool shall they taste therein, nor any drink.
لا يذوقون فيها بردا ولا شرابا
They shall not taste therein cool nor drink
Except boiling water, and dirty wound discharges -
إلا حميما وغساقا
But boiling and intensely cold water,
An exact recompense (according to their evil crimes).
جزاء وفاقا
Requital corresponding.
For verily, they used not to look for a reckoning.
إنهم كانوا لا يرجون حسابا
Surely they feared not the account,
But they belied Our Ayat (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, and that which Our Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم brought) completely.
وكذبوا بآياتنا كذابا
And called Our communications a lie, giving the lie (to the truth).
And all things We have recorded in a Book.
وكل شيء أحصيناه كتابا
And We have recorded everything in a book,
So taste you (the results of your evil actions). No increase shall We give you, except in torment.
فذوقوا فلن نزيدكم إلا عذابا
So taste! for We will not add to you aught but chastisement.
Verily, for the Muttaqun, there will be a success (Paradise);
إن للمتقين مفازا
Surely for those who guard (against evil) is achievement,
Gardens and vineyards,
حدائق وأعنابا
Gardens and vineyards,
And young full-breasted (mature) maidens of equal age,
وكواعب أترابا
And voluptuous women of equal age;
And a full cup (of wine).
وكأسا دهاقا
And a pure cup.
No Laghw (dirty, false, evil talk) shall they hear therein, nor lying;
لا يسمعون فيها لغوا ولا كذابا
They shall not hear therein any vain words nor lying.
A reward from your Lord, an ample calculated gift (according to the best of their good deeds),
جزاء من ربك عطاء حسابا
A reward from your Lord, a gift according to a reckoning:
(From) the Lord of the heavens and the earth, and whatsoever is in between them, the Most Gracious, with Whom they cannot dare to speak (on the Day of Resurrection except by His Leave).
رب السماوات والأرض وما بينهما الرحمن ۖ لا يملكون منه خطابا
The Lord of the heavens and the earth and what is between them, the Beneficent Allah, they shall not be able to address Him.
The Day that Ar-Ruh [Jibril (Gabriel) or another angel] and the angels will stand forth in rows, they will not speak except him whom the Most Gracious (Allah) allows, and he will speak what is right.
يوم يقوم الروح والملائكة صفا ۖ لا يتكلمون إلا من أذن له الرحمن وقال صوابا
The day on which the spirit and the angels shall stand in ranks; they shall not speak except he whom the Beneficent Allah permits and who speaks the right thing.
That is (without doubt) the True Day. So, whosoever wills, let him seek a place with (or a way to) His Lord (by obeying Him in this worldly life)!
ذلك اليوم الحق ۖ فمن شاء اتخذ إلى ربه مآبا
That is the sure day, so whoever desires may take refuge with his Lord.
Verily, We have warned you of a near torment - the Day when man will see that (the deeds) which his hands have sent forth, and the will say: "Woe to me! Would that I were dust!"
إنا أنذرناكم عذابا قريبا يوم ينظر المرء ما قدمت يداه ويقول الكافر يا ليتني كنت ترابا
Surely We have warned you of a chastisement near at hand: the day when man shall see what his two hands have sent before, and the unbeliever shall say: O! would that I were dust!