Chapter 79, 46 verses
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. By those (angels) who pull out (the souls of the disbelievers and the wicked) with great violence.
By those [angels] who extract with violence
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم والنازعات غرقا
By those (angels) who gently take out (the souls of the believers).
And [by] those who remove with ease
والناشطات نشطا
And by those that swim along (i.e. angels or planets in their orbits).
And [by] those who glide [as if] swimming
والسابحات سبحا
And by those that press forward as in a race (i.e. the angels or stars or the horses).
And those who race each other in a race
فالسابقات سبقا
And by those angels who arrange to do the Commands of their Lord, (so verily, you disbelievers will be called to account).
And those who arrange [each] matter,
فالمدبرات أمرا
On the Day (when the first blowing of the Trumpet is blown), the earth and the mountains will shake violently (and everybody will die).
On the Day the blast [of the Horn] will convulse [creation],
يوم ترجف الراجفة
The second blowing of the Trumpet follows it (and everybody will be resurrected).
There will follow it the subsequent [one].
تتبعها الرادفة
(Some) hearts that Day will shake with fear and anxiety.
Hearts, that Day, will tremble,
قلوب يومئذ واجفة
Their eyes will be downcast.
Their eyes humbled.
أبصارها خاشعة
They say: "Shall we indeed be returned to (our) former state of life?
They are [presently] saying, "Will we indeed be returned to [our] former state [of life]?
يقولون أإنا لمردودون في الحافرة
"Even after we are crumbled bones?"
Even if we should be decayed bones?
أإذا كنا عظاما نخرة
They say: "It would in that case, be a return with loss!"
They say, "That, then, would be a losing return."
قالوا تلك إذا كرة خاسرة
But it will be only a single Zajrah [shout (i.e., the second blowing of the Trumpet)], (See Verse 37:19).
Indeed, it will be but one shout,
فإنما هي زجرة واحدة
When behold, they find themselves on the surface of the earth alive after their death,
And suddenly they will be [alert] upon the earth's surface.
فإذا هم بالساهرة
Has there come to you the story of Musa (Moses)?
Has there reached you the story of Moses? -
هل أتاك حديث موسى
When his Lord called him in the sacred valley of Tuwa,
When his Lord called to him in the sacred valley of Tuwa,
إذ ناداه ربه بالواد المقدس طوى
Go to Fir'aun (Pharaoh); verily he has transgressed all bounds (in crimes, sins, polytheism, disbelief).
"Go to Pharaoh. Indeed, he has transgressed.
اذهب إلى فرعون إنه طغى
And say to him: "Would you purify yourself (from the sin of disbelief by becoming a believer)?"
And say to him, 'Would you [be willing to] purify yourself
فقل هل لك إلى أن تزكى
"And that I guide you to your Lord, so you should fear Him?"
And let me guide you to your Lord so you would fear [Him]?'"
وأهديك إلى ربك فتخشى
Then [Musa (Moses)] showed him the great sign (miracles).
And he showed him the greatest sign,
فأراه الآية الكبرى
But [Fir'aun (Pharaoh)] belied and disobeyed.
But Pharaoh denied and disobeyed.
فكذب وعصى
Then he turned his back, striving (against Allah).
Then he turned his back, striving.
ثم أدبر يسعى
Then he gathered (his people) and cried aloud,
And he gathered [his people] and called out
فحشر فنادى
Saying: "I am your lord, most high."
And said, "I am your most exalted lord."
فقال أنا ربكم الأعلى
So Allah, seized him with punishment for his last and first transgression. [Tafsir At-Tabari]
So Allah seized him in exemplary punishment for the last and the first [transgression].
فأخذه الله نكال الآخرة والأولى
Verily, in this is an instructive admonition for whosoever fears Allah.
Indeed in that is a warning for whoever would fear [Allah].
إن في ذلك لعبرة لمن يخشى
Are you more difficult to create or is the heaven that He constructed?
Are you a more difficult creation or is the heaven? Allah constructed it.
أأنتم أشد خلقا أم السماء ۚ بناها
He raised its height, and has perfected it.
He raised its ceiling and proportioned it.
رفع سمكها فسواها
Its night He covers with darkness and its forenoon He brings out (with light)
And He darkened its night and extracted its brightness.
وأغطش ليلها وأخرج ضحاها
And after that He spread the earth,
And after that He spread the earth.
والأرض بعد ذلك دحاها
And brought forth therefrom its water and its pasture.
He extracted from it its water and its pasture,
أخرج منها ماءها ومرعاها
And the mountains He has fixed firmly,
And the mountains He set firmly
والجبال أرساها
(To be) a provision and benefit for you and your cattle.
As provision for you and your grazing livestock.
متاعا لكم ولأنعامكم
But when there comes the greatest catastrophe (i.e. the Day of Recompense) -
But when there comes the greatest Overwhelming Calamity -
فإذا جاءت الطامة الكبرى
The Day when man shall remember what he strove for.
The Day when man will remember that for which he strove,
يوم يتذكر الإنسان ما سعى
And Hell-fire shall be made apparent in full view for (every) one who sees.
And Hellfire will be exposed for [all] those who see -
وبرزت الجحيم لمن يرى
Then for him who transgressed all bounds, (in disbelief, oppression and evil deeds of disobedience to Allah).
So as for he who transgressed
فأما من طغى
And preferred the life of this world (by following his evil desires and lusts),
And preferred the life of the world,
وآثر الحياة الدنيا
Verily, his abode will be Hell-fire;
Then indeed, Hellfire will be [his] refuge.
فإن الجحيم هي المأوى
But as for him who feared standing before his Lord, and restrained himself from impure evil desires and lusts.
But as for he who feared the position of his Lord and prevented the soul from [unlawful] inclination,
وأما من خاف مقام ربه ونهى النفس عن الهوى
Verily, Paradise will be his abode.
Then indeed, Paradise will be [his] refuge.
فإن الجنة هي المأوى
They ask you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) about the Hour - when will be its appointed time?
They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the Hour: when is its arrival?
يسألونك عن الساعة أيان مرساها
You have no knowledge to say anything about it.
In what [position] are you that you should mention it?
فيم أنت من ذكراها
To your Lord belongs (the knowledge of) the term thereof?
To your Lord is its finality.
إلى ربك منتهاها
You (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) are only a warner for those who fear it,
You are only a warner for those who fear it.
إنما أنت منذر من يخشاها
The Day they see it, (it will be) as if they had not tarried (in this world) except an afternoon or a morning.
It will be, on the Day they see it, as though they had not remained [in the world] except for an afternoon or a morning thereof.
كأنهم يوم يرونها لم يلبثوا إلا عشية أو ضحاها