Al Buruj

1 In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. By the heaven, holding mansions of the stars,

1 In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. By the heaven holding the big stars.

2 And by the Promised Day.

2 And by the Promised Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection).

3 And by the witness and that whereunto he beareth testimony,

3 And by the Witnessing day (i.e. Friday), and by the Witnessed day [i.e. the day of 'Arafat (Hajj) the ninth of Dhul-Hijjah];

4 (Self - )destroyed were the owners of the ditch

4 Cursed were the people of the Ditch (in the story of the Boy and the King).

5 Of the fuel - fed fire,

5 Of fire fed with fuel,

6 When they sat by it,

6 When they sat by it (fire),

7 And were themselves the witnesses of what they did to the believers.

7 And they witnessed what they were doing against the believers (i.e. burning them).

8 They had naught against them save that they believed in Allah, the Mighty, the Owner of Praise,

8 And they had no fault except that they believed in Allah, the All-Mighty, Worthy of all Praise!

9 Him unto Whom belongeth the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is of all things the Witness.

9 To Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth! And Allah is Witness over everything.

10 Lo! they who persecute believing men and believing women and repent not, theirs verily will be the doom of hell, and theirs the doom of burning.

10 Verily, those who put into trial the believing men and believing women (by torturing them and burning them), and then do not turn in repentance (to Allah), then they will have the torment of Hell, and they will have the punishment of the burning Fire.

11 Lo! those who believe and do good works, theirs will be Gardens underneath which rivers flow. That is the Great Success.

11 Verily, those who believe and do righteous good deeds, for them will be Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise). That is the great success.

12 Lo! the punishment of thy Lord is stern.

12 Verily, (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) the Seizure (punishment) of your Lord is severe and painful. [See V.11:102].

13 Lo! He it is Who produceth, then reproduceth,

13 Verily, He it is Who begins (punishment) and repeats (punishment in the Hereafter) (or originates the creation of everything, and then repeats it on the Day of Resurrection).

14 And He is the Forgiving, the Loving,

14 And He is Oft-Forgiving, full of love (towards the pious who are real true believers of Islamic Monotheism),

15 Lord of the Throne of Glory,

15 Owner of the throne, the Glorious,

16 Doer of what He will.

16 (He is the) Doer of whatsoever He intends (or wills).

17 Hath there come unto thee the story of the hosts

17 Has the story reached you of the hosts,

18 Of Pharaoh and (the tribe of) Thamud ?

18 Of Fir'aun (Pharaoh) and Thamud?

19 Nay, but those who disbelieve live in denial

19 Nay! The disbelievers (persisted) in denying (Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and his Message of Islamic Monotheism).

20 And Allah, all unseen, surroundeth them.

20 And Allah encompasses them from behind! (i.e. all their deeds are within His Knowledge, and He will requite them for their deeds).

21 Nay, but it is a glorious Qur'an.

21 Nay! This is a Glorious Qur'an,

22 On a guarded tablet.

22 (Inscribed) in Al-Lauh Al-Mahfuz (The Preserved Tablet)!