Chapter 70, 44 verses
A questioner asked about a Penalty to befall -
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم سأل سائل بعذاب واقع
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. A questioner asked concerning a torment about to befall
The Unbelievers, the which there is none to ward off, -
للكافرين ليس له دافع
Upon the disbelievers, which none can avert,
(A Penalty) from Allah, Lord of the Ways of Ascent.
من الله ذي المعارج
From Allah, the Lord of the ways of ascent.
The angels and the spirit ascend unto him in a Day the measure whereof is (as) fifty thousand years:
تعرج الملائكة والروح إليه في يوم كان مقداره خمسين ألف سنة
The angels and the Ruh [Jibril (Gabriel)] ascend to Him in a Day the measure whereof is fifty thousand years.
Therefore do thou hold Patience, - a Patience of beautiful (contentment).
فاصبر صبرا جميلا
So be patient (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), with a good patience.
They see the (Day) indeed as a far - off (event):
إنهم يرونه بعيدا
Verily, they see it (the torment) afar off.
But We see it (quite) near.
ونراه قريبا
But We see it (quite) near.
The Day that the sky will be like molten brass,
يوم تكون السماء كالمهل
The Day that the sky will be like the boiling filth of oil, (or molten copper or silver or lead).
And the mountains will be like wool,
وتكون الجبال كالعهن
And the mountains will be like flakes of wool.
And no friend will ask after a friend,
ولا يسأل حميم حميما
And no friend will ask a friend (about his condition),
Though they will be put in sight of each other, - the sinner's desire will be: Would that he could redeem himself from the Penalty of that Day by (sacrificing) his children,
يبصرونهم ۚ يود المجرم لو يفتدي من عذاب يومئذ ببنيه
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,
His wife and his brother,
وصاحبته وأخيه
And his wife and his brother,
His kindred who sheltered him,
وفصيلته التي تؤويه
And his kindred who sheltered him,
And all, all that is on earth, - so it could deliver him:
ومن في الأرض جميعا ثم ينجيه
And all that are in the earth, so that it might save him.
By no means! for it would be the Fire of Hell! -
كلا ۖ إنها لظى
By no means! Verily, it will be the Fire of Hell,
Plucking out (his being) right to the skull! -
نزاعة للشوى
Taking away (burning completely) the head skin!
Inviting (all) such as turn their backs and turn away their faces (from the Right).
تدعو من أدبر وتولى
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)
And collect (wealth) and hide it (from use)!
وجمع فأوعى
And collect (wealth) and hide it (from spending it in the Cause of Allah).
Truly man was created very impatient; -
۞ إن الإنسان خلق هلوعا
Verily, man () was created very impatient;
Fretful when evil touches him;
إذا مسه الشر جزوعا
Irritable (discontented) when evil touches him;
And niggardly when good reaches him; -
وإذا مسه الخير منوعا
And niggardly when good touches him.
Not so those devoted to Prayer; -
إلا المصلين
Except those who are devoted to Salat (prayers).
Those who remain steadfast to their prayer;
الذين هم على صلاتهم دائمون
Those who remain constant in their Salat (prayers);
And those in whose wealth is a recognised right.
والذين في أموالهم حق معلوم
And those in whose wealth there is a recognised right
For the (needy) who asks and him who is prevented (for some reason from asking);
للسائل والمحروم
For the beggar who asks, and for the unlucky who has lost his property and wealth, (and his means of living has been straitened).
And those who hold to the truth of the Day of Judgment;
والذين يصدقون بيوم الدين
And those who believe in the Day of Recompense.
And those who fear the displeasure of their Lord, -
والذين هم من عذاب ربهم مشفقون
And those who fear the torment of their Lord.
For their Lord's displeasure is the opposite of Peace and Tranquillity; -
إن عذاب ربهم غير مأمون
Verily, the torment of their Lord is that before which none can feel secure. -
And those who guard their chastity,
والذين هم لفروجهم حافظون
And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts from illegal sexual acts).
Except with their wives and the (captives) whom their right hands possess, - for (then) they are not to be blamed,
إلا على أزواجهم أو ما ملكت أيمانهم فإنهم غير ملومين
Except from their wives or the (women slaves) whom their right hands possess - for (then) they are not blameworthy.
But those who trespass beyond this are transgressors; -
فمن ابتغى وراء ذلك فأولئك هم العادون
But whosoever seeks beyond that, then it is those who are trespassers.
And those who respect their trusts and covenants;
والذين هم لأماناتهم وعهدهم راعون
And those who keep their trusts and covenants.
And those who stand firm in their testimonies;
والذين هم بشهاداتهم قائمون
And those who stand firm in their testimonies.
And those who guard (the sacredness) of their worship; -
والذين هم على صلاتهم يحافظون
And those who guard their Salat (prayers) well.
Such will be the honoured ones in the Gardens (of Bliss).
أولئك في جنات مكرمون
Such shall dwell in the Gardens (i.e. Paradise), honoured.
Now what is the matter with the Unbelievers that they rush madly before thee -
فمال الذين كفروا قبلك مهطعين
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)].
From the right and from the left, in crowds?
عن اليمين وعن الشمال عزين
(Sitting) in groups on the right and on the left (of you, O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم)?
Does every man of them long to enter the Garden of Bliss?
أيطمع كل امرئ منهم أن يدخل جنة نعيم
Does every man of them hope to enter the Paradise of Delight?
By no means! For We have created them out of the (base matter) they know!
كلا ۖ إنا خلقناهم مما يعلمون
No, that is not like that! Verily, We have created them out of that which they know!
Now I do call to witness the Lord of all points in the East and the West that We can certainly -
فلا أقسم برب المشارق والمغارب إنا لقادرون
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
Substitute for them better (men) than they; And We are not to be defeated (in Our Plan).
على أن نبدل خيرا منهم وما نحن بمسبوقين
To replace them by (others) better than them; and We are not to be outrun.
So leave them to plunge in vain talk and play about, until they encounter that Day of theirs which they have been promised! -
فذرهم يخوضوا ويلعبوا حتى يلاقوا يومهم الذي يوعدون
So leave them to plunge in vain talk and play about, until they meet their Day which they are promised -
The Day whereon they will issue from their sepulchres in sudden haste as if they were rushing to a goal - post (fixed for them), -
يوم يخرجون من الأجداث سراعا كأنهم إلى نصب يوفضون
The Day when they will come out of the graves quickly as racing to a goal,
Their eyes lowered in dejection, - ignominy covering them (all over)! such is the Day the which they are promised!
خاشعة أبصارهم ترهقهم ذلة ۚ ذلك اليوم الذي كانوا يوعدون
With their eyes lowered in fear and humility, ignominy covering them (all over)! That is the Day which they were promised!