Chapter 70, 44 verses
A questioner asked about a Penalty to befall -
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم سأل سائل بعذاب واقع
A supplicant asked for a punishment bound to happen
One demanding, demanded the chastisement which must befall
The Unbelievers, the which there is none to ward off, -
للكافرين ليس له دافع
To the disbelievers; of it there is no preventer.
The unbelievers - - there is none to avert it - -
(A Penalty) from Allah, Lord of the Ways of Ascent.
من الله ذي المعارج
[It is] from Allah, owner of the ways of ascent.
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 Spirit will ascend to Him during a Day the extent of which is fifty thousand years.
To Him ascend the angels and the Spirit in a day the measure of which is fifty thousand years.
Therefore do thou hold Patience, - a Patience of beautiful (contentment).
فاصبر صبرا جميلا
So be patient with gracious patience.
Therefore endure with a goodly patience.
They see the (Day) indeed as a far - off (event):
إنهم يرونه بعيدا
Indeed, they see it [as] distant,
Surely they think it to be far off,
But We see it (quite) near.
ونراه قريبا
But We see it [as] near.
And We see it nigh.
The Day that the sky will be like molten brass,
يوم تكون السماء كالمهل
On the Day the sky will be like murky oil,
On the day when the heaven shall be as molten copper
And the mountains will be like wool,
وتكون الجبال كالعهن
And the mountains will be like wool,
And the mountains shall be as tufts of wool
And no friend will ask after a friend,
ولا يسأل حميم حميما
And no friend will ask [anything of] a friend,
And friend shall not ask of friend
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
They will be shown each other. The criminal will wish that he could be ransomed from the punishment of that Day by his children
(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,
His wife and his brother,
وصاحبته وأخيه
And his wife and his brother
And his wife and his brother
His kindred who sheltered him,
وفصيلته التي تؤويه
And his nearest kindred who shelter him
And the nearest of his kinsfolk who gave him shelter,
And all, all that is on earth, - so it could deliver him:
ومن في الأرض جميعا ثم ينجيه
And whoever is on earth entirely [so] then it could save him.
And all those that are in the earth, (wishing) then (that) this might deliver him.
By no means! for it would be the Fire of Hell! -
كلا ۖ إنها لظى
No! Indeed, it is the Flame [of Hell],
By no means! Surely it is a flaming fire
Plucking out (his being) right to the skull! -
نزاعة للشوى
A remover of exteriors.
Dragging by the head,
Inviting (all) such as turn their backs and turn away their faces (from the Right).
تدعو من أدبر وتولى
It invites he who turned his back [on truth] and went away [from obedience]
It shall claim him who turned and fled (from truth),
And collect (wealth) and hide it (from use)!
وجمع فأوعى
And collected [wealth] and hoarded.
And amasses (wealth) then shuts it up.
Truly man was created very impatient; -
۞ إن الإنسان خلق هلوعا
Indeed, mankind was created anxious:
Surely man is created of a hasty temperament
Fretful when evil touches him;
إذا مسه الشر جزوعا
When evil touches him, impatient,
Being greatly grieved when evil afflicts him
And niggardly when good reaches him; -
وإذا مسه الخير منوعا
And when good touches him, withholding [of it],
And niggardly when good befalls him
Not so those devoted to Prayer; -
إلا المصلين
Except the observers of prayer -
Except those who pray,
Those who remain steadfast to their prayer;
الذين هم على صلاتهم دائمون
Those who are constant in their prayer
Those who are constant at their prayer
And those in whose wealth is a recognised right.
والذين في أموالهم حق معلوم
And those within whose wealth is a known right
And those in whose wealth there is a fixed portion.
For the (needy) who asks and him who is prevented (for some reason from asking);
للسائل والمحروم
For the petitioner and the deprived -
For him who begs and for him who is denied (good)
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 accept the truth of the judgment day
And those who fear the displeasure of their Lord, -
والذين هم من عذاب ربهم مشفقون
And those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord -
And those who are fearful of the chastisement of their Lord - -
For their Lord's displeasure is the opposite of Peace and Tranquillity; -
إن عذاب ربهم غير مأمون
Indeed, the punishment of their Lord is not that from which one is safe -
Surely the chastisement of their Lord is (a thing) not to be felt secure of - -
And those who guard their chastity,
والذين هم لفروجهم حافظون
And those who guard their private parts
And those who guard their private parts,
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 those their right hands possess, for indeed, they are not to be blamed -
Except in the case of their wives or those whom their right hands possess - - for these surely are not to be blamed,
But those who trespass beyond this are transgressors; -
فمن ابتغى وراء ذلك فأولئك هم العادون
But whoever seeks beyond that, then they are the transgressors -
But he who seeks to go beyond this, these it is that go beyond the limits - -
And those who respect their trusts and covenants;
والذين هم لأماناتهم وعهدهم راعون
And those who are to their trusts and promises attentive
And those who are faithful to their trusts and their covenant
And those who stand firm in their testimonies;
والذين هم بشهاداتهم قائمون
And those who are in their testimonies upright
And those who are upright in their testimonies,
And those who guard (the sacredness) of their worship; -
والذين هم على صلاتهم يحافظون
And those who [carefully] maintain their prayer:
And those who keep a guard on their prayer,
Such will be the honoured ones in the Gardens (of Bliss).
أولئك في جنات مكرمون
They will be in gardens, honored.
Those shall be in gardens, honored.
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, hastening [from] before you, [O Muhammad],
But what is the matter with those who disbelieve that they hasten on around you,
From the right and from the left, in crowds?
عن اليمين وعن الشمال عزين
[To sit] on [your] right and [your] left in separate groups?
On the right hand and on the left, in sundry parties?
Does every man of them long to enter the Garden of Bliss?
أيطمع كل امرئ منهم أن يدخل جنة نعيم
Does every person among them aspire to enter a garden of pleasure?
Does every man of them desire that he should be made to enter the garden of bliss?
By no means! For We have created them out of the (base matter) they know!
كلا ۖ إنا خلقناهم مما يعلمون
No! Indeed, We have created them from that which they know.
By no means! Surely We have created them of what 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] risings and settings that indeed We are able
But nay! I swear by the Lord of the Easts and the Wests that We are certainly 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 with better than them; and We are not to be outdone.
To bring instead (others) better than them, and We shall not be overcome.
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 converse vainly and amuse themselves until they meet their Day which they are promised -
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;
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 they will emerge from the graves rapidly as if they were, toward an erected idol, hastening.
The day on which they shall come forth from their graves in haste, as if they were hastening on 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
Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. That is the Day which they had been promised.
Their eyes cast down; disgrace shall overtake them; that is the day which they were threatened with.