Chapter 89, 30 verses
By the break of Day
I swear by the daybreak,
By the dawn
By the Nights twice five;
And the ten nights,
And [by] ten nights
By the even and odd (contrasted);
And the even and the odd,
And [by] the even [number] and the odd
And by the Night when it passeth away; -
And the night when it departs.
And [by] the night when it passes,
Is there (not) in these an adjuration (or evidence) for those who understand?
Truly in that there is an oath for those who possess understanding.
Is there [not] in [all] that an oath [sufficient] for one of perception?
Seest thou not how thy Lord dealt with the 'Ad (people), -
Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with Ad,
Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with 'Aad -
Of the (city of) Iram, with lofty pillars,
(The people of) Aram, possessors of lofty buildings,
[With] Iram - who had lofty pillars,
The like of which were not produced in (all) the land?
The like of which were not created in the (other) cities;
The likes of whom had never been created in the land?
And with the Thamud (people), who cut out (huge) rocks in the valley? -
And (with) Samood, who hewed out the rocks in the valley,
And [with] Thamud, who carved out the rocks in the valley?
And with Pharaoh, lord of stakes?
And (with) Firon, the lord of hosts,
And [with] Pharaoh, owner of the stakes? -
(All) these transgressed beyond bounds in the lands,
Who committed inordinacy in the cities,
[All of] whom oppressed within the lands
And heaped therein mischief (on mischief).
So they made great mischief therein?
And increased therein the corruption.
Therefore did thy Lord pour on them a scourge of diverse chastisements:
Therefore your Lord let down upon them a portion of the chastisement.
So your Lord poured upon them a scourge of punishment.
For thy Lord is (as a Guardian) on a watch - tower.
Most surely your Lord is watching.
Indeed, your Lord is in observation.
Now, as for man, when his Lord trieth him, giving him honour and gifts, then saith he, (puffed up), "My Lord hath honoured me."
And as for man, when his Lord tries him, then treats him with honor and makes him lead an easy life, he says: My Lord honors me.
And as for man, when his Lord tries him and [thus] is generous to him and favors him, he says, "My Lord has honored me."
But when He trieth him, restricting his subsistence for him, then saith he (in despair), "My Lord hath humiliated me!"
But when He tries him (differently), then straitens to him his means of subsistence, he says: My Lord has disgraced me.
But when He tries him and restricts his provision, he says, "My Lord has humiliated me."
Nay, nay! but ye honour not the orphans!
Nay! but you do not honor the orphan,
No! But you do not honor the orphan
Nor do ye encourage one another to feed the poor! -
Nor do you urge one another to feed the poor,
And you do not encourage one another to feed the poor.
And ye devour inheritance - all with greed,
And you eat away the heritage, devouring (everything) indiscriminately,
And you consume inheritance, devouring [it] altogether,
And ye love wealth with inordinate love!
And you love wealth with exceeding love.
And you love wealth with immense love.
Nay! When the earth is pounded to powder,
Nay! when the earth is made to crumble to pieces,
No! When the earth has been leveled - pounded and crushed -
And thy Lord cometh, and His angels, rank upon rank,
And your Lord comes and (also) the angels in ranks,
And your Lord has come and the angels, rank upon rank,
And Hell, that Day, is brought (face to face), - on that Day will man remember, but how will that remembrance profit him?
And hell is made to appear on that day. On that day shall man be mindful, and what shall being mindful (then) avail him?
And brought [within view], that Day, is Hell - that Day, man will remember, but what good to him will be the remembrance?
He will say: "Ah! Would that I had sent forth (good deeds) for (this) my (Future) Life!"
He shall say: O! would that I had sent before for (this) my life!
He will say, "Oh, I wish I had sent ahead [some good] for my life."
For, that Day, His Chastisement will be such as none (else) can inflict,
But on that day shall no one chastise with (anything like) His chastisement,
So on that Day, none will punish [as severely] as His punishment,
And His bonds will be such as none (other) can bind.
And no one shall bind with (anything like) His binding.
And none will bind [as severely] as His binding [of the evildoers].
(To the righteous soul will be said:) "O (thou) soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction!
O soul that art at rest!
[To the righteous it will be said], "O reassured soul,
"Come back thou to thy Lord, - well pleased (thyself), and well - pleasing unto Him!
Return to your Lord, well - pleased (with him), well - pleasing (Him),
Return to your Lord, well - pleased and pleasing [to Him],
"Enter thou, then, among My devotees!
So enter among My servants,
And enter among My [righteous] servants
"Yea, enter thou My Heaven!
And enter into My garden.
And enter My Paradise."