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