بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ سَأَلَ سَائِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ

A questioner asked of a chastisement about to fall

لِلْكَافِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُ دَافِعٌ

for the unbelievers, which none may avert,

مِنَ اللَّهِ ذِي الْمَعَارِجِ

from God, the Lord of the Stairways.

تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ

To Him the angels and the Spirit mount up, in a day whereof the measure is fifty thousand years.

فَاصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا

So be thou patient with a sweet patience;

إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُ بَعِيدًا

behold, they see it as if far off;

وَنَرَاهُ قَرِيبًا

but We see it is nigh.

يَوْمَ تَكُونُ السَّمَاءُ كَالْمُهْلِ

Upon the day when heaven shall be as molten copper

وَتَكُونُ الْجِبَالُ كَالْعِهْنِ

and the mountains shall be as plucked wool-tufts,

وَلَا يَسْأَلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا

no loyal friend shall question loyal friend,

يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ الْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِي مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍ بِبَنِيهِ

as they are given sight of them. The sinner will wish that he might ransom himself from the chastisement of that day even by his sons,

وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَأَخِيهِ

his companion wife, his brother,

وَفَصِيلَتِهِ الَّتِي تُؤْوِيهِ

his kin who sheltered him,

وَمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنْجِيهِ

and whosoever is in the earth, all together, so that then it might deliver him.

كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ

Nay, verily it is a furnace

نَزَّاعَةً لِلشَّوَىٰ

snatching away the scalp,

تَدْعُو مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ

calling him who drew back and turned away,

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰ

who amassed and hoarded.

۞ إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا

Surely man was created fretful,

إِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا

when evil visits him, impatient,

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا

when good visits him, grudging,

إِلَّا الْمُصَلِّينَ

save those that pray

الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَائِمُونَ

and continue at their prayers,

وَالَّذِينَ فِي أَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَعْلُومٌ

those in whose wealth is a right known

لِلسَّائِلِ وَالْمَحْرُومِ

for the beggar and the outcast,

وَالَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ الدِّينِ

who confirm the Day of Doom

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ مِنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِمْ مُشْفِقُونَ

and go in fear of the chastisement of their Lord

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍ

(from their Lord's chastisement none feels secure)

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ

and guard their private parts

إِلَّا عَلَىٰ أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ

save from their wives and what their right hands own, then not being blameworthy

فَمَنِ ابْتَغَىٰ وَرَاءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ

(but whoso seeks after more than that, they are the transgressors),

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَ

and who preserve their trusts and their covenant,

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ بِشَهَادَاتِهِمْ قَائِمُونَ

and perform their witnessings,

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ

and who observe their prayers.

أُولَٰئِكَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ مُكْرَمُونَ

Those shall be in Gardens, high-honoured.

فَمَالِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ

What ails the unbelievers, running with outstretched necks

عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ

towards thee on the right hand and on the left hand in knots?

أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ

What, is every man of them eager to be admitted to a Garden of Bliss?

كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُمْ مِمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ

Not so; for We have created them of what they know.

فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ الْمَشَارِقِ وَالْمَغَارِبِ إِنَّا لَقَادِرُونَ

No! I swear by the Lord of the Easts and Wests, surely We are able

عَلَىٰ أَنْ نُبَدِّلَ خَيْرًا مِنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ

to substitute a better than they; We shall not be outstripped.

فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا وَيَلْعَبُوا حَتَّىٰ يُلَاقُوا يَوْمَهُمُ الَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ

Then leave them alone to plunge and play until they encounter that day of theirs which they are promised,

يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ

the day they shall come forth from the tombs hastily, as if they were hurrying unto a waymark,

خَاشِعَةً أَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْيَوْمُ الَّذِي كَانُوا يُوعَدُونَ

humbled their eyes, overspreading them abasement. That is the day which they were promised.