56Al-Waaqia

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ إِذَا وَقَعَتِ الْوَاقِعَةُ

When the Event will come to pass

لَيْسَ لِوَقْعَتِهَا كَاذِبَةٌ

– and then there will be no one to deny its occurrence –

خَافِضَةٌ رَافِعَةٌ

(a calamitous Event) that shall turn things upside down:

إِذَا رُجَّتِ الْأَرْضُ رَجًّا

when the earth will suddenly shake with a terrible shaking,

وَبُسَّتِ الْجِبَالُ بَسًّا

and the mountains will crumble

فَكَانَتْ هَبَاءً مُنْبَثًّا

and will scatter abroad into fine dust.

وَكُنْتُمْ أَزْوَاجًا ثَلَاثَةً

You shall then become three groups.

فَأَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ

The People on the Right: and how fortunate will be the People on the Right!

وَأَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ

And the People on the Left: and how miserable will be the People on the Left!

وَالسَّابِقُونَ السَّابِقُونَ

As for the Foremost, they will be the foremost!

أُولَٰئِكَ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ

They shall be near-stationed (to their Lord),

فِي جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ

in the Gardens of Bliss.

ثُلَّةٌ مِنَ الْأَوَّلِينَ

A throng of the ancients,

وَقَلِيلٌ مِنَ الْآخِرِينَ

and a few from later times.

عَلَىٰ سُرُرٍ مَوْضُونَةٍ

They (will be seated) on gold-encrusted couches,

مُتَّكِئِينَ عَلَيْهَا مُتَقَابِلِينَ

reclining on them, arrayed face to face;

يَطُوفُ عَلَيْهِمْ وِلْدَانٌ مُخَلَّدُونَ

immortal youths shall go about them

بِأَكْوَابٍ وَأَبَارِيقَ وَكَأْسٍ مِنْ مَعِينٍ

with goblets and ewers and a cup filled with a drink drawn from a running spring,

لَا يُصَدَّعُونَ عَنْهَا وَلَا يُنْزِفُونَ

a drink by which their minds will not be clouded nor will it cause drunkenness;

وَفَاكِهَةٍ مِمَّا يَتَخَيَّرُونَ

they will also go about them with the fruits of which they may choose,

وَلَحْمِ طَيْرٍ مِمَّا يَشْتَهُونَ

and with the flesh of any fowl that they may desire to eat;

وَحُورٌ عِينٌ

and there shall be wide-eyed maidens,

كَأَمْثَالِ اللُّؤْلُؤِ الْمَكْنُونِ

beautiful as pearls hidden in their shells.

جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

All this shall be theirs as a reward for their deeds.

لَا يَسْمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغْوًا وَلَا تَأْثِيمًا

There they shall hear no idle talk nor any sinful speech.

إِلَّا قِيلًا سَلَامًا سَلَامًا

All talk will be sound and upright.

وَأَصْحَابُ الْيَمِينِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الْيَمِينِ

As for the People on the Right, how fortunate shall be the people on the Right!

فِي سِدْرٍ مَخْضُودٍ

They shall be in the midst of thornless lote trees,

وَطَلْحٍ مَنْضُودٍ

and flower-clad acacias,

وَظِلٍّ مَمْدُودٍ

and extended shade,

وَمَاءٍ مَسْكُوبٍ

and gushing water,

وَفَاكِهَةٍ كَثِيرَةٍ

and abundant fruit,

لَا مَقْطُوعَةٍ وَلَا مَمْنُوعَةٍ

never-ending and unforbidden.

وَفُرُشٍ مَرْفُوعَةٍ

They shall be on upraised couches,

إِنَّا أَنْشَأْنَاهُنَّ إِنْشَاءً

and their spouses We shall have brought them into being afresh,

فَجَعَلْنَاهُنَّ أَبْكَارًا

and shall have made them virgins,

عُرُبًا أَتْرَابًا

intensely loving and of matching age.

لِأَصْحَابِ الْيَمِينِ

All this will be for the People on the Right;

ثُلَّةٌ مِنَ الْأَوَّلِينَ

a large throng from the ancients,

وَثُلَّةٌ مِنَ الْآخِرِينَ

and also a large throng from those of later times.

وَأَصْحَابُ الشِّمَالِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الشِّمَالِ

As for the People on the Left: how miserable will be the People on the Left!

فِي سَمُومٍ وَحَمِيمٍ

They will be in the midst of scorching wind and boiling water,

وَظِلٍّ مِنْ يَحْمُومٍ

and a shade of thick, pitch-black smoke,

لَا بَارِدٍ وَلَا كَرِيمٍ

which will neither be cool nor soothing.

إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَبْلَ ذَٰلِكَ مُتْرَفِينَ

Surely they had lived before in luxury,

وَكَانُوا يُصِرُّونَ عَلَى الْحِنْثِ الْعَظِيمِ

and had persisted in the Great Sin.

وَكَانُوا يَقُولُونَ أَئِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابًا وَعِظَامًا أَإِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ

They used to say: “What! Once we are dead and are reduced to dust and bones, shall we still be raised to a new life from the dead?

أَوَآبَاؤُنَا الْأَوَّلُونَ

(We) and our fore-fathers of yore?”

قُلْ إِنَّ الْأَوَّلِينَ وَالْآخِرِينَ

Tell them, (O Prophet): “The earlier ones and the later ones

لَمَجْمُوعُونَ إِلَىٰ مِيقَاتِ يَوْمٍ مَعْلُومٍ

shall all be brought together on an appointed Day.

ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمْ أَيُّهَا الضَّالُّونَ الْمُكَذِّبُونَ

Then you, the erring ones and those that gave the lie to the Truth,

لَآكِلُونَ مِنْ شَجَرٍ مِنْ زَقُّومٍ

shall all eat from the Tree of al-Zaqqum,

فَمَالِئُونَ مِنْهَا الْبُطُونَ

filling your bellies with it;

فَشَارِبُونَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْحَمِيمِ

and thereupon you shall drink boiling water,

فَشَارِبُونَ شُرْبَ الْهِيمِ

drinking it as thirsty camels do.”

هَٰذَا نُزُلُهُمْ يَوْمَ الدِّينِ

Thus shall they be entertained on the Day of Recompense.

نَحْنُ خَلَقْنَاكُمْ فَلَوْلَا تُصَدِّقُونَ

We have created you, then why would you not confirm it?

أَفَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا تُمْنُونَ

Did you ever consider the sperm that you emit?

أَأَنْتُمْ تَخْلُقُونَهُ أَمْ نَحْنُ الْخَالِقُونَ

Do you create a child out of it, or are We its creators?

نَحْنُ قَدَّرْنَا بَيْنَكُمُ الْمَوْتَ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ

It is We Who ordained death upon you and We are not to be frustrated.

عَلَىٰ أَنْ نُبَدِّلَ أَمْثَالَكُمْ وَنُنْشِئَكُمْ فِي مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

Had We so wished, nothing could have hindered Us from replacing you by others like yourselves, or transforming you into beings you know nothing about.

وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمُ النَّشْأَةَ الْأُولَىٰ فَلَوْلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ

You are well aware of the first creation; then, do you learn no lesson from it?

أَفَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا تَحْرُثُونَ

Have you considered the seeds you till?

أَأَنْتُمْ تَزْرَعُونَهُ أَمْ نَحْنُ الزَّارِعُونَ

Is it you or We Who make them grow?

لَوْ نَشَاءُ لَجَعَلْنَاهُ حُطَامًا فَظَلْتُمْ تَفَكَّهُونَ

If We so wished, We could have reduced your harvest to rubble, and you would have been left wonder-struck to exclaim:

إِنَّا لَمُغْرَمُونَ

“We have been penalised;

بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَ

nay; we have been undone!”

أَفَرَأَيْتُمُ الْمَاءَ الَّذِي تَشْرَبُونَ

Did you cast a good look at the water that you drink?

أَأَنْتُمْ أَنْزَلْتُمُوهُ مِنَ الْمُزْنِ أَمْ نَحْنُ الْمُنْزِلُونَ

Is it you who brought it down from the clouds or is it We Who brought it down?

لَوْ نَشَاءُ جَعَلْنَاهُ أُجَاجًا فَلَوْلَا تَشْكُرُونَ

If We had so pleased, We could have made it bitter. So why would you not give thanks?

أَفَرَأَيْتُمُ النَّارَ الَّتِي تُورُونَ

Did you consider the fire which you kindle?

أَأَنْتُمْ أَنْشَأْتُمْ شَجَرَتَهَا أَمْ نَحْنُ الْمُنْشِئُونَ

Did you make its tree grow or was it We Who made it grow?

نَحْنُ جَعَلْنَاهَا تَذْكِرَةً وَمَتَاعًا لِلْمُقْوِينَ

We made it a reminder and a provision for the needy.

فَسَبِّحْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الْعَظِيمِ

Glorify, then, (O Prophet), the name of your Great Lord.

۞ فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِمَوَاقِعِ النُّجُومِ

No! I swear by the positions of the stars –

وَإِنَّهُ لَقَسَمٌ لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عَظِيمٌ

and this is indeed a mighty oath, if only you knew –

إِنَّهُ لَقُرْآنٌ كَرِيمٌ

that this indeed is a noble Qur'an,

فِي كِتَابٍ مَكْنُونٍ

inscribed in a well-guarded Book,

لَا يَمَسُّهُ إِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُونَ

which none but the pure may touch;

تَنْزِيلٌ مِنْ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

a revelation from the Lord of the Universe.

أَفَبِهَٰذَا الْحَدِيثِ أَنْتُمْ مُدْهِنُونَ

Do you, then, take this discourse in light esteem,

وَتَجْعَلُونَ رِزْقَكُمْ أَنَّكُمْ تُكَذِّبُونَ

and your portion in it is simply that you denounce it as false?

فَلَوْلَا إِذَا بَلَغَتِ الْحُلْقُومَ

Why, then, when the soul leaps up to the throat,

وَأَنْتُمْ حِينَئِذٍ تَنْظُرُونَ

the while you are helplessly watching that he is on the verge of death,

وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْكُمْ وَلَٰكِنْ لَا تُبْصِرُونَ

– at that moment when We are closer to him than you, although you do not see (Us)

فَلَوْلَا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ غَيْرَ مَدِينِينَ

if you are not subject to anyone's authority,

تَرْجِعُونَهَا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

why are you then not able to bring them back to life if you are truthful?

فَأَمَّا إِنْ كَانَ مِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ

So if he is one of those who are near-stationed (to Allah),

فَرَوْحٌ وَرَيْحَانٌ وَجَنَّتُ نَعِيمٍ

then happiness and delight and Gardens of Bliss are his.

وَأَمَّا إِنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْيَمِينِ

And if he is one of the People on the Right,

فَسَلَامٌ لَكَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْيَمِينِ

he will be welcomed by the words: “Peace to you” from the People on the Right.

وَأَمَّا إِنْ كَانَ مِنَ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ الضَّالِّينَ

And if he is one of those who give the lie (to this Message) and go astray,

فَنُزُلٌ مِنْ حَمِيمٍ

then he will be served boiling water,

وَتَصْلِيَةُ جَحِيمٍ

and will be scorched by the Fire.

إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَهُوَ حَقُّ الْيَقِينِ

That indeed is the absolute truth.

فَسَبِّحْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الْعَظِيمِ

So glorify the name of your Great Lord.