بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
سَأَلَ سَائِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ1
A man [mockingly] demanded the punishment
لِلْكَافِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُ دَافِعٌ2
It will fall on the disbelievers––none can deflect it––
مِنَ اللَّهِ ذِي الْمَعَارِجِ3
from God, the Lord of the Ways of Ascent
تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ4
by which the angels and the Spirit ascend to Him, on a Day whose length is fifty thousand years
فَاصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا5
So be patient, [Prophet], as befits you
إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُ بَعِيدًا6
The disbelievers think it is distant
وَنَرَاهُ قَرِيبًا7
but We know it to be close
يَوْمَ تَكُونُ السَّمَاءُ كَالْمُهْلِ8
On a Day when the heavens will be like molten brass
وَتَكُونُ الْجِبَالُ كَالْعِهْنِ9
and the mountains like tufts of wool
وَلَا يَسْأَلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا10
when no friend will ask about his friend
يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ الْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِي مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍ بِبَنِيهِ11
even when they are within sight of one another. The guilty person will wish he could save himself from the suffering of that Day by sacrificing his sons
وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَأَخِيهِ12
his spouse, his brother
وَفَصِيلَتِهِ الَّتِي تُؤْوِيهِ13
the kinsfolk who gave him shelter
وَمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنْجِيهِ14
and everyone on earth, if it could save him
كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ15
But no! There is a raging flame
نَزَّاعَةً لِلشَّوَىٰ16
that strips away the skin
تَدْعُو مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ17
and it will claim everyone who rejects the truth, turns away
وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰ18
amasses wealth and hoards it
إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا19
Man was truly created anxious
إِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا20
he is fretful when misfortune touches him
وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا21
but tight-fisted when good fortune comes his way
إِلَّا الْمُصَلِّينَ22
Not so those who pray
الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَائِمُونَ23
and are constant in their prayers
وَالَّذِينَ فِي أَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَعْلُومٌ24
who give a due share of their wealth
لِلسَّائِلِ وَالْمَحْرُومِ25
to beggars and the deprived
وَالَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ الدِّينِ26
who believe in the Day of Judgement
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ مِنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِمْ مُشْفِقُونَ27
and fear the punishment of their Lord––
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍ28
none may feel wholly secure from it––
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ29
who guard their chastity
إِلَّا عَلَىٰ أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ30
from all but their spouses or their slave-girls––there is no blame attached to [relations with] these
فَمَنِ ابْتَغَىٰ وَرَاءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ31
but those whose desires exceed this limit are truly transgressors––
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَ32
who are faithful to their trusts and their pledges
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ بِشَهَادَاتِهِمْ قَائِمُونَ33
who give honest testimony
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ34
and are steadfast in their prayers
أُولَـٰئِكَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ مُكْرَمُونَ35
They will be honoured in Gardens of bliss
فَمَالِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ36
What is wrong with the disbelievers? Why do they rush to peer at you [Prophet]
عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ37
from right and left, in crowds
أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ38
Does every one of them expect to enter a Garden of bliss
كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُمْ مِمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ39
No! We created them from the substance they know
فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ الْمَشَارِقِ وَالْمَغَارِبِ إِنَّا لَقَادِرُونَ40
and, by the Lord of every sunrise and sunset, We have the power
عَلَىٰ أَنْ نُبَدِّلَ خَيْرًا مِنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ41
to substitute for them others better than they are- nothing can prevent Us from doing this
فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا وَيَلْعَبُوا حَتَّىٰ يُلَاقُوا يَوْمَهُمُ الَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ42
So leave them to wallow in idle talk, until they come face to face with their promised Day
يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ43
the Day they will rush out of their graves as if rallying to a flag
خَاشِعَةً أَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْيَوْمُ الَّذِي كَانُوا يُوعَدُونَ44
eyes downcast and covered in shame: that is the Day of which they were warned