بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ قٓ ۚ وَٱلْقُرْءَانِ ٱلْمَجِيدِ

Qaf. CONSIDER this sublime Qur’an!

بَلْ عَجِبُوٓا۟ أَن جَآءَهُم مُّنذِرٌۭ مِّنْهُمْ فَقَالَ ٱلْكَٰفِرُونَ هَٰذَا شَىْءٌ عَجِيبٌ

But nay - they deem it strange that a warner should have come unto them from their own midst; and so these deniers of the truth are saying, “A strange thing is this!

أَءِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابًۭا ۖ ذَٰلِكَ رَجْعٌۢ بَعِيدٌۭ

Why - [how could we be resurrected] after we have died and become mere dust? Such a return seems far-fetched indeed!”

قَدْ عَلِمْنَا مَا تَنقُصُ ٱلْأَرْضُ مِنْهُمْ ۖ وَعِندَنَا كِتَٰبٌ حَفِيظٌۢ

Well do We know how the earth consumes their bodies, for with Us is a record unfailing.

بَلْ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِٱلْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ فَهُمْ فِىٓ أَمْرٍۢ مَّرِيجٍ

Nay, but they [who refuse to believe in resurrection] have been wont to give the lie to this truth whenever it was proffered to them; and so they are in a state of confusion.

أَفَلَمْ يَنظُرُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَوْقَهُمْ كَيْفَ بَنَيْنَٰهَا وَزَيَّنَّٰهَا وَمَا لَهَا مِن فُرُوجٍۢ

Do they not look at the sky above them - how We have built it and made it beautiful and free of all faults?

وَٱلْأَرْضَ مَدَدْنَٰهَا وَأَلْقَيْنَا فِيهَا رَوَٰسِىَ وَأَنۢبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ زَوْجٍۭ بَهِيجٍۢ

And the earth - We have spread it wide, and set upon it mountains firm, and caused it to bring forth plants of all beauteous kinds,

تَبْصِرَةًۭ وَذِكْرَىٰ لِكُلِّ عَبْدٍۢ مُّنِيبٍۢ

thus offering an insight and a reminder unto every human being who willingly turns unto God.

وَنَزَّلْنَا مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءًۭ مُّبَٰرَكًۭا فَأَنۢبَتْنَا بِهِۦ جَنَّٰتٍۢ وَحَبَّ ٱلْحَصِيدِ

And We send down from the skies water rich in blessings, and cause thereby gardens to grow, and fields of grain,

وَٱلنَّخْلَ بَاسِقَٰتٍۢ لَّهَا طَلْعٌۭ نَّضِيدٌۭ

and tall palm-trees with their thickly-clustered dates,

رِّزْقًۭا لِّلْعِبَادِ ۖ وَأَحْيَيْنَا بِهِۦ بَلْدَةًۭ مَّيْتًۭا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلْخُرُوجُ

as sustenance appor­tioned to men; and by [all] this We bring dead land to life: [and] even so will be [man’s] coming-forth from death.

كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍۢ وَأَصْحَٰبُ ٱلرَّسِّ وَثَمُودُ

[Long] before those [who now deny resur­rection] did Noah’s people give the lie to this truth, and [so did] the folk of Ar-Rass, and [the tribes of] Thamud

وَعَادٌۭ وَفِرْعَوْنُ وَإِخْوَٰنُ لُوطٍۢ

and Ad, and Pharaoh, and Lot’s brethren,

وَأَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْأَيْكَةِ وَقَوْمُ تُبَّعٍۢ ۚ كُلٌّۭ كَذَّبَ ٱلرُّسُلَ فَحَقَّ وَعِيدِ

and the dwellers of the wooded dales [of Madyan], and the people of Tubba: they all gave the lie to the apostles - and thereupon that whereof I had warned [them] came true.

أَفَعَيِينَا بِٱلْخَلْقِ ٱلْأَوَّلِ ۚ بَلْ هُمْ فِى لَبْسٍۢ مِّنْ خَلْقٍۢ جَدِيدٍۢ

Could We, then, be [thought of as being] worn out by the first creation? Nay - but some people are [still] lost in doubt about [the possibility of] a new creation!

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ وَنَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِهِۦ نَفْسُهُۥ ۖ وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ ٱلْوَرِيدِ

NOW, VERILY, it is We who have created man, and We know what his innermost self whispers within him: for We are closer to him than his neck-vein.

إِذْ يَتَلَقَّى ٱلْمُتَلَقِّيَانِ عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٌۭ

[And so,] whenever the two demands [of his nature] come face to face, contending from the right and from the left,

مَّا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌۭ

not even a word can he utter but there is a watcher with him, ever-present.

وَجَآءَتْ سَكْرَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ بِٱلْحَقِّ ۖ ذَٰلِكَ مَا كُنتَ مِنْهُ تَحِيدُ

And [then,] the twilight of death brings with it the [full] truth that [very thing, O man,] from which thou wouldst always look away! –

وَنُفِخَ فِى ٱلصُّورِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ يَوْمُ ٱلْوَعِيدِ

and [in the end] the trumpet [of resurrection] will be blown: that will be the Day of a warning fulfilled.

وَجَآءَتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍۢ مَّعَهَا سَآئِقٌۭ وَشَهِيدٌۭ

And every human being will come forward with [his erstwhile] inner urges and [his] conscious mind,

لَّقَدْ كُنتَ فِى غَفْلَةٍۢ مِّنْ هَٰذَا فَكَشَفْنَا عَنكَ غِطَآءَكَ فَبَصَرُكَ ٱلْيَوْمَ حَدِيدٌۭ

[and will be told:] “Indeed, unmindful hast thou been of this [Day of Judgment]; but now We have lifted from thee thy veil, and sharp is thy sight today!”

وَقَالَ قَرِينُهُۥ هَٰذَا مَا لَدَىَّ عَتِيدٌ

And one part of him will say: “This it is that has been ever-present with me!”

أَلْقِيَا فِى جَهَنَّمَ كُلَّ كَفَّارٍ عَنِيدٍۢ

[Whereupon God will command:] “Cast, cast into hell every [such] stubborn enemy of the truth,

مَّنَّاعٍۢ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍۢ مُّرِيبٍ

[every] withholder of good [and] sinful aggressor [and] fomentor of distrust [between man and man – everyone]

ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا ءَاخَرَ فَأَلْقِيَاهُ فِى ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلشَّدِيدِ

who has set up another deity beside God: cast him, then, cast him into suffering severe!”

۞ قَالَ قَرِينُهُۥ رَبَّنَا مَآ أَطْغَيْتُهُۥ وَلَٰكِن كَانَ فِى ضَلَٰلٍۭ بَعِيدٍۢ

Man’s other self’ will say: “O our Sustainer! It was not I that led his conscious mind into evil [nay,] but it had gone far astray [of its own accord]!

قَالَ لَا تَخْتَصِمُوا۟ لَدَىَّ وَقَدْ قَدَّمْتُ إِلَيْكُم بِٱلْوَعِيدِ

[And] He will say: “Contend not before Me, [O you sinners,] for I gave you a forewarning [of this Day of Reckoning].

مَا يُبَدَّلُ ٱلْقَوْلُ لَدَىَّ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ بِظَلَّٰمٍۢ لِّلْعَبِيدِ

The judgment passed by Me shall not be altered; but never do I do the least wrong unto My creatures!”

يَوْمَ نَقُولُ لِجَهَنَّمَ هَلِ ٱمْتَلَأْتِ وَتَقُولُ هَلْ مِن مَّزِيدٍۢ

On that Day We will ask hell, “Art thou filled?”- and it will answer, “[Nay,] is there yet more [for me]?”

وَأُزْلِفَتِ ٱلْجَنَّةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ

And [on that Day] paradise will be brought within the sight of the God-conscious, and will no longer be far away; [and they will be told:]

هَٰذَا مَا تُوعَدُونَ لِكُلِّ أَوَّابٍ حَفِيظٍۢ

“This is what you were promised - [promised] unto every­one who was wont to turn unto God and to keep Him always in mind –

مَّنْ خَشِىَ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنَ بِٱلْغَيْبِ وَجَآءَ بِقَلْبٍۢ مُّنِيبٍ

[everyone] who stood in awe of the Most Gracious although He is beyond the reach of human perception, and who has come [unto Him] with a heart full of contrition.

ٱدْخُلُوهَا بِسَلَٰمٍۢ ۖ ذَٰلِكَ يَوْمُ ٱلْخُلُودِ

Enter this [paradise] in peace; this is the Day on which life abiding begins!”

لَهُم مَّا يَشَآءُونَ فِيهَا وَلَدَيْنَا مَزِيدٌۭ

In that [paradise] they shall have whatever they may desire - but there is yet more with Us.

وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا قَبْلَهُم مِّن قَرْنٍ هُمْ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُم بَطْشًۭا فَنَقَّبُوا۟ فِى ٱلْبِلَٰدِ هَلْ مِن مَّحِيصٍ

AND HOW MANY a generation have We destroyed before those [who now deny the truth] people of greater might than theirs; but [when Our chastise­ment befell them,] they became wanderers on the face of the earth, seeking no more than a place of refuge

إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَذِكْرَىٰ لِمَن كَانَ لَهُۥ قَلْبٌ أَوْ أَلْقَى ٱلسَّمْعَ وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌۭ

In this, behold, there is indeed a reminder for everyone whose heart is wide-awake -that is, [every­one who] lends ear with a conscious mind -

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍۢ وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِن لُّغُوبٍۢ

and [who knows that] We have indeed created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six aeons, and [that] no weariness could ever touch Us.

فَٱصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ ٱلشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ ٱلْغُرُوبِ

HENCE, [O believer,] bear thou with patience what­ever they may say, and extol thy Sustainer’s limit­less glory and praise before the rising of the sun and before its setting;

وَمِنَ ٱلَّيْلِ فَسَبِّحْهُ وَأَدْبَٰرَ ٱلسُّجُودِ

and in the night, too, extol His glory, and at every prayer’s end.

وَٱسْتَمِعْ يَوْمَ يُنَادِ ٱلْمُنَادِ مِن مَّكَانٍۢ قَرِيبٍۢ

And [always] listen for the day when He who issues the call [of death] shall call [thee] from close-by;

يَوْمَ يَسْمَعُونَ ٱلصَّيْحَةَ بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ يَوْمُ ٱلْخُرُوجِ

[and bethink thyself, too, of] the Day on which all [human beings] will in truth hear the final blast - that Day of [their] coming-forth [from death].

إِنَّا نَحْنُ نُحْىِۦ وَنُمِيتُ وَإِلَيْنَا ٱلْمَصِيرُ

Verily, it is We who grant life and deal death; and with Us will be all journeys’ end

يَوْمَ تَشَقَّقُ ٱلْأَرْضُ عَنْهُمْ سِرَاعًۭا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ حَشْرٌ عَلَيْنَا يَسِيرٌۭ

on the Day when the earth is riven asunder all around them as they hasten forth [towards God’s judgment]: that gathering will be easy for Us [to encompass].

نَّحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ ۖ وَمَآ أَنتَ عَلَيْهِم بِجَبَّارٍۢ ۖ فَذَكِّرْ بِٱلْقُرْءَانِ مَن يَخَافُ وَعِيدِ

Fully aware are We of what they [who deny resurrection] do say; and thou canst by no means force them [to believe in it]. Yet none the less, remind, through this Qur’an, all such as may fear My warning.