بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ٱلْحَآقَّةُ

OH, THE LAYING-BARE of the truth!

مَا ٱلْحَآقَّةُ

How awesome that laying-bare of the truth!

وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْحَآقَّةُ

And what could make thee conceive what that laying-bare of the truth will be?

كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ وَعَادٌۢ بِٱلْقَارِعَةِ

THE LIE gave [the tribes of] Thamud and ‘Ad to [all tidings of] that sudden calamity!

فَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَأُهْلِكُوا۟ بِٱلطَّاغِيَةِ

Now as for the Thamud - they were destroyed by a violent upheaval [of the earth];

وَأَمَّا عَادٌۭ فَأُهْلِكُوا۟ بِرِيحٍۢ صَرْصَرٍ عَاتِيَةٍۢ

and as for the ‘Ad - they were destroyed by a storm wind furiously raging,

سَخَّرَهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَبْعَ لَيَالٍۢ وَثَمَٰنِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ حُسُومًۭا فَتَرَى ٱلْقَوْمَ فِيهَا صَرْعَىٰ كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ خَاوِيَةٍۢ

which He willed against them for seven nights and eight days without cease, so that in the end thou couldst see those people laid low [in death], as though they were so many [uprooted] trunks of hollow palm trees:

فَهَلْ تَرَىٰ لَهُم مِّنۢ بَاقِيَةٍۢ

and dost thou now see any remnant of them?

وَجَآءَ فِرْعَوْنُ وَمَن قَبْلَهُۥ وَٱلْمُؤْتَفِكَٰتُ بِٱلْخَاطِئَةِ

And there was Pharaoh, too, and [many of] those who lived before him, and the cities that were overthrown - [all of them] indulged in sin upon sin

فَعَصَوْا۟ رَسُولَ رَبِّهِمْ فَأَخَذَهُمْ أَخْذَةًۭ رَّابِيَةً

and rebelled against their Sustainer's apostles: and so He took them to task with a punishing grasp exceedingly severe!

إِنَّا لَمَّا طَغَا ٱلْمَآءُ حَمَلْنَٰكُمْ فِى ٱلْجَارِيَةِ

[And] behold: when the waters [of Noah's flood] burst beyond all limits, it was We who caused you to be borne [to safety] in that floating ark,

لِنَجْعَلَهَا لَكُمْ تَذْكِرَةًۭ وَتَعِيَهَآ أُذُنٌۭ وَٰعِيَةٌۭ

so that We might make all this a [lasting] reminder to you all, and that every wide-awake ear might consciously take it in.

فَإِذَا نُفِخَ فِى ٱلصُّورِ نَفْخَةٌۭ وَٰحِدَةٌۭ

Hence, [bethink yourselves of the Last Hour,] when the trumpet [of judgment] shall be sounded with a single blast,

وَحُمِلَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ وَٱلْجِبَالُ فَدُكَّتَا دَكَّةًۭ وَٰحِدَةًۭ

and the earth and the mountains shall be lifted up and crushed with a single stroke!

فَيَوْمَئِذٍۢ وَقَعَتِ ٱلْوَاقِعَةُ

And so, that which must come to pass will on that day have come to pass;

وَٱنشَقَّتِ ٱلسَّمَآءُ فَهِىَ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ وَاهِيَةٌۭ

and the sky will be rent asunder - for, frail will it have become on that Day -;

وَٱلْمَلَكُ عَلَىٰٓ أَرْجَآئِهَا ۚ وَيَحْمِلُ عَرْشَ رَبِّكَ فَوْقَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ ثَمَٰنِيَةٌۭ

and the angels [will appear] at its ends, and, above them, eight will bear aloft on that Day the throne of thy Sustainer’s almightiness…

يَوْمَئِذٍۢ تُعْرَضُونَ لَا تَخْفَىٰ مِنكُمْ خَافِيَةٌۭ

On that Day you shall be brought to judgment: not [even] the most hidden of your deeds will remain hidden.

فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِىَ كِتَٰبَهُۥ بِيَمِينِهِۦ فَيَقُولُ هَآؤُمُ ٱقْرَءُوا۟ كِتَٰبِيَهْ

Now as for him whose record shall be placed in his right hand, he will exclaim: "Come you all!" Read this my record!

إِنِّى ظَنَنتُ أَنِّى مُلَٰقٍ حِسَابِيَهْ

Behold, I did know that [one day] I would have to face my account!

فَهُوَ فِى عِيشَةٍۢ رَّاضِيَةٍۢ

And so he will find himself in a happy state of life,

فِى جَنَّةٍ عَالِيَةٍۢ

in a lofty paradise,

قُطُوفُهَا دَانِيَةٌۭ

with its fruits within easy reach.

كُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ هَنِيٓـًٔۢا بِمَآ أَسْلَفْتُمْ فِى ٱلْأَيَّامِ ٱلْخَالِيَةِ

[And all who are thus blest will be told:] "Eat and drink with good cheer in return for all [the good deeds] that you have sent ahead in days gone by!"

وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِىَ كِتَٰبَهُۥ بِشِمَالِهِۦ فَيَقُولُ يَٰلَيْتَنِى لَمْ أُوتَ كِتَٰبِيَهْ

But as for him whose record shall be placed in his left hand, he will exclaim: "Oh, would that I had never been shown this my record,

وَلَمْ أَدْرِ مَا حِسَابِيَهْ

and neither known this my account!

يَٰلَيْتَهَا كَانَتِ ٱلْقَاضِيَةَ

Oh, would that this [death of mine] had been the end of me!

مَآ أَغْنَىٰ عَنِّى مَالِيَهْ ۜ

Of no avail to me is all that I have [ever] possessed,

هَلَكَ عَنِّى سُلْطَٰنِيَهْ

[and] all my power of argument has died away from me!"

خُذُوهُ فَغُلُّوهُ

Thereupon the command will go forth:] "Lay hold of him, and shackle him,

ثُمَّ ٱلْجَحِيمَ صَلُّوهُ

and then let him enter hell,

ثُمَّ فِى سِلْسِلَةٍۢ ذَرْعُهَا سَبْعُونَ ذِرَاعًۭا فَٱسْلُكُوهُ

and then thrust him into a chain [of other sinners like him - a chain] the length whereof is seventy cubits:

إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ لَا يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ

for, behold, he did not believe in God, the Tremendous,

وَلَا يَحُضُّ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ ٱلْمِسْكِينِ

and did not feel any urge to feed the needy:

فَلَيْسَ لَهُ ٱلْيَوْمَ هَٰهُنَا حَمِيمٌۭ

and so, no friend has here today,

وَلَا طَعَامٌ إِلَّا مِنْ غِسْلِينٍۢ

nor any food save the filth

لَّا يَأْكُلُهُۥٓ إِلَّا ٱلْخَٰطِـُٔونَ

which none but the sinners eat!"

فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِمَا تُبْصِرُونَ

BUT NAY! I call to witness an that you can see,

وَمَا لَا تُبْصِرُونَ

as well as all that you cannot see!

إِنَّهُۥ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍۢ كَرِيمٍۢ

Behold, this [Qur’an] is indeed the [inspired] word of a noble apostle,

وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَاعِرٍۢ ۚ قَلِيلًۭا مَّا تُؤْمِنُونَ

and is not – however little you may [be prepared to] believe it - the word of a poet;

وَلَا بِقَوْلِ كَاهِنٍۢ ۚ قَلِيلًۭا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ

and neither is it - however little you may [be prepared to] take it to heart - the word of a soothsayer:

تَنزِيلٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ

[it is] a revelation from the Sustainer of all the worlds.

وَلَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيْنَا بَعْضَ ٱلْأَقَاوِيلِ

Now if he [whom We have entrusted with it] had dared to attribute some [of his own] sayings unto Us,

لَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُ بِٱلْيَمِينِ

We would indeed have seized him by his right hand,

ثُمَّ لَقَطَعْنَا مِنْهُ ٱلْوَتِينَ

and would indeed have cut his life-vein.

فَمَا مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ عَنْهُ حَٰجِزِينَ

and none of you could have saved him!

وَإِنَّهُۥ لَتَذْكِرَةٌۭ لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ

And, verily, this [Qur’an] is a reminder to all the God-conscious!

وَإِنَّا لَنَعْلَمُ أَنَّ مِنكُم مُّكَذِّبِينَ

And, behold, well do We know that among you are such as will give the lie to it:

وَإِنَّهُۥ لَحَسْرَةٌ عَلَى ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ

yet, behold, this [rejection] will indeed become a source of bitter regret for all who deny the truth [of God's revelation] –

وَإِنَّهُۥ لَحَقُّ ٱلْيَقِينِ

for, verily, it is truth absolute!

فَسَبِّحْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلْعَظِيمِ

Extol, then the limitless glory of thy Sustainer's mighty name!