بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍۢ وَاقِعٍۢ

ONE who is minded to ask might ask about the suffering which [in the hereafter] is bound to befall

لِّلْكَٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌۭ

those who deny the truth. [Know, then, that] nothing can ward it off,

مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ

[since it will come] from God, unto whom there are many ways of ascent:

تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍۢ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍۢ

all the angels and all the inspiration [ever granted to man] ascend unto Him [daily,] in a day the length whereof is [like] fifty thousand years…

فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًۭا جَمِيلًا

Therefore, [O believer,] endure all adversity with goodly patience:

إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُۥ بَعِيدًۭا

behold, men look upon that [reckoning] as something far away –

وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبًۭا

but, We see it as near!

يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ

[It will take place] on a Day when the sky will be like molten lead,

وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ

and the mountains will be like tufts of wool,

وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًۭا

and [when] no friend will ask about his friend,

يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ

though they may be in one another's sight: [for,] everyone who was lost in sin will on that Day but desire to ransom himself from suffering at the price of his own children,

وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ

and of his spouse, and of his brother,

وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ

and of all the kinsfolk who ever sheltered him,

وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًۭا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ

and of whoever [else] lives on earth, all of them - so that he could but save himself.

كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ

But nay! Verily, all [that awaits him] is a raging flame,

نَزَّاعَةًۭ لِّلشَّوَىٰ

tearing away his skin!

تَدْعُوا۟ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ

It will claim all such as turn their backs [on what is right], and turn away [from the truth],

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰٓ

and amass [wealth] and thereupon withhold [it from their fellow-men].

۞ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا

VERILY, man is born with a restless disposition.

إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًۭا

[As a rule,] whenever misfortune touches him, he is filled with self-pity;

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا

and whenever good fortune comes to him, he selfishly withholds it [from others].

إِلَّا ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ

Not so, however, those who consciously turn towards God in prayer.

ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ

[and] who incessantly persevere in their prayer

وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّۭ مَّعْلُومٌۭ

and in whose possessions there is a due share, acknowledged [by them],

لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ

for such as ask [for help] and such as are deprived [of what is good in life];

وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ

and who accept as true the [coming of the] Day of Judgment;

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ

and who stand in dread of their Sustainer's chastisement –

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍۢ

for, behold, of their Sustainer's chastisement none may ever feel [wholly] secure;

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَٰفِظُونَ

and who are mindful of their chastity,

إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ

[not giving way to their desires] with any but their spouses - that is, those whom they rightfully possess [through wedlock] -: for then, behold, they are free of all blame,

فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ

whereas such as seek to go beyond that [limit] are truly transgressors;

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ

and who are faithful to their trusts and to their pledges:

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمْ قَآئِمُونَ

and who stand firm whenever they bear witness;

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ

and who guard their prayers [from all worldly intent].

أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّٰتٍۢ مُّكْرَمُونَ

These it is who in the gardens [of paradise] shall be honoured!

فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ

WHAT, THEN, is amiss with such as are bent on denying the truth, that they run about confusedly to and fro before thee,

عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ

[coming upon thee] from the right and from the left, in crowds?

أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍۢ

Does every one of them hope to enter [by this means] a garden of bliss?

كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ

Never! For, behold, We have created them out of something that they know [only too well]!

فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ

But nay! I call to witness [Our being] the Sustainer of all the points of sunrise and sunset: verily, well able are We

عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًۭا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ

to replace them with [people] better than they are; for there is nothing to prevent Us [from doing what We will].

فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ

Hence, leave them to indulge in idle talk and play [with words] until they face that [Judgment] Day of theirs which they have been promised –

يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًۭا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍۢ يُوفِضُونَ

the Day when they shall come forth in haste from their graves, as if racing towards a goal-post,

خَٰشِعَةً أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌۭ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يُوعَدُونَ

with downcast eyes, with ignominy overwhelming them: that Day which they were promised again and…