بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ إِذَا ٱلشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ

WHEN THE SUN is shrouded in darkness,

وَإِذَا ٱلنُّجُومُ ٱنكَدَرَتْ

and when the stars lose their light,

وَإِذَا ٱلْجِبَالُ سُيِّرَتْ

and when the mountains are made to vanish,

وَإِذَا ٱلْعِشَارُ عُطِّلَتْ

and when she-camels big with young, about to give birth, are left untended,

وَإِذَا ٱلْوُحُوشُ حُشِرَتْ

and when all beasts are gathered together,

وَإِذَا ٱلْبِحَارُ سُجِّرَتْ

and when the seas boil over,

وَإِذَا ٱلنُّفُوسُ زُوِّجَتْ

and when all human beings are coupled [with their deeds],

وَإِذَا ٱلْمَوْءُۥدَةُ سُئِلَتْ

and when the girl-child that was buried alive is made to ask

بِأَىِّ ذَنۢبٍۢ قُتِلَتْ

for what crime she had been slain,

وَإِذَا ٱلصُّحُفُ نُشِرَتْ

and when the scrolls [of men's deeds] are unfolded,

وَإِذَا ٱلسَّمَآءُ كُشِطَتْ

and when heaven is laid bare,

وَإِذَا ٱلْجَحِيمُ سُعِّرَتْ

and when the blazing fire [of hell] is kindled bright,

وَإِذَا ٱلْجَنَّةُ أُزْلِفَتْ

and when paradise is brought into view:

عَلِمَتْ نَفْسٌۭ مَّآ أَحْضَرَتْ

[on that Day] every human being will come to know what he has prepared [for himself].

فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِٱلْخُنَّسِ

BUT NAY! I call to witness the revolving stars,

ٱلْجَوَارِ ٱلْكُنَّسِ

the planets that run their course and set,

وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا عَسْعَسَ

and the night as it darkly falls,

وَٱلصُّبْحِ إِذَا تَنَفَّسَ

and the morn as it softly breathes:

إِنَّهُۥ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍۢ كَرِيمٍۢ

behold, this [divine writ] is indeed the [inspired] word of a noble apostle,

ذِى قُوَّةٍ عِندَ ذِى ٱلْعَرْشِ مَكِينٍۢ

with strength endowed, secure with Him who in almightiness is enthroned

مُّطَاعٍۢ ثَمَّ أَمِينٍۢ

[the word] of one to be heeded, and worthy of trust!

وَمَا صَاحِبُكُم بِمَجْنُونٍۢ

For, this fellow-man of yours is not a madman:

وَلَقَدْ رَءَاهُ بِٱلْأُفُقِ ٱلْمُبِينِ

he truly beheld [the angel - beheld] him on the clear horizon;

وَمَا هُوَ عَلَى ٱلْغَيْبِ بِضَنِينٍۢ

and he is not one to begrudge others the knowledge [of whatever has been revealed to him] out of that which is beyond the reach of human Perception.

وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَيْطَٰنٍۢ رَّجِيمٍۢ

Nor is this [message] the word of any satanic force accursed.

فَأَيْنَ تَذْهَبُونَ

Whither, then, will you go?

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌۭ لِّلْعَٰلَمِينَ

This [message] is no less than a reminder to all mankind –

لِمَن شَآءَ مِنكُمْ أَن يَسْتَقِيمَ

to everyone of you who wills to walk a straight way.

وَمَا تَشَآءُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ

But you cannot will it unless God, the Sustainer of all the worlds, wills [to show you that way].