Juz 30 — Part 30 of 30

'Amma Yatasaa-aloon

ABOUT WHAT do they [most often] ask one another?

'Anin-nabaa-il 'azeem

About the awesome tiding [of resurrection],

Allazi hum feehi mukh talifoon

on which they [so utterly] disagree.

Kallaa sa y'alamoon

Nay, but in time they will come to understand [it]!

Thumma kallaa sa y'alamoon

And once again: Nay, but in time they will come to understand!

Alam naj'alil arda mihaa da

HAVE WE NOT made the earth a resting-place [for you],

Wal jibaala au taada

and the mountains [its] pegs?

Wa khalaq naakum azwaaja

And We have created you in pairs;

Waja'alnan naumakum subata

and We have made your sleep [a symbol of] death

Waja'alnal laila libasa

and made the night [its] cloak

Waja'alnan nahara ma 'aasha

and made the day [a symbol of] life.

Wa banaina fauqakum sab 'an shi daada

And We have built above you seven firmaments,

Waja'alna siraajaw wah haaja

and have placed [therein the sun,] a lamp full of blazing splendour.

Wa anzalna minal m'usiraati maa-an saj-jaaja

And from the wind-driven clouds We send down waters pouring in abundance,

Linukh rija bihee habbaw wana baata

so that We might bring forth thereby grain, and herbs,

Wa jan naatin alfafa

and gardens dense with follage.

Inna yaumal-fasli kana miqaata

VERILY, the Day of Distinction [between the true and the false] has indeed its appointed time:

Yauma yun fakhu fis-soori fataa toona afwaaja

the Day when the trumpet [of resurrection] is sounded and you all come forward in multitudes;

Wa futiha tis samaa-u fakaanat abwaaba

and when the skies are opened and become [as wide-flung] gates;

Wa suyyi raatil jibaalu fa kaanat saraaba

and when the mountains are made to vanish as if they had been a mirage.

Inna jahan nama kaanat mirsaada

[On that Day,] verily, hell will lie in wait [for those who deny the truth] –

Lit taa gheena ma aaba

a goal for all who are wont to transgress the bounds of what is right!

Laa bitheena feehaa ahqaaba

In it shall they remain for a long time.

Laa ya zooqoona feeha bar daw walaa sharaaba

Neither coolness shall they taste therein nor any [thirst-quenching] drink –

Illa hamee maw-wa ghas saaqa

only burning despair and ice-cold darkness:

Jazaa-aw wi faaqa

a meet requital [for their sins]!

Innahum kaanu laa yarjoona hisaaba

Behold, they were not expecting to be called to account,

Wa kazzabu bi aayaa tina kizzaba

having given the lie to Our messages one and all:

Wa kulla shai-in ahsai naahu kitaa ba

but We have placed on record every single thing [of what they did].

Fa zooqoo falan-nazee dakum ill-laa azaaba

[And so We shall say:] "Taste, then, [the fruit of your evil doings,] for now We shall bestow on you nothing but more and more suffering!"

Inna lil mutta qeena mafaaza

[But,] verily for the God-conscious there is supreme fulfilment in store:

Hadaa-iqa wa a'anaa ba

luxuriant gardens and vinyards,

Wa kaawa 'iba at raaba

and splendid companions well matched,

Wa ka'san di haaqa

and a cup [of happiness] overflowing.

Laa yasma'oona fiha lagh waw walaa kizzaba

No empty talk will they hear in that [paradise], nor any lie.

Jazaa-am mir-rabbika ataa-an hisaaba

[All this will be] a reward from thy Sustainer, a gift in accordance with [His Own] reckoning –

Rabbis samaa waati wal ardi wa maa baina humar rahmaani laa yam likoona minhu khi taaba

[a reward from] the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, the Most Gracious! [And] none shall have it in their power to raise their voices unto Him

Yauma yaqoo mur roohu wal malaa-ikatu saf-fal laa yata kalla moona illa man azina lahur rahmaanu wa qaala sawaaba

on the Day when all [human] souls and all the angels will stand up in ranks: none will speak but he to whom the Most Gracious will have given leave; and [everyone] will say [only] what is right.

Zaalikal yaumul haqqu faman shaa-at ta khaaza ill-laa rabbihi ma-aaba

That will be the Day of Ultimate Truth: whoever wills, then, let him take the path that leads towards his Sustainer!

In naa anzar naakum azaaban qareebaiy-yauma yan zurul marr-u maa qaddamat yadaahu wa ya qoolul-kaafiru yaa lai tanee kuntu turaaba

Verily, We have warned you of suffering near at hand - [suffering] on the Day when man shall [clearly] see what his hands have sent ahead, and when he who has denied the truth shall say, "Oh, would that I were mere dust...!"

Wan naazi 'aati gharqa

CONSIDER those [stars] that rise only to set,

Wan naa shi taati nashta

and move [in their orbits] with steady motion,

Wass saabi-haati sabha

and float [through space] with floating serene,

Fass saabi qaati sabqa

and yet overtake [one another] with swift overtaking:

Fal mu dab-bi raati amra

and thus they fulfil the [Creator's] behest!

Yawma tarjufur raajifa

[HENCE, think of] the Day when a violent convulsion will convulse [the world],

Tatba'u har raadifa

to be followed by further [convulsions]!

Quloobuny-yau maaiziw-waaji-fa

On that Day will [men's] hearts be throbbing,

Absaa ruhaa khashi'ah

[and] their eyes downcast...

Ya qoo loona a-inna lamar doo doona fil haafirah

[And yet,] some say, "What! Are we indeed to be restored to our former state –

Aizaa kunna 'izaa man-nakhirah

even though we may have become [a heap of] crumbling bones?"

Qaalu tilka izan karratun khaasirah.

[And] they add, "That, then, would be a return with loss!"

Fa inna ma hiya zajratuw-waahida

[But,] then, that [Last Hour] will be [upon them of a sudden, as if it were] but a single accusing cry -

Faizaa hum biss saahirah

and then, lo, they will be fully awakened [to the truth]!

Hal ataaka hadeethu Musaa

HAS THE STORY of Moses ever come within thy ken.

Iz nadaahu rabbuhu bil waadil-muqad dasi tuwa

Lo! His Sustainer called out to him in the twice-hallowed valley:

Izhab ilaa fir'auna innahu taghaa.

"Go unto Pharaoh - for, verily, he has transgressed all bounds of what is right -

Faqul hal laka ilaa-an tazakka.

and say [unto him], 'Art thou desirous of attaining to purity?

Wa ahdi yaka ila rabbika fatakh sha

[If so,] then I shall guide thee towards [a cognition of] thy Sustainer, so that [henceforth] thou wilt stand in awe [of Him].’"

Fa araahul-aayatal kubra.

And thereupon he [went to Pharaoh and] made him aware of the great wonder [of God's grace].

Fa kazzaba wa asaa.

But [Pharaoh] gave him the lie and rebelliously rejected [all guidance],

Thumma adbara yas'aa.

and brusquely turned his back [on Moses];

Fa hashara fanada.

and then he gathered [his great ones], and called [unto his people],

Faqala ana rabbu kumul-a'laa.

and said, "I am your Lord All-Highest!"

Fa-akha zahul laahu nakalal aakhirati wal-oola.

And thereupon God took him to task, [and made him] a warning example in the life to come as well as in this world.

Inna fee zaalika la'ibratal limaiy-yaksha

In this, behold, there is a lesson indeed for all who stand in awe [of God].

A-antum a shaddu khalqan amis samaa-u banaaha.

[O MEN!] Are you more difficult to create than the heaven which He has built?

Raf'a sam kaha fasaw waaha

High has He reared its vault and formed it in accordance with what it was meant to be;

Wa aghtasha lailaha wa akhraja duhaaha.

and He has made dark its night and brought forth its light of day.

Wal arda b'ada zaalika dahaaha.

And after that, the earth: wide has He spread its expanse,

Akhraja minha maa-aha wa mar 'aaha.

and has caused its waters to come out of it, and its pastures,

Wal jibala arsaaha.

and has made the mountains firm:

Mataa'al lakum wali an 'aamikum.

[all this] as a means of livelihood for you and your animals.

Fa-izaa jaaa'atit taaam matul kubraa.

AND SO, when the great overwhelming event [of, resurrection] comes to pass –

Yauma Yata zakkarul insaanu ma sa'aa.

on that Day man will [clearly] remember all that he has ever wrought;

Wa burrizatil-jaheemu limany-yaraa.

and the blazing fire [of hell] will be lad open before all who [are destined to] see it.

Fa ammaa man taghaa.

For, unto him who shall have transgressed the bounds of what is right,

Wa aasaral hayaatad dunyaa

and preferred the life of this world [to the good of his soul],

Fa innal jaheema hiyal maawaa.

that blazing fire will truly be the goal!

Wa ammaa man khaafa maqaama Rabbihee wa nahan nafsa 'anil hawaa

But unto him who shall have stood in fear of his Sustainer's Presence, and held back his inner self from base desires,

Fa innal jannata hiyal maawaa

paradise will truly be the goal!

Yas'aloonaka 'anis saa'ati ayyaana mursaahaa

THEY WILL ASK thee [O Prophet] about the Last Hour: "When will it come to pass?"

Feema anta min zikraahaa

[But] how couldst thou tell anything about it,

Ilaa Rabbika muntahaa haa

[seeing that] with thy Sustainer alone rests the beginning and the end [of all knowledge] thereof?

Innamaaa anta munziru maiy yakshaahaa

Thou art but [sent] to warn those who stand in awe of it.

Ka annahum Yawma yarawnahaa lam yalbasooo illaa 'ashiyyatan aw duhaahaa

On the Day when they behold it, [it will seem to them] as if they had tarried [in this world] no longer than one evening or [one night, ending with] its morn!

'Abasa wa tawallaa.

HE FROWNED and turned away

An jaa-ahul 'a-maa

because the blind man approached him!

Wa maa yudreeka la'allahu yaz zakkaa.

Yet for all thou didst know, [O Muhammad,] he might perhaps have grown in purity,

Au yaz zak karu fatanfa 'ahuz zikraa.

or have been reminded [of the truth], and helped by this reminder.

Amma manis taghnaa

Now as for him who believes himself to be self-sufficient

Fa-anta lahu tasaddaa

to him didst thou give thy whole attention,

Wa ma 'alaika allaa yaz zakka.

although thou art not accountable for his failure to attain to purity;

Wa amma man jaa-aka yas'a

but as for him who came unto thee full of eagerness

Wahuwa yakhshaa,

and in awe [of God]

Fa-anta 'anhu talah haa.

him didst thou disregard!

Kalla innaha tazkirah

NAY, VERILY, these [messages] are but a reminder:

Faman shaa a zakarah

and so, whoever is willing may remember Him

Fi suhufim mukar rama,

in [the light of His] revelations blest with dignity,

Marfoo'atim mutah hara,

lofty and pure,

Bi'aidee safara

[borne] by the hands of messengers

Kiraamim bararah.

noble and most virtuous.

Qutilal-insanu maa akfarah.

[But only too often] man destroys himself: how stubbornly does he deny the truth!

Min aiyyi shai-in Khalaq

[Does man ever consider] out of what substance [God] creates him?

Min nutfah; khalaqahu faqad-darah.

Out of a drop of sperm He creates him, and thereupon determines his nature,

Thummas sabeela yas-sarah

and then makes it easy for him to go through life;

Thumma amatahu fa-aqbarah

and in the end He causes him to die and brings him to the grave;

Thumma iza shaa-a ansharah

and then, if it be His will, He shall raise him again to life,

Kalla lamma yaqdi maa amarah.

Nay, but [man] has never yet fulfilled what He has enjoined upon him!

Falyanzuril insanu ilaa ta-amih

Let man, then, consider [the sources of] his food:

Anna sabab nalmaa-a sabba.

[how it is] that We pour down water, pouring it down abundantly;

Thumma sha qaqnal-arda shaqqa.

and then We cleave the earth [with new growth], cleaving it asunder,

Fa ambatna feeha habba

and thereupon We cause grain to grow out of it,

Wa 'inabaw-wa qadba

and vines and edible plants,

Wa zaitoonaw wanakh la'

and olive trees and date-palms,

Wa hadaa-iqa ghulba

and gardens dense with foliage,

Wa faki hataw-wa abba.

and fruits and herbage,

Mata'al-lakum wa li-an'amikum.

for you and for your animals to enjoy.

Faiza jaa-atis saakhah.

AND SO, when the piercing call [of resurrection] is heard

Yauma yafir-rul mar-u min akheeh

on a Day when everyone will [want to] flee from his brother,

Wa ummihee wa abeeh

and from his mother and father,

Wa sahi batihee wa baneeh.

and from his spouse and his children:

Likul limri-im-minuhm yaumaa-izin shaa nuy-yughneeh

on that Day, to every one of them will his own state be of sufficient concern.

Wujoo huny-yauma-izim-musfira;

Some faces will on that Day be bright with happiness,

Dahi katum mustab shirah

laughing, rejoicing at glad tidings.

Wa wujoohuy yauma-izin 'alaiha ghabar a

And some faces will on that Day with dust be covered,

Tarhaquha qatarah.

with darkness overspread:

Ulaa-ika humul-kafa ratul-fajarah.

these, these will be the ones who denied the truth and were immersed in iniquity!

Izash shamsu kuwwirat

WHEN THE SUN is shrouded in darkness,

Wa izan nujoomun kadarat

and when the stars lose their light,

Wa izal jibaalu suyyirat

and when the mountains are made to vanish,

Wa izal 'ishaaru 'uttilat

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

Wa izal wuhooshu hushirat

and when all beasts are gathered together,

Wa izal bihaaru sujjirat

and when the seas boil over,

Wa izan nufoosu zuwwijat

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

Wa izal maw'oodatu su'ilat

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

Bi ayyi zambin qutilat

for what crime she had been slain,

Wa izas suhufu nushirat

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

Wa izas samaaa'u kushitat

and when heaven is laid bare,

Wa izal jaheemu su'-'irat

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

Wa izal jannatu uzlifat

and when paradise is brought into view:

'Alimat nafsum maaa ahdarat

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

Falaaa uqsimu bil khunnas

BUT NAY! I call to witness the revolving stars,

Al jawaaril kunnas

the planets that run their course and set,

Wallaili izaa 'as'as

and the night as it darkly falls,

Wassubhi izaa tanaffas

and the morn as it softly breathes:

Innahoo laqawlu rasoolin kareem

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

Zee quwwatin 'inda zil 'arshi makeen

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

Mutaa'in samma ameen

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

Wa maa saahibukum bimajnoon

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

Wa laqad ra aahu bilufuqil mubeen

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

Wa maa huwa 'alal ghaibi bidaneen

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.

Wa maa huwa biqawli shaitaanir rajeem

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

Fa ayna tazhaboon

Whither, then, will you go?

In huwa illaa zikrul lil'aalameen

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

Liman shaaa'a minkum ai yastaqeem

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

Wa maa tashaaa'oona illaaa ai yashaaa 'al laahu Rabbul 'Aalameen

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

Izas samaaa'un fatarat

WHEN THE SKY is cleft asunder,

Wa izal kawaakibun tasarat

and when the stars are scattered,

Wa izal bihaaru fujjirat

and when the seas burst beyond their bounds,

Wa izal qubooru bu'sirat

and when the graves are overturned –

'Alimat nafsum maa qaddamat wa akhkharat

every human being will [at last] comprehend, what he has sent ahead and what he has held back [in this world].

Yaaa ayyuhal insaaanu maa gharraka bi Rabbikal kareem

O MAN! What is it that lures thee away from thy bountiful Sustainer,

Allazee khalaqaka fasaw waaka fa'adalak

who has created thee, and formed thee in accordance with what thou art meant' to be, and shaped thy nature in just proportions,

Feee ayye sooratim maa shaaa'a rakkabak

having put thee together in whatever form He willed [thee to have]?

Kalla bal tukazziboona bid deen

Nay, [O men,] but you [are lured away from God whenever you are tempted to] give the lie to [God’s] Judgment!

Wa inna 'alaikum lahaa fizeen

And yet, verily, there are ever-watchful forces over you,

Kiraaman kaatibeen

noble, recording,

Ya'lamoona ma taf'aloon

aware of whatever you do!

Innal abraara lafee na'eem

Behold, [in the life to come] the truly virtuous: will indeed be in bliss,

Wa innal fujjaara lafee jaheem

whereas, behold, the wicked will indeed be in a blazing fire –

Yaslawnahaa Yawmad Deen

[a fire] which they shall enter on Judgment Day,

Wa maa hum 'anhaa bighaaa 'ibeen

and which they shall not [be able to] evade.

Wa maaa adraaka maa Yawmud Deen

And what could make thee conceive what that Judgment Day will be?

Summa maaa adraaka maa Yawmud Deen

And once again: What could make thee conceive what that Judgment Day will be?

Yawma laa tamliku nafsul linafsin shai'anw walamru yawma'izil lillaah

[It will be] a Day when no human being shall be of the least avail to another human being: for on that Day [it will become manifest that] all sovereignty is God's alone.

Wailul lil mutaffifeen

WOE UNTO THOSE who give short measure:

Allazeena izak taaloo 'alan naasi yastawfoon

those who, when they are to receive their due from [other] people, demand that it be given in full –

Wa izaa kaaloohum aw wazanoohum yukhsiroon

but when they have to measure or weigh whatever they owe to others, give less than what is due!

Alaa yazunnu ulaaa'ika annahum mab'oosoon

Do they not know that they are bound to be raised from the dead

Li Yawmin 'Azeem

[and called to account] on an awesome Day –

Yawma yaqoomun naasu li Rabbil 'aalameen

the Day when all men shall stand before the Sustainer of all the worlds?

Kallaaa inna kitaabal fujjaari lafee Sijjeen

NAY, VERILY, the record of the wicked is indeed [set down] in a mode inescapable!

Wa maa adraaka maa Sijjeen

And what could make thee conceive what that that mode inescapable will be?

Kitaabum marqoom

A record [indelibly] inscribed!

Wailuny yawma'izil lil mukazzibeen

Woe on that Day unto those who give the lie to the truth –

Allazeena yukazziboona bi yawmid deen

those who give the lie to the [coming of] Judgment Day:

Wa maa yukazzibu biheee illaa kullu mu'tadin aseem

for, none gives the lie to it but such as are wont to transgress against all that is [and are] immersed in sin:

Izaa tutlaa'alaihi aayaatunaa qaala asaateerul awwaleen

[and so,] whenever Our messages are conveyed to them, they but say, "Fables of ancient times!"

Kallaa bal raana 'alaa quloobihim maa kaanoo yaksiboon

Nay, but their hearts are corroded by all [the evil] that they were wont to do!

Kallaaa innahum 'ar Rabbihim yawma'izil lamah jooboon

Nay, verily, from [the grace of] their Sustainer shall they on that Day be debarred;

Summa innahum lasaa lul jaheem

and then, behold, they shall enter the blazing fire

Summa yuqaalu haazal lazee kuntum bihee tukazziboon

and be told: "This is the [very thing] to which you were wont to give the lie!"

Kallaaa inna kitaabal abraari lafee'Illiyyeen

NAY, VERILY - the record of the truly virtuous is [set down] in a mode most lofty!

Wa maaa adraaka maa 'Illiyyoon

And what could make thee conceive what that mode most lofty will be?

Kitaabum marqoom

A record [indelibly] inscribed,

Yashhadu hul muqarra boon

witnessed~ by all who have [ever] been drawn close unto God.

Innal abraara lafee Na'eem

Behold, [in the life to come] the truly virtuous will indeed be in bliss:

'Alal araaa'iki yanzuroon

[resting on couches, they will look up [to God]:

Ta'rifu fee wujoohihim nadratan na'eem

upon their faces thou wilt see the brightness of bliss.

Yusqawna mir raheeqim makhtoom

They will be given a drink of pure wine whereon the seal [of God] will have been set,

Khitaamuhoo misk; wa fee zaalika falyatanaafasil Mutanaafisoon

pouring forth with a fragrance of musk. To that [wine of paradise], then, let all such aspire as [are willing to] aspire to things of high account:

Wa mizaajuhoo min Tasneem

for it is composed of all that is most exalting

'Ainaiy yashrabu bihal muqarraboon

a source [of bliss] whereof those who are drawn close unto God shall drink.

Innal lazeena ajramoo kaanoo minal lazeena aamanoo yadhakoon

BEHOLD, those who have abandoned themselves to sin are wont to laugh at such as have attained to faith

Wa izaa marroo bihim yataghaamazoon

and whenever they pass by them, they wink at one another [derisively];

Wa izan qalabooo ilaaa ahlihimun qalaboo fakiheen

and whenever they return to people of their own kind, they return full of jests;

Wa izaa ra awhum qaalooo inna haaa'ulaaa'i ladaaal loon

and whenever they see those [who believe,] they say, "Behold, these [people] have indeed gone astray!"

Wa maaa ursiloo 'alaihim haafizeen

And, withal, they have no call to watch over [the beliefs of] others...

Fal yawmal lazeena aamanoo minal kuffaari yadhakoon

But on the Day [of Judgment], they who had attained to faith will [be able to] laugh at the [erstwhile] deniers of the truth:

'Alal araaa'iki yanzuroon

[for, resting in paradise] on couches, they will look on [and say to themselves]:

Hal suwwibal kuffaaru maa kaanoo yaf'aloon

"Are these deniers of the truth being [thus] requited for [aught but] what they were wont to do?"

Izas samaaa'un shaqqat

WHEN THE SKY is split asunder,

Wa azinat li Rabbihaa wa huqqat

obeying its Sustainer, as in truth it must;

Wa izal ardu muddat

and when the earth is leveled,

Wa alqat maa feehaa wa takhallat

and casts forth whatever is in it, and becomes utterly void,

Wa azinat li Rabbihaa wa huqqat

obeying its Sustainer, as in truth it must -:

Yaaa ayyuhal insaanu innaka kaadihun ilaa Rabbika kad han famulaaqeeh

[then,] O man - thou [that] hast, verily, been toiling towards thy Sustainer in painful toil - then shalt thou meet Him!

Fa ammaa man ootiya kitaabahoo biyameenih

And as for him whose record shall be placed in his right hand,

Fasawfa yuhaasabu hi saabai yaseeraa

he will in time be called to account with an easy accounting,

Wa yanqalibu ilaaa ahlihee masrooraa

and will [be able to] turn joyfully to those of his own kind.

Wa ammaa man ootiya kitaabahoo waraaa'a zahrih

But as for him whose record shall be given to him behind his back;

Fasawfa yad'oo subooraa

he will in time pray for utter destruction:

Wa yaslaa sa'eeraa

but he will enter the blazing flame.

Innahoo kaana feee ahlihee masrooraa

Behold, [in his earthly life] he lived joyfully among people of his own kind

Innahoo zanna al lai yahoor

for, behold, he never thought that he would have to return [to God].

Balaaa inna Rabbahoo kaana bihee baseeraa

Yea indeed! His Sustainer did see all that was in him!

Falaaa uqsimu bishshafaq

BUT NAY! I call to witness the sunset's [fleeting] afterglow,

Wallaili wa maa wasaq

and the night, and what it [step by step] unfolds,

Walqamari izat tasaq

and the moon, as it grows to its fullness:

Latarkabunna tabaqan 'an tabaq

[even thus, O men,] are you bound to move; onward from stage to stage.

Famaa lahum laa yu'minoon

What, then, is amiss with them that they will not believe [in a life to come]?

Wa izaa quri'a 'alaihimul Quraanu laa yasjudoon

and [that], when the Qur’an is read unto them, they do not fall down in prostration?

Balil lazeena kafaroo yukazziboon

Nay, but they who are bent on denying the truth give the lie [to this divine writ]!

Wallaahu a'lamu bimaa yoo'oon

Yet God has full knowledge of what they conceal [in their hearts].

Fabashshirhum bi'azaabin aleem

Hence, give them the tiding of grievous suffering [in the life to come] –

Illal lazeena aamanoo wa 'amilus saalihaati lahum ajrun ghairu mamnoon

unless it be such [of them] as [repent, and] attain to faith, and do good works: for theirs shall be a reward unending!.

Wassamaaa'i zaatil burooj

CONSIDER the sky full of great constellations,

Wal yawmil maw'ood

and [then bethink thyself of] the promised Day,

Wa shaahidinw wa mashhood

and [of] Him who witnesses [all], and [of] that unto which witness is borne [by Him]!

Qutila as haabul ukhdood

THEY DESTROY [but] themselves, they who would ready a pit

Annaari zaatil waqood

of fire fiercely burning [for all who have attained to faith]!

Iz hum 'alaihaa qu'ood

Lo! [With glee do] they contemplate that [fire],

Wa hum 'alaa maa yaf'aloona bilmu 'mineena shuhood

fully conscious of what they are doing to the believers,

Wa maa naqamoo minhum illaaa aiyu'minoo billaahil 'azeezil Hameed

whom they hate for no other reason than that they believe in God, the Almighty, the One to whom all praise is due,

Allazee lahoo mulkus samaawaati wal ard; wallaahu 'alaa kulli shai 'in Shaheed

[and] to whom the dominion of the heavens and the earth belongs. But God is witness unto everything!

Innal lazeena fatanul mu'mineena wal mu'minaati summa lam yatooboo falahum 'azaabu Jahannama wa lahum 'azaabul hareeq

Verily, as for those who persecute believing men and believing women, and thereafter do not repent, hell's suffering awaits them: yea, suffering through fire awaits them!

Innal lazeena aamanoo wa 'amilus saalihaati lahum Jannaatun tajree min tahtihal anhaar; zaalikal fawzul kabeer

[But,] verily, they who attain to faith and do righteous deeds shall [in the life to come] have gardens through which running waters flow - that triumph most great!

Inna batsha Rabbika lashadeed

VERILY, thy Sustainer's grip is exceedingly strong!

Innahoo Huwa yubdi'u wa yu'eed

Behold, it is He who creates [man] in the first instance, and He [it is who] will bring him forth anew.

Wa Huwal Ghafoorul Wadood

And He alone is truly-forgiving, all-embracing in His love,

Zul 'Arshil Majeed

in sublime almightiness enthroned,

Fa' 'aalul limaa yureed

a sovereign doer of whatever He wills.

Hal ataaka hadeesul junood

HAS IT ever come within thy ken, the story of the [sinful] hosts

Fir'awna wa Samood

of Pharaoh, and of [the tribe of] Thamud?

Balil lazeena kafaroo fee takzeeb

And yet, they who are bent on denying the truth persist in giving it the lie:

Wallaahu minw waraaa'ihim muheet

but all the while God encompasses them [with His knowledge and might] without their being aware of it.

Bal huwa Quraanum Majeed

Nay, but this [divine writ which they reject] is a discourse sublime,

Fee Lawhim Mahfooz

upon an imperishable tablet [inscribed].

Wassamaaa'i wattaariq

CONSIDER the heavens and that which comes in the night!

Wa maaa adraaka mattaariq

And what could make thee conceive what it is that comes in the night?

Annajmus saaqib

It is the star that pierces through [life's] darkness:

In kullu nafsil lammaa 'alaihaa haafiz

[for] no human being has ever been left unguarded.

Fal yanzuril insaanu mimma khuliq

LET MAN, then, observe out of what he has been created:

Khuliqa mim maaa'in daafiq

he has been created out of a seminal fluid

Yakhruju mim bainissulbi wat taraaa'ib

issuing from between the loins [of man] and the pelvic arch [of woman].

Innahoo 'alaa raj'ihee laqaadir

Now, verily, He [who thus creates man in the first instance] is well able to bring him back [to life]

Yawma tublas saraaa'ir

on the Day when all secrets will be laid bare,

Famaa lahoo min quwwatinw wa laa naasir

and [man] will have neither strength nor helper!

Wassamaaa'i zaatir raj'

Consider the heavens, ever-revolving,

Wal ardi zaatis sad'

and the earth, bursting forth with plants!

Innahoo laqawlun fasl

BEHOLD, this [divine writ] is indeed a word that between truth and falsehood,

Wa maa huwa bil hazl

and is no idle tale.

Innahum yakeedoona kaidaa

Behold, they [who refuse to accept it] devise many a false argument [to disprove its truth];

Wa akeedu kaidaa

but I shall bring all their scheming to nought.

Famahhilil kaafireena amhilhum ruwaidaa

Let, then, the deniers of the truth have their will: let them have their will for a little while.

Sabbihisma Rabbikal A'laa

EXTOL the limitless glory of thy Sustainer's name: [the glory of] the Al-Highest,

Allazee khalaqa fasawwaa

who creates [every thing], and thereupon forms it in accordance with what it is meant to be,

Wallazee qaddara fahadaa

and who determines the nature [of all that exists], and thereupon guides it [towards its fulfilment],

Wallazeee akhrajal mar'aa

and who brings forth herbage,

Faja'alahoo ghusaaa'an ahwaa

and thereupon causes it to decay into rust-brown stubble!

Sanuqri'uka falaa tansaaa

WE SHALL teach thee, and thou wilt not forget [aught of what thou art taught],

Illaa maa shaaa'al laah; innahoo ya'lamul jahra wa maa yakhfaa

save what God may will [thee to forget] - for, verily, He [alone] knows all that is open to [man's] perception as well as all that is hidden [from it]

Wa nu-yassiruka lilyusraa

and [thus] shall We make easy for thee the path towards [ultimate] ease.

Fazakkir in nafa'atizzikraa

REMIND, THEN, [others of the truth, regardless of] whether this reminding [would seem to] be of use [or not]:

Sa yazzakkaru maiyakhshaa

in mind will keep it he who stands in awe [of God],

Wa yatajannabuhal ashqaa

but aloof from it will remain that most hapless wretch –

Allazee yaslan Naaral kubraa

he who [in the life to come] shall have to endure the great fire

Summa laa yamootu feehaa wa laa yahyaa

wherein he will neither die nor remain alive.

Qad aflaha man tazakkaa

To happiness [in the life to come] will indeed attain he who attains to purity [in this world],

Wa zakaras ma Rabbihee fasallaa

and remembers his Sustainer's name, and prays [unto Him].

Bal tu'siroonal hayaatad dunyaa

But nay, [O men,] you prefer the life of this world,

Wal Aakhiratu khairunw wa abqaa

although the life to come is better and more enduring.

Inna haazaa lafis suhu fil oolaa

Verily, [all] this has indeed been [said] in the earlier revelations –

Suhufi Ibraaheema wa Moosaa

the revelations of Abraham and Moses.

Hal ataaka hadeesul ghaashiyah

HAS THERE COME unto thee the tiding of the Overshadowing Event?'

Wujoohuny yawma 'izin khaashi'ah

Some faces will on that Day be downcast,

'Aamilatun naasibah

toiling [under burdens of sin], worn out [by fear],

Taslaa naaran haamiyah

about to enter a glowing fire,

Tusqaa min 'aynin aaniyah

given to drink from a boiling spring.

Laisa lahum ta'aamun illaa min daree'

No food for them save the bitterness of dry thorns,

Laa yusminu wa laa yughnee min joo'

which gives no strength and neither stills hunger.

Wujoohuny yawma 'izin naa'imah

[And] some faces will on that Day shine with bliss,

Lisa'yihaa raadiyah

well-pleased with [the fruit of] their striving,

Fee jannatin 'aaliyah

in a garden sublime,

Laa tasma'u feehaa laaghiyah

wherein thou wilt hear no empty talk.

Feehaa 'aynun jaariyah

Countless springs will flow therein,

Feehaa sururum marfoo'ah

[and] there will be thrones [of happiness] raised high,

Wa akwaabum mawdoo 'ah

and goblets placed ready,

Wa namaariqu masfoofah

and cushions ranged,

Wa zaraabiyyu mabsoosah

and carpets spread out…

Afalaa yanzuroona ilalibili kaifa khuliqat

DO, THEN, they [who deny resurrection] never gaze at the clouds pregnant with water, [and observe] how they are created?

Wa ilas samaaa'i kaifa rufi'at

And at the sky, how it is raised aloft?

Wa ilal jibaali kaifa nusibat

And at the mountains, how firmly they are reared?

Wa ilal ardi kaifa sutihat

And at the earth, how it is spread out?

Fazakkir innama anta Muzakkir

And so, [O Prophet,] exhort them; thy task is only to exhort:

Lasta 'alaihim bimusaitir

thou canst not compel them [to believe].

Illaa man tawallaa wa kafar

However, as for him who turns away, being bent on denying the truth,

Fa yu'azzibuhul laahul 'azaabal akbar

him will God cause to suffer the greatest suffering [in the life to come]:

Innaa ilainaaa iyaabahum

for behold, unto Us will be their return,

Summa inna 'alainaa hisaabahum

and verily, It is for Us to call them to account.

Wal-Fajr

CONSIDER the daybreak

Wa layaalin 'ashr

and the ten nights!

Wash shaf'i wal watr

Consider the multiple and the One!

Wallaili izaa yasr

Consider the night as it runs its course!

Hal fee zaalika qasamul lizee hijr

Considering all this - could there be, to anyone endowed with reason, a [more] solemn evidence of the truth?

Alam tara kaifa fa'ala rabbuka bi'aad

ART THOU NOT aware of how thy Sustainer has dealt with [the tribe of] ‘Ad,

Iramaa zaatil 'imaad

[the people of] Iram the many-pillared,

Allatee lam yukhlaq misluhaa fil bilaad

the like of whom has never been reared in all the land? –

Wa samoodal lazeena jaabus sakhra bil waad

and with [the tribe of] Thamud, who hollowed out rocks in the valley? –

Wa fir'awna zil awtaad

and with Pharaoh of the [many] tent-poles?

Allazeena taghaw fil bilaad

[It was they] who transgressed all bounds of equity all over their lands,

Fa aksaroo feehal fasaad

and brought about great corruption therein:

Fasabba 'alaihim Rabbuka sawta 'azaab

and therefore thy Sustainer let loose upon them a scourge of suffering:

Inna Rabbaka labil mirsaad

for, verily, thy Sustainer is ever on the watch!

Fa ammal insaanu izaa mab talaahu Rabbuhoo fa akramahoo wa na' 'amahoo fa yaqoolu Rabbeee akraman

BUT AS FOR man, whenever his Sustainer tries him by His generosity and by letting him enjoy a life of ease, he says, "My Sustainer has been [justly] generous towards me";

Wa ammaaa izaa mabtalaahu faqadara 'alaihi rizqahoo fa yaqoolu Rabbeee ahaanan

whereas, whenever He tries him by straitening his means of livelihood, he says, "My Sustainer has disgraced me!"

Kalla bal laa tukrimooo nal yateem

But nay, nay, [O men, consider all that you do and fail to do:] you are not generous towards the orphan,

Wa laa tahaaaddoona 'alaata'aamil miskeen

and you do not urge one another to feed the needy,

Wa taakuloonat turaasa aklal lammaa

and you devour the inheritance [of others] with devouring greed,

Wa tuhibboonal maala hubban jammaa

and you love wealth with boundless love!

Kallaaa izaaa dukkatil ardu dakkan dakka

Nay, but [how will you fare on Judgment Day,] when the earth is crushed with crushing upon crushing,

Wa jaaa'a Rabbuka wal malaku saffan saffaa

and [the majesty of] thy Sustainer stands revealed, as well as [the true nature of] the angels; rank upon rank?

Wa jeee'a yawma'izim bi jahannnam; Yawma 'iziny yatazakkarul insaanu wa annaa lahuz zikraa

And on that Day hell will be brought [within sight]; on that Day man will remember [all that he did and failed to do]: but what will that remembrance avail him?

Yaqoolu yaa laitanee qaddamtu lihayaatee

He will say, "Oh, would that I had. provided beforehand for my life [to come]!"

Fa Yawma izil laa yu'azzibu 'azaabahooo ahad

For, none can make suffer as He will make suffer [the sinners] on that Day,

Wa laa yoosiqu wasaaqa hooo ahad

and none can bind with bonds like His.

Yaaa ayyatuhan nafsul mutma 'innah

[But unto the righteous God will say,] "O thou human being that hast attained to inner peace!

Irji'eee ilaa Rabbiki raadiyatam mardiyyah

Return thou unto thy Sustainer, well-pleased [and] pleasing [Him]:

Fadkhulee fee 'ibaadee

enter, then, together with My [other true] servants –

Wadkhulee jannatee

yea, enter thou My paradise!"

Laaa uqsimu bihaazal balad

NAY! I call to witness this land –

Wa anta hillum bihaazal balad

this land in which thou art free to dwell -

Wa waalidinw wa maa walad

and [I call to witness] parent and offspring:

Laqad khalaqnal insaana fee kabad

Verily, We have created man into [a life of] pain, toil and trial.

Ayahsabu al-lai yaqdira 'alaihi ahad

Does he, then, think that no one has power over him?

Yaqoolu ahlaktu maalal lubadaa

He boasts, "I have spent wealth abundant!"

Ayahsabu al lam yarahooo ahad

Does he, then, think that no one sees him?

Alam naj'al lahoo 'aynayn

Have We not given him two eyes,

Wa lisaananw wa shafatayn

and a tongue, and a pair of lips,

Wa hadaynaahun najdayn

and shown him the two highways [of good and evil]?

Falaq tahamal-'aqabah

But he would not try to ascend the steep uphill road...

Wa maaa adraaka mal'aqabah

And what could make thee conceive what it is, that steep uphill road?

Fakku raqabah

[It is] the freeing of one's neck [from the burden of sin],

Aw it'aamun fee yawmin zee masghabah

or the feeding, upon a day of [one's own] hunger,

Yateeman zaa maqrabah

of an orphan near of kin,

Aw miskeenan zaa matrabah

or of a needy [stranger] lying in the dust –

Summa kaana minal lazeena aamanoo wa tawaasaw bissabri wa tawaasaw bilmarhamah

and being, withal, of those who have attained to faith, and who enjoin upon one another patience in adversity, and enjoin upon one another compassion.

Ulaaa'ika As-haabul maimanah

Such are they that have attained to righteousness;

Wallazeena kafaroo bi aayaatinaa hum as-haabul Mash'amah

whereas those who are bent on denying the truth of Our messages – they are such as have lost themselves in evil,

Alaihim naarum mu'sadah

[with] fire closing in upon them.

Wash shamsi wa duhaa haa

CONSIDER the sun and its radiant brightness,

Wal qamari izaa talaa haa

and the moon as it reflects the sun!

Wannahaari izaa jallaa haa

Consider the day as it reveals the world,

Wallaili izaa yaghshaa haa

and the night as it veils it darkly!

Wassamaaa'i wa maa banaahaa

Consider the sky and its wondrous make,

Wal ardi wa maa tahaahaa

and the earth and all its expanse!

Wa nafsinw wa maa sawwaahaa

Consider the human self, and how it is formed in accordance with what it is meant to be,

Fa-alhamahaa fujoorahaa wa taqwaahaa

and how it is imbued with moral failings as well as with consciousness of God!

Qad aflaha man zakkaahaa

To a happy state shall indeed attain he who causes this [self] to grow in purity,

Wa qad khaaba man dassaahaa

and truly lost is he who buries it [in darkness].

Kazzabat Samoodu bi taghwaahaaa

TO [THIS] TRUTH gave the lie, in their overweening arrogance, [the tribe of] Thamud,

Izim ba'asa ashqaahaa

when that most hapless wretch from among them rushed forward [to commit his evil deed],

Faqaala lahum Rasoolul laahi naaqatal laahi wa suqiyaahaa

although God's apostle had told them, "It is a she-camel belonging to God, so let her drink [and do her no harm]!"

Fakazzaboohu fa'aqaroohaa fadamdama 'alaihim Rabbuhum bizambihim fasaw waahaa

But they gave him the lie, and cruelly slaughtered her - whereupon their Sustainer visited them with utter destruction for this their sin, destroying them all alike:

Wa laa yakhaafu'uqbaahaa

for none [of them] had any fear of what might befall them.

Wallaili izaa yaghshaa

CONSIDER the night as it veils [the earth] in darkness,

Wannahaari izaa tajalla

and the day as it rises bright!

Wa maa khalaqaz zakara wal unthaa

Consider the creation of the male and the female!

Inna sa'yakum lashattaa

Verily, [O men,] you aim at most divergent ends!

Fa ammaa man a'taa wattaqaa

Thus, as for him who gives [to others] and is conscious of God,

Wa saddaqa bil husnaa

and believes in the truth of the ultimate good

Fasanu yassiruhoo lilyusraa

for him shall We make easy the path towards [ultimate] ease.

Wa ammaa mam bakhila wastaghnaa

But as for him who is niggardly, and thinks that he is self-sufficient,

Wa kazzaba bil husnaa

and calls the ultimate good a lie –

Fasanu yassiruhoo lil'usraa

for him shall We make easy the path towards hardship:

Wa maa yughnee 'anhu maaluhooo izaa taraddaa

and what will his wealth avail him when he goes down [to his grave]?

Inna 'alainaa lal hudaa

BEHOLD, it is indeed for Us to grace [you] with guidance;

Wa inna lanaa lal Aakhirata wal oolaa

and, behold, Ours is [the dominion over] the life to come as well as [over] this earlier part [of your life]:

Fa anzartukum naaran talazzaa

and so I warn you of the raging fire -

Laa yaslaahaaa illal ashqaa

[the fire] which none shall have to endure but that most hapless wretch

Allazee kazzaba wa tawallaa

who gives the lie to the truth and turns away [from it].

Wa sa yujannnabuhal atqaa

For, distant from it shall remain he who is truly conscious of God:

Allazee yu'tee maalahoo yatazakkaa

he that spends his possessions [on others] so that he might grow in purity –

Wa maa li ahadin 'indahoo min ni'matin tujzaaa

not as payment for favours received,

Illab tighaaa'a wajhi rabbihil a 'laa

but only out of a longing for the countenance of his Sustainer, the All-Highest:

Wa lasawfa yardaa

and such, indeed, shall in time be well-pleased.

Wad duhaa

CONSIDER the bright morning hours,

Wal laili iza sajaa

and the night when it grows still and dark.

Ma wad da'aka rabbuka wa ma qalaa

Thy Sustainer has not forsaken thee, nor does He scorn thee:

Walal-aakhiratu khairul laka minal-oola

for, indeed, the life to come will be better for thee than this earlier part [of thy life]!

Wa la sawfa y'uteeka rabbuka fatarda

And, indeed, in time will thy Sustainer grant thee [what thy heart desires], and thou shalt be well-pleased.

Alam ya jidka yateeman fa aawaa

Has He not found thee an orphan, and given thee shelter?

Wa wa jadaka daal lan fahada

And found thee lost on thy way, and guided thee?

Wa wa jadaka 'aa-ilan fa aghnaa

And found thee in want, and given thee sufficiency?

Fa am mal yateema fala taqhar

Therefore, the orphan shalt thou never wrong,

Wa am mas saa-ila fala tanhar

and him that seeks [thy] help shalt thou never chide,

Wa amma bi ni'mati rabbika fahad dith

and of thy Sustainer's blessings shalt thou [ever] speak.

Alam nashrah laka sadrak

HAVE WE NOT opened up thy heart,

Wa wa d'ana 'anka wizrak

and lifted from thee the burden

Allazee anqada zahrak

that had weighed so heavily on thy back?

Wa raf 'ana laka zikrak

And [have We not] raised thee high in dignity?

Fa inna ma'al usri yusra

And, behold, with every hardship comes ease:

Inna ma'al 'usri yusra

verily, with every hardship comes ease!

Fa iza faragh ta fansab

Hence, when thou art freed [from distress], remain steadfast,

Wa ilaa rabbika far ghab

and unto thy Sustainer turn with love.

Wat teeni waz zaitoon

CONSIDER the fig and the olive,

Wa toori sineen

and Mount Sinai,

Wa haazal balad-il ameen

and this land secure!

Laqad khalaqnal insaana fee ahsani taqweem

Verily, We create man in the best conformation;

Thumma ra dad naahu asfala saafileen

and thereafter We reduce him to the lowest of low

Ill-lal lazeena aamanoo wa 'amilus saalihaati; falahum ajrun ghairu mamnoon

excepting only such as attain to faith and do good works: and theirs shall be a reward unending!

Fama yu kaz zibuka b'adu bid deen

What, then, [O man,] could henceforth cause thee to give the lie to this moral law?

Alai sal laahu bi-ahkamil haakimeen

Is not God the most just of judges?

Iqra bismi rab bikal lazee khalaq

READ in the name of thy Sustainer, who has-

Khalaqal insaana min 'alaq

created man out of a germ-cell

Iqra wa rab bukal akram

Read - for thy Sustainer is the Most Bountiful One

Al lazee 'allama bil qalam

who has taught [man] the use of the pen –

'Al lamal insaana ma lam y'alam

taught man what he did not know!

Kallaa innal insaana layatghaa

Nay, verily, man becomes grossly overweening

Ar-ra aahus taghnaa

whenever he believes himself to be self-sufficient:

Innna ilaa rabbikar ruj'aa

for, behold, unto thy Sustainer all must return.

Ara-aital lazee yanhaa

HAST THOU ever considered him who tries to prevent

'Abdan iza sallaa

a servant [of God] from praying?

Ara-aita in kana 'alal hudaa

Hast thou considered whether he is on the right way,

Au amara bit taqwaa

or is concerned with God-consciousness?

Ara-aita in kaz zaba wa ta walla

Hast thou considered whether he may [not] be giving the lie to the truth and turning his back [upon it]?

Alam y'alam bi-an nal lahaa yaraa

Does he, then, not know that God sees [all]?

Kalla la illam yantahi la nasfa'am bin nasiyah

Nay, if he desist not, We shall most surely drag him down upon his forehead

Nasiyatin kazi batin khaatiyah

the lying, rebellious forehead! –

Fal yad'u naadiyah

and then let him summon [to his aid] the counsels of his own [spurious] wisdom,

Sanad 'uz zabaaniyah

[the while] We shall summon the forces of heavenly chastisement!

Kalla; la tuti'hu wasjud waqtarib

Nay, pay thou no heed to him, but prostrate thyself [before God] and draw close [unto Him]!

Innaa anzalnaahu fee lailatil qadr

BEHOLD, from on high have We bestowed this [divine writ] on Night of Destiny.

Wa maa adraaka ma lailatul qadr

And what could make thee conceive what it is, that Night of Destiny?

Lailatul qadri khairum min alfee shahr

The Night of Destiny is better than a thousand months:

Tanaz zalul malaa-ikatu war roohu feeha bi izni-rab bihim min kulli amr

in hosts descend in it the angels, bearing divine inspiration by their Sustainer's leave; from all [evil] that may happen

Salaamun hiya hattaa mat la'il fajr

does it make secure, until the rise of dawn.

Lam ya kunil lazeena kafaru min ahlil kitaabi wal mushri keena mun fak keena hattaa ta-tiya humul bayyinah

IT IS NOT [conceivable] that such as are bent on denying the truth - [be they] from among the followers of earlier revelation or from among those who ascribe divinity to aught beside God should ever be abandoned [by Him] ere there comes unto them the [full] evidence of the truth:

Rasoolum minal laahi yatlu suhufam mutahharah

an apostle from God, conveying [unto them] revelations blest with purity,

Feeha kutubun qaiyimah

wherein there are ordinances of ever-true soundness and clarity.

Wa maa tafarraqal lazeena ootul kitaaba il-la mim b'adi ma jaa-at humul baiyyinah

Now those who have been vouchsafed revelation aforetime did break up their unity [of faith] after such an evidence of the truth had come to them.

Wa maa umiroo il-la liy'abu dul laaha mukhliseena lahud-deena huna faa-a wa yuqeemus salaahta wa yu-tuz zakaata; wa zaalika deenul qaiyimah

And withal, they were not enjoined aught but that they should worship God, sincere in their faith in Him alone, turning away from all that is false; and that they should be constant in prayer; and that they should spend in charity: for this is a moral law endowed with ever-true soundness and clarity.

Innal lazeena kafaru min ahlil kitaabi wal mushri keena fee nari jahan nama khaali deena feeha; ulaa-ika hum shar rul ba reeyah

Verily, those who [despite all evidence] are bent on denying the truth - [be they] from among the followers of earlier revelation or from among those who ascribe divinity to aught beside God - will find themselves in the fire of hell, therein to abide: they are the worst of all creatures.

Innal lazeena aamanu wa 'amilus saalihaati ula-ika hum khairul bareey yah

[And,] verily, those who have attained to faith, and do righteous deeds - it is they, they who are the best of all creatures.

Jazaa-uhum inda rabbihim jan naatu 'adnin tajree min tahtihal an haaru khalideena feeha abada; radiy-yallaahu 'anhum wa ra du 'an zaalika liman khashiya rabbah.

Their reward [awaits them] with God: gardens of perpetual bliss, through which running waters flow, therein to abide beyond the count of time; well-pleased is God with them, and well-pleased are they with Him: all this awaits him who of his Sustainer stands in awe!.

Izaa zul zilatil ardu zil zaalaha

WHEN THE EARTH quakes with her [last] mighty quaking,

Wa akh rajatil ardu athqaalaha

and [when] the earth yields up her burdens,

Wa qaalal insaanu ma laha

and man cries out, "What has happened to her?" -

Yawmaa izin tuhad dithu akhbaaraha

on that Day will she recount all her tidings,

Bi-anna rabbaka awhaa laha

as thy Sustainer will have inspired her to do!

Yawma iziy yas durun naasu ash tatal liyuraw a'maalahum

On that Day will all men come forward, cut off from one another, to be shown their [past] deeds.

Famaiy ya'mal mithqala zarratin khai raiy-yarah

And so, he who shall have done an atom's weight of good, shall behold it;

Wa maiy-y'amal mithqala zarratin sharraiy-yarah

and he who shall have done an atom's weight of evil, shall behold it.

Wal'aadi yaati dabha

Oh, the chargers that run panting,

Fal moori yaati qadha

sparks of fire striking,

Fal mugheeraati subha

rushing to assault at morn,

Fa atharna bihee naq'a

thereby raising clouds of dust,

Fawa satna bihee jam'a

thereby storming [blindly] into any host!

Innal-insana lirabbihee lakanood

VERILY, towards his Sustainer man is most ungrateful

Wa innahu 'alaa zaalika la shaheed

and to this, behold, he [himself] bears witness indeed:

Wa innahu lihubbil khairi la shadeed

for, verily, to the love of wealth is he most ardently devoted.

Afala ya'lamu iza b'uthira ma filquboor

But does he not know that [on the Last Day,] when all that is in the graves is raised and brought out,

Wa hussila maa fis sudoor

and all that is [hidden] in men's hearts is bared

Inna rabbahum bihim yauma 'izil la khabeer

that on that Day their Sustainer [will show that He] has always been fully aware of them?

Al qaari'ah

OH, the sudden calamity!

Mal qaariah

How awesome the sudden calamity!

Wa maa adraaka mal qaari'ah

And what could make thee conceive what that sudden calamity will be?

Yauma ya koonun naasu kal farashil mabthooth

[It will occur] on the Day when men will be like moths swarming in confusion,

Wa ta koonul jibalu kal 'ihnil manfoosh

and the mountains will be like fluffy tufts of wool....

Fa-amma man thaqulat mawa zeenuh

And then, he whose weight [of good deeds] is heavy in the balance

Fahuwa fee 'ishatir raadiyah

shall find himself in a happy' state of life;

Wa amma man khaffat mawa zeenuh

whereas he whose weight is light in the balance

Fa-ummuhu haawiyah

shall be engulfed by an abyss.

Wa maa adraaka maa hiyah

And what could make thee conceive what that [abyss] will be?

Naarun hamiyah

A fire hotly burning!

Al haaku mut takathur

YOU ARE OBSESSED by greed for more and more

Hatta zurtumul-maqaabir

until you go down to your graves.

Kalla sawfa ta'lamoon

Nay, in time you will come to understand!

Thumma kalla sawfa ta'lamoon

And once again: Nay, in time you will come to understand!

Kalla law ta'lamoona 'ilmal yaqeen

Nay, if you could but understand [it] with an understanding [born] of certainty,

Latara-wun nal jaheem

you would indeed, most surely, behold the blazing fire [of hell]!

Thumma latara wunnaha 'ainal yaqeen

In the end you will indeed, most surely, behold it with the eye of certainty:

Thumma latus alunna yauma-izin 'anin na'eem

and on that Day you will most surely be called to account for [what you did with] the boon of life!

Wal' asr

CONSIDER the flight of time!

Innal insaana lafee khusr

Verily, man is bound to lose himself

Il lal lazeena aamanu wa 'amilus saali haati wa tawa saw bil haqqi wa tawa saw bis sabr

unless he be of those who attain to faith, and do good works, and enjoin upon one another the keeping to truth, and enjoin upon one another patience in adversity.

Wai lul-li kulli hu mazatil-lumaza

WOE unto every slanderer, fault-finder!

Al-lazi jama'a maalaw wa'addadah

[Woe unto him who amasses wealth and counts it a safeguard,

Yahsabu anna maalahu akhladah

thinking that his wealth will make him live forever!

Kalla layum ba zanna fil hutamah

Nay, but [in the life to come such as] he shall indeed be abandoned to crushing torment!

Wa maa adraaka mal-hutamah

And what could make thee conceive what that crushing torment will be?

Narul laahil-mooqada

A fire kindled by God,

Al latee tat tali'u 'alalafidah

which will rise over the [guilty] hearts:

Innaha 'alaihim moosada

verily, it will close in upon them

Fee 'amadim-mu mad dadah

in endless columns!

Alam tara kaifa fa'ala rabbuka bi ashaabil feel

ART THOU NOT aware of how thy Sustainer dealt with the Army of the Elephant?

Alam yaj'al kai dahum fee tad leel

Did He not utterly confound their artful planning?

Wa arsala 'alaihim tairan abaabeel

Thus, He let loose upon them great swarms of flying creatures

Tar meehim bi hi jaaratim min sij jeel

which smote them with stone-hard blows of chastisement pre-ordained,

Faja 'alahum ka'asfim m'akool

and caused them to become like a field of grain that has been eaten down to stubble

Li-ilaafi quraish

SO THAT the Quraysh might remain secure,

Elaafihim rihlatash shitaa-i wass saif

secure in their winter and summer journeys,

Fal y'abudu rabba haazal-bait

Let them, therefore, worship the Sustainer of this Temple;

Allazi at'amahum min ju'inw-wa-aamana hum min khawf

who has given them food against hunger, and made them safe from danger.

Ara-aital lazee yu kazzibu bid deen

HAST THOU ever considered [the kind of man] who gives the lie to all moral law?

Fa zaalikal lazi yadu'ul-yateem

Behold, it is this [kind of man] that thrusts the orphan away,

Wa la ya huddu 'alaa ta'amil miskeen

and feels no urge to feed the needy.

Fa wai lul-lil mu salleen

Woe, then, unto those praying ones

Al lazeena hum 'an salaatihim sahoon

whose hearts from their prayer are remote

Al lazeena hum yuraa-oon

those who want only to be seen and praised,

Wa yamna'oonal ma'oon

and, withal, deny all assistance [to their fellow-men]!

Innaa a'taina kal kauthar

BEHOLD, We have bestowed upon thee good in abundance:

Fa salli li rabbika wanhar

hence, pray unto thy Sustainer [alone], and sacrifice [unto Him alone].

Inna shani-aka huwal abtar

Verily, he that hates thee has indeed been cut off [from all that is good]!

Qul yaa-ai yuhal kaafiroon

SAY: "O you who deny the truth!

Laa a'budu ma t'abudoon

"I do not worship that which you worship,

Wa laa antum 'aabidoona maa a'bud

and neither do you worship that which I worship!

Wa laa ana 'abidum maa 'abattum

"And I will not worship ~hat which you have [ever] worshipped,

Wa laa antum 'aabidoona ma a'bud

and neither will you [ever] worship that which I worship.

Lakum deenukum wa liya deen.

Unto you, your moral law, and unto me, mine!"

Iza jaa-a nas rullahi walfath

WHEN GOD'S SUCCOUR comes, and victory,

Wa ra-aitan naasa yadkhuloona fee deenil laahi afwajah

and thou seest people enter God's religion in hosts,

Fa sab bih bihamdi rabbika was taghfir, innahu kaana tawwaaba

extol thy Sustainer's limitless glory, and praise Him, and seek His forgiveness: for, behold, He is ever an acceptor of repentance.

Tab bat yadaa abee Lahabinw-wa tabb

DOOMED are the hands of him of the glowing countence: and doomed is he!

Maa aghna 'anhu maaluhu wa ma kasab

What will his wealth avail him, and all that he has gained?

Sa yas laa naran zaata lahab

[In the life to come] he shall have to endure a fire fiercely glowing;

Wam ra-atuh hamma latal-hatab

together with his wife, that carrier of evil tales,

Fee jeediha hab lum mim-masad

[who bears] around her neck a rope of twisted strands!

Qul huwal laahu ahad

SAY: "He is the One God:

Allah hus-samad

"God the Eternal, the Uncaused Cause of All Being.

Lam yalid wa lam yoolad

"He begets not, and neither is He begotten;

Wa lam yakul-lahu kufuwan ahad

"and there is nothing that could be compared with Him.

Qul a'uzoo bi rabbil-falaq

SAY: "I seek refuge with the Sustainer of the rising dawn,

Min sharri ma khalaq

"from the evil of aught that He has created,

Wa min sharri ghasiqin iza waqab

"and from the evil of the black darkness whenever it descends,

Wa min sharrin-naffaa-thaati fil 'uqad

"and from the evil of all human beings bent on occult endeavours,

Wa min shar ri haasidin iza hasad

"and from the evil of the envious when he envies."