Ad-Dukhaan

Haa Meeem

Ha. Mim.

Wal Kitaabil Mubeen

CONSIDER this divine writ, clear in itself and clearly showing the truth!

Innaaa anzalnaahu fee lailatim mubaarakah; innaa kunnaa munzireen

Behold, from on high have We bestowed it on a blessed night: for, verily, We have always been warning [man].

Feehaa yufraqu kullu amrin hakeem

On that [night] was made clear, in wisdom, the distinction between all things [good and evil]

Amram min 'indinaaa; innaa kunnaa mursileen

at a behest from Ourselves: for, verily, We have always been sending [Our messages of guidance]

Rahmatam mir rabbik; innahoo Huwas Samee'ul 'Aleem

in pur­suance of thy Sustainer’s grace [unto man]. Verily, He alone is all-hearing, all-knowing,

Rabbis samaawaati wal ardi wa maa bainahumaa; in kuntum mooqineen

the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them - if you could but grasp it with inner certainty!

Laaa ilaaha illaa Huwa yuhyee wa yumeetu Rabbukum wa Rabbu aabaaa'ikumul awwaleen

There is no deity save Him: He grants life and deals death: He is your Sustainer as well as the Sustainer of your forebears of old.

Bal hum fee shakkiny yal'aboon

Nay, but they [who lack inner certainty] are but Dying with their doubts.

Fartaqib Yawma taatis samaaa'u bidukhaanim mubeen

WAIT, THEN, for the Day when the skies shall bring forth a pall of smoke which will make obvious [the approach of the Last Hour],

Yaghshan naasa haazaa 'azaabun aleem

enveloping all mankind, [and causing the sinners to exclaim:] “Grievous is this suffering!

Rabbanak shif 'annal 'azaaba innaa mu'minoon

O our Sustainer, relieve us of suffering, for, verily, we [now] believe [in Thee]!”

Annaa lahumuz zikraa wa qad jaaa'ahum Rasoolum mubeen

[But] how shall this remembrance avail them [at the Last Hour], seeing that an apostle had pre­viously come unto them, clearly expounding the truth,

Summaa tawallaw 'anhu wa qaaloo mu'allamum majnoon

whereupon they turned their backs on him and said, “Taught [by others] is he, a madman”?

Innaa kaashiful 'azaabi qaleelaa; innakum 'aaa'indoon

[Still,] behold, We shall postpone this suffer­ing for a little while, although you are bound to revert [to your evil ways: but]

Yawma nabtishul batsha tal kubraa innaa muntaqimoon

on the Day when We shall seize [all sinners] with a most mighty onslaught, We shall, verily, inflict Our retribution [on you as well]!

Wa laqad fatannaa qablahum qawma Fir'awna wa jaaa'ahum Rasoolun kareem

AND, INDEED, [long] before their time did We try Pharaoh’s people [in the same way]: for there came unto them a noble apostle, [who said:]

An addooo ilaiya 'ibaadal laahi innee lakum Rasoolun ameen

“Give in unto me, O God’s bondmen! Verily, I am an apostle [sent] unto you, worthy of trust!

Wa al laa ta'loo 'alal laahi innee aateekum bisultaanim mubeen

“And exalt not yourselves against God: for, verily, I come unto you with a manifest authority [from Him];

Wa innee 'uztu bi Rabbee wa rabbikum an tarjumoon

and, behold, it is with my Sustainer - and your Sustainer - that I seek refuge against all your endeavours to revile me.

Wa il lam tu'minoo lee fa'taziloon

And if you do not believe me, [at least] stand away from me!”

Fada'aa rabbahooo anna haaa'ulaaa'i qawmum mujrimoon

But then, [when they beset him with their enmity,] he called out to his Sustainer, “These are [indeed] people lost in sin!”

Fa asri bi'ibaadee lailan innakum muttaba'oon

And [God said]: “Go thou forth with My servants by night, for you will surely be pursued;

Watrukil bahra rahwan innahum jundum mughraqoon

and leave the sea becalmed [between thee and Pharaoh’s men]: for, verily, they are a host destined to be drowned!”

Kam tarakoo min jannaatinw wa 'uyoon

[And so they perished: and] how many gardens did they leave behind, and water-runnels,

Wa zuroo'inw wa maqaa min kareem

and fields of grain, and noble dwellings,

Wa na'matin kaanoo feehaa faakiheen

and [all that] life of ease in which they used to delight!

Kazaalika wa awrasnaahaa qawman aakhareen

Thus it was. And [then] We made another people heirs [to what they had left],

Famaa bakat 'alaihimus samaaa'u wal ardu wa maa kaanoo munzareen

and neither sky nor earth shed tears over them, nor were they allowed a respite.

Wa laqad najjainaa Baneee Israaa'eela minal'azaabil muheen

And, indeed, We delivered the children of Israel from the shameful suffering

Min Fir'awn; innahoo kaana 'aaliyam minal musrifeen

[inflicted on them] by Pharaoh, seeing that he was truly outstand­ing among those who waste their own selves;

Wa laqadikh tarnaahum 'alaa 'ilmin 'alal 'aalameen

and indeed, We chose them knowingly above all other people,

Wa aatainaahum minal aayaati maa feehi balaaa'um mubeen

and gave them such signs [of Our grace] as would clearly presage a test.

Inna haaa'ulaaa'i la yaqooloon

[Now,] behold, these [people] say indeed:

In hiya illaa mawtatunal oolaa wa maa nahnu bimun shareen

“That [which is ahead of us] is but our first [and only] death, and we shall not be raised to life again.

Faatoo bi aabaaa'inaaa inkuntum saadiqeen

So then, bring forth our forefathers [as witnesses], if what you claim is true!”

Ahum khayrun am qawmu Tubba'inw wallazeena min qablihim; ahlaknaahum innahum kaanoo mujrimeen

Are they, then, better than the people of Tubba and those before them, whom We destroyed because they were truly lost in [the same] sin?

Wa maa khalaqnas samaawaati wal arda wa maa baina humaa laa'ibeen

For [thus it is:] We have not created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in mere idle play:

Maa khalaqnaahumaaa illaa bilhaqqi wa laakinna aksarahum laa ya'lamoon

none of this have We created without [an inner] truth: but most of them under­stand it not.

Inna yawmal fasli meeqaatuhum ajma'een

VERILY, the Day of Distinction [between the true and the false] is the term appointed for all of them:

Yawma laa yughnee mawlan 'am mawlan shai'anw wa laa hum yunsaroon

the Day when no friend shall be of the least avail to his friend, and when none shall be succoured

Illaa mar rahimal laah' innahoo huwal 'azeezur raheem

save those upon whom God will have bestowed His grace and mercy: for, verily, He alone is almighty, a dispenser of grace.

Inna shajarataz zaqqoom

Verily, [in the life to come] the tree of deadly fruit

Ta'aamul aseem

will be the food of the sinful:

Kalmuhli yaghlee filbutoon

like molten lead will it boil in the belly,

Kaghalyil hameem

like the boiling of burning despair.

Khuzoohu fa'tiloohu ilaa sawaaa'il Jaheem

[And the word will be spoken:] “Seize him, [O you forces of hell,] and drag him into the midst of the blazing fire:

Summa subboo fawqa raasihee min 'azaabil hameem

then pour over his head the anguish of burning despair!

Zuq innaka antal 'azeezul kareem

Taste it - thou who [on earth] hast considered thyself so mighty, so noble!

Inna haazaa maa kuntum bihee tamtaroon

This is the very thing which you [deniers of the truth] were wont to call in question!”

Innal muttaqeena fee maqaamin ameen

[As against this -] verily, the God-conscious will find themselves in a state secure,

Fee jannaatinw wa 'uyoon

amid gardens and springs,

Yalbasoona min sundusinw wa istbraqim mutaqaabileen

wearing [garments] of silk and brocade, facing one another [in love].

Kazaalika wa zawwajnaahum bihoorin 'een

Thus shall it be. And We shall pair them with companions pure, most beautiful of eye.

Yad'oona feehaa bikulli faakihatin aamineen

In that [paradise] they shall [rightfully] claim all the fruits [of their past deeds], resting in security;

Laa yazooqoona feehal mawtaa illal mawtatal oolaa wa qaqaahum 'azaabal jaheem

and neither shall they taste death there after having passed through their erstwhile death. Thus will He have preserved them from all suffer­ing through the blazing fire-

Fadlam mir rabbik; zaalika huwal fawzul 'azeem

an act of thy Sustainer’s favour: and that, that will be the triumph supreme!

Fa innamaa yassarnaahu bilisaanika la'allahum yatazakkaroon

THUS, THEN, [O Prophet,] have We made this [divine writ] easy to understand, in thine own [human] tongue, so that men might take it to heart.

Fartaqib innahum murta qiboon

So wait thou [for what the future will bring]: behold, they, too, are waiting.