Al-Qamar

Iqtarabatis Saa'atu wsan shaqqal qamar

THE LAST HOUR draws near, and the moon is split asunder!

Wa iny yaraw aayatany yu'ridoo wa yaqooloo sihrum mustamirr

But if they [who reject all thought of the Last Hour] were to see a sign [of its approach], they would turn aside and say, “An ever-recurring delusion!” –

Wa kazzaboo wattaba'ooo ahwaaa'ahum; wa kullu amrim mustaqirr

for they are bent on giving it the lie, being always wont to follow their own desires. Yet everything reveals its truth in the end.

Wa laqad jaaa'ahum minal ambaaa'i maa feehi muzdajar

And withal, there has come unto them many a tiding that should have restrained [their arrogance]:

Hikmatum baalighatun famaa tughnin nuzur

far-reaching wisdom [was held out to them]: but [since] all warnings have been of no avail,

Fatawalla 'anhum; yawma yad'ud daa'i ilaa shai 'in nukur

turn thou away from them. On the Day when the Summoning Voice will sum­mon [man] unto something that the mind cannot conceive,

khushsha'an absaaruhum yakrujoona minal ajdaasi ka annahum jaraadum muntashir

they will come forth from their graves, with their eyes downcast, [swarming about] like locusts scattered [by the wind],

Muhti'eena ilad daa'i yaqoolul kafiroona haazaa yawmun 'asir

running in con­fusion towards the Summoning Voice; [and] those who [now] deny the truth will exclaim, “Calamitous is this Day!”

Kazzabat qablahum qawmu Noohin fakazzaboo 'abdanaa wa qaaloo majnoo nunw wazdujir

[LONG] BEFORE those [who now deny resurrec­tion] did Noah’s people call it a lie; and they gave the lie to Our servant and said, “Mad is he!” - and he was repulsed.

Fada'aa Rabbahooo annee maghloobun fantasir

Thereupon he called out to his Sustainer, “Verily, I am defeated; come Thou, then, to my succour!”

Fafatahnaaa abwaabas sa maaa'i bimaa'im munhamir

And so We caused the gates of heaven to open with water pouring down in torrents,

Wa fajjamal arda 'uyoonan faltaqal maaa'u 'alaaa amrin qad qudir

and caused the earth to burst forth with springs, so that the waters met for a purpose pre-ordained:

Wa hamalnaahu 'alaa zaati alwaahinw wa dusur

but him We bore on that [vessel] made of [mere] planks and nails,

Tajree bi a'yuninaa jazaaa 'al liman kaana kufir

and it floated under Our eyes: a recom­pense for him who had been rejected with ingratitude.

Wa laqat taraknaahaad aayatan fahal mim muddakir

And, indeed, We have caused such [floating vessels] to remain forever a sign [of Our grace unto man]: who, then, is willing to take it to heart?

Fakaifa kaana 'azaabee wa nuzur

And how severe is the suffering which I inflict when My warnings are disregarded!

Wa laqad yassamal Quraana liz zikri fahal mimmuddakir

Hence, indeed, We made this Qur’an easy to bear in mind: who, then, is willing to take it to heart?

Kazzabat 'Aadun fakaifa kaana 'azaabee wa nuzur

TO THE TRUTH gave the lie [the tribe of] Ad: and how severe was the suffering which I inflicted when My warnings were disregarded!

Innaa arsalnaa 'alaihim reehan sarsaran fee Yawmi nahsim mustamirr

Behold, We let loose upon them a raging storm wind on a day of bitter misfortune:

Tanzi;un naasa ka anna huma'jaazu nakhlim munqa'ir

it swept the people away as though they were palm-trunks uprooted:

'Fakaifa kaana 'azaabee wa nuzur

for, how severe is the suffering which I inflict when My warnings are disregarded!

Wa laqad yassamal Quraana liz zikri fahal mim muddakir

Hence, indeed, We made this Qur’an easy to bear in mind: who, then, is willing to take it to heart?

Kazzabat Samoodu binnuzur

[AND the tribe of] Thamud gave the lie to all [Our] warnings;

Faqaalooo a-basharam minnaa waahidan nattabi'uhooo innaa izal lafee dalaalinw wa su'ur

and they said: “Are we to follow one single mortal, one from among ourselves? In that case, behold, we would certainly sink into error and folly!

'A-ulqiyaz zikru 'alaihi mim baininaa bal huwa kazzaabun ashir

Why - on him alone from among all of us should a [divine] reminder have been bestowed? Nay, but he is a boastful liar!”

Sa-ya'lamoona ghadam manil kazzaabul ashir

[And God said:] “On the morrow they will come to know who the boastful liar is!

Innaa mursilun naaqati fitnatal lahum fartaqibhum wastabir

Behold, [O Salih] We are letting loose this she-camel as a test for them; and thou but watch them, and contain thyself in patience.

Wa nabbi'hum annal maaa'a qismatum bainahum kullu shirbim muhtadar

And let them know that the water [of their wells] is to be divided between them, with each share of water equitably apportioned.”

Fanaadaw saahibahum fata'aataa fa'aqar

But they summoned their [boldest] companion, and he ventured [upon the evil deed], and cruelly slaughtered [the animal]:

Fakaifa kaana 'azaabee wa nuzur

and how severe was the suffering which I inflicted when My warnings were disregarded!

Innaaa arsalnaa 'alaihim saihatanw waahidatan fakaano kahasheemil muhtazir

Behold, We let loose upon them one single blast [of Our punishment], and they became like the dried-up, crumbling twigs of a sheepfold.

Wa laqad yassarnal quraana liz zikri fahal mim muddakir

Hence, indeed, We made this Qur’an easy to bear in mind: who, then, is willing to take it to heart?

Kazzabat qawmu lootim binnuzur

LOT ’S PEOPLE [too] gave the lie to all [Our] warn­ings:

Innaa arsalnaa 'alaihim haasiban illaaa aala Loot najjainaahum bisahar

[and so,] behold, We let loose upon them a deadly tempest; and only Lot ’s kinsfolk did We save at the break of dawn,

Ni'matam min 'indinaa; kazaalika najzee man shakar

as a blessing from Us: thus do We reward all who are grateful.

Wa laqad anzarahum batshatanaa fatamaaraw binnuzur

For he had truly warned them of Our punishing might; but they stubbornly cast doubt on these warn­ings,

Wa laqad raawadoohu 'andaifee fatamasnaaa a'yunahum fazooqoo 'azaabee wa nuzur

and even demanded that he give up his guests [to them]: whereupon We deprived them of their sight [and thus told them, as it were]: “Taste, then, the suffering which I inflict when My warnings are disregarded!”

Wa laqad sabbahahum bukratan 'azaabum mustaqirr

And, indeed, abiding suffering did befall them early on the morrow:

Fazooqoo 'azaabee wa nuzur

“Taste, then, the suffering which I inflict when My warnings are disregarded!”

Wa laqad yassarnal Quraana liz zikri fahal mim muddakir

Hence, indeed, We made this Qur’an easy to bear in mind: who, then, is willing to take it to heart?

Wa laqad jaaa'a Aala Fir'awnan nuzur

Now surely, unto Pharaoh’s folk [too] came such warnings;

Kazzaboo bi Aayaatinaa kullihaa fa akhaznaahum akhza 'azeezim muqtadir

they, too, gave the lie to all Our messages: and thereupon We took them to task as only the Almighty, who determines all things, can take to task.

Akuffaarukum khairum min ulaaa'ikum am lakum baraaa'atun fiz Zubur

ARE, THEN, those of you who [now] deny the truth better than those others - or have you, per­chance, [been promised] immunity in the [ancient] books of [divine] wisdom?

Am yaqooloona nahnu jamee'um muntasir

Or do they say, “We are a group united, [and therefore] bound to prevail”?

Sa yuhzamul jam'u wa yuwalloonad dubur

[Yet] the hosts [of those who deny the truth] shall be routed, and they shall turn their backs [in flight]!

Balis Saa'atu maw'iduhum was Saa'atu adhaa wa amarr

But nay - the Last Hour is the time when they shall truly meet their fate; and that Last Hour will be most calamitous, and most bitter:

Innal mujrimeena fee dalaalinw wa su'ur

for, behold, those who are lost in sin [will at that time come to know that it is they who] were sunk in error and folly!

Yawma yushaboona fin Naari'alaa wujoohimim zooqoo massa saqar

On the Day when they shall be dragged into the fire on their faces, [they will be told:] “Taste now the touch of hell-fire!”

Innaa kulla shai'in khalaqnaahu biqadar

BEHOLD, everything have We created in due measure and proportion;

Wa maaa amrunaaa illaa waahidatun kalamhim bilbasar

and Our ordaining [a thing and its coming into being] is but one [act], like the twinkling of an eye.

Wa laqad ahlaknaaa ashyaa'akum fahal mim muddakir

Thus, indeed, did We destroy people like you [in the past]: who, then, is willing to take it to heart?

Wa kullu shai'in fa'aloohu fiz Zubur

[They were truly guilty] because all [the evil] that they ever did had been [revealed to them as such] in the [ancient] books of [divine] wisdom;

Wa kullu sagheerinw wa kabeerim mustatar

and everything [that man does], be it small or great, is recorded [with God].

Innal muttaqeena fee jannaatinw wa nahar

[Hence, too,] behold, the God-conscious will find themselves in [a paradise of] gardens and running waters,

Fee maq'adi sidqin 'inda Maleekim Muqtadir

in a seat of truth, in the presence of a Sovereign who determines all things.