Al-Muddaththir

Yaaa ayyuhal muddassir

O THOU [in thy solitude] enfolded!

Qum fa anzir

Arise and warn!

Wa rabbaka fakabbir

And thy Sustainer's greatness glorify!

Wa siyaabaka fatahhir

And thine inner self purify!

Warrujza fahjur

And all defilement shun!

Wa laa tamnun tastaksir

And do not through giving seek thyself to gain,

Wa li Rabbika fasbir

but unto thy Sustainer turn in patience.

Fa izaa nuqira fin naaqoor

And [warn all men that] when the trumpet-call [of resurrection] is sounded,

Fazaalika yawma 'iziny yawmun 'aseer

that very Day shall be a day of anguish,

'Alal kaafireena ghayru yaseer

not of ease, for all who [now] deny the truth!

Zamee wa man khalaqtu waheedaa

LEAVE Me alone [to deal] with him whom I have created alone,

Wa ja'altu lahoo maalam mamdoodaa

and to whom I have granted resources vast,

Wa baneena shuhoodaa

and children as [love's] witnesses,

Wa mahhattu lahoo tamheeda

and to whose life I gave so wide a scope:

Summa yat ma'u an azeed

and yet, he greedily desires that I give yet more!

Kallaaa innahoo kaana li Aayaatinaa 'aneedaa

Nay, verily, it is against Our messages that he knowingly, stubbornly sets himself

Sa urhiquhoo sa'oodaa

[and so] I shall constrain him to endure a painful uphill climb!

Innahoo fakkara wa qaddar

Behold, [when Our messages are conveyed to one who is bent on denying the truth,] he reflects and meditates [as to how to disprove them] –

Faqutila kayfa qaddar

and thus he destroys himself, the way he meditates:

Summa qutila kaifa qaddar

yea, he destroys himself, the way he meditates!

Summa nazar

and then he looks [around for new arguments],

Summa 'abasa wa basar

and then he frowns and glares,

Summaa adbara wastakbar

and in the end he turns his back [on Our message], and glories in his arrogance,

Faqaala in haazaaa illaa sihruny yu'sar

and says, "All this is mere spellbinding eloquence handed down [from olden times]!

In haazaaa illaa qawlul bashar

This is nothing but the word of mortal man!"

Sa usleehi saqar

[Hence,] I shall cause him to endure hell-fire [in the life to come]!

Wa maaa adraaka maa saqar

And what could make thee conceive what hell-fire is?

Laa tubqee wa laa tazar

It does not allow to live, and neither leaves [to die],

Lawwaahatul lilbashar

making [all truth] visible to mortal man.

'Alaihaa tis'ata 'ashar

Over it are nineteen [powers].

Wa maaja''alnaaa As haaban naari illaa malaaa 'ikatanw wa maa ja'alnaa 'iddatahum illaa fitnatal lillazeena kafaroo liyastayqinal lazeena ootul kitaaba wa yazdaadal lazeena aamanooo eemaananw wa laa yartaabal lazeena ootul kitaaba walmu'minoona wa liyaqoolal lazeena fee quloo bihim maradunw walkaafiroona maazaaa araadal laahu bihaazaa masalaa; kazaalika yudillul laahu many yashaaa'u wa yahdee many yashaaa'; wa maa ya'lamu junooda rabbika illaa hoo; wa maa hiya illaa zikraa lil bashar

For We have caused none but angelic powers to lord over the fire [of hell]; and We have not caused their number to be aught but a trial for those who are bent on denying the truth - to the end that they who have been granted revelation aforetime might be convinced [of the truth of this divine writ]; and that they who have attained to faith [in it] might grow yet more firm in their faith; and that [both] they who have been granted the earlier revelation and they who believe [in this one] might be freed of all doubt; and that they in whose hearts is disease and the who deny the truth outright might ask, "What does [your] God mean by this parable?" In this way God lets go astray him that wills [to go astray], and guides aright him that wills [to be guided]. And none can comprehend thy Sustainers forces save Him alone: and all this is but a reminder to mortal man.

Kallaa walqamar

NAY, but consider the moon!

Wallaili adbar

Consider the night when it departs,

Wassub hi izaaa asfar

and the morn when it dawns!

Innahaa la ihdal kubar

Verily, that [hell-fire) is Indeed one of the great [forewarnings] –

Nazeeral lilbashar

a warning to mortal man –

Liman shaaa'a minkum any yataqaddama aw yata akhkhar

to everyone of you, whether he chooses to come forward or to hang back!

Kullu nafsim bim kasabat raheenah

[On the Day of Judgment,] every human being will be held in pledge for whatever [evil] he has wrought –

Illaaa as haabal yameen

save those who shall have attained to righteousness:

Fee jannaatiny yata saaa'aloon

[dwelling] In gardens [of paradise], they will inquire

'Anil mujrimeen

of those who were lost in sin:

Maa salakakum fee saqar

"What has brought you into hell-fire?"

Qaaloo lam naku minal musalleen

They will answer: "We were not among those who prayed;

Wa lam naku nut'imul miskeen

and neither did we feed the needy;

Wa kunnaa nakhoodu ma'al khaaa'ideen

and we were wont to indulge in sinning together with all [the others] who indulged in it;

Wa kunnaa nukazzibu bi yawmid Deen

and the Day of Judgment we were wont to call a lie –

Hattaaa ataanal yaqeen

until certainty came upon us [in death]."

Famaa tanfa'uhum shafaa'atush shaafi'een

And so, of no benefit to them could be the intercession of any that would intercede for them.

Famaa lahum 'anittazkirati mu'rideen

WHAT, THEN, is amiss with them that they turn away from all admonition

Ka annahum humurum mustanfirah

as though they were terrified asses

Farrat min qaswarah

fleeing from a lion?

Bal yureedu kullum ri'im minhum any yu'taa suhufam munashsharah

Yea, everyone of them claims that he [himself] ought to have been given revelations unfolded!

Kallaa bal laa yakhaafoonal aakhirah

Nay, but they do not [believe in and, hence, do not] fear the life to come.

Kallaaa innahoo tazkirah

Nay, verily, this is an admonition –

Fa man shaaa'a zakarah

and whoever wills may take it to heart.

Wa maa yazkuroona illaaa any yashaaa'al laah; Huwa ahlut taqwaa wa ahlul maghfirah

But they [who do not believe in the life to come] will not take it to heart unless God so wills: [for] He is the Fount of all God-consciousness, and the Fount of all forgiveness.