بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ حمٓ (1)

Ha. Mim.

وَٱلْكِتَٰبِ ٱلْمُبِينِ (2)

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

إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَٰهُ فِى لَيْلَةٍۢ مُّبَٰرَكَةٍ ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُنذِرِينَ (3)

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

فِيهَا يُفْرَقُ كُلُّ أَمْرٍ حَكِيمٍ (4)

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

أَمْرًۭا مِّنْ عِندِنَآ ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُرْسِلِينَ (5)

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

رَحْمَةًۭ مِّن رَّبِّكَ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ (6)

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

رَبِّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَآ ۖ إِن كُنتُم مُّوقِنِينَ (7)

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

لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ ۖ رَبُّكُمْ وَرَبُّ ءَابَآئِكُمُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ (8)

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.

بَلْ هُمْ فِى شَكٍّۢ يَلْعَبُونَ (9)

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

فَٱرْتَقِبْ يَوْمَ تَأْتِى ٱلسَّمَآءُ بِدُخَانٍۢ مُّبِينٍۢ (10)

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],

يَغْشَى ٱلنَّاسَ ۖ هَٰذَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ (11)

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

رَّبَّنَا ٱكْشِفْ عَنَّا ٱلْعَذَابَ إِنَّا مُؤْمِنُونَ (12)

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

أَنَّىٰ لَهُمُ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ وَقَدْ جَآءَهُمْ رَسُولٌۭ مُّبِينٌۭ (13)

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

ثُمَّ تَوَلَّوْا۟ عَنْهُ وَقَالُوا۟ مُعَلَّمٌۭ مَّجْنُونٌ (14)

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

إِنَّا كَاشِفُوا۟ ٱلْعَذَابِ قَلِيلًا ۚ إِنَّكُمْ عَآئِدُونَ (15)

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

يَوْمَ نَبْطِشُ ٱلْبَطْشَةَ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰٓ إِنَّا مُنتَقِمُونَ (16)

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

۞ وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَجَآءَهُمْ رَسُولٌۭ كَرِيمٌ (17)

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:]

أَنْ أَدُّوٓا۟ إِلَىَّ عِبَادَ ٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنِّى لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٌۭ (18)

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

وَأَن لَّا تَعْلُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنِّىٓ ءَاتِيكُم بِسُلْطَٰنٍۢ مُّبِينٍۢ (19)

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

وَإِنِّى عُذْتُ بِرَبِّى وَرَبِّكُمْ أَن تَرْجُمُونِ (20)

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

وَإِن لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُوا۟ لِى فَٱعْتَزِلُونِ (21)

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

فَدَعَا رَبَّهُۥٓ أَنَّ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ قَوْمٌۭ مُّجْرِمُونَ (22)

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

فَأَسْرِ بِعِبَادِى لَيْلًا إِنَّكُم مُّتَّبَعُونَ (23)

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

وَٱتْرُكِ ٱلْبَحْرَ رَهْوًا ۖ إِنَّهُمْ جُندٌۭ مُّغْرَقُونَ (24)

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

كَمْ تَرَكُوا۟ مِن جَنَّٰتٍۢ وَعُيُونٍۢ (25)

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

وَزُرُوعٍۢ وَمَقَامٍۢ كَرِيمٍۢ (26)

and fields of grain, and noble dwellings,

وَنَعْمَةٍۢ كَانُوا۟ فِيهَا فَٰكِهِينَ (27)

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

كَذَٰلِكَ ۖ وَأَوْرَثْنَٰهَا قَوْمًا ءَاخَرِينَ (28)

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

فَمَا بَكَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ وَٱلْأَرْضُ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ مُنظَرِينَ (29)

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

وَلَقَدْ نَجَّيْنَا بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ مِنَ ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلْمُهِينِ (30)

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

مِن فِرْعَوْنَ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ عَالِيًۭا مِّنَ ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ (31)

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

وَلَقَدِ ٱخْتَرْنَٰهُمْ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ عَلَى ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ (32)

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

وَءَاتَيْنَٰهُم مِّنَ ٱلْءَايَٰتِ مَا فِيهِ بَلَٰٓؤٌۭا۟ مُّبِينٌ (33)

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

إِنَّ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ لَيَقُولُونَ (34)

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

إِنْ هِىَ إِلَّا مَوْتَتُنَا ٱلْأُولَىٰ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُنشَرِينَ (35)

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

فَأْتُوا۟ بِـَٔابَآئِنَآ إِن كُنتُمْ صَٰدِقِينَ (36)

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

أَهُمْ خَيْرٌ أَمْ قَوْمُ تُبَّعٍۢ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ أَهْلَكْنَٰهُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ مُجْرِمِينَ (37)

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?

وَمَا خَلَقْنَا ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَٰعِبِينَ (38)

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

مَا خَلَقْنَٰهُمَآ إِلَّا بِٱلْحَقِّ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ (39)

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

إِنَّ يَوْمَ ٱلْفَصْلِ مِيقَٰتُهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ (40)

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

يَوْمَ لَا يُغْنِى مَوْلًى عَن مَّوْلًۭى شَيْـًۭٔا وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ (41)

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

إِلَّا مَن رَّحِمَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ (42)

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

إِنَّ شَجَرَتَ ٱلزَّقُّومِ (43)

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

طَعَامُ ٱلْأَثِيمِ (44)

will be the food of the sinful:

كَٱلْمُهْلِ يَغْلِى فِى ٱلْبُطُونِ (45)

like molten lead will it boil in the belly,

كَغَلْىِ ٱلْحَمِيمِ (46)

like the boiling of burning despair.

خُذُوهُ فَٱعْتِلُوهُ إِلَىٰ سَوَآءِ ٱلْجَحِيمِ (47)

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

ثُمَّ صُبُّوا۟ فَوْقَ رَأْسِهِۦ مِنْ عَذَابِ ٱلْحَمِيمِ (48)

then pour over his head the anguish of burning despair!

ذُقْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْكَرِيمُ (49)

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

إِنَّ هَٰذَا مَا كُنتُم بِهِۦ تَمْتَرُونَ (50)

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

إِنَّ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ فِى مَقَامٍ أَمِينٍۢ (51)

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

فِى جَنَّٰتٍۢ وَعُيُونٍۢ (52)

amid gardens and springs,

يَلْبَسُونَ مِن سُندُسٍۢ وَإِسْتَبْرَقٍۢ مُّتَقَٰبِلِينَ (53)

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

كَذَٰلِكَ وَزَوَّجْنَٰهُم بِحُورٍ عِينٍۢ (54)

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

يَدْعُونَ فِيهَا بِكُلِّ فَٰكِهَةٍ ءَامِنِينَ (55)

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

لَا يَذُوقُونَ فِيهَا ٱلْمَوْتَ إِلَّا ٱلْمَوْتَةَ ٱلْأُولَىٰ ۖ وَوَقَىٰهُمْ عَذَابَ ٱلْجَحِيمِ (56)

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-

فَضْلًۭا مِّن رَّبِّكَ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ (57)

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

فَإِنَّمَا يَسَّرْنَٰهُ بِلِسَانِكَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ (58)

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.

فَٱرْتَقِبْ إِنَّهُم مُّرْتَقِبُونَ (59)

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