النازعات

وَٱلنَّـٰزِعَٰتِ غَرۡقٗا 1

By those [angels] who extract with violence[1833]

Translation notes

[1833] i.e., those who tear out the souls of those destined for Hell.

وَٱلنَّـٰشِطَٰتِ نَشۡطٗا 2

And [by] those who remove with ease[1834]

Translation notes

[1834] i.e., those angels who ease out the souls of those destined for Paradise.

وَٱلسَّـٰبِحَٰتِ سَبۡحٗا 3

And [by] those who glide [as if] swimming[1835]

Translation notes

[1835] Speeding to execute Allāh's commands.

فَٱلسَّـٰبِقَٰتِ سَبۡقٗا 4

And those who race each other in a race[1836]

Translation notes

[1836] Racing to deliver the souls of the believers to Paradise.

فَٱلۡمُدَبِّرَٰتِ أَمۡرٗا 5

And those who arrange [each] matter,[1837]

Translation notes

[1837] According to Allāh's decree.

يَوۡمَ تَرۡجُفُ ٱلرَّاجِفَةُ 6

On the Day the blast [of the Horn] will convulse [creation],

تَتۡبَعُهَا ٱلرَّادِفَةُ 7

There will follow it the subsequent [one].

قُلُوبٞ يَوۡمَئِذٖ وَاجِفَةٌ 8

Hearts,[1838] that Day, will tremble,

Translation notes

[1838] Those of the disbelievers who denied the Resurrection.

أَبۡصَٰرُهَا خَٰشِعَةٞ 9

Their eyes[1839] humbled.

Translation notes

[1839] Those of the disbelievers.

يَقُولُونَ أَءِنَّا لَمَرۡدُودُونَ فِي ٱلۡحَافِرَةِ 10

They are [presently] saying, "Will we indeed be returned to [our] former state [of life]?

أَءِذَا كُنَّا عِظَٰمٗا نَّخِرَةٗ 11

Even if we should be decayed bones?"[1840]

Translation notes

[1840] The disbelievers say this in ridicule of the warning.

قَالُواْ تِلۡكَ إِذٗا كَرَّةٌ خَاسِرَةٞ 12

They say, "That, then, would be a losing return."[1841]

Translation notes

[1841] i.e., "If that were so, we would not be able to escape punishment."

فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ زَجۡرَةٞ وَٰحِدَةٞ 13

Indeed, it will be but one shout,

فَإِذَا هُم بِٱلسَّاهِرَةِ 14

And suddenly they will be [alert] upon the earth's surface.

هَلۡ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ مُوسَىٰٓ 15

Has there reached you the story of Moses? -

إِذۡ نَادَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ بِٱلۡوَادِ ٱلۡمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى 16

When his Lord called to him in the sacred valley of Ṭuwā,

ٱذۡهَبۡ إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ إِنَّهُۥ طَغَىٰ 17

"Go to Pharaoh. Indeed, he has transgressed.

فَقُلۡ هَل لَّكَ إِلَىٰٓ أَن تَزَكَّىٰ 18

And say to him, 'Would you [be willing to] purify yourself

وَأَهۡدِيَكَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَتَخۡشَىٰ 19

And let me guide you to your Lord so you would fear [Him]?'"

فَأَرَىٰهُ ٱلۡأٓيَةَ ٱلۡكُبۡرَىٰ 20

And he showed him the greatest sign,[1842]

Translation notes

[1842] i.e., the miracle of his staff becoming a great snake.

فَكَذَّبَ وَعَصَىٰ 21

But he [i.e., Pharaoh] denied and disobeyed.

ثُمَّ أَدۡبَرَ يَسۡعَىٰ 22

Then he turned his back, striving [i.e., plotting].[1843]

Translation notes

[1843] An alternative meaning is "running [from the snake]."

فَحَشَرَ فَنَادَىٰ 23

And he gathered [his people] and called out

فَقَالَ أَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمُ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰ 24

And said, "I am your most exalted lord."

فَأَخَذَهُ ٱللَّهُ نَكَالَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ وَٱلۡأُولَىٰٓ 25

So Allāh seized him in exemplary punishment for the last and the first [transgression].[1844].

Translation notes

[1844] i.e., for Pharaoh's setting himself up as a deity and for his previous oppression of the people and denial of Moses.

إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبۡرَةٗ لِّمَن يَخۡشَىٰٓ 26

Indeed in that is a lesson [i.e., warning] for whoever would fear [Allāh].

ءَأَنتُمۡ أَشَدُّ خَلۡقًا أَمِ ٱلسَّمَآءُۚ بَنَىٰهَا 27

Are you a more difficult creation or is the heaven? He [i.e., Allāh] constructed it.

رَفَعَ سَمۡكَهَا فَسَوَّىٰهَا 28

He raised its ceiling and proportioned it.

وَأَغۡطَشَ لَيۡلَهَا وَأَخۡرَجَ ضُحَىٰهَا 29

And He darkened its night and extracted its brightness.[1845]

Translation notes

[1845] i.e., created the day from within the surrounding darkness.

وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَىٰهَآ 30

And after that He spread the earth.

أَخۡرَجَ مِنۡهَا مَآءَهَا وَمَرۡعَىٰهَا 31

He extracted from it its water and its pasture,

وَٱلۡجِبَالَ أَرۡسَىٰهَا 32

And the mountains He set firmly

مَتَٰعٗا لَّكُمۡ وَلِأَنۡعَٰمِكُمۡ 33

As enjoyment [i.e., provision] for you and your grazing livestock.

فَإِذَا جَآءَتِ ٱلطَّآمَّةُ ٱلۡكُبۡرَىٰ 34

But when there comes the greatest Overwhelming Calamity[1846] -

Translation notes

[1846] i.e., the Day of Resurrection.

يَوۡمَ يَتَذَكَّرُ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ مَا سَعَىٰ 35

The Day when man will remember that for which he strove,

وَبُرِّزَتِ ٱلۡجَحِيمُ لِمَن يَرَىٰ 36

And Hellfire will be exposed for [all] those who see -

فَأَمَّا مَن طَغَىٰ 37

So as for he who transgressed

وَءَاثَرَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا 38

And preferred the life of the world,

فَإِنَّ ٱلۡجَحِيمَ هِيَ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰ 39

Then indeed, Hellfire will be [his] refuge.

وَأَمَّا مَنۡ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ وَنَهَى ٱلنَّفۡسَ عَنِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰ 40

But as for he who feared the position of his Lord[1847] and prevented the soul from [unlawful] inclination,

Translation notes

[1847] See footnote to 55:46.

فَإِنَّ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ هِيَ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰ 41

Then indeed, Paradise will be [his] refuge.

يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلسَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرۡسَىٰهَا 42

They ask you, [O Muḥammad], about the Hour: when is its arrival?[1848]

Translation notes

[1848] Literally, "resting" or "establishment."

فِيمَ أَنتَ مِن ذِكۡرَىٰهَآ 43

In what [position] are you that you should mention it?[1849]

Translation notes

[1849] Meaning that Muḥammad (ﷺ) had no knowledge of it, so how could he inform them?

إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ مُنتَهَىٰهَآ 44

To your Lord is its finality.[1850]

Translation notes

[1850] i.e., its destination and termination. And to Him belongs ultimate knowledge of it.

إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُنذِرُ مَن يَخۡشَىٰهَا 45

You are only a warner for those who fear it.

كَأَنَّهُمۡ يَوۡمَ يَرَوۡنَهَا لَمۡ يَلۡبَثُوٓاْ إِلَّا عَشِيَّةً أَوۡ ضُحَىٰهَا 46

It will be, on the Day they see it,[1851] as though they had not remained [in the world] except for an afternoon or a morning thereof.

Translation notes

[1851] i.e., the Hour, the Resurrection.