سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ

A challenger has demanded a punishment bound to come

لِّلْكَـٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌ

for the disbelievers—to be averted by none—

مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ

from Allah, Lord of pathways of ˹heavenly˺ ascent,

تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ

˹through which˺ the angels and the ˹holy˺ spirit will ascend to Him on a Day fifty thousand years in length.

فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا

So endure ˹this denial, O Prophet,˺ with beautiful patience.

إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُۥ بَعِيدًا

They truly see this ˹Day˺ as impossible,

وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبًا

but We see it as inevitable.

يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ

On that Day the sky will be like molten brass

وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ

and the mountains like ˹tufts of˺ wool.

وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا

And no close friend will ask ˹about˺ their friends,

يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ

˹although˺ they will be made to see each other. The wicked will wish to ransom themselves from the punishment of that Day by their children,

وَصَـٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ

their spouses, their siblings,

وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ

their clan that sheltered them,

وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ

and everyone on earth altogether, just to save themselves.

كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ

But no! There will certainly be a raging Flame

نَزَّاعَةً لِّلشَّوَىٰ

ripping off scalps.

تَدْعُوا۟ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ

It will summon whoever turned their backs ˹on Allah˺ and turned away ˹from the truth˺,

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰٓ

and gathered and hoarded ˹wealth˺.

۞ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا

Indeed, humankind was created impatient:

إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا

distressed when touched with evil,

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا

and withholding when touched with good—

إِلَّا ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ

except those who pray,

ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ

consistently performing their prayers;

وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُومٌ

and who give the rightful share of their wealth

لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ

to the beggar and the poor;

وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ

and who ˹firmly˺ believe in the Day of Judgment;

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ

and those who fear the punishment of their Lord—

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍ

˹knowing that˺ none should feel secure from their Lord’s punishment—

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَـٰفِظُونَ

and those who guard their chastity

إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ

except with their wives or those ˹bondwomen˺ in their possession, for then they are free from blame,

فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ

but whoever seeks beyond that are the transgressors.

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَـٰنَـٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ

˹The faithful are˺ also those who are true to their trusts and covenants;

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَـٰدَٰتِهِمْ قَآئِمُونَ

and who are honest in their testimony;

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ

and who are ˹properly˺ observant of their prayers.

أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّـٰتٍ مُّكْرَمُونَ

These will be in Gardens, held in honour.

فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ

So what is the matter with the disbelievers that they rush ˹head-long˺ towards you ˹O Prophet˺,

عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ

from the right and the left, in groups ˹to mock you˺?

أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ

Does every one of them expect to be admitted into a Garden of Bliss?

كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ

But no! Indeed, they ˹already˺ know what We created them from.

فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَـٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَـٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَـٰدِرُونَ

So, I do swear by the Lord of ˹all˺ the points of sunrise and sunset that We are truly capable

عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ

of replacing them with ˹others˺ better than them, and We cannot be prevented ˹from doing so˺.

فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَـٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ

So let them indulge ˹in falsehood˺ and amuse ˹themselves˺ until they face their Day, which they have been threatened with—

يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ

the Day they will come forth from the graves swiftly, as if racing to an idol ˹for a blessing˺,

خَـٰشِعَةً أَبْصَـٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يُوعَدُونَ

with eyes downcast, utterly covered with disgrace. That is the Day they have ˹always˺ been warned of.