1

سَأَلَ سَآئِلُۢ بِعَذَابࣲ وَاقِعࣲ‏

The skeptics ask about the torment that is bound to land

2

لِّلۡكٰ۪فِرِينَ لَيۡسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعࣱ‏

Upon the unbelievers! Nothing can ward it off

3

مِّنَ اَ۬للَّهِ ذِي اِ۬لۡمَعَارِجِ

(It is) from Allah, the Lord of the means of ascent (to the heavens)

4

تَعۡرُجُ اُ۬لۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَاَلرُّوحُ إِلَيۡهِ فِي يَوۡمࣲ كَانَ مِقۡدَارُهُۥ خَمۡسِينَ أَلۡفَ سَنَةࣲ‏

The angels and the spirits rise up towards Him during a day that spans fifty thousand years

5

فَاَصۡبِرۡ صَبۡرࣰ ا جَمِيلًا

So endure (all adversity) with grace and patience

6

إِنَّهُمۡ يَرَوۡنَهُۥ بَعِيدࣰ ا

Indeed, they consider the punishment to be far in the future

7

وَنَر۪ىٰهُ قَرِيبࣰ ا

While We see it close at hand

8

يَوۡمَ تَكُونُ اُ۬لسَّمَآءُ كَاَلۡمُهۡلِ

The sky that day, will be like molten copper

9

وَتَكُونُ اُ۬لۡجِبَالُ كَاَلۡعِهۡنِ

And the mountains like the fluffy tufts of wool

10

وَلَا يَسۡـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمࣰ ا

Even the closest friends would fail to inquire about (the welfare of) their close friends

11

يُبَصَّرُونَهُمۡۚ يَوَدُّ اُ۬لۡمُجۡرِمُ لَوۡ يَفۡتَدِي مِنۡ عَذَابِ يَوۡمِئِذِۢ بِبَنِيهِ

Although, they would see each other! The criminal, that day, would like to escape punishment by offering his own son as ransom

12

وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ

His wife and his brother

13

وَفَصِيلَتِهِ اِ۬لَّتِي تُـٔۡوِيهِ

And (all) relatives _ (even those) who had sheltered him (through the years)

14

وَمَن فِي اِ۬لۡأَرۡضِ جَمِيعࣰ ا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ

In fact, (he would be ready to offer as ransom) every single soul on earth, if he could (in return) save himself

15

كَلَّآۖ إِنَّهَا لَظٜ يٰ

No! Of course not! It is a blazing inferno

16

نَزَّاعَةࣱ لِّلشَّوٜ يٰ

And it will scald away the scalps (of the unbelievers)

17

تَدۡعُواْ مَنۡ أَدۡبَرَ وَتَوَلّٜ يٰ

It will summon (by name), all those who turned their backs and ran away (from the truth)

18

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوۡعٜ يٰٓ

And amassed (wealth), and hoarded it

19

إِنَّ اَ۬لۡإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا

Indeed, man is created impatient (and fretful)

20

إِذَا مَسَّهُ اُ۬لشَّرُّ جَزُوعࣰ ا

He (frets and) panics in the face of adversity

21

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ اُ۬لۡخَيۡرُ مَنُوعًا

And acts niggardly when he encounters good fortune

22

إِلَّا اَ۬لۡمُصَلِّينَ

Except those who perform ´salat´

23

اَ۬لَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ دَآئِمُونَ

(Successful are) those who are steadfast (prompt, and punctual) in their ´salat´

24

وَاَلَّذِينَ فِيٓ أَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ حَقࣱّ مَّعۡلُومࣱ‏

Those who accept a due share in their wealth

25

لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَاَلۡمَحۡرُومِ

For people seeking (alms), and for the deprived

26

وَاَلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوۡمِ اِ۬لدِّينِ

(Successful are) those who believe in the Day of Judgment

27

وَاَلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنۡ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشۡفِقُونَ

Those who were fearful of the torment inflicted by their Lord

28

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمۡ غَيۡرُ مَأۡمُونࣲ‏

Indeed, None may feel (wholly) secure and indifferent to the torment of their Lord

29

وَاَلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِفُرُوجِهِمۡ حَٰفِظُونَ

(Successful are) those who rein in their sexuality

30

إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزۡوَٰجِهِمۡ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُهُمۡ فَإِنَّهُمۡ غَيۡرُ مَلُومِينَ

Except with their spouses _ those whom their right hands possess; because then, they are not blameworthy

31

فَمَنِ اِ۪بۡتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ اُ۬لۡعَادُونَ

While those seeking anything beyond that are really the transgressors

32

وَاَلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمۡ وَعَهۡدِهِمۡ رَٰعُونَ

(Successful are) those who discharged their trusts faithfully, and honor their pledges

33

وَاَلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَتِهِمۡ قَآئِمُونَ

And when they bear witness, they stand firm (and are truthful)

34

وَاَلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ يُحَافِظُونَ

Those who perform their ´salat´ devotedly and diligently

35

أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ فِي جَنَّٰتࣲ مُّكۡرَمُونَ

Such (righteous) ones would be honored in paradise

36

فَمَالِ اِ۬لَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قِبَلَكَ مُهۡطِعِينَ

So what is wrong with the unbelievers? Why do they run towards you

37

عَنِ اِ۬لۡيَمِينِ وَعَنِ اِ۬لشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ

(They are ever so ready to denounce you) in groups, on the right and on the left

38

أَيَطۡمَعُ كُلُّ اُ۪مۡرِيࣲٕ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَن يُدۡخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمࣲ‏

Does every man among them aspire to enter the blessings filled paradise

39

كَلَّآۖ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعۡلَمُونَ

No, of course not! We have created them out of (base) matter that they know (and are familiar with)

40

۞فَلَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِرَبِّ اِ۬لۡمَشَٰرِقِ وَاَلۡمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ

Certainly not! I swear by the Lord of the easts and the wests, that We are indeed capable

41

عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيۡرࣰ ا مِّنۡهُمۡ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمَسۡبُوقِينَ

Of replacing them with (other creations) better than them. We shall certainly not be surpassed

42

فَذَرۡهُمۡ يَخُوضُواْ وَيَلۡعَبُواْ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُواْ يَوۡمَهُمُ اُ۬لَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ

So let them stay engrossed in their idle talks and their games, until they come to face their promised day

43

يَوۡمَ يَخۡرُجُونَ مِنَ اَ۬لۡأَجۡدَاثِ سِرَاعࣰ ا كَأَنَّهُمۡ إِلَىٰ نَصۡبࣲ يُوفِضُونَ

That day they would rush out of their graves fast, as if they were hurrying towards their goal

44

خَٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةࣱۚ ذَٰلِكَ اَ۬لۡيَوۡمُ اُ۬لَّذِي كَانُواْ يُوعَدُونَ

Their eyes shall be down cast (with shame). Humiliation and disgrace shall overwhelm them (completely). They are being promised (just) such a day