وَالنَّازِعَاتِ غَرْقًا (1)

By those [angels] who wrest [the soul] violently,

وَالنَّاشِطَاتِ نَشْطًا (2)

by those who draw [it] out gently,

وَالسَّابِحَاتِ سَبْحًا (3)

by those who swim smoothly,

فَالسَّابِقَاتِ سَبْقًا (4)

by those who, racing, take the lead,

فَالْمُدَبِّرَاتِ أَمْرًا (5)

by those who direct the affairs [of creatures]:

يَوْمَ تَرْجُفُ الرَّاجِفَةُ (6)

the day when the Quaker quakes

تَتْبَعُهَا الرَّادِفَةُ (7)

and is followed by the Successor,

قُلُوبٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَاجِفَةٌ (8)

hearts will be trembling on that day,

أَبْصَارُهَا خَاشِعَةٌ (9)

bearing a humbled look.

يَقُولُونَ أَإِنَّا لَمَرْدُودُونَ فِي الْحَافِرَةِ (10)

They will say, ‘Are we being returned to our earlier state?

أَإِذَا كُنَّا عِظَامًا نَخِرَةً (11)

What, even after we have been decayed bones?!’

قَالُوا تِلْكَ إِذًا كَرَّةٌ خَاسِرَةٌ (12)

They will say, ‘This is, then, a ruinous return!’

فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ زَجْرَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ (13)

Yet it will be only a single shout,

فَإِذَا هُمْ بِالسَّاهِرَةِ (14)

and behold, they will be awake.

هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ مُوسَىٰ (15)

Did you receive the story of Moses,

إِذْ نَادَاهُ رَبُّهُ بِالْوَادِ الْمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى (16)

when his Lord called out to him in the holy valley of Tuwa?

اذْهَبْ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُ طَغَىٰ (17)

[And said,] ‘Go to Pharaoh, for indeed he has rebelled,

فَقُلْ هَلْ لَكَ إِلَىٰ أَنْ تَزَكَّىٰ (18)

and say, ‘‘Would you purify yourself?

وَأَهْدِيَكَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَتَخْشَىٰ (19)

I will guide you to your Lord, that you may fear [Him]?’’ ’

فَأَرَاهُ الْآيَةَ الْكُبْرَىٰ (20)

Then he showed him the greatest sign.

فَكَذَّبَ وَعَصَىٰ (21)

But he denied, and disobeyed.

ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ يَسْعَىٰ (22)

Then he turned back, walking swiftly,

فَحَشَرَ فَنَادَىٰ (23)

and gathered [the people] and proclaimed,

فَقَالَ أَنَا رَبُّكُمُ الْأَعْلَىٰ (24)

saying, ‘I am your exalted lord!’

فَأَخَذَهُ اللَّهُ نَكَالَ الْآخِرَةِ وَالْأُولَىٰ (25)

So Allah seized him with the punishment of this life and the Hereafter.

إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبْرَةً لِمَنْ يَخْشَىٰ (26)

There is indeed a moral in that for someone who fears!

أَأَنْتُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقًا أَمِ السَّمَاءُ ۚ بَنَاهَا (27)

Is your creation more prodigious or that of the heaven He has built?

رَفَعَ سَمْكَهَا فَسَوَّاهَا (28)

He raised its vault and fashioned it,

وَأَغْطَشَ لَيْلَهَا وَأَخْرَجَ ضُحَاهَا (29)

and darkened its night, and brought forth its forenoon.

وَالْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَاهَا (30)

Thereafter He spread out the earth,

أَخْرَجَ مِنْهَا مَاءَهَا وَمَرْعَاهَا (31)

brought forth from it its water and pastures,

وَالْجِبَالَ أَرْسَاهَا (32)

setting firm the mountains,

مَتَاعًا لَكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَامِكُمْ (33)

as a [place of] sustenance for you and your livestock.

فَإِذَا جَاءَتِ الطَّامَّةُ الْكُبْرَىٰ (34)

When the Greatest Catastrophe befalls

يَوْمَ يَتَذَكَّرُ الْإِنْسَانُ مَا سَعَىٰ (35)

—the day when man will remember his endeavours

وَبُرِّزَتِ الْجَحِيمُ لِمَنْ يَرَىٰ (36)

and hell is brought into view for those who can see—

فَأَمَّا مَنْ طَغَىٰ (37)

as for him who has been rebellious

وَآثَرَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا (38)

and preferred the life of this world,

فَإِنَّ الْجَحِيمَ هِيَ الْمَأْوَىٰ (39)

his refuge will indeed be hell.

وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ وَنَهَى النَّفْسَ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ (40)

But as for him who is awed to stand before his Lord and restrains his soul from [following] desires,

فَإِنَّ الْجَنَّةَ هِيَ الْمَأْوَىٰ (41)

his refuge will indeed be paradise.

يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْسَاهَا (42)

They ask you concerning the Hour, “When will it set in,

فِيمَ أَنْتَ مِنْ ذِكْرَاهَا (43)

considering your frequent mention of it?”

إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ مُنْتَهَاهَا (44)

Its outcome is with your Lord.

إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ مُنْذِرُ مَنْ يَخْشَاهَا (45)

You are only a warner for those who are afraid it.

كَأَنَّهُمْ يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَهَا لَمْ يَلْبَثُوا إِلَّا عَشِيَّةً أَوْ ضُحَاهَا (46)

The day they see it, it shall be as if they had not stayed [in the world] except for an evening or forenoon.