وَالْكِتَابِ الْمُبِينِ

CONSIDER this divine writ, clear in itself and clearly showing the truth! (2)

إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُبَارَكَةٍ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُنْذِرِينَ

Behold, from on high have We bestowed it on a blessed night: for, verily, We have always been warning [man]. (3)

فِيهَا يُفْرَقُ كُلُّ أَمْرٍ حَكِيمٍ

On that [night] was made clear, in wisdom, the distinction between all things [good and evil] (4)

أَمْرًا مِنْ عِنْدِنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا مُرْسِلِينَ

at a behest from Ourselves: for, verily, We have always been sending [Our messages of guidance] (5)

رَحْمَةً مِنْ رَبِّكَ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

in pursuance of thy Sustainer's grace [unto man]. Verily, He alone is all-hearing, all-knowing, (6)

رَبِّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُوقِنِينَ

the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them – if you could but grasp it with inner certainty! (7)

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ رَبُّكُمْ وَرَبُّ آبَائِكُمُ الْأَوَّلِينَ

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. (8)

بَلْ هُمْ فِي شَكٍّ يَلْعَبُونَ

Nay, but they [who lack inner certainty] are but toying with their doubts. (9)

فَارْتَقِبْ يَوْمَ تَأْتِي السَّمَاءُ بِدُخَانٍ مُبِينٍ

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], (10)

يَغْشَى النَّاسَ هَٰذَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

enveloping all mankind, [and causing the sinners to exclaim:] "Grievous is this suffering! (11)

رَبَّنَا اكْشِفْ عَنَّا الْعَذَابَ إِنَّا مُؤْمِنُونَ

O our Sustainer, relieve us of suffering, for, verily, we [now] believe [in Thee]!" (12)

أَنَّىٰ لَهُمُ الذِّكْرَىٰ وَقَدْ جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ مُبِينٌ

[But] how shall this remembrance avail them [at the Last Hour], seeing that an apostle had previously come unto them, clearly expounding the truth, (13)

ثُمَّ تَوَلَّوْا عَنْهُ وَقَالُوا مُعَلَّمٌ مَجْنُونٌ

whereupon they turned their backs on him and said, "Taught [by others] is he, a madman"? (14)

إِنَّا كَاشِفُو الْعَذَابِ قَلِيلًا إِنَّكُمْ عَائِدُونَ

[Still,] behold, We shall postpone this suffering for a little while, although you are bound to revert [to your evil ways: but] (15)

يَوْمَ نَبْطِشُ الْبَطْشَةَ الْكُبْرَىٰ إِنَّا مُنْتَقِمُونَ

on the Day when We shall seize [all sinners] with a most mighty onslaught, We shall, verily, inflict Our retribution [on you as well]! (16)

وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَجَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ كَرِيمٌ

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:] (17)

أَنْ أَدُّوا إِلَيَّ عِبَادَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٌ

"Give in unto me, O God's bondmen! Verily, I am an apostle [sent] unto you, worthy of trust! (18)

وَأَنْ لَا تَعْلُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ إِنِّي آتِيكُمْ بِسُلْطَانٍ مُبِينٍ

"And exalt not yourselves against God: for, verily, I come unto you with a manifest authority [from Him]; (19)

وَإِنِّي عُذْتُ بِرَبِّي وَرَبِّكُمْ أَنْ تَرْجُمُونِ

and, behold, it is with my Sustainer – and your Sustainer – that I seek refuge against all your endeavours to revile me. (20)

وَإِنْ لَمْ تُؤْمِنُوا لِي فَاعْتَزِلُونِ

And if you do not believe me, [at least] stand away from me!" (21)

فَدَعَا رَبَّهُ أَنَّ هَٰؤُلَاءِ قَوْمٌ مُجْرِمُونَ

But then, [when they beset him with their enmity,] he called out to his Sustainer, "These are [indeed] people lost in sin!" (22)

فَأَسْرِ بِعِبَادِي لَيْلًا إِنَّكُمْ مُتَّبَعُونَ

And [God said]: "Go thou forth with My servants by night, for you will surely be pursued; (23)

وَاتْرُكِ الْبَحْرَ رَهْوًا إِنَّهُمْ جُنْدٌ مُغْرَقُونَ

and leave the sea becalmed [between thee and Pharaoh's men]: for, verily, they are a host destined to be drowned!" (24)

كَمْ تَرَكُوا مِنْ جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ

[And so they perished: and] how many gardens did they leave behind, and water-runnels, (25)

وَزُرُوعٍ وَمَقَامٍ كَرِيمٍ

and fields of grain, and noble dwellings, (26)

وَنَعْمَةٍ كَانُوا فِيهَا فَاكِهِينَ

and [all that] life of ease in which they used to delight! (27)

كَذَٰلِكَ وَأَوْرَثْنَاهَا قَوْمًا آخَرِينَ

Thus it was. And [then] We made another people heirs [to what they had left], (28)

فَمَا بَكَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّمَاءُ وَالْأَرْضُ وَمَا كَانُوا مُنْظَرِينَ

and neither sky nor earth shed tears over them, nor were they allowed a respite. (29)