إِذَا وَقَعَتِ الْوَاقِعَةُ
WHEN THAT which must come to pass [at last] comes to pass, (1)
لَيْسَ لِوَقْعَتِهَا كَاذِبَةٌ
there will be nought that could give the lie to its having come to pass, (2)
خَافِضَةٌ رَافِعَةٌ
abasing [some], exalting [others]! (3)
إِذَا رُجَّتِ الْأَرْضُ رَجًّا
When the earth is shaken with a shaking [severe], (4)
وَبُسَّتِ الْجِبَالُ بَسًّا
and the mountains are shattered into [countless] shards, (5)
فَكَانَتْ هَبَاءً مُنْبَثًّا
so that they become as scattered dust – (6)
وَكُنْتُمْ أَزْوَاجًا ثَلَاثَةً
[on that Day,] then, shall you be [divided into] three kinds. (7)
فَأَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ
Thus, there shall be such as will have attained to what is right: oh, how [happy] will be they who have attained to what is right! (8)
وَأَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ
And there shall be such as will have lost themselves in evil: oh, how [unhappy] will be they who have lost themselves in evil! (9)
وَالسَّابِقُونَ السَّابِقُونَ
But the foremost shall be [they who in life were] the foremost [in faith and good works]: (10)
أُولَٰئِكَ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ
they who were [always] drawn close unto God! (11)
فِي جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ
In gardens of bliss [will they dwell] – (12)
ثُلَّةٌ مِنَ الْأَوَّلِينَ
a good many of those of olden times, (13)
وَقَلِيلٌ مِنَ الْآخِرِينَ
but [only] a few of later times. (14)
عَلَىٰ سُرُرٍ مَوْضُونَةٍ
[They will be seated] on gold-encrusted thrones of happiness, (15)
مُتَّكِئِينَ عَلَيْهَا مُتَقَابِلِينَ
reclining upon them, facing one another [in love]. (16)
يَطُوفُ عَلَيْهِمْ وِلْدَانٌ مُخَلَّدُونَ
Immortal youths will wait upon them (17)
بِأَكْوَابٍ وَأَبَارِيقَ وَكَأْسٍ مِنْ مَعِينٍ
with goblets, and ewers, and cups filled with water from unsullied springs (18)
لَا يُصَدَّعُونَ عَنْهَا وَلَا يُنْزِفُونَ
by which their minds will not be clouded and which will not make them drunk; (19)
وَفَاكِهَةٍ مِمَّا يَتَخَيَّرُونَ
and with fruit of any kind that they may choose, (20)
وَلَحْمِ طَيْرٍ مِمَّا يَشْتَهُونَ
and with the flesh of any fowl that they may desire. (21)
وَحُورٌ عِينٌ
And [with them will be their] companions pure, most beautiful of eye, (22)
كَأَمْثَالِ اللُّؤْلُؤِ الْمَكْنُونِ
like unto pearls [still] hidden in their shells. (23)
جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
[And this will be] a reward for what they did [in life]. (24)
لَا يَسْمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغْوًا وَلَا تَأْثِيمًا
No empty talk will they hear there, nor any call to sin, (25)
إِلَّا قِيلًا سَلَامًا سَلَامًا
but only the tiding of inner soundness and peace. (26)
وَأَصْحَابُ الْيَمِينِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الْيَمِينِ
NOW AS FOR those who have attained to righteousness – what of those who have attained to righteousness? (27)
فِي سِدْرٍ مَخْضُودٍ
[They, too, will find themselves] amidst fruit-laden lote-trees, (28)
وَطَلْحٍ مَنْضُودٍ
and acacias flower-clad, (29)
وَظِلٍّ مَمْدُودٍ
and shade extended, (30)
وَمَاءٍ مَسْكُوبٍ
and waters gushing, (31)
وَفَاكِهَةٍ كَثِيرَةٍ
and fruit abounding, (32)
لَا مَقْطُوعَةٍ وَلَا مَمْنُوعَةٍ
never-failing and never out of reach. (33)
وَفُرُشٍ مَرْفُوعَةٍ
And [with them will be their] spouses, raised high: (34)
إِنَّا أَنْشَأْنَاهُنَّ إِنْشَاءً
for, behold, We shall have brought them into being in a life renewed, (35)
فَجَعَلْنَاهُنَّ أَبْكَارًا
having resurrected them as virgins, (36)
عُرُبًا أَتْرَابًا
full of love, well-matched (37)
لِأَصْحَابِ الْيَمِينِ
with those who have attained to righteousness: (38)
- (Many) will it bring low;5223 (many) will it exalt;
- 5223 There will be a sorting out of Good and Evil. Or rather, (verse 7 below), there will be three main classes. Among the Good there will be the specially exalted class, those nearest to Allah (al muqarrabun, 56:11-26), and the righteous people generally, called the Companions of the Right Hand (Ashab al maymanah, 56:27-40). And there will be those in agony, the Companions of the Left Hand (Ashab al mash'amah. 56:41-56). Many who were high and mighty in this life will be brought low for their sins, and many who were lowly but virtuous will be exalted to various ranks and degrees. The old landmarks will be lost in the inner world, as they will be in the outer world.
-
(Many) will it bring low; (many) will it exalt;
— Abdullah Yusuf Ali -
Abasing (some), exalting (others);
— Marmaduke Pickthall -
Abasing (one party), exalting (the other),
— M. Habib Shakir -
It will bring low (some); (and others) it will exalt;
— Taqiuddin Hilali and M. Mohsin Khan -
Abasing exalting.
— Abdul-Majid Daryabadi -
(it will) abase (some) and exalt (others).
— Hasan Qaribullah and Ahmed Darwish -
abasing, exalting;
— Ayub Khan -
Some it will bring low, others it will exalt.
— Sher Ali -
abasing [some], exalting [others]!
— Muhammad Asad -
abasing, exalting,
— Arthur Arberry -
(a calamitous Event) that shall turn things upside down:{{2}}
— Abu'l Ala Maududi