الْحَاقَّةُ

OH, THE LAYING-BARE of the truth! (1)

مَا الْحَاقَّةُ

How awesome that laying-bare of the truth! (2)

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْحَاقَّةُ

And what could make thee conceive what that laying-bare of the truth will be? (3)

كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ وَعَادٌ بِالْقَارِعَةِ

THE LIE gave [the tribes of] Thamūd and 'ād to [all tidings of] that sudden calamity! (4)

فَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَأُهْلِكُوا بِالطَّاغِيَةِ

Now as for the Thamūd – they were destroyed by a violent upheaval [of the earth]; (5)

وَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَأُهْلِكُوا بِرِيحٍ صَرْصَرٍ عَاتِيَةٍ

and as for the 'ād – they were destroyed by a stormwind furiously raging, (6)

سَخَّرَهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَبْعَ لَيَالٍ وَثَمَانِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ حُسُومًا فَتَرَى الْقَوْمَ فِيهَا صَرْعَىٰ كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ خَاوِيَةٍ

which He willed against them for seven nights and eight days without cease, so that in the end thou couldst see those people laid low [in death], as though they were so many [uprooted] trunks of hollow palm trees: (7)

فَهَلْ تَرَىٰ لَهُمْ مِنْ بَاقِيَةٍ

and dost thou now see any remnant of them? (8)

وَجَاءَ فِرْعَوْنُ وَمَنْ قَبْلَهُ وَالْمُؤْتَفِكَاتُ بِالْخَاطِئَةِ

And there was Pharaoh, too, and [many of] those who lived before him, and the cities that were overthrown – [all of them] indulged in sin upon sin (9)

فَعَصَوْا رَسُولَ رَبِّهِمْ فَأَخَذَهُمْ أَخْذَةً رَابِيَةً

and rebelled against their Sustainer's apostles: and so He took them to task with a punishing grasp exceedingly severe! (10)

إِنَّا لَمَّا طَغَى الْمَاءُ حَمَلْنَاكُمْ فِي الْجَارِيَةِ

[And] behold: when the waters [of Noah's flood] burst beyond all limits, it was We who caused you to be borne [to safety] in that floating ark, (11)

لِنَجْعَلَهَا لَكُمْ تَذْكِرَةً وَتَعِيَهَا أُذُنٌ وَاعِيَةٌ

so that We might make all this a [lasting] reminder to you all, and that every wide-awake ear might consciously take it in. (12)

وَحُمِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ وَالْجِبَالُ فَدُكَّتَا دَكَّةً وَاحِدَةً

and the earth and the mountains shall be lifted up and crushed with a single stroke! (14)

فَيَوْمَئِذٍ وَقَعَتِ الْوَاقِعَةُ

And so, that which must come to pass will on that Day have come to pass; (15)

وَانْشَقَّتِ السَّمَاءُ فَهِيَ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَاهِيَةٌ

and the sky will be rent asunder – for frail will it have become on that Day (16)

وَالْمَلَكُ عَلَىٰ أَرْجَائِهَا وَيَحْمِلُ عَرْشَ رَبِّكَ فَوْقَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ ثَمَانِيَةٌ

and the angels [will appear] at its ends, and, above them, eight will bear aloft on that Day the throne of thy Sustainer's almightiness.... (17)

يَوْمَئِذٍ تُعْرَضُونَ لَا تَخْفَىٰ مِنْكُمْ خَافِيَةٌ

On that Day you shall be brought to judgment: not [even] the most hidden of your deeds will remain hidden. (18)

فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ فَيَقُولُ هَاؤُمُ اقْرَءُوا كِتَابِيَهْ

Now as for him whose record shall be placed in his right hand, he will exclaim: "Come you all! Read this my record! (19)

إِنِّي ظَنَنْتُ أَنِّي مُلَاقٍ حِسَابِيَهْ

Behold, I did know that [one day] I would have to face my account!" (20)

فَهُوَ فِي عِيشَةٍ رَاضِيَةٍ

And so he will find himself in a happy state of life, (21)

فِي جَنَّةٍ عَالِيَةٍ

in a lofty paradise, (22)

قُطُوفُهَا دَانِيَةٌ

with its fruits within easy reach. (23)

كُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا هَنِيئًا بِمَا أَسْلَفْتُمْ فِي الْأَيَّامِ الْخَالِيَةِ

[And all who are thus blest will be told:] "Eat and drink with good cheer in return for all [the good deeds] that you have sent ahead in days gone by!" (24)

وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِشِمَالِهِ فَيَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أُوتَ كِتَابِيَهْ

But as for him whose record shall be placed in his left hand, he will exclaim: "Oh, would that I had never been shown this my record, (25)

وَلَمْ أَدْرِ مَا حِسَابِيَهْ

and neither known this my account! (26)

يَا لَيْتَهَا كَانَتِ الْقَاضِيَةَ

Oh, would that this [death of mine] had been the end of me! (27)

مَا أَغْنَىٰ عَنِّي مَالِيَهْ

Of no avail to me is all that I have [ever] possessed, (28)

هَلَكَ عَنِّي سُلْطَانِيَهْ

[and] all my power of argument has died away from me!" (29)

خُذُوهُ فَغُلُّوهُ

[Thereupon the command will go forth:] "Lay hold of him, and shackle him, (30)

ثُمَّ الْجَحِيمَ صَلُّوهُ

and then let him enter hell, (31)

ثُمَّ فِي سِلْسِلَةٍ ذَرْعُهَا سَبْعُونَ ذِرَاعًا فَاسْلُكُوهُ

and then thrust him into a chain [of other sinners like him – a chain] the length whereof is seventy cubits: (32)

إِنَّهُ كَانَ لَا يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ الْعَظِيمِ

for, behold, he did not believe in God, the Tremendous, (33)

وَلَا يَحُضُّ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ

and did not feel any urge to feed the needy: (34)

فَلَيْسَ لَهُ الْيَوْمَ هَاهُنَا حَمِيمٌ

and so, no friend has he here today, (35)

وَلَا طَعَامٌ إِلَّا مِنْ غِسْلِينٍ

nor any food save the filth (36)

لَا يَأْكُلُهُ إِلَّا الْخَاطِئُونَ

which none but the sinners eat! (37)