لَا أُقْسِمُ بِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ
NAY! I call to witness the Day of Resurrection! (1)
وَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِالنَّفْسِ اللَّوَّامَةِ
But nay! I call to witness the accusing voice of man's own conscience! (2)
أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنْسَانُ أَلَّنْ نَجْمَعَ عِظَامَهُ
Does man think that We cannot [resurrect him and] bring his bones together again? (3)
بَلَىٰ قَادِرِينَ عَلَىٰ أَنْ نُسَوِّيَ بَنَانَهُ
Yea indeed, We are able to make whole his very finger-tips! (4)
بَلْ يُرِيدُ الْإِنْسَانُ لِيَفْجُرَ أَمَامَهُ
None the less, man chooses to deny what lies ahead of him, (5)
يَسْأَلُ أَيَّانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ
asking [derisively], "When is that Resurrection Day to be?" (6)
فَإِذَا بَرِقَ الْبَصَرُ
But [on that Day,] when the eyesight is by fear confounded, (7)
وَخَسَفَ الْقَمَرُ
and the moon is darkened, (8)
وَجُمِعَ الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ
and the sun and the moon are brought together – (9)
يَقُولُ الْإِنْسَانُ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَيْنَ الْمَفَرُّ
on that Day will man exclaim, "Whither to flee?" (10)
كَلَّا لَا وَزَرَ
But nay: no refuge [for thee, O man]! (11)
إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمُسْتَقَرُّ
With thy Sustainer, on that Day, the journey's end will be! (12)
يُنَبَّأُ الْإِنْسَانُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بِمَا قَدَّمَ وَأَخَّرَ
Man will be apprised, on that Day, of what he has done and what he has left undone: (13)
بَلِ الْإِنْسَانُ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِ بَصِيرَةٌ
nay, but man shall against himself be an eye-witness, (14)
وَلَوْ أَلْقَىٰ مَعَاذِيرَهُ
even though he may veil himself in excuses. (15)
لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ
MOVE NOT thy tongue in haste, [repeating the words of the revelation:] (16)
إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ
for, behold, it is for Us to gather it [in thy heart,] and to cause it to be read [as it ought to be read]. (17)
فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَاهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُ
Thus, when We recite it, follow thou its wording [with all thy mind]: (18)
ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا بَيَانَهُ
and then, behold, it will be for Us to make its meaning clear. (19)
كَلَّا بَلْ تُحِبُّونَ الْعَاجِلَةَ
NAY, but [most of] you love this fleeting life, (20)
وَتَذَرُونَ الْآخِرَةَ
and give no thought to the life to come [and to Judgment Day]! (21)
وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَاضِرَةٌ
Some faces will on that Day be bright with happiness, (22)
إِلَىٰ رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ
looking up to their Sustainer; (23)
وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ بَاسِرَةٌ
and some faces will on that Day be overcast with despair, (24)
تَظُنُّ أَنْ يُفْعَلَ بِهَا فَاقِرَةٌ
knowing that a crushing calamity is about to befall them. (25)
كَلَّا إِذَا بَلَغَتِ التَّرَاقِيَ
NAY, but when [the last breath] comes up to the throat [of a dying man], (26)
وَقِيلَ مَنْ رَاقٍ
and people ask, "Is there any wizard [that could save him]?" (27)
وَظَنَّ أَنَّهُ الْفِرَاقُ
the while he [himself] knows that this is the parting, (28)
وَالْتَفَّتِ السَّاقُ بِالسَّاقِ
and is enwrapped in the pangs of death (29)
إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمَسَاقُ
at that time towards thy Sustainer does he feel impelled to turn! (30)
- for, behold, it is for Us to gather it [in thy heart,] and to cause it to be read [as it ought to be read].7
- 7 I.e., "it is for Us to make thee remember it and to cause it to be read with mind and heart". As pointed out in the preceding note, the Qur'an can be understood only if it is read thoughtfully, as one integral whole, and not as a mere collection of moral maxims, stories or disjointed laws.
-
It is for Us to collect it and to promulgate it:
— Abdullah Yusuf Ali -
Lo! upon Us (resteth) the putting together thereof and the reading thereof.
— Marmaduke Pickthall -
Surely on Us (devolves) the collecting of it and the reciting of it.
— M. Habib Shakir -
It is for Us to collect it and to give you (O Muhammad SAW) the ability to recite it (the Qur'an),
— Taqiuddin Hilali and M. Mohsin Khan -
Verily upon us is the collecting thereof and the reciting thereof.
— Abdul-Majid Daryabadi -
It's gathering and reciting is upon Us.
— Hasan Qaribullah and Ahmed Darwish -
upon Us is its assembling, and its reading out.
— Ayub Khan -
Surely, upon Us rests its collection and its recital.
— Sher Ali -
for, behold, it is for Us to gather it [in thy heart,] and to cause it to be read [as it ought to be read].
— Muhammad Asad -
Ours it is to gather it, and to recite it.
— Arthur Arberry -
Surely it is for Us to have you commit it to memory and to recite it.
— Abu'l Ala Maududi