عَمَّ يَتَسَاءَلُونَ

ABOUT WHAT do they [most often] ask one another? (1)

عَنِ النَّبَإِ الْعَظِيمِ

About the awesome tiding [of resurrection], (2)

الَّذِي هُمْ فِيهِ مُخْتَلِفُونَ

on which they [so utterly] disagree. (3)

كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ

Nay, but in time they will come to understand [it]! (4)

ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ

And once again: Nay, but in time they will come to understand! (5)

أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ الْأَرْضَ مِهَادًا

HAVE WE NOT made the earth a resting-place [for you], (6)

وَالْجِبَالَ أَوْتَادًا

and the mountains [its] pegs? (7)

وَخَلَقْنَاكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا

And We have created you in pairs; (8)

وَجَعَلْنَا نَوْمَكُمْ سُبَاتًا

and We have made your sleep [a symbol of] death (9)

وَجَعَلْنَا اللَّيْلَ لِبَاسًا

and made the night [its] cloak (10)

وَجَعَلْنَا النَّهَارَ مَعَاشًا

and made the day [a symbol of] life. (11)

وَبَنَيْنَا فَوْقَكُمْ سَبْعًا شِدَادًا

And We have built above you seven firmaments, (12)

وَجَعَلْنَا سِرَاجًا وَهَّاجًا

and have placed [therein the sun,] a lamp full of blazing splendour. (13)

وَأَنْزَلْنَا مِنَ الْمُعْصِرَاتِ مَاءً ثَجَّاجًا

And from the wind-driven clouds We send down waters pouring in abundance, (14)

وَجَنَّاتٍ أَلْفَافًا

and gardens dense with foliage. (16)

إِنَّ يَوْمَ الْفَصْلِ كَانَ مِيقَاتًا

VERILY, the Day of Distinction [between the true and the false] has indeed its appointed time: (17)

يَوْمَ يُنْفَخُ فِي الصُّورِ فَتَأْتُونَ أَفْوَاجًا

the Day when the trumpet [of resurrection] is sounded and you all come forward in multitudes; (18)

وَفُتِحَتِ السَّمَاءُ فَكَانَتْ أَبْوَابًا

and when the skies are opened and become [as wide-flung] gates; (19)

وَسُيِّرَتِ الْجِبَالُ فَكَانَتْ سَرَابًا

and when the mountains are made to vanish as if they had been a mirage. (20)

إِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ كَانَتْ مِرْصَادًا

[On that Day,] verily, hell will lie in wait [for those who deny the truth] – (21)

لِلطَّاغِينَ مَآبًا

a goal for all who are wont to transgress the bounds of what is right! (22)

لَابِثِينَ فِيهَا أَحْقَابًا

In it shall they remain for a long time. (23)

لَا يَذُوقُونَ فِيهَا بَرْدًا وَلَا شَرَابًا

Neither coolness shall they taste therein nor any [thirst-quenching] drink – (24)

إِلَّا حَمِيمًا وَغَسَّاقًا

only burning despair and ice-cold darkness: (25)

جَزَاءً وِفَاقًا

a meet requital [for their sins]! (26)

إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا لَا يَرْجُونَ حِسَابًا

Behold, they were not expecting to be called to account, (27)

وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا كِذَّابًا

having given the lie to Our messages one and all: (28)

وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَاهُ كِتَابًا

but We have placed on record every single thing [of what they did]. (29)

فَذُوقُوا فَلَنْ نَزِيدَكُمْ إِلَّا عَذَابًا

[And so We shall say:] "Taste, then, [the fruit of your evil doings,] for now We shall bestow on you nothing but more and more suffering!" (30)