إِذَا السَّمَاءُ انْفَطَرَتْ
WHEN THE SKY is cleft asunder, (1)
وَإِذَا الْكَوَاكِبُ انْتَثَرَتْ
and when the stars are scattered, (2)
وَإِذَا الْبِحَارُ فُجِّرَتْ
and when the seas burst beyond their bounds, (3)
وَإِذَا الْقُبُورُ بُعْثِرَتْ
and when the graves are overturned – (4)
عَلِمَتْ نَفْسٌ مَا قَدَّمَتْ وَأَخَّرَتْ
every human being will [at last] comprehend what he has sent ahead and what he has held back [in this world]. (5)
يَا أَيُّهَا الْإِنْسَانُ مَا غَرَّكَ بِرَبِّكَ الْكَرِيمِ
O MAN! What is it that lures thee away from thy bountiful Sustainer, (6)
الَّذِي خَلَقَكَ فَسَوَّاكَ فَعَدَلَكَ
who has created thee, and formed thee in accordance with what thou art meant to be, and shaped thy nature in just proportions, (7)
فِي أَيِّ صُورَةٍ مَا شَاءَ رَكَّبَكَ
having put thee together in whatever form He willed [thee to have]? (8)
كَلَّا بَلْ تُكَذِّبُونَ بِالدِّينِ
Nay, [O men,] but you [are lured away from God whenever you are tempted to] give the lie to [God's] Judgment! (9)
وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَحَافِظِينَ
And yet, verily, there are ever-watchful forces over you, (10)
كِرَامًا كَاتِبِينَ
noble, recording, (11)
يَعْلَمُونَ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ
aware of whatever you do! (12)
إِنَّ الْأَبْرَارَ لَفِي نَعِيمٍ
Behold, [in the life to come] the truly virtuous will indeed be in bliss, (13)
وَإِنَّ الْفُجَّارَ لَفِي جَحِيمٍ
whereas, behold, the wicked will indeed be in a blazing fire – (14)
يَصْلَوْنَهَا يَوْمَ الدِّينِ
[a fire] which they shall enter on Judgment Day, (15)
وَمَا هُمْ عَنْهَا بِغَائِبِينَ
and which they shall not [be able to] evade. (16)
وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا يَوْمُ الدِّينِ
And what could make thee conceive what that Judgment Day will be? (17)
ثُمَّ مَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا يَوْمُ الدِّينِ
And once again: What could make thee conceive what that Judgment Day will be? (18)
يَوْمَ لَا تَمْلِكُ نَفْسٌ لِنَفْسٍ شَيْئًا وَالْأَمْرُ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلَّهِ
[It will be] a Day when no human being shall be of the least avail to another human being: for on that Day [it will become manifest that] all sovereignty is God's alone. (19)
- Nay, [O men,] but you [are lured away from God whenever you are tempted to] give the lie to [God's] Judgment!6
- 6 In view of the fact that the whole of this passage is addressed to "man" or "men" in general, and not merely to deniers of the truth, I believe that the expression "you give the lie" does not, in this context, necessarily imply a conscious denial of God's ultimate judgment but rather, a tendency inherent in most human beings to close one's mind - occasionally or permanently, as the case may be - to the prospect of having to answer before God for one's doings: hence my rendering, "you are tempted to give the lie".
- Day! nit ye do reject Right and Judgment!6006
- 6006 The goodness and mercies of Allah, and His constant watchful care of all His creatures should make men grateful, instead of which they turn away from the Right and deny the Day of Sorting Out, the Day when every action performed here will find its fulfilment in just reward or punishment.
-
Nay! But ye do reject Right and Judgment!
— Abdullah Yusuf Ali -
Nay, but ye deny the Judgment.
— Marmaduke Pickthall -
Nay! but you give the lie to the judgment day,
— M. Habib Shakir -
Nay! But you deny the Recompense (reward for good deeds and punishment for evil deeds).
— Taqiuddin Hilali and M. Mohsin Khan -
By no means! Aye, ye belie the the Requital.
— Abdul-Majid Daryabadi -
Rather, you belied the Recompense.
— Hasan Qaribullah and Ahmed Darwish -
No indeed; but you give lies to the Recompense;
— Ayub Khan -
Nay, but you deny the judgment.
— Sher Ali -
Nay, [O men,] but you [are lured away from God whenever you are tempted to] give the lie to [God's] Judgment!
— Muhammad Asad -
No indeed; but you cry lies to the Doom;
— Arthur Arberry -
No indeed;{{5}} (the fact is that) you deny the Reckoning,{{6}} declaring it a lie;
— Abu'l Ala Maududi