وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الْبُرُوجِ

CONSIDER the sky full of great constellations, (1)

وَالْيَوْمِ الْمَوْعُودِ

and [then bethink thyself of] the promised Day (2)

وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ

and [of] Him who witnesses [all], and [of] that unto which witness is borne [by Him]! (3)

قُتِلَ أَصْحَابُ الْأُخْدُودِ

THEY DESTROY [but] themselves, they who would ready a pit (4)

إِذْ هُمْ عَلَيْهَا قُعُودٌ

Lo! [With glee do] they contemplate that [fire], (6)

وَهُمْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَفْعَلُونَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ شُهُودٌ

fully conscious of what they are doing to the believers, (7)

وَمَا نَقَمُوا مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا أَنْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ

whom they hate for no other reason than that they believe in God, the Almighty, the One to whom all praise is due, (8)

الَّذِي لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ

[and] to whom the dominion of the heavens and the earth belongs. But God is witness unto everything! (9)

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَتَنُوا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَتُوبُوا فَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ الْحَرِيقِ

Verily, as for those who persecute believing men and believing women, and thereafter do not repent, hell's suffering awaits them: yea, suffering through fire awaits them! (10)

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ ذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْكَبِيرُ

[But,] verily, they who attain to faith and do righteous deeds shall [in the life to come] have gardens through which running waters flow – that triumph most great! (11)

إِنَّ بَطْشَ رَبِّكَ لَشَدِيدٌ

VERILY, thy Sustainer's grip is exceedingly strong! (12)

إِنَّهُ هُوَ يُبْدِئُ وَيُعِيدُ

Behold, it is He who creates [man] in the first instance, and He [it is who] will bring him forth anew. (13)

وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الْوَدُودُ

And He alone is truly-forgiving, all-embracing in His love, (14)

ذُو الْعَرْشِ الْمَجِيدُ

in sublime almightiness enthroned, (15)

فَعَّالٌ لِمَا يُرِيدُ

a sovereign doer of whatever He wills. (16)

هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْجُنُودِ

HAS IT ever come within thy ken, the story of the [sinful] hosts (17)

فِرْعَوْنَ وَثَمُودَ

of Pharaoh, and of [the tribe of] Thamūd? (18)

بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي تَكْذِيبٍ

And yet, they who are bent on denying the truth persist in giving it the lie: (19)

وَاللَّهُ مِنْ وَرَائِهِمْ مُحِيطٌ

but all the while God encompasses them [with His knowledge and might] without their being aware of it. (20)

بَلْ هُوَ قُرْآنٌ مَجِيدٌ

Nay, but this [divine writ which they reject] is a discourse sublime, (21)

فِي لَوْحٍ مَحْفُوظٍ

upon an imperishable tablet [inscribed]. (22)