As-Saaffaat

وَٱلصَّٰٓفَّٰتِ صَفًّا

By those [angels] lined up in rows,

فَٱلزَّٰجِرَٰتِ زَجْرًا

and those who drive [the clouds],

فَٱلتَّٰلِيَٰتِ ذِكْرًا

and those who recite Allah’s words¹,

إِنَّ إِلَٰهَكُمْ لَوَٰحِدٌ

indeed, your God is One,

رَّبُّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَرَبُّ ٱلْمَشَٰرِقِ

Lord of the heavens and earth and all that is between them, and Lord of the points of sunrise.

إِنَّا زَيَّنَّا ٱلسَّمَآءَ ٱلدُّنْيَا بِزِينَةٍ ٱلْكَوَاكِبِ

We have adorned the sky with the beauty of the stars,

وَحِفْظًا مِّن كُلِّ شَيْطَٰنٍ مَّارِدٍ

and for safeguarding it against every rebellious devil,

لَّا يَسَّمَّعُونَ إِلَى ٱلْمَلَإِ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ وَيُقْذَفُونَ مِن كُلِّ جَانِبٍ

so that they cannot eavesdrop on the highest assembly [of angels] and are pelted from every side²

دُحُورًا وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ وَاصِبٌ

to repel them; and for them there will be a perpetual punishment,

إِلَّا مَنْ خَطِفَ ٱلْخَطْفَةَ فَأَتْبَعَهُۥ شِهَابٌ ثَاقِبٌ

except who stealthily snatches away some words, he will be pursued by a piercing flame.

فَٱسْتَفْتِهِمْ أَهُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقًا أَم مَّنْ خَلَقْنَآ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَٰهُم مِّن طِينٍ لَّازِبٍۭ

So ask them, “Are they more difficult to create or other things We created? We created them³ from sticky clay.

بَلْ عَجِبْتَ وَيَسْخَرُونَ

Rather you are astonished, while they ridicule it,

وَإِذَا ذُكِّرُوا۟ لَا يَذْكُرُونَ

and when they are reminded, they pay no heed,

وَإِذَا رَأَوْا۟ ءَايَةً يَسْتَسْخِرُونَ

and when they see a sign, they ridicule it,

وَقَالُوٓا۟ إِنْ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ

and they say, “This is nothing but clear magic.

أَءِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابًا وَعِظَٰمًا أَءِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ

Is it that when we are dead and become dust and bones, will we really be raised up again,

أَوَءَابَآؤُنَا ٱلْأَوَّلُونَ

and our forefathers too?”

قُلْ نَعَمْ وَأَنتُمْ دَٰخِرُونَ

Say, “Yes, and you will be disgraced.”

فَإِنَّمَا هِىَ زَجْرَةٌ وَٰحِدَةٌ فَإِذَا هُمْ يَنظُرُونَ

It will only be a single Blast⁴, and at once they will be looking around.

وَقَالُوا۟ يَٰوَيْلَنَا هَٰذَا يَوْمُ ٱلدِّينِ

They will say, “Woe to us! This is the Day of Judgment!”

هَٰذَا يَوْمُ ٱلْفَصْلِ ٱلَّذِى كُنتُم بِهِۦ تُكَذِّبُونَ

[They will be told], “This is the Day of Decision that you used to deny.”

ٱحْشُرُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ وَأَزْوَٰجَهُمْ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْبُدُونَ

[The angels will be told], “Gather all those who did wrong and their fellows⁵, and whatever they used to worship

مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ فَٱهْدُوهُمْ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطِ ٱلْجَحِيمِ

besides Allah, and lead them to the way of Hell,

وَقِفُوهُمْ إِنَّهُم مَّسْـُٔولُونَ

and stop them, for they are to be questioned.”

مَا لَكُمْ لَا تَنَاصَرُونَ

[They will be asked], “What is the matter with you, that you no longer help one another?”

بَلْ هُمُ ٱلْيَوْمَ مُسْتَسْلِمُونَ

Rather on that Day they will surrender completely.

وَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ

They will turn to one another, reproaching one another.

قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَأْتُونَنَا عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ

[The followers] will say, “It was you who used to delude us from the right way⁶.”

قَالُوا۟ بَل لَّمْ تَكُونُوا۟ مُؤْمِنِينَ

[The misleaders] will say, “Rather, you yourselves were not believers,

وَمَا كَانَ لَنَا عَلَيْكُم مِّن سُلْطَٰنٍۭ بَلْ كُنتُمْ قَوْمًا طَٰغِينَ

and We had no power over you, rather you yourselves were a transgressing people.

فَحَقَّ عَلَيْنَا قَوْلُ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا لَذَآئِقُونَ

Now the punishment of our Lord has come true against us; we will surely taste it.

فَأَغْوَيْنَٰكُمْ إِنَّا كُنَّا غَٰوِينَ

We did misguide you, for we ourselves were misguided”.

فَإِنَّهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ فِى ٱلْعَذَابِ مُشْتَرِكُونَ

On that Day they will all share in the punishment.

إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَفْعَلُ بِٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ

This is how We deal with the wicked,

إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوٓا۟ إِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ

for whenever it was said to them, “None has the right to be worshiped except Allah,” they became arrogant,

وَيَقُولُونَ أَئِنَّا لَتَارِكُوٓا۟ ءَالِهَتِنَا لِشَاعِرٍ مَّجْنُونٍۭ

and said, “Are we going to abandon our gods for a mad poet⁷?”

بَلْ جَآءَ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَصَدَّقَ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ

Rather, he came with the truth and confirmed the messengers.

إِنَّكُمْ لَذَآئِقُوا۟ ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلْأَلِيمِ

You will surely taste the painful punishment,

وَمَا تُجْزَوْنَ إِلَّا مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

and you will only be recompensed for what you used to do,

إِلَّا عِبَادَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمُخْلَصِينَ

except the chosen slaves of Allah.

أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ رِزْقٌ مَّعْلُومٌ

They will have a known provision,

فَوَٰكِهُ وَهُم مُّكْرَمُونَ

fruits⁸; and they will be honored

فِى جَنَّٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ

in Gardens of Bliss,

عَلَىٰ سُرُرٍ مُّتَقَٰبِلِينَ

facing one another⁹ on couches.

يُطَافُ عَلَيْهِم بِكَأْسٍ مِّن مَّعِينٍۭ

They will be served with a cup of wine from a flowing stream,

بَيْضَآءَ لَذَّةٍ لِّلشَّٰرِبِينَ

white and delicious for those who drink.

لَا فِيهَا غَوْلٌ وَلَا هُمْ عَنْهَا يُنزَفُونَ

It will cause no harm, nor will they be intoxicated by it,

وَعِندَهُمْ قَٰصِرَٰتُ ٱلطَّرْفِ عِينٌ

and with them will be maidens of modest gaze¹⁰ and beautiful eyes,

كَأَنَّهُنَّ بَيْضٌ مَّكْنُونٌ

as if they were well-protected eggs¹¹.

فَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ

Then they will turn to one another asking¹².

قَالَ قَآئِلٌ مِّنْهُمْ إِنِّى كَانَ لِى قَرِينٌ

One of them will say, “I had a close friend [in the world]

يَقُولُ أَءِنَّكَ لَمِنَ ٱلْمُصَدِّقِينَ

who used to say¹³, ‘Are you one of those who believe

أَءِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابًا وَعِظَٰمًا أَءِنَّا لَمَدِينُونَ

that when we die and become dust and bones, shall we be brought for judgment?’”

قَالَ هَلْ أَنتُم مُّطَّلِعُونَ

He will say¹⁴, “Do you wish to see [his fate]?”

فَٱطَّلَعَ فَرَءَاهُ فِى سَوَآءِ ٱلْجَحِيمِ

So he will look down and see him¹⁵ in the midst of the Blazing Fire.

قَالَ تَٱللَّهِ إِن كِدتَّ لَتُرْدِينِ

He will say, “By Allah, you were about to ruin me.

وَلَوْلَا نِعْمَةُ رَبِّى لَكُنتُ مِنَ ٱلْمُحْضَرِينَ

Were it not for the grace of my Lord, I would have been among those who are brought [to Hell].”

أَفَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَيِّتِينَ

[He will say to his fellow believers], “Are we not going to die anymore,

إِلَّا مَوْتَتَنَا ٱلْأُولَىٰ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ

except for our first death, nor are we going to be punished?”

إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَهُوَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ

This is indeed the supreme triumph!

لِمِثْلِ هَٰذَا فَلْيَعْمَلِ ٱلْعَٰمِلُونَ

For such [reward] let the workers work.

أَذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ نُّزُلًا أَمْ شَجَرَةُ ٱلزَّقُّومِ

Is this a better accommodation or the tree of Zaqqūm¹⁶?¹⁷

إِنَّا جَعَلْنَٰهَا فِتْنَةً لِّلظَّٰلِمِينَ

We have made it a trial for the wrongdoers.

إِنَّهَا شَجَرَةٌ تَخْرُجُ فِىٓ أَصْلِ ٱلْجَحِيمِ

It is a tree that grows in the bottom of the Blazing Fire;

طَلْعُهَا كَأَنَّهُۥ رُءُوسُ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينِ

its fruits are like heads of devils.

فَإِنَّهُمْ لَـَٔاكِلُونَ مِنْهَا فَمَالِـُٔونَ مِنْهَا ٱلْبُطُونَ

They will certainly eat from it, filling their bellies.

ثُمَّ إِنَّ لَهُمْ عَلَيْهَا لَشَوْبًا مِّنْ حَمِيمٍ

Then on top of that they will be given a mixture of scalding water,

ثُمَّ إِنَّ مَرْجِعَهُمْ لَإِلَى ٱلْجَحِيمِ

then their final return will be to the Blazing Fire.

إِنَّهُمْ أَلْفَوْا۟ ءَابَآءَهُمْ ضَآلِّينَ

For they found their forefathers astray,

فَهُمْ عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَٰرِهِمْ يُهْرَعُونَ

so they rushed to follow in their footsteps.

وَلَقَدْ ضَلَّ قَبْلَهُمْ أَكْثَرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ

Indeed, most of the earlier people went astray before them,

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا فِيهِم مُّنذِرِينَ

even though We sent among them warners.

فَٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُنذَرِينَ

Then see how was the end of those who were warned,

إِلَّا عِبَادَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمُخْلَصِينَ

except the chosen slaves of Allah.

وَلَقَدْ نَادَىٰنَا نُوحٌ فَلَنِعْمَ ٱلْمُجِيبُونَ

Indeed, Noah called upon Us; how excellent are We at responding!

وَنَجَّيْنَٰهُ وَأَهْلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلْكَرْبِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ

And We saved him and his household¹⁸ from the great distress,

وَجَعَلْنَا ذُرِّيَّتَهُۥ هُمُ ٱلْبَاقِينَ

and made his offspring¹⁹ the only survivors,

وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرِينَ

and We left for him [a favorable mention] among later generations:

سَلَٰمٌ عَلَىٰ نُوحٍ فِى ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ

“Peace be upon Noah among all the nations.”

إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

This is how We reward those who do good.