The Winnowing WindsAdh-Dhaariyatالذاريات

وَٱلذَّٰرِيَٰتِ ذَرْوًا

By the winds that scatter [dust],

فَٱلْحَٰمِلَٰتِ وِقْرًا

and by the clouds carrying loads of water,

فَٱلْجَٰرِيَٰتِ يُسْرًا

and by the ships that sail with ease,

فَٱلْمُقَسِّمَٰتِ أَمْرًا

and by the angels who distribute [blessings] by His command.

إِنَّمَا تُوعَدُونَ لَصَادِقٌ

Indeed, what you are promised is true,

وَإِنَّ ٱلدِّينَ لَوَٰقِعٌ

and the Judgment will surely come to pass.

وَٱلسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ ٱلْحُبُكِ

By the heaven with its pathways¹,

إِنَّكُمْ لَفِى قَوْلٍ مُّخْتَلِفٍ

Indeed, you [Makkans] have conflicting views².

يُؤْفَكُ عَنْهُ مَنْ أُفِكَ

He who is diverted from it is destined to be diverted.

قُتِلَ ٱلْخَرَّٰصُونَ

Doomed³ are those who base their beliefs on conjecture.

ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ فِى غَمْرَةٍ سَاهُونَ

those who are steeped in ignorance heedlessly.

يَسْـَٔلُونَ أَيَّانَ يَوْمُ ٱلدِّينِ

They ask [mockingly], “When is the Day of Judgment?”

يَوْمَ هُمْ عَلَى ٱلنَّارِ يُفْتَنُونَ

It is the Day when they will be punished by the Fire.

ذُوقُوا۟ فِتْنَتَكُمْ هَٰذَا ٱلَّذِى كُنتُم بِهِۦ تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ

[It will be said], “Taste your punishment! This is what you were seeking to hasten.”

إِنَّ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ فِى جَنَّٰتٍ وَعُيُونٍ

Indeed, the righteous will be in gardens and springs,

ءَاخِذِينَ مَآ ءَاتَىٰهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ قَبْلَ ذَٰلِكَ مُحْسِنِينَ

receiving what their Lord will give them, for they were indeed doers of good beforehand.

كَانُوا۟ قَلِيلًا مِّنَ ٱلَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ

They used to sleep only a little at night⁴,

وَبِٱلْأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ

and before dawn they would seek forgiveness⁵,

وَفِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّ لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ

and in their wealth, there was a share for the beggar and the destitute.

وَفِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ءَايَٰتٌ لِّلْمُوقِنِينَ

On earth there are signs for those who are certain in faith,

وَفِىٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ

and also within yourselves. Do you not see?

وَفِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ رِزْقُكُمْ وَمَا تُوعَدُونَ

And in the heaven is your provision and all that you are promised.

فَوَرَبِّ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ إِنَّهُۥ لَحَقٌّ مِّثْلَ مَآ أَنَّكُمْ تَنطِقُونَ

By the Lord of the heaven and earth, this [resurrection] is certainly as true as the fact that you can speak.

هَلْ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ ضَيْفِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ٱلْمُكْرَمِينَ

Has there come to you the story of Abraham’s honored guests⁶?

إِذْ دَخَلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا۟ سَلَٰمًا قَالَ سَلَٰمٌ قَوْمٌ مُّنكَرُونَ

When they came to him and said, “Peace.” He said, “Upon you be peace.” [saying to himself] “Unknown people!”

فَرَاغَ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهِۦ فَجَآءَ بِعِجْلٍ سَمِينٍ

Then he went quickly to his household, and came with a fat [roasted] calf,

فَقَرَّبَهُۥٓ إِلَيْهِمْ قَالَ أَلَا تَأْكُلُونَ

and placed it before them and said, “Will you not eat?”

فَأَوْجَسَ مِنْهُمْ خِيفَةً قَالُوا۟ لَا تَخَفْ وَبَشَّرُوهُ بِغُلَٰمٍ عَلِيمٍ

He felt apprehensive about them⁷. They said, “Do not be afraid,” and gave him glad tidings of a knowledgeable son.

فَأَقْبَلَتِ ٱمْرَأَتُهُۥ فِى صَرَّةٍ فَصَكَّتْ وَجْهَهَا وَقَالَتْ عَجُوزٌ عَقِيمٌ

His wife cried out loud, and struck her face [in astonishment] and said, “[I am] a barren old woman!”

قَالُوا۟ كَذَٰلِكِ قَالَ رَبُّكِ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْحَكِيمُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ

They said, “This is what your Lord said. Indeed, He is the All-Wise, the All-Knowing.”

قَالَ فَمَا خَطْبُكُمْ أَيُّهَا ٱلْمُرْسَلُونَ

Abraham said, “Then what is your mission, O messengers?”

قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّآ أُرْسِلْنَآ إِلَىٰ قَوْمٍ مُّجْرِمِينَ

They said, “We have been sent to a wicked people,

لِنُرْسِلَ عَلَيْهِمْ حِجَارَةً مِّن طِينٍ

to send down upon them stones of clay,

مُّسَوَّمَةً عِندَ رَبِّكَ لِلْمُسْرِفِينَ

marked by your Lord for the transgressors.”

فَأَخْرَجْنَا مَن كَانَ فِيهَا مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

We brought out those believers who were there,

فَمَا وَجَدْنَا فِيهَا غَيْرَ بَيْتٍ مِّنَ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ

but We only found in it one Muslim household⁸.

وَتَرَكْنَا فِيهَآ ءَايَةً لِّلَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ ٱلْعَذَابَ ٱلْأَلِيمَ

And We left there a sign⁹ for those who fear the painful punishment.

وَفِى مُوسَىٰٓ إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَٰهُ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ بِسُلْطَٰنٍ مُّبِينٍ

And [there is a sign in the story of] Moses when We sent him to Pharaoh with compelling proofs,

فَتَوَلَّىٰ بِرُكْنِهِۦ وَقَالَ سَٰحِرٌ أَوْ مَجْنُونٌ

But he and his supporters turned away, and he said about [Moses], “A magician or a madman!”

فَأَخَذْنَٰهُ وَجُنُودَهُۥ فَنَبَذْنَٰهُمْ فِى ٱلْيَمِّ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ

So We seized him and his soldiers and cast them into the sea while he was blameworthy¹⁰.

وَفِى عَادٍ إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلرِّيحَ ٱلْعَقِيمَ

And [there is a sign in the story of] ‘Ād, when We sent against them the devastating barren wind¹¹.

مَا تَذَرُ مِن شَىْءٍ أَتَتْ عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا جَعَلَتْهُ كَٱلرَّمِيمِ

It spared nothing it came upon except that it reduced it to ruin and decay.

وَفِى ثَمُودَ إِذْ قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَمَتَّعُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ حِينٍ

And [there is a sign in the story of] Thamūd, when they were told, “Enjoy yourselves for a while¹².”

فَعَتَوْا۟ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِمْ فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ ٱلصَّٰعِقَةُ وَهُمْ يَنظُرُونَ

But they rebelled against the command of their Lord, so the thunderbolt seized them, while they were looking on.

فَمَا ٱسْتَطَٰعُوا۟ مِن قِيَامٍ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ مُنتَصِرِينَ

They could not withstand it, nor could they ward it off.

وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍ مِّن قَبْلُ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ قَوْمًا فَٰسِقِينَ

And the people of Noah [were also destroyed] before them. They were indeed a rebellious people.

وَٱلسَّمَآءَ بَنَيْنَٰهَا بِأَيْي۟دٍ وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ

We built the heaven with might¹³, and We are indeed expanding it.

وَٱلْأَرْضَ فَرَشْنَٰهَا فَنِعْمَ ٱلْمَٰهِدُونَ

And We spread out the earth. How well did We smooth it out¹⁴!

وَمِن كُلِّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقْنَا زَوْجَيْنِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

And We have created everything in pairs¹⁵, so that you may take heed.

فَفِرُّوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ إِنِّى لَكُم مِّنْهُ نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ

So flee to Allah¹⁶. Indeed, I am a clear warner to you from Him.

وَلَا تَجْعَلُوا۟ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا ءَاخَرَ إِنِّى لَكُم مِّنْهُ نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ

And do not set up another god with Allah. Indeed, I am a clear warner to you from Him.”

كَذَٰلِكَ مَآ أَتَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا قَالُوا۟ سَاحِرٌ أَوْ مَجْنُونٌ

Likewise, no messenger came to those before them without being told: “A magician, or a madman!”

أَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِهِۦ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ طَاغُونَ

Did they suggest this to one another¹⁷? Rather they are transgressing people.

فَتَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ فَمَآ أَنتَ بِمَلُومٍ

So turn away from them [O Prophet], for you are not to blame¹⁸.

وَذَكِّرْ فَإِنَّ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ تَنفَعُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

But keep reminding them, for reminder benefits the believers.

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ

I have not created the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.

مَآ أُرِيدُ مِنْهُم مِّن رِّزْقٍ وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَن يُطْعِمُونِ

I seek no provision from them, nor do I want them to feed Me.

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلرَّزَّاقُ ذُو ٱلْقُوَّةِ ٱلْمَتِينُ

Indeed, it is Allah Who is the All-Provider¹⁹, Lord of Power, the Mighty.

فَإِنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ ذَنُوبًا مِّثْلَ ذَنُوبِ أَصْحَٰبِهِمْ فَلَا يَسْتَعْجِلُونِ

Indeed, those who do wrong will have a share [of punishment] like that of their predecessors, so let them not ask Me to hasten it.