Al-Qamar

ٱقْتَرَبَتِ ٱلسَّاعَةُ وَٱنشَقَّ ٱلْقَمَرُ

The Hour has drawn near and the moon has split asunder¹.

وَإِن يَرَوْا۟ ءَايَةً يُعْرِضُوا۟ وَيَقُولُوا۟ سِحْرٌ مُّسْتَمِرٌّ

Whenever they see a sign², they turn away and say, “Same old magic!”

وَكَذَّبُوا۟ وَٱتَّبَعُوٓا۟ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ وَكُلُّ أَمْرٍ مُّسْتَقِرٌّ

They deny [the truth] and follow their desires, but every matter will reach its inevitable end.

وَلَقَدْ جَآءَهُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَنۢبَآءِ مَا فِيهِ مُزْدَجَرٌ

There have already come to them stories [of destroyed nations] that are sufficient to deter them,

حِكْمَةٌۢ بَٰلِغَةٌ فَمَا تُغْنِ ٱلنُّذُرُ

which contain extensive wisdom, but the warnings are of no avail.

فَتَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ يَوْمَ يَدْعُ ٱلدَّاعِ إِلَىٰ شَىْءٍ نُّكُرٍ

So turn away from them [O Prophet]. On the Day when the caller³ will summon them to a horrific event⁴,

خُشَّعًا أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ كَأَنَّهُمْ جَرَادٌ مُّنتَشِرٌ

with eyes downcast, they will come out of the graves like scattered locusts,

مُّهْطِعِينَ إِلَى ٱلدَّاعِ يَقُولُ ٱلْكَٰفِرُونَ هَٰذَا يَوْمٌ عَسِرٌ

rushing headlong towards the caller. The disbelievers will say, “This is a hard Day!”

كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ فَكَذَّبُوا۟ عَبْدَنَا وَقَالُوا۟ مَجْنُونٌ وَٱزْدُجِرَ

The people of Noah rejected [the truth] before them; they rejected Our slave and said, “He is a madman,” and he was intimidated.

فَدَعَا رَبَّهُۥٓ أَنِّى مَغْلُوبٌ فَٱنتَصِرْ

So he called upon his Lord, “I am overpowered, so help me!”

فَفَتَحْنَآ أَبْوَٰبَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ بِمَآءٍ مُّنْهَمِرٍ

So We opened the gates of the sky with water pouring down in torrents,

وَفَجَّرْنَا ٱلْأَرْضَ عُيُونًا فَٱلْتَقَى ٱلْمَآءُ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْرٍ قَدْ قُدِرَ

and We caused the earth to burst forth with springs, then the waters met for a preordained purpose.

وَحَمَلْنَٰهُ عَلَىٰ ذَاتِ أَلْوَٰحٍ وَدُسُرٍ

We carried him on an [Ark made] of planks and nails,

تَجْرِى بِأَعْيُنِنَا جَزَآءً لِّمَن كَانَ كُفِرَ

sailing under Our [Watchful] Eyes; as a reward for the one [they] denied.

وَلَقَد تَّرَكْنَٰهَآ ءَايَةً فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ

We have certainly left it⁵ as a sign; is there anyone to take heed?

فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ

Then how were My punishment and My warnings⁶?

وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ

We have certainly made the Qur’an easy to understand and remember; is there anyone to take heed?

كَذَّبَتْ عَادٌ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ

‘Ād disbelieved. Then how were My punishment and My warnings?

إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ رِيحًا صَرْصَرًا فِى يَوْمِ نَحْسٍ مُّسْتَمِرٍّ

We sent against them a furious wind⁷ on a day of continuous misfortune,

تَنزِعُ ٱلنَّاسَ كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ مُّنقَعِرٍ

sweeping people away⁸, as if they were trunks of uprooted palm trees.

فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ

Then how were My punishment and My warnings?

وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ

We have certainly made the Qur’an easy to understand and remember; is there anyone to take heed?

كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ بِٱلنُّذُرِ

Thamūd rejected the warnings,

فَقَالُوٓا۟ أَبَشَرًا مِّنَّا وَٰحِدًا نَّتَّبِعُهُۥٓ إِنَّآ إِذًا لَّفِى ضَلَٰلٍ وَسُعُرٍ

They said, “Shall we follow a single human being⁹ from among us? Then we would surely be in error and insanity!

أَءُلْقِىَ ٱلذِّكْرُ عَلَيْهِ مِنۢ بَيْنِنَا بَلْ هُوَ كَذَّابٌ أَشِرٌ

Has the revelation been sent down upon him out of all of us? Rather, he is an insolent liar.”

سَيَعْلَمُونَ غَدًا مَّنِ ٱلْكَذَّابُ ٱلْأَشِرُ

Tomorrow they will know who the insolent liar is.

إِنَّا مُرْسِلُوا۟ ٱلنَّاقَةِ فِتْنَةً لَّهُمْ فَٱرْتَقِبْهُمْ وَٱصْطَبِرْ

We are sending the she-camel as a test for them, so watch them [O Sālih] and be patient,

وَنَبِّئْهُمْ أَنَّ ٱلْمَآءَ قِسْمَةٌۢ بَيْنَهُمْ كُلُّ شِرْبٍ مُّحْتَضَرٌ

and tell them that the water is to be shared between them¹⁰; each should take its drink in turn.

فَنَادَوْا۟ صَاحِبَهُمْ فَتَعَاطَىٰ فَعَقَرَ

But they called their companion¹¹, and he undertook the task¹² and hamstrung her.

فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ

Then how [terrible] My punishment and My warnings were!

إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ صَيْحَةً وَٰحِدَةً فَكَانُوا۟ كَهَشِيمِ ٱلْمُحْتَظِرِ

We sent against them a single blast, leaving them like trampled hedge-building twigs¹³.

وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ

We have certainly made the Qur’an easy to understand and remember; is there anyone to take heed?

كَذَّبَتْ قَوْمُ لُوطٍۭ بِٱلنُّذُرِ

The people of Lot rejected the warnings.

إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ حَاصِبًا إِلَّآ ءَالَ لُوطٍ نَّجَّيْنَٰهُم بِسَحَرٍ

We sent against them a storm of pebbles, except the family of Lot whom We saved before dawn,

نِّعْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِنَا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى مَن شَكَرَ

as a blessing from Us. Thus do We reward those who give thanks.

وَلَقَدْ أَنذَرَهُم بَطْشَتَنَا فَتَمَارَوْا۟ بِٱلنُّذُرِ

He had already warned them of Our punishing assault, but they doubted the warnings.

وَلَقَدْ رَٰوَدُوهُ عَن ضَيْفِهِۦ فَطَمَسْنَآ أَعْيُنَهُمْ فَذُوقُوا۟ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ

They even demanded that he let them have their way with his angel-guests¹⁴, so We blinded their eyes, [saying], “Taste My punishment and My warnings!”

وَلَقَدْ صَبَّحَهُم بُكْرَةً عَذَابٌ مُّسْتَقِرٌّ

By the early morning a lasting torment overtook them.

فَذُوقُوا۟ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ

Taste My punishment and My warnings!

وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ

We have certainly made the Qur’an easy to understand and remember; is there anyone to take heed?

وَلَقَدْ جَآءَ ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ ٱلنُّذُرُ

Indeed, warnings came to the people of Pharaoh.

كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا كُلِّهَا فَأَخَذْنَٰهُمْ أَخْذَ عَزِيزٍ مُّقْتَدِرٍ

But they rejected all of Our signs, so We seized them with the grip of the All-Mighty, Most Powerful.

أَكُفَّارُكُمْ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكُمْ أَمْ لَكُم بَرَآءَةٌ فِى ٱلزُّبُرِ

Are your disbelievers [O Makkans] superior to those¹⁵ or have you been granted immunity in divine Scriptures?

أَمْ يَقُولُونَ نَحْنُ جَمِيعٌ مُّنتَصِرٌ

Or do they say, “We are a united front, bound to prevail.”?

سَيُهْزَمُ ٱلْجَمْعُ وَيُوَلُّونَ ٱلدُّبُرَ

Soon their united front will be defeated, and they will flee¹⁶.

بَلِ ٱلسَّاعَةُ مَوْعِدُهُمْ وَٱلسَّاعَةُ أَدْهَىٰ وَأَمَرُّ

But the Hour is their appointed time, and the Hour is more catastrophic and more bitter.

إِنَّ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ فِى ضَلَٰلٍ وَسُعُرٍ

Indeed, the wicked are in error and blazes¹⁷.

يَوْمَ يُسْحَبُونَ فِى ٱلنَّارِ عَلَىٰ وُجُوهِهِمْ ذُوقُوا۟ مَسَّ سَقَرَ

On the Day when they will be dragged into the Fire on their faces, [they will be told], “Taste the agony of Hell¹⁸!”

إِنَّا كُلَّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقْنَٰهُ بِقَدَرٍ

We have surely created everything in a determined measure¹⁹.

وَمَآ أَمْرُنَآ إِلَّا وَٰحِدَةٌ كَلَمْحٍۭ بِٱلْبَصَرِ

Our command is but a single word²⁰, which is fulfilled in the blink of an eye.

وَلَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَآ أَشْيَاعَكُمْ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ

We have destroyed many like you [O Makkans]²¹; is there anyone to take heed?

وَكُلُّ شَىْءٍ فَعَلُوهُ فِى ٱلزُّبُرِ

Everything they did is in the written records,

وَكُلُّ صَغِيرٍ وَكَبِيرٍ مُّسْتَطَرٌ

and everything, small or big, is written down.

إِنَّ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ فِى جَنَّٰتٍ وَنَهَرٍ

Indeed, the righteous will be in gardens and rivers²²,