At-Takwir

إِذَا ٱلشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ

When the sun is wrapped up in darkness,

وَإِذَا ٱلنُّجُومُ ٱنكَدَرَتْ

and when the stars fall down,

وَإِذَا ٱلْجِبَالُ سُيِّرَتْ

and when the mountains are set in motion,

وَإِذَا ٱلْعِشَارُ عُطِّلَتْ

and when pregnant camels¹ are left unattended,

وَإِذَا ٱلْوُحُوشُ حُشِرَتْ

and when wild beasts are gathered,

وَإِذَا ٱلْبِحَارُ سُجِّرَتْ

and when the seas are set on fire,

وَإِذَا ٱلنُّفُوسُ زُوِّجَتْ

and when the souls are sorted²,

وَإِذَا ٱلْمَوْءُۥدَةُ سُئِلَتْ

and when the baby girl buried alive³ is asked,

بِأَىِّ ذَنۢبٍ قُتِلَتْ

for what crime she was killed,

وَإِذَا ٱلصُّحُفُ نُشِرَتْ

and when records of deeds are spread open,

وَإِذَا ٱلسَّمَآءُ كُشِطَتْ

and when the sky is stripped away⁴,

وَإِذَا ٱلْجَحِيمُ سُعِّرَتْ

and when the Blazing Fire is flared up,

وَإِذَا ٱلْجَنَّةُ أُزْلِفَتْ

and when Paradise is brought near –

عَلِمَتْ نَفْسٌ مَّآ أَحْضَرَتْ

then every soul will know what it has brought about⁵.

فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِٱلْخُنَّسِ

I swear by the receding stars,

ٱلْجَوَارِ ٱلْكُنَّسِ

that rise and hide⁶,

وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا عَسْعَسَ

and by the night as it departs,

وَٱلصُّبْحِ إِذَا تَنَفَّسَ

and by the day as it breaks –

إِنَّهُۥ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ

Indeed, this [Qur’an] is a word conveyed by a noble angel-messenger.

ذِى قُوَّةٍ عِندَ ذِى ٱلْعَرْشِ مَكِينٍ

extremely powerful, highly revered by the Lord of the Throne,

مُّطَاعٍ ثَمَّ أَمِينٍ

obeyed there [by other angels] and trustworthy.

وَمَا صَاحِبُكُم بِمَجْنُونٍ

Your fellow [i.e., the Prophet] is not a madman.

وَلَقَدْ رَءَاهُ بِٱلْأُفُقِ ٱلْمُبِينِ

He indeed saw him [i.e., Gabriel] on the clear horizon⁷.

وَمَا هُوَ عَلَى ٱلْغَيْبِ بِضَنِينٍ

He does not withhold [knowledge of] the unseen⁸.

وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَيْطَٰنٍ رَّجِيمٍ

This [Qur’an] is not the word of an accursed devil.

فَأَيْنَ تَذْهَبُونَ

So which way are you going⁹?

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِّلْعَٰلَمِينَ

It is but a reminder to the worlds,

لِمَن شَآءَ مِنكُمْ أَن يَسْتَقِيمَ

for those among you who wish to take the straight path.