79. Sūrat An-Nazi'at · Those Who Drag Forth

By those ˹angels˺ stripping out ˹evil souls˺ harshly,

By those who drag forth to destruction,

CONSIDER those [stars] that rise only to set,

By those who drag forth souls vehemently,

By the (angels) who violently snatch out (the souls of the disbelievers from each tendon and ligament of their body), Or By the waves of energy that pierce into matter and break up the chemical bonds fiercely

and those pulling out ˹good souls˺ gently,

By the meteors rushing,

and move [in their orbits] with steady motion,

And those who release knots gently.

And by the (angels) who unweave sinews (of the believers’ organisms) gently and peacefully, Or By the waves of energy that disintegrate gently and peacefully the chemical bonds within matter

and those gliding ˹through heavens˺ swiftly,

By the lone stars floating,

and float [through space] with floating serene,

By those who swim easily.

And by the (angels) who swiftly glide (between the heavens and the earth), Or By the waves of energy that move around freely in space and atmosphere

and those taking the lead vigorously,

By the angels hastening,

and yet overtake [one another] with swift overtaking:

Then they reach soon by advancing.

Then by the (angels) who with burst of speed sprint past others, Or By the waves of energy that surpass other waves in speed, force and assimilation

and those conducting affairs ˹obediently˺!

And those who govern the event,

and thus they fulfil the [Creator's] behest!

Then they manage the affairs.

Then by the (angels) who manage different affairs well, Or By the waves of energy that, through mutual dynamism and coordination, maintain equilibrium and keep the balance of the management going for the survival of the system of the universe

˹Consider˺ the Day ˹when˺ the quaking Blast will come to pass,

On the day when the first trump resoundeth.

[HENCE, think of] the Day when a violent convulsion will convulse [the world],

The infidels shall necessarily be chastised on the Day when the shivering one will shiver.

(When they will be commanded to devastate the system of the universe) that Day, everything in motion (in the universe) will tremor into violent convulsion

followed by a second Blast.

And the second followeth it,

to be followed by further [convulsions]!

And there will follow it the following one.

Chased by a succeeding convulsion

˹The deniers’˺ hearts on that Day will be trembling ˹in horror˺,

On that day hearts beat painfully

On that Day will [men's] hearts be throbbing,

How many hearts will be throbbing that Day?

That Day, hearts (of the people) will pound with agony and terror

with their eyes downcast.

While eyes are downcast

[and] their eyes downcast...

They will not be able to lift up their eyes.

Their eyes will be downcast (with dread and horror)

˹But now˺ they ask ˹mockingly˺, “Will we really be restored to our former state,

(Now) they are saying: Shall we really be restored to our first state

[And yet,] some say, "What! Are we indeed to be restored to our former state –

The infidels say. "shall we really be restored to our former state"?

The disbelievers say: ‘Shall we be reverted to the former life

even after we have been reduced to decayed bones?”

Even after we are crumbled bones?

even though we may have become [a heap of] crumbling bones?"

What' even when we shall be rotten bones"

(Shall we be given life even) when we shall have become rotten (hollow) bones?

Adding, “Then such a return would be a ˹total˺ loss ˹for us˺!”

They say: Then that would be a vain proceeding.

[And] they add, "That, then, would be a return with loss!"

They said, such returning back is indeed a total loss.

They say: ‘This (return) would then be a losing return.

But indeed, it will take only one ˹mighty˺ Blast,

Surely it will need but one shout,

[But,] then, that [Last Hour] will be [upon them of a sudden, as if it were] but a single accusing cry -

That is not but a mere scolding.

Then it will be rending (of all heavenly bodies) asunder with single extremely horrible explosion

and at once they will be above ground.

And lo! they will be awakened.

and then, lo, they will be fully awakened [to the truth]!

Henceforth they shall he lying in an open ground.

Then they (all) will forgather suddenly in the open expanse (for assembly)

Has the story of Moses reached you ˹O Prophet˺?

Hath there come unto thee the history of Moses?

HAS THE STORY of Moses ever come within thy ken.

Have you received the news of Musa.

Has the account of Musa (Moses) reached you

His Lord called him in the sacred valley of Ṭuwa,

How his Lord called him in the holy vale of Tuwa,

Lo! His Sustainer called out to him in the twice-hallowed valley:

When his Lord called to him in the holy valley Towa;

When His Lord called out to him in the sacred valley of Tuwa

˹commanding,˺ “Go to Pharaoh, for he has truly transgressed ˹all bounds˺.

(Saying:) Go thou unto Pharaoh - Lo! he hath rebelled -

"Go unto Pharaoh - for, verily, he has transgressed all bounds of what is right -

Go to Firawn; he has rebelled.

(And commanded:) ‘Go to Pharaoh. He has transgressed all bounds.

And say, ‘Would you ˹be willing to˺ purify yourself,

And say (unto him): Hast thou (will) to grow (in grace)?

and say [unto him], 'Art thou desirous of attaining to purity?

And say to him Have you any liking to purify yourself?

Then say (to him): ‘Do you wish that you should be purified

and let me guide you to your Lord so that you will be in awe ˹of Him˺?’”

Then I will guide thee to thy Lord and thou shalt fear (Him).

[If so,] then I shall guide thee towards [a cognition of] thy Sustainer, so that [henceforth] thou wilt stand in awe [of Him].’"

And that I should guide you to your Lord so that you may fear Him.

And (do you desire that) I guide you to your Lord so that you may fear (Him)?

Then Moses showed him the great sign,

And he showed him the tremendous token.

And thereupon he [went to Pharaoh and] made him aware of the great wonder [of God's grace].

Then Musa showed him a great sign.

Then Musa (Moses) showed him the great sign

but he denied and disobeyed ˹Allah˺,

But he denied and disobeyed,

But [Pharaoh] gave him the lie and rebelliously rejected [all guidance],

But he belied him and disobeyed.

But he denied it and disobeyed

then turned his back, striving ˹against the truth˺.

Then turned he away in haste,

and brusquely turned his back [on Moses];

Then he gave his back to him. striving against him.

Then, turning away (from the truth), he launched struggle (in rivalry against Musa [Moses])

Then he summoned ˹his people˺ and called out,

Then gathered he and summoned

and then he gathered [his great ones], and called [unto his people],

Then he gathered his people and proclaimed.

So he gathered (people) and started calling out

saying, “I am your lord, the most high!”

And proclaimed: "I (Pharaoh) am your Lord the Highest."

and said, "I am your Lord All-Highest!"

And said, 'I am your Lord, the Most High'.

And said: ‘I am your lord, most high.

So Allah overtook him, making him an example in this life and the next.

So Allah seized him (and made him) an example for the after (life) and for the former.

And thereupon God took him to task, [and made him] a warning example in the life to come as well as in this world.

Therefore, Allah seized him for the torment of the present world and the Hereafter both.

Then Allah seized him in (dual) punishment of this world and the Hereafter

Surely in this is a lesson for whoever stands in awe of ˹Allah˺.

Lo! herein is indeed a lesson for him who feareth.

In this, behold, there is a lesson indeed for all who stand in awe [of God].

Undoubtedly, there is in it a lesson for him who fears.

Surely, in this (incident) there is a great lesson of warning for him who fears (Allah)

Which is harder to create: you or the sky? He built it,

Are ye the harder to create, or is the heaven that He built?

[O MEN!] Are you more difficult to create than the heaven which He has built?

Whether according to your wisdom, the creation of yours is difficult or the heaven that He has built?

Is it you who are harder to create, or (the entire) galactic universe that He has built

raising it high and forming it flawlessly.

He raised the height thereof and ordered it;

High has He reared its vault and formed it in accordance with what it was meant to be;

He has raised high its vault and made it perfect.

He raised high all the heavenly spheres (planets, after creating them in the infinite cosmos), then moderated, equipoised and stabilized (their composition, construction, functions and movements)

He dimmed its night, and brought forth its daylight.

And He made dark the night thereof, and He brought forth the morn thereof.

and He has made dark its night and brought forth its light of day.

And He has made its night dark and its sunshine bright.

And He is the One Who blackened the night of heavenly space (i.e., darkened the entire spatial environment like a murky night) and emitted (after creating) the light of these (planets from this space)

As for the earth, He spread it out as well,

And after that He spread the earth,

And after that, the earth: wide has He spread its expanse,

And after that, he spread out the earth.

And He is the One Who, later, (after the creation of the planet sun) separated (from it) the earth, flung it with centrifugal force (and spread its expanse to make it inhabitable)

bringing forth its water and pastures

And produced therefrom the water thereof and the pasture thereof,

and has caused its waters to come out of it, and its pastures,

He brought forth therefrom its water and its pasture.

He is the One Who drew water from the earth (separately), and brought forth its vegetable kingdom (from the rest of the dry regions)

and setting the mountains firmly ˹upon it˺—

And He made fast the hills,

and has made the mountains firm:

And set firmly the mountains;

And He is the One Who (putting together different elements) raised from the earth firmly fixed mountains

all as ˹a means of˺ sustenance for you and your animals.

A provision for you and for your cattle.

[all this] as a means of livelihood for you and your animals.

For your benefit and for your cattle.

(He did all this) for the benefit of you and your livestock

But, when the Supreme Disaster comes to pass—

But when the great disaster cometh,

AND SO, when the great overwhelming event [of, resurrection] comes to pass –

But when the biggest calamity will come.

Then, whilst (the universe) attains (to its acme through evolution), there will befall the great all-encompassing calamity (the Hour of Resurrection)

the Day every person will remember all ˹their˺ striving,

The day when man will call to mind his (whole) endeavour,

on that Day man will [clearly] remember all that he has ever wrought;

That day when man will call to mind all that he strove for.

That Day man will retrospect his (every) effort and action

and the Hellfire will be displayed for all to see—

And hell will stand forth visible to him who seeth,

and the blazing fire [of hell] will be lad open before all who [are destined to] see it.

And the Hell will be made manifest to him who sees.

And Hell will be made manifest to everyone who can see

then as for those who transgressed

Then, as for him who rebelled

For, unto him who shall have transgressed the bounds of what is right,

Then as for him who rebelled;

Then he who transgressed the limits

and preferred the ˹fleeting˺ life of this world,

And chose the life of the world,

and preferred the life of this world [to the good of his soul],

And preferred the life of this world,

And preferred the life of the world (to the Hereafter)

the Hellfire will certainly be ˹their˺ home.

Lo! hell will be his home.

that blazing fire will truly be the goal!

Then undoubtedly, the hell his destination.

Hell will truly be (his) abode

And as for those who were in awe of standing before their Lord and restrained themselves from ˹evil˺ desires,

But as for him who feared to stand before his Lord and restrained his soul from lust,

But unto him who shall have stood in fear of his Sustainer's Presence, and held back his inner self from base desires,

But as to him who feared to stand before his Lord, and restrained his soul from evil desires;

But as for him who feared standing in the presence of his Lord and forbade (his ill-commanding) self its appetites and lusts

Paradise will certainly be ˹their˺ home.

Lo! the Garden will be his home.

paradise will truly be the goal!

Then undoubtedly, the Paradise is his destination.

Paradise will surely be (his) abode

They ask you ˹O Prophet˺ regarding the Hour, “When will it be?”

They ask thee of the Hour: when will it come to port?

THEY WILL ASK thee [O Prophet] about the Last Hour: "When will it come to pass?"

They ask you concerning the Hour; when it is destined to come?

(The disbelievers) ask you about the Hour of Rising: ‘When will it come to pass?

But it is not for you to tell its time.

Why (ask they)? What hast thou to tell thereof?

[But] how couldst thou tell anything about it,

But what you are to do with its mentioning?

What should be your concern in talking about (its appointed time)

That knowledge rests with your Lord ˹alone˺.

Unto thy Lord belongeth (knowledge of) the term thereof.

[seeing that] with thy Sustainer alone rests the beginning and the end [of all knowledge] thereof?

Towards your Lord is its ultimate end.

Its ultimate limit is up to your Lord (i.e., as in the beginning, only Oneness will survive in the end as well)

Your duty is only to warn whoever is in awe of it.

Thou art but a warner unto him who feareth it.

Thou art but [sent] to warn those who stand in awe of it.

You are only a warner to him who fears it.

You are but a Warner to him who fears it

On the Day they see it, it will be as if they had stayed ˹in the world˺ no more than one evening or its morning.

On the day when they behold it, it will be as if they had but tarried for an evening or the morn thereof.

On the Day when they behold it, [it will seem to them] as if they had tarried [in this world] no longer than one evening or [one night, ending with] its morn!

It shall be as if, on the day when they will see it, they had not tarried in the world but an evening or the rising of the sun

So the Day when they will see it, they (will feel as if they) did not tarry (in the world) but for one evening or one morning