سَأَلَ سَائِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ ١

A questioner asked of a chastisement about to fall

لِّلْكَافِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُ دَافِعٌ ٢

for the unbelievers, which none may avert,

مِّنَ اللَّهِ ذِي الْمَعَارِجِ ٣

from God, the Lord of the Stairways.

تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ ٤

To Him the angels and the Spirit mount up, in a day whereof the measure is fifty thousand years.

فَاصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا ٥

So be thou patient with a sweet patience;

إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُ بَعِيدًا ٦

behold, they see it as if far off;

وَنَرَاهُ قَرِيبًا ٧

but We see it is nigh.

يَوْمَ تَكُونُ السَّمَاءُ كَالْمُهْلِ ٨

Upon the day when heaven shall be as molten copper

وَتَكُونُ الْجِبَالُ كَالْعِهْنِ ٩

and the mountains shall be as plucked wool-tufts,

وَلَا يَسْأَلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا ١٠

no loyal friend shall question loyal friend,

يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ الْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِي مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍ بِبَنِيهِ ١١

as they are given sight of them. The sinner will wish that he might ransom himself from the chastisement of that day even by his sons,

وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَأَخِيهِ ١٢

his companion wife, his brother,

وَفَصِيلَتِهِ الَّتِي تُؤْوِيهِ ١٣

his kin who sheltered him,

وَمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ ١٤

and whosoever is in the earth, all together, so that then it might deliver him.

كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ ١٥

Nay, verily it is a furnace

نَزَّاعَةً لِّلشَّوَىٰ ١٦

snatching away the scalp,

تَدْعُو مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ ١٧

calling him who drew back and turned away,

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰ ١٨

who amassed and hoarded.

۞ إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا ١٩

Surely man was created fretful,

إِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا ٢٠

when evil visits him, impatient,