Quran 21:97 — Al-Anbiyaa, verse 97
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
when the True Promise draws near, the disbelievers’ eyes will stare in terror, and they will say, ‘Woe to us! We were not aware of this at all. We were wrong.’
وَاقْتَرَبَ الْوَعْدُ الْحَقُّ فَإِذَا هِيَ شَاخِصَةٌ أَبْصَارُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يَا وَيْلَنَا قَدْ كُنَّا فِي غَفْلَةٍ مِنْ هَـٰذَا بَلْ كُنَّا ظَالِمِينَ
wa-iq'taraba l-waʿdu l-ḥaqu fa-idhā hiya shākhiṣatun abṣāru alladhīna kafarū yāwaylanā qad kunnā fī ghaflatin min hādhā bal kunnā ẓālimīna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- and nigh has drawn the true promise, and behold, the eyes of the unbelievers staring: 'Alas for us! We were heedless of this; 'nay, we were evildoers.'
- Muhammad Asad
- the while the true promise [of resurrection] draws close [to its fulfillment]. But then, lo! the eyes of those who [in their lifetime] were bent on denying the truth will stare in horror, [and they will exclaim:] “Oh, woe unto us! We were indeed heedless of this [promise of resurrection]! - nay, we were [bent on] doing evil!”
- Sahih International
- And [when] the true promise [i.e., the resurrection] has approached; then suddenly the eyes of those who disbelieved will be staring [in horror, while they say], "O woe to us; we had been unmindful of this; rather, we were wrongdoers."
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَٱقْتَرَبَwa-iq'taraba | And has approached | قرب |
| 2 | ٱلْوَعْدُl-waʿdu | the promise | وعد |
| 3 | ٱلْحَقُّl-ḥaqu | [the] true | حقق |
| 4 | فَإِذَاfa-idhā | then behold | — |
| 5 | هِىَhiya | [it] | — |
| 6 | شَـٰخِصَةٌshākhiṣatun | (are) staring | شخص |
| 7 | أَبْصَـٰرُabṣāru | (the) eyes | بصر |
| 8 | ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna | (of) those who | — |
| 9 | كَفَرُوا۟kafarū | disbelieved | كفر |
| 10 | يَـٰوَيْلَنَاyāwaylanā | O woe to us | — |
| 11 | قَدْqad | Verily | — |
| 12 | كُنَّاkunnā | we had been | كون |
| 13 | فِىfī | in | — |
| 14 | غَفْلَةٍۢghaflatin | heedlessness | غفل |
| 15 | مِّنْmin | of | — |
| 16 | هَـٰذَاhādhā | this | — |
| 17 | بَلْbal | nay | — |
| 18 | كُنَّاkunnā | we were | كون |
| 19 | ظَـٰلِمِينَẓālimīna | wrongdoers | ظلم |