Al-Qiyaama

By the Day of Resurrection

لَا أُقْسِمُ بِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ

lā uq'simu biyawmi l-qiyāmati

and by the self-reproaching soul!

وَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِالنَّفْسِ اللَّوَّامَةِ

walā uq'simu bil-nafsi l-lawāmati

Does man think We shall not put his bones back together?

أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنْسَانُ أَلَّنْ نَجْمَعَ عِظَامَهُ

ayaḥsabu l-insānu allan najmaʿa ʿiẓāmahu

In fact, We can reshape his very fingertips.

بَلَىٰ قَادِرِينَ عَلَىٰ أَنْ نُسَوِّيَ بَنَانَهُ

balā qādirīna ʿalā an nusawwiya banānahu

Yet man wants to deny what is ahead of him:

بَلْ يُرِيدُ الْإِنْسَانُ لِيَفْجُرَ أَمَامَهُ

bal yurīdu l-insānu liyafjura amāmahu

he says, ‘So, when will this Day of Resurrection be?’

يَسْأَلُ أَيَّانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ

yasalu ayyāna yawmu l-qiyāmati

When eyes are dazzled

فَإِذَا بَرِقَ الْبَصَرُ

fa-idhā bariqa l-baṣaru

and the moon eclipsed,

وَخَسَفَ الْقَمَرُ

wakhasafa l-qamaru

when the sun and the moon are brought together,

وَجُمِعَ الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ

wajumiʿa l-shamsu wal-qamaru

on that Day man will say, ‘Where can I escape?’

يَقُولُ الْإِنْسَانُ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَيْنَ الْمَفَرُّ

yaqūlu l-insānu yawma-idhin ayna l-mafaru

Truly, there is no refuge:

كَلَّا لَا وَزَرَ

kallā lā wazara

they will all return to your Lord on that Day.

إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمُسْتَقَرُّ

ilā rabbika yawma-idhin l-mus'taqaru

On that Day, man will be told what he put first and what he put last.

يُنَبَّأُ الْإِنْسَانُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بِمَا قَدَّمَ وَأَخَّرَ

yunabba-u l-insānu yawma-idhin bimā qaddama wa-akhara

Truly, man is a clear witness against himself,

بَلِ الْإِنْسَانُ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِ بَصِيرَةٌ

bali l-insānu ʿalā nafsihi baṣīratun

despite all the excuses he may put forward.

وَلَوْ أَلْقَىٰ مَعَاذِيرَهُ

walaw alqā maʿādhīrahu

[Prophet], do not rush your tongue in an attempt to hasten [your memorization of] the Revelation:

لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ

lā tuḥarrik bihi lisānaka litaʿjala bihi

We shall make sure of its safe collection and recitation.

إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ

inna ʿalaynā jamʿahu waqur'ānahu

When We have recited it, repeat the recitation

فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَاهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُ

fa-idhā qaranāhu fa-ittabiʿ qur'ānahu

and We shall make it clear.

ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا بَيَانَهُ

thumma inna ʿalaynā bayānahu

Truly you [people] love this fleeting world

كَلَّا بَلْ تُحِبُّونَ الْعَاجِلَةَ

kallā bal tuḥibbūna l-ʿājilata

and neglect the life to come.

وَتَذَرُونَ الْآخِرَةَ

watadharūna l-ākhirata

On that Day there will be radiant faces,

وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَاضِرَةٌ

wujūhun yawma-idhin nāḍiratun

looking towards their Lord,

إِلَىٰ رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ

ilā rabbihā nāẓiratun

and on that Day there will be the sad and despairing faces

وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ بَاسِرَةٌ

wawujūhun yawma-idhin bāsiratun

of those who realize that a great calamity is about to befall them.

تَظُنُّ أَنْ يُفْعَلَ بِهَا فَاقِرَةٌ

taẓunnu an yuf'ʿala bihā fāqiratun

Truly, when the soul reaches the collarbone;

كَلَّا إِذَا بَلَغَتِ التَّرَاقِيَ

kallā idhā balaghati l-tarāqiya

when it is said, ‘Could any charm-healer save him now?’;

وَقِيلَ مَنْ ۜ رَاقٍ

waqīla man rāqin

when he knows it is the final parting;

وَظَنَّ أَنَّهُ الْفِرَاقُ

waẓanna annahu l-firāqu

when his legs are brought together:

وَالْتَفَّتِ السَّاقُ بِالسَّاقِ

wal-tafati l-sāqu bil-sāqi

on that day he will be driven towards your Lord.

إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمَسَاقُ

ilā rabbika yawma-idhin l-masāqu

He neither believed nor prayed,

فَلَا صَدَّقَ وَلَا صَلَّىٰ

falā ṣaddaqa walā ṣallā

but denied the truth and turned away,

وَلَـٰكِنْ كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ

walākin kadhaba watawallā

walking back to his people with a conceited swagger.

ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهِ يَتَمَطَّىٰ

thumma dhahaba ilā ahlihi yatamaṭṭā

Closer and closer it comes to you.

أَوْلَىٰ لَكَ فَأَوْلَىٰ

awlā laka fa-awlā

Closer and closer still.

ثُمَّ أَوْلَىٰ لَكَ فَأَوْلَىٰ

thumma awlā laka fa-awlā

Does man think he will be left alone?

أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنْسَانُ أَنْ يُتْرَكَ سُدًى

ayaḥsabu l-insānu an yut'raka sudan

Was he not just a drop of spilt-out sperm,

أَلَمْ يَكُ نُطْفَةً مِنْ مَنِيٍّ يُمْنَىٰ

alam yaku nuṭ'fatan min maniyyin yum'nā

which became a clinging form, which God shaped in due proportion,

ثُمَّ كَانَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ

thumma kāna ʿalaqatan fakhalaqa fasawwā

fashioning from it the two sexes, male and female?

فَجَعَلَ مِنْهُ الزَّوْجَيْنِ الذَّكَرَ وَالْأُنْثَىٰ

fajaʿala min'hu l-zawjayni l-dhakara wal-unthā

Does He who can do this not have the power to bring the dead back to life?

أَلَيْسَ ذَٰلِكَ بِقَادِرٍ عَلَىٰ أَنْ يُحْيِيَ الْمَوْتَىٰ

alaysa dhālika biqādirin ʿalā an yuḥ'yiya l-mawtā