وَٱلصَّـٰٓفَّـٰتِ صَفّٗا
By those [angels] lined up in rows
فَٱلزَّـٰجِرَٰتِ زَجۡرٗا
And those who drive [the clouds]
فَٱلتَّـٰلِيَٰتِ ذِكۡرًا
And those who recite the message,[1]
1- To the prophets or among themselves. AllŒh (subúŒnahu wa taÔŒlŒ) swears by these three kinds of angels to the fact mentioned in the following verse.
إِنَّ إِلَٰهَكُمۡ لَوَٰحِدٞ
Indeed, your God is One,
رَّبُّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَا وَرَبُّ ٱلۡمَشَٰرِقِ
Lord of the heavens and the earth and that between them and Lord of the sunrises.[1]
1- i.e., each point or place of sunrise.
إِنَّا زَيَّنَّا ٱلسَّمَآءَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا بِزِينَةٍ ٱلۡكَوَاكِبِ
Indeed, We have adorned the nearest heaven with an adornment of stars
وَحِفۡظٗا مِّن كُلِّ شَيۡطَٰنٖ مَّارِدٖ
And as protection against every rebellious devil
لَّا يَسَّمَّعُونَ إِلَى ٱلۡمَلَإِ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰ وَيُقۡذَفُونَ مِن كُلِّ جَانِبٖ
[So] they may not listen to the exalted assembly [of angels] and are pelted from every side,[1]
1- By flaming meteors.
دُحُورٗاۖ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٞ وَاصِبٌ
Repelled; and for them is a constant punishment,
إِلَّا مَنۡ خَطِفَ ٱلۡخَطۡفَةَ فَأَتۡبَعَهُۥ شِهَابٞ ثَاقِبٞ
Except one who snatches [some words] by theft, but they are pursued by a burning flame, piercing [in brightness].
فَٱسۡتَفۡتِهِمۡ أَهُمۡ أَشَدُّ خَلۡقًا أَم مَّنۡ خَلَقۡنَآۚ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰهُم مِّن طِينٖ لَّازِبِۭ
Then inquire of them, [O Muúammad], "Are they a stronger [or more difficult] creation or those [others] We have created?" Indeed, We created them [i.e., men] from sticky clay.
بَلۡ عَجِبۡتَ وَيَسۡخَرُونَ
But you wonder, while they mock,
وَإِذَا ذُكِّرُواْ لَا يَذۡكُرُونَ
And when they are reminded, they remember not.
وَإِذَا رَأَوۡاْ ءَايَةٗ يَسۡتَسۡخِرُونَ
And when they see a sign, they ridicule.
وَقَالُوٓاْ إِنۡ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحۡرٞ مُّبِينٌ
And say, "This is not but obvious magic.
أَءِذَا مِتۡنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابٗا وَعِظَٰمًا أَءِنَّا لَمَبۡعُوثُونَ
When we have died and become dust and bones, are we indeed to be resurrected?
أَوَءَابَآؤُنَا ٱلۡأَوَّلُونَ
And our forefathers [as well]?"
قُلۡ نَعَمۡ وَأَنتُمۡ دَٰخِرُونَ
Say, "Yes, and you will be [rendered] contemptible."
فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ زَجۡرَةٞ وَٰحِدَةٞ فَإِذَا هُمۡ يَنظُرُونَ
It will be only one shout, and at once they will be observing.
وَقَالُواْ يَٰوَيۡلَنَا هَٰذَا يَوۡمُ ٱلدِّينِ
They will say, "O woe to us! This is the Day of Recompense."
هَٰذَا يَوۡمُ ٱلۡفَصۡلِ ٱلَّذِي كُنتُم بِهِۦ تُكَذِّبُونَ
[They will be told], "This is the Day of Judgement which you used to deny."
۞ٱحۡشُرُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ وَأَزۡوَٰجَهُمۡ وَمَا كَانُواْ يَعۡبُدُونَ
[The angels will be ordered], "Gather those who committed wrong, their kinds,[1] and what they used to worship
1- Those similar to them in evil deeds. Another possible meaning is "their wives."
مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ فَٱهۡدُوهُمۡ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطِ ٱلۡجَحِيمِ
Other than AllŒh, and guide them to the path of Hellfire
وَقِفُوهُمۡۖ إِنَّهُم مَّسۡـُٔولُونَ
And stop them; indeed, they are to be questioned."
مَا لَكُمۡ لَا تَنَاصَرُونَ
[They will be asked], "What is [wrong] with you? Why do you not help each other?"
بَلۡ هُمُ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ مُسۡتَسۡلِمُونَ
But they, that Day, are in surrender.
وَأَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ
And they will approach one another asking [i.e., blaming] each other.
قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّكُمۡ كُنتُمۡ تَأۡتُونَنَا عَنِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ
They will say, "Indeed, you used to come at us from the right."[1]
1- i.e., from our position of strength, oppressing us. Or from where we would have grasped the truth, preventing us.
قَالُواْ بَل لَّمۡ تَكُونُواْ مُؤۡمِنِينَ
They [i.e., the oppressors] will say, "Rather, you [yourselves] were not believers,
وَمَا كَانَ لَنَا عَلَيۡكُم مِّن سُلۡطَٰنِۭۖ بَلۡ كُنتُمۡ قَوۡمٗا طَٰغِينَ
And we had over you no authority, but you were a transgressing people.