وَمَا جَعَلۡنَآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلنَّارِ إِلَّا مَلَـٰٓئِكَةٗۖ وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا عِدَّتَهُمۡ إِلَّا فِتۡنَةٗ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِيَسۡتَيۡقِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَيَزۡدَادَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِيمَٰنٗا وَلَا يَرۡتَابَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ وَلِيَقُولَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٞ وَٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ مَاذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَٰذَا مَثَلٗاۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهۡدِي مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَمَا يَعۡلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَۚ وَمَا هِيَ إِلَّا ذِكۡرَىٰ لِلۡبَشَرِ
And We have not made the keepers of the Fire except angels. And We have not made their number except as a trial for those who disbelieve – that those who were given the Scripture will be convinced and those who have believed will increase in faith and those who were given the Scripture and the believers will not doubt and that those in whose hearts is disease [i.e., hypocrisy] and the disbelievers will say, "What does AllŒh intend by this as an example?" Thus does AllŒh send astray whom He wills and guide whom He wills. And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him. And it [i.e., mention of the Fire] is not but a reminder to humanity.
كَلَّا وَٱلۡقَمَرِ
No! By the moon.
وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذۡ أَدۡبَرَ
And [by] the night when it departs.
وَٱلصُّبۡحِ إِذَآ أَسۡفَرَ
And [by] the morning when it brightens,
إِنَّهَا لَإِحۡدَى ٱلۡكُبَرِ
Indeed, it [i.e., the Fire] is of the greatest [afflictions].
نَذِيرٗا لِّلۡبَشَرِ
As a warning to humanity –
لِمَن شَآءَ مِنكُمۡ أَن يَتَقَدَّمَ أَوۡ يَتَأَخَّرَ
To whoever wills among you to proceed[1] or stay behind.
1- To righteousness by acceptance of the warning.
كُلُّ نَفۡسِۭ بِمَا كَسَبَتۡ رَهِينَةٌ
Every soul, for what it has earned, will be retained[1].
1- i.e., subject or held responsible.
إِلَّآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلۡيَمِينِ
Except the companions of the right,[1].
1- i.e., the righteous who receive their records in their right hands.
فِي جَنَّـٰتٖ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ
[Who will be] in gardens, questioning each other
عَنِ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ
About the criminals,
مَا سَلَكَكُمۡ فِي سَقَرَ
[And asking them], "What put you into Saqar?"
قَالُواْ لَمۡ نَكُ مِنَ ٱلۡمُصَلِّينَ
They will say, "We were not of those who prayed,
وَلَمۡ نَكُ نُطۡعِمُ ٱلۡمِسۡكِينَ
Nor did we used to feed the poor.
وَكُنَّا نَخُوضُ مَعَ ٱلۡخَآئِضِينَ
And we used to enter into vain discourse with those who engaged [in it],
وَكُنَّا نُكَذِّبُ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ
And we used to deny the Day of Recompense
حَتَّىٰٓ أَتَىٰنَا ٱلۡيَقِينُ
Until there came to us the certainty [i.e., death]."
فَمَا تَنفَعُهُمۡ شَفَٰعَةُ ٱلشَّـٰفِعِينَ
So there will not benefit them the intercession of [any] intercessors.
فَمَا لَهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلتَّذۡكِرَةِ مُعۡرِضِينَ
Then what is [the matter] with them that they are, from the reminder, turning away.
كَأَنَّهُمۡ حُمُرٞ مُّسۡتَنفِرَةٞ
As if they were alarmed donkeys.
فَرَّتۡ مِن قَسۡوَرَةِۭ
Fleeing from a lion?
بَلۡ يُرِيدُ كُلُّ ٱمۡرِيٕٖ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَن يُؤۡتَىٰ صُحُفٗا مُّنَشَّرَةٗ
Rather, every person among them desires that he[1] would be given scriptures spread about.[2]
1- Instead of Muúammad ().
2- i.e., made public. Much of their refusal of his message was due to envy and jealousy of the Prophet ().
كَلَّاۖ بَل لَّا يَخَافُونَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَ
No! But they do not fear the Hereafter.
كَلَّآ إِنَّهُۥ تَذۡكِرَةٞ
No! Indeed, it [i.e., the QurÕŒn] is a reminder.
فَمَن شَآءَ ذَكَرَهُۥ
Then whoever wills will remember it.
وَمَا يَذۡكُرُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُۚ هُوَ أَهۡلُ ٱلتَّقۡوَىٰ وَأَهۡلُ ٱلۡمَغۡفِرَةِ
And they will not remember except that AllŒh wills. He is worthy of fear and adequate for [granting] forgiveness.