سَأَلَ سَآئِلُۢ بِعَذَابٖ وَاقِعٖ
A supplicant asked for a punishment bound to happen[1]
1- In the Hereafter. Disbelievers had challenged the Prophet () by invoking AllŒh to bring on His punishment. See 8:32.
لِّلۡكَٰفِرِينَ لَيۡسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٞ
To the disbelievers; of it there is no preventer.
مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِي ٱلۡمَعَارِجِ
[It is] from AllŒh, owner of the ways of ascent.
تَعۡرُجُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيۡهِ فِي يَوۡمٖ كَانَ مِقۡدَارُهُۥ خَمۡسِينَ أَلۡفَ سَنَةٖ
The angels and the Spirit [i.e., Gabriel] will ascend to Him during a Day the extent of which is fifty thousand years.
فَٱصۡبِرۡ صَبۡرٗا جَمِيلًا
So be patient with gracious patience.
إِنَّهُمۡ يَرَوۡنَهُۥ بَعِيدٗا
Indeed, they see it [as] distant,
وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبٗا
But We see it [as] near.
يَوۡمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلۡمُهۡلِ
On the Day the sky will be like murky oil,[1]
1- Or "molten metal."
وَتَكُونُ ٱلۡجِبَالُ كَٱلۡعِهۡنِ
And the mountains will be like wool,[1]
1- i.e., in the process of disintegration.
وَلَا يَسۡـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمٗا
And no friend will ask [anything of] a friend,
يُبَصَّرُونَهُمۡۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُ لَوۡ يَفۡتَدِي مِنۡ عَذَابِ يَوۡمِئِذِۭ بِبَنِيهِ
They will be shown each other. The criminal will wish that he could be ransomed from the punishment of that Day by his children.
وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ
And his wife and his brother
وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِي تُـٔۡوِيهِ
And his nearest kindred who shelter him.
وَمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِيعٗا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ
And whoever is on earth entirely [so] then it could save him.
كَلَّآۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ
No![1] Indeed, it is the Flame [of Hell],
1- An emphatic refusal meaning "It is not to be."
نَزَّاعَةٗ لِّلشَّوَىٰ
A remover of exteriors.[1]
1- This refers to the skin of the head or of the body or to the body extremities – which will be burned away.
تَدۡعُواْ مَنۡ أَدۡبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
It invites he who turned his back [on truth] and went away [from obedience]
وَجَمَعَ فَأَوۡعَىٰٓ
And collected [wealth] and hoarded.
۞إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا
Indeed, mankind was created anxious:
إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعٗا
When evil touches him, impatient,
وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلۡخَيۡرُ مَنُوعًا
And when good touches him, withholding [of it],
إِلَّا ٱلۡمُصَلِّينَ
Except the observers of prayer –
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ دَآئِمُونَ
Those who are constant in their prayer
وَٱلَّذِينَ فِيٓ أَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ حَقّٞ مَّعۡلُومٞ
And those within whose wealth is a known right[1]
1- i.e., a specified share, meaning the obligatory zakŒh.
لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلۡمَحۡرُومِ
For the petitioner and the deprived –
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ
And those who believe in the Day of Recompense
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنۡ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشۡفِقُونَ
And those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord –
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمۡ غَيۡرُ مَأۡمُونٖ
Indeed, the punishment of their Lord is not that from which one is safe –
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِفُرُوجِهِمۡ حَٰفِظُونَ
And those who guard their private parts
إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزۡوَٰجِهِمۡ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُهُمۡ فَإِنَّهُمۡ غَيۡرُ مَلُومِينَ
Except from their wives or those their right hands possess,[1] for indeed, they are not to be blamed –
1- i.e., female slaves.