وَٱلنَّـٰزِعَٰتِ غَرۡقٗا
By those [angels] who extract with violence[1]
1- i.e., those who tear out the souls of those destined for Hell.
وَٱلنَّـٰشِطَٰتِ نَشۡطٗا
And [by] those who remove with ease[1]
1- i.e., those angels who ease out the souls of those destined for Paradise.
وَٱلسَّـٰبِحَٰتِ سَبۡحٗا
And [by] those who glide [as if] swimming[1]
1- Speeding to execute AllŒh's commands.
فَٱلسَّـٰبِقَٰتِ سَبۡقٗا
And those who race each other in a race[1]
1- Racing to deliver the souls of the believers to Paradise.
فَٱلۡمُدَبِّرَٰتِ أَمۡرٗا
And those who arrange [each] matter,[1]
1- According to AllŒh's decree.
يَوۡمَ تَرۡجُفُ ٱلرَّاجِفَةُ
On the Day the blast [of the Horn] will convulse [creation],
تَتۡبَعُهَا ٱلرَّادِفَةُ
There will follow it the subsequent [one].
قُلُوبٞ يَوۡمَئِذٖ وَاجِفَةٌ
Hearts,[1] that Day, will tremble,
1- Those of the disbelievers who denied the Resurrection.
أَبۡصَٰرُهَا خَٰشِعَةٞ
Their eyes[1] humbled.
1- Those of the disbelievers.
يَقُولُونَ أَءِنَّا لَمَرۡدُودُونَ فِي ٱلۡحَافِرَةِ
They are [presently] saying, "Will we indeed be returned to [our] former state [of life]?
أَءِذَا كُنَّا عِظَٰمٗا نَّخِرَةٗ
Even if we should be decayed bones?"[1]
1- The disbelievers say this in ridicule of the warning.
قَالُواْ تِلۡكَ إِذٗا كَرَّةٌ خَاسِرَةٞ
They say, "That, then, would be a losing return."[1]
1- i.e., "If that were so, we would not be able to escape punishment."
فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ زَجۡرَةٞ وَٰحِدَةٞ
Indeed, it will be but one shout,
فَإِذَا هُم بِٱلسَّاهِرَةِ
And suddenly they will be [alert] upon the earth's surface.
هَلۡ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ مُوسَىٰٓ
Has there reached you the story of Moses? -
إِذۡ نَادَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ بِٱلۡوَادِ ٱلۡمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى
When his Lord called to him in the sacred valley of $uwŒ,
ٱذۡهَبۡ إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ إِنَّهُۥ طَغَىٰ
"Go to Pharaoh. Indeed, he has transgressed.
فَقُلۡ هَل لَّكَ إِلَىٰٓ أَن تَزَكَّىٰ
And say to him, 'Would you [be willing to] purify yourself
وَأَهۡدِيَكَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَتَخۡشَىٰ
And let me guide you to your Lord so you would fear [Him]?'"
فَأَرَىٰهُ ٱلۡأٓيَةَ ٱلۡكُبۡرَىٰ
And he showed him the greatest sign,[1]
1- i.e., the miracle of his staff becoming a great snake.
فَكَذَّبَ وَعَصَىٰ
But he [i.e., Pharaoh] denied and disobeyed.
ثُمَّ أَدۡبَرَ يَسۡعَىٰ
Then he turned his back, striving [i.e., plotting].[1]
1- An alternative meaning is "running [from the snake]."
فَحَشَرَ فَنَادَىٰ
And he gathered [his people] and called out.
فَقَالَ أَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمُ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰ
And said, "I am your most exalted lord."
فَأَخَذَهُ ٱللَّهُ نَكَالَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ وَٱلۡأُولَىٰٓ
So AllŒh seized him in exemplary punishment for the last and the first [transgression].[1].
1- i.e., for Pharaoh's setting himself up as a deity and for his previous oppression of the people and denial of Moses.
إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبۡرَةٗ لِّمَن يَخۡشَىٰٓ
Indeed in that is a lesson [i.e., warning] for whoever would fear [AllŒh].
ءَأَنتُمۡ أَشَدُّ خَلۡقًا أَمِ ٱلسَّمَآءُۚ بَنَىٰهَا
Are you a more difficult creation or is the heaven? He [i.e., AllŒh] constructed it.
رَفَعَ سَمۡكَهَا فَسَوَّىٰهَا
He raised its ceiling and proportioned it.
وَأَغۡطَشَ لَيۡلَهَا وَأَخۡرَجَ ضُحَىٰهَا
And He darkened its night and extracted its brightness.[1]
1- i.e., created the day from within the surrounding darkness.
وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَىٰهَآ
And after that He spread the earth.