وَأَمَّآ إِذَا مَا ٱبۡتَلَىٰهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيۡهِ رِزۡقَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّيٓ أَهَٰنَنِ
But when He tries him and restricts his provision, he says, "My Lord has humiliated me."
كَلَّاۖ بَل لَّا تُكۡرِمُونَ ٱلۡيَتِيمَ
No![1] But you do not honor the orphan
1- It is not like you imagine. Rather, AllŒh tries people through prosperity and hardship and rewards both gratitude and patience with honor in the Hereafter.
وَلَا تَحَـٰٓضُّونَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ ٱلۡمِسۡكِينِ
And you do not encourage one another to feed the poor.
وَتَأۡكُلُونَ ٱلتُّرَاثَ أَكۡلٗا لَّمّٗا
And you consume inheritance, devouring [it] altogether,[1]
1- Not caring whether it is lawful or unlawful.
وَتُحِبُّونَ ٱلۡمَالَ حُبّٗا جَمّٗا
And you love wealth with immense love.
كَلَّآۖ إِذَا دُكَّتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ دَكّٗا دَكّٗا
No! When the earth has been leveled - pounded and crushed
وَجَآءَ رَبُّكَ وَٱلۡمَلَكُ صَفّٗا صَفّٗا
And your Lord has come[1] and the angels, rank upon rank,
1- To pass judgement. See footnote to 2:19
وَجِاْيٓءَ يَوۡمَئِذِۭ بِجَهَنَّمَۚ يَوۡمَئِذٖ يَتَذَكَّرُ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ وَأَنَّىٰ لَهُ ٱلذِّكۡرَىٰ
And brought [within view], that Day, is Hell - that Day, man will remember, but how [i.e., what good] to him will be the remembrance?
يَقُولُ يَٰلَيۡتَنِي قَدَّمۡتُ لِحَيَاتِي
He will say, "Oh, I wish I had sent ahead [some good] for my life."[1]
1- The everlasting life of the Hereafter.
فَيَوۡمَئِذٖ لَّا يُعَذِّبُ عَذَابَهُۥٓ أَحَدٞ
So on that Day, none will punish [as severely] as His punishment,
وَلَا يُوثِقُ وَثَاقَهُۥٓ أَحَدٞ
And none will bind [as severely] as His binding [of the evildoers].
يَـٰٓأَيَّتُهَا ٱلنَّفۡسُ ٱلۡمُطۡمَئِنَّةُ
[To the righteous it will be said], "O reassured soul,
ٱرۡجِعِيٓ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةٗ مَّرۡضِيَّةٗ
Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him],
فَٱدۡخُلِي فِي عِبَٰدِي
And enter among My [righteous] servants
وَٱدۡخُلِي جَنَّتِي
And enter My Paradise."
لَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ
I swear by this city [i.e., Makkah]
وَأَنتَ حِلُّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ
And you, [O Muúammad], are free of restriction in this city
وَوَالِدٖ وَمَا وَلَدَ
And [by] the father[1] and that which was born [of him],
1- Said to be Adam (upon him be peace).
لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ فِي كَبَدٍ
We have certainly created man into hardship.
أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقۡدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ أَحَدٞ
Does he think that never will anyone overcome him?
يَقُولُ أَهۡلَكۡتُ مَالٗا لُّبَدًا
He says, "I have spent wealth in abundance."
أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّمۡ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ
Does he think that no one has seen him?
أَلَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ عَيۡنَيۡنِ
Have We not made for him two eyes?
وَلِسَانٗا وَشَفَتَيۡنِ
And a tongue and two lips?
وَهَدَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجۡدَيۡنِ
And have shown him the two ways?[1]
1- Of good and evil.
فَلَا ٱقۡتَحَمَ ٱلۡعَقَبَةَ
But he has not broken through the difficult pass.[1]
1- i.e., the steep incline or obstacle. In other words, he has not spent in the cause of AllŒh but only boasts of spending in front of others.
وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلۡعَقَبَةُ
And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass?
فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ
It is the freeing of a slave
أَوۡ إِطۡعَٰمٞ فِي يَوۡمٖ ذِي مَسۡغَبَةٖ
Or feeding on a day of severe hunger
يَتِيمٗا ذَا مَقۡرَبَةٍ
An orphan of near relationship