تَكَادُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتُ يَتَفَطَّرۡنَ مِن فَوۡقِهِنَّۚ وَٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَيَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَ لِمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلۡغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
The heavens almost break from above them,[1] and the angels exalt [AllŒh] with praise of their Lord and ask forgiveness for those on earth. Unquestionably, it is AllŒh who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
1- i.e., from the grandeur of AllŒh (subúŒnahu wa taÔŒlŒ) above them.
وَنَادَوۡاْ يَٰمَٰلِكُ لِيَقۡضِ عَلَيۡنَا رَبُّكَۖ قَالَ إِنَّكُم مَّـٰكِثُونَ
And they will call, "O MŒlik,[1] let your Lord put an end to us!" He will say, "Indeed, you will remain."
1- Addressing the keeper of Hell.
أَمۡ يَحۡسَبُونَ أَنَّا لَا نَسۡمَعُ سِرَّهُمۡ وَنَجۡوَىٰهُمۚ بَلَىٰ وَرُسُلُنَا لَدَيۡهِمۡ يَكۡتُبُونَ
Or do they think that We hear not their secrets and their private conversations? Yes, [We do], and Our messengers [i.e., angels] are with them recording.
إِذۡ يَتَلَقَّى ٱلۡمُتَلَقِّيَانِ عَنِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٞ
When the two receivers [i.e., recording angels] receive,[1] seated on the right and on the left.
1- And record each word and deed.
مَّا يَلۡفِظُ مِن قَوۡلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيۡهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٞ
He [i.e., man] utters no word except that with him is an observer prepared [to record].
وَجَآءَتۡ كُلُّ نَفۡسٖ مَّعَهَا سَآئِقٞ وَشَهِيدٞ
And every soul will come, with it a driver and a witness.[1]
1- i.e., one angel driving the soul to the Judgement and one to testify as to its deeds.
لَّقَدۡ كُنتَ فِي غَفۡلَةٖ مِّنۡ هَٰذَا فَكَشَفۡنَا عَنكَ غِطَآءَكَ فَبَصَرُكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ حَدِيدٞ
[It will be said], "You were certainly in unmindfulness of this, and We have removed from you your cover,[1] so your sight, this Day, is sharp."
1- Of heedlessness, or that which had sealed your hearing, your vision and your heart from guidance.
وَقَالَ قَرِينُهُۥ هَٰذَا مَا لَدَيَّ عَتِيدٌ
And his companion, [the angel], will say, "This [record] is what is with me, prepared."
۞وَكَم مِّن مَّلَكٖ فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ لَا تُغۡنِي شَفَٰعَتُهُمۡ شَيۡـًٔا إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعۡدِ أَن يَأۡذَنَ ٱللَّهُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرۡضَىٰٓ
And how many angels there are in the heavens whose intercession will not avail at all except [only] after AllŒh has permitted [it] to whom He wills and approves.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ لَيُسَمُّونَ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ تَسۡمِيَةَ ٱلۡأُنثَىٰ
Indeed, those who do not believe in the Hereafter name the angels female names,
وَمَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنۡ عِلۡمٍۖ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّۖ وَإِنَّ ٱلظَّنَّ لَا يُغۡنِي مِنَ ٱلۡحَقِّ شَيۡـٔٗا
And they have thereof no knowledge. They follow not except assumption, and indeed, assumption avails not against the truth at all.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ قُوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمۡ وَأَهۡلِيكُمۡ نَارٗا وَقُودُهَا ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلۡحِجَارَةُ عَلَيۡهَا مَلَـٰٓئِكَةٌ غِلَاظٞ شِدَادٞ لَّا يَعۡصُونَ ٱللَّهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُمۡ وَيَفۡعَلُونَ مَا يُؤۡمَرُونَ
O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey AllŒh in what He commands them but do what they are commanded.
وَٱلۡمَلَكُ عَلَىٰٓ أَرۡجَآئِهَاۚ وَيَحۡمِلُ عَرۡشَ رَبِّكَ فَوۡقَهُمۡ يَوۡمَئِذٖ ثَمَٰنِيَةٞ
And the angels are at its edges. And there will bear the Throne of your Lord above them, that Day, eight [of them].
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.
إِلَّا مَنِ ٱرۡتَضَىٰ مِن رَّسُولٖ فَإِنَّهُۥ يَسۡلُكُ مِنۢ بَيۡنِ يَدَيۡهِ وَمِنۡ خَلۡفِهِۦ رَصَدٗا
Except whom He has approved of messengers, and indeed, He sends before him [i.e., each messenger] and behind him observers[1]
1- Guardian angels to protect the messenger and the message.
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.
يَوۡمَ يَقُومُ ٱلرُّوحُ وَٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ صَفّٗاۖ لَّا يَتَكَلَّمُونَ إِلَّا مَنۡ أَذِنَ لَهُ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ وَقَالَ صَوَابٗا
The Day that the Spirit [i.e., Gabriel] and the angels will stand in rows, they will not speak except for one whom the Most Merciful permits, and he will say what is correct.
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.
وَإِنَّ عَلَيۡكُمۡ لَحَٰفِظِينَ
And indeed, [appointed] over you are keepers,[1]
1- Angels who preserve the deeds of men in records.
كِرَامٗا كَٰتِبِينَ
Noble and recording;
يَعۡلَمُونَ مَا تَفۡعَلُونَ
They know whatever you do.
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
سَنَدۡعُ ٱلزَّبَانِيَةَ
We will call the angels of Hell.[1]
1- Those who push the wicked into the Fire.
تَنَزَّلُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذۡنِ رَبِّهِم مِّن كُلِّ أَمۡرٖ
The angels and the Spirit [i.e., Gabriel] descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter.[1]
1- Bringing the exact measures apportioned for everything by AllŒh in the course of the coming year.