فَكَذَّبَ وَعَصَىٰ

But he [i.e., Pharaoh] denied and disobeyed.

ثُمَّ أَدۡبَرَ يَسۡعَىٰ

Then he turned his back, striving [i.e., plotting].[1]

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].

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]

وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَىٰهَآ

And after that He spread the earth.

أَخۡرَجَ مِنۡهَا مَآءَهَا وَمَرۡعَىٰهَا

He extracted from it its water and its pasture,

وَٱلۡجِبَالَ أَرۡسَىٰهَا

And the mountains He set firmly

مَتَٰعٗا لَّكُمۡ وَلِأَنۡعَٰمِكُمۡ

As enjoyment [i.e., provision] for you and your grazing livestock.

فَإِذَا جَآءَتِ ٱلطَّآمَّةُ ٱلۡكُبۡرَىٰ

But when there comes the greatest Overwhelming Calamity[1] –

يَوۡمَ يَتَذَكَّرُ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ مَا سَعَىٰ

The Day when man will remember that for which he strove,

وَبُرِّزَتِ ٱلۡجَحِيمُ لِمَن يَرَىٰ

And Hellfire will be exposed for [all] those who see –

فَأَمَّا مَن طَغَىٰ

So as for he who transgressed

وَءَاثَرَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا

And preferred the life of the world,

فَإِنَّ ٱلۡجَحِيمَ هِيَ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰ

Then indeed, Hellfire will be [his] refuge.

وَأَمَّا مَنۡ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ وَنَهَى ٱلنَّفۡسَ عَنِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰ

But as for he who feared the position of his Lord[1] and prevented the soul from [unlawful] inclination,

فَإِنَّ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ هِيَ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰ

Then indeed, Paradise will be [his] refuge.

يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلسَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرۡسَىٰهَا

They ask you, [O Muúammad], about the Hour: when is its arrival?[1]

فِيمَ أَنتَ مِن ذِكۡرَىٰهَآ

In what [position] are you that you should mention it?[1]

إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ مُنتَهَىٰهَآ

To your Lord is its finality.[1]

إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُنذِرُ مَن يَخۡشَىٰهَا

You are only a warner for those who fear it.

كَأَنَّهُمۡ يَوۡمَ يَرَوۡنَهَا لَمۡ يَلۡبَثُوٓاْ إِلَّا عَشِيَّةً أَوۡ ضُحَىٰهَا

It will be, on the Day they see it,[1] as though they had not remained [in the world] except for an afternoon or a morning thereof.

عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ

He [i.e., the Prophet () ] frowned and turned away

أَن جَآءَهُ ٱلۡأَعۡمَىٰ

Because there came to him the blind man,[1] [interrupting].

وَمَا يُدۡرِيكَ لَعَلَّهُۥ يَزَّكَّىٰٓ

But what would make you perceive, [O Muúammad], that perhaps he might be purified[1]

أَوۡ يَذَّكَّرُ فَتَنفَعَهُ ٱلذِّكۡرَىٰٓ

Or be reminded and the remembrance would benefit him?