بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
81:1
إِذَا ٱلشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ
When the sun is wrapped up in darkness,
81:2
وَإِذَا ٱلنُّجُومُ ٱنكَدَرَتْ
and when the stars fall down,
81:3
وَإِذَا ٱلْجِبَالُ سُيِّرَتْ
and when the mountains are set in motion,
81:4
وَإِذَا ٱلْعِشَارُ عُطِّلَتْ
and when pregnant camels¹ are left unattended,
81:5
وَإِذَا ٱلْوُحُوشُ حُشِرَتْ
and when wild beasts are gathered,
81:6
وَإِذَا ٱلْبِحَارُ سُجِّرَتْ
and when the seas are set on fire,
81:7
وَإِذَا ٱلنُّفُوسُ زُوِّجَتْ
and when the souls are sorted²,
81:8
وَإِذَا ٱلْمَوْءُۥدَةُ سُئِلَتْ
and when the baby girl buried alive³ is asked,
81:9
بِأَىِّ ذَنۢبٍ قُتِلَتْ
for what crime she was killed,
81:10
وَإِذَا ٱلصُّحُفُ نُشِرَتْ
and when records of deeds are spread open,
81:11
وَإِذَا ٱلسَّمَآءُ كُشِطَتْ
and when the sky is stripped away⁴,
81:12
وَإِذَا ٱلْجَحِيمُ سُعِّرَتْ
and when the Blazing Fire is flared up,
81:13
وَإِذَا ٱلْجَنَّةُ أُزْلِفَتْ
and when Paradise is brought near –
81:14
عَلِمَتْ نَفْسٌ مَّآ أَحْضَرَتْ
then every soul will know what it has brought about⁵.
81:15
فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِٱلْخُنَّسِ
I swear by the receding stars,
81:16
ٱلْجَوَارِ ٱلْكُنَّسِ
that rise and hide⁶,
81:17
وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا عَسْعَسَ
and by the night as it departs,
81:18
وَٱلصُّبْحِ إِذَا تَنَفَّسَ
and by the day as it breaks –
81:19
إِنَّهُۥ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ
Indeed, this [Qur’an] is a word conveyed by a noble angel-messenger.
81:20
ذِى قُوَّةٍ عِندَ ذِى ٱلْعَرْشِ مَكِينٍ
extremely powerful, highly revered by the Lord of the Throne,
81:21
مُّطَاعٍ ثَمَّ أَمِينٍ
obeyed there [by other angels] and trustworthy.
81:22
وَمَا صَاحِبُكُم بِمَجْنُونٍ
Your fellow [i.e., the Prophet] is not a madman.
81:23
وَلَقَدْ رَءَاهُ بِٱلْأُفُقِ ٱلْمُبِينِ
He indeed saw him [i.e., Gabriel] on the clear horizon⁷.
81:24
وَمَا هُوَ عَلَى ٱلْغَيْبِ بِضَنِينٍ
He does not withhold [knowledge of] the unseen⁸.
81:25
وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَيْطَٰنٍ رَّجِيمٍ
This [Qur’an] is not the word of an accursed devil.
81:26
فَأَيْنَ تَذْهَبُونَ
So which way are you going⁹?
81:27
إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِّلْعَٰلَمِينَ
It is but a reminder to the worlds,
81:28
لِمَن شَآءَ مِنكُمْ أَن يَسْتَقِيمَ
for those among you who wish to take the straight path.
81:29
وَمَا تَشَآءُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
But you cannot wish except by the Will of Allah, the Lord of the worlds.