Surah Al-waqi'a in english

Verse 1

When the [imminent] Event comes to pass, [when] the Resurrection takes place,

Verse 2

there will be no denying its coming to pass, [there is] no soul to deny [it], by repudiating it as it did in this world,

Verse 3

[it will be] abasing [some], exalting [others], that is, it will manifest the abasing of some people by [virtue of] their admission into the Fire, and [manifest] the exalting of others by their admission into Paradise.

Verse 4

When the earth is shaken with a violent shock,

Verse 5

and the mountains are pulverised to [tiny] pieces,

Verse 6

so that they become a scattered dust (the second idh, ‘when’, is a substitution for the first idh),

Verse 7

and you will be, at the Resurrection, three kinds, categories:

Verse 8

Those of the right [hand], those who are given their record [of deeds] in their right hand (fa-ashābu’l-maymanati is the subject, the predicate of which is [the following mā ashābu’l-maymanati]) — what of those of the right [hand]? — a glorification of their status on account of their admittance into Paradise.

Verse 9

And those of the left [hand] (al-mash’ama means al-shimāl, ‘left’), each of whom is given his record [of deeds] in their left hands — what of those of the left [hand]? — an expression of contempt for their status on account of their admittance into the Fire.

Verse 10

And the foremost, in [the race to do] good, namely, the prophets (al-sābiqūna is a subject) the foremost: (this [repetition] is to emphasise their exalted status; the predicate [is the following, ūlā’ika’l-muqarrabūna])

Verse 11

they are the ones brought near [to God],

Verse 12

in the Gardens of Bliss,

Verse 13

a multitude from the former [generations] (thullatun mina’l-awwalīna, the subject), that is to say, a group of individuals from communities of old,

Verse 14

and a few from the later ones, from among the community of Muhammad (s), being the foremost from among the communities of old and this community (the predicate [is the following, ‘alā sururin mawdūnatin]),

Verse 15

[will be] upon encrusted couches, [their linings] woven onto rods of gold and jewels,

Verse 16

reclining on them, face to face (muttaki’īna ‘alayhā mutaqābilīna constitute two circumstantial qualifiers referring to the [subject] person of the predicate [‘they’]).

Verse 17

They will be waited on by immortal youths, resembling young boys, never ageing;

Verse 18

with goblets (akwāb are drinking-vessels without handles) and ewers (abārīq [are vessels that] have handles and spouts) and a cup (ka’s is the vessel for drinking wine) from a flowing spring, in other words, wine flowing from a spring that never runs out,

Verse 19

wherefrom they suffer no headache nor any stupefaction (read yanzafūna or yanzifūna, [respectively derived] from nazafa or anzafa al-shāribu, ‘the drinker became inebriated’), in other words, they do not get a headache from it nor do they lose their senses, in contrast to [the case with] the wine of this world;

Verse 20

and such fruits as they prefer,

Verse 21

and such flesh of fowls as they desire, for themselves to enjoy,

Verse 22

and houris, maidens with intensely black eyes [set] against the whiteness [of their irises], with wide eyes (‘īn: the ‘ayn here is inflected with a kasra instead of a damma because it [the kasra] better harmonises with the yā’; the singular is ‘aynā’, similar [in pattern] to hamrā’; a variant reading [for wa-hūrun ‘īn] has the genitive case wa-hūrin ‘īn)

Verse 23

resembling hidden, guarded, pearls,

Verse 24

a reward (jazā’an is an object denoting reason or a verbal noun, with the operator being an implicit [verb], in other words, ‘We have appointed for them the mentioned as a reward’ or ‘We have rewarded them [this]’) for what they used to do.

Verse 25

They will not hear therein, in Paradise, any vain talk, any lewd words, or any sinful words,

Verse 26

but only the saying, ‘Peace!’ ‘Peace!’ (salāman salāman substitutes for qīlan, ‘the saying’) which they will hear.

Verse 27

And those of the right [hand] — what of those of the right [hand]?

Verse 28

Amid thornless lote-trees, nabk trees,

Verse 29

and clustered plantains, banana trees, [weighed down] with its load [of fruit] from top to bottom,

Verse 30

and extended shade, [one that is] permanent,

Verse 31

and cascading water, running continuously,

Verse 32

and abundant fruit,

Verse 33

neither unavailable, during certain times, nor forbidden, because of [its] cost,

Verse 34

and mattresses [that are] raised, on top of couches.

Verse 35

Verily We have created them with an [unmediated] creation, namely, the wide-eyed houris, [We created them] without the process of birth,

Verse 36

and made them virgins, immaculate — every time their spouses enter them they find them virgins, nor is there any pain [of defloration] —

Verse 37

amorous (read ‘uruban or ‘urban, plural of ‘arūb, meaning ‘a woman passionately enamoured of her spouse’), of equal age (atrāb is the plural of tirb),

Verse 38

for those of the right [hand] (li-ashābi’l-yamīni is the relative clause of [either] ansha’nāhunna, ‘We have created them’, or ja‘alnāhunna, ‘[We] made them’), who are:

Verse 39

A multitude from the former [generations],

Verse 40

and a multitude of the later ones.

Verse 41

And those of the left [hand] — what of those of the left [hand]?

Verse 42

Amid a scorching wind, an infernal wind, permeating the pores of skins, and scalding water, water of extreme temperatures,

Verse 43

and the shade of pitch-black smoke,

Verse 44

neither cool, like all other shade, nor pleasant, [nor] agreeable in its appearance.

Verse 45

Indeed before that, in the world, they used to live at ease, enjoying [life’s] comforts, never wearying themselves with [an act of] obedience,

Verse 46

and they used to persist in the great sin, namely, idolatry.

Verse 47

And they used to say, ‘What! When we are dead and have become dust and bones, shall we indeed be resurrected? (in both instances [a-idhā and a-innā] the two hamzas may be read either by pronouncing them fully, or by not pronouncing the second, and in either case inserting an intervening alif).

Verse 48

What! And our forefathers too?’ (read a-wa-ābā’unā, [with the wa-] being for supplement, the hamza [a-] for the interrogative; here and in the previous instance, it is used to express ‘remoteness [of probability]’; a variant reading has aw-ābā’unā, as a supplement with aw, and that to which this is supplemented is the [syntactical] locus of inna and its subject).

Verse 49

Say: ‘Truly the former and the later [generations]

Verse 50

will be gathered for the tryst, the time, of a known day, that is, the Day of Resurrection.

Verse 51

Then indeed you, the erring, the deniers,

Verse 52

will assuredly eat from a Zaqqūm tree (min zaqqūm, the explication of shajar, ‘tree’),

Verse 53

and fill therewith, with the tree, your bellies,

Verse 54

and drink on top of that, the consumed Zaqqūm, boiling water,

Verse 55

drinking like the drinking (read sharba or shurba: verbal noun) of thirsty camels’ (hīm is the plural of masculine haymān and feminine haymā, similar [in pattern] to ‘atshān, ‘atshā, ‘thirsty’).

Verse 56

This will be the hospitality for them, what has been prepared for them, on the Day of Judgement, the Day of Resurrection.

Verse 57

We created you, We brought you into existence from nothing. Will you not then affirm [this] truth?, in resurrection? For the One able to create [from nothing] is also able to repeat [this creation].

Verse 58

Have you considered the sperm that you emit?, the sperm you spill in the wombs of women?

Verse 59

Is it you (a-antum: read by pronouncing both hamzas fully, or by replacing the second one with an alif or not pronouncing it, but inserting an alif between the one not pronounced and the other one, or without this [insertion] in the four instances [here and below]) who create it, that is, the sperm [making it] into a human being, or are We the Creators?

Verse 60

We have ordained (read qaddarnā or qadarnā) death among you, and We are not to be outmanoeuvred from, We are not incapable [of],

Verse 61

replacing [you with], [We are not incapable of] appointing, your likes, in your place, and making you, creating you, in what you do not know, in the way of forms, such as apes or swine.

Verse 62

For verily you have known the first creation (al-nashā’ata: a variant reading has al-nash’ata), why then will you not remember? (tadhakkarūna: the original second tā’ [of tatadhakkarūna] has been assimilated with the dhāl).

Verse 63

Have you considered what you sow?, [what] you stir of the earth to place seeds therein?

Verse 64

Is it you who make it grow, or are We the Grower?

Verse 65

If We will, We could surely turn it into chaff, dried vegetation producing no seed, and you would remain (zaltum is actually zaliltum, the lām having a kasra inflection; but it has been omitted to soften it), that is to say, you spend all day, bemused (tafakkahūna: one of the original tā’ [tatafakkahūna] letters has been omitted), surprised by this, and you would say:

Verse 66

‘We have indeed suffered loss!, [losing] what we expended on the cultivation.

Verse 67

Nay, but we are deprived!’, prevented from [reaping] our provision.

Verse 68

Have you considered the water you drink?

Verse 69

Is it you who cause it to come down from the [rain] clouds (muzn is the plural of muzna) or are We the Causer of its coming down?

Verse 70

If We willed, We could make it bitter, salty, undrinkable — why then will you not give thanks?

Verse 71

Have you considered the fire that you kindle?, [the fire] which you produce out of the [oil of] green trees?

Verse 72

Was it you who created the tree thereof, [trees] such as the markh, the ‘afār or the kalkh [‘fennel’], or were We the Creator?

Verse 73

We made it a reminder, of the fire of Hell, and a boon, a provision, for the desert-travellers (al-muqwīn derives from [the expression] aqwā al-qawmu, ‘they have reached al-qawā or al-qawā’, that is, al-qafr, ‘desolate land’, which is a wilderness (mafāza) that has neither vegetation nor water).

Verse 74

So glorify, exalt the transcendence [of], the Name (ism is extra) of your Lord, the Tremendous, God.

Verse 75

Nay, I swear (fa-lā uqsimu: lā is extra) by the setting-places of the stars!

Verse 76

And indeed it, the swearing by these [setting-places of stars], is a tremendous oath, if you only knew — if you were people of [deep] knowledge, you would realise the magnitude of this oath.

Verse 77

This, namely, what is being recited to you, is indeed a noble Qur’ān,

Verse 78

in a Book, inscribed, guarded, preserved, and this is the Mushaf;

Verse 79

which none touch (lā yamassuhu is a predicate functioning as a prohibitive command) except the purified, those who have purified themselves of ritual impurities,
[56:80] a revelation, revealed, by the Lord of the Worlds.

Verse 80

Do you then belittle, [do you] take lightly and deny, this discourse?, the Qur’ān.

Verse 81

And for your livelihood, in the way of rain, that is to say, the thanks for it, you offer your denial?, of God’s granting it to you, by saying, ‘We have rain because of this [or that] storm’?

Verse 82

And for your livelihood, in the way of rain, that is to say, the thanks for it, you offer your denial?, of God’s granting it to you, by saying, ‘We have rain because of this [or that] storm’?

Verse 83

Why then, when it, the spirit, during the throes [of death], reaches the [dying person’s] throat (hulqūm is the passage for food)

Verse 84

and you are, O you attending the dying person, at that moment looking, at him —

Verse 85

and We are nearer to him than you are, to know [of his state], but you do not perceive (tubsirūna derives from al-basīra, ‘perception’) that is to say, you do not realise this —

Verse 86

why then, if you are not going to face a reckoning, [if] you are [not] going to be requited by your being resurrected, in other words, [why then, if] you are not going to be resurrected as you claim,

Verse 87

do you not bring it back, [why] do you not restore the spirit to the body after it has reached the throat, if you are truthful?, in what you claim (the second law-lā, ‘why … if’, is [repeated] to emphasise the first one; idhā, ‘when’, is an adverbial particle qualifying tarji‘ūna, ‘bring it back’, to which both conditions are semantically connected). The meaning is: ‘Why do you not bring it back, when, in repudiating resurrection, you are being truthful in this repudiation?’ That is to say, ‘Let death also be repudiated [as impossible] in its case just as [you claim that] resurrection is [impossible]’.

Verse 88

Thus if he, the dead person, be of those brought near,

Verse 89

then repose, that is, there will be for him relief, and a goodly provision, and a garden of Bliss (does this response belong to the ammā, ‘thus’, or to in, ‘if’, or to both? Different opinions [are given regarding this]).

Verse 90

And if he be of those of the right [hand],

Verse 91

then ‘Peace be to you’, that is, [then] for him there will be [peace by way of] security (salām) from chastisement, [a greeting] from those of the right [hand], [arising] from the fact that he is one of them.

Verse 92

But if he be of the deniers, the erring,

Verse 93

then a welcome of boiling water,

Verse 94

and a roasting in Hell-fire.

Verse 95

This indeed is the certain truth (haqqu’l-yaqīn: an example of an adjectivally qualified noun being annexed to its adjective).

Verse 96

So glorify the Name of your Lord, the Tremendous (as [explained] above [in verse 74]).

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Surah AL-WAQI'A / The Inevitable in English | Surah 56

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Verse 1

Verse 2

Verse 3

Verse 4

Verse 5

Verse 6

Verse 7

Verse 8

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Verse 10

Verse 11

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Verse 37

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Verse 39

Verse 40

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Verse 44

Verse 45

Verse 46

Verse 47

Verse 48

Verse 49

Verse 50

Verse 51

Verse 52

Verse 53

Verse 54

Verse 55

Verse 56

Verse 57

Verse 58

Verse 59

Verse 60

Verse 61

Verse 62

Verse 63

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Verse 66

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Verse 68

Verse 69

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Verse 71

Verse 72

Verse 73