Surah Al-Qamar القمر

ٱقۡتَرَبَتِ ٱلسَّاعَةُ وَٱنشَقَّ ٱلۡقَمَرُ ١

The Hour draws near; the moon is split in two.

وَإِن يَرَوۡاْ ءَايَةٗ يُعۡرِضُواْ وَيَقُولُواْ سِحۡرٞ مُّسۡتَمِرّٞ ٢

Whenever the disbelievers see a sign, they turn away and say, ‘Same old sorcery!’

وَكَذَّبُواْ وَٱتَّبَعُوٓاْ أَهۡوَآءَهُمۡۚ وَكُلُّ أَمۡرٖ مُّسۡتَقِرّٞ ٣

They reject the truth and follow their own desires––everything is recorded––

وَلَقَدۡ جَآءَهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأَنۢبَآءِ مَا فِيهِ مُزۡدَجَرٌ ٤

although warning tales that should have restrained them have come down to them––

حِكۡمَةُۢ بَٰلِغَةٞۖ فَمَا تُغۡنِ ٱلنُّذُرُ ٥

far-reaching wisdom––but these warnings do not help:

فَتَوَلَّ عَنۡهُمۡۘ يَوۡمَ يَدۡعُ ٱلدَّاعِ إِلَىٰ شَيۡءٖ نُّكُرٍ ٦

so [Prophet] turn away from them. On the Day the Summoner will summon them to a horrific event,

خُشَّعًا أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ يَخۡرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡأَجۡدَاثِ كَأَنَّهُمۡ جَرَادٞ مُّنتَشِرٞ ٧

eyes downcast, they will come out of their graves like swarming locusts

مُّهۡطِعِينَ إِلَى ٱلدَّاعِۖ يَقُولُ ٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ هَٰذَا يَوۡمٌ عَسِرٞ ٨

rushing towards the Summoner. The disbelievers will cry, ‘This is a stern day!’

۞ كَذَّبَتۡ قَبۡلَهُمۡ قَوۡمُ نُوحٖ فَكَذَّبُواْ عَبۡدَنَا وَقَالُواْ مَجۡنُونٞ وَٱزۡدُجِرَ ٩

The people of Noah rejected the truth before them: they rejected Our servant, saying, ‘He is mad!’ Noah was rebuked,

فَدَعَا رَبَّهُۥٓ أَنِّي مَغۡلُوبٞ فَٱنتَصِرۡ ١٠

and so he called upon his Lord, ‘I am defeated: help me!’

فَفَتَحۡنَآ أَبۡوَٰبَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ بِمَآءٖ مُّنۡهَمِرٖ ١١

So We opened the gates of the sky with torrential water,

وَفَجَّرۡنَا ٱلۡأَرۡضَ عُيُونٗا فَٱلۡتَقَى ٱلۡمَآءُ عَلَىٰٓ أَمۡرٖ قَدۡ قُدِرَ ١٢

burst the earth with gushing springs: the waters met for a preordained purpose.

وَحَمَلۡنَٰهُ عَلَىٰ ذَاتِ أَلۡوَٰحٖ وَدُسُرٖ ١٣

We carried him along on a vessel of planks and nails

تَجۡرِي بِأَعۡيُنِنَا جَزَآءٗ لِّمَن كَانَ كُفِرَ ١٤

that floated under Our watchful eye, a reward for the one who had been rejected.

وَلَقَد تَّرَكۡنَٰهَآ ءَايَةٗ فَهَلۡ مِن مُّدَّكِرٖ ١٥

We have left this as a sign: will anyone take heed?

فَكَيۡفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ ١٦

How [terrible] was My punishment and [the fulfilment of] My warnings!

وَلَقَدۡ يَسَّرۡنَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ لِلذِّكۡرِ فَهَلۡ مِن مُّدَّكِرٖ ١٧

We have made it easy to learn lessons from the Quran: will anyone take heed?

كَذَّبَتۡ عَادٞ فَكَيۡفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ ١٨

The people of 'Ad also rejected the truth. How [terrible] was My punishment and [the fulfilment of] My warnings!

إِنَّآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ رِيحٗا صَرۡصَرٗا فِي يَوۡمِ نَحۡسٖ مُّسۡتَمِرّٖ ١٩

We released a howling wind against them on a day of terrible disaster;

تَنزِعُ ٱلنَّاسَ كَأَنَّهُمۡ أَعۡجَازُ نَخۡلٖ مُّنقَعِرٖ ٢٠

it swept people away like uprooted palm trunks.

فَكَيۡفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ ٢١

How [terrible] was My punishment and [the fulfilment of] My warnings!

وَلَقَدۡ يَسَّرۡنَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ لِلذِّكۡرِ فَهَلۡ مِن مُّدَّكِرٖ ٢٢

We have made it easy to learn lessons from the Quran: will anyone take heed?

كَذَّبَتۡ ثَمُودُ بِٱلنُّذُرِ ٢٣

The people of Thamud also rejected the warnings:

فَقَالُوٓاْ أَبَشَرٗا مِّنَّا وَٰحِدٗا نَّتَّبِعُهُۥٓ إِنَّآ إِذٗا لَّفِي ضَلَٰلٖ وَسُعُرٍ ٢٤

they said, ‘What? A man? Why should we follow a lone man from amongst ourselves? That would be misguided; quite insane!

أَءُلۡقِيَ ٱلذِّكۡرُ عَلَيۡهِ مِنۢ بَيۡنِنَا بَلۡ هُوَ كَذَّابٌ أَشِرٞ ٢٥

Would a message be given to him alone out of all of us? No, he is an insolent liar!’

سَيَعۡلَمُونَ غَدٗا مَّنِ ٱلۡكَذَّابُ ٱلۡأَشِرُ ٢٦

‘Tomorrow they will know who is the insolent liar,

إِنَّا مُرۡسِلُواْ ٱلنَّاقَةِ فِتۡنَةٗ لَّهُمۡ فَٱرۡتَقِبۡهُمۡ وَٱصۡطَبِرۡ ٢٧

for We shall send them a she-camel to test them: so watch them [Salih] and be patient.

وَنَبِّئۡهُمۡ أَنَّ ٱلۡمَآءَ قِسۡمَةُۢ بَيۡنَهُمۡۖ كُلُّ شِرۡبٖ مُّحۡتَضَرٞ ٢٨

Tell them the water is to be shared between them: each one should drink in turn.’

فَنَادَوۡاْ صَاحِبَهُمۡ فَتَعَاطَىٰ فَعَقَرَ ٢٩

But they called their companion, who took a sword and hamstrung the camel.

فَكَيۡفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ ٣٠

How [terrible] was My punishment and [the fulfilment of] My warnings!

إِنَّآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ صَيۡحَةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ فَكَانُواْ كَهَشِيمِ ٱلۡمُحۡتَظِرِ ٣١

We released a single mighty blast against them and they ended up like a fence-maker’s dry sticks.

وَلَقَدۡ يَسَّرۡنَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ لِلذِّكۡرِ فَهَلۡ مِن مُّدَّكِرٖ ٣٢

We have made it easy to learn lessons from the Quran: will anyone take heed?

كَذَّبَتۡ قَوۡمُ لُوطِۭ بِٱلنُّذُرِ ٣٣

The people of Lot rejected the warnings.

إِنَّآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ حَاصِبًا إِلَّآ ءَالَ لُوطٖۖ نَّجَّيۡنَٰهُم بِسَحَرٖ ٣٤

We released a stone-bearing wind against them, all except the family of Lot. We saved them before dawn

نِّعۡمَةٗ مِّنۡ عِندِنَاۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجۡزِي مَن شَكَرَ ٣٥

as a favour from Us: this is how We reward the thankful.

وَلَقَدۡ أَنذَرَهُم بَطۡشَتَنَا فَتَمَارَوۡاْ بِٱلنُّذُرِ ٣٦

He warned them of Our onslaught, but they dismissed the warning-

وَلَقَدۡ رَٰوَدُوهُ عَن ضَيۡفِهِۦ فَطَمَسۡنَآ أَعۡيُنَهُمۡ فَذُوقُواْ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ ٣٧

they even demanded his guests from him- so We sealed their eyes- ‘ Taste My [terrible] punishment and [the fulfilment of] My warnings!’-

وَلَقَدۡ صَبَّحَهُم بُكۡرَةً عَذَابٞ مُّسۡتَقِرّٞ ٣٨

and early in the morning a punishment seized them that still remains-

فَذُوقُواْ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ ٣٩

‘Taste My [terrible] punishment and [the fulfilment of] My warnings!’

وَلَقَدۡ يَسَّرۡنَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ لِلذِّكۡرِ فَهَلۡ مِن مُّدَّكِرٖ ٤٠

We have made it easy to learn lessons from the Quran: will anyone take heed?

وَلَقَدۡ جَآءَ ءَالَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ ٱلنُّذُرُ ٤١

The people of Pharaoh also received warnings.

كَذَّبُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا كُلِّهَا فَأَخَذۡنَٰهُمۡ أَخۡذَ عَزِيزٖ مُّقۡتَدِرٍ ٤٢

They rejected all Our signs so We seized them with all Our might and power.

أَكُفَّارُكُمۡ خَيۡرٞ مِّنۡ أُوْلَٰٓئِكُمۡ أَمۡ لَكُم بَرَآءَةٞ فِي ٱلزُّبُرِ ٤٣

‘Are your disbelievers any better than these? Were you given an exemption in the Scripture?’

أَمۡ يَقُولُونَ نَحۡنُ جَمِيعٞ مُّنتَصِرٞ ٤٤

Do they perhaps say, ‘We are a great army and we shall be victorious’?

سَيُهۡزَمُ ٱلۡجَمۡعُ وَيُوَلُّونَ ٱلدُّبُرَ ٤٥

Their forces will be routed and they will turn tail and flee.

بَلِ ٱلسَّاعَةُ مَوۡعِدُهُمۡ وَٱلسَّاعَةُ أَدۡهَىٰ وَأَمَرُّ ٤٦

But the Hour is their appointed time- the Hour is more severe and bitter:

إِنَّ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ فِي ضَلَٰلٖ وَسُعُرٖ ٤٧

truly the wicked are misguided and quite insane––

يَوۡمَ يُسۡحَبُونَ فِي ٱلنَّارِ عَلَىٰ وُجُوهِهِمۡ ذُوقُواْ مَسَّ سَقَرَ ٤٨

on the Day when they are dragged on their faces in Hell. ‘Feel the touch of Hell.’

إِنَّا كُلَّ شَيۡءٍ خَلَقۡنَٰهُ بِقَدَرٖ ٤٩

We have created all things in due measure;

وَمَآ أَمۡرُنَآ إِلَّا وَٰحِدَةٞ كَلَمۡحِۭ بِٱلۡبَصَرِ ٥٠

when We ordain something it happens at once, in the blink of an eye;

وَلَقَدۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَآ أَشۡيَاعَكُمۡ فَهَلۡ مِن مُّدَّكِرٖ ٥١

We have destroyed the likes of you in the past. Will anyone take heed?

وَكُلُّ شَيۡءٖ فَعَلُوهُ فِي ٱلزُّبُرِ ٥٢

Everything they do is noted in their records:

وَكُلُّ صَغِيرٖ وَكَبِيرٖ مُّسۡتَطَرٌ ٥٣

every action, great or small, is recorded.

إِنَّ ٱلۡمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّٰتٖ وَنَهَرٖ ٥٤

The righteous will live securely among Gardens and rivers,

فِي مَقۡعَدِ صِدۡقٍ عِندَ مَلِيكٖ مُّقۡتَدِرِۭ ٥٥

secure in the presence of an all-powerful Sovereign.