ق و ل

قُلْ إِنْ أَدْرِىٓ أَقَرِيبٌ مَّا تُوعَدُونَ أَمْ يَجْعَلُ لَهُۥ رَبِّىٓ أَمَدًا

Say, ‘I do not know whether what you have been warned about is near, or whether a distant time has been appointed for it by my Lord.’

إِنَّا سَنُلْقِى عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًا ثَقِيلًا

We shall send a momentous message down to you.

إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ ٱلَّيْلِ هِىَ أَشَدُّ وَطْـًٔا وَأَقْوَمُ قِيلًا

Night prayer makes a deeper impression and sharpens words––

وَٱصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَٱهْجُرْهُمْ هَجْرًا جَمِيلًا

patiently endure what they say, ignore them politely,

فَقَالَ إِنْ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحْرٌ يُؤْثَرُ

and said, ‘This is just old sorcery,

إِنْ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا قَوْلُ ٱلْبَشَرِ

just the talk of a mortal!’

وَمَا جَعَلْنَآ أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلنَّارِ إِلَّا مَلَـٰٓئِكَةً ۙ وَمَا جَعَلْنَا عِدَّتَهُمْ إِلَّا فِتْنَةً لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لِيَسْتَيْقِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَيَزْدَادَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِيمَـٰنًا ۙ وَلَا يَرْتَابَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۙ وَلِيَقُولَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ وَٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ مَاذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَـٰذَا مَثَلًا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَمَا هِىَ إِلَّا ذِكْرَىٰ لِلْبَشَرِ

none other than angels appointed by Us to guard Hellfire- and We have made their number a test for the disbelievers. So those who have been given the Scripture will be certain and those who believe will have their faith increased: neither those who have been given the Scripture nor the believers will have any doubts, but the sick at heart and the disbelievers will say, ‘What could God mean by this description?’ God leaves whoever He will to stray and guides whoever He will- no one knows your Lord’s forces except Him- this [description] is a warning to mortals.

قَالُوا۟ لَمْ نَكُ مِنَ ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ

and they will answer, ‘We did not pray;

يَقُولُ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَيْنَ ٱلْمَفَرُّ

on that Day man will say, ‘Where can I escape?’

وَقِيلَ مَنْ ۜ رَاقٍ

when it is said, ‘Could any charm-healer save him now?’;

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱرْكَعُوا۟ لَا يَرْكَعُونَ

When they are told, ‘Bow down in prayer,’ they do not do so.

يَوْمَ يَقُومُ ٱلرُّوحُ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ صَفًّا ۖ لَّا يَتَكَلَّمُونَ إِلَّا مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ وَقَالَ صَوَابًا

On the Day when the Spirit and the angels stand in rows, they will not speak except for those to whom the Lord of Mercy gives permission, who will say only what is right.

إِنَّآ أَنذَرْنَـٰكُمْ عَذَابًا قَرِيبًا يَوْمَ يَنظُرُ ٱلْمَرْءُ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ وَيَقُولُ ٱلْكَافِرُ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى كُنتُ تُرَٰبًۢا

We have warned you of imminent torment, on the Day when every person will see what their own hands have sent ahead for them, when the disbeliever will say, ‘If only I were dust!’

يَقُولُونَ أَءِنَّا لَمَرْدُودُونَ فِى ٱلْحَافِرَةِ

They say, ‘What? shall we be brought back to life,

قَالُوا۟ تِلْكَ إِذًا كَرَّةٌ خَاسِرَةٌ

‘Such a return is impossible!’

فَقُلْ هَل لَّكَ إِلَىٰٓ أَن تَزَكَّىٰ

and ask him, “Do you want to purify yourself [of sin]?

فَقَالَ أَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمُ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ

‘I am your supreme lord,’

إِنَّهُۥ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ

this is the speech of a noble messenger,

وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَيْطَـٰنٍ رَّجِيمٍ

This is not the word of an outcast devil.

إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَـٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَـٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ

when Our revelations are recited to him, he says, ‘Ancient fables!’

ثُمَّ يُقَالُ هَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى كُنتُم بِهِۦ تُكَذِّبُونَ

and they will be told, ‘This is what you called a lie.’

وَإِذَا رَأَوْهُمْ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ لَضَآلُّونَ

and say, when they saw them, ‘These people are misguided,’

إِنَّهُۥ لَقَوْلٌ فَصْلٌ

This is truly a decisive statement;

فَأَمَّا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ إِذَا مَا ٱبْتَلَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَأَكْرَمَهُۥ وَنَعَّمَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّىٓ أَكْرَمَنِ

[The nature of] man is that, when his Lord tries him through honour and blessings, he says, ‘My Lord has honoured me,’

وَأَمَّآ إِذَا مَا ٱبْتَلَىٰهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّىٓ أَهَـٰنَنِ

but when He tries him through the restriction of his provision, he says, ‘My Lord has humiliated me.’

يَقُولُ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى قَدَّمْتُ لِحَيَاتِى

He will say, ‘Would that I had provided for this life to come!’

يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًا لُّبَدًا

‘I have squandered great wealth,’ he says.

فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ نَاقَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَسُقْيَـٰهَا

The messenger of God said to them, ‘[Leave] God’s camel to drink,’

وَقَالَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ مَا لَهَا

when man cries, ‘What is happening to it?’;

قُلْ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ

Say [Prophet], ‘Disbelievers:

قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ

Say, ‘He is God the One,

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْفَلَقِ

Say [Prophet], ‘I seek refuge with the Lord of daybreak

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلنَّاسِ

Say, ‘I seek refuge with the Lord of people,