بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ سَأَلَ سَائِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ
A questioner asked about a Penalty to befall- 
لِلْكَافِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُ دَافِعٌ
The Unbelievers, the which there is none to ward off,-
مِنَ اللَّهِ ذِي الْمَعَارِجِ
(A Penalty) from Allah, Lord of the Ways of Ascent.
تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ
The angels and the spirit ascend unto him in a Day the measure whereof is (as) fifty thousand years:
فَاصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا
Therefore do thou hold Patience,- a Patience of beautiful (contentment).
إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُ بَعِيدًا
They see the (Day) indeed as a far-off (event):
وَنَرَاهُ قَرِيبًا
But We see it (quite) near.
يَوْمَ تَكُونُ السَّمَاءُ كَالْمُهْلِ
The Day that the sky will be like molten brass,
وَتَكُونُ الْجِبَالُ كَالْعِهْنِ
And the mountains will be like wool,
وَلَا يَسْأَلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا
And no friend will ask after a friend,
يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ الْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِي مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍ بِبَنِيهِ
Though they will be put in sight of each other,- the sinner's desire will be: Would that he could redeem himself from the Penalty of that Day by (sacrificing) his children,
وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَأَخِيهِ
His wife and his brother,
وَفَصِيلَتِهِ الَّتِي تُؤْوِيهِ
His kindred who sheltered him,
وَمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنْجِيهِ
And all, all that is on earth,- so it could deliver him:
كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ
By no means! for it would be the Fire of Hell!-
نَزَّاعَةً لِلشَّوَىٰ
Plucking out (his being) right to the skull!-
تَدْعُو مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
Inviting (all) such as turn their backs and turn away their faces (from the Right).
وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰ
And collect (wealth) and hide it (from use)!
إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا
Truly man was created very impatient;-
إِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا
Fretful when evil touches him;
وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا
And niggardly when good reaches him;-
إِلَّا الْمُصَلِّينَ
Not so those devoted to Prayer;-
الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَائِمُونَ
Those who remain steadfast to their prayer;
وَالَّذِينَ فِي أَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَعْلُومٌ
And those in whose wealth is a recognised right.
لِلسَّائِلِ وَالْمَحْرُومِ
For the (needy) who asks and him who is prevented (for some reason from asking);
وَالَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ الدِّينِ
And those who hold to the truth of the Day of Judgment;
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ مِنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِمْ مُشْفِقُونَ
And those who fear the displeasure of their Lord,-
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍ
For their Lord's displeasure is the opposite of Peace and Tranquillity;-
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ
And those who guard their chastity,
إِلَّا عَلَىٰ أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ
Except with their wives and the (captives) whom their right hands possess,- for (then) they are not to be blamed,
فَمَنِ ابْتَغَىٰ وَرَاءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ
But those who trespass beyond this are transgressors;-
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَ
And those who respect their trusts and covenants;
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ بِشَهَادَاتِهِمْ قَائِمُونَ
And those who stand firm in their testimonies;
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ
And those who guard (the sacredness) of their worship;-
أُولَٰئِكَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ مُكْرَمُونَ
Such will be the honoured ones in the Gardens (of Bliss).
فَمَالِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ
Now what is the matter with the Unbelievers that they rush madly before thee-
عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ
From the right and from the left, in crowds?
أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ
Does every man of them long to enter the Garden of Bliss?
كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُمْ مِمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ
By no means! For We have created them out of the (base matter) they know!
فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ الْمَشَارِقِ وَالْمَغَارِبِ إِنَّا لَقَادِرُونَ
Now I do call to witness the Lord of all points in the East and the West that We can certainly-
عَلَىٰ أَنْ نُبَدِّلَ خَيْرًا مِنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ
Substitute for them better (men) than they; And We are not to be defeated (in Our Plan).
فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا وَيَلْعَبُوا حَتَّىٰ يُلَاقُوا يَوْمَهُمُ الَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ
So leave them to plunge in vain talk and play about, until they encounter that Day of theirs which they have been promised!-
يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ
The Day whereon they will issue from their sepulchres in sudden haste as if they were rushing to a goal-post (fixed for them),-
خَاشِعَةً أَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْيَوْمُ الَّذِي كَانُوا يُوعَدُونَ
Their eyes lowered in dejection,- ignominy covering them (all over)! such is the Day the which they are promised!