Section 1: Verses 1–26
Thematic progression across verses 1–26
وَٱلنَّٰزِعَٰتِ غَرۡقࣰ ا 1
Wan naazi 'aati gharqa
By those who snatch violently
وَٱلنَّٰشِطَٰتِ نَشۡطࣰ ا 2
Wan naa shi taati nashta
And those who remove gently
وَٱلسَّٰبِحَٰتِ سَبۡحࣰ ا 3
Wass saabi-haati sabha
And those who glide smoothly
فَٱلسَّٰبِقَٰتِ سَبۡقࣰ ا 4
Fass saabi qaati sabqa
And those who race swiftly
فَٱلۡمُدَبِّرَٰتِ أَمۡرࣰ ا 5
Fal mu dab-bi raati amra
And those who regulate events
يَوۡمَ تَرۡجُفُ ٱلرَّاجِفَةُ 6
Yawma tarjufur raajifa
On the Day when the Quake quakes
تَتۡبَعُهَا ٱلرَّادِفَةُ 7
Tatba'u har raadifa
And is followed by the Successor
قُلُوبࣱ يَوۡمَئِذࣲ وَاجِفَةٌ 8
Quloobuny-yau maaiziw-waaji-fa
Hearts on that Day will be pounding
أَبۡصَٰرُهَا خَٰشِعَةࣱ 9
Absaa ruhaa khashi'ah
Their sights downcast
يَقُولُونَ أَءِنَّا لَمَرۡدُودُونَ فِي ٱلۡحَافِرَةِ 10
Ya qoo loona a-inna lamar doo doona fil haafirah
They say, “Are we to be restored to the original condition
أَءِذَا كُنَّا عِظَٰمࣰ ا نَّخِرَةࣰ 11
Aizaa kunna 'izaa man-nakhirah
When we have become hollow bones?”
قَالُواْ تِلۡكَ إِذࣰ ا كَرَّةٌ خَاسِرَةࣱ 12
Qaalu tilka izan karratun khaasirah
They say, “This is a losing proposition.”
فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ زَجۡرَةࣱ وَٰحِدَةࣱ 13
Fa inna ma hiya zajratuw-waahida
But it will be only a single nudge
فَإِذَا هُم بِٱلسَّاهِرَةِ 14
Faizaa hum biss saahirah
And they will be awake
هَلۡ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ مُوسَىٰٓ 15
Hal ataaka hadeethu Musaa
Has the story of Moses reached you
إِذۡ نَادَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ بِٱلۡوَادِ ٱلۡمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى 16
Iz nadaahu rabbuhu bil waadil-muqad dasi tuwa
When His Lord called out to him in the sacred valley of Tuwa
ٱذۡهَبۡ إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ إِنَّهُۥ طَغَىٰ 17
Izhab ilaa fir'auna innahu taghaa
“Go to Pharaoh—he has transgressed.”
فَقُلۡ هَل لَّكَ إِلَىٰٓ أَن تَزَكَّىٰ 18
Faqul hal laka ilaa-an tazakka
And say, “Do you care to be cleansed
وَأَهۡدِيَكَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَتَخۡشَىٰ 19
Wa ahdi yaka ila rabbika fatakh sha
And I will guide you to your Lord, and you will turn reverent.”
فَأَرَىٰهُ ٱلۡأٓيَةَ ٱلۡكُبۡرَىٰ 20
Fa araahul-aayatal kubra
He showed him the Greatest Miracle
فَكَذَّبَ وَعَصَىٰ 21
Fa kazzaba wa asaa
But he denied and defied
ثُمَّ أَدۡبَرَ يَسۡعَىٰ 22
Thumma adbara yas'aa
Then turned his back, and tried
فَحَشَرَ فَنَادَىٰ 23
Fa hashara fanada
And gathered and proclaimed
فَقَالَ أَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمُ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰ 24
Faqala ana rabbu kumul-a'laa
He said, “I am your Lord, the most high.”
فَأَخَذَهُ ٱللَّهُ نَكَالَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ وَٱلۡأُولَىٰٓ 25
Fa-akha zahul laahu nakalal aakhirati wal-oola
So God seized him with an exemplary punishment, in the last and in the first
إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبۡرَةࣰ لِّمَن يَخۡشَىٰٓ 26
Inna fee zaalika la'ibratal limaiy-yaksha
In this is a lesson for whoever fears
Section 2: Verses 27–46
Thematic progression across verses 27–46
ءَأَنتُمۡ أَشَدُّ خَلۡقًا أَمِ ٱلسَّمَآءُۚ بَنَىٰهَا 27
A-antum a shaddu khalqan amis samaa-u banaaha
Are you more difficult to create, or the heaven? He constructed it
رَفَعَ سَمۡكَهَا فَسَوَّىٰهَا 28
Raf'a sam kaha fasaw waaha
He raised its masses, and proportioned it
وَأَغۡطَشَ لَيۡلَهَا وَأَخۡرَجَ ضُحَىٰهَا 29
Wa aghtasha lailaha wa akhraja duhaaha
And He dimmed its night, and brought out its daylight
وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَىٰهَآ 30
Wal arda b'ada zaalika dahaaha
And the earth after that He spread
أَخۡرَجَ مِنۡهَا مَآءَهَا وَمَرۡعَىٰهَا 31
Akhraja minha maa-aha wa mar 'aaha
And from it, He produced its water and its pasture
وَٱلۡجِبَالَ أَرۡسَىٰهَا 32
Wal jibala arsaaha
And the mountains, He anchored
مَتَٰعࣰ ا لَّكُمۡ وَلِأَنۡعَٰمِكُمۡ 33
Mataa'al lakum wali an 'aamikum
A source of enjoyment for you and for your animals
فَإِذَا جَآءَتِ ٱلطَّآمَّةُ ٱلۡكُبۡرَىٰ 34
Fa-izaa jaaa'atit taaam matul kubraa
But when the Great Cataclysm arrives
يَوۡمَ يَتَذَكَّرُ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ مَا سَعَىٰ 35
Yauma Yata zakkarul insaanu ma sa'aa
A Day when man will remember what he has endeavored
وَبُرِّزَتِ ٱلۡجَحِيمُ لِمَن يَرَىٰ 36
Wa burrizatil-jaheemu limany-yaraa
And Hell will be displayed to whoever sees
فَأَمَّا مَن طَغَىٰ 37
Fa ammaa man taghaa
As for him who was defiant
وَءَاثَرَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا 38
Wa aasaral hayaatad dunyaa
And preferred the life of this world
فَإِنَّ ٱلۡجَحِيمَ هِيَ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰ 39
Fa innal jaheema hiyal maawaa
Then Hell is the shelter
وَأَمَّا مَنۡ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ وَنَهَى ٱلنَّفۡسَ عَنِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰ 40
Wa ammaa man khaafa maqaama Rabbihee wa nahan nafsa 'anil hawaa
But as for him who feared the Standing of his Lord, and restrained the self from desires
فَإِنَّ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ هِيَ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰ 41
Fa innal jannata hiyal maawaa
Then Paradise is the shelter
يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلسَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرۡسَىٰهَا 42
Yas'aloonaka 'anis saa'ati ayyaana mursaahaa
They ask you about the Hour, “When will it take place?”
فِيمَ أَنتَ مِن ذِكۡرَىٰهَآ 43
Feema anta min zikraahaa
You have no knowledge of it
إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ مُنتَهَىٰهَآ 44
Ilaa Rabbika muntahaa haa
To your Lord is its finality
إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُنذِرُ مَن يَخۡشَىٰهَا 45
Innamaaa anta munziru maiy yakshaahaa
You are just a warner for whoever dreads it
كَأَنَّهُمۡ يَوۡمَ يَرَوۡنَهَا لَمۡ يَلۡبَثُوٓاْ إِلَّا عَشِيَّةً أَوۡ ضُحَىٰهَا 46
Ka annahum Yawma yarawnahaa lam yalbasooo illaa 'ashiyyatan aw duhaahaa
On the Day when they witness it—as though they only stayed an evening, or its morning