THE HOUR is drawing near, and the moon is cleft in two
Yet, when they behold a sign, the unbelievers turn their backs and say: ‘Sorcery unceasing!‘
They deny the truth, and follow their own fancies. But in the end all issues shall be laid to rest
Cautionary tales, profound in wisdom, have been narrated to them
but warnings are unavailing
Let them be. The day the Crier summons them to the dread account
they shall come out from their graves with downcast eyes, and rush towards him like swarming locusts
The unbelievers will say: ‘This is indeed a doleful day!‘
Before them, the people of Noah disbelieved. They disbelieved Our servant, and called him madman. Rejected and contemned
he cried out to his Lord, saying: ‘Help me, I am overcome!‘
We opened the gates of heaven with pouring rain
and caused the earth to burst with gushing springs, so that the waters met for a predestined end
We carried him in a vessel built with planks and nails
which drifted on under Our eyes: a recompense for him who had been disbelieved
This We have left as a sign: but is there any that will remember
How grievous was My scourge, and warning
We have made the Koran easy to remember: but is there any that will remember
Ād, too, did not believe. How grievous was My scourge, and warning
On a day of unremitting woe, We let loose on them a howling win
which snapped people off like trunks of uprooted palm trees
How grievous was My scourge, and warning
We made the Koran easy to remember: but is there any that will remember
Thamūd, too, disbelieved the warnings
They said: ‘Are we to follow a mortal, alone among us? That would surely be error and madness.
Did he alone among us receive the Admonition? He is indeed an impudent liar.‘
Tomorrow they shall learn who is the impudent liar
We are sending the she-camel to test them. Observe them closely and have patience
Tell them they must share their drink with her, and that for every draught they must attend in person.‘
They called their friend, who took a knife and hamstrung her
How grievous was My scourge, and warning
A single cry was heard, and they became like the dry twigs of the sheep-fold builder
We have made the Koran easy to remember: but is there any that will remember
The people of Lot disbelieved the warnings
We let loose on them a stone-charged whirlwind: only the house of Lot at dawn did We deliver
through Our mercy. Thus do We reward the thankful
He had warned them of Our onslaught, but they doubted the warnings.
They demanded his guests of him; so We put out their eyes: ‘Taste My punishment, now that you have scorned My warning.‘
And at daybreak a long-lasting scourge smote them
Taste My punishment, now that you have scorned My warning!‘
We have made the Koran easy to remember: but is there any that will remember
To Pharaoh‘s people came the warnings
But they disbelieved all Our signs, and We smote them with the scourge of the Almighty, the Omnipotent
Are your unbelievers better than those? Or have you immunity in the Scriptures
Or do they say: ‘We are a victorious army‘
The army shall be routed and put to flight
The Hour is their time appointed; and more calamitous, and more doleful, shall be the Hour
Yet the wrongdoers persist in error and madness
On the day they are dragged into the Fire with faces down: ‘Feel the touch of Hell!‘
We have surely created all things according to a measure
We command but once: Our will is done in the twinkling of an eye
We have destroyed many a people like yourselves: is there any that will remember
All they did is in the Scriptures
every action, small or great, is noted down
The righteous shall dwell in Gardens watered by running brooks,
honourably seated in the presence of a Mighty King