— 44 verses
An inquirer inquires concerning the punishment about to befall
The disbelievers, and which none can repel
It is from ALLAH, Lord of great ascents
The angels and the Spirit ascend to HIM in a day, the measure of which is fifty thousand years
So be patient with admirable patience
They see it to be far off
But WE see it to be nigh
The day when the heaven will become like molten copper
And the mountains will become like flakes of wool
And a friend will not inquire after a friend
Though they will be placed in sight of one another. The guilty one would fain ransom himself from the punishment of that day by offering his children
And his wife and his brother
And his kinsfolk who gave him shelter
And by offering all those who are on the earth, if only thus he might save himself
But no ! surely, it is a flame of Fire
Stripping off the skin even to the extremities of the body
It shall call him who turned his back and retreated
And hoarded wealth and withheld it
Verily, man is created impatient and miserly
When evil touches him, he is full of lamentations
But when good falls to his lot, he is niggardly
Except those who pray
Those who are constant in their Prayer
And those in whose wealth there is a known right
For those who ask for help and for those who do not ask
And those who believe in the Day of Judgment to be a reality
And those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord
Verily, from the punishment of their Lord none can feel secure
And those who guard their private parts
Except from their wives and from those whom their right hands possess; such indeed, are not to blame
But those who seek to go beyond that, it is these who are transgressors
And those who are watchful of their trusts and their covenants
And those who are upright in their testimonies
And those who are strict in the observance of their Prayer
These will be in the Gardens, duly honoured
But what is the matter with those who disbelieve that they come hurrying on towards thee
From the right hand and from the left, in different parties
Does every man among them hope to enter the Garden of Bliss
Never ! WE have created them of that which they know
But nay ! I swear by the Lord of the Easts and of the Wests that WE have the power
To bring in their place others better than they, and WE cannot be frustrated in Our plans
So leave them alone to indulge in idle talk and to sport until they meet that day of theirs which they are promised
The day when they will come forth from their graves hastening as though they were racing to a target
Their eyes cast down; and humiliation covering them. Such is the Day which they are promised