["About what are they asking one another?","About the momentous news[1],###[1] i.e., the Resurrection.","that which they differ about[2].###[2] The pagans of Makkah denied the Qur’an, resurrection, and judgment. They differed as to whether the Qur’an was magic, fortune-telling, or poetry.","No indeed; they will come to know.","Again no; they will come to know.","Have We not made the earth a resting place?","And the mountains as stakes[3],###[3] Mountains go deep below the surface like pegs and icebergs, stabilizing the earth and slowing tectonic movement.","and created you in pairs,","and made your sleep for rest,","and made the night a covering[4],###[4] Covering you in its darkness as garments cover you.","and made the day for seeking a livelihood,","and built above you seven mighty heavens,","and made therein a blazing lamp,","and sent down from the rainclouds abundant water,","so that We may produce thereby grains and vegetation,","and gardens with dense foliage?","Indeed, the Day of Judgment is a time appointed,","the Day when the Trumpet will be blown, you will come forth in crowds,","and the sky will be opened up and will become gateways,","and the mountains will vanish, becoming like a mirage.","Indeed, Hell is lying in wait,","a resort for the transgressors,","wherein they will abide for endless ages.","They will neither taste therein any coolness nor any drink,","except for scalding water and discharge of wounds,","a fitting recompense[5].###[5] To their disbelief and evil deeds.","Indeed, they did not expect a reckoning,","and utterly rejected Our verses.","But We have enumerated everything in a record[6].###[6] i.e., a record of deeds.","So taste [the punishment], for We will not increase you except in torment[7].”###[7] The addressees are the dwellers of Hell.","Indeed, the righteous will have salvation[8],###[8] i.e., safety from Hell and winning Paradise.","gardens and vineyards,","and full-bosomed maidens of equal age,","and a full cup [of wine][9].###[9] i.e., tasteful wine which neither intoxicates nor causes headache.","They will not hear therein vain talk or lies –","a reward and a generous gift from your Lord[10],###[10] Or \"a gift adequately calculated\"; as a result of their righteous deeds as well as the ample generosity of Allah.","[from] the Lord of the heavens and earth and all that is between them, the Most Compassionate; none will dare to speak to Him[11].###[11] None can ask or plead on the Day of Judgment except by Allah's permission.","On the Day when the Spirit and the angels will stand in rows; none will dare to speak, except those to whom the Most Compassionate granted permission, and they will only speak the truth.","That Day is sure to come. So whoever wills may seek a path leading to his Lord[12].###[12] i.e., the path of guidance and righteous deeds.","Indeed, We have warned you of an imminent punishment on the Day when everyone will see what his hands have sent forth[13], and the disbeliever will say, “Oh, I wish that I were dust!”###[13] i.e., the deeds he did in this world.","By those who pull out [evil souls][1] harshly,###[1] Of the disbelievers.","and by those who draw out [good souls][2] gently,###[2] Of the believers.","and by those who glide swiftly[3],###[3] i.e., angels glide swiftly through the heavens and earth with Allah’s command.","and those who overtake one another as in a race[4],###[4] To execute Allah's commands.","and those who carry out the command [of Allah],","on the Day when the earth convulses [by the first Blast],","followed by the second Blast,","hearts[5] will be pounding on that Day,###[5] Of those who denied the Resurrection.","and their eyes[6] will be downcast.###[6] Of the disbelievers.","They say, “Will we be brought back to life,","after we have turned into decayed bones[7]?”###[7] They would say this in ridicule of the warning.","They say, “Then that would surely be a losing return[8]!”###[8] To one another.","It will only be a single Blast,","then they will immediately be above the ground.","Has there come to you the story of Moses,","when his Lord called out to him at the sacred valley of Tuwa?","[Saying,] “Go to Pharaoh, for he has transgressed all bounds”.","And say: ‘Are you willing to be purified,","and I will guide you to your Lord so that you may fear Him?’”","Then Moses showed him the greatest sign[9].###[9] i.e., the miracle of the staff turning into a snake. See 20:17-23.","But Pharaoh denied it and disobeyed.","Then he turned back striving to plot.","He gathered [his people] and proclaimed,","saying, “I am your lord, the most high.”","So Allah seized him for an exemplary punishment in this life and in the Hereafter[10].###[10] Or for his claim of being the greatest god and for his previous oppression of the Children of Israel.","Indeed, there is a lesson in this for those who fear Allah.","Are you more difficult to create or the heaven that He built?","He raised its vault high and proportioned it,","and darkened its night and brought forth its daylight.","And thereafter He spread out the earth,","brought forth from it its water and its pasture,","and set the mountains firmly,","as a provision for you and your grazing livestock.","But when the Supreme Calamity comes[11],###[11] i.e., the second Blast which marks the Day of judgment.","on that Day man will remember all what he did,","and the Blazing Fire will be exposed for all to see.","As for those who transgressed,","and preferred the life of this world,","the Blazing Fire will be their abode.","But those who feared standing before their Lord and restrained themselves from evil desires,","Paradise will surely be their abode.","They ask you concerning the Hour, “When will it be[12]?”###[12] Lit., \"established.\"","How could you possibly mention that?","Its knowledge rests only with your Lord[13].###[13] i.e., its end and termination. Its ultimate knowledge belongs to Allah alone.","You are only a warner for those who fear it.","On the Day when they see it[14], it will be as if they had remained [in this world] no more than an evening or a morning.###[14] i.e., the Hour.","He frowned and turned away,","when the blind man came to him[1].###[1] Abdullah ibn Um Maktūm, an early Muslim who was blind, came to the Prophet (ﷺ) seeking knowledge and guidance, while the Prophet (ﷺ) was in the middle of a discussion with some leading pagans of Makkah, calling them to Islam. The Prophet (ﷺ) frowned and turned his attention from him. So this Makkan surah was revealed.","How would you know? Perhaps he might be purified[2],###[2] Through the knowledge he learns from you.","or he might take heed and benefit from the reminder?","But he who was indifferent[3],###[3] Towards faith. Here it is referring to that influential pagan of the Quraysh whom the Prophet (ﷺ) had hoped to embrace Islam.","you give him your full attention,","although you are not to be blamed if he does not purify himself[4].###[4] The Prophets are only responsible to convey the message, not for people’s guidance.","But as for the one who came to you striving [for purification],","and he fears Allah,","you let yourself be distracted from him.","No indeed; this is a reminder –","so whoever wills may give heed to it –","on venerable pages,","exalted and purified,","[preserved] in the hands of angel-scribes,","honorable and obedient.","Woe to man; how ungrateful he is[5]!###[5] i.e., the disbelievers.","From what did He create him?","He created him from a drop of semen and proportioned him[6],###[6] His creation, provisions, life span, etc.","then He made the way easy for him[7];###[7] i.e., the way out of his mothers’ wombs (his birth), or the way to guidance.","then He caused him to die and be buried;","then when He wills, He will resurrect him.","Yet he has not fulfilled what He commanded him.","Let man consider the food he eats:","How We pour down rainwater in torrents,","and cause the soil to split open [for sprouts],","and cause grains to grow in it,","as well as grapes and fodder,","and olive trees and date palms,","and dense orchards,","and fruits and grass,","as provision for you and your livestock.","But when the Deafening Blast[8] comes,###[8] The piercing Blast; the second Blast for resurrection.","on that Day everyone will flee from his brother,","and from his mother and father,","and from his wife and children.","On that day, everyone will have enough concern of his own[9].###[9] Thus forgetting all others.","On that Day, some faces will be bright,","cheerful and rejoicing;","while other faces will be dust-stained,","covered in darkness.","Such are the disbelievers, the wicked.","When the sun is wrapped up in darkness,","and when the stars fall down,","and when the mountains are set in motion,","and when pregnant camels[1] are left unattended,###[1] Which are near delivery. It alludes to the distraction of people from their most valuable possessions, such as ten-month pregnant camels for nomadic Arabs.","and when wild beasts are gathered,","and when the seas are set on fire,","and when the souls are sorted[2],###[2] i.e., \"joined\" with their groups or sects, wicked with the wicked souls, righteous with the righteous.","and when the baby girl buried alive[3] is asked,###[3] As the pagan Arabs used to do for fear of shame or poverty. The Qur’an condemned this practice. See 16:58-59.","for what crime she was killed,","and when records of deeds are spread open,","and when the sky is stripped away[4],###[4] As the skin of sheep is stripped away.","and when the Blazing Fire is flared up,","and when Paradise is brought near –","then every soul will know what it has brought about[5].###[5] Of faith or disbelief, good or bad deeds for that Day.","I swear by the receding stars,","that rise and hide[6],###[6] This probably refers to black holes in the sky. \"Kanasa\" means sweeping or hiding.","and by the night as it departs,","and by the day as it breaks –","Indeed, this [Qur’an] is a word conveyed by a noble angel-messenger.","extremely powerful, highly revered by the Lord of the Throne,","obeyed there [by other angels] and trustworthy.","Your fellow [i.e., the Prophet] is not a madman.","He indeed saw him [i.e., Gabriel] on the clear horizon[7].###[7] i.e., the eastern horizon, where the sun rises. See footnote 53:6","He does not withhold [knowledge of] the unseen[8].###[8] He (ﷺ) did not withhold the unseen which Allah had revealed to him in the Qur’an.","This [Qur’an] is not the word of an accursed devil.","So which way are you going[9]?###[9] In your denial of the Qur’an for being the revelation from Allah.","It is but a reminder to the worlds,","for those among you who wish to take the straight path.","But you cannot wish except by the Will of Allah, the Lord of the worlds.","When the sky breaks apart.","and when the stars fall, scattered,","and when the seas burst forth,","and when the graves are overturned,","then each soul will come to know what it has done or what it has left undone.","O mankind, what has lured you away from your Lord, the Most Generous,","Who created you, then shaped and proportioned you,","and assembled you in whatever form He willed?","No indeed; but you deny the Judgment Day,","while there are watchers[1] over you,###[1] i.e., angels who preserve all your deeds.","honorable scribes,","who know whatever you do.","Indeed, the righteous will be in Bliss,","and the wicked will be in Blazing Fire,","which they will enter on Judgment Day,","and will never come out of it.","How do you know what Judgment Day is?","Again, how do you know what Judgment Day is?","It is the Day when no soul will be of any help to another, and all command on that Day will be with Allah.","Woe to the defrauders[1],###[1] i.e., those who cheat people by giving them less in sale transactions, an amount so little as to hardly be noticed.","those who take full measure when they take from others,","but they give less when they measure or weigh for them.","Do they really not think that they will be resurrected","for a momentous Day,","a Day when people will stand before the Lord of the worlds?","No indeed! The record of the wicked is surely in Sijjīn.","How do you know what Sijjīn is?","It is a clearly inscribed Record.","Woe on that Day to the deniers,","those who deny the Judgment Day!","None denies it except every sinful transgressor.","When Our verses are recited to him, he says, “Ancient fables[2]!”###[2] i.e., tales of old times, legends of former peoples.","No indeed! Their hearts have been stained by what they used to commit[3]!###[3] i.e., their sins and evil deeds.","No indeed! On that Day they will be barred from seeing their Lord[4].###[4] As a punishment, since the believers will see Him.","They will then surely enter the Blazing Fire,","then they will be told, “This is what you used to deny.”","No indeed! The record of the righteous is certainly in ‘illiyyīn –","and how do you know what ‘illiyyūn is? –","It is a record inscribed,","witnessed by those who are close to Allah.","Indeed, the righteous will be in Bliss,","seated on the couches, gazing in wonder.","You will see on their faces the radiance of bliss.","They will be served to drink pure wine from a sealed container,","whose last sip is musk[5] – let those who strive, strive for that –###[5] i.e., having a lingering odor.","and it will be mixed with water from the spring of Tasnīm[6],###[6] It is the highest spring in Paradise.","a spring from which those who are close to Allah will drink.","Indeed, the wicked used to laugh at the believers;","when they passed by them, they would wink at one another,","and when they went back to their people, they would return exulting.","When they saw the believers, they would say, “These people are truly misguided,”","although they were not sent as their keepers.","So Today[7] the believers will laugh at the disbelievers,###[7] i.e., the Day of Judgment.","while sitting on the couches, gazing around.","Have the disbelievers been rewarded except for what they used to do?","When the sky is rent asunder,","and hearkens to its Lord[1], as it must,###[1] In full obedience.","and when the earth is leveled out[2],###[2] i.e., spread out.","and casts out all what it contains[3], and becomes empty,###[3] i.e., its dead bodies and treasures buried in it.","and hearkens to its Lord, as it must,","O humans, you are toiling towards your Lord[4], and you will surely meet Him[5].###[4] i.e., striving in doing good or evil until you meet your Lord.\t [5] To be recompensed by Him for your deeds.","Whoever is given his Record in his right hand,","he will have an easy reckoning,","and he will return to his people joyfully.","But whoever is given his Record from behind his back,","he will call out for destruction,","and he will enter the Blazing Fire.","Indeed, he used to live among his people joyfully.","and he thought that he would never return [to Allah].","Indeed he will! His Lord was always watching him.","Indeed, I swear by the twilight,","and by the night and what it covers,","and by the moon when it becomes full,","You will surely pass from one stage to another[6].###[6] i.e., from sperm-drop to clinging clot to lump, from life to death to resurrection.","Then what is the matter with them that they do not believe,","and when the Qur’an is recited to them, they do not prostrate?","Rather, the disbelievers persist in denying it,","but Allah knows best whatever they harbor in their hearts.","So give them the tidings of a painful punishment.","But those who believe and do righteous deeds will have a never-ending reward.","By the sky full of constellations,","and by the promised Day,","and by the witness and the witnessed,","cursed be the makers of the trench[1],###[1] Those who worked for a tyrannical king and did not allow the people to believe in Allah. Their blind obedience to their ruler incurred upon them the curse of Allah.","the fire full of fuel,","when they sat around it,","and were witnessing what they did to the believers[2].###[2] After the believers were casted into a trench of fire, they sat around it watching them burn to death. It occurred long before Prophet Muhammad's (ﷺ) time.","Their only grievance against them was that they believed in Allah, the All-Mighty, the Praiseworthy,","to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and earth, and Allah is Witness over all things.","Indeed, for those who tortured the believing men and women, and then did not repent, there will be the punishment of Hell and the punishment of the burning fire[3].###[3] Those who burned the believers will be punished with the burning fire in the Hereafter.","But those who believed and did righteous deeds will certainly have gardens under which rivers flow; that is the supreme triumph.","Indeed, the punishment of your Lord is severe.","Indeed, it is He Who originates [the creation] and then resurrects all,","and He is the All-Forgiving, the Most Affectionate,","the Lord of the Glorious Throne;","He does whatever He wills.","Has there not come to you the story of the forces","of Pharaoh and Thamūd?","But the disbelievers are in persistent denial,","although Allah encompasses them from all sides.","But this is a glorious Qur’an,","[inscribed] in a Preserved Tablet.","By the sky and the night comer –","and how do you know what the night comer is?","It is the star of piercing brightness[1] –###[1] Whose light pierces through the darkness or through the sky.","there is no soul except that there is a watcher over it.","Let man reflect on what he was created from.","He was created from a spurting fluid,","emerging from between the backbone and the ribs[2].###[2] Both testes and ovaries are sustained by arteries originating between the backbone and the ribcage.","Indeed, Allah is able to bring him back to life.","On the Day when all secrets will be disclosed[3],###[3] The secrets will be examined, disclosing the real intentions and faiths people harbored, distinguishing between righteous and evil therefrom.","he will then have no power, nor any helper.","By the sky and its recurring rain[4],###[4] And sun, moon, stars, clouds, heat, etc.","and by the earth that cracks open [with the sprout of plants],","Indeed, this [Qur’an] is a decisive word,","which is not for amusement.","Indeed, they are devising a plan.","I am too devising a plan.","So bear with the disbelievers, and give them respite for a while[5].###[5] i.e., Do not be in haste in seeking their punishment and destruction.","Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High,","Who created and fashioned in due proportion,","and Who determined [the creation] then inspired them,","and Who brings forth the pasture,","then makes it into withered chaff.","We will teach you [the Qur’an], so you will not forget,","except what Allah wills[1], for indeed He knows what is manifest and what is hidden.###[1] i.e., except what Allah wills to make you forget for wisdom such as abrogating or replacing a ruling by another.","We will guide you to the easy way[2].###[2] To the way of Islam which brings about ease in this life and attainment of Paradise in the Hereafter, or will give you opportunities for righteous deeds that lead to Paradise.","So remind, if the reminder should benefit[3].###[3] Wherever this Qur’an will be heard.","He who fears Allah will take heed,","but the wretched will avoid it,","who will enter the Great Fire,","wherein he will neither die nor live.","Indeed, he who purifies himself will attain success,","and remembers his Lord’s Name and prays.","But you prefer the life of this world,","even though the Hereafter is better and more lasting.","Indeed, this was in the earlier Scriptures,","the Scriptures of Abraham and Moses.","Has there come to you the story of the Overwhelming Event?","On that Day, some faces will be humiliated,","overburdened and weary[1],###[1] They will be burdened with the heavy shackles in the Hereafter, or they performed deeds in their worldly life which were bereft of faith or not done for the sake of Allah.","as they burn in a scorching Fire.","They will be made to drink from a boiling spring,","and they will have no food except bitter thorny plants,","that neither nourishes nor satisfies hunger.","Other faces on that Day will be joyful,","well-pleased with their past striving,","in an elevated garden,","wherein no idle talk will be heard[2].###[2] Rather than an insult, falsehood, immorality, etc.","There will be a flowing spring;","and couches raised high,","and cups placed ready,","and cushions lined up,","and splendid carpets spread out.","Do they not reflect on the camel, how it is created;","and the sky, how it is raised high;","and the mountains, how they are firmly set up;","and the earth, how it is spread out?","So remind [O Prophet]; your duty is only to remind;","you are not assigned to compel them.","But whoever turns away and disbelieves,","Allah will inflict upon him the greatest punishment[3].###[3] i.e., the greatest punishment is the Hellfire. The minor punishment includes disasters in worldly life and grave punishment.","Indeed, to Us is their return,","then it is for Us to call them to account.","By the dawn,","and the ten nights[1],###[1] i.e., the first ten nights of the lunar month of Dhul-Hijjah.","and the even and the odd[2],###[2] Of the things.","and by the night when it comes,","are these oaths not sufficient for those who have sense?","Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with ‘Ād","of Iram[3], who were people of great stature,###[3] Iram: an ancient tribe; or a well-known tribe in Yemen; or the grandfather of the people of ‘Aad, etc. Prophet Hūd was sent to the people of ‘Aad.","the like of whom had never been created in the land;","and Thamūd, who carved out the rocks in the Valley;","and the mighty and powerful[4] Pharaoh?###[4] Or the owner of the stakes by which he used to torture people.","All of them transgressed in the land,","and spread therein much corruption,","so your Lord poured upon them a scourge of punishment.","Indeed, your Lord is ever vigilant.","As for man, when he is tested by his Lord by honoring him and bestowing blessings upon him, he says, “My Lord has [deservedly] honored me[5]!”###[5] Instead of being grateful, he is proud, attributing the favor to his own merit.","But when he is tested by restricting his provision, he says, “My Lord has [undeservedly] humiliated me!”","No indeed[6]! You are not kind to the orphan,###[6] It is not as you think. Allah puts people to test through prosperity and hardship and rewards their gratitude and patience in the Hereafter.","nor do you urge one another to feed the needy,","and you greedily consume the entire inheritance[7],###[7] Whether lawful or unlawful.","and love wealth immensely.","No indeed! When the earth is crushed over and over,","and your Lord comes[8] with the angels, rank after rank,###[8] To pass judgment between people.","and Hell is brought near on that Day – this is when man will understand, but what is the use of that understanding?","He will say, “Would that I had sent forth something for my [eternal] life!”","None can punish as He punishes on that Day,","and none can bind as He binds.","[It will be said to the believer,] “O the tranquil soul!","Return to your Lord, well pleased and pleasing [to Him].","Join My [righteous] slaves,","and enter My Paradise.”","I do swear by this city [of Makkah] –","and you are free of restriction [for a while] in this city[1] –###[1] To punish the enemies of Islam on the Conquest Day.","and by every parent[2] and his offspring,###[2] i.e., Adam.","We have created man in hardship.","Does he think that none can ever have power over him?","He says, “I have squandered enormous wealth!”","Does he think that no one sees him?","Have We not given him two eyes,","and a tongue and two lips,","and shown him the two ways [of right and wrong]?","Yet he did not make his way through the steep path[3],###[3] He did not spend for the sake of Allah but to show off.","and how do you know what the steep path is?","It is freeing a slave,","or giving food on a day of hunger,","to an orphan relative,","or to a needy person in misery,","then [most importantly] to be one of those who believe and exhort one another to patience and exhort one another to compassion.","Such are the people of the Right[4].###[4] i.e., those who receive the records of their deeds in the right hand and proceed to Paradise.","As for those who reject Our signs, they are the people of the Left[5],###[5] i.e., those who receive the records of their deeds in the left hand and proceed to Hellfire.","who will be locked up in the Fire.","By the sun and its brightness,","and by the moon as it follows it[1],###[1] i.e., appears after the sun disappears.","and by the day as it displays it[2],###[2] i.e., the earth or the sun.","and by the night as it covers it[3],###[3] i.e., the earth or the sun.","and by the sky and how He made it,","and by the earth and how He spread it,","and by the soul and how He fashioned it[4],###[4] By sound natural disposition.","then inspired it [to know] its wickedness and righteousness,","Indeed, he who purifies his soul will attain success,","and he who corrupts it will be doomed.","Thamūd rejected [the messenger] because of their transgression,","when the most wretched among them rose[5].###[5] To kill the camel that Allah sent as a miracle to them.","Although the messenger of Allah warned them, “Hands off the she-camel of Allah and her drink!”","Yet they rejected him and hamstrung her[6]. So their Lord destroyed them for their sin and leveled them to the ground.###[6] And then killed her.","And He has no fear of the consequences thereof[7].###[7] Allah is not asked for what He does, but His slaves will be asked. See 21:23","By the night when it covers[1],###[1] Everything between sky and earth with its darkness.","and by the day when it appears,","and by His creation of male and female,","surely your efforts are divergent.","As for the one who gives in charity and fears Allah,","and truly believes in the best reward,","We will make easy for him the way of salvation.","But as for the one who is miserly and deems himself self-sufficient,","and denies the best reward,","We will make easy for him the way of perdition.","His wealth will be of no avail to him when he tumbles [into Hell].","Indeed, it is upon Us to show the right way,","and surely to Us belong the Hereafter and the present life.","So I warn you of a raging Fire,","none will enter it except the most wretched,","who denied and turned away.","But the most righteous will be saved from it,","who spends his wealth to purify himself,","not in return for someone’s favors[2],###[2] i.e., not as a repayment for a favor he received.","but to seek the pleasure of his Lord, the Most High.","He will surely be well pleased.","By the morning sunlight,","and by the night when it covers with darkness[1],###[1] And everything becomes still.","your Lord has neither forsaken you [O Prophet] nor hated you;","the Hereafter is better for you than the present life;","and your Lord will certainly give you so much that you will be well pleased.","Did He not find you an orphan then take good care of you?","Did He not find you unguided then guide you?","Did He not find you in need then enrich you?","So do not mistreat the orphan,","nor repulse the beggar[2];###[2] i.e., anyone in need who seeks help.","and proclaim the favors of your Lord[3].###[3] i.e., be grateful to Allah by proclaiming the favors He has given you.","Have We not reassured your heart for you [O Prophet][1],###[1] i.e., enlighten and gladden your heart for receiving the revelation.","and relieved you of your burden[2]###[2] forgave your previous or future errors, or relieved you of the anxiety you experienced at the beginning of your mission.","that weighed down your back,","and raised high your fame for you[3]?###[3] Allah raised the Prophet's name in numerous ways, such as his name is mentioned twice in the call to prayer five times a day, as well the second call to prayer; at the end of each of the five daily prayers; believers invoke Allah’s blessings upon him and his family; and upon reverting to Islam, his name is mentioned, etc.","For indeed, with hardship comes ease[4],###[4] In Arabic grammar, if a definite noun is repeated, it is referring to the same thing. However, if an indefinite noun is repeated, it is referring to two different things. So here in this and the coming verse they refer to one hardship (a definite noun) and two eases (an indefinite noun), which manifests Allah's favors upon His servants even in times of hardships.","indeed, with hardship comes ease.","So whenever you are free[5], strive in worship,###[5] Of your duties.","and turn to your Lord in devotion.","By the fig and the olive[1],###[1] Of Jerusalem.","and by Mount Sinai[2],###[2] Of Egypt.","and by this secure city [of Makkah][3],###[3] This passage refers to the land of the three great prophets of Allah: Jesus (ﷺ) lived in the land of figs and olives, Moses (ﷺ) communicated with Allah on Mount Sinai, and Muhammad's (ﷺ) birthplace was Makkah. There is a similar reference in Deuteronomy 33:1, [Moses said:] “The Lord came from Sinai. Rising from Seir upon us, and he shone forth from Mount Paran.” Seir is a mountain near Jerusalem, and Paran is a mountain near Makkah.","Surely We have created man in the best form[4],###[4] i.e., in upright and balanced form and nature.","then We will reduce him to the lowest of the low[5],###[5] i.e., to the depths of Hell due to deviation from uprightness; or to decrepit old age.","except those who believe and do righteous deeds; they will have a never-ending reward.","Then, what makes you deny the Judgment Day?","Is not Allah the Most Just of all judges?","Read in the name of your Lord Who created,","created man from a clinging clot.","Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous,","Who taught by the pen,","taught man what he did not know[1].###[1] These five verses (1-5) are the first ever verses revealed of the Qur’an. The Prophet (ﷺ) was retreating at a cave in the outskirts of Makkah when the angel Gabriel appeared before him, and ordered him to read. Since the Prophet (ﷺ) was unlettered, he would respond, “I cannot read.” Gabriel would then squeeze him tightly and order him again to read. Ultimately, Gabriel said to him: “Read in the name of your Lord …”.","Indeed, man transgresses","when he deems himself to be self-sufficient.","Indeed, to your Lord is the return.","Have you seen the one who prevents[2]###[2] i.e., Abu Jahl was a pagan leader of the Makkah who was an arch-enemy of Islam.","a slave [of Allah] from praying[3]?###[3] Abu Jahl abused the Prophet (ﷺ) when he prayed in the Holy Mosque.","What if this [slave] is rightly guided,","and enjoins righteousness?","How about the one who denies and turns away[4]?###[4] From what the Prophet (ﷺ) has brought and does he not fear Allah?","Does he not know that Allah is watching all?","No indeed; if he does not desist, We will surely drag him by the forelock[5]###[5] To the Hellfire.","a lying, sinful forelock[6].###[6] It alludes to the frontal lobe of the brain, where reasoning is processed.","So let him call his associates;","We will call the wardens of Hellfire[7].###[7] i.e., the coarse, rigorous, and harsh angels assigned for the Hellfire.","No indeed; do not obey him, but prostrate and draw near [to Allah].","Indeed, We sent this [Qur’an] down on the Night of Decree[1].###[1] The Qur’an was first revealed completely to the lowest heaven on this night. Also, its revelation on the Prophet (ﷺ) started on this night.","How do you know what the Night of Decree is?","The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.","On that night the angels and the Spirit [i.e., Gabriel] descend by their Lord’s permission with all decrees[2].###[2] Bringing down the exact provisions, life, death, and other things destined for the creatures for the coming year by Allah's permission.","It is all peace[3] until the break of dawn.###[3] Upon the believers.","Those who disbelieve from the People of the Book and the polytheists were not going to desist [from disbelief][1] until there came to them clear proof,###[1] i.e., and from deviant ways.","a messenger from Allah, reciting pure pages[2]###[2] i.e., that contains no falsehood.","containing upright commandments.","Yet those who were given the Scripture did not disagree[3] except after the clear proof came to them,###[3] Into different sects and denominations.","although they were commanded only to worship Allah with sincere devotion to Him, being inclined to the true faith, and to establish prayer and give zakah; that is the true religion.","Those who disbelieve from the People of the Book and the polytheists will be in the fire of Hell, abiding therein forever. It is they who are the worst of creatures.","As for those who believe and do righteous deeds – it is they who are the best of creatures.","Their reward with their Lord is Gardens of Eternity under which rivers flow, abiding therein forever. Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. This is for those who fear their Lord.","When the earth is shaken with a mighty quake,","and the earth throws out its burdens[1],###[1] i.e., its dead bodies and treasures.","and man says[2], “What is the matter with it?”###[2] In terror and astonishment.","On that Day it will recount all its news,","because your Lord has inspired it [to do so].","On that Day all people will come forward in separate groups to be shown their deeds[3].###[3] From the place of Judgment to see the consequences of their deeds, whether to Paradise or to Hell.","So whoever does an atom’s weight[4] of good will see it,###[4] Or a small ant’s weight.","and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.","By the galloping, panting horses[1],###[1] i.e., those horses that fight for the cause of Allah as they race to attack the enemy.","striking sparks of fire [with their hooves][2],###[2] While galloping over rocky terrain.","launching raids at dawn[3],###[3] While the enemy is unaware of their raid.","stirring up thereby clouds of dust,","plunging thereby into the midst of the enemy[4],###[4] i.e., penetrating into the ranks of the enemy as a surprise attack.","indeed, man is very ungrateful to his Lord[5] –###[5] disobeying Him by not spending in the cause of Allah from what He has given him and commanded him to spend accordingly.","and he himself is a witness to that[6] –###[6] By his words and actions.","and he is truly extreme in his love of wealth.","Does he not know that when the contents of graves will be overturned,","and the secrets of the hearts will be brought to light[7]?###[7] i.e., when all secrets of the hearts and faiths are made known.","Indeed, their Lord is All-Aware of them on that Day[8].###[8] Nothing of their affairs will be hidden from Him.","The Striking Calamity!","What is the Striking Calamity?","How do you know what the Striking Calamity is?","On that Day people will be like scattered moths[1],###[1] After having been thrown out of their graves.","and the mountains will be like carded wool[2].###[2] As they disintegrate.","Then the one whose scales of good deeds are heavy,","will have a pleasant life[3].###[3] In Paradise.","But the one whose scales of good deeds are light,","his abode will be the abyss[4].###[4] Hāwiyah: the pit of Hellfire.","And how do you know what it is?","It is a Blazing Fire.","Competition for worldly gains distracts you [from Allah],","until you come to your graves.","No indeed! You will come to know.","Again no! You will come to know.","No indeed! If only you knew for certain[1].###[1] The conclusion of this verse, \"...you would not have been distracted from preparing for the Hereafter by wealth and children.\"","You will surely see the Blazing Fire,","Again, you will see it with absolute certainty.","Then on that Day you will surely be asked about your worldly pleasures[2].###[2] i.e., of health and wealth and other comforts of the worldly life.","By the time,","man is in utter loss,","except those who believe and do righteous deeds, and exhort one another to the truth and exhort one another to patience.","Woe to every backbiter and slanderer,","who amasses wealth and counts it over and again[1],###[1] Instead of spending in the way of Allah.","thinking that his wealth will make him live forever.","No indeed! He will surely be cast into the Crushing Fire[2],###[2] i.e., Hellfire, as it crushes and destroys all that is thrown in it.","and how do you know what the Crushing Fire is?","It is the kindled Fire of Allah,","which reaches the hearts[3].###[3] Penetrating through bodies and reaching the hearts.","It will be closed down upon them,","locked with towering columns[4].###[4] i.e., columns of fire or columns of iron to which the inmates of Hell are chained.","Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the people of the Elephant[1]?###[1] The army of Abrahah al-Ashram was accompanied by a huge elephant who came with the intention of demolishing the Kaʿba.","Did He not turn their scheme into a total loss[2]?###[2] Leading them to perish.","He sent against them swarms of birds,","pelting them with stones of baked clay,","leaving them like chewed-up chaff.","For the accustomed security of the Quraysh[1],###[1] Allah had given Quraysh the honor of being guardians of the Holy Ka‘bah, which allowed them to travel in peace without fear of being harmed.","secure in their winter and summer journeys[2].###[2] i.e., their trading caravans would travel south to Yemen in winter and north to the Levant in summer.","Let them worship the Lord of this [Sacred] House[3],###[3] i.e., the Ka‘bah.","Who fed them against hunger and made them secure against fear[4].###[4] The people of Quraysh were blessed with provision and security probably because of the prayer of Abraham. See 14:35-37","Have you seen the one who denies the Recompense?","Such is the one who repulses the orphan harshly,","and does not urge others to feed the needy.","So woe to those who pray,","but are heedless of their prayer[1];###[1] i.e., the hypocrites who do not pray except to show off and others who are heedless to pray at their specified times.","those who only show off,","and withhold even the small kindnesses.","We have surely given you [O Prophet] al-Kauthar [i.e., abundance][1],###[1] i.e., abundance, of which is the river of al-Kauthar in Paradise.","so pray and offer sacrifice to your Lord alone.","Indeed, the one who hates you is truly cut off [from all goodness][2].###[2] Both in this world and in the Hereafter.","Say, “O disbelievers,","I do not worship what you worship,","nor do you worship what I worship.","Never will I worship what you worship,","nor will you ever worship what I worship.","You have your religion and I have my religion.\"","When there comes Allah’s help and the conquest[1],###[1] i.e., the conquest of Makkah.","and you see people entering Allah’s religion in multitudes,","then glorify the praise of your Lord, and ask His forgiveness. Indeed, He is ever Accepting of Repentance.","May the hands of Abu Lahab[1] perish, and may he perish!###[1] i.e., the Prophet's uncle, who was one of the staunchest enemies of Islam.","Neither his wealth nor his worldly gains will avail him.","He will burn in a Flaming Fire,","and so will his wife[2], the carrier of firewood,###[2] i.e., ’Um Jamīl, who used to throw thorny branches in the Prophet's way and she used to slander him (ﷺ). The word hatab (firewood) was used by the Arabs to allude to slander and backbiting.","around her neck will be a rope of palm fiber[3].###[3] This surah was one of the earliest surahs revealed in Makkah, yet Abu Lahab persisted in disbelief. For him to disprove the Qur’an, all he had to do was to accept Islam, for the Qur’an condemned him to Hell.","Say: “He is Allah, the One[1];###[1] He is Alone, without a partner, indivisible and distinct from all else. The only true deity, unique in His essence, attributes, and actions.","Allah, the Eternal Refuge[2].###[2] He is absolute, perfect, complete, self-sufficient; the one eternally and constantly required and sought; all existence depend upon Him; all matters ultimately return to Him.","He neither begets nor is He begotten,","and there is none comparable to Him.”[3]###[3] The Prophet (ﷺ) says that reading this surah (surat al-Ikhlās) equals reading one third of the Qur’an. [Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]","Say, “I seek refuge with the Lord of the daybreak,","from the harm of all what He has created;","from the harm of darkening [night] when it spreads around,","from the harm of the sorceresses[1] who blow on knots,###[1] i.e., magicians.","and from the harm of the envier when he envies.\"","Say, “I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind,","the Sovereign of mankind[1],###[1] i.e., the King of mankind.","the God of mankind,","from the harm of the lurking whisperer[2],###[2] Which disappears when one remembers Allah.","who whispers into the hearts of mankind,","from among jinn and mankind[3].”###[3] Evil prompters and whisperers can be from jinn or from men."]