سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ
A challenger1 has demanded a punishment bound to come
لِّلْكَـٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌ
for the disbelievers—to be averted by none—
مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ
from Allah, Lord of pathways of ˹heavenly˺ ascent,
تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ
˹through which˺ the angels and the ˹holy˺ spirit1 will ascend to Him on a Day fifty thousand years in length.2
فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا
So endure ˹this denial, O Prophet,˺ with beautiful patience.
إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُۥ بَعِيدًا
They truly see this ˹Day˺ as impossible,
وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبًا
but We see it as inevitable.
يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ
On that Day the sky will be like molten brass
وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ
and the mountains like ˹tufts of˺ wool.
وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا
And no close friend will ask ˹about˺ their friends,
يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ
˹although˺ they will be made to see each other. The wicked will wish to ransom themselves from the punishment of that Day by their children,
وَصَـٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ
their spouses, their siblings,
وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ
their clan that sheltered them,
وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ
and everyone on earth altogether, just to save themselves.
كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ
But no! There will certainly be a raging Flame
نَزَّاعَةً لِّلشَّوَىٰ
ripping off scalps.
تَدْعُوا۟ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
It will summon whoever turned their backs ˹on Allah˺ and turned away ˹from the truth˺,
وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰٓ
and gathered and hoarded ˹wealth˺.
۞ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا
Indeed, humankind was created impatient:
إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا
distressed when touched with evil,