Al-Muddaththir
سُورَةُ المُدَّثِّرِ
The Cloaked One
**In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful** This Chapter, revealed in Mecca, has 56 Verses. It was indubitably revealed in Mecca, though there exists no unanimity as to being the earliest of the Chapters revealed to the Noble Prophet (S), or it followed Chapter 96 (Surah al-‘Alaq) in the sequence of Revelation. However, according attention to the contents of these two Chapters (74, 96) reflects that the latter was revealed on the threshold of the Prophetic call, but the former concerns the time when the Noble Prophet (S) was Divinely appointed to call the general public, when the clandestine call had come to its end. Therefore, some of the Qur’an exegetes maintain that Chapter 97 was the earliest of the Chapters revealed on the threshold of the Prophet Revelation of the Noble Prophet (S), but Chapter 74 was the earliest of the Chapters revealed following his call to the general public. At any rate, the nature of the Meccan Chapters, mainly calling people to turn toward the origin and the return, confrontation with polytheism, and warning the beliers against Divine torment, is explicitly reflected in the blessed Chapter in question.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمُدَّثِّرُ
Yaaa ayyuhal muddassir
O YOU ENFOLDED in your mantle (of reform),
قُمْ فَأَنذِرْ
Qum fa anzir
Arise and warn,
وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ
Wa rabbaka fakabbir
Glorify your Lord,
وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ
Wa siyaabaka fatahhir
Purify your inner self,
وَٱلرُّجْزَ فَٱهْجُرْ
Warrujza fahjur
And banish all trepidation.
وَلَا تَمْنُن تَسْتَكْثِرُ
Wa laa tamnun tastaksir
Do not bestow favours in expectation of return,
وَلِرَبِّكَ فَٱصْبِرْ
Wa li Rabbika fasbir
And persevere in the way of your Lord.
فَإِذَا نُقِرَ فِى ٱلنَّاقُورِ
Fa izaa nuqira fin naaqoor
For when the trumpet blows
فَذَٰلِكَ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ يَوْمٌ عَسِيرٌ
Fazaalika yawma 'iziny yawmun 'aseer
It will be a day of distress,
عَلَى ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ غَيْرُ يَسِيرٍۢ
'Alal kaafireena ghayru yaseer
Dolorous for the unbelievers.
ذَرْنِى وَمَنْ خَلَقْتُ وَحِيدًۭا
Zamee wa man khalaqtu waheedaa
Leave him to Me whom I created alone,
وَجَعَلْتُ لَهُۥ مَالًۭا مَّمْدُودًۭا
Wa ja'altu lahoo maalam mamdoodaa
And gave him abundant wealth
وَبَنِينَ شُهُودًۭا
Wa baneena shuhoodaa
And sons always present by his side,
وَمَهَّدتُّ لَهُۥ تَمْهِيدًۭا
Wa mahhattu lahoo tamheeda
And made things easy for them.
ثُمَّ يَطْمَعُ أَنْ أَزِيدَ
Summa yat ma'u an azeed
Yet he wants that I should give him more.
كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ لِءَايَٰتِنَا عَنِيدًۭا
Kallaaa innahoo kaana li Aayaatinaa 'aneedaa
Never. He is refractory of Our signs.
سَأُرْهِقُهُۥ صَعُودًا
Sa urhiquhoo sa'oodaa
I shall inflict on him hardship,
إِنَّهُۥ فَكَّرَ وَقَدَّرَ
Innahoo fakkara wa qaddar
For he had thought and calculated.
فَقُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ
Faqutila kayfa qaddar
May he be accursed, how he planned!
ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ
Summa qutila kaifa qaddar
May be then be accursed, how he plotted!
ثُمَّ نَظَرَ
Summa nazar
Then he looked around,
ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَبَسَرَ
Summa 'abasa wa basar
And frowned and puckered his brow,
ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ وَٱسْتَكْبَرَ
Summaa adbara wastakbar
Then turned his back and waxed proud,
فَقَالَ إِنْ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحْرٌۭ يُؤْثَرُ
Faqaala in haazaaa illaa sihruny yu'sar
And said: "This is nothing but the magic of old,
إِنْ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا قَوْلُ ٱلْبَشَرِ
In haazaaa illaa qawlul bashar
Nothing more than the speech of a man!"
سَأُصْلِيهِ سَقَرَ
Sa usleehi saqar
I will cast him into the fire of Hell.
وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا سَقَرُ
Wa maaa adraaka maa saqar
What do you think Hell-fire is?
لَا تُبْقِى وَلَا تَذَرُ
Laa tubqee wa laa tazar
It leaves nothing, nor does it spare;
لَوَّاحَةٌۭ لِّلْبَشَرِ
Lawwaahatul lilbashar
It glows and burns the skin.
عَلَيْهَا تِسْعَةَ عَشَرَ
'Alaihaa tis'ata 'ashar
Over it are nineteen (guards).
وَمَا جَعَلْنَآ أَصْحَٰبَ ٱلنَّارِ إِلَّا مَلَٰٓئِكَةًۭ ۙ وَمَا جَعَلْنَا عِدَّتَهُمْ إِلَّا فِتْنَةًۭ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لِيَسْتَيْقِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَيَزْدَادَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِيمَٰنًۭا ۙ وَلَا يَرْتَابَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۙ وَلِيَقُولَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌۭ وَٱلْكَٰفِرُونَ مَاذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَٰذَا مَثَلًۭا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَمَا هِىَ إِلَّا ذِكْرَىٰ لِلْبَشَرِ
Wa maaja''alnaaa As haaban naari illaa malaaa 'ikatanw wa maa ja'alnaa 'iddatahum illaa fitnatal lillazeena kafaroo liyastayqinal lazeena ootul kitaaba wa yazdaadal lazeena aamanooo eemaananw wa laa yartaabal lazeena ootul kitaaba walmu'minoona wa liyaqoolal lazeena fee quloo bihim maradunw walkaafiroona maazaaa araadal laahu bihaazaa masalaa; kazaalika yudillul laahu many yashaaa'u wa yahdee many yashaaa'; wa maa ya'lamu junooda rabbika illaa hoo; wa maa hiya illaa zikraa lil bashar
We have not appointed any one but angels as keepers of Hell, and their number that We have fixed is to make it a means of contention for disbelievers, so that those who were given the Book may be certain, and the faith of the believers may have greater increase, and the people of the Book and believers may not be deceived, and the sceptics and infidels may say: "What does God mean by this parable?" That is how God leads whosoever He will astray, and guides whosoever He will. None knows the armies of your Lord save Him self. This is no more than reminder for mankind.
كَلَّا وَٱلْقَمَرِ
Kallaa walqamar
I say the truth, and call the moon to witness,
وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذْ أَدْبَرَ
Wallaili adbar
And the night when on the wane,
وَٱلصُّبْحِ إِذَآ أَسْفَرَ
Wassub hi izaaa asfar
The morning when it is unveiled,
إِنَّهَا لَإِحْدَى ٱلْكُبَرِ
Innahaa la ihdal kubar
That (Hell) is surely one of the greater (signs),
نَذِيرًۭا لِّلْبَشَرِ
Nazeeral lilbashar
A warning for people --
لِمَن شَآءَ مِنكُمْ أَن يَتَقَدَّمَ أَوْ يَتَأَخَّرَ
Liman shaaa'a minkum any yataqaddama aw yata akhkhar
Whoever of you desires to progress or lag behind.
كُلُّ نَفْسٍۭ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ رَهِينَةٌ
Kullu nafsim bim kasabat raheenah
Every soul is pledged to what it does,
إِلَّآ أَصْحَٰبَ ٱلْيَمِينِ
Illaaa as haabal yameen
Except those of the right hand
فِى جَنَّٰتٍۢ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ
Fee jannaatiny yata saaa'aloon
Sitting in the gardens, asking
عَنِ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ
'Anil mujrimeen
Of evil-doers:
مَا سَلَكَكُمْ فِى سَقَرَ
Maa salakakum fee saqar
"What was it that brought you to Hell?"
قَالُوا۟ لَمْ نَكُ مِنَ ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ
Qaaloo lam naku minal musalleen
They will answer: "We did not fulfil our devotional obligations,
وَلَمْ نَكُ نُطْعِمُ ٱلْمِسْكِينَ
Wa lam naku nut'imul miskeen
And did not feed the needy,
وَكُنَّا نَخُوضُ مَعَ ٱلْخَآئِضِينَ
Wa kunnaa nakhoodu ma'al khaaa'ideen
And plunged into useless things with those who were obstinate,
وَكُنَّا نُكَذِّبُ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ
Wa kunnaa nukazzibu bi yawmid Deen
And rejected the Day of Judgement as a lie
حَتَّىٰٓ أَتَىٰنَا ٱلْيَقِينُ
Hattaaa ataanal yaqeen
Until the certainty (of death) had come upon us.
فَمَا تَنفَعُهُمْ شَفَٰعَةُ ٱلشَّٰفِعِينَ
Famaa tanfa'uhum shafaa'atush shaafi'een
So, the intercession of intercessors will not avail them.
فَمَا لَهُمْ عَنِ ٱلتَّذْكِرَةِ مُعْرِضِينَ
Famaa lahum 'anittazkirati mu'rideen
Why then do they turn away from the admonition
كَأَنَّهُمْ حُمُرٌۭ مُّسْتَنفِرَةٌۭ
Ka annahum humurum mustanfirah
As though they were frightened asses
فَرَّتْ مِن قَسْوَرَةٍۭ
Farrat min qaswarah
Fleeing from a lion?
بَلْ يُرِيدُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُؤْتَىٰ صُحُفًۭا مُّنَشَّرَةًۭ
Bal yureedu kullum ri'im minhum any yu'taa suhufam munashsharah
In fact every one of them wants to be given open books (like the prophets).
كَلَّا ۖ بَل لَّا يَخَافُونَ ٱلْءَاخِرَةَ
Kallaa bal laa yakhaafoonal aakhirah
By no means. In fact they do not fear the Hereafter.
كَلَّآ إِنَّهُۥ تَذْكِرَةٌۭ
Kallaaa innahoo tazkirah
Never so, as this is a reminder.
فَمَن شَآءَ ذَكَرَهُۥ
Fa man shaaa'a zakarah
Let him then who heeds remember it.
وَمَا يَذْكُرُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ هُوَ أَهْلُ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ وَأَهْلُ ٱلْمَغْفِرَةِ
Wa maa yazkuroona illaaa any yashaaa'al laah; Huwa ahlut taqwaa wa ahlul maghfirah
But they will not remember except as God wills: He is worthy to be feared, and He is worthy of forgiving