| No. | Transliteration | English | Arabic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Izash shamsu kuwwirat | When the sun (with its spacious light) is folded up; | إِذَا الشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ |
| 2. | Wa izan nujoomun kadarat | When the stars fall, losing their lustre; | وَإِذَا النُّجُومُ انْكَدَرَتْ |
| 3. | Wa izal jibaalu suyyirat | When the mountains vanish (like a mirage); | وَإِذَا الْجِبَالُ سُيِّرَتْ |
| 4. | Wa izal 'ishaaru 'uttilat | When the she-camels, ten months with young, are left untended; | وَإِذَا الْعِشَارُ عُطِّلَتْ |
| 5. | Wa izal wuhooshu hushirat | When the wild beasts are herded together (in the human habitations); | وَإِذَا الْوُحُوشُ حُشِرَتْ |
| 6. | Wa izal bihaaru sujjirat | When the oceans boil over with a swell; | وَإِذَا الْبِحَارُ سُجِّرَتْ |
| 7. | Wa izan nufoosu zuwwijat | When the souls are sorted out, (being joined, like with like); | وَإِذَا النُّفُوسُ زُوِّجَتْ |
| 8. | Wa izal maw'oodatu su'ilat | When the female (infant), buried alive, is questioned - | وَإِذَا الْمَوْءُودَةُ سُئِلَتْ |
| 9. | Bi ayyi zambin qutilat | For what crime she was killed; | بِأَيِّ ذَنْبٍ قُتِلَتْ |
| 10. | Wa izas suhufu nushirat | When the scrolls are laid open; | وَإِذَا الصُّحُفُ نُشِرَتْ |
| 11. | Wa izas samaaa'u kushitat | When the world on High is unveiled; | وَإِذَا السَّمَاءُ كُشِطَتْ |
| 12. | Wa izal jaheemu su'-'irat | When the Blazing Fire is kindled to fierce heat; | وَإِذَا الْجَحِيمُ سُعِّرَتْ |
| 13. | Wa izal jannatu uzlifat | And when the Garden is brought near;- | وَإِذَا الْجَنَّةُ أُزْلِفَتْ |
| 14. | 'Alimat nafsum maaa ahdarat | (Then) shall each soul know what it has put forward. | عَلِمَتْ نَفْسٌ مَا أَحْضَرَتْ |
| 15. | Falaaa uqsimu bil khunnas | So verily I call to witness the planets - that recede, | فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِالْخُنَّسِ |
| 16. | Al jawaaril kunnas | Go straight, or hide; | الْجَوَارِ الْكُنَّسِ |
| 17. | Wallaili izaa 'as'as | And the Night as it dissipates; | وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا عَسْعَسَ |
| 18. | Wassubhi izaa tanaffas | And the Dawn as it breathes away the darkness;- | وَالصُّبْحِ إِذَا تَنَفَّسَ |
| 19. | Innahoo laqawlu rasoolin kareem | Verily this is the word of a most honourable Messenger, | إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ |
| 20. | Zee quwwatin 'inda zil 'arshi makeen | Endued with Power, with rank before the Lord of the Throne, | ذِي قُوَّةٍ عِنْدَ ذِي الْعَرْشِ مَكِينٍ |
| 21. | Mutaa'in samma ameen | With authority there, (and) faithful to his trust. | مُطَاعٍ ثَمَّ أَمِينٍ |
| 22. | Wa maa saahibukum bimajnoon | And (O people!) your companion is not one possessed; | وَمَا صَاحِبُكُمْ بِمَجْنُونٍ |
| 23. | Wa laqad ra aahu bilufuqil mubeen | And without doubt he saw him in the clear horizon. | وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ بِالْأُفُقِ الْمُبِينِ |
| 24. | Wa maa huwa 'alal ghaibi bidaneen | Neither doth he withhold grudgingly a knowledge of the Unseen. | وَمَا هُوَ عَلَى الْغَيْبِ بِضَنِينٍ |
| 25. | Wa maa huwa biqawli shaitaanir rajeem | Nor is it the word of an evil spirit accursed. | وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَيْطَانٍ رَجِيمٍ |
| 26. | Fa ayna tazhaboon | When whither go ye? | فَأَيْنَ تَذْهَبُونَ |
| 27. | In huwa illaa zikrul lil'aalameen | Verily this is no less than a Message to (all) the Worlds: | إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِلْعَالَمِينَ |
| 28. | Liman shaaa'a minkum ai yastaqeem | (With profit) to whoever among you wills to go straight: | لِمَنْ شَاءَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَسْتَقِيمَ |
| 29. | Wa maa tashaaa'oona illaaa ai yashaaa 'al laahu Rabbul 'Aalameen | But ye shall not will except as Allah wills,- the Cherisher of the Worlds. | وَمَا تَشَاءُونَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ |
Recitation by Mishary Al-Alfasy
It is derived from the word kuwwirat in the first verse. Kuwwirat is passive
voice from takvir in the past tense, and means "that which is folded up",
thereby implying that it is a Surah in which the "folding up" has been
mentioned:
Period of Revelation
The subject matter
and the style clearly show that it is one of the earliest Surahs to be revealed
at Makkah.
Theme and Subject Matter
It has two
themes: the Hereafter and the institution of Prophethood.
In the first
six verses the first stage of the Resurrection has been mentioned when the sun
will lose its light, the stars will scatter, the mountains will be uprooted and
will disperse, the people will become heedless of their dearest possessions, the
beasts of the jungle will be stupefied and will gather together, and the seas
will boil up. Then in the next seven verses the second stage has been described
when the souls will be reunited with the bodies, the records will be laid open,
the people will be called to account for their crimes, the heavens will be
unveiled, and Hell and Heaven will be brought into full view. After depicting
the Hereafter thus, man has been left to ponder his own self and deeds, saying:
"Then each man shall himself know what he has brought with him."
After
this the theme of Prophethood has been taken up. In this the people of Makkah
have been addressed, as if to say "Whatever Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace
and blessings) is presenting before you, is not the bragging of a madman, nor an
evil suggestion inspired by Satan, but the word of a noble, exalted and
trustworthy messenger sent by God, whom Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and
blessings) has seen with his own eyes in the bright horizon of the clear sky in
broad day light. Whither then are you going having turned away from this
teaching?"