| 1. Wassamaaa'i zaatil burooj وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الْبُرُوجِ By the sky, (displaying) the Zodiacal Signs; |
| 2. Wal yawmil maw'ood وَالْيَوْمِ الْمَوْعُودِ By the promised Day (of Judgment); |
| 3. Wa shaahidinw wa mashhood وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ By one that witnesses, and the subject of the witness;- |
| 4. Qutila as haabul ukhdood قُتِلَ أَصْحَابُ الْأُخْدُودِ Woe to the makers of the pit (of fire), |
| 5. Annaari zaatil waqood النَّارِ ذَاتِ الْوَقُودِ Fire supplied (abundantly) with fuel: |
| 6. Iz hum 'alaihaa qu'ood إِذْ هُمْ عَلَيْهَا قُعُودٌ Behold! they sat over against the (fire), |
| 7. Wa hum 'alaa maa yaf'aloona bilmu 'mineena shuhood وَهُمْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَفْعَلُونَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ شُهُودٌ And they witnessed (all) that they were doing against the Believers. |
| 8. Wa maa naqamoo minhum illaaa aiyu'minoo billaahil 'azeezil Hameed وَمَا نَقَمُوا مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا أَنْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ And they ill-treated them for no other reason than that they believed in Allah, Exalted in Power, Worthy of all Praise!- |
| 9. Allazee lahoo mulkus samaawaati wal ard; wallaahu 'alaa kulli shai 'in Shaheed الَّذِي لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ Him to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth! And Allah is Witness to all things. |
| 10. Innal lazeena fatanul mu'mineena wal mu'minaati summa lam yatooboo falahum 'azaabu Jahannama wa lahum 'azaabul hareeq إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَتَنُوا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَتُوبُوا فَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ الْحَرِيقِ Those who persecute (or draw into temptation) the Believers, men and women, and do not turn in repentance, will have the Penalty of Hell: They will have the Penalty of the Burning Fire. |
| 11. Innal lazeena aamanoo wa 'amilus saalihaati lahum Jannaatun tajree min tahtihal anhaar; zaalikal fawzul kabeer إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْكَبِيرُ For those who believe and do righteous deeds, will be Gardens; beneath which rivers flow: That is the great Salvation, (the fulfilment of all desires), |
| 12. Inna batsha Rabbika lashadeed إِنَّ بَطْشَ رَبِّكَ لَشَدِيدٌ Truly strong is the Grip (and Power) of thy Lord. |
| 13. Innahoo Huwa yubdi'u wa yu'eed إِنَّهُ هُوَ يُبْدِئُ وَيُعِيدُ It is He Who creates from the very beginning, and He can restore (life). |
| 14. Wa Huwal Ghafoorul Wadood وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الْوَدُودُ And He is the Oft-Forgiving, Full of Loving-Kindness, |
| 15. Zul 'Arshil Majeed ذُو الْعَرْشِ الْمَجِيدُ Lord of the Throne of Glory, |
| 16. Fa' 'aalul limaa yureed فَعَّالٌ لِمَا يُرِيدُ Doer (without let) of all that He intends. |
| 17. Hal ataaka hadeesul junood هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْجُنُودِ Has the story reached thee, of the forces- |
| 18. Fir'awna wa Samood فِرْعَوْنَ وَثَمُودَ Of Pharaoh and the Thamud? |
| 19. Balil lazeena kafaroo fee takzeeb بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي تَكْذِيبٍ And yet the Unbelievers (persist) in rejecting (the Truth)! |
| 20. Wallaahu minw waraaa'ihim muheet وَاللَّهُ مِنْ وَرَائِهِمْ مُحِيطٌ But Allah doth encompass them from behind! |
| 21. Bal huwa Quraanum Majeed بَلْ هُوَ قُرْآنٌ مَجِيدٌ Nay, this is a Glorious Qur´an, |
| 22. Fee Lawhim Mahfooz فِي لَوْحٍ مَحْفُوظٍ (Inscribed) in a Tablet Preserved! |
Recitation by Mishary Al-Alfasy
The Surah is so designated after the word al buruj appearing in the first
verse.
Period of Revelation
The subject matter itself
indicates that this Surah was sent down at Makkah in the period when persecution
of the Muslims was at its climax and the disbelievers of Makkah were trying
their utmost by tyranny and coercion to turn away the new converts from Islam.
Theme and Subject Matter
Its theme is to warn the
disbelievers of the evil consequences of the persecution and tyranny that they
were perpetrating on the converts to Islam, and to console the believers, so as
to say: "If you remain firm and steadfast against tyranny and coercion, you will
be rewarded richly for it, and Allah will certainly avenge Himself on your
persecutors on your behalf."
In this connection, first of all the story
of the people of the ditch (ashab al-ukhdud) had been related, who had burnt the
believers to death by casting them into pits full of fire. By means of this
story the believers and the disbelievers have been taught a few lessons. First,
that just as the people of the ditch became worthy of Allah's curse and
punishment, so are the chiefs of Makkah also becoming worthy of it. Second, that
just as the believers at that time had willingly accepted to sacrifice their
lives by being burnt to death in the pits of fire instead of turning away from
the faith, so also the believers now should endure every persecution but should
never give up the faith. Third, that Gods acknowledging Whom displeases the
disbelievers and is urged on by the believers, is Dominant and Master of the
Kingdom of the earth and heavens; He is self-praiseworthy and is watching what
the two groups are striving for. Therefore, it is certain that the disbelievers
will not only be punished in Hell for their disbelief but, more than that, they
too will suffer punishment by fire as a fit recompense for their tyranny and
cruelties. Likewise, this also is certain that those, who believe and follow up
their belief with good deeds, should go to Paradise and this indeed is the
supreme success. Then the disbelievers have been warned, so as to say: "God's
grip is very severe. If you are proud of the strength of your hosts, you should
know that the hosts of Pharaoh and Thamud were even stronger and more numerous.
Therefore, you should learn a lesson from the fate they met. God's power has so
encompassed you that you cannot escape His encirclement, and the Qur'an that you
are bent upon belying, is unchangeable: it is inscribed in the Preserved Tablet,
which cannot be corrupted in any way."