74

1You, wrapped in your cloak

2arise and give warning

3Proclaim the greatness of your Lord

4cleanse yourself

5keep away from all filth

6do not be overwhelmed and weaken

7be steadfast in your Lord’s cause

8When the Trumpet sounds

9that will be a Day of anguish for the disbelievers

10They will have no ease

11[Prophet], leave Me to deal with the one I created helpless

12then gave vast wealth

13and sons by his side

14making everything easy for him––

15yet he still hopes I will give him more

16No! He has been stubbornly hostile to Our revelation

17I will inflict a spiralling torment on him

18He planned and plotted––

19devilishly he plotted

20ferociously he plotted!––

21and looked

22and frowned and scowled

23and turned away and behaved arrogantly

24and said, ‘This is just old sorcery

25just the talk of a mortal!’

26I will throw him into the scorching Fire

27What will explain to you what the scorching Fire is

28It spares nothing and leaves nothing

29it scorches the flesh of humans

30there are nineteen in charge of it––

31none other than angels appointed by Us to guard Hellfire- and We have made their number a test for the disbelievers. So those who have been given the Scripture will be certain and those who believe will have their faith increased: neither those who have been given the Scripture nor the believers will have any doubts, but the sick at heart and the disbelievers will say, ‘What could God mean by this description?’ God leaves whoever He will to stray and guides whoever He will- no one knows your Lord’s forces except Him- this [description] is a warning to mortals

32Yes––by the moon

33By the departing night

34By the shining dawn

35It is one of the mightiest things

36a warning to all mortals

37to those of you who choose to go ahead and those who lag behind

38Every soul is held in pledge for its deeds

39but the Companions of the Right will stay

40in Gardens and ask

41about the guilty

42‘What drove you to the Scorching Fire?’ [they will ask]

43and they will answer, ‘We did not pray

44we did not feed the poor

45we indulged with others [in mocking the believers]

46we denied the Day of Judgement

47until the Certain End came upon us.’

48No intercessor’s plea will benefit them now

49What is the matter with them? Why do they turn away from the warning

50like frightened asses

51fleeing from a lion

52Each one of them demands that a scripture be sent down to him and unrolled before his very eyes

53No! Truly they have no fear of the life to come

54but truly this is a reminder

55Let whoever wishes to take heed do so

56they will only take heed if God so wishes. He is the Lord who should be heeded, the Lord of forgiveness