89

1By the Daybreak

2by the Ten Nights

3by the even and the odd

4by the passing night––

5is this oath strong enough for a rational person

6Have you [Prophet] considered how your Lord dealt with [the people] of 'Ad

7of Iram, [the city] of lofty pillars

8whose like has never been made in any land

9and the Thamud, who hewed into the rocks in the valley

10and the mighty and powerful Pharaoh

11All of them committed excesses in their lands

12and spread corruption there

13your Lord let a scourge of punishment loose on them

14Your Lord is always watchful

15[The nature of] man is that, when his Lord tries him through honour and blessings, he says, ‘My Lord has honoured me,’

16but when He tries him through the restriction of his provision, he says, ‘My Lord has humiliated me.’

17No indeed! You [people] do not honour orphans

18you do not urge one another to feed the poor

19you consume inheritance greedily

20and you love wealth with a passion

21No indeed! When the earth is pounded to dust, pounded and pounded

22when your Lord comes with the angels, rank upon rank

23when Hell is that Day brought near- on that Day man will take heed, but what good will that be to him then

24He will say, ‘Would that I had provided for this life to come!’

25On that Day, no one will punish as He punishes

26and no one will bind as He binds

27‘[But] you, soul at peace

28return to your Lord well pleased and well pleasing

29go in among My servants

30and into My Garden.’