54. Al-Qamar

The Hour has come near, and the moon has split [in two].1

The Last Hour draws near and the moon is split asunder

The Hour of Revolution is fast approaching. And the moon bearing banner is torn asunder

And if they see a sign [i.e., miracle], they turn away and say, "Passing magic."1

Yet, when they see a sign they [who deny the truth] turn their backs and say, "The same old sorcery

But if they see a Sign of the oncoming Change, they turn away and say, "A persistent bewilderment

And they denied and followed their inclinations. But for every matter is a [time of] settlement.

They deny the truth and follow their own whims, every matter has its appointed time

For they adamantly belie the Truth and follow their desires. Yet, everything moves to its destination in stages

And there has already come to them of information that in which there is deterrence.

there has come to them many a tiding wherein there are warnings

And indeed, there has come unto them news sufficient to deter them from arrogance

Extensive wisdom - but warning does not avail [them].

profound in wisdom, but all warnings have been of no avail

And profound Wisdom! But all the warnings have been of no avail

So leave them, [O Muḥammad]. The Day the Caller1 calls to something forbidding,

so ignore them. On the Day when the Crier will call out about a horrible event

Therefore, (O Messenger) Ignore them for a while. The Day is coming when the caller will call them to a thing they have not conceived. (Shackles of captivity following the battle when they come to attack the believers)

Their eyes humbled, they will emerge from the graves as if they were locusts spreading,

with downcast eyes they shall come out of their graves, as if they were locusts milling about

They will come forth from their places of rest like a swarm of locusts, but will be thoroughly dispersed with their eyes downcast

Racing ahead toward the Caller. The disbelievers will say, "This is a difficult Day."

hastening towards the Crier. Those who deny the truth will cry, "This is such a hard day

Running in bewilderment toward the caller, the same deniers will then exclaim, "This is an awful day

The people of Noah denied before them, and they denied Our servant and said, "A madman," and he was repelled.

The people of Noah denied [the truth] before them. They belied Our messenger saying, "He is mad!" He was rebuffed

Long before them, Noah's people had belied the Message, and belied Our servant and said, "Madman", and he was rebuked

So he invoked his Lord, "Indeed, I am overpowered, so help."

so he cried out to his Lord, saying, "I am overcome, so help me

Thereupon he cried unto his Lord, "I am suppressed. Do help me, then

Then We opened the gates of the heaven with rain pouring down

So We opened the gates of the sky with water pouring down in torrents

And so, We opened the gates of the heaven pouring down torrents of water

And caused the earth to burst with springs, and the waters met for a matter already predestined.

and We caused the earth to burst with gushing springs: so that the waters met for a purpose which had been decreed

And caused the earth to gush forth springs so that the waters met together in due measure as decreed

And We carried him on a [construction of] planks and nails,

We bore him on an [ark] which, made of planks and nails

And We carried him on a watercraft made of mere planks and nails

Sailing under Our observation as reward for he who had been denied.

floated on under Our eyes: a vindication of him who had been rejected

And it floated before Our eyes, a reward for him who had been denied with ingratitude

And We left it as a sign, so is there any who will remember?

We have left this as a sign: but will anyone take heed

And verily, We left this event as a lesson. Then, is there any who will learn

And how [severe] were My punishment and warning.1

How terrible then was My punishment and My warning

Then see how was My Requital after My warnings

And We have certainly made the Qur’ān easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?

We have made it easy to learn lessons from the Quran. Is there anyone who would receive admonition

And indeed, We have made the Qur'an easy to understand. Then, is there any who will learn

ʿAad denied; and how [severe] were My punishment and warning.

The people of 'Ad too rejected the truth. How terrible was My punishment and My warning

The tribe of Aad had also belied the Message. Then see how was My retribution after My warnings

Indeed, We sent upon them a screaming wind on a day of continuous misfortune,

We sent a raging wind against them on a day of continuous calamity

Behold, We sent raging winds upon them on a day of relentless misery

Extracting the people1 as if they were trunks of palm trees uprooted.

It swept people away as if they were trunks of uprooted palm trees

Tossing people around like empty, uprooted palm-trunks

And how [severe] were My punishment and warning.

How [dreadful] was My punishment and My warning

Then see how was My retribution after My warnings

And We have certainly made the Qur’ān easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?

We have made it easy to learn lessons from the Quran: is there anyone who would receive admonition

And indeed, We have made the Qur'an easy to understand. Then, is there any who will learn

Thamūd denied the warning.

The tribe of Thamud also rejected Our warnings

Thamud also rejected the warnings. (Thamud and Saleh (7:73-79), (11:61-68), (26:1)

And said, "Is it one human being1 among us that we should follow? Indeed, we would then be in error and madness.

they said, "Are we to follow a man from amongst ourselves? We would surely then fall into error and madness

And they said, "What! A human being! Shall we follow a man among us while he has no party with him? Behold, we then, shall fall into error and loss

Has the message been sent down upon him from among us? Rather, he is an insolent liar."

Has the [Divine] message been revealed to him alone of all of us? No, he is a boastful liar

Why - Has the Message been given to him alone among us? Nay, but he is a flagrant liar

They will know tomorrow who is the insolent liar.

[We said to him] "Tomorrow they shall know who is the boastful liar

Ah! They will come to know on the morrow who the flagrant liar is

Indeed, We are sending the she-camel as trial for them, so watch them and be patient.1

for We are [going to] send the she-camel as a trial for them, so watch them and be patient

Behold, We are sending the she-camel as a test for them. So watch them (O Saleh) and hold yourself in patience

And inform them that the water is shared between them,1 each [day of] drink attended [by turn].

And tell them that the water [of the well] is to be divided between them, and that each one should drink in turn

And let them know that the water must be shared by all. Every drinking will be witnessed. (The she-camel was a symbol of obedience for them)

But they called their companion,1 and he dared2 and hamstrung [her].

But they called their companion who took a sword and hamstrung her

But they called their (most forward) comrade and he took charge and killed her

And how [severe] were My punishment and warning.

How [terrible] were My punishment and My warnings

Then see how was My retribution after My warnings

Indeed, We sent upon them one shriek [i.e., blast from the sky], and they became like the dry twig fragments of an [animal] pen.

Then We sent a single blast against them and they became like dry stubble which has been trampled upon

Behold, We sent upon them a single mighty Blast whereupon they crumbled to chaff

And We have certainly made the Qur’ān easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?

Indeed, We have made the Quran easy to learn lessons from. Is there anyone who would receive admonition

And indeed, We have made the Qur'an easy to understand. Then, is there any who will learn

The people of Lot denied the warning.

The people of Lot rejected Our warnings

Lot's folk rejected warnings

Indeed, We sent upon them a storm of stones, except the family of Lot - We saved them before dawn.

We sent a sandstorm against them which destroyed them all, except the family of Lot, whom We saved at the break of dawn

Behold, We sent a storm of fiery stones on them, except the family of Lot whom We saved at dawn

As favor from Us. Thus do We reward he who is grateful.

as a blessing from Us: this is how We reward the thankful

As a Bliss from Us. Thus it is, We reward the grateful

And he had already warned them of Our assault, but they disputed the warning.

Lot warned them of Our punishment, but they disputed the warnings

For he had truly warned them of Our Grasp, but they contended about the warning

And they had demanded from him his guests, but We obliterated their eyes, [saying], "Taste My punishment and warning."

they even wanted to seduce his guests -- but We blinded them, and said, "Taste My punishment now that you have scorned My warnings

And demanded that he give up his guests. Whereupon We sealed their vision. Taste now My punishment after the warnings

And there came upon them by morning an abiding punishment.

and early in the morning the punishment decreed overtook them

And indeed, the inevitable punishment befell them early in the morning

So taste My punishment and warning.

Taste My punishment now that you have scorned My warnings

Now taste My retribution after My warnings

And We have certainly made the Qur’ān easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?

We have made it easy indeed to learn lessons from the Quran. Is there anyone who would receive admonition

And behold, We have made the Qur'an easy to understand. Then, is there any who will learn

And there certainly came to the people of Pharaoh warning.

Surely warners came to the people of Pharaoh

And warnings came indeed to Pharaoh's people

They denied Our signs, all of them, so We seized them with a seizure of one Exalted in Might and Perfect in Ability.

They, too, rejected all Our signs. So We seized them with the seizure of One Mighty, Omnipotent

They, too, denied Our Messages, every one. Thereupon We grasped them with the grasp of the Mighty, the Powerful

Are your disbelievers better than those [former ones], or have you immunity in the scriptures?

Are your people who deny the truth better than those? Or have you been given immunity in the Scriptures

Are your deniers better than those others, or do you have some amnesty in the Scriptures

Or do they say, "We are an assembly supporting [each other]"?

Or do they say, "We are a united group, and we are bound to prevail

Or do they say, "We are a group united bound to be victorious

[Their] assembly will be defeated, and they will turn their backs [in retreat].1

The hosts shall soon be routed and they shall be put to flight

Yet, all these troops will be routed and will turn back and flee

But the Hour is their appointment [for due punishment], and the Hour is more disastrous and more bitter.

Indeed, the Hour of Doom is their appointed time, and the Last Hour will be the most severe, and the most bitter

Nay, the Hour is the time promised them, and that Hour will be most grievous with a most bitter defeat

Indeed, the criminals are in error and madness.1.

The evil-doers are indeed sunk in error and folly

The violators of human rights are in grave error and loss

The Day they are dragged into the Fire on their faces [it will be said], "Taste the touch of Saqar."1

on the Day when they are dragged into the fire on their faces, it will be said to them, "Now feel the touch of Hell

On the Day when they shall be dragged through the Fire on their faces, "Taste you the touch of Blaze!" ('Wajh' = Face = Countenance = Whole being = Total personality)

Indeed, all things We created with predestination.

We have created everything in due measure

Behold, We have created all things in due measure and proportion. (And appointed Laws so that all things become what they are meant to be)

And Our command is but one, like a glance of the eye.

We command but once: Our will is done in the twinkling of an eye

And Our Command is but a single Word, like the twinkling of an eye

And We have already destroyed your kinds,1 so is there any who will remember?

We have indeed destroyed many a people like you. Is there anyone who would receive admonition

And often in the past We have annihilated gangs like you. Then, is there any who will learn

And everything they did is in written records.

All their deeds are recorded in their books

And everything they did is in the Scriptures

And every small and great [thing] is inscribed.

every action, small or great, is noted down

And everything, be it small or great, is recorded

Indeed, the righteous will be among gardens and rivers,

The God-conscious will find themselves in gardens and rivers

Behold, those who walk aright will be in the midst of gardens and rivers

In a seat of honor near a Sovereign, Perfect in Ability.1

in the seat of truth with an all-powerful sovereign

Seated honorably in the Presence of a Mighty King