74. Al-Muddaththir

O you who covers himself [with a garment],1

O, you, wrapped in your cloak

O You founder of the most Benevolent Order

Arise and warn.

arise and give warning

Rise up to the occasion and post danger signs on the highway of life

And your Lord glorify.

Proclaim the glory of your Lord

Establish the Greatness of your Lord on earth

And your clothing purify.

purify your garments

Keep a meticulous character! (Literally, purify your garments)

And uncleanliness1 avoid.

shun uncleanness

Leave alone the opponents

And do not confer favor to acquire more1.

do not bestow a favour in the expectation of receiving more in return

And give your wealth and person selflessly (

But for your Lord be patient.

and for the sake of your Lord, be patient

Steadfastly for your Sustainer

And when the trumpet is blown,

When the Trumpet is sounded

For when the Trumpet will sound

That Day will be a difficult day

that Day will be a hard and distressing Day

That will be that Day - A Day of hardship

For the disbelievers - not easy.

It will not be easy for those who deny the truth

Not of ease, for all who deny the Truth

Leave Me with the one I created alone1

Leave Me alone [to deal] with him whom I have created alone

Leave Me alone to deal with him whom I have created alone

And to whom I granted extensive wealth

and to whom I have granted resources in abundance

And then granted him abundant wealth and resources

And children present [with him]

and sons to be by his side

And children and party abiding in his presence

And spread [everything] before him, easing [his life].

and whom I have provided with every resource

And made life comfortable for him like a cradle

Then he desires that I should add more.

and yet, he greedily desires that I give him even more

But he keeps increasing in greed, desiring more and more

No! Indeed, he has been toward Our verses obstinate.

By no means! He has been stubbornly hostile to Our revelation

Nay! Behold, he has been a stubborn opponent of Our Revelations

I will cover him with arduous torment.

I shall force him to endure a painful uphill climb

I will cause him to walk an exhausting uphill climb

Indeed, he thought and deliberated.1

For he thought and he plotted

For, behold, he thought, and he designed

So may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated.

and woe to him; how he plotted

And thus he destroys himself, how he designs

Then may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated.

Let him be destroyed. How he calculated

Again, he destroys himself, how he designs

Then he considered [again];

Then he looked round

And then he looked around

Then he frowned and scowled;

then he frowned and scowled

And then he frowned and glared

Then he turned back and was arrogant

and he turned his back and behaved arrogantly

And then he turned away in pride

And said, "This is not but magic imitated [from others].

and said, "This is nothing but sorcery from the ancients

And said, "All this is a remnant of ancient magic

This is not but the word of a human being."

This is nothing but the word of a mortal

This is nothing but the speech of a human

I will drive him into Saqar.1

Soon I will cast him into hell

I shall soon cast him into Saqar

And what can make you know what is Saqar?

What could make you conceive what hell-fire is

Ah, what will convey unto you what Saqar is

It lets nothing remain and leaves nothing [unburned],

It does not allow anyone to live, and neither does it leave anyone to die

A Fire that lets not live and lets not die. (Fire of Regret)

Altering [i.e., blackening] the skins.

it scorches the skin

Visibly written on the tablet of an individual's life

Over it are nineteen [angels].

there are nineteen [angels] in charge of it

Over it are nineteen. (On the tablet of human life are inscribed nineteen patterns of behavior that lead to the Fire)

And We have not made the keepers of the Fire except angels. And We have not made their number except as a trial for those who disbelieve - that those who were given the Scripture will be convinced and those who have believed will increase in faith and those who were given the Scripture and the believers will not doubt and that those in whose hearts is disease [i.e., hypocrisy] and the disbelievers will say, "What does Allāh intend by this as an example?" Thus does Allāh send astray whom He wills and guide whom He wills. And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him. And it [i.e., mention of the Fire] is not but a reminder to humanity.

We have appointed only angels to be wardens of the Fire. We have specified their number only as a trial for those who are bent on denying the truth, so that those who were given the Book might gain in certainty, and those who believe might increase in faith -- and so that neither those who have been given the Scripture nor the believers might have any doubts, and that those sick at heart and those who deny the truth might ask, "What does God mean by this parable?" In this way, God lets go astray whom He wills, and guides whom He wills. And none knows the forces of your Lord but He. This is but a Reminder for man

We have appointed only Universal Laws to be the keepers of the Fire. And We have made their number a trial for those who wish to remain in darkness. This admonition should grant certainty to those who received the Scripture before while the believers shall increase in faith. And that the believers and those who have been given the Scripture shall harbor no doubt to this declaration. And the hypocrites and the deniers may say, "What means Allah with such an example?" Thus, Allah lets go astray him who wills to go astray, and guides him who wills to be guided. And no one knows the Forces of your Lord but He. And this Qur'an is naught else than a Reminder to mankind

No! By the moon.

No, by the moon

Nay! The Moon stands witness

And [by] the night when it departs.

By the night when it departs

And the Night when it departs

And [by] the morning when it brightens,

By the dawn when it lightens

And the Dawn as it shines forth

Indeed, it [i.e., the Fire] is of the greatest [afflictions].

Surely, it is one of the gravest things

Behold, this (the fore-going) is one of the Greatest allegories (that the Revolution is coming in all its splendor)

As a warning to humanity -

it is a warning to man

This is a fore-warning for every human being

To whoever wills among you to proceed1 or stay behind.

alike to every one of you, who want to go forward or hang back

To everyone of you, whether he chooses to advance or to lag behind

Every soul, for what it has earned, will be retained1.

Every soul is held in pledge against its own deeds

Every person is held in pledge for all that he has done

Except the companions of the right,1.

except those of the right hand

Except those who have succeeded for being upright. ('Yameen' = A metaphor for righteousness and success. They have actualized their "Selves" by doing good to others)

[Who will be] in gardens, questioning each other

who in their gardens will be enquiring

In Gardens they will ask

About the criminals,

about the sinners

Of those who used to steal the fruit of others' toil

[And asking them], "What put you into Saqar?"

What has brought you into the Fire of Hell

What has led you into Saqar?" (A Fire that lets not live and lets not die. Fire of Regret)

They will say, "We were not of those who prayed,

and they shall reply, "We were not among those who prayed

They will reply, "We were not of the Musalleen

Nor did we used to feed the poor.

and we did not feed the poor

Neither did we feed the hungry, nor did we take part in helping those who had lost their jobs, those whose businesses had stalled, and those whose hard-earned income was insufficient to meet their basic needs

And we used to enter into vain discourse with those who engaged [in it],

we indulged in vain arguments along with those who indulged in them

And we were among those who used to say what they did not do

And we used to deny the Day of Recompense

and we denied the Day of Judgement

And we used to deny the Day of Judgment and that the Divine System will eventually prevail" (And that Allah's Law of Requital is totally unbiased and makes no exceptions)

Until there came to us the certainty [i.e., death]."

until the Inevitable End [death] overtook us

Till the inevitable Truth came unto us

So there will not benefit them the intercession of [any] intercessors.

So no intercession will avail them

Then no mediation of any mediator will help

Then what is [the matter] with them that they are, from the reminder, turning away.

Then what is wrong with them that they turn away from admonition

What, then, is the matter with them that they are turning away from a clear Advisory

As if they were alarmed donkeys.

like frightened donkeys

As if they were frightened zebras

Fleeing from a lion?

fleeing from a lion

Fleeing from a lion

Rather, every person among them desires that he1 would be given scriptures spread about.2

Indeed, everyone of them desires to have sheets of revelations unfolded before them

Nay, each of them wants to be given the scrolls of Revelation personally, unfolded (and spoon-fed)

No! But they do not fear the Hereafter.

No! They do not fear the Hereafter

Nay, verily, they are oblivious to the Law of Cause and Effect - that every action has its ultimate consequence

No! Indeed, it [i.e., the Qur’ān] is a reminder.

but this is truly a reminder

Nay, behold, this is a clear Advisory

Then whoever wills will remember it.

Let him who will take heed

So whoever wills may take it to heart

And they will not remember except that Allāh wills. He is worthy of fear and adequate for [granting] forgiveness.

they will only take heed if God so wills: He is the Lord who is worthy to be feared: the Lord of forgiveness

But they will not take it to heart except in accordance with Allah's Law of Guidance. (4:88). He is the Source of security, and the Source of forgiveness and protection. (7)