79. An-Nazi'at

By those [angels] who extract with violence1

By [the winds] that pluck out vehemently

Consider those who dive to bring up. (Pearls from the ocean. People from repression)

And [by] those who remove with ease1

and those that blow gently

And move steadily in jubilation, releasing (the oppressed from bondage)

And [by] those who glide [as if] swimming1

and by [the clouds] that swim serenely and

And working hard, swimming in strides

And those who race each other in a race1

by those that outstrip them suddenly

And then together racing to progress

And those who arrange [each] matter,1

and by those who regulate events

And thus taking charge of their matters

On the Day the blast [of the Horn] will convulse [creation],

On the Day when a violent convulsion will convulse [the world]

The Day when the tremulous trembles

There will follow it the subsequent [one].

to be followed by further [convulsions]

To be followed by the jolter. (The oppressors are shaken up again and again)

Hearts,1 that Day, will tremble,

hearts will be throbbing

Some hearts throb on that Day

Their eyes1 humbled.

while eyes will be downcast

Their eyes subdued

They are [presently] saying, "Will we indeed be returned to [our] former state [of life]?

They say, "What? shall we be brought back to life

They say, "What! Shall we ever be returned to the ditch of anonymity?" ('Hufrah' = Ditch = Not noteworthy = Lowly = Unremarkable = Insignificant)

Even if we should be decayed bones?"1

even after we have turned into decayed bones

Shall we ever weaken to skeletal strength

They say, "That, then, would be a losing return."1

and they say, "That indeed would be a losing return

And they say, "In that case, then, it would be an investment of loss

Indeed, it will be but one shout,

But all it will take is a single blast

But finally, it is a single swift call

And suddenly they will be [alert] upon the earth's surface.

and behold! They will all come out in the open

And, behold, they will be awakened

Has there reached you the story of Moses? -

Have you heard the story of Moses

Has the story of Moses reached you? (Such a Revolution occurred in his times)

When his Lord called to him in the sacred valley of Ṭuwā,

His Lord called out to him by the sacred valley of Tuwa

When his Lord called him in the Sacred Valley of Revelation (18:6)

"Go to Pharaoh. Indeed, he has transgressed.

[saying], "Go to Pharaoh, he has exceeded all bounds

Go to Pharaoh. Behold, he has crossed all bounds of decency

And say to him, 'Would you [be willing to] purify yourself

and say, 'Will you reform yourself

And ask him, "Are you willing to be a better person?" ('Zaku' = Grow in goodness = Develop the 'Self' = Get rid of evil behavior = Attain purity = Improve in conduct = Prime the 'Self' for actualization)

And let me guide you to your Lord so you would fear [Him]?'"

Do you want me to guide you to your Lord, so that you should fear Him

Then I will guide you to your Lord so that you will have some idea of His awesome Glory

And he showed him the greatest sign,1

Moses showed him the great sign

And then he presented to him the tremendous evidence of the Truth

But he [i.e., Pharaoh] denied and disobeyed.

but he denied it and refused [the faith]

But he denied and haughtily rejected

Then he turned his back, striving [i.e., plotting].1

Then he quickly turned his back

Then turned he away briskly

And he gathered [his people] and called out.

And he summoned all his people

Then gathered (his chiefs) and called (his people)

And said, "I am your most exalted lord."

and proclaimed, "I am your supreme Lord

And proclaimed, "I am your Lord, the Highest

So Allāh seized him in exemplary punishment for the last and the first [transgression].1.

but God seized him and meted out to him the chastisement of both the next world and the present

So Allah took him to task, and made him an example for the later generations and the ones who soon followed

Indeed in that is a lesson [i.e., warning] for whoever would fear [Allāh].

surely there is in this a lesson for the God-fearing

Behold, herein is indeed a lesson for him who fears (violating the Divine Law)

Are you a more difficult creation or is the heaven? He [i.e., Allāh] constructed it.

[O Men!] Are you more difficult to create than the heaven which He has built

What! Are you the more difficult to create or is the heaven that He built

He raised its ceiling and proportioned it.

by raising its vault high and fashioning it flawlessly

He raised high its canopy, and shaped it perfect

And He darkened its night and extracted its brightness.1

and making its night dark and bringing forth its morning light

And He made dark its night and its splendor He brings out

And after that He spread the earth.

and the earth which He spread out

And after that He made the earth shoot out from the Cosmic Nebula and made it spread out egg-shaped. ('Dahaha' entails all the meanings rendered (21)

He extracted from it its water and its pasture,

after that bringing forth from it its water and its pasture land

And produced from it its own water and pasture

And the mountains He set firmly

and making the mountains firm

And the mountains He firmly fixed

As enjoyment [i.e., provision] for you and your grazing livestock.

[all this] as a means of sustenance for you and your animals

A means of livelihood for you and your cattle

But when there comes the greatest Overwhelming Calamity1 -

When the great over-whelming event arrives

And so, when there comes the Great Event

The Day when man will remember that for which he strove,

on the Day that man remembers what he strove for

On that Day man will remember all that he has ever done. (53:3)

And Hellfire will be exposed for [all] those who see -

and Hell is there for all to see

And the Insurmountable Barrier will stand before him who finds it before him (he failed to prime his 'Self' for the felicitous development in the Hereafter (29:54), (39)

So as for he who transgressed

anyone who has acted arrogantly

Then, the one who rebelled against the Divine Laws

And preferred the life of the world,

and prefers the life of this world

And fell for instant gratifications, ('Hayat-id-duniya' = Life of this world = Short term = Instant gains = Disregard of the life to come)

Then indeed, Hellfire will be [his] refuge.

will find himself in Hell

Behold, the (foot of) the Insurmountable Barrier will be his home

But as for he who feared the position of his Lord1 and prevented the soul from [unlawful] inclination,

but one who fears to stand before his Lord and restrained himself from base desires

But the one who feared standing before his Sustainer and restrained his selfish desire

Then indeed, Paradise will be [his] refuge.

shall dwell in Paradise

Behold, the Paradise will be his home

They ask you, [O Muḥammad], about the Hour: when is its arrival?1

They will ask you [Prophet] about the Hour, saying, "When it will come to pass

They ask you of the Hour, "When will it come to pass

In what [position] are you that you should mention it?1

what have you to do with the mentioning of it

Why? What do you have to tell them about it? (7:187), (3)

To your Lord is its finality.1

Your Lord alone knows when it will come

Unto your Lord is the culmination of it

You are only a warner for those who fear it.

you are but a warner for those who fear it

You are but a Warner unto him who stands in awe of it

It will be, on the Day they see it,1 as though they had not remained [in the world] except for an afternoon or a morning thereof.

On the Day when they see it, they will feel as if they had tarried in this world for only one evening or one morning

On the Day when they see it, it will be as if they had lived no longer than an evening or its morning