81. At-Takwir

إِذَا ٱلشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ

When the sun is wrapped up [in darkness]

idhā l-shamsu kuwwirat

وَإِذَا ٱلنُّجُومُ ٱنكَدَرَتْ

And when the stars fall, dispersing,

wa-idhā l-nujūmu inkadarat

وَإِذَا ٱلْجِبَالُ سُيِّرَتْ

And when the mountains are removed

wa-idhā l-jibālu suyyirat

وَإِذَا ٱلْعِشَارُ عُطِّلَتْ

And when full-term she-camels1 are neglected

wa-idhā l-ʿishāru ʿuṭṭilat

وَإِذَا ٱلْوُحُوشُ حُشِرَتْ

And when the wild beasts are gathered

wa-idhā l-wuḥūshu ḥushirat

وَإِذَا ٱلْبِحَارُ سُجِّرَتْ

And when the seas are filled with flame1

wa-idhā l-biḥāru sujjirat

وَإِذَا ٱلنُّفُوسُ زُوِّجَتْ

And when the souls are paired1

wa-idhā l-nufūsu zuwwijat

وَإِذَا ٱلْمَوْءُۥدَةُ سُئِلَتْ

And when the girl [who was] buried alive is asked

wa-idhā l-mawūdatu su-ilat

بِأَىِّ ذَنۢبٍ قُتِلَتْ

For what sin she was killed

bi-ayyi dhanbin qutilat

وَإِذَا ٱلصُّحُفُ نُشِرَتْ

And when the pages1 are spread [i.e., made public]

wa-idhā l-ṣuḥufu nushirat

وَإِذَا ٱلسَّمَآءُ كُشِطَتْ

And when the sky is stripped away

wa-idhā l-samāu kushiṭat

وَإِذَا ٱلْجَحِيمُ سُعِّرَتْ

And when Hellfire is set ablaze

wa-idhā l-jaḥīmu suʿʿirat

وَإِذَا ٱلْجَنَّةُ أُزْلِفَتْ

And when Paradise is brought near,

wa-idhā l-janatu uz'lifat

عَلِمَتْ نَفْسٌ مَّآ أَحْضَرَتْ

A soul will [then] know what it has brought [with it].1

ʿalimat nafsun mā aḥḍarat

فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِٱلْخُنَّسِ

So I swear by the retreating stars -

falā uq'simu bil-khunasi

ٱلْجَوَارِ ٱلْكُنَّسِ

Those that run [their courses] and disappear [i.e., set]

al-jawāri l-kunasi

وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا عَسْعَسَ

And by the night as it closes in1

wa-al-layli idhā ʿasʿasa

وَٱلصُّبْحِ إِذَا تَنَفَّسَ

And by the dawn when it breathes [i.e., stirs]

wal-ṣub'ḥi idhā tanaffasa

إِنَّهُۥ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ

[That] indeed, it [i.e., the Qur’ān] is a word [conveyed by] a noble messenger [i.e., Gabriel]

innahu laqawlu rasūlin karīmin

ذِى قُوَّةٍ عِندَ ذِى ٱلْعَرْشِ مَكِينٍ

[Who is] possessed of power and with the Owner of the Throne, secure [in position],

dhī quwwatin ʿinda dhī l-ʿarshi makīnin

مُّطَاعٍ ثَمَّ أَمِينٍ

Obeyed there [in the heavens] and trustworthy.

muṭāʿin thamma amīnin

وَمَا صَاحِبُكُم بِمَجْنُونٍ

And your companion [i.e., Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ) ] is not [at all] mad.1

wamā ṣāḥibukum bimajnūnin

وَلَقَدْ رَءَاهُ بِٱلْأُفُقِ ٱلْمُبِينِ

And he has already seen him [i.e., Gabriel] in the clear horizon.1

walaqad raāhu bil-ufuqi l-mubīni

وَمَا هُوَ عَلَى ٱلْغَيْبِ بِضَنِينٍ

And he [i.e., Muḥammad (ﷺ)] is not a withholder of [knowledge of] the unseen.1

wamā huwa ʿalā l-ghaybi biḍanīnin

وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَيْطَـٰنٍ رَّجِيمٍ

And it [i.e., the Qur’ān] is not the word of a devil, expelled [from the heavens].

wamā huwa biqawli shayṭānin rajīmin

فَأَيْنَ تَذْهَبُونَ

So where are you going?1

fa-ayna tadhhabūna

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِّلْعَـٰلَمِينَ

It is not except a reminder to the worlds

in huwa illā dhik'run lil'ʿālamīna

لِمَن شَآءَ مِنكُمْ أَن يَسْتَقِيمَ

For whoever wills among you to take a right course.

liman shāa minkum an yastaqīma

وَمَا تَشَآءُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ

And you do not will except that Allāh wills - Lord of the worlds.

wamā tashāūna illā an yashāa l-lahu rabbu l-ʿālamīna