44

44. Ad-Dukhan - The Drought

1Ha Mim
2By the Clear Book.
3We have sent it down in a blessed night (We are ever warning)
4therein every wise bidding
5determined as a bidding from Us, (We are ever sending)
6as a mercy from thy Lord (surely He is the All-hearing, the All-knowing)
7Lord of the heavens and earth, and all that between them is if you have faith.
8There is no god but He; He gives life and makes to die; your Lord and the Lord of your fathers, the ancients.
9Nay, but they are in doubt, playing.
10So be on the watch for a day when heaven shall bring a manifest smoke
11covering the people; this is a painful chastisement.
12'O our Lord, remove Thou from us the chastisement; we are believers.'
13How should they have the Reminder, seeing a clear Messenger already came to them,
14then they turned away from him and said, 'A man tutored, possessed!'
15'Behold, We are removing the chastisement a little; behold, you revert!'
16Upon the day when We shall assault most mightily, then We shall take Our vengeance.
17Already before them We tried the people of Pharaoh, and a noble Messenger came unto them,
18saying, 'Deliver to me God's servants; I am for you a faithful Messenger,
19and, 'Rise not up against God; behold, I come to you with a clear authority,
20and I take refuge in my Lord and your Lord, lest you should stone me.
21'But if so be that you believe me not, go you apart from me!'
22And he called to his Lord, saying, 'These are a sinful people.'
23'Then set thou forth with My servants in a watch of the night; surely you will be followed.
24And leave the sea becalmed; they are a drowned host.'
25They left how many gardens and fountains,
26sown fields, and how noble a station,
27and what prosperity they had rejoiced in!
28Even so; and We bequeathed them upon another people.
29Neither heaven nor earth wept for them, nor were they respited;
30and We delivered the Children of Israel from the humbling chastisement,
31from Pharaoh; surely he was a high One, of the prodigals;
32and We chose them, out of a knowledge, above all beings,
33and gave them signs wherein there was a manifest trial.
34These men do say,
35'There is nothing but our first death; we shall not be revived.
36Bring us our fathers, if you speak truly!'
37Are they better, or the people of Tubba' and those before them whom We destroyed? They were surely sinners.
38We created not the heavens and earth, and all that between them is, in play;
39We created them not save in truth; but most of them know it not.
40Surely the Day of Decision shall be their appointed time, all together,
41the day a master shall avail nothing a client, and they shall not be helped,
42save him upon whom God has mercy; He is the All-mighty, the All-compassionate.
43Lo, the Tree of Ez-Zakkoum
44is the food of the guilty,
45like molten copper, bubbling in the belly
46as boiling water bubbles.
47'Take him, and thrust him into the midst of Hell,
48then pour over his head the chastisement of boiling water!'
49'Taste! Surely thou art the mighty, the noble.
50This is that concerning which you were doubting.'
51Surely the godfearing shall be in a station secure
52among gardens and fountains,
53robed in silk and brocade, set face to face.
54Even so; and We shall espouse them to wide-eyed houris,
55therein calling for every fruit, secure.
56They shall not taste therein of death, save the first death, And He shall guard them against the chastisement of Hell --
57a bounty from thy Lord; that is the mighty triumph.
58Now We have made it easy by thy tongue, that haply they may remember.
59So be on the watch; they too are on the watch.
PreviousNext