Surah Qaaf

قٓوَٱلْقُرْءَانِٱلْمَجِيدِ

Qaf. CONSIDER this sublime Qur’an!

بَلْعَجِبُوٓا۟أَنجَآءَهُممُّنذِرٌۭمِّنْهُمْفَقَالَٱلْكَٰفِرُونَهَٰذَاشَىْءٌعَجِيبٌ

But nay - they deem it strange that a warner should have come unto them from their own midst; and so these deniers of the truth are saying, “A strange thing is this!

أَءِذَامِتْنَاوَكُنَّاتُرَابًۭاذَٰلِكَرَجْعٌۢبَعِيدٌۭ

Why - [how could we be resurrected] after we have died and become mere dust? Such a return seems far-fetched indeed!”

قَدْعَلِمْنَامَاتَنقُصُٱلْأَرْضُمِنْهُمْوَعِندَنَاكِتَٰبٌحَفِيظٌۢ

Well do We know how the earth consumes their bodies, for with Us is a record unfailing.

بَلْكَذَّبُوا۟بِٱلْحَقِّلَمَّاجَآءَهُمْفَهُمْفِىٓأَمْرٍۢمَّرِيجٍ

Nay, but they [who refuse to believe in resurrection] have been wont to give the lie to this truth whenever it was proffered to them; and so they are in a state of confusion.

أَفَلَمْيَنظُرُوٓا۟إِلَىٱلسَّمَآءِفَوْقَهُمْكَيْفَبَنَيْنَٰهَاوَزَيَّنَّٰهَاوَمَالَهَامِنفُرُوجٍۢ

Do they not look at the sky above them - how We have built it and made it beautiful and free of all faults?

وَٱلْأَرْضَمَدَدْنَٰهَاوَأَلْقَيْنَافِيهَارَوَٰسِىَوَأَنۢبَتْنَافِيهَامِنكُلِّزَوْجٍۭبَهِيجٍۢ

And the earth - We have spread it wide, and set upon it mountains firm, and caused it to bring forth plants of all beauteous kinds,

تَبْصِرَةًۭوَذِكْرَىٰلِكُلِّعَبْدٍۢمُّنِيبٍۢ

thus offering an insight and a reminder unto every human being who willingly turns unto God.

وَنَزَّلْنَامِنَٱلسَّمَآءِمَآءًۭمُّبَٰرَكًۭافَأَنۢبَتْنَابِهِۦجَنَّٰتٍۢوَحَبَّٱلْحَصِيدِ

And We send down from the skies water rich in blessings, and cause thereby gardens to grow, and fields of grain,

وَٱلنَّخْلَبَاسِقَٰتٍۢلَّهَاطَلْعٌۭنَّضِيدٌۭ

and tall palm-trees with their thickly-clustered dates,

رِّزْقًۭالِّلْعِبَادِوَأَحْيَيْنَابِهِۦبَلْدَةًۭمَّيْتًۭاكَذَٰلِكَٱلْخُرُوجُ

as sustenance appor­tioned to men; and by [all] this We bring dead land to life: [and] even so will be [man’s] coming-forth from death.

كَذَّبَتْقَبْلَهُمْقَوْمُنُوحٍۢوَأَصْحَٰبُٱلرَّسِّوَثَمُودُ

[Long] before those [who now deny resur­rection] did Noah’s people give the lie to this truth, and [so did] the folk of Ar-Rass, and [the tribes of] Thamud

وَعَادٌۭوَفِرْعَوْنُوَإِخْوَٰنُلُوطٍۢ

and Ad, and Pharaoh, and Lot’s brethren,

وَأَصْحَٰبُٱلْأَيْكَةِوَقَوْمُتُبَّعٍۢكُلٌّۭكَذَّبَٱلرُّسُلَفَحَقَّوَعِيدِ

and the dwellers of the wooded dales [of Madyan], and the people of Tubba: they all gave the lie to the apostles - and thereupon that whereof I had warned [them] came true.

أَفَعَيِينَابِٱلْخَلْقِٱلْأَوَّلِبَلْهُمْفِىلَبْسٍۢمِّنْخَلْقٍۢجَدِيدٍۢ

Could We, then, be [thought of as being] worn out by the first creation? Nay - but some people are [still] lost in doubt about [the possibility of] a new creation!

وَلَقَدْخَلَقْنَاٱلْإِنسَٰنَوَنَعْلَمُمَاتُوَسْوِسُبِهِۦنَفْسُهُۥوَنَحْنُأَقْرَبُإِلَيْهِمِنْحَبْلِٱلْوَرِيدِ

NOW, VERILY, it is We who have created man, and We know what his innermost self whispers within him: for We are closer to him than his neck-vein.

إِذْيَتَلَقَّىٱلْمُتَلَقِّيَانِعَنِٱلْيَمِينِوَعَنِٱلشِّمَالِقَعِيدٌۭ

[And so,] whenever the two demands [of his nature] come face to face, contending from the right and from the left,

مَّايَلْفِظُمِنقَوْلٍإِلَّالَدَيْهِرَقِيبٌعَتِيدٌۭ

not even a word can he utter but there is a watcher with him, ever-present.

وَجَآءَتْسَكْرَةُٱلْمَوْتِبِٱلْحَقِّذَٰلِكَمَاكُنتَمِنْهُتَحِيدُ

And [then,] the twilight of death brings with it the [full] truth that [very thing, O man,] from which thou wouldst always look away! –

وَنُفِخَفِىٱلصُّورِذَٰلِكَيَوْمُٱلْوَعِيدِ

and [in the end] the trumpet [of resurrection] will be blown: that will be the Day of a warning fulfilled.