Surah 77. Al-Mursalat

and when all the apostles are called together at a time appointed....⁵

  - Mohammad Asad

Sc., to bear witness for or against those to whom they conveyed God's message (cf. {4:41-42}, 5:109 , 7:6 or 39:69 ).

and when the Rasools will be brought together at the appointed time.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And when the messengers are brought unto their time appointed

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

For what day has the term [of all this] been set?

  - Mohammad Asad

For what Day has all this been deferred?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

For what day is the time appointed?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

For the Day of Distinction [between the true and the false]!⁶

  - Mohammad Asad

This is chronologically the earliest occurrence of the expression yawm al-fasl, which invariably relates to the Day of Resurrection (cf. 37:21 , 44:40 , 78:17 , as well as verse {38} of the present surah): an allusion to the oft-repeated Qur'anic statement that on resurrection man will gain a perfect, unfailing insight into himself and the innermost motivation of his past attitudes and doings (cf. 69:1 and the corresponding note [1]).

For the Day of Judgement!

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

For the Day of Decision.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And what could make thee conceive what that Day of Distinction will be?

  - Mohammad Asad

And what will explain to you, what the Day of Judgement is?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And what will convey unto thee what the Day of Decision is!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Woe on that Day unto those who give the lie to the truth!

  - Mohammad Asad

Woe on that Day to the disbelievers!

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Woe unto the repudiators on that day!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Did We not destroy [so many of] those [sinners] of olden days?

  - Mohammad Asad

Did We not destroy the former generations for their evil deeds?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Destroyed We not the former folk,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And We shall let them be followed by those of later times:⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

The use of the conjunction thumma - which in this case has been rendered as "And" - implies that suffering in the hereafter is bound to befall the sinners "of later times" (al-akhirun) even if God, in His unfathomable wisdom, wills to spare them in this world.

And We shall do the same to later generations who will follow them.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Then caused the latter folk to follow after?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[for] thus do We deal with such as are lost in sin.

  - Mohammad Asad

Thus do We deal with the guilty.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Thus deal We ever with the guilty.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Woe on that Day unto those who give the lie to the truth!

  - Mohammad Asad

Woe on that Day to the disbelievers!

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Woe unto the repudiators on that day!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Did We not create you out of a humble fluid,

  - Mohammad Asad

Have We not created you from an unworthy fluid,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Did We not create you from a base fluid

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

which We then let remain in [the womb's] firm keeping

  - Mohammad Asad

which We placed in a secure resting-place (womb),

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Which We laid up in a safe abode

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

for a term pre-ordained?

  - Mohammad Asad

for an appointed term?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

For a known term?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Thus have We determined [the nature of man's creation]: and excellent indeed is Our power to determine [what is to be]!⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

The process of man's coming into being (illustrated, for instance, in {23:12-14}) clearly points to God's creative activity and, hence, to His existence. Consequently, lack of gratitude on man's part amounts to what the Qur'an describes as "giving the lie to the truth".

We have estimated its term - how excellent an estimator We are!

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Thus We arranged. How excellent is Our arranging!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Woe on that Day unto those who give the lie to the truth!

  - Mohammad Asad

Woe on that Day to the disbelievers!

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Woe unto the repudiators on that day!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Have We not caused the earth to hold within itself

  - Mohammad Asad

Have We not made the earth a home for both

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Have We not made the earth a receptacle

  - Marmaduke Pickthall