Surah 79. An-Naziat

By those 'angels' stripping out 'evil souls' harshly,

and those pulling out 'good souls' gently,

and those gliding 'through heavens' swiftly,

and those taking the lead vigorously,

and those conducting affairs 'obediently'!

'Consider' the Day 'when' the quaking Blast will come to pass,¹

 The first Blast will cause everyone to die except those spared by Allah. Then the second one will cause the dead to come to life for judgment. See 39:68.

followed by a second Blast.

'The deniers'' hearts on that Day will be trembling 'in horror',

with their eyes downcast.

'But now' they ask 'mockingly', 'Will we really be restored to our former state,

even after we have been reduced to decayed bones?'

Adding, 'Then such a return would be a 'total' loss 'for us'!'

But indeed, it will take only one 'mighty' Blast,

and at once they will be above ground.

Has the story of Moses reached you 'O Prophet'?

His Lord called him in the sacred valley of Ṭuwa,

'commanding,' 'Go to Pharaoh, for he has truly transgressed 'all bounds'.

And say, 'Would you 'be willing to' purify yourself,

and let me guide you to your Lord so that you will be in awe 'of Him'?''

Then Moses showed him the great sign,¹

 The staff turning into a snake. See 20:17-23.

but he denied and disobeyed 'Allah',

then turned his back, striving 'against the truth'.

Then he summoned 'his people' and called out,

saying, 'I am your lord, the most high!'

So Allah overtook him, making him an example in this life and the next.

Surely in this is a lesson for whoever stands in awe of 'Allah'.

Which is harder to create: you or the sky?¹ He built it,

 This is from a human perspective. Otherwise, both the creation of the universe and the resurrection of humans are easy for Allah.

raising it high and forming it flawlessly.

He dimmed its night, and brought forth its daylight.

As for the earth, He spread it out as well,¹

 The Arabic verb daḥa also suggests that the earth is egg-shaped. The noun form diḥya is still used in some Arab dialects to mean an egg. Based on 2:29, 41:9-12, and 79:27-33, Allah ordained both realms, then formed the earth and created its provisions, then formed the heaven into seven heavens—all in six ˹heavenly˺ Days. See footnote for 7:54.

bringing forth its water and pastures

and setting the mountains firmly 'upon it'-

all as 'a means of' sustenance for you and your animals.

But, when the Supreme Disaster¹ comes to pass-

 This is the second Blast which will cause the dead to come to life for judgment. See 39:68.

the Day every person will remember all 'their' striving,

and the Hellfire will be displayed for all to see-

then as for those who transgressed

and preferred the 'fleeting' life of this world,

the Hellfire will certainly be 'their' home.

And as for those who were in awe of standing before their Lord and restrained themselves from 'evil' desires,

Paradise will certainly be 'their' home.

They ask you 'O Prophet' regarding the Hour, 'When will it be?'

But it is not for you to tell its time.¹

 Another possible translation: “What is this question? You ˹O Prophet˺ are one of its signs.” It is believed—based on authentic narrations from the Prophet—that he (ﷺ) is one of the signs of the Day of Judgment.

That knowledge rests with your Lord 'alone'.

Your duty is only to warn whoever is in awe of it.

On the Day they see it, it will be as if they had stayed 'in the world' no more than one evening or its morning.