Al-Waqi'ah

When the [imminent] Event comes to pass, [when] the Resurrection takes place,

there will be no denying its coming to pass, [there is] no soul to deny [it], by repudiating it as it did in this world,

[it will be] abasing [some], exalting [others], that is, it will manifest the abasing of some people by [virtue of] their admission into the Fire, and [manifest] the exalting of others by their admission into Paradise.

When the earth is shaken with a violent shock,

and the mountains are pulverised to [tiny] pieces,

so that they become a scattered dust (the second idh, ‘when’, is a substitution for the first idh),

and you will be, at the Resurrection, three kinds, categories:

Those of the right [hand], those who are given their record [of deeds] in their right hand (fa-ashābu’l-maymanati is the subject, the predicate of which is [the following mā ashābu’l-maymanati]) — what of those of the right [hand]? — a glorification of their status on account of their admittance into Paradise.

And those of the left [hand] (al-mash’ama means al-shimāl, ‘left’), each of whom is given his record [of deeds] in their left hands — what of those of the left [hand]? — an expression of contempt for their status on account of their admittance into the Fire.

And the foremost, in [the race to do] good, namely, the prophets (al-sābiqūna is a subject) the foremost: (this [repetition] is to emphasise their exalted status; the predicate [is the following, ūlā’ika’l-muqarrabūna])

they are the ones brought near [to God],

in the Gardens of Bliss,

a multitude from the former [generations] (thullatun mina’l-awwalīna, the subject), that is to say, a group of individuals from communities of old,

and a few from the later ones, from among the community of Muhammad (s), being the foremost from among the communities of old and this community (the predicate [is the following, ‘alā sururin mawdūnatin]),

[will be] upon encrusted couches, [their linings] woven onto rods of gold and jewels,

reclining on them, face to face (muttaki’īna ‘alayhā mutaqābilīna constitute two circumstantial qualifiers referring to the [subject] person of the predicate [‘they’]).

They will be waited on by immortal youths, resembling young boys, never ageing;

with goblets (akwāb are drinking-vessels without handles) and ewers (abārīq [are vessels that] have handles and spouts) and a cup (ka’s is the vessel for drinking wine) from a flowing spring, in other words, wine flowing from a spring that never runs out,

wherefrom they suffer no headache nor any stupefaction (read yanzafūna or yanzifūna, [respectively derived] from nazafa or anzafa al-shāribu, ‘the drinker became inebriated’), in other words, they do not get a headache from it nor do they lose their senses, in contrast to [the case with] the wine of this world;

and such fruits as they prefer,

and such flesh of fowls as they desire, for themselves to enjoy,

and houris, maidens with intensely black eyes [set] against the whiteness [of their irises], with wide eyes (‘īn: the ‘ayn here is inflected with a kasra instead of a damma because it [the kasra] better harmonises with the yā’; the singular is ‘aynā’, similar [in pattern] to hamrā’; a variant reading [for wa-hūrun ‘īn] has the genitive case wa-hūrin ‘īn)

resembling hidden, guarded, pearls,

a reward (jazā’an is an object denoting reason or a verbal noun, with the operator being an implicit [verb], in other words, ‘We have appointed for them the mentioned as a reward’ or ‘We have rewarded them [this]’) for what they used to do.

They will not hear therein, in Paradise, any vain talk, any lewd words, or any sinful words,

but only the saying, ‘Peace!’ ‘Peace!’ (salāman salāman substitutes for qīlan, ‘the saying’) which they will hear.

And those of the right [hand] — what of those of the right [hand]?

Amid thornless lote-trees, nabk trees,

and clustered plantains, banana trees, [weighed down] with its load [of fruit] from top to bottom,

and extended shade, [one that is] permanent,

and cascading water, running continuously,

and abundant fruit,

neither unavailable, during certain times, nor forbidden, because of [its] cost,

and mattresses [that are] raised, on top of couches.

Verily We have created them with an [unmediated] creation, namely, the wide-eyed houris, [We created them] without the process of birth,

and made them virgins, immaculate — every time their spouses enter them they find them virgins, nor is there any pain [of defloration] —

amorous (read ‘uruban or ‘urban, plural of ‘arūb, meaning ‘a woman passionately enamoured of her spouse’), of equal age (atrāb is the plural of tirb),

for those of the right [hand] (li-ashābi’l-yamīni is the relative clause of [either] ansha’nāhunna, ‘We have created them’, or ja‘alnāhunna, ‘[We] made them’), who are:

A multitude from the former [generations],

and a multitude of the later ones.

And those of the left [hand] — what of those of the left [hand]?

Amid a scorching wind, an infernal wind, permeating the pores of skins, and scalding water, water of extreme temperatures,

and the shade of pitch-black smoke,

neither cool, like all other shade, nor pleasant, [nor] agreeable in its appearance.

Indeed before that, in the world, they used to live at ease, enjoying [life’s] comforts, never wearying themselves with [an act of] obedience,

and they used to persist in the great sin, namely, idolatry.

And they used to say, ‘What! When we are dead and have become dust and bones, shall we indeed be resurrected? (in both instances [a-idhā and a-innā] the two hamzas may be read either by pronouncing them fully, or by not pronouncing the second, and in either case inserting an intervening alif).

What! And our forefathers too?’ (read a-wa-ābā’unā, [with the wa-] being for supplement, the hamza [a-] for the interrogative; here and in the previous instance, it is used to express ‘remoteness [of probability]’; a variant reading has aw-ābā’unā, as a supplement with aw, and that to which this is supplemented is the [syntactical] locus of inna and its subject).

Say: ‘Truly the former and the later [generations]

will be gathered for the tryst, the time, of a known day, that is, the Day of Resurrection.

Then indeed you, the erring, the deniers,

will assuredly eat from a Zaqqūm tree (min zaqqūm, the explication of shajar, ‘tree’),

and fill therewith, with the tree, your bellies,

and drink on top of that, the consumed Zaqqūm, boiling water,

drinking like the drinking (read sharba or shurba: verbal noun) of thirsty camels’ (hīm is the plural of masculine haymān and feminine haymā, similar [in pattern] to ‘atshān, ‘atshā, ‘thirsty’).

This will be the hospitality for them, what has been prepared for them, on the Day of Judgement, the Day of Resurrection.

We created you, We brought you into existence from nothing. Will you not then affirm [this] truth?, in resurrection? For the One able to create [from nothing] is also able to repeat [this creation].

Have you considered the sperm that you emit?, the sperm you spill in the wombs of women?

Is it you (a-antum: read by pronouncing both hamzas fully, or by replacing the second one with an alif or not pronouncing it, but inserting an alif between the one not pronounced and the other one, or without this [insertion] in the four instances [here and below]) who create it, that is, the sperm [making it] into a human being, or are We the Creators?

We have ordained (read qaddarnā or qadarnā) death among you, and We are not to be outmanoeuvred from, We are not incapable [of],

replacing [you with], [We are not incapable of] appointing, your likes, in your place, and making you, creating you, in what you do not know, in the way of forms, such as apes or swine.

For verily you have known the first creation (al-nashā’ata: a variant reading has al-nash’ata), why then will you not remember? (tadhakkarūna: the original second tā’ [of tatadhakkarūna] has been assimilated with the dhāl).

Have you considered what you sow?, [what] you stir of the earth to place seeds therein?

Is it you who make it grow, or are We the Grower?

If We will, We could surely turn it into chaff, dried vegetation producing no seed, and you would remain (zaltum is actually zaliltum, the lām having a kasra inflection; but it has been omitted to soften it), that is to say, you spend all day, bemused (tafakkahūna: one of the original tā’ [tatafakkahūna] letters has been omitted), surprised by this, and you would say:

‘We have indeed suffered loss!, [losing] what we expended on the cultivation.

Nay, but we are deprived!’, prevented from [reaping] our provision.

Have you considered the water you drink?

Is it you who cause it to come down from the [rain] clouds (muzn is the plural of muzna) or are We the Causer of its coming down?

If We willed, We could make it bitter, salty, undrinkable — why then will you not give thanks?

Have you considered the fire that you kindle?, [the fire] which you produce out of the [oil of] green trees?

Was it you who created the tree thereof, [trees] such as the markh, the ‘afār or the kalkh [‘fennel’], or were We the Creator?

We made it a reminder, of the fire of Hell, and a boon, a provision, for the desert-travellers (al-muqwīn derives from [the expression] aqwā al-qawmu, ‘they have reached al-qawā or al-qawā’, that is, al-qafr, ‘desolate land’, which is a wilderness (mafāza) that has neither vegetation nor water).

So glorify, exalt the transcendence [of], the Name (ism is extra) of your Lord, the Tremendous, God.

Nay, I swear (fa-lā uqsimu: lā is extra) by the setting-places of the stars!

And indeed it, the swearing by these [setting-places of stars], is a tremendous oath, if you only knew — if you were people of [deep] knowledge, you would realise the magnitude of this oath.

This, namely, what is being recited to you, is indeed a noble Qur’ān,

in a Book, inscribed, guarded, preserved, and this is the Mushaf;

which none touch (lā yamassuhu is a predicate functioning as a prohibitive command) except the purified, those who have purified themselves of ritual impurities,

[56:80] a revelation, revealed, by the Lord of the Worlds.

Do you then belittle, [do you] take lightly and deny, this discourse?, the Qur’ān.

And for your livelihood, in the way of rain, that is to say, the thanks for it, you offer your denial?, of God’s granting it to you, by saying, ‘We have rain because of this [or that] storm’?

Why then, when it, the spirit, during the throes [of death], reaches the [dying person’s] throat (hulqūm is the passage for food)

and you are, O you attending the dying person, at that moment looking, at him —

and We are nearer to him than you are, to know [of his state], but you do not perceive (tubsirūna derives from al-basīra, ‘perception’) that is to say, you do not realise this —

why then, if you are not going to face a reckoning, [if] you are [not] going to be requited by your being resurrected, in other words, [why then, if] you are not going to be resurrected as you claim,

do you not bring it back, [why] do you not restore the spirit to the body after it has reached the throat, if you are truthful?, in what you claim (the second law-lā, ‘why … if’, is [repeated] to emphasise the first one; idhā, ‘when’, is an adverbial particle qualifying tarji‘ūna, ‘bring it back’, to which both conditions are semantically connected). The meaning is: ‘Why do you not bring it back, when, in repudiating resurrection, you are being truthful in this repudiation?’ That is to say, ‘Let death also be repudiated [as impossible] in its case just as [you claim that] resurrection is [impossible]’.

Thus if he, the dead person, be of those brought near,

then repose, that is, there will be for him relief, and a goodly provision, and a garden of Bliss (does this response belong to the ammā, ‘thus’, or to in, ‘if’, or to both? Different opinions [are given regarding this]).

And if he be of those of the right [hand],

then ‘Peace be to you’, that is, [then] for him there will be [peace by way of] security (salām) from chastisement, [a greeting] from those of the right [hand], [arising] from the fact that he is one of them.

But if he be of the deniers, the erring,

then a welcome of boiling water,

and a roasting in Hell-fire.

This indeed is the certain truth (haqqu’l-yaqīn: an example of an adjectivally qualified noun being annexed to its adjective).

So glorify the Name of your Lord, the Tremendous (as [explained] above [in verse 74]).