1. Mankind, meaning people of Makka and others, be fearful of your Lord – of His punishment by obeying Him! The quaking of the Hour – which will occur after the sun rises from the West, an indication that the Final Hour is very near – is a terrible thing. People will experience terrible anxiety which is a form of punishment.

2. On the day they see it – because of it – every nursing woman will be oblivious of the baby at her breast, and every pregnant woman will abort the contents of her womb, and you will think people drunk – because of the effects of fear – although they are not drunk – from intoxicating drink – it is just that the punishment of Allah is so severe.

3. On the day they see it – because of it – every nursing woman will be oblivious of the baby at her breast, and every pregnant woman will abort the contents of her womb, and you will think people drunk because of the effects of it. This was revealed about an-Nadr ibn al- Harith and his group. Among people there is one (an-Nadr ibn al-Harith) who argues about Allah without knowledge – saying, “The angels are the daughters of Allah and the Qur’an is simply the myths of earlier peoples.” He denied the Resurrection and being brought back to life again from dust – and follows every rebellious shaytan – in his argument.

4. It is written of him – and decreed – that if anyone takes him (Shaytan) as a friend and follows him, he will mislead him and guide him to the punishment of the Searing Blaze.

5. Mankind, if you are in any doubt about the Rising, know that We created you – in the form of Adam – from dust, then – his offspring – from a drop of sperm, then from a congealed clot of blood, then from a lump of flesh, formed yet unformed – a form, but one which is not yet complete – so We may make things clear to you by demonstrating Our complete power to you, so that you will see evidence of the possibility of restoration in the origination of creation. We make whatever We want stay in the womb until a specified time – its birth – and then We bring you out of the wombs of your mothers as children so that you may reach your full maturity and strength, which is reckoned to be between thirty and forty years of age. Some of you die before reaching adulthood and some of you revert to the lowest form of life and become senile so that, after having knowledge, they then know nothing at all. According to ‘Ikrima, “Whoever reads the Qur’an does not persist in this state of “knowing nothing at all”. And you see the earth – arid – dead and barren; then when We send down water onto it, it quivers and swells and sprouts with luxuriant plants of every kind.

6. That – what has been mentioned about the creation of man and the giving of life to the earth – is because Allah is the Abiding Real and gives life to the dead and has power over all things;

7. …and the Hour is coming without any doubt, and Allah will raise up all those in the graves.

8. The following was revealed about Abu Jahl. Among people there is one who argues about Allah without knowledge or guidance or any light-giving Book,

9. …turning away his head from belief arrogantly, to misguide (read as yudilla or yadilla) people from the Way (din) of Allah. He will be disgraced by punishment in this world and by being killed at the Battle of Badr – and on the Day of Rising We will make him taste the punishment of the Burning:

10. It will be said: ‘That is for what you (literally your hands) did before. The hands are mentioned because they are the limbs by which most actions are done. Allah does not wrong His slaves.’ Allah does not inflict wrong on people by punishing them when they have committed no wrong action.

11. Among the people there is one who worships Allah right on the edge – meaning that he has doubt about His worship. He is likened to someone on the edge of a mountain in that he is not firm. If good – health and safety in respect of his wealth and his person – befalls him, he is content with it, but if a trial – affliction and illness in respect of his wealth and person – befalls him, he reverts to his former ways – to unbelief, losing both what he hopes for in this world and losing the Next World through unbelief. That is indeed sheer loss.

12. Instead of Allah, he calls on – and worships – something (an idol) which cannot harm him if he does not worship it or help him if he does. That (calling on idols) is extreme misguidance – far from the truth.

13. He calls on what is far more likely to harm than help. His worship of idols is far more likely to harm him than help him in the way he imagines it will. What an evil protector! What an evil associate!

14. After mentioning the loss that doubters will suffer, Allah then mentions the reward which the believers will receive. Allah will admit those who believe and do right actions – both obligatory and supererogatory ones – into Gardens with rivers flowing under them. Allah does whatever He wishes by honouring those to whom He gives and abasing those who disobey Him.

15. Anyone who thinks that Allah will not help him (Muhammad, His Prophet) in this world and the Next World, should stretch a rope up to the ceiling of his house and put it around his neck and then hang himself – throttle himself, as is stated in the Sahih Collections explaining this usage. Let him see whether his stratagem – that of not helping the Prophet – gets rid of what enrages him! Let him choke himself to death out of rage.

16. In this way – as We revealed the previous ayat – We have sent it – the rest of the Qur’an – down as Clear Signs. Allah guides anyone He wills to understanding of what He has revealed.

17. As for those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Sabaeans (a group of Jews) and the Christians, Magians and idolaters, Allah will distinguish between them on the Day of Rising – the believers entering the Garden and the rest entering the Fire. Allah is witness of all things and knows all of their actions directly.

18. Do you not see (know) that everyone in the heavens and everyone on the earth prostrates to Allah, and the sun and moon and stars and the mountains, trees and beasts – are subject to Him and do what He wants – and many of mankind? – a reference to the believers who are humble in their prostration in the prayer. But many of them inevitably merit punishment. This means the unbelievers, because they refuse to prostrate, prostration being a matter of faith. Those Allah humiliates will have no one to honour them. Those He makes miserable will have no one to make them happy. Allah does whatever He wills by either honouring or humiliating.

19. Here are two rival groups – the believers and the unbelievers, although the former constitute one group and the latter five; the word for group used here, khasm, can refer to both the singular and the plural – who disputed concerning the din of their Lord. Those who disbelieve will have garments of fire cut out for them – which they will wear and so they will be enveloped in fire – and boiling water poured over their heads,

20. … which will melt the contents of their bellies – the fat and everything else as well as roasting – their skin,

21. …and they will be beaten on the head with cudgels made of iron.

22. Every time they want to come out of it (the Fire) because of their suffering, they will be driven back into it with cudgels: ‘Taste the punishment of the Burning!’ they will be told, using the word Hariq, which is an intensive form.

23. But Allah will admit those who believe and do right actions into Gardens with rivers flowing under them, where they will be adorned with gold bracelets and pearls (read as lu’lu’an and also as lu’lu’in in which case it means “bracelets of gold and pearl”) and where their clothing will be of silk – which is unlawful for men to wear in this world.

24. They have been guided in this world to speak good words – meaning the formula lailaha illa’llah, “there is no god but Allah” – and guided to the praiseworthy Path of Allah and His din.

25. Those who disbelieve and bar access to the Way of Allah – obedience to Him – and to the Sacred Mosque which We have appointed to be the place of the Hajj rites and worship for all mankind – equally for those who live near it and those who come from far a way – those who desire to profane it with wrongdoing – even if that only entails insulting a servant – We will let them taste a painful punishment.

26. Remember when We located the position of the House for Ibrahim – which had been swept away in the Flood, so that he could r e build it. We commanded him: ‘Do not associate anything with Me, but purify My House – of idols – for those who circle it, and those who stand and bow and prostrate in prayer there.

27. Announce the hajj to mankind. Ibrahım announced it from the top of the mountain Abü Qubays, saying, “O people! Allah has built a House and obliged you to make hajj to it, so respond to your Lord.” He turned his face to the south and north, east and west; and all of those for whom the hajj was destined in the loins of men and wombs of women, answered him: “At Your service, O Allah, at Your service!” They will come to you on foot and on every sort of lean animal, coming by every distant road…

28. …so that they may be present at what will profit them – in terms of commerce in this world or reward in the Next World, or both, as different commentators say – and invoke Allah’s name on specific days – a reference to the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijja or the Day of ‘Arafa, or the Day of Sacrifice to the end of the days of tashriq, according to various views – over livestock He has provided for them – camels, cattle, and sheep and goats, which are sacrificed on the Day of the Eid and eaten then and in the days after it. Eat of them and feed those who are poor and in need. This is recommended rather than obligatory.

29. Then they should end their state of self-neglect – their dirtiness and dishevelment, by acts like cutting their nails – and fulfil (read as yufu and yuwaffu) their vows – by sacrificing animals – and circlethe Ancient House in the Tawaf al Ifada. It is called “ancient” because it was “the first house established for mankind”.

30. That is it. This implies: the command or the matter mentioned is like that. If someone honours Allah’s sacred things – which it is unlawful to violate, that – esteeming – is better for him in his Lord’s sight in the Next World. All livestock are permitted to you to eat after proper slaughter except what has already been recited to you as being forbidden in such ayats as: “Forbidden for you are carrion…”. (5:3) Have done with the defilement of idols and have done with telling lies – in the form of shirk in your talbiya invocation or false testimony.

31. Be people of pure natural belief in Allah – the word hunafa’ used here means those who submit to Allah and turn away from every dın except His, not associating anything else with Him – stressing the first phrase. As for anyone who associates others with Allah, it is as though he had fallen from the sky and the birds had seized him and carried him away, or the wind had dropped him in a distant place where there is no hope of rescue.

32. That is it. The matter is like that. As for those who honour Allah’s sacred emblems – a reference to the camels which are brought for sacrifice and have been are fattened up; they are called “emblems” because they are marked (ish’ar) so that it is known that they are sacrifices, in such ways as marking their humps, that comes from the fearfulness of Allah in their hearts.

33. You may make use of the sacrificial animals by riding them and using them to carry loads, as long as that does not harm them – until a specified time – the moment when they are sacrificed – and then their place of sacrifice is by the Ancient House – in other words, in the haram.

34. We have appointed a rite of sacrifice (read as mansik, meaning the actual sacrifice, and mansak, meaning the place where it is done) for every believing nation before you so that they may invoke Allah’s name over the livestock He has given them – when slaughtering them. Your God is One God; so submit to Him – and obey Him. Give good news to the humble-hearted – those who obey Allah and are humble towards Him,

35. …whose hearts quake in fear at the mention of Allah, and who are steadfast in the face of all that happens to them of afflictions and difficulty; those who establish the prayer at its times and give of what We have provided for them as Sadaqa.

36. We have appointed the sacrificial animals – the word budn used here is the plural of badana and refers to camels – for you as one of the sacred emblems of Allah – hallmarks of His dın. There is good in them for you – benefit in this world, as already stated, and a reward in the Hereafter – so invoke Allah’s name over them – when sacrificing them – as they stand in rows – standing on three legs with a left foreleg hobbled. And then when they collapse on their sides – fall to the ground after being sacrificed – eat of them if you wish and feed both those who ask – the word used here, mu‘tarr, means someone who begs or alludes to his need – and those who are too shy to ask – the word used here, qani‘, means someone who is content with what he is given and does not ask or indicate his state. In this way We have subjected them to you so that they can be sacrificed and ridden; otherwise you would be unable to do so – so that perhaps you may be thankful for Allah’s blessing given you.

37. Their flesh and blood does not reach Allah, but your fearfulness of Allah – shown by righteous actions done sincerely for Him and accompanied by faith – does reach Him. In this way He has subjected them to you so that you may proclaim Allah’s greatness for the way that He has guided you to His din and the practices of the hajj. Give good news to the good-doers – who affirm Allah’s unity.

38. Allah will defend those who believe against the plots of the idolators; Allah does not love any thankless traitor – anyone who is treacherous by betraying His trust and ungrateful for Allah’s blessings. They are the idolators. This means that He will punish them.

39. Permission to fight is given to those who are fought against (the believers) – this is the first ayat revealed about jihad – because they have been wronged by the unbelievers – truly Allah has the power to come to their support –

40. …those who were expelled from their homes without any right or cause, merely for their saying, ‘Our Lord is Allah alone.’ This statement is true, and so expulsion on account of it is expulsion without right. If Allah had not driven some people back by means of others, monasteries, Christian – churches, Jewish synagogues and Muslim mosques, where Allah’s name is mentioned much, would have been pulled down and destroyed (read as huddimat and hudimat) – and worship is stopped when they fall into ruin. Allah will certainly help those who help Him and His dın. Allah is All-Strong in His creation, Almighty – so that nothing can resist His authority or power –

41. …those who, if We establish them firmly on the earth – by helping them against their enemy – will establish the prayer and pay zakat, and command what is right and forbid what is wrong. The end result of all affairs is with Allah and will return to Him.

42. The following contains solace for the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. If they deny you, the people of Nuh before them denied him, and those of ‘Ad – the people of Hud – and of Thamud – the people of Salih;

43. …and the people of Ibrahim and the people of Lut

44. …and the companions of Madyan – the people of Shu‘ayb – and Musa was denied as well – by the Copts, not the tribe of Israel. All these Prophets were denied and so you have an example in them. I allowed time to the unbelievers – by delaying their punishment – but then I seized them with the punishment. How terrible was My denial – by destroying them!

45. How many wrongdoing cities – meaning that their inhabitants were wrongdoing through their unbelief – We destroyed (read as ahlaknayha, and ahlaktuha, “I destroyed”) and now all their roofs and walls are fallen in; how many abandoned wells and stuccoed palaces are empty because their people are dead!

46. Have they (the unbelievers of Makka) not travelled about the earth; and do they not have hearts to understand with – to grasp what befell those before them who denied – or ears to hear with about their destruction and the ruin of their houses, and taken note?It is not eyes that are blind but the hearts in breasts that are blind.

47. They ask you to hasten the punishment. Allah will not break His promise to send down the punishment and He sent it down at Badr. A day – in the Next World because of the punishment – with your Lord is equivalent to a thousand years in the way you count (read as ta‘udduna and ya‘udduna, “they count”) in this world.

48. How many wrongdoing cities I allowed time to and then I seized them (the inhabitants of the cities) – I am their final destination.

49. Say: ‘Mankind, especially the people of Makka, I am only a clear warner to you – and the bearer of good news to the believers.’

50. As for those who believe and do right actions, they will have forgiveness – for their wrong actions – and generous provision (the Garden).

51. But as for those who strive against My Signs (the Qur’an) and try to thwart them (read as mu’ajizına and mu‘ajjizına) – they try to stop people from following the Prophet, by making them powerless, and to keep them from believing. This means that they think that they will get ahead by denying the Resurrection and punishment – they will be the Companions of the Blazing Fire.

52. We did not send any Messenger – a Prophet who is commanded to convey the Message – or any Prophet – who has no new Message to convey – before you without Shaytan insinuating something into his recitation while he was reciting – inserting something into the recitation that is not part of it but which makes the Messenger pleasing to him. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was reciting Surat an-Najm in a gathering of Quraysh. When he reached the words, “Have you really considered al-Lat and al-‘Uzza, and Manat the third, the other one, ” Shaytan cast onto his tongue without the knowledge of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, “those are the high cranes whose intercession is hoped for.” Quraysh were happy about that. Then Jibril informed him about what Shaytan had cast on his tongue, and he was grieved: and so solace was given to him by this ayat. But Allah revokes and cancels out whatever Shaytan insinuates and then Allah confirms His Signs – and makes them firm. Allah is All-Knowing of what Shaytan insinuates, All-Wise in making firm whatever He wishes of that,

53. … so that He may make what Shaytan insinuates a trial for those with sickness – a reference to schism and hypocrisy – in their hearts and for those whose hearts are hard (the idolaters) – to see whether they will accept the truth – the wrongdoers (the unbelievers) are entrenched in hostility – long-standing enmity against the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the believers because of what he said about their gods which pleased them and then was abrogated –

54. …and so that those who have been given knowledge of Allah’s unity and the Qur’an may know it (the Qur’an) is the truth from their Lord and believe in it and their hearts may be humbled to Him and at peace. Allah guides those who believe to a straight path – the Din of Islam.

55. But those who disbelieve will not cease to be in doubt of it – meaning the Qur’an, because of what Shaytan cast on the tongue of the Prophet but was later invalidated – until the Hour comes on them suddenly – meaning the hour of their death or the Day of Rising – or the punishment of a desolate Day arrives – meaning the Day of Badr, on which there was no good for the unbelievers, like a barren wind which brings no good, or the Day of the Rising after which there is no night.

56. Sovereignty on that Day (the Day of Rising) will be Allah’s alone. He will judge between them. Those who believe and do right actions will be in Gardens of Delight – as a bounteous gift from Allah,

57. … but those who disbelieve and deny Our Signs will have a humiliating punishment because of their unbelief.

58. Those who emigrate in the Way of Allah – obey Allah by emigrating from Makka to Madina – and then are killed or die, Allah will provide for them handsomely with Paradise. Truly Allah is the best Provider.

59. He will admit them by an entrance (read as mudhkal and madkhal, meaning either the act of entering or the entrance itself) which is pleasing to them – into the Garden. Allah is All-Knowing of their intention, All-Forbearing by not punishing them.

60. That is so. It is as We have recounted to you. And if anyone of the believers inflicts an injury in retaliation which is the same as the one done to him wrongly by the idolators – such as fighting them as they fought him during a sacred month – and then is again oppressed when they wrong him again by expelling him from his home, Allah will come to his aid. Allah is All-Pardoning to the believers, Ever-Forgiving to them for fighting in the sacred month.

61. That victory is because Allah merges night into day and merges day into night by extending each of them, and that is an effect of His power by which victory comes and because Allah is All-Hearing of the supplication of the believers, All-Seeing of them when He imbues them with faith and so He answers their call.

62. That – victory – is because Allah is the Real – the Confirmed Truth – and what they call (read as yad‘una and tad‘una “what you call on” addressed to the idolaters) on and worship apart from Him – in other words, the idols – is false and will vanish. Allah is the All-High over all things by His power, the Most Great, so that everything is small in relation to Him.

63. Do you not see (know) that Allah sends down water (rain) from the sky and then in the morning the earth is covered in green? It causes the plants to grow which is an effect of Allah’s power. Allah is All-Subtle – kind to His slaves in bringing forth plants by means of water, All-Aware of what is in their hearts when rain is delayed.

64. Everything in the heavens and everything in the earth belongs to Him as His domain. Allah is the Rich Beyond Need of His slaves, the Praiseworthy.

65. Do you not see (know) that Allah has made everything – all the beasts – on the earth subservient to you and the ships running upon the sea – for travelling in and carrying loads – by His command and permission? He holds back the heaven, preventing it from falling to the earth – except by His permission – so that you are not destroyed. Allah is All-Compassionate to mankind, Most Merciful in subjecting all that to you.

66. It is He who gave you life – by forming you – and then will cause you to die – at the end of your lifespan – and then will give you life again – at the Resurrection. Man – when an idolator – is truly ungrateful for the blessings of Allah by failing to affirm His unity.

67. We have appointed for every nation a rite (read as mansak and mansik) – meaning a sacred law (shari‘a) – that they observe and act by, so let them not dispute with you about the matter – about the slaughtering of animals when the unbelievers said, “It is more proper for you to consume what Allah has killed (i.e. carrion) than what you have killed.” – Call the people to your Lord – to His din; you are guided straight – to His din.

68. If they do argue with you about the dın say: ‘Allah knows best what you are doing and will repay you for it.’ This was revealed before the command to fight.

69. Allah will judge between you, believers and unbelievers, on the Day of Rising regarding everything about which you differed – regarding all your disputes.

70. Do you not know that Allah knows everything in heaven and earth? This question is for confirmation, demanding an affirmative response. That is mentioned in a Book (the Preserved Tablet). That knowledge is easy for Allah.

71. They (idolators) worship besides Allah something (idols) for which no authority has come down, something about which they have no knowledge that they are gods. There is no helper for the wrongdoers. Those who do wrong by committing shirk will have no one to defend them against Allah.

72. When Our Signs (the Qur’an) are recited to them – Clear Signs – you can detect denial in the faces of those who disbelieve as they show their dislike by frowning. They all but physically assault those who recite Our Signs to them! Say: ‘Shall I inform you of something worse than that – something which will be more hateful to you than the Qur’an which is recited to you? The Fire which Allah has promised those who disbelieve, to which you will go. What an evil destination!’

73. Mankind, in particular the people of Makka, an example has been made, so listen to it carefully. Those idols whom you call upon and worship besides Allah are not even able to create a single fly, even if they were to join together to do it. And if a fly steals something from them – taking, for example, some scent or saffron with which they are daubed – they cannot get it back and restore it since they lack the power to do so. So how can people worship partners of Allah? That is something extraordinary. How feeble are both the seeker (the worshipper) and the sought (the worshipped)!

74. They do not measure and esteem Allah with His true measure of esteem, since they associate with Him something which cannot even defend itself against flies and they do not give Him what is His right. Allah is All-Strong, Almighty.

75. Allah chooses Messengers from the angels and from mankind. This was revealed when the idolators said, “Has the Reminder been sent down to him out of all of us?” (38:8) Allah is All-Hearing of what they say, All-Seeing of whom He should take as a Messenger, such as Jibril, Mika’il, Ibrahim, Muhammad and others, may Allah bless them and grant them peace.

76. He knows what is before them and what is behind them: what they have done and what they will still do. All matters return to Allah.

77. You who believe! bow and prostrate in prayer and worship your Lord – affirming His unity – and do good – in ways like maintaining ties of kinship and demonstrating good character – so that perhaps you may be successful and obtain Paradise.

78. Do jihad for Allah – to establish His dın – with the jihad due to Him – with all your ability. He has selected you for His din and not placed any constraint upon you in the dın – but has rather made it easy when that is necessary, by shortening the prayer, tayammum, allowing the eating of carrion in necessity and absolving travellers and sick people from fasting, the religion of your forefather Ibrahim. He (Allah) named you Muslims before this Book and also in this Qur’an so that the Messenger could be witness against you on the Day of Rising, that he conveyed the Message to you – and you could be witnesses against all mankind that their Messengers conveyed the Message to them. So establish the prayer – be constant in it – and pay zakat. And hold fast to Allah, trusting in Him. He is your Protector and takes charge of your affairs. How excellent a Protector and Helper for you.