1. Woe to the stinters! The word “Woe”, wayl, means punishment or a valley in the Fire. –

2. Those who, when they take a measure from people, exact full measure,

3. …but when they give them a measure or weight, hand over less than is due. T h ey exact their due and then give short measure or weight to others.

4. Do such people not realise that they will be raised up – this question is a rebuke –

5. …on a Terrible Day – the Day of Rising –

6. …the Day mankind will stand before the Lord of all the worlds? – when they will be raised up from their graves in front of the Lord of all creatures for His command, reckoning and repayment.

7. No indeed! The Book of the dissolute is in Sijjın – the Book of the actions of the unbelievers. It is said that Sijjın is the book of all the actions of the shaytans and the unbelievers. It is also said to be the place of the lowest of the seven earths, and is the place of Iblis and his armies.

8. And what will convey to you what the Book of Sijjin is?

9. A clearly written sealed Book.

10. Woe that Day to the deniers!

11. Those who deny the Day of Reckoning and Repayment.

12. No one denies it except for every evil aggressor who exceeds the limits.

13. When Our Signs (the Qur’an) are recited to him, he says, ‘Mere myths and legends of the previous peoples – stories which they wrote down in the past!’

14. No indeed! This is a rebuke and reprimand for what they said. But what they have earned by way of acts of disobedience has rusted up and covered their hearts.

15. No indeed! Rather that Day – the Day of Rising – they will be veiled from their Lord and will not see Him.

16. Then they will enter and roast in the Blazing Fire.

17. Then they will be told, ‘This is what (the punishment) you denied.’

18. No indeed! The Book of the truly good – the Book of the deeds of the believers who are sincere in their faith – is in ‘Illiyun. It is said to be the Book of all the good actions of the angels, and of the believers among the jinn and mankind. It is a place in the seventh heaven under the Throne.

19. And what will convey to you what the Book of ‘Illiyun is?

20. A clearly written, sealed book.

21. Those angels brought near will witness it.

22. The truly good will be in perfect Bliss in the Garden,

23. …on couches in alcoves, gazing in wonder – contemplating the gifts that they have been given.

24. You will recognise in their faces the radiance of delight.

25. They shall be given the choicest sealed wine to drink – this is a wine that is free from any impurity; its container is sealed and only opened by the person who drinks it –

26. …whose seal is musk – the dregs of his drink give off the fragrance of musk – let people with aspiration aspire to that – and race one another to obey Allah –

27. …mixed with Tasnim, explained as

28. …a fountain at which Those Brought Near will drink and which they will enjoy.

29. Those who did evil – such as Abü Jahl and others like him – used to laugh at those who believed – such as ‘Ammar, Bilal and others like them.

30. When they passed by them (the believers), they (the wrongdoers) would wink at one another – they would indicate the believers with winks to mock them.

31. When they returned to their families, they would make a joke (read as fakihin and fakihin) of them (the believers).

32. When they saw them (the believers), they would say, ‘Those people are misguided’ because they believe in Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

33. Allah says: But they were not sent as guardians over them – of the believers or their actions, that they could turn them to their best interests.

34. So today (the Day of Rising) those who believe are laughing at the unbelievers,

35. …on couches, gazing in wonder in Paradise. The believers will look from their houses at the unbelievers who are being punished. They will laugh at them as the unbelievers laughed at them in this world.

36. Have the unbelievers been rewarded and repaid for what they did?