1. By the dawn of every day

2. …and ten nights of Dhu’l-Hijja,

3. …and the even and odd,

4. …and the night when it travels on – comes and goes!

5. Is there not in that an oath for the intelligent? The word Hijr means intellect here. “Is that not an oath by which you will be punished, o unbelievers of Makka?”

6. Do you, Muhammad, not see what your Lord did with ‘Ad –

7. Iram of the tall Columns – that was the first nation of ‘Ad. Some of the columns were forty cubits tall –

8. …whose like was not created in any land – no one was like them in their power and strength,

9. …and Thamüd who carved out huge rocks in the valley-side – and made them into dwellings, the valley referred to being Wadi’l- Qura,

10. …and Pharaoh of the Stakes – he used to drive four pegs into the ground, to which he would tie the hands and feet of those he was going to torture –

11. …all of whom were insolent and unjust tyrants in their lands…

12. …and caused much corruption in them by killing and other things?

13. So your Lord unleashed on them a scourging punishment?

14. Your Lord is always lying in wait – observing the actions of His slaves; He does not miss any of them, so that He can repay them for them.

15. As for unbelieving man, when his Lord tests him by honouring him with wealth and other things and favouring him, he says, ‘My Lord has honoured me!’

16. But then when He tests him by restricting his provision, he says, ‘My Lord has humiliated me!’

17. No indeed! You (the unbelievers of Makka) do not honour (read as tukrimuna or as yukrimuna, “they do not honour”) orphans – you are not good to orphans in spite of their wealth, or they do not give them their rightful inheritance…

18. …nor do you urge (tahadduna, tahudduna also yahdduna, “they do not urge”) the feeding of the poor – on yourselves or others…

19. …you devour (read as ta’kulüna, also ya’kulüna, “they devour”) inheritance with voracious appetites – taking the portions of inheritance which should go to women and children as well as your own shares or added to your property –

20. …and you have (read as tuhibbuna, also yuhibbuna, “they have”) an insatiable love of wealth and so do not spend it.

21. No indeed! The “No” here indicates the introduction of a new subject. When the earth is crushed and ground to dust and everything on it is destroyed and brought to nothing,

22. …and the command of your Lord arrives with the angels – the word “malak,” which is singular, is here used generically, meaning the angels in general – rank upon rank – row on row or in many rows –

23. …and that Day Hell is produced – Hell will be brought on that day, drawn by seven thousand thongs, and each thong will be pulled by seventy thousand angels. It will be seething and hissing – that Day unbelieving man will remember what he neglected then; but how will the remembrance help him? It will be of no use to him at that time.

24. He will say – when he remembers – ‘Oh! If only I had prepared in advance for this life of mine!’ “Would that I had advanced good deeds and faith for a pleasing life in the Next World or for my time in the life of this world.”

25. That Day no one will punish (read as yu‘adhdhibu and yu‘adhdhabu) as He punishes,

26. …and no one will shackle (read as yüthiqu and yüthaqu) as He shackles. The pronoun refers to Allah Almighty: He will not leave it to anyone else. Those punished and shackled are the unbelievers.

27. ‘O self at rest and at peace – this is the soul which has certainty: it means the true believer,

28. …return to your Lord, well-pleasing and well-pleased! This will be said to him when he dies. In other words: “Return to Allah’s command and will, pleased with His reward and pleasing to Allah because of His actions.” He will have both qualities. At the Resurrection, the soul will be told:

29. Enter among My righteous slaves.

30. Enter My Garden with them.’