Accountability

يَوْمَ تَرْجُفُ ٱلرَّاجِفَةُ

On the Day the blast [of the Horn] will convulse [creation],

أَبْصَـٰرُهَا خَـٰشِعَةٌ

Their eyes humbled.

قَالُوا۟ تِلْكَ إِذًا كَرَّةٌ خَاسِرَةٌ

They say, "That, then, would be a losing return."

فَإِذَا هُم بِٱلسَّاهِرَةِ

And suddenly they will be [alert] upon the earth's surface.

فَأَخَذَهُ ٱللَّهُ نَكَالَ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَٱلْأُولَىٰٓ

So Allāh seized him in exemplary punishment for the last and the first [transgression]..

يَوْمَ يَتَذَكَّرُ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ مَا سَعَىٰ

The Day when man will remember that for which he strove,

وَبُرِّزَتِ ٱلْجَحِيمُ لِمَن يَرَىٰ

And Hellfire will be exposed for [all] those who see -

وَءَاثَرَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا

And preferred the life of the world,

فَأَنتَ عَنْهُ تَلَهَّىٰ

From him you are distracted.

فَمَن شَآءَ ذَكَرَهُۥ

So whoever wills may remember it.

كِرَامٍۭ بَرَرَةٍ

Noble and dutiful.

قُتِلَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ مَآ أَكْفَرَهُۥ

Destroyed [i.e., cursed] is man; how disbelieving is he.

كَلَّا لَمَّا يَقْضِ مَآ أَمَرَهُۥ

No! He [i.e., man] has not yet accomplished what He commanded him.

فَإِذَا جَآءَتِ ٱلصَّآخَّةُ

But when there comes the Deafening Blast

يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ ٱلْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ

On the Day a man will flee from his brother

وَأُمِّهِۦ وَأَبِيهِ

And his mother and his father

وَصَـٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَبَنِيهِ

And his wife and his children,

لِكُلِّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ

For every man, that Day, will be a matter adequate for him.

وَإِذَا ٱلْوُحُوشُ حُشِرَتْ

And when the wild beasts are gathered

وَإِذَا ٱلنُّفُوسُ زُوِّجَتْ

And when the souls are paired

وَإِذَا ٱلْمَوْءُۥدَةُ سُئِلَتْ

And when the girl [who was] buried alive is asked

بِأَىِّ ذَنۢبٍ قُتِلَتْ

For what sin she was killed

وَإِذَا ٱلصُّحُفُ نُشِرَتْ

And when the pages are spread [i.e., made public]

وَإِذَا ٱلْجَحِيمُ سُعِّرَتْ

And when Hellfire is set ablaze

عَلِمَتْ نَفْسٌ مَّآ أَحْضَرَتْ

A soul will [then] know what it has brought [with it].

فَأَيْنَ تَذْهَبُونَ

So where are you going?

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِّلْعَـٰلَمِينَ

It is not except a reminder to the worlds

وَإِذَا ٱلْكَوَاكِبُ ٱنتَثَرَتْ

And when the stars fall, scattering,

وَإِذَا ٱلْقُبُورُ بُعْثِرَتْ

And when the [contents of] graves are scattered [i.e., exposed],

عَلِمَتْ نَفْسٌ مَّا قَدَّمَتْ وَأَخَّرَتْ

A soul will [then] know what it has put forth and kept back.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ مَا غَرَّكَ بِرَبِّكَ ٱلْكَرِيمِ

O mankind, what has deceived you concerning your Lord, the Generous,

ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكَ فَسَوَّىٰكَ فَعَدَلَكَ

Who created you, proportioned you, and balanced you?

كَلَّا بَلْ تُكَذِّبُونَ بِٱلدِّينِ

No! But you deny the Recompense.

وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَحَـٰفِظِينَ

And indeed, [appointed] over you are keepers,

يَعْلَمُونَ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ

They know whatever you do.

وَإِنَّ ٱلْفُجَّارَ لَفِى جَحِيمٍ

And indeed, the wicked will be in Hellfire.

يَصْلَوْنَهَا يَوْمَ ٱلدِّينِ

They will [enter to] burn therein on the Day of Recompense,

وَمَا هُمْ عَنْهَا بِغَآئِبِينَ

And never therefrom will they be absent.

وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا يَوْمُ ٱلدِّينِ

And what can make you know what is the Day of Recompense?

يَوْمَ لَا تَمْلِكُ نَفْسٌ لِّنَفْسٍ شَيْـًٔا ۖ وَٱلْأَمْرُ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلَّهِ

It is the Day when a soul will not possess for another soul [power to do] a thing; and the command, that Day, is [entirely] with Allāh.

وَيْلٌ لِّلْمُطَفِّفِينَ

Woe to those who give less [than due],

ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ٱكْتَالُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ يَسْتَوْفُونَ

Who, when they take a measure from people, take in full.

وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمْ أَو وَّزَنُوهُمْ يُخْسِرُونَ

But if they give by measure or by weight to them, they cause loss.

أَلَا يَظُنُّ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَنَّهُم مَّبْعُوثُونَ

Do they not think that they will be resurrected

لِيَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ

For a tremendous Day -

يَوْمَ يَقُومُ ٱلنَّاسُ لِرَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ

The Day when mankind will stand before the Lord of the worlds?

كَلَّآ إِنَّ كِتَـٰبَ ٱلْفُجَّارِ لَفِى سِجِّينٍ

No! Indeed, the record of the wicked is in sijjeen.

وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا سِجِّينٌ

And what can make you know what is sijjeen?

كِتَـٰبٌ مَّرْقُومٌ

It is [their destination recorded in] a register inscribed.

ٱلَّذِينَ يُكَذِّبُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ

Who deny the Day of Recompense.