النَّبَإِ
- Meccan
- 40 verses
- Surah 78 of 114
Introduction to Surah An-Naba
Forty verses, Meccan, seventy-eighth in the written order, and the first surah of the thirtieth and last part of the Qur’an — the section most people learn first, because the chapters in it are short.
How it opens
Concerning what are they disputing? Concerning the Great News, (78:1–2)
The surah begins in the middle of an argument it does not summarise. It states only that they are disagreeing about it, and then leaves the argument alone for twenty verses.
What it does instead
It describes the world. The earth made as a wide expanse. The mountains as pegs. Human beings created in pairs. Sleep made for rest, night as a covering, day for livelihood. Seven firmaments above, and a blazing lamp. Water poured down in abundance from the clouds, bringing out grain and vegetables and gardens of thick growth.
None of it is offered as proof of anything. The surah is answering a dispute about the future by describing the present, and the argument is left for the reader to complete.
Then the day
The trumpet is sounded and people come forward in crowds. The sky is opened and becomes as gates. The mountains vanish as if they were a mirage. Then the two descriptions, and the surah’s note about the first: that those there hear no vanity nor untruth.
The last verse
Verily, We have warned you of a Penalty near, the Day when man will see (the deeds) which his hands have sent forth, and the Unbeliever will say, “Woe unto me! Would that I were (mere) dust!” (78:40)
The wish at the end of it is for non-existence, and the surah has opened by describing the dust that everything here was made from. It closes the circle without saying so.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيم
عَمَّ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ
‘Amma Yatasaa-aloon
Concerning what are they disputing?
Whereof do they question one another?
عَنِ ٱلنَّبَإِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ
‘Anin-nabaa-il ‘azeem
Concerning the Great News,
(It is) of the awful tidings,
ٱلَّذِى هُمْ فِيهِ مُخْتَلِفُونَ
Allazi hum feehi mukh talifoon
About which they cannot agree.
Concerning which they are in disagreement.
كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ
Kallaa sa y’alamoon
Verily, they shall soon (come to) know!
Nay, but they will come to know!
ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ
Thumma kallaa sa y’alamoon
Verily, verily they shall soon (come to) know!
Nay, again, but they will come to know!
أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ ٱلْأَرْضَ مِهَٰدًۭا
Alam naj’alil arda mihaa da
Have We not made the earth as a wide expanse,
Have We not made the earth an expanse,
وَٱلْجِبَالَ أَوْتَادًۭا
Wal jibaala au taada
And the mountains as pegs?
And the high hills bulwarks?
وَخَلَقْنَٰكُمْ أَزْوَٰجًۭا
Wa khalaq naakum azwaaja
And (have We not) created you in pairs,
And We have created you in pairs,
وَجَعَلْنَا نَوْمَكُمْ سُبَاتًۭا
Waja’alnan naumakum subata
And made your sleep for rest,
And have appointed your sleep for repose,
وَجَعَلْنَا ٱلَّيْلَ لِبَاسًۭا
Waja’alnal laila libasa
And made the night as a covering,
And have appointed the night as a cloak,
وَجَعَلْنَا ٱلنَّهَارَ مَعَاشًۭا
Waja’alnan nahara ma ‘aasha
And made the day as a means of subsistence?
And have appointed the day for livelihood.
وَبَنَيْنَا فَوْقَكُمْ سَبْعًۭا شِدَادًۭا
Wa banaina fauqakum sab ‘an shi daada
And (have We not) built over you the seven firmaments,
And We have built above you seven strong (heavens),
وَجَعَلْنَا سِرَاجًۭا وَهَّاجًۭا
Waja’alna siraajaw wah haaja
And placed (therein) a Light of Splendour?
And have appointed a dazzling lamp,
وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلْمُعْصِرَٰتِ مَآءًۭ ثَجَّاجًۭا
Wa anzalna minal m’usiraati maa-an saj-jaaja
And do We not send down from the clouds water in abundance,
And have sent down from the rainy clouds abundant water,
لِّنُخْرِجَ بِهِۦ حَبًّۭا وَنَبَاتًۭا
Linukh rija bihee habbaw wana baata
That We may produce therewith corn and vegetables,
Thereby to produce grain and plant,
وَجَنَّٰتٍ أَلْفَافًا
Wa jan naatin alfafa
And gardens of luxurious growth?
And gardens of thick foliage.
إِنَّ يَوْمَ ٱلْفَصْلِ كَانَ مِيقَٰتًۭا
Inna yaumal-fasli kana miqaata
Verily the Day of Sorting out is a thing appointed,
Lo! the Day of Decision is a fixed time,
يَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِى ٱلصُّورِ فَتَأْتُونَ أَفْوَاجًۭا
Yauma yun fakhu fis-soori fataa toona afwaaja
The Day that the Trumpet shall be sounded, and ye shall come forth in crowds;
A day when the trumpet is blown and ye come in multitudes,
وَفُتِحَتِ ٱلسَّمَآءُ فَكَانَتْ أَبْوَٰبًۭا
Wa futiha tis samaa-u fakaanat abwaaba
And the heavens shall be opened as if there were doors,
And the heaven is opened and becometh as gates,
وَسُيِّرَتِ ٱلْجِبَالُ فَكَانَتْ سَرَابًا
Wa suyyi raatil jibaalu fa kaanat saraaba
And the mountains shall vanish, as if they were a mirage.
And the hills are set in motion and become as a mirage.
إِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ كَانَتْ مِرْصَادًۭا
Inna jahan nama kaanat mirsaada
Truly Hell is as a place of ambush,
Lo! hell lurketh in ambush,
لِّلطَّٰغِينَ مَـَٔابًۭا
Lit taa gheena ma aaba
For the transgressors a place of destination:
A home for the rebellious.
لَّٰبِثِينَ فِيهَآ أَحْقَابًۭا
Laa bitheena feehaa ahqaaba
They will dwell therein for ages.
They will abide therein for ages.
لَّا يَذُوقُونَ فِيهَا بَرْدًۭا وَلَا شَرَابًا
Laa ya zooqoona feeha bar daw walaa sharaaba
Nothing cool shall they taste therein, nor any drink,
Therein taste they neither coolness nor (any) drink
إِلَّا حَمِيمًۭا وَغَسَّاقًۭا
Illa hamee maw-wa ghas saaqa
Save a boiling fluid and a fluid, dark, murky, intensely cold,
Save boiling water and a paralysing cold:
جَزَآءًۭ وِفَاقًا
Jazaa-aw wi faaqa
A fitting recompense (for them).
Reward proportioned (to their evil deeds).
إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ لَا يَرْجُونَ حِسَابًۭا
Innahum kaanu laa yarjoona hisaaba
For that they used not to fear any account (for their deeds),
For lo! they looked not for a reckoning;
وَكَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا كِذَّابًۭا
Wa kazzabu bi aayaa tina kizzaba
But they (impudently) treated Our Signs as false.
They called Our revelations false with strong denial.
وَكُلَّ شَىْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَٰهُ كِتَٰبًۭا
Wa kulla shai-in ahsai naahu kitaa ba
And all things have We preserved on record.
Everything have We recorded in a Book.
فَذُوقُوا۟ فَلَن نَّزِيدَكُمْ إِلَّا عَذَابًا
Fa zooqoo falan-nazee dakum ill-laa azaaba
“So taste ye (the fruits of your deeds); for no increase shall We grant you, except in Punishment.”
So taste (of that which ye have earned). No increase do We give you save of torment.
إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ مَفَازًا
Inna lil mutta qeena mafaaza
Verily for the Righteous there will be a fulfilment of (the heart’s) desires;
Lo! for the duteous is achievement –
حَدَآئِقَ وَأَعْنَٰبًۭا
Hadaa-iqa wa a’anaa ba
Gardens enclosed, and grapevines;
Gardens enclosed and vineyards,
وَكَوَاعِبَ أَتْرَابًۭا
Wa kaawa ‘iba at raaba
And voluptuous women of equal age;
And voluptuous women of equal age;
وَكَأْسًۭا دِهَاقًۭا
Wa ka’san di haaqa
And a cup full (to the brim).
And a full cup.
لَّا يَسْمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغْوًۭا وَلَا كِذَّٰبًۭا
Laa yasma’oona fiha lagh waw walaa kizzaba
No vanity shall they hear therein, nor Untruth:-
There hear they never vain discourse, nor lying –
جَزَآءًۭ مِّن رَّبِّكَ عَطَآءً حِسَابًۭا
Jazaa-am mir-rabbika ataa-an hisaaba
Recompense from thy Lord, a gift, (amply) sufficient,
Requital from thy Lord – a gift in payment –
رَّبِّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ۖ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِنْهُ خِطَابًۭا
Rabbis samaa waati wal ardi wa maa baina humar rahmaani laa yam likoona minhu khi taaba
(From) the Lord of the heavens and the earth, and all between, (Allah) Most Gracious: None shall have power to argue with Him.
Lord of the heavens and the earth, and (all) that is between them, the Beneficent; with Whom none can converse.
يَوْمَ يَقُومُ ٱلرُّوحُ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ صَفًّۭا ۖ لَّا يَتَكَلَّمُونَ إِلَّا مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ وَقَالَ صَوَابًۭا
Yauma yaqoo mur roohu wal malaa-ikatu saf-fal laa yata kalla moona illa man azina lahur rahmaanu wa qaala sawaaba
The Day that the Spirit and the angels will stand forth in ranks, none shall speak except any who is permitted by (Allah) Most Gracious, and He will say what is right.
On the day when the angels and the Spirit stand arrayed, they speak not, saving him whom the Beneficent alloweth and who speaketh right.
ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۖ فَمَن شَآءَ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ مَـَٔابًا
Zaalikal yaumul haqqu faman shaa-at ta khaaza ill-laa rabbihi ma-aaba
That Day will be the sure Reality: Therefore, whoso will, let him take a (straight) return to his Lord!
That is the True Day. So whoso will should seek recourse unto his Lord.
إِنَّآ أَنذَرْنَٰكُمْ عَذَابًۭا قَرِيبًۭا يَوْمَ يَنظُرُ ٱلْمَرْءُ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ وَيَقُولُ ٱلْكَافِرُ يَٰلَيْتَنِى كُنتُ تُرَٰبًۢا
In naa anzar naakum azaaban qareebaiy-yauma yan zurul marr-u maa qaddamat yadaahu wa ya qoolul-kaafiru yaa lai tanee kuntu turaaba
Verily, We have warned you of a Penalty near, the Day when man will see (the deeds) which his hands have sent forth, and the Unbeliever will say, “Woe unto me! Would that I were (mere) dust!”
Lo! We warn you of a doom at hand, a day whereon a man will look on that which his own hands have sent before, and the disbeliever will cry: “Would that I were dust!”
Sources. Arabic text: Tanzil Uthmani edition. Translations: Abdullah Yusuf Ali (original edition, 1934–1938) and Marmaduke Pickthall (1930), both in the public domain. Any introduction above is original writing and is not part of any translation.