56. Sūrat al-Wāqiʿah (1/2)

٥٦۔ سُورَةُ الواقِعَة ص ١

Qurʾān > Chapter 56
القرآن > كتاب ٥٦

The Inevitable (Meccan)

quran:56:1 – In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

When the Occurrence occurs,  

When the ˹imminent˺ Event comes to pass, ˹when˺ the Resurrection takes place,
القرآن:٥٦:١ – بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

إِذَا وَقَعَتِ الْوَاقِعَةُ  

{إذا وقعت الواقعة} قامت القيامة.
quran:56:2 –

There is, at its occurrence, no denial.  

there will be no denying its coming to pass, ˹there is˺ no soul to deny ˹it˺, by repudiating it as it did in this world,
القرآن:٥٦:٢ –

لَيْسَ لِوَقْعَتِهَا كَاذِبَةٌ  

{ليس لوقعتها كاذبة} نفس تكذب بأن تنفيها كما نفتها في الدنيا.
quran:56:3 –

It will bring down ˹some˺ and raise up ˹others˺.  

˹it will be˺ abasing ˹some˺, exalting ˹others˺, that is, it will manifest the abasing of some people by ˹virtue of˺ their admission into the Fire, and ˹manifest˺ the exalting of others by their admission into Paradise.
القرآن:٥٦:٣ –

خَافِضَةٌ رَافِعَةٌ  

{خافضة رافعة} أي هي مظهرة لخفض أقوام بدخولهم النار ولرفع آخرين بدخولهم الجنة.
quran:56:4 –

When the earth is shaken with convulsion  

When the earth is shaken with a violent shock,
القرآن:٥٦:٤ –

إِذَا رُجَّتِ الْأَرْضُ رَجًّا  

{إذا رجت الأرض رجا} حركت حركة شديدة.
quran:56:5 –

And the mountains are broken down, crumbling  

and the mountains are pulverised to ˹tiny˺ pieces,
القرآن:٥٦:٥ –

وَبُسَّتِ الْجِبَالُ بَسًّا  

{وبست الجبال بسا} فتتت.
quran:56:6 –

And become dust dispersing.  

so that they become a scattered dust (the second idh, ‘when’, is a substitution for the first idh),
القرآن:٥٦:٦ –

فَكَانَتْ هَبَاءً مُنْبَثًّا  

{فكانت هباءً} غبارا {منبثا} منتشرا، وإذا الثانية بدل من الأولى.
quran:56:7 –

And you become ˹of˺ three kinds:  

and you will be, at the Resurrection, three kinds, categories:
القرآن:٥٦:٧ –

وَكُنْتُمْ أَزْوَاجًا ثَلَاثَةً  

{وكنتم} في القيامة {أزواجا} أصنافا {ثلاثة}.
quran:56:8 –

Then the companions of the right - what are the companions of the right?  

Those of the right ˹hand˺, those who are given their record ˹of deeds˺ in their right hand (fa-ashābu’lmaymanati is the subject, the predicate of which is ˹the following mā ashābu’l-maymanati˺) — what of those of the right ˹hand˺? — a glorification of their status on account of their admittance into Paradise.
القرآن:٥٦:٨ –

فَأَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ  

{فأصحاب الميمنة} وهم الذين يؤتون كتبهم بإيمانهم مبتدأ خبره {ما أصحاب الميمنة} تعظيم لشأنهم بدخولهم الجنة.
quran:56:9 –

And the companions of the left - what are the companions of the left?  

And those of the left ˹hand˺ (al-mash’ama means al-shimāl, ‘left’), each of whom is given his record ˹of deeds˺ in their left hands — what of those of the left ˹hand˺? — an expression of contempt for their status on account of their admittance into the Fire.
القرآن:٥٦:٩ –

وَأَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ  

{وأصحاب المشأمة} أي الشمال بأن يؤتى كل منهم كتابه بشماله {ما أصحاب المشأمة} تحقير لشأنهم بدخولهم النار.
quran:56:10 –

And the forerunners, the forerunners -  

And the foremost, in ˹the race to do˺ good, namely, the prophets (al-sābiqūna is a subject) the foremost: (this ˹repetition˺ is to emphasise their exalted status; the predicate ˹is the following, ūlā’ika’l-muqarrabūna˺)
القرآن:٥٦:١٠ –

وَالسَّابِقُونَ السَّابِقُونَ  

{والسابقون} إلى الخير وهم الأنبياء مبتدأ {السابقون} تأكيد لتعظيم شأنهم.
quran:56:11 –

Those are the ones brought near ˹to Allah˺  

they are the ones brought near ˹to God˺,
القرآن:٥٦:١١ –

أُولَٰئِكَ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ  

{أولئك المقربون}.
quran:56:13 –

A ˹large˺ company of the former peoples  

a multitude from the former ˹generations˺ (thullatun mina’l-awwalīna, the subject), that is to say, a group of individuals from communities of old,
القرآن:٥٦:١٣ –

ثُلَّةٌ مِنَ الْأَوَّلِينَ  

{ثلة من الأولين} مبتدأ، أي جماعة من الأمم الماضية.
quran:56:14 –

And a few of the later peoples,  

and a few from the later ones, from among the community of Muhammad (s), being the foremost from among the communities of old and this community (the predicate ˹is the following, ‘alā sururin mawdūnatin˺),
القرآن:٥٦:١٤ –

وَقَلِيلٌ مِنَ الْآخِرِينَ  

{وقليل من الآخرين} من أمة محمد ﷺ وهم السابقون من الأمم الماضية وهذه الأمة والخبر.
quran:56:15 –

On thrones woven ˹with ornament˺,  

˹will be˺ upon encrusted couches, ˹their linings˺ woven onto rods of gold and jewels,
القرآن:٥٦:١٥ –

عَلَىٰ سُرُرٍ مَوْضُونَةٍ  

{على سرر موضونة} منسوجة بقضبان الذهب والجواهر.
quran:56:16 –

Reclining on them, facing each other.  

reclining on them, face to face (muttaki’īna ‘alayhā mutaqābilīna constitute two circumstantial qualifiers referring to the ˹subject˺ person of the predicate ˹‘they’˺).
القرآن:٥٦:١٦ –

مُتَّكِئِينَ عَلَيْهَا مُتَقَابِلِينَ  

{متكئين عليها متقابلين} حالان من الضمير في الخبر.
quran:56:17 –

There will circulate among them young boys made eternal  

They will be waited on by immortal youths, resembling young boys, never ageing;
القرآن:٥٦:١٧ –

يَطُوفُ عَلَيْهِمْ وِلْدَانٌ مُخَلَّدُونَ  

{يطوف عليهم} للخدمة {ولدان مخلدون} على شكل الأولاد لا يهرمون.
quran:56:18 –

With vessels, pitchers and a cup ˹of wine˺ from a flowing spring -  

with goblets (akwāb are drinking-vessels without handles) and ewers (abārīq ˹are vessels that˺ have handles and spouts) and a cup (ka’s is the vessel for drinking wine) from a flowing spring, in other words, wine flowing from a spring that never runs out,
القرآن:٥٦:١٨ –

بِأَكْوَابٍ وَأَبَارِيقَ وَكَأْسٍ مِنْ مَعِينٍ  

{بأكواب} أقداح لا عرى لها {وأباريق} لها عرى وخراطيم {وكأس} إناء شرب الخمر {من معين} أي خمر جارية من منبع لا ينقطع أبدا.
quran:56:19 –

No headache will they have therefrom, nor will they be intoxicated -  

wherefrom they suffer no headache nor any stupefaction (read yanzafūna or yanzifūna, ˹respectively derived˺ from nazafa or anzafa al-shāribu, ‘the drinker became inebriated’), in other words, they do not get a headache from it nor do they lose their senses, in contrast to ˹the case with˺ the wine of this world;
القرآن:٥٦:١٩ –

لَا يُصَدَّعُونَ عَنْهَا وَلَا يُنْزِفُونَ  

{لا يصدعون عنها ولا ينزَِفون} بفتح الزاي وكسرها من نزف الشارب وأنزف، أي لا يحصل لهم منها صداع ولا ذهاب عقل بخلاف خمر الدنيا.
quran:56:20 –

And fruit of what they select  

and such fruits as they prefer,
القرآن:٥٦:٢٠ –

وَفَاكِهَةٍ مِمَّا يَتَخَيَّرُونَ  

{وفاكهة مما يتخيرون}.
quran:56:21 –

And the meat of fowl, from whatever they desire.  

and such flesh of fowls as they desire, for themselves to enjoy,
القرآن:٥٦:٢١ –

وَلَحْمِ طَيْرٍ مِمَّا يَشْتَهُونَ  

{ولحم طير مما يشتهون و} لهم للاستمتاع.
quran:56:22 –

And ˹for them are˺ fair women with large, ˹beautiful˺ eyes,  

and houris, maidens with intensely black eyes ˹set˺ against the whiteness ˹of their irises˺, with wide eyes (‘īn: the ‘ayn here is inflected with a kasra instead of a damma because it ˹the kasra˺ better harmonises with the yā’; the singular is ‘aynā’, similar ˹in pattern˺ to hamrā’; a variant reading ˹for wa-hūrun ‘īn˺ has the genitive case wa-hūrin ‘īn)
القرآن:٥٦:٢٢ –

وَحُورٌ عِينٌ  

{وحور} نساء شديدات سواد العيون وبياضها {عين} ضخام العيون كسرت عينه بدل ضمها لمجانسة الياء ومفرده عيناء كحمراء وفي قراءة بجر حور عين.
quran:56:23 –

The likenesses of pearls well-protected,  

resembling hidden, guarded, pearls,
القرآن:٥٦:٢٣ –

كَأَمْثَالِ اللُّؤْلُؤِ الْمَكْنُونِ  

{كأمثال اللؤلؤ المكنون} المصون.
quran:56:24 –

As reward for what they used to do.  

a reward (jazā’an is an object denoting reason or a verbal noun, with the operator being an implicit ˹verb˺, in other words, ‘We have appointed for them the mentioned as a reward’ or ‘We have rewarded them ˹this˺’) for what they used to do.
القرآن:٥٦:٢٤ –

جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ  

{جزاءً} مفعول له أو مصدر والعامل المقدر أي جعلنا لهم ما ذكر للجزاء أو جزيناهم {بما كانوا يعملون}.
quran:56:25 –

They will not hear therein ill speech or commission of sin -  

They will not hear therein, in Paradise, any vain talk, any lewd words, or any sinful words,
القرآن:٥٦:٢٥ –

لَا يَسْمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغْوًا وَلَا تَأْثِيمًا  

{لا يسمعون فيها} في الجنة {لغوا} فاحشا من الكلام {ولا تأثيما} ما يؤثم.
quran:56:26 –

Only a saying: "Peace, peace."  

but only the saying, ‘Peace!’ ‘Peace!’ (salāman salāman substitutes for qīlan, ‘the saying’) which they will hear.
القرآن:٥٦:٢٦ –

إِلَّا قِيلًا سَلَامًا سَلَامًا  

{إلا} لكن {قيلا} قولا {سلاما} سلاما بدل من قيلا فإنهم يسمعونه.
quran:56:27 –

The companions of the right - what are the companions of the right?  

And those of the right ˹hand˺ — what of those of the right ˹hand˺?
القرآن:٥٦:٢٧ –

وَأَصْحَابُ الْيَمِينِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الْيَمِينِ  

{وأصحاب اليمين ما أصحاب اليمين}.
quran:56:28 –

˹They will be˺ among lote trees with thorns removed  

Amid thornless lote-trees, nabk trees,
القرآن:٥٦:٢٨ –

فِي سِدْرٍ مَخْضُودٍ  

{في سدر} شجر النبق {مخضود} لا شوك فيه.
quran:56:29 –

And ˹banana˺ trees layered ˹with fruit˺  

and clustered plantains, banana trees, ˹weighed down˺ with its load ˹of fruit˺ from top to bottom,
القرآن:٥٦:٢٩ –

وَطَلْحٍ مَنْضُودٍ  

{وطلح} شجر الموز {منضود} بالحمل من أسفله إلى أعلاه.
quran:56:33 –

Neither limited ˹to season˺ nor forbidden,  

neither unavailable, during certain times, nor forbidden, because of ˹its˺ cost,
القرآن:٥٦:٣٣ –

لَا مَقْطُوعَةٍ وَلَا مَمْنُوعَةٍ  

{لا مقطوعة} في زمن {ولا ممنوعة} بثمن.
quran:56:34 –

And ˹upon˺ beds raised high.  

and mattresses ˹that are˺ raised, on top of couches.
القرآن:٥٦:٣٤ –

وَفُرُشٍ مَرْفُوعَةٍ  

{وفرش مرفوعة} على السرر.
quran:56:35 –

Indeed, We have produced the women of Paradise in a ˹new˺ creation  

Verily We have created them with an ˹unmediated˺ creation, namely, the wide-eyed houris, ˹We created them˺ without the process of birth,
القرآن:٥٦:٣٥ –

إِنَّا أَنْشَأْنَاهُنَّ إِنْشَاءً  

{إنا أنشأناهن إنشاءً} أي الحور العين من غير ولادة.
quran:56:36 –

And made them virgins,  

and made them virgins, immaculate — every time their spouses enter them they find them virgins, nor is there any pain ˹of defloration˺ —
القرآن:٥٦:٣٦ –

فَجَعَلْنَاهُنَّ أَبْكَارًا  

{فجعلناهن أبكارا} عذارى كلما أتاهن أزواجهن وجدوهن عذارى ولا وجع.
quran:56:37 –

Devoted ˹to their husbands˺ and of equal age,  

amorous (read ‘uruban or ‘urban, plural of ‘arūb, meaning ‘a woman passionately enamoured of her spouse’), of equal age (atrāb is the plural of tirb),
القرآن:٥٦:٣٧ –

عُرُبًا أَتْرَابًا  

{عرُْبا} بضم الراء وسكونها جمع عروب وهي المتحببة إلى زوجها عشقا له {أترابا} جمع ترب، أي مستويات في السن.
quran:56:38 –

For the companions of the right ˹who are˺  

for those of the right ˹hand˺ (li-ashābi’l-yamīni is the relative clause of ˹either˺ ansha’nāhunna, ‘We have created them’, or ja‘alnāhunna, ‘˹We˺ made them’), who are:
القرآن:٥٦:٣٨ –

لِأَصْحَابِ الْيَمِينِ  

{لأصحاب اليمين} صلة أنشأناهن أو جعلناهن وهم.
quran:56:39 –

A company of the former peoples  

A multitude from the former ˹generations˺,
القرآن:٥٦:٣٩ –

ثُلَّةٌ مِنَ الْأَوَّلِينَ  

{ثلة من الأولين}.
quran:56:40 –

And a company of the later peoples.  

and a multitude of the later ones.
القرآن:٥٦:٤٠ –

وَثُلَّةٌ مِنَ الْآخِرِينَ  

{وثلة من الآخرين}.
quran:56:41 –

And the companions of the left - what are the companions of the left?  

And those of the left ˹hand˺ — what of those of the left ˹hand˺?
القرآن:٥٦:٤١ –

وَأَصْحَابُ الشِّمَالِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الشِّمَالِ  

{وأصحاب الشمال ما أصحاب الشمال}.
quran:56:42 –

˹They will be˺ in scorching fire and scalding water  

Amid a scorching wind, an infernal wind, permeating the pores of skins, and scalding water, water of extreme temperatures,
القرآن:٥٦:٤٢ –

فِي سَمُومٍ وَحَمِيمٍ  

{في سموم} ريح جارة من النار تنفذ في المسام {وحميم} ماء شديد الحرارة.
quran:56:43 –

And a shade of black smoke,  

and the shade of pitch-black smoke,
القرآن:٥٦:٤٣ –

وَظِلٍّ مِنْ يَحْمُومٍ  

{وظل من يحموم} دخان شديد السواد.
quran:56:44 –

Neither cool nor beneficial.  

neither cool, like all other shade, nor pleasant, ˹nor˺ agreeable in its appearance.
القرآن:٥٦:٤٤ –

لَا بَارِدٍ وَلَا كَرِيمٍ  

{لا بارد} كغيره من الظلال {ولا كريم} حسن المنظر.
quran:56:45 –

Indeed they were, before that, indulging in affluence,  

Indeed before that, in the world, they used to live at ease, enjoying ˹life’s˺ comforts, never wearying themselves with ˹an act of˺ obedience,
القرآن:٥٦:٤٥ –

إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَبْلَ ذَٰلِكَ مُتْرَفِينَ  

{إنهم كانوا قبل ذلك} في الدنيا {مترفين} منعمين لا يتعبون في الطاعة.
quran:56:46 –

And they used to persist in the great violation,  

and they used to persist in the great sin, namely, idolatry.
القرآن:٥٦:٤٦ –

وَكَانُوا يُصِرُّونَ عَلَى الْحِنْثِ الْعَظِيمِ  

{وكانوا يصرون على الحنث} الذنب {العظيم} أي الشرك.
quran:56:47 –

And they used to say, "When we die and become dust and bones, are we indeed to be resurrected?  

And they used to say, ‘What! When we are dead and have become dust and bones, shall we indeed be resurrected? (in both instances ˹a-idhā and a-innā˺ the two hamzas may be read either by pronouncing them fully, or by not pronouncing the second, and in either case inserting an intervening alif).
القرآن:٥٦:٤٧ –

وَكَانُوا يَقُولُونَ أَئِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابًا وَعِظَامًا أَإِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ  

{وكانوا يقولون أئذا متنا وكنا ترابا وعظاما أئنا لمبعوثون} في الهمزتين في الموضوعين التحقيق وتسهيل الثانية وإدخال ألف بينهما على الوجهين.
quran:56:48 –

And our forefathers ˹as well˺?"  

What! And our forefathers too?’ (read a-wa-ābā’unā, ˹with the wa-˺ being for supplement, the hamza ˹a-˺ for the interrogative; here and in the previous instance, it is used to express ‘remoteness ˹of probability˺’; a variant reading has aw-ābā’unā, as a supplement with aw, and that to which this is supplemented is the ˹syntactical˺ locus of inna and its subject).
القرآن:٥٦:٤٨ –

أَوَآبَاؤُنَا الْأَوَّلُونَ  

{أو آباؤنا الأولون} بفتح الواو للعطف والهمزة للاستفهام وهو في ذلك وفيما قبله للاستبعاد وفي قراءة بسكون الواو عطفا بأو والمعطوف عليه محل إن واسمها.
quran:56:49 –

Say, ˹O Muhammad˺, "Indeed, the former and the later peoples  

Say: ‘Truly the former and the later ˹generations˺
القرآن:٥٦:٤٩ –

قُلْ إِنَّ الْأَوَّلِينَ وَالْآخِرِينَ  

{قل إن الأولين والآخرين}.
quran:56:50 –

Are to be gathered together for the appointment of a known Day."  

will be gathered for the tryst, the time, of a known day, that is, the Day of Resurrection.
القرآن:٥٦:٥٠ –

لَمَجْمُوعُونَ إِلَىٰ مِيقَاتِ يَوْمٍ مَعْلُومٍ  

{لمجموعون إلى ميقات} لوقت {يوم معلوم} أي يوم القيامة.