78. Sūrat al-Nabaʾ

٧٨۔ سُورَةُ النـَّبأ

Qurʾān > Chapter 78 > Section 1
القرآن > كتاب ٧٨ > باب ١

78.1 The creation of the heavens , earth, mountains and vegetation clearly points towards the Day of Judgment. Resurrection and man's accountability in the court of God.

٧٨۔١ مقطع في سُورَةُ النـَّبأ

quran:78:1 – In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

About what are they asking one another?  

About what, about what thing, are they, the people of Quraysh, questioning one another?
القرآن:٧٨:١ – بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

عَمَّ يَتَسَاءَلُونَ  

{عمَّ} عن أي شيء {يتساءلون} يسال بعض قريش بعضا.
quran:78:2 –

About the great news -  

About the awesome tiding (˹this is˺ the explication of that ‘thing’; the interrogative is meant to emphasise its magnitude) — this ˹awesome tiding˺ is the Qur’ān, comprising ˹news of˺ the Resurrection and so on, which the Prophet (s) brought —
القرآن:٧٨:٢ –

عَنِ النَّبَإِ الْعَظِيمِ  

{عن النبأ العظيم} بيان لذلك الشيء والاستفهام لتفخيمه وهو ما جاء به النبي ﷺ من القرآن المشتمل على البعث وغيره.
quran:78:3 –

That over which they are in disagreement.  

concerning which they are at variance, for the believers affirm it, while the disbelievers repudiate it.
القرآن:٧٨:٣ –

الَّذِي هُمْ فِيهِ مُخْتَلِفُونَ  

{الذي هم فيه مختلفون} فالمؤمنون يثبتونه والكافرون ينكرونه.
quran:78:4 –

No! They are going to know.  

No indeed! — a disavowal — they will come to know, what will befall them for their rejection of it.
القرآن:٧٨:٤ –

كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ  

{كلا} ردع {سيعلمون} ما يحل بهم على إنكارهم له.
quran:78:5 –

Then, no! They are going to know.  

Again, no indeed! They will come to know! (˹reiterated˺ for emphasis; thumma is added here to declare that the second threat of chastisement is more severe than the first). God, exalted be He, then alludes to His power to resurrect, saying:
القرآن:٧٨:٥ –

ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ  

{ثم كلا سيعلمون} تأكيد وجيء فيه بثم للإيذان بأن الوعيد الثاني أشد من الأول، ثم أومأ تعالى إلى القدرة على البعث فقال:
quran:78:6 –

Have We not made the earth a resting place?  

Have We not made the earth a cradle, a bed, like a cradle,
القرآن:٧٨:٦ –

أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ الْأَرْضَ مِهَادًا  

{ألم نجعل الأرض مهادا} فراشا كالمهد.
quran:78:7 –

And the mountains as stakes?  

and the mountains pegs?, with which the earth is tied down like tents are tied down with pegs (the interrogative is meant as an affirmative).
القرآن:٧٨:٧ –

وَالْجِبَالَ أَوْتَادًا  

{والجبال أوتادا} تثبت بها الأرض كما تثبت الخيام بالأوتاد، والاستفهام للتقرير.
quran:78:8 –

And We created you in pairs  

And created you in pairs?, males and females,
القرآن:٧٨:٨ –

وَخَلَقْنَاكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا  

{وخلقناكم أزواجا} ذكورا وإناثا.
quran:78:9 –

And made your sleep ˹a means for˺ rest  

and made your sleep for rest?, repose for your bodies,
القرآن:٧٨:٩ –

وَجَعَلْنَا نَوْمَكُمْ سُبَاتًا  

{وجعلنا نومكم سباتا} راحة لأبدانكم.
quran:78:10 –

And made the night as clothing  

and made the night a cloak?, to cover you with its darkness,
القرآن:٧٨:١٠ –

وَجَعَلْنَا اللَّيْلَ لِبَاسًا  

{وجعلنا الليل لباسا} ساترا بسواده.
quran:78:11 –

And made the day for livelihood  

and made the day for livelihood?, a time for seeking livelihood,
القرآن:٧٨:١١ –

وَجَعَلْنَا النَّهَارَ مَعَاشًا  

{وجعلنا النهار معاشا} وقتا للمعايش.
quran:78:12 –

And constructed above you seven strong ˹heavens˺  

and built above you seven mighty ones?, seven heavens (shidād is the plural of shadīda) that is to say, strong and sturdy unaffected by the passage of time,
القرآن:٧٨:١٢ –

وَبَنَيْنَا فَوْقَكُمْ سَبْعًا شِدَادًا  

{وبنينا فوقكم سبعا} سبع سماوات {شدادا} جمع شديدة، أي قوية محكمة لا يؤثر فيها مرور الزمان.
quran:78:13 –

And made ˹therein˺ a burning lamp  

and set a radiant lamp?, namely, the sun,
القرآن:٧٨:١٣ –

وَجَعَلْنَا سِرَاجًا وَهَّاجًا  

{وجعلنا سراجا} منيرا {وهاجا} وقادا: يعني الشمس.
quran:78:14 –

And sent down, from the rain clouds, pouring water  

and sent down from the rain-clouds (mu‘sirāt), the clouds due to give rain (similar to ˹the term˺ mu‘sir, which denotes a girl nearing menstruation) cascading water?, pouring forth,
القرآن:٧٨:١٤ –

وَأَنْزَلْنَا مِنَ الْمُعْصِرَاتِ مَاءً ثَجَّاجًا  

{وأنزلنا من المعصرات} السحابات التي حان لها أن تمطر، كالمعصر الجارية التي دنت من الحيض {ماءً ثجاجا} صبابا.
quran:78:15 –

That We may bring forth thereby grain and vegetation  

that with it We may bring forth grains, such as wheat, and plants, such as figs,
القرآن:٧٨:١٥ –

لِنُخْرِجَ بِهِ حَبًّا وَنَبَاتًا  

{لنخرج به حبا} كالحنطة {ونباتا} كالتين.
quran:78:16 –

And gardens of entwined growth.  

and gardens, orchards, of intertwining foliage? (alfāf is the plural of lafīf, similar ˹in pattern˺ to sharīf, ‘noble’, ˹plural˺ ashrāf).
القرآن:٧٨:١٦ –

وَجَنَّاتٍ أَلْفَافًا  

{وجنات} بساتين {ألفافا} ملتفة، جمع لفيف كشريف وأشراف.
quran:78:17 –

Indeed, the Day of Judgement is an appointed time -  

Verily the Day of Decision, for creatures, is the tryst, a time ˹fixed˺ for reward and punishment,
القرآن:٧٨:١٧ –

إِنَّ يَوْمَ الْفَصْلِ كَانَ مِيقَاتًا  

{إن يوم الفصل} بين الخلائق {كان ميقاتا} وقتا للثواب والعقاب.
quran:78:18 –

The Day the Horn is blown and you will come forth in multitudes  

the day the Trumpet, the Horn, is blown (yawma yunfakhu fī’l-sūri is either a substitution for, or an explication of, yawma’l-fasli, ‘the Day of Decision’, the blower being Isrāfīl) and you come, forth from your graves to the site ˹of the Resurrection˺, in droves, in diverse groups,
القرآن:٧٨:١٨ –

يَوْمَ يُنْفَخُ فِي الصُّورِ فَتَأْتُونَ أَفْوَاجًا  

{يوم ينفخ في الصور} القرن بدل من يوم الفصل أو بيان له والنافخ إسرافيل {فتأتون} من قبوركم إلى الموقف {أفواجا} جماعات مختلفة.
quran:78:19 –

And the heaven is opened and will become gateways  

and the heaven is opened (read futtihat or futihat), sundered for the descent of the angels, and becomes as gates, it becomes ˹a heaven˺ with gates,
القرآن:٧٨:١٩ –

وَفُتِحَتِ السَّمَاءُ فَكَانَتْ أَبْوَابًا  

{وفُتِّحت السماء} بالتشديد والتخفيف شققت لنزول الملائكة {فكانت أبوابا} ذات أبواب.
quran:78:20 –

And the mountains are removed and will be ˹but˺ a mirage.  

and the mountains are set in motion, dislocated from their positions, and become as a mirage, as fine dust, that is to say, like it in terms of its levity when in motion.
القرآن:٧٨:٢٠ –

وَسُيِّرَتِ الْجِبَالُ فَكَانَتْ سَرَابًا  

{وسيِّرت الجبال} ذهب بها عن أماكنها {فكانت سرابا} هباء، أي مثله في خفة سيرها.
quran:78:21 –

Indeed, Hell has been lying in wait  

Verily Hell lurks in ambush (mirsādan, in the sense of rāsidatan or mursidatan, ‘lying in wait’)
القرآن:٧٨:٢١ –

إِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ كَانَتْ مِرْصَادًا  

{إن جهنم كانت مرصادا} راصدة أو مرصدة.
quran:78:22 –

For the transgressors, a place of return,  

for the rebellious, the disbelievers, who will not be able to avoid it, ˹it is˺ a resort, a retreat for them, and so they will enter it,
القرآن:٧٨:٢٢ –

لِلطَّاغِينَ مَآبًا  

{للطاغين} الكافرين فلا يتجاوزونها {مآبا} مرجعا لهم فيدخلونها.
quran:78:23 –

In which they will remain for ages ˹unending˺.  

to remain (lābithīna is an implied circumstantial qualifier, in other words, their remaining therein will be decreed ˹to be˺) therein for ages, for endless epochs (ahqāb is the plural of huqb),
القرآن:٧٨:٢٣ –

لَابِثِينَ فِيهَا أَحْقَابًا  

{لابثين} حال مقدرة، أي مقدَّرا لبثهم {فيها أحقابا} دهورا لا نهاية لها جمع حقب بضم أوله.
quran:78:24 –

They will not taste therein ˹any˺ coolness or drink  

tasting in it neither coolness, ˹neither˺ sleep, ˹something˺ which they will not taste ˹therein˺, nor drink, ˹nor˺ anything that is imbibed for the sake of its delightful taste,
القرآن:٧٨:٢٤ –

لَا يَذُوقُونَ فِيهَا بَرْدًا وَلَا شَرَابًا  

{لا يذوقون فيها بردا} نوما فإنهم لا يذوقونه {ولا شرابا} ما يشرب تلذذا.
quran:78:25 –

Except scalding water and ˹foul˺ purulence -  

except boiling water, of extreme temperatures, and pus (read ghasāqan or ghassāqan, which is the vile matter that is emitted by the ˹bodies of the˺ inhabitants of the Fire), which is what they will ˹indeed˺ taste. They are given this pair ˹of tortures˺,
القرآن:٧٨:٢٥ –

إِلَّا حَمِيمًا وَغَسَّاقًا  

{إلا} لكن {حميما} ماءً حارا غاية الحرارة {وغسَّاقا} بالتخفيف والتشديد ما يسيل من صديد أهل النار فإنهم يذوقونه جوزوا بذلك.
quran:78:26 –

An appropriate recompense.  

as a fitting requital, one that accords with ˹the nature of˺ their deeds, for there is no sin greater than disbelief, and no chastisement greater than the Fire.
القرآن:٧٨:٢٦ –

جَزَاءً وِفَاقًا  

{جزاءً وفاقا} موافقا لعملهم فلا ذنب أعظم من الكفر ولا عذاب أعظم من النار.
quran:78:27 –

Indeed, they were not expecting an account  

Indeed they never feared any reckoning, given their rejection of the Resurrection,
القرآن:٧٨:٢٧ –

إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا لَا يَرْجُونَ حِسَابًا  

{إنهم كانوا لا يرجون} يخافون {حسابا} لإنكارهم البعث.
quran:78:28 –

And denied Our verses with ˹emphatic˺ denial.  

and they denied Our signs, the Qur’ān, mendaciously,
القرآن:٧٨:٢٨ –

وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا كِذَّابًا  

{وكذبوا بآياتنا} القرآن {كِذَّابا} تكذيبا.
quran:78:29 –

But all things We have enumerated in writing.  

and everything, in the way of deeds, have We kept count of, have We recorded precisely, in a Book, as ˹individual˺ written records in the Preserved Tablet, in order to requite ˹creatures˺ in accordance with them, including ˹the record of˺ their denial of the Qur’ān.
القرآن:٧٨:٢٩ –

وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَاهُ كِتَابًا  

{وكل شيءٍ} من الأعمال {أحصيناه} ضبطناه {كتابا} كتبا في اللوح المحفوظ لنجازي عليه ومن ذلك تكذيبهم بالقرآن.
quran:78:30 –

"So taste ˹the penalty˺, and never will We increase you except in torment."  

‘So ˹now˺ taste! — in other words, it will be said to them in the Hereafter, when the chastisement has befallen them: taste ˹now˺ your requital! For We will increase you in nothing but chastisement’, in addition to your ˹due˺ chastisement.
القرآن:٧٨:٣٠ –

فَذُوقُوا فَلَنْ نَزِيدَكُمْ إِلَّا عَذَابًا  

{فذوقوا} أي فيقال لهم في الآخرة عند وقوع العذاب ذوقوا جزاءكم {فلن نزيدكم إلا عذابا} فوق عذابكم.