A Meccan sura, dealing with the Day of Resurrection and man’s denial of that Day. God’s power is convincingly described in several vignettes (verses 3–4, 26–30, 34–40). The third paragraph instructs the Prophet on appropriate reception of the revelation (verses 16–19), and thereby serves to emphasize that the Quran is indeed God’s word.
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
Prophet Muhammad and the Quran
1 By [a] the Day of Resurrection 2 and by the self-reproaching soul! 3 Does man think We shall not put his bones back together? 4 In fact, We can reshape his very fingertips. 5 Yet man wants to deny what is ahead of him: 6 he says, ‘So, when will this Day of Resurrection be?’
7 When eyes are dazzled 8 and the moon eclipsed, 9 when the sun and the moon are brought together, 10 on that Day man will say, ‘Where can I escape?’ 11 Truly, there is no refuge: 12 they will all return to your Lord on that Day. 13 On that Day, man will be told what he put first and what he put last. 14 Truly, man is a clear witness against himself, 15 despite all the excuses he may put forward.
16 [Prophet], do not rush your tongue in an attempt to hasten [your memorization of] the Revelation: 17 We shall make sure of its safe collection and recitation. 18 When We have recited it, repeat the recitation 19 and We shall make it clear.
20 Truly you [people] love this fleeting world 21 and neglect the life to come. 22 On that Day there will be radiant faces, 23 looking towards their Lord, 24 and on that Day there will be the sad and despairing faces 25 of those who realize that a great calamity is about to befall them.
26 Truly, when the soul reaches the collarbone; 27 when it is said, ‘Could any charm-healer save him now?’; 28 when he knows it is the final parting; 29 when his legs are brought together: [b] 30 on that day he will be driven towards your Lord.
Arrogant Rejection and the Power of God
31 He neither believed nor prayed, 32 but denied the truth and turned away, 33 walking back to his people with a conceited swagger.
34 Closer and closer it comes to you. 35 Closer and closer still. 36 Does man think he will be left alone? [c] 37 Was he not just a drop of spilt-out sperm, 38 which became a clinging form, which God shaped in due proportion, 39 fashioning from it the two sexes, male and female? 40 Does He who can do this not have the power to bring the dead back to life?
Footnotes
a. This is preceded by a phrase which can be rendered either ‘I swear’ or ‘I do not swear’ (i.e. there is no need for me to swear), depending on how la is read.
b. This is taken to refer to when a corpse is wrapped in the shroud.
c. And not taken to account.
The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)
The Qur'an / a new translation by M. A. S. Abdel Haleem, copyright © 2004 Oxford World's Classics (Oxford University Press). Used by permission. All rights reserved.