كَذَّبَت قَبلَهُم قَومُ نوحٍ وَأَصحابُ الرَّسِّ وَثَمودُ
Before them, the people of Noah, the residents of Ar-Rass, and Thamud denied the truth.
وَعادٌ وَفِرعَونُ وَإِخوانُ لوطٍ
So did Aad, Pharaoh, and the brethren of Lot.
وَأَصحابُ الأَيكَةِ وَقَومُ تُبَّعٍ ۚ كُلٌّ كَذَّبَ الرُّسُلَ فَحَقَّ وَعيدِ
The inhabitants of the Forest and the people of Tubba also rejected the messengers. So My promise was justified.
أَفَعَيينا بِالخَلقِ الأَوَّلِ ۚ بَل هُم في لَبسٍ مِن خَلقٍ جَديدٍ
Were We exhausted by the first creation? Yet they are in confusion about a new creation.
وَلَقَد خَلَقنَا الإِنسانَ وَنَعلَمُ ما تُوَسوِسُ بِهِ نَفسُهُ ۖ وَنَحنُ أَقرَبُ إِلَيهِ مِن حَبلِ الوَريدِ
We created man, and We know what his soul whispers to him. We are closer to him than his jugular vein.
إِذ يَتَلَقَّى المُتَلَقِّيانِ عَنِ اليَمينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمالِ قَعيدٌ
As the two receivers receive, seated on the right and left.
ما يَلفِظُ مِن قَولٍ إِلّا لَدَيهِ رَقيبٌ عَتيدٌ
Every word he utters is noted by a vigilant scribe nearby.
وَجاءَت سَكرَةُ المَوتِ بِالحَقِّ ۖ ذٰلِكَ ما كُنتَ مِنهُ تَحيدُ
The stupor of death arrives: “This is what you attempted to evade.”
وَنُفِخَ فِي الصّورِ ۚ ذٰلِكَ يَومُ الوَعيدِ
And the trumpet will be blown. This is the Day of Promise.
وَجاءَت كُلُّ نَفسٍ مَعَها سائِقٌ وَشَهيدٌ
And every soul will come, with it an usher and a witness.
لَقَد كُنتَ في غَفلَةٍ مِن هـٰذا فَكَشَفنا عَنكَ غِطاءَكَ فَبَصَرُكَ اليَومَ حَديدٌ
“You were neglectful of this, so We’ve removed your veil, and your sight today is iron.”