English - Chapter 56 - Al-Waqiah

When the Event will come to pass

– and then there will be no one to deny its occurrence –

(a calamitous Event) that shall turn things upside down

when the earth will suddenly shake with a terrible shaking

and the mountains will crumble

and will scatter abroad into fine dust

You shall then become three groups

The People on the Right: and how fortunate will be the People on the Right

And the People on the Left: and how miserable will be the People on the Left

As for the Foremost, they will be the foremost

They shall be near-stationed (to their Lord)

in the Gardens of Bliss

A throng of the ancients

and a few from later times

They (will be seated) on gold-encrusted couches

reclining on them, arrayed face to face

immortal youths shall go about them

with goblets and ewers and a cup filled with a drink drawn from a running spring

a drink by which their minds will not be clouded nor will it cause drunkenness

they will also go about them with the fruits of which they may choose

and with the flesh of any fowl that they may desire to eat

and there shall be wide-eyed maidens

beautiful as pearls hidden in their shells

All this shall be theirs as a reward for their deeds

There they shall hear no idle talk nor any sinful speech

All talk will be sound and upright

As for the People on the Right, how fortunate shall be the people on the Right

They shall be in the midst of thornless lote trees

and flower-clad acacias

and extended shade

and gushing water

and abundant fruit

never-ending and unforbidden

They shall be on upraised couches

and their spouses We shall have brought them into being afresh

and shall have made them virgins

intensely loving and of matching age

All this will be for the People on the Right

a large throng from the ancients

and also a large throng from those of later times

As for the People on the Left: how miserable will be the People on the Left

They will be in the midst of scorching wind and boiling water

and a shade of thick, pitch-black smoke

which will neither be cool nor soothing

Surely they had lived before in luxury

and had persisted in the Great Sin

They used to say: "What! Once we are dead and are reduced to dust and bones, shall we still be raised to a new life from the dead

(We) and our fore-fathers of yore

Tell them, (O Prophet): "The earlier ones and the later ones

shall all be brought together on an appointed Day

Then you, the erring ones and those that gave the lie to the Truth

shall all eat from the Tree of al-Zaqqum

filling your bellies with it

and thereupon you shall drink boiling water

drinking it as thirsty camels do

Thus shall they be entertained on the Day of Recompense

We have created you, then why would you not confirm it

Did you ever consider the sperm that you emit

Do you create a child out of it, or are We its creators

It is We Who ordained death upon you and We are not to be frustrated

Had We so wished, nothing could have hindered Us from replacing you by others like yourselves, or transforming you into beings you know nothing about

You are well aware of the first creation; then, do you learn no lesson from it

Have you considered the seeds you till

Is it you or We Who make them grow

If We so wished, We could have reduced your harvest to rubble, and you would have been left wonder-struck to exclaim

We have been penalised

nay; we have been undone

Did you cast a good look at the water that you drink

Is it you who brought it down from the clouds or is it We Who brought it down

If We had so pleased, We could have made it bitter. So why would you not give thanks

Did you make its tree grow or was it We Who made it grow

We made it a reminder and a provision for the needy

Glorify, then, (O Prophet), the name of your Great Lord

No! I swear by the positions of the stars –

and this is indeed a mighty oath, if only you knew –

that this indeed is a noble Qur´an

inscribed in a well-guarded Book

which none but the pure may touch

a revelation from the Lord of the Universe

Do you, then, take this discourse in light esteem

and your portion in it is simply that you denounce it as false

Why, then, when the soul leaps up to the throat

the while you are helplessly watching that he is on the verge of death

– at that moment when We are closer to him than you, although you do not see (Us)

if you are not subject to anyone´s authority

why are you then not able to bring them back to life if you are truthful

So if he is one of those who are near-stationed (to Allah)

then happiness and delight and Gardens of Bliss are his

And if he is one of the People on the Right

he will be welcomed by the words: "Peace to you" from the People on the Right

And if he is one of those who give the lie (to this Message) and go astray

then he will be served boiling water

and will be scorched by the Fire

That indeed is the absolute truth

So glorify the name of your Great Lord