The surah that mentions a divine portent of an evil destiny that will come in the appearance of something unknown called the Smoke. It manifests in the sky and enveils the unbelievers on the earth, until they cry in vain to God that they shall believe in the Quran and its Messenger of only He delivers them from this torment. It takes its name from the “smoke” (dukhān) mentioned in verse 10. The surah highlights the mercy that is the Quran, addresses the obduracy of the powerful and wealthy oppressors, and draws comparisons between the people of Pharaoh, Tubbaʾ, and the Meccans. The people of Paradise will enjoy heavenly bliss while those who were mighty in this world will suer the torments of Hell.The surah is also known as: Mist.
1
حم
ḥ-m (ḥā mīm)
Ḥā, Mīm.
2
وَالكِتابِ المُبينِ
wa-l-kitābi l-mubīni
By the Manifest Book!
3
إِنّا أَنزَلناهُ في لَيلَةٍ مُبارَكَةٍ ۚ إِنّا كُنّا مُنذِرينَ
ʾinnā ʾanzalnāhu fī laylatin mubārakatin ʾinnā kunnā mundhirīna
Indeed We sent it down on a blessed night,and indeed We have been warning [mankind].
4
فيها يُفرَقُ كُلُّ أَمرٍ حَكيمٍ
fīhā yufraqu kullu ʾamrin ḥakīmin
Every definitive matter is resolved in it,1That is, on the Night of Ordainment. See 97:1-5.
5
أَمرًا مِن عِندِنا ۚ إِنّا كُنّا مُرسِلينَ
ʾamran min ʿindinā ʾinnā kunnā mursilīna
as an ordinance1 from Us.Indeed We have been sending [apostles],Or ‘edict.’
6
رَحمَةً مِن رَبِّكَ ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّميعُ العَليمُ
raḥmatan min rabbika ʾinnahū huwa s-samīʿu l-ʿalīmu
as a mercy from your Lord—indeed He is the All-hearing, the All-knowing—
7
رَبِّ السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضِ وَما بَينَهُما ۖ إِن كُنتُم موقِنينَ
rabbi s-samāwāti wa-l-ʾarḍi wa-mā baynahumā ʾin kuntum mūqinīna
the Lord of the heavens and the earth,and whatever is between them,should you have conviction.
8
لا إِلٰهَ إِلّا هُوَ يُحيي وَيُميتُ ۖ رَبُّكُم وَرَبُّ آبائِكُمُ الأَوَّلينَ
lā ʾilāha ʾillā huwa yuḥyī wa-yumītu rabbukum wa-rabbu ʾābāʾikumu l-ʾawwalīna
There is no god except Him:He gives life and brings death,your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers.
9
بَل هُم في شَكٍّ يَلعَبونَ
bal hum fī shakkin yalʿabūna
Rather they play around in doubt.
10
فَارتَقِب يَومَ تَأتِي السَّماءُ بِدُخانٍ مُبينٍ
fa-rtaqib yawma taʾtī s-samāʾu bi-dukhānin mubīnin
So watch out for the daywhen the sky brings on a manifest smoke,
11
يَغشَى النّاسَ ۖ هٰذا عَذابٌ أَليمٌ
yaghshā n-nāsa hādhā ʿadhābun ʾalīmun
enveloping the people.[They will cry out:] ‘This is a painful punishment.
12
رَبَّنَا اكشِف عَنَّا العَذابَ إِنّا مُؤمِنونَ
rabbanā kshif ʿannā l-ʿadhāba ʾinnā muʾminūna
Our Lord! Remove from us this punishment.Indeed we have believed!’
13
أَنّىٰ لَهُمُ الذِّكرىٰ وَقَد جاءَهُم رَسولٌ مُبينٌ
ʾannā lahumu dh-dhikrā wa-qad jāʾahum rasūlun mubīnun
What will the admonition avail them,when a manifest apostle had already come to them,
14
ثُمَّ تَوَلَّوا عَنهُ وَقالوا مُعَلَّمٌ مَجنونٌ
thumma tawallaw ʿanhu wa-qālū muʿallamun majnūnun
but they turned away from him,and said, ‘A tutored madman?’
15
إِنّا كاشِفُو العَذابِ قَليلًا ۚ إِنَّكُم عائِدونَ
ʾinnā kāshifū l-ʿadhābi qalīlan ʾinnakum ʿāʾidūna
Indeed We will withdraw the punishment a little;but you will indeed revert [to your earlier ways].
16
يَومَ نَبطِشُ البَطشَةَ الكُبرىٰ إِنّا مُنتَقِمونَ
yawma nabṭishu l-baṭshata l-kubrā ʾinnā muntaqimūna
The day We shall strike with the most terrible striking,We will indeed take vengeance [on them].
17
۞ وَلَقَد فَتَنّا قَبلَهُم قَومَ فِرعَونَ وَجاءَهُم رَسولٌ كَريمٌ
wa-la-qad fatannā qablahum qawma firʿawna wa-jāʾahum rasūlun karīmun
Certainly We triedthe people of Pharaoh before them,when a noble apostle came to them,
18
أَن أَدّوا إِلَيَّ عِبادَ اللَّهِ ۖ إِنّي لَكُم رَسولٌ أَمينٌ
ʾan ʾaddū ʾilayya ʿibāda llāhi ʾinnī lakum rasūlun ʾamīnun
[saying,] ‘Give over the servants of Allah1 to me;indeed I am a trusted apostle [sent] to you.That is, the Israelites.
19
وَأَن لا تَعلوا عَلَى اللَّهِ ۖ إِنّي آتيكُم بِسُلطانٍ مُبينٍ
wa-ʾan lā taʿlū ʿalā llāhi ʾinnī ʾātīkum bi-sulṭānin mubīnin
Do not defy Allah.Indeed I bring you a manifest authority.
20
وَإِنّي عُذتُ بِرَبّي وَرَبِّكُم أَن تَرجُمونِ
wa-ʾinnī ʿudhtu bi-rabbī wa-rabbikum ʾan tarjumūni
I seek the protection of my Lord and your Lord,lest you should stone me.
21
وَإِن لَم تُؤمِنوا لي فَاعتَزِلونِ
wa-ʾin lam tuʾminū lī fa-ʿtazilūni
And if you do not believe me,keep out of my way.’
22
فَدَعا رَبَّهُ أَنَّ هٰؤُلاءِ قَومٌ مُجرِمونَ
fa-daʿā rabbahū ʾanna hāʾulāʾi qawmun mujrimūna
Then he invoked his Lord, [saying,]‘These are indeed a guilty lot.’
23
فَأَسرِ بِعِبادي لَيلًا إِنَّكُم مُتَّبَعونَ
fa-ʾasri bi-ʿibādī laylan ʾinnakum muttabaʿūna
[Allah told him,] ‘Set out with My servants by night;for you will indeed be pursued.
24
وَاترُكِ البَحرَ رَهوًا ۖ إِنَّهُم جُندٌ مُغرَقونَ
wa-truki l-baḥra rahwan ʾinnahum jundun mughraqūna
And leave the sea calmly;they will indeed be a drowned host.’
25
كَم تَرَكوا مِن جَنّاتٍ وَعُيونٍ
kam tarakū min jannātin wa-ʿuyūnin
How many gardens and springs did they leave behind!
26
وَزُروعٍ وَمَقامٍ كَريمٍ
wa-zurūʿin wa-maqāmin karīmin
Fields and splendid places,
27
وَنَعمَةٍ كانوا فيها فاكِهينَ
wa-naʿmatin kānū fīhā fākihīna
and the bounties wherein they rejoiced!
28
كَذٰلِكَ ۖ وَأَورَثناها قَومًا آخَرينَ
ka-dhālika wa-ʾawrathnāhā qawman ʾākharīna
So it was;and We bequeathed them to another people.
29
فَما بَكَت عَلَيهِمُ السَّماءُ وَالأَرضُ وَما كانوا مُنظَرينَ
fa-mā bakat ʿalayhimu s-samāʾu wa-l-ʾarḍu wa-mā kānū munẓarīna
So neither the sky wept for them,nor the earth;nor were they granted any respite.
30
وَلَقَد نَجَّينا بَني إِسرائيلَ مِنَ العَذابِ المُهينِ
wa-la-qad najjaynā banī ʾisrāʾīla mina l-ʿadhābi l-muhīni
Certainly We delivered the Children of Israelfrom a humiliating torment,
31
مِن فِرعَونَ ۚ إِنَّهُ كانَ عالِيًا مِنَ المُسرِفينَ
min firʿawna ʾinnahū kāna ʿāliyan mina l-musrifīna
from Pharaoh.Indeed he was a tyrant among the profligates.
32
وَلَقَدِ اختَرناهُم عَلىٰ عِلمٍ عَلَى العالَمينَ
wa-la-qadi khtarnāhum ʿalā ʿilmin ʿalā l-ʿālamīna
Certainly We chose them knowinglyabove all the nations.
33
وَآتَيناهُم مِنَ الآياتِ ما فيهِ بَلاءٌ مُبينٌ
wa-ʾātaynāhum mina l-ʾāyāti mā fīhi balāʾun mubīnun
And We gave them some signsin which there was a manifest test.
34
إِنَّ هٰؤُلاءِ لَيَقولونَ
ʾinna hāʾulāʾi la-yaqūlūna
Indeed these ones say,
35
إِن هِيَ إِلّا مَوتَتُنَا الأولىٰ وَما نَحنُ بِمُنشَرينَ
ʾin hiya ʾillā mawtatunā l-ʾūlā wa-mā naḥnu bi-munsharīna
‘It will be just our first death,and we shall not be resurrected.
36
فَأتوا بِآبائِنا إِن كُنتُم صادِقينَ
fa-ʾtū bi-ʾābāʾinā ʾin kuntum ṣādiqīna
Bring our fathers back [to life],should you be truthful.’
37
أَهُم خَيرٌ أَم قَومُ تُبَّعٍ وَالَّذينَ مِن قَبلِهِم ۚ أَهلَكناهُم ۖ إِنَّهُم كانوا مُجرِمينَ
ʾa-hum khayrun ʾam qawmu tubbaʿin wa-lladhīna min qablihim ʾahlaknāhum ʾinnahum kānū mujrimīna
Are they better, or the people of Tubbaʿ,1and those who were before them?We destroyed them;indeed they were guilty.Name of a Yemenite king. Tubbaʿ is said to be the title of a dynasty of Yemenite kings (like pharaoh, caesar and khaqan).
38
وَما خَلَقنَا السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضَ وَما بَينَهُما لاعِبينَ
wa-mā khalaqnā s-samāwāti wa-l-ʾarḍa wa-mā baynahumā lāʿibīna
We did not create the heavens and the earthand whatever is between them for play.
39
ما خَلَقناهُما إِلّا بِالحَقِّ وَلٰكِنَّ أَكثَرَهُم لا يَعلَمونَ
mā khalaqnāhumā ʾillā bi-l-ḥaqqi wa-lākinna ʾaktharahum lā yaʿlamūna
We did not create them except with reason;but most of them do not know.
40
إِنَّ يَومَ الفَصلِ ميقاتُهُم أَجمَعينَ
ʾinna yawma l-faṣli mīqātuhum ʾajmaʿīna
Indeed the Day of Judgementis the tryst for them all,
41
يَومَ لا يُغني مَولًى عَن مَولًى شَيئًا وَلا هُم يُنصَرونَ
yawma lā yughnī mawlan ʿan mawlan shayʾan wa-lā hum yunṣarūna
the daywhen a friend will not avail a friend in any way,nor will they be helped,
42
إِلّا مَن رَحِمَ اللَّهُ ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ العَزيزُ الرَّحيمُ
ʾillā man raḥima llāhu ʾinnahū huwa l-ʿazīzu r-raḥīmu
except for him on whom Allah has mercy.Indeed He is the All-mighty, the All-merciful.
43
إِنَّ شَجَرَتَ الزَّقّومِ
ʾinna shajarata z-zaqqūmi
Indeed the tree of Zaqqūm
44
طَعامُ الأَثيمِ
ṭaʿāmu l-ʾathīmi
will be the food of the sinful.
45
كَالمُهلِ يَغلي فِي البُطونِ
ka-l-muhli yaghlī fī l-buṭūni
Like molten copper it will boil in the bellies,
46
كَغَليِ الحَميمِ
ka-ghalyi l-ḥamīmi
boiling like boiling water.
47
خُذوهُ فَاعتِلوهُ إِلىٰ سَواءِ الجَحيمِ
khudhūhu fa-ʿtilūhu ʾilā sawāʾi l-jaḥīmi
‘Seize himand drag him to the middle of hell,
48
ثُمَّ صُبّوا فَوقَ رَأسِهِ مِن عَذابِ الحَميمِ
thumma ṣubbū fawqa raʾsihī min ʿadhābi l-ḥamīmi
then pour over his headthe punishment of boiling water.’
49
ذُق إِنَّكَ أَنتَ العَزيزُ الكَريمُ
dhuq ʾinnaka ʾanta l-ʿazīzu l-karīmu
‘Taste!Indeed you are the [self-styled] mighty and noble!
50
إِنَّ هٰذا ما كُنتُم بِهِ تَمتَرونَ
ʾinna hādhā mā kuntum bihī tamtarūna
This is indeed what you used to doubt!’
51
إِنَّ المُتَّقينَ في مَقامٍ أَمينٍ
ʾinna l-muttaqīna fī maqāmin ʾamīnin
Indeed the Godwary will be in a secure place,
52
في جَنّاتٍ وَعُيونٍ
fī jannātin wa-ʿuyūnin
amid gardens and springs,
53
يَلبَسونَ مِن سُندُسٍ وَإِستَبرَقٍ مُتَقابِلينَ
yalbasūna min sundusin wa-ʾistabraqin mutaqābilīna
dressed in fine silk and brocade,sitting face to face.
54
كَذٰلِكَ وَزَوَّجناهُم بِحورٍ عينٍ
ka-dhālika wa-zawwajnāhum bi-ḥūrin ʿīnin
So shall it be,and We shall wed them to black-eyed houris.
55
يَدعونَ فيها بِكُلِّ فاكِهَةٍ آمِنينَ
yadʿūna fīhā bi-kulli fākihatin ʾāminīna
There they will call for every fruit, in safety.
56
لا يَذوقونَ فيهَا المَوتَ إِلَّا المَوتَةَ الأولىٰ ۖ وَوَقاهُم عَذابَ الجَحيمِ
lā yadhūqūna fīhā l-mawta ʾillā l-mawtata l-ʾūlā wa-waqāhum ʿadhāba l-jaḥīmi
There they will not taste deathexcept the first death,and He will save them from the punishment of hell
57
فَضلًا مِن رَبِّكَ ۚ ذٰلِكَ هُوَ الفَوزُ العَظيمُ
faḍlan min rabbika dhālika huwa l-fawzu l-ʿaẓīmu
—a grace from your Lord.That is the great success.
58
فَإِنَّما يَسَّرناهُ بِلِسانِكَ لَعَلَّهُم يَتَذَكَّرونَ
fa-ʾinnamā yassarnāhu bi-lisānika laʿallahum yatadhakkarūna
Indeed We have made it simple in your language,so that they may take admonition.
59
فَارتَقِب إِنَّهُم مُرتَقِبونَ
fa-rtaqib ʾinnahum murtaqibūna
So wait!Indeed they [too] are waiting.