The surah that opens with the oath of the Divine One swearing by The Wresters, the angelic pullers, who shall harshly wrest out the souls of the unbelievers at their appointed time of death. It takes its name from “the wresters” (al-nāziʿāt) mentioned in verse 1. The main theme of the surah is the possibility and inevitability of the Resurrection, its results, and its timing. The story of Moses and Pharaoh acts as encouragement to the Prophet and a warning to the disbelievers.The surah is also known as: (Soul-)Snatchers, Extractors, The Angelic Pullers, The Forceful Chargers, The Pluckers, The Soul-Snatchers, Those That Rise, Those Who Pull and Withdraw, Those Who Tear Out.
1
وَالنّازِعاتِ غَرقًا
wa-n-nāziʿāti gharqan
By those [angels] who wrest [the soul] violently,
2
وَالنّاشِطاتِ نَشطًا
wa-n-nāshiṭāti nashṭan
by those who draw [it] out gently,
3
وَالسّابِحاتِ سَبحًا
wa-s-sābiḥāti sabḥan
by those who swim smoothly,
4
فَالسّابِقاتِ سَبقًا
fa-s-sābiqāti sabqan
by those who take the lead, racing,
5
فَالمُدَبِّراتِ أَمرًا
fa-l-mudabbirāti ʾamran
by those who direct the affairs [of creatures]:
6
يَومَ تَرجُفُ الرّاجِفَةُ
yawma tarjufu r-rājifatu
the day when the Quaker quakes
7
تَتبَعُهَا الرّادِفَةُ
tatbaʿuhā r-rādifatu
and is followed by the Successor,1Apparently, ‘the Quaker’ and ‘the Successor’ refer to the first and the second blasts of the Trumpet sounded by Isrāfīl on the Day of Resurrection. Cf. 39:68; 73:14.
8
قُلوبٌ يَومَئِذٍ واجِفَةٌ
qulūbun yawmaʾidhin wājifatun
hearts will be trembling on that day,
9
أَبصارُها خاشِعَةٌ
ʾabṣāruhā khāshiʿatun
bearing a humbled look.
10
يَقولونَ أَإِنّا لَمَردودونَ فِي الحافِرَةِ
yaqūlūna ʾa-ʾinnā la-mardūdūna fī l-ḥāfirati
They will say,‘Are we being returned to our earlier state?
11
أَإِذا كُنّا عِظامًا نَخِرَةً
ʾa-ʾidhā kunnā ʿiẓāman nakhiratan
What, when we have been decayed bones?!’
12
قالوا تِلكَ إِذًا كَرَّةٌ خاسِرَةٌ
qālū tilka ʾidhan karratun khāsiratun
They will say, ‘This, then, is a ruinous return!’
13
فَإِنَّما هِيَ زَجرَةٌ واحِدَةٌ
fa-ʾinnamā hiya zajratun wāḥidatun
Yet it will be only a single shout,
14
فَإِذا هُم بِالسّاهِرَةِ
fa-ʾidhā hum bi-s-sāhirati
and behold, they will be awake.
15
هَل أَتاكَ حَديثُ موسىٰ
hal ʾatāka ḥadīthu mūsā
Did you receive the story of Moses,
16
إِذ ناداهُ رَبُّهُ بِالوادِ المُقَدَّسِ طُوًى
ʾidh nādāhu rabbuhū bi-l-wādi l-muqaddasi ṭuwan-i
when his Lord called out to himin the holy valley of Ṭuwā?
17
اذهَب إِلىٰ فِرعَونَ إِنَّهُ طَغىٰ
idhhab ʾilā firʿawna ʾinnahū ṭaghā
[And said,] ‘Go to Pharaoh,for indeed he has rebelled,
18
فَقُل هَل لَكَ إِلىٰ أَن تَزَكّىٰ
fa-qul hal laka ʾilā ʾan tazakkā
and say, “Would you purify yourself?
19
وَأَهدِيَكَ إِلىٰ رَبِّكَ فَتَخشىٰ
wa-ʾahdiyaka ʾilā rabbika fa-takhshā
I will guide you to your Lord,that you may fear [Him]?” ’
20
فَأَراهُ الآيَةَ الكُبرىٰ
fa-ʾarāhu l-ʾāyata l-kubrā
Then he showed him the greatest sign.
21
فَكَذَّبَ وَعَصىٰ
fa-kadhdhaba wa-ʿaṣā
But he denied, and disobeyed.
22
ثُمَّ أَدبَرَ يَسعىٰ
thumma ʾadbara yasʿā
Then he turned back, walking swiftly,
23
فَحَشَرَ فَنادىٰ
fa-ḥashara fa-nādā
and mustered [the people] and proclaimed,
24
فَقالَ أَنا رَبُّكُمُ الأَعلىٰ
fa-qāla ʾana rabbukumu l-ʾaʿlā
saying, ‘I am your exalted lord!’
25
فَأَخَذَهُ اللَّهُ نَكالَ الآخِرَةِ وَالأولىٰ
fa-ʾakhadhahu llāhu nakāla l-ʾākhirati wa-l-ʾūlā
So Allah seized himwith the punishment of this life and the Hereafter.
26
إِنَّ في ذٰلِكَ لَعِبرَةً لِمَن يَخشىٰ
ʾinna fī dhālika la-ʿibratan li-man yakhshā
There is indeed a moral in that for someone who fears!
27
أَأَنتُم أَشَدُّ خَلقًا أَمِ السَّماءُ ۚ بَناها
ʾa-ʾantum ʾashaddu khalqan ʾami s-samāʾu banāhā
Is it you whose creation is more prodigiousor the sky which He has built?
28
رَفَعَ سَمكَها فَسَوّاها
rafaʿa samkahā fa-sawwāhā
He raised its vault, and fashioned it,
29
وَأَغطَشَ لَيلَها وَأَخرَجَ ضُحاها
wa-ʾaghṭasha laylahā wa-ʾakhraja ḍuḥāhā
and darkened its night,and brought forth its day;
30
وَالأَرضَ بَعدَ ذٰلِكَ دَحاها
wa-l-ʾarḍa baʿda dhālika daḥāhā
and after that He spread out the earth,
31
أَخرَجَ مِنها ماءَها وَمَرعاها
ʾakhraja minhā māʾahā wa-marʿāhā
and brought forth from it its water and pastures,
32
وَالجِبالَ أَرساها
wa-l-jibāla ʾarsāhā
and set firm the mountains,
33
مَتاعًا لَكُم وَلِأَنعامِكُم
matāʿan lakum wa-li-ʾanʿāmikum
as a [place of] sustenance for youand your livestock.
34
فَإِذا جاءَتِ الطّامَّةُ الكُبرىٰ
fa-ʾidhā jāʾati ṭ-ṭāmmatu l-kubrā
When the Greatest Catastrophe befalls,
35
يَومَ يَتَذَكَّرُ الإِنسانُ ما سَعىٰ
yawma yatadhakkaru l-ʾinsānu mā saʿā
the day when man will remember his endeavours,
36
وَبُرِّزَتِ الجَحيمُ لِمَن يَرىٰ
wa-burrizati l-jaḥīmu li-man yarā
and hell is brought into view for one who sees,
37
فَأَمّا مَن طَغىٰ
fa-ʾammā man ṭaghā
as for him who was rebellious
38
وَآثَرَ الحَياةَ الدُّنيا
wa-ʾāthara l-ḥayāta d-dunyā
and preferred the life of this world,
39
فَإِنَّ الجَحيمَ هِيَ المَأوىٰ
fa-ʾinna l-jaḥīma hiya l-maʾwā
his refuge will indeed be hell.
40
وَأَمّا مَن خافَ مَقامَ رَبِّهِ وَنَهَى النَّفسَ عَنِ الهَوىٰ
wa-ʾammā man khāfa maqāma rabbihī wa-nahā n-nafsa ʿani l-hawā
But as for him who is awed to stand before his Lordand forbids the soul from [following] desire,
41
فَإِنَّ الجَنَّةَ هِيَ المَأوىٰ
fa-ʾinna l-jannata hiya l-maʾwā
his refuge will indeed be paradise.
42
يَسأَلونَكَ عَنِ السّاعَةِ أَيّانَ مُرساها
yasʾalūnaka ʿani s-sāʿati ʾayyāna mursāhā
They ask you concerning the Hour,“When will it set in,
43
فيمَ أَنتَ مِن ذِكراها
fī-ma ʾanta min dhikrāhā
considering your frequent mention of it?”
44
إِلىٰ رَبِّكَ مُنتَهاها
ʾilā rabbika muntahāhā
Its outcome is with your Lord.
45
إِنَّما أَنتَ مُنذِرُ مَن يَخشاها
ʾinnamā ʾanta mundhiru man yakhshāhā
You are only a warner for those who fear it.
46
كَأَنَّهُم يَومَ يَرَونَها لَم يَلبَثوا إِلّا عَشِيَّةً أَو ضُحاها
ka-ʾannahum yawma yarawnahā lam yalbathū ʾillā ʿashiyyatan ʾaw ḍuḥāhā
The day they see it, it shall be as ifthey had not stayed [in the world]except for an evening or forenoon.