54- Surat Alqamar

54- Surat Alqamar

55 Verses Meccan (revealed in Mecca)

A'auzu Bellahi mena alshytani alrajim

I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan

Bismi Ellahi Alrhmani Alrahim

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Eqtarabati alsa'atuo wa-nshaqqa alqamar (1).

The Hour has come near, and the moon has split.

Wa in yaraww ayatan you'reduo wa yaquluo sehrun mustamirr (2).

And if they see a sign, they turn away, and say a continuous magic.

Wa kazzabuo wa-ttaba'uo ahwa'ahum wa kulluo amrin mustaqirr (3).

And they denied, and followed their whims, and every matter is settled.

Wa laqad ja'ahum mena alanba-ee ma feehi muzdajar (4).

And indeed, has come to them of the news wherein is deterrence.

Hekmatun balighatun fama tuoghni alnuzur (5).

Perfect wisdom, but the warnings will not avail.

Fa-tawalla anhum yawma yad'uo alda-ee ela shaiy-in nukur (6).

So turn away from them, the day when the caller will call to a terrible thing.

Khushsha'an absaruhum yakhrujuona mena alajdathi ka-annahum jaradun muntashir (7).

Their eyes are humiliated, they will come out from the graves as if they were locusts scattered.

Muhte-ena ela alda-ee yaquluo alkafiruona haza yawmun asir (8).

Racing ahead towards the caller, the disbelievers will say this is a difficult day.

Kazzabat qablahum qawmu nuhin fa-kazzabuo abdana wa qaluo majnuonun wa-zdujir (9).

The people of Noah denied before them, so they denied Our servant, and said a madman, and He was threatened.

Fa-da'a Rabbahuo anni maghluobun fan-tasir (10).

So He called His Lord I am one overpowered, so defend.

Fa-fatahna abwaba alsama-ee bema'in munhamir (11).

So We opened the gates of the sky with water, pouring down profusely.

Wa fajjarna alarda auyunan fal-taqa alma-uo ala amrin qad qudir (12).

And We caused the earth to burst with springs, so the water met for a matter that was predestined.

Wa hamalnahuo ala zati alwahin wa dusur (13).

And we carried Him on that of planks and fiber ropes.

Tajree bea-ayunena jaza'an leman kana kufir (14).

Sailing before Our eyes, a reward for he who was denied.

Wa laqad taraknaha ayatan fa-hal men muddakir (15).

And indeed, We left it as a sign, so is there any who will receive admonition?.

Fa-kaiyfa kana azabi wa nuzur (16).

So how was My punishment and My warnings?.

Wa laqad  yassarna alqurana lel-zekri fa-hal men muddakir (17). 

And indeed, We have made the Quran easy for remembrance, so is there any who will receive admonition?.

Kazzabat Adun fa-kaiyfa kana azabi wa nuzur (18).

Ad denied, so how was My punishment and My warnings?.

Inna arsalna alaiyhim reehan sarsaran fee yawmi nahsin mustamirr (19).

Indeed, We sent upon them a screaming wind on a day of continuous jinx.

Tanze-uo alnasa ka-annahum a'ajazuo nakhlin munqa-ir (20).

Extracting people as if they were trunks of uprooted palm-trees.

Fa-kaiyfa kana azabi wa nuzur (21).

So how was My punishment and My warnings?.

Wa laqad  yassarna alqurana lel-zekri fa-hal men muddakir (22). 

And indeed, We have made the Quran easy for remembrance, so is there any who will receive admonition?.

Kazzabat Thamud bel-nuzur (23).

Thamud denied the warnings.

Fa-qaluo a-basharan menna wahedan nattabe-uhuo inna izan lafee dallalin wa su-ur (24).

So they said Is it one human being among us that we should follow, indeed, we would be in error and madness.

A-aulqeiya alzekruo alaiyhi men baiynena bal huwa kazzabun ashir (25).

Has the reminder been sent upon him from among us, but He is an insolent liar?.

Saya'lamuona ghadan mani alkazzabuo alashir (26).

They will know tomorrow who is the insolent liar.

Inna murseluo alnaqatai fetnatan lahum fa-rtaqebhum wa-stabir (27).

Indeed, We are going to send the she-camel as a trial for them, so watch them and be patient.

Wa nabbe'hum anna alma'a qesmatun baiynahum kulluo sherbin muhtadar (28).

And inform them that the water is to be shared between them, each drinking to be attended.

Fa-nadaww sahebahum fata'ata fa-aqar (29).

But they called their comrade, so he took and killed.

Fa-kaiyfa kana azabi wa nuzur (30).

So how was My punishment and My warnings?.

Inna arsalna alaiyhim sayhatan wahedatan fa-kanuo ka-hasheemi almuhtazir (31).

Indeed, We sent upon them one blast, and they became like dry twigs of a barn builder.

Wa laqad  yassarna alqurana lel-zekri fa-hal men muddakir (32). 

And indeed, We have made the Quran easy for remembrance, so is there any who will receive admonition?.

Kazzabat qawmuo Lutin bel-nuzur (33).

The people of Lot denied the warnings.

Inna arsalna alaiyhim haseban ella ala Lutin najjaiynahum be-sahar (34).

Indeed, We sent upon them a rain of stones except the family of Lot, We saved them before dawn.

Ne'matan men endena ka-zalika najzi man shakar (35).

As a favor from us, thus We reward he who is grateful.

Wa laqad anzarahum batshatana fa-tamaraww bel-nuzur (36).

And indeed, He warned them of our seizure but they disputed the warnings.

Wa laqad rawaduhuo an daiyfehi fa-tamasna a'ayunahum fa-zuquo azabi wa nuzur (37).

And indeed, They demanded from Him his guests, so We blinded their eyes, so taste My punishment and My warnings.

Wa laqad sabbahahum bukratan azabun mustaqirr (38).

And indeed, there overtook them in the early morning a settled punishment.

Fa-zuquo azabi wa nuzur (39).

So taste My punishment and My warnings.

Wa laqad  yassarna alqurana lel-zekri fa-hal men muddakir (40). 

And indeed, We have made the Quran easy for remembrance, so is there any who will receive admonition?.

Wa laqad ja'a ala Fer'awna alnuzur (41).

And indeed, the warnings came to the family of Pharaoh.

Kazzabuo be-ayatena kulleha fa-akhaznahum akhza azizin muqtadir (42).

They denied all our signs, so we seized them, a seizure of the All-Mighty, the Most Perfect in Ability.

A-kuffarukum khaiyrun men aula-ekum am lakum bara'atun fee alzubur (43).

Are your disbelievers is better than those or do you have an exemption in the scripture.

Am yaquluona nahnuo jamee-on muntasir (44).

Or do they say, we are an assembly, supporting.

Sa-youhzamuo aljam-uo wa youwalluna aldubur (45).

The assembly will be defeated, and they will turn the backs.

Bali alsa'atuo maweduhum wa alsa'atuo ad-ha wa ammar (46)

But the Hour is their appointment , and the Hour is more calamitous and worse.

Inna almujremeena fee dalalin wa su-ur (47).

Indeed, the criminals are in an error and madness.

Yawma yous-habuna fee alnari ala wujuhehim zuquo massa Saqar (48).

The day they will be dragged into the Fire on their faces, taste the touch of Saqar.

Inna kulla shaiy-in khalaqnahuo be-qadar (49).

Indeed, We have created every thing by a predestination.

Wa ma amruona ella wahedatun ka-lamhin bel-basar (50).

And Our command is nothing but one, like the glance of the sight.

Wa laqad ahlakna ashya'akum fa-hal men muddakir (51).

And indeed, We have destroyed your ancestors, so is there any who will receive admonition?.

Wa kulluo shaiy-in fa'aluhuo fee alzubur (52).

And everything they did is in the written books.

Wa kulluo sagherin wa kaberin mustatar (53).

And every small and big is written down.

Inna almuttaqeena fee jannatin wa nahar (54).

Indeed, the righteous will be among gardens and rivers.

Fee maq'adi sedqin enda malikin muqtadir (55).

In a seat of honor with a king, Most Perfect in Ability.

Simplified interpretation: 

 Surat Alqamar comes as a declaration from Allah Almighty that the Hour is near, and one of its signs was the splitting of the moon during the life of Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH), and Allah's Messenger confirmed this meaning and said in narration of Anas bin Malik: "I and the last Hour have been sent like this, and He joined the forefinger with the middle finger". Then Allah cites five examples of the destruction of the previous nations who are the people of Noah, the people of Ad, the people of Thamud, the people of Lot, and the people of Pharaoh, so that the infidels of Quraish may be admonished by them. 

 Allah says in the first five verses ''The Hour has come near, and the moon has split, and if they see a sign, they turn away, and say a continuous magic, and they denied, and followed their whims, and every matter is settled, and indeed, has come to them of the news wherein is deterrence, perfect wisdom, but the warnings will not avail", where Allah, Almighty, tells us about the approaching of the Last Hour, and the end of the world, and He confirms this meaning more than once in the Holy Quran as in the first verse of Surat Alnahl and Surat Alanbeiyaa. The splitting of the moon is one of the minor signs of the Hour where as narrated by Anas "The people of Mecca asked the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to show them a sign (miracle), so He showed them the miracle of the cleaving of the moon", and Muhammad Bin Jubair Bin Mut'im said from His father "The moon was split during the time of Allah's Messenger until it became as two parts one above this mountain and one above that mountain, so they said "Muhammad has cast a spell upon us, some of them said If He could cast a spell upon us, he can not cast a spell upon all of the people", also Abdullah said: "The moon was cleft asunder while we were in the company of the Prophet, and it became two parts, the Prophet said "Witness, witness". 

 Although they saw that miracle, they turned away and said it was a continuous magic brought by Muhammad, and they denied the truth and followed their whims, so on the day of resurrection the good will settle with its people in Paradise, and the evil will settle with its people in Hellfire. And the news came to the polytheists of Quraish from the stories of the deniers from the previous nations and the torment that befell them as a deterrence for them to turn away from polytheism and persisting in denial. Although deterrence has come to them in the Holy Quran, which is a perfect wisdom, but it will not avail them anything if they turned away and denied, and this is similar to Aya (101) of Surat Yunus ''But signs and warnings do not avail a people who do not believe". 

 Then Allah says in the next three verses (6-8) "So turn away from them, the day when the caller will call to a terrible thing, their eyes are humiliated, they will come out from the graves as if they were locusts scattered, racing ahead towards the caller, the disbelievers will say this is a difficult day", that is, Allah commanded His Messenger to turn away from those who denied and accused Him with continuous magic, and to wait for the torment that would come to them when the caller will call them to stand for reckoning on the day of resurrection, which is a terrible thing, and from the horrors of that day, their eyes will be humbled and they will come out of the graves as if they were scattered locusts in their speed and spread, racing ahead towards the position of reckoning in response to the caller, and they will say that the day of resurrection is a difficult day because of the horrors they will see. And this is also confirmed in Surat Almuddaththir Ayat (9,10) "That day will be a difficult day, for the disbelievers, not easy".

 Then Allah says in the next nine verses (9-17) "The people of Noah denied before them, so they denied Our servant, and said a madman, and He was threatened, so He called His Lord I am one overpowered, so defend, so We opened the gates of the sky with water, pouring down profusely, and We caused the earth to burst with springs, so the water met for a matter that was predestined, and we carried Him on that of planks and ropes, sailing before Our eyes, a reward for he who was denied, and indeed, We left it as a sign, so is there any who will receive admonition?, so how was My punishment and My warnings?, and indeed, We have made the Quran easy for remembrance, so is there any who will receive admonition?", that is, Allah has cited for them the example of the people of Noah and the punishment that befell them, where they denied Allah's Messenger Noah and accused Him of madness and threatened Him with stoning as mentioned in Surat Alsu'araa Aya (116), so He called Allah that His people overpowered Him, and He have no power over them, and called Him to defeat them with punishment for their disbelief and arrogance, so Allah responded to Him and drowned them in the flood, as the doors of the sky were opened with abundant flowing water, and springs of water sprang from the earth, and the water of the sky met with the water of the earth to drown them, and this is a matter that was predestined.

 Then Allah saved Noah and those with Him from among the believers on the Ark that of planks and fiber ropes that fastens the boards of the ship, and it was running under Allah's protection and sight, and Allah made it a reward for Noah for His patience over the harm of His people. Allah left the ship in which He carried Noah and those who were with him a sign and a lesson for those after Noah's people so that they stop following their whims lest they be punished, and that is why Allah says "so is there any who will receive admonition?", then He says how was His punishment for those who disbelieved in their Lord from the people of Noah and denied His Messenger Noah, and how was His warnings of what He did to them of punishment that inflicted on them. And Allah have made the Holy Quran easy for those who remember, and be admonished by it, so that Allah says again "so is there any who will receive admonition?", and Our Prophet (PBUH) used to recite it as mentioned in narration of Abdullah Bin Mas'ud "Fa-hal men muddakir". 

 Then Allah tells about Ad "the people of the Prophet Hud" in the next five verses (18-22) "Ad denied, so how was My punishment and My warnings?, indeed, We sent upon them a screaming wind on a day of continuous jinx, extracting people as if they were trunks of uprooted palm-trees, so how was My punishment and My warnings?, and indeed, We have made the Quran easy for remembrance, so is there any who will receive admonition?", when Ad "The people of the Prophet Hud" disbelieved and denied their prophet, Allah sent upon them a screaming violent wind on a day of continuous misfortune for them, and He imposed it upon them for a successive seven nights and eight days as mentioned in Surat Alhaqqah, it was uninterrupted until it wiped them out so You would see the people therein fallen down as if they were hollow trunks of palm-trees, then Allah says how was His punishment for those who disbelieved in their Lord from the people of Ad and denied His Messenger Hud, and how was His warnings of what He did to them of punishment that inflicted on them. And Allah have made the Holy Quran easy for those who remember, and be admonished by it, so that Allah says again "so is there any who will receive admonition?".

 And Allah cites the example of the people of the Prophet Saleh in the next ten verses (23-32) "Thamud denied the warnings, so they said Is it one human being among us that we should follow, indeed, we would be in error and madness, Has the reminder been sent upon him from among us, but He is an insolent liar?, they will know tomorrow who is the insolent liar, indeed, We are going to send the she-camel as a trial for them, so watch them and be patient, and inform them that the water is to be shared between them, each drinking to be attended, but they called their comrade, so he took and killed, so how was My punishment and My warnings?, indeed, We sent upon them one blast, and they became like dry twigs of a barn builder, and indeed, We have made the Quran easy for remembrance, so is there any who will receive admonition?", that is, Thamud disbelieved and denied their Prophet Saleh, and they said if they follow one of them, they will be in error and madness, and they astonished that the reminder was revealed to Him from among them, and accused Him of lying, so that Allah threatened them and said that they will know when the torment will befall them who is the insolent liar.

 Allah brought out for them a pregnant she-camel from a rock as they had asked, to be a proof and a trial in what He brought to them, then Allah commanded His Prophet Saleh to wait what they would do with the she-camel, and to be patient with them, and commanded Him to tell them that the water will be divided between them and the she-camel, where they will drink from it one day, and the she-camel will drink one day where on the day the she-camel drinks, they will drink her milk. But they called their comrade who is the wretched one as mentioned in Surat Alshams to kill the she-camel, then Allah says how was His punishment for those who disbelieved in their Lord from the people of Thamud and denied His Messenger Saleh, and how was His warnings of what He did to them of punishment that inflicted on them, where Allah punished them with one thunderous blast, so they perished until the last of them and none of them remained, and they became like dry twigs of the one who takes a barn for his livestock, where farmers, in the past, used to make a barn for livestock from the branches of dry trees. And Allah have made the Holy Quran easy for those who remember, and be admonished by it, so that Allah says again "so is there any who will receive admonition?".

 Then Allah tells about the people of the Prophet Lot in the next eight verses (33-40) "The people of Lot denied the warnings, indeed, We sent upon them a rain of stones except the family of Lot, We saved them before dawn, as a favor from us, thus We reward he who is grateful, and indeed, He warned them of our seizure but they disputed the warnings, and indeed, they demanded from Him his guests, so We blinded their eyes, so taste My punishment and My warnings, and indeed, there overtook them in the early morning a settled punishment, so taste My punishment and My warnings, and indeed, We have made the Quran easy for remembrance, so is there any who will receive admonition?", that is, the people of the Prophet Lot denied Him and practiced sodomy, which is an indecency that no one from the worlds had ever done before them as mentioned in Surat Ala'araf Ayat (80-84), so that Allah destroyed them with a punishment with which no nation from the nations was destroyed, where He sent rain upon them from stones of hard clay, then Allah saved Lot and His family except His wife because she betrayed the Prophet Lot by not believing and cooperating with His people against Him as mentioned in Surat Altahrim Aya (10). The Prophet Lot and His people came out at the end of the night and were saved from what befell their people, and that was a blessing from Allah upon the Prophet Lot, and so does Allah reward the grateful ones.

 Although the Prophet Lot warned them from Allah's punishment, they did not turn to Him and doubted Him, and when the Angels came to the Prophet Lot in the form of beautiful men, they tried to reach them, so that Allah blinded their eyes, and Allah said to them "so taste My punishment and My warnings", where the punishment from which they cannot escape befell them in the early morning, then Allah said again "so taste My punishment and My warnings", And Allah have made the Holy Quran easy for those who remember, and be admonished by it, so that Allah says "So is there any who will receive admonition?".

 And then Allah cites the example of Pharaoh in the next two verses (41,42) "And indeed, the warnings came to the family of Pharaoh, they denied all our signs, so we seized them, a seizure of the All-Mighty, the Most Perfect in Ability", where Allah sent Moses, the son of Imran, and His brother Aaron to Pharaoh and his people, and Allah supported them with nine evident signs as mentioned in Surat Alisraa Aya (111), but they denied all these signs so that Allah seized them with a punishment of the All-Mighty, and the Most Perfect in Ability, where He says in Surat Alisraa Aya (136) "So We took retribution from them, and We drowned them in the sea because they denied Our signs and were heedless of them". 

 Then Allah addresses the infidels of Quraish in the next four verses (43-46) "Are your disbelievers is better than those or do you have an exemption in the scripture, or do they say, we are an assembly, supporting, the assembly will be defeated, and they will turn the backs, but the Hour is their appointment, and the Hour is more calamitous and worse", where Allah asks the infidels of Quraish if their disbelievers are better than those who were mentioned above from the people of Noah, Ad, Thamud, Lot, and Pharaoh, who were destroyed because of their denial of the Messengers and their disbelief in their books or do they have an exemption from Allah that no torment will come to them. Although they thought that they are supportive of each other and that their gathering suffices them from Allah, but Allah assures that they will defeated and turned away, and Ibn Abbas said about the cause of revelation of this Aya: "While Allah's Messenger was in a tent on the day of the battle of Badr said: O Allah! I request you your covenant and promise, If You wish that you will not be worshipped henceforth, on that Abu Bakr held the Prophet by the hand and said: ''That is enough O Allah's Messenger, you have appealed to your Lord too pressingly", while the Prophet was putting on His armor. So Allah's Messenger went out reciting "Sa-youhzamuo aljam-uo wa youwalluna aldubur, bali alsa'atuo maweduhum wa alsa'atuo ad-ha wa ammar", "The assembly will be defeated, and they will turn the backs, but the Hour is their promised time, and the Hour is more calamitous and worse".

 Allah has promised the criminals the day of resurrection, and He has threatened them with a painful torment on that day where He says in the next four verses (47-50) "Indeed, the criminals are in an error and madness, the day they will be dragged into the Fire on their faces, taste the touch of Saqar, indeed, We have created every thing by a predestination, and Our command is nothing but one, like the glance of the sight", where the criminals who said that if they followed a human being like them, they would be in error and madness as mentioned above, they will actually be in error and madness on the day of resurrection for they refused to follow their Messengers, and they will be dragged on their faces and will be cast into Hellfire, and then it will be said to them as a kind of reprimand "Taste the touch of Saqar", and Saqar is one of the names of the Hellfire, and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah ''The infidels of Quraish came to Allah's Messenger arguing about "destiny" Qadar, so these two verses was revealed "The day they will be dragged into the Fire on their faces, taste the touch of Saqar., indeed, We have created every thing by a predestination", that is, Allah has destined all things before they were created, where as mentioned in Surat Alhadid Aya (22) "No calamity strikes either on the earth or in yourselves but it is in a book before We bring it into existence, indeed, that is easy for Allah". And when Allah's decree for His creation, which was written before, is implemented, it will be once, as fast as the glance of sight, neither slow nor delayed.

 And Allah says in the last five verses (51-55) "And indeed, We have destroyed your ancestors, so is there any who will receive admonition?, and everything they did is in the written books, and every small and big is written down, indeed, the righteous will be among gardens and rivers, in a seat of honor with a king, Most Perfect in Ability", where Allah addresses the infidels of Quraish and says that He destroyed the like of them, and their ancestors from the infidels of the previous nations, so is there any one who take lesson from the torment that befell them?, and despite the torment that they faced in the worldly life, they will face the torment on the day of resurrection where every thing they did is listed for them in the book that the Angels wrote whether it is something small or big. In contrast to their condition, the righteous will be in eternal bliss in gardens under which rivers flow, and they will be in the abode of honor and grace from the King who is Able to do whatever He wills. 

 No one Knows its interpretation except Allah