54. Surah Al-Qamar, English Translation

Yet, whenever they see a sign, they turn away,¹ saying, “Same old magic!”

They rejected ˹the truth˺ and followed their own desires—and every matter will be settled—

even though the stories ˹of destroyed nations˺ that have already come to them are a sufficient deterrent.

˹This Quran is˺ profound ˹in˺ wisdom, but warnings are of no benefit ˹to them˺.

So turn away from them ˹O Prophet˺. ˹And wait for˺ the Day ˹when˺ the caller¹ will summon ˹them˺ for something horrifying.²

With eyes downcast, they will come forth from the graves as if they were swarming locusts,

rushing towards the caller. The disbelievers will cry, “This is a difficult Day!”

Before them, the people of Noah denied ˹the truth˺ and rejected Our servant, calling ˹him˺ insane. And he was intimidated.

So he cried out to his Lord, “I am helpless, so help ˹me˺!”

So We opened the gates of the sky with pouring rain,

and caused the earth to burst with springs, so the waters met for a fate already set.

We carried him on that ˹Ark made˺ of planks and nails,

sailing under Our ˹watchful˺ Eyes—a ˹fair˺ punishment on behalf of the one ˹they˺ denied.

We certainly left this¹ as a sign. So is there anyone who will be mindful?

Then how ˹dreadful˺ were My punishment and warnings!

And We have certainly made the Quran easy to remember. So is there anyone who will be mindful?

’Ȃd ˹also˺ rejected ˹the truth˺. Then how ˹dreadful˺ were My punishment and warnings!

Indeed, We sent against them a furious wind,¹ on a day of unrelenting misery,

that snatched people up, leaving them like trunks of uprooted palm trees.

Then how ˹dreadful˺ were My punishment and warnings!

And We have certainly made the Quran easy to remember. So is there anyone who will be mindful?

Thamûd rejected the warnings ˹as well˺,

arguing, “How can we follow one ˹average˺ human being from among us? We would then truly be misguided and insane.

Has the revelation been sent down ˹only˺ to him out of ˹all of˺ us? In fact, he is a boastful liar.”

˹It was revealed to Ṣâliḥ,˺ “They will soon know who the boastful liar is.

We are sending the she-camel as a test for them. So watch them ˹closely˺, and have patience.

And tell them that the ˹drinking˺ water must be divided between them ˹and her˺, each taking a turn to drink ˹every other day˺.”

But they roused a companion of theirs, so he dared to kill ˹her˺.

Then how ˹dreadful˺ were My punishment and warnings!

Indeed, We sent against them ˹only˺ one ˹mighty˺ blast, leaving them like the twigs of fence-builders.

And We have certainly made the Quran easy to remember. So is there anyone who will be mindful?

The people of Lot ˹also˺ rejected the warnings.

We unleashed upon them a storm of stones. As for ˹the believers of˺ Lot’s family, We delivered them before dawn

as a blessing from Us. This is how We reward whoever gives thanks.

He had already warned them of Our ˹crushing˺ blow but they disputed the warnings.

And they even demanded his angel-guests from him,¹ so We blinded their eyes. ˹And they were told,˺ “Taste then My punishment and warnings!”

And indeed, by the early morning they were overwhelmed by an unrelenting torment.

˹Again they were told,˺ “Taste now My punishment and warnings!”

And We have certainly made the Quran easy to remember. So is there anyone who will be mindful?

And indeed, the warnings ˹also˺ came to the people of Pharaoh.

˹But˺ they rejected all of Our signs, so We seized them with the ˹crushing˺ grip of the Almighty, Most Powerful.

Now, are you ˹Meccan˺ disbelievers superior to those ˹destroyed peoples˺? Or have you ˹been granted˺ immunity ˹from punishment˺ in divine Books?

Or do they say, “We are all ˹a˺ united ˹front˺, bound to prevail.”?

˹Soon˺ their united front will be defeated and ˹forced to˺ flee.¹

Better yet, the Hour is their appointed time—and the Hour will be most catastrophic and most bitter.

Indeed, the wicked are ˹entrenched˺ in misguidance, and ˹are bound for˺ blazes.

On the Day they will be dragged into the Fire on their faces, ˹they will be told,˺ “Taste the touch of Hell!”¹

Indeed, We have created everything, perfectly preordained.

Our command¹ is but a single word,² done in the blink of an eye.

We have already destroyed the likes of you. So will any ˹of you˺ be mindful?