بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allah, the All-Beneficent, the All-Merciful
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ زَلْزَلَةَ السَّاعَةِ شَيْءٌ عَظِيمٌ
O mankind! Be wary of your Lord! Indeed the quake of the Hour is a terrible thing.
يَوْمَ تَرَوْنَهَا تَذْهَلُ كُلُّ مُرْضِعَةٍ عَمَّا أَرْضَعَتْ وَتَضَعُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ حَمْلٍ حَمْلَهَا وَتَرَى النَّاسَ سُكَارَىٰ وَمَا هُم بِسُكَارَىٰ وَلَـٰكِنَّ عَذَابَ اللَّهِ شَدِيدٌ
The day that you will see it, every suckling female will be unmindful what she suckled, and every pregnant female will deliver her burden, and you will see the people drunk, yet they will not be drunken, but Allah’s punishment is severe.
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يُجَادِلُ فِي اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَيَتَّبِعُ كُلَّ شَيْطَانٍ مَّرِيدٍ
Among the people are those who dispute about Allah without any knowledge, and follow every froward devil,
كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ مَن تَوَلَّاهُ فَأَنَّهُ يُضِلُّهُ وَيَهْدِيهِ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ السَّعِيرِ
about whom it has been decreed that he will mislead those who take him for an ally, and conduct them toward the punishment of the Blaze.
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِن كُنتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ مِّنَ الْبَعْثِ فَإِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ مِنْ عَلَقَةٍ ثُمَّ مِن مُّضْغَةٍ مُّخَلَّقَةٍ وَغَيْرِ مُخَلَّقَةٍ لِّنُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ ۚ وَنُقِرُّ فِي الْأَرْحَامِ مَا نَشَاءُ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ثُمَّ نُخْرِجُكُمْ طِفْلًا ثُمَّ لِتَبْلُغُوا أَشُدَّكُمْ ۖ وَمِنكُم مَّن يُتَوَفَّىٰ وَمِنكُم مَّن يُرَدُّ إِلَىٰ أَرْذَلِ الْعُمُرِ لِكَيْلَا يَعْلَمَ مِن بَعْدِ عِلْمٍ شَيْئًا ۚ وَتَرَى الْأَرْضَ هَامِدَةً فَإِذَا أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْهَا الْمَاءَ اهْتَزَّتْ وَرَبَتْ وَأَنبَتَتْ مِن كُلِّ زَوْجٍ بَهِيجٍ
O people! If you are in doubt about the resurrection, [consider that] We created you from dust, then from a drop of [seminal] fluid, then from a clinging mass, then from a fleshy tissue, partly formed and partly unformed, so that We may manifest [Our power] to you. We lodge in the wombs whatever [fetus] We wish for a specified term, then We bring you forth as infants, then [We rear you] so that you may come of age. [Then] there are some of you who are taken away, and there are some of you who are relegated to the nethermost age, such that he knows nothing after [having possessed] some knowledge. And you see the earth torpid, yet when We send down water upon it, it stirs and swells, and grows every delightful kind [of plant].
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْحَقُّ وَأَنَّهُ يُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ وَأَنَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
All that is because Allah is the Reality and it is He who revives the dead, and He has power over all things,
وَأَنَّ السَّاعَةَ آتِيَةٌ لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهَا وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَبْعَثُ مَن فِي الْقُبُورِ
and because the Hour is bound to come, there is no doubt in it, and Allah will resurrect those who are in the graves.
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يُجَادِلُ فِي اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَلَا هُدًى وَلَا كِتَابٍ مُّنِيرٍ
Among the people are those who dispute concerning Allah without any knowledge or guidance, or an enlightening Book,
ثَانِيَ عِطْفِهِ لِيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۖ لَهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا خِزْيٌ ۖ وَنُذِيقُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَذَابَ الْحَرِيقِ
turning aside disdainfully to lead [others] astray from the way of Allah. For such there is disgrace in this world, and on the Day of Resurrection We will make him taste the punishment of the burning:
ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاكَ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَيْسَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ
‘That is because of what your hands have sent ahead, and because Allah is not tyrannical to the servants.’
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ حَرْفٍ ۖ فَإِنْ أَصَابَهُ خَيْرٌ اطْمَأَنَّ بِهِ ۖ وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ انقَلَبَ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِ خَسِرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةَ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَانُ الْمُبِينُ
And among the people are those who worship Allah on the [very] fringe: if good fortune befalls him, he is content with it; but if an ordeal visits him he makes a turnabout, to become a loser in the world and the Hereafter. That is manifest loss.
يَدْعُو مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُ وَمَا لَا يَنفَعُهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الضَّلَالُ الْبَعِيدُ
He invokes besides Allah that which can bring him neither benefit nor harm. That is extreme error.
يَدْعُو لَمَن ضَرُّهُ أَقْرَبُ مِن نَّفْعِهِ ۚ لَبِئْسَ الْمَوْلَىٰ وَلَبِئْسَ الْعَشِيرُ
He invokes someone whose harm is surely likelier than his benefit. An evil ally indeed, and an evil companion!
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُدْخِلُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يُرِيدُ
Allah will indeed admit those who have faith and do righteous deeds into gardens with streams running in them. Indeed Allah does whatever He desires.
مَن كَانَ يَظُنُّ أَن لَّن يَنصُرَهُ اللَّهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ فَلْيَمْدُدْ بِسَبَبٍ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ لْيَقْطَعْ فَلْيَنظُرْ هَلْ يُذْهِبَنَّ كَيْدُهُ مَا يَغِيظُ
Whoever thinks that Allah will not help him in this world and the Hereafter, let him stretch a rope to the ceiling and hang himself, and see if his artifice would remove his rage.
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَنزَلْنَاهُ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَن يُرِيدُ
Thus have We sent it down as manifest signs, and indeed Allah guides whomever He desires.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالصَّابِئِينَ وَالنَّصَارَىٰ وَالْمَجُوسَ وَالَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ
Indeed Allah will indeed judge between the faithful, the Jews, the Sabaeans, the Christians, the Magians and the polytheists on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed Allah is witness to all things.
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ وَالنُّجُومُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَالشَّجَرُ وَالدَّوَابُّ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنَ النَّاسِ ۖ وَكَثِيرٌ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ الْعَذَابُ ۗ وَمَن يُهِنِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِن مُّكْرِمٍ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ ۩
Have you not regarded that whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth prostrates to Allah, as well as the sun, the moon, and the stars, the mountains, the trees, and the animals and many humans? And many have come to deserve the punishment. Whomever Allah humiliates will find no one who may bring him honour. Indeed Allah does whatever He wishes.
هَـٰذَانِ خَصْمَانِ اخْتَصَمُوا فِي رَبِّهِمْ ۖ فَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا قُطِّعَتْ لَهُمْ ثِيَابٌ مِّن نَّارٍ يُصَبُّ مِن فَوْقِ رُءُوسِهِمُ الْحَمِيمُ
These two contending groups contend concerning their Lord. As for those who are faithless, cloaks of fire will be cut out for them, and boiling water will be poured over their heads,
يُصْهَرُ بِهِ مَا فِي بُطُونِهِمْ وَالْجُلُودُ
with which their skins and entrails will fuse,
وَلَهُم مَّقَامِعُ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ
and there will be clubs of iron for them.
كُلَّمَا أَرَادُوا أَن يَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا مِنْ غَمٍّ أُعِيدُوا فِيهَا وَذُوقُوا عَذَابَ الْحَرِيقِ
Whenever they desire to leave it out of anguish, they will be turned back into it [and told]: ‘Taste the punishment of the burning!’
English translation: Ali Quli Qarai
Triangulating five Imāmī-classical Arabic tafsīrs — Ṭabarsī's Majmaʿ al-Bayān [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan], al-Qummī [qummi], al-Ṭūsī's al-Tibyān [tusi_al_tibyan], al-Baḥrānī's al-Burhān [bahrani_al_burhan], and al-Ṭabāṭabāʾī's al-Mīzān [tabatabai_al_mizan] — against the published English Enlightening Commentary [enlightening_commentary].
Human-review flags: al-Mīzān [tabatabai_al_mizan] is flagged (confidence 0.84): its units are coarse (one spans vv. 3–16, another vv. 17–24), so its long philosophical excursuses were faithfully condensed with bracketed summaries rather than rendered line-for-line. No content was added.
What the passage says. The sūra opens by jolting all humanity with the terror of the Hour (vv. 1–2), then anatomises three failed postures toward God — the misguiding leader who disputes "without knowledge" (vv. 3–4), the doubter of resurrection answered by embryology and reviving earth (vv. 5–7), the arrogant scoffer (vv. 8–10), and the fair-weather worshipper "on an edge" (vv. 11–13) — before turning to the believers (v. 14), the impotent rage of the Prophet's enemies (v. 15), and the universal prostration of creation that culminates in the "two adversaries" and their opposite ends in Fire and Garden (vv. 16–22).
How the sources read it. On the opening quake, Ṭabarsī [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan] reports the divergence over whether the zalzala accompanies the Hour or is a worldly portent preceding it (per ʿAlqama and al-Shaʿbī), and infers from the literal nursing-and-miscarriage imagery that it is this-worldly; al-Ṭūsī [tusi_al_tibyan] reads it instead as a hyperbolic depiction of the Resurrection's terror. al-Mīzān [tabatabai_al_mizan] sharpens this: the verse's placing of people in an ordinary state surprised by the quake shows it precedes the first Blast (cf. al-Zumar 39:68), and the negation "yet they are not drunk" proves their stupor is caused by God's punishment, not wine. All four ḥadīth-bearing sources transmit the Prophet's "contingent of the Fire" tradition (999 of every 1,000) — Ṭabarsī and al-Mīzān (via al-Durr al-Manthūr from ʿImrān b. Ḥuṣayn) at length.
On v. 3, the sources read shayṭān marīd as "the wicked one" (al-Qummī [qummi]) and identify the disputer with al-Naḍr b. al-Ḥārith (Ṭabarsī [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan], al-Ṭūsī [tusi_al_tibyan]); al-Qummī [qummi] and al-Baḥrānī [bahrani_al_burhan] instead name Abū Jahl for v. 8. al-Mīzān [tabatabai_al_mizan] cleverly distinguishes the two verses — v. 3 about the blind follower (hence "follows every devil"), v. 8 about the followed leader (hence "to lead astray") — and candidly notes the al-Naḍr report is taṭbīq (later application). On the embryology of v. 5, al-Mīzān [tabatabai_al_mizan] adduces the Ibn Masʿūd hadith of the three forty-day stages, while al-Qummī [qummi], al-Ṭūsī [tusi_al_tibyan], and al-Baḥrānī [bahrani_al_burhan] gloss mukhallaqa / ghayr mukhallaqa as "formed (become blood/complete) and unformed (the miscarriage)"; al-Baḥrānī [bahrani_al_burhan] and al-Mīzān [tabatabai_al_mizan] preserve the striking Imāmī report (Salām b. al-Mustanīr ← al-Bāqir) reading "the formed" as the covenant-bearing particles (al-dharr) of Adam's loins. The "hundred years = ardhal al-ʿumur" tradition is shared across al-Qummī, al-Baḥrānī, and al-Mīzān.
On v. 11, all five converge that "on an edge" means worshipping in doubt/weakness; Ṭabarsī [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan] and al-Ṭūsī [tusi_al_tibyan] supply the bedouins-to-Medina occasion, while al-Baḥrānī [bahrani_al_burhan] and al-Mīzān [tabatabai_al_mizan] preserve the distinctive Imāmī reading (Zurāra ← al-Bāqir) that these were monotheists who doubted Muḥammad specifically, not God. On v. 15, the sources split three ways on the pronoun in "will not aid him" — the Prophet (Ibn ʿAbbās, Qatāda), the doubter himself (Mujāhid), or "aid" as provision — with al-Qummī [qummi] and al-Baḥrānī [bahrani_al_burhan] preserving a bold taʾwīl tying the rage to the angels' and ʿAlī's singular aid to the Prophet. On v. 18's prostration, al-Mīzān [tabatabai_al_mizan] distinguishes the existential prostration of all creation from the voluntary prostration of "many of mankind," and al-Baḥrānī [bahrani_al_burhan] preserves the cosmological reports on the sun's daily prostrations.
On the "two adversaries" (v. 19), all of Ṭabarsī [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan], al-Ṭūsī [tusi_al_tibyan], al-Baḥrānī [bahrani_al_burhan], and al-Mīzān [tabatabai_al_mizan] transmit Abū Dharr's oath (in al-Bukhārī) that it descended for the Badr duel of Ḥamza, ʿAlī, and ʿUbayda against ʿUtba, Shayba, and al-Walīd; the Imāmī sources add ʿAlī's "I am the first to kneel for the dispute" and the al-Ḥusayn report glossing the adversaries as the Prophet's house versus the Banū Umayya. The Fire's torments (vv. 19–22) draw the powerful Jibrīl/"bellows of the Fire" narration, transmitted identically by al-Qummī [qummi] and al-Baḥrānī [bahrani_al_burhan].
Sources present: tabarsi_majma_al_bayan, qummi, tusi_al_tibyan, bahrani_al_burhan, tabatabai_al_mizan, enlightening_commentary; silent: (none).