أَكُفَّارُكُمْ خَيْرٌۭ مِّنْ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكُمْ أَمْ لَكُم بَرَآءَةٌۭ فِى ٱلزُّبُرِ
Are your faithless better than those? Have you [been granted] [some sort of] immunity in the scriptures?
أَمْ يَقُولُونَ نَحْنُ جَمِيعٌۭ مُّنتَصِرٌۭ
Do they say, ‘We are a confederate league’?
سَيُهْزَمُ ٱلْجَمْعُ وَيُوَلُّونَ ٱلدُّبُرَ
The league will be routed and turn its back [to flee].
بَلِ ٱلسَّاعَةُ مَوْعِدُهُمْ وَٱلسَّاعَةُ أَدْهَىٰ وَأَمَرُّ
Indeed, the Hour is their tryst; and the Hour will be most calamitous and bitter.
إِنَّ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ فِى ضَلَٰلٍۢ وَسُعُرٍۢ
Indeed the guilty are steeped in error and madness.
يَوْمَ يُسْحَبُونَ فِى ٱلنَّارِ عَلَىٰ وُجُوهِهِمْ ذُوقُوا۟ مَسَّ سَقَرَ
The day when they are dragged on their faces into the Fire, [it will be said to them,] ‘Taste the touch of hell!’
إِنَّا كُلَّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقْنَٰهُ بِقَدَرٍۢ
Indeed We have created everything in a measure,
وَمَآ أَمْرُنَآ إِلَّا وَٰحِدَةٌۭ كَلَمْحٍۭ بِٱلْبَصَرِ
and Our command is but a single [word], like the twinkling of an eye.
وَلَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَآ أَشْيَاعَكُمْ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍۢ
Certainly We have destroyed your likes. So is there anyone who will be admonished?
وَكُلُّ شَىْءٍۢ فَعَلُوهُ فِى ٱلزُّبُرِ
Everything they have done is in the books,
وَكُلُّ صَغِيرٍۢ وَكَبِيرٍۢ مُّسْتَطَرٌ
and everything big and small is committed to writing.
إِنَّ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ فِى جَنَّٰتٍۢ وَنَهَرٍۢ
Indeed the Godwary will be amid gardens and streams,
فِى مَقْعَدِ صِدْقٍ عِندَ مَلِيكٍۢ مُّقْتَدِرٍۭ
in the abode of truthfulness with an omnipotent King.
English translation: Ali Quli Qarai
The sura draws its conclusion. Are your disbelievers better than those? -- have they immunity in the scriptures, or do they boast We are a victorious multitude? (vv.43-44). God answers: the multitude will be routed and turn their backs (v.45) -- nay, the Hour is their appointment, more grievous and bitterer (v.46). The guilty are in error and blazing flames, dragged on their faces -- taste the touch of Saqar (vv.47-48) -- for We created everything by measure (v.49); Our Command is but one, as the twinkling of an eye (v.50); We destroyed your likes (v.51); all deeds are inscribed in the Records (vv.52-53). In contrast, the God-fearing are amid Gardens and a River, in a seat of truth, with an Omnipotent Sovereign (vv.54-55).
All present sources read the multitude will be routed as a fulfilled prophecy of Badr, one of the Qur'an's malahim (al-Mizan) and among the Prophet's miracles (al-Tabarsi, al-Tusi). Web cross-check confirms the Prophet recited sayuhzam al-jam' at Badr and 'Umar recalled wondering at the verse until it came true (Sahih al-Bukhari). On bi-qadar (v.49) the sources agree the punishment is measured to desert; al-Mizan builds its longest theological discussion here -- that God's acts are not questioned with 'why' (21:23), for the rational universals derive from His act rather than governing it -- and its kalam fi al-qadar distinguishes measure (qadar) from decree (qada'). al-Tabarsi and al-Tusi add the everyday illustrations (the tongue for speech, the eye for sight) and gloss maq'ad sidq as a true assembly free of idle or sinful talk, 'ind malik muqtadir meaning not spatial nearness but being in God's shelter and care.
al-Qummi ties vv.43-45 again to Badr. al-Bahrani is the richest and most doctrinally weighted: the mainstream narration that the Qadariyya are the Magians of this community -- those who deny divine measure -- with this verse 'revealed concerning them' (al-Mizan confirms and identifies them with the Mu'tazila of tafwid); and a cluster of walaya narrations on vv.54-55 -- al-Kazim's 'the God-fearing, by God, are we and our Shi'a; none is on the religion of Abraham but us,' and Jabir's report that 'Ali is first into Paradise and that whoever loves the Family will be housed with them. These closing walaya readings are recorded strictly as attributed and flagged for review.