Surah 44: Smoke (Al-Dukhan)

حم

H. M.

وَالكِتٰبِ المُبينِ

And this enlightening scripture.

إِنّا أَنزَلنٰهُ فى لَيلَةٍ مُبٰرَكَةٍ إِنّا كُنّا مُنذِرينَ

We have sent it down in a blessed night, for we are to warn.

فيها يُفرَقُ كُلُّ أَمرٍ حَكيمٍ

In it (the scripture), every matter of wisdom is clarified.

أَمرًا مِن عِندِنا إِنّا كُنّا مُرسِلينَ

It is a predetermined command from us that we send messengers.

رَحمَةً مِن رَبِّكَ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّميعُ العَليمُ

This is a mercy from your Lord. He is the Hearer, the Omniscient.

رَبِّ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالأَرضِ وَما بَينَهُما إِن كُنتُم موقِنينَ

Lord of the heavens and the earth, and everything between them. If only you could be certain!

لا إِلٰهَ إِلّا هُوَ يُحى ۦ وَيُميتُ رَبُّكُم وَرَبُّ ءابائِكُمُ الأَوَّلينَ

There is no other god beside Him. He controls life and death; your Lord and the Lord of your ancestors.

بَل هُم فى شَكٍّ يَلعَبونَ

Indeed, they are doubtful, heedless.

فَارتَقِب يَومَ تَأتِى السَّماءُ بِدُخانٍ مُبينٍ

Therefore, watch for the day when the sky brings a profound smoke.*

*44:10 Only two signs are yet to be fulfilled, this smoke and Gog and Magog (Appendix 25).

يَغشَى النّاسَ هٰذا عَذابٌ أَليمٌ

It will envelop the people; this is a painful retribution.

رَبَّنَا اكشِف عَنَّا العَذابَ إِنّا مُؤمِنونَ

"Our Lord, relieve this retribution for us; we are believers."

أَنّىٰ لَهُمُ الذِّكرىٰ وَقَد جاءَهُم رَسولٌ مُبينٌ

Now that it is too late, they remember! An enlightening messenger had come to them.*

*44:13 The sum of sura and verse numbers (44+13) is 57, 19x3, and this Quranic code was proclaimed by God's Messenger of the Covenant (Appendices 1, 2, & 26).

ثُمَّ تَوَلَّوا عَنهُ وَقالوا مُعَلَّمٌ مَجنونٌ

But they turned away from him, saying, "Well educated, but crazy!"

إِنّا كاشِفُوا العَذابِ قَليلًا إِنَّكُم عائِدونَ

We will relieve the retribution for awhile; you will soon revert.

يَومَ نَبطِشُ البَطشَةَ الكُبرىٰ إِنّا مُنتَقِمونَ

The day we strike the big stroke, we will avenge.

وَلَقَد فَتَنّا قَبلَهُم قَومَ فِرعَونَ وَجاءَهُم رَسولٌ كَريمٌ

We have tested before them the people of Pharaoh; an honorable messenger went to them.

أَن أَدّوا إِلَىَّ عِبادَ اللَّهِ إِنّى لَكُم رَسولٌ أَمينٌ

Proclaiming: "Listen to me, servants of God. I am an honest messenger to you."

وَأَن لا تَعلوا عَلَى اللَّهِ إِنّى ءاتيكُم بِسُلطٰنٍ مُبينٍ

And, "Do not transgress against God. I bring to you powerful proofs.

وَإِنّى عُذتُ بِرَبّى وَرَبِّكُم أَن تَرجُمونِ

"I seek refuge in my Lord and your Lord, if you oppose me.

وَإِن لَم تُؤمِنوا لى فَاعتَزِلونِ

"If you do not wish to believe, then simply leave me alone."

فَدَعا رَبَّهُ أَنَّ هٰؤُلاءِ قَومٌ مُجرِمونَ

Subsequently, he implored his Lord: "These are wicked people."

فَأَسرِ بِعِبادى لَيلًا إِنَّكُم مُتَّبَعونَ

(God said,) "Travel with My servants during the night; you will be pursued.

وَاترُكِ البَحرَ رَهوًا إِنَّهُم جُندٌ مُغرَقونَ

"Cross the sea quickly; their troops will be drowned."

كَم تَرَكوا مِن جَنّٰتٍ وَعُيونٍ

Thus, they left behind many gardens and springs.

وَزُروعٍ وَمَقامٍ كَريمٍ

Crops and a luxurious life.

وَنَعمَةٍ كانوا فيها فٰكِهينَ

Blessings that they enjoyed.

كَذٰلِكَ وَأَورَثنٰها قَومًا ءاخَرينَ

All these we caused to be inherited by other people.

فَما بَكَت عَلَيهِمُ السَّماءُ وَالأَرضُ وَما كانوا مُنظَرينَ

Neither the heaven, nor the earth wept over them, and they were not respited.

وَلَقَد نَجَّينا بَنى إِسرٰءيلَ مِنَ العَذابِ المُهينِ

Meanwhile, we saved the Children of Israel from the humiliating persecution.

مِن فِرعَونَ إِنَّهُ كانَ عالِيًا مِنَ المُسرِفينَ

From Pharaoh; he was a tyrant.

وَلَقَدِ اختَرنٰهُم عَلىٰ عِلمٍ عَلَى العٰلَمينَ

We have chosen them from among all the people, knowingly.

وَءاتَينٰهُم مِنَ الـٔايٰتِ ما فيهِ بَلٰؤٌا۟ مُبينٌ

We showed them so many proofs, which constituted a great test.

إِنَّ هٰؤُلاءِ لَيَقولونَ

The present generations say,

إِن هِىَ إِلّا مَوتَتُنَا الأولىٰ وَما نَحنُ بِمُنشَرينَ

"We only die the first death; we will never be resurrected!

فَأتوا بِـٔابائِنا إِن كُنتُم صٰدِقينَ

"Bring back our forefathers, if you are truthful."

أَهُم خَيرٌ أَم قَومُ تُبَّعٍ وَالَّذينَ مِن قَبلِهِم أَهلَكنٰهُم إِنَّهُم كانوا مُجرِمينَ

Are they better than the people of Tubba` and others before them? We annihilated them for their crimes.

وَما خَلَقنَا السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالأَرضَ وَما بَينَهُما لٰعِبينَ

We did not create the heavens and the earth, and everything between them, just to play.

ما خَلَقنٰهُما إِلّا بِالحَقِّ وَلٰكِنَّ أَكثَرَهُم لا يَعلَمونَ

We created them for a specific purpose, but most of them do not know.

إِنَّ يَومَ الفَصلِ ميقٰتُهُم أَجمَعينَ

The Day of Decision awaits them all.

يَومَ لا يُغنى مَولًى عَن مَولًى شَيـًٔا وَلا هُم يُنصَرونَ

That is the day when no friend can help his friend in any way; no one can be helped.

إِلّا مَن رَحِمَ اللَّهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ العَزيزُ الرَّحيمُ

Only those who attain mercy from God. He is the Almighty, Most Merciful.

إِنَّ شَجَرَتَ الزَّقّومِ

Surely, the tree of bitterness -

طَعامُ الأَثيمِ

will provide the food for the sinful.

كَالمُهلِ يَغلى فِى البُطونِ

Like lye, it will boil in the stomachs.

كَغَلىِ الحَميمِ

Like the boiling of hellish drinks.

خُذوهُ فَاعتِلوهُ إِلىٰ سَواءِ الجَحيمِ

Take him and throw him into the center of Hell.

ثُمَّ صُبّوا فَوقَ رَأسِهِ مِن عَذابِ الحَميمِ

Then pour upon his head the retribution of the Inferno.

ذُق إِنَّكَ أَنتَ العَزيزُ الكَريمُ

"Taste this; you were so powerful, so honorable."

إِنَّ هٰذا ما كُنتُم بِهِ تَمتَرونَ

This is what you used to doubt.

إِنَّ المُتَّقينَ فى مَقامٍ أَمينٍ

The righteous will be in a secure position.

فى جَنّٰتٍ وَعُيونٍ

Enjoying gardens and springs.

يَلبَسونَ مِن سُندُسٍ وَإِستَبرَقٍ مُتَقٰبِلينَ

Wearing velvet and satin; close to each other.

كَذٰلِكَ وَزَوَّجنٰهُم بِحورٍ عينٍ

We grant them wonderful spouses.

يَدعونَ فيها بِكُلِّ فٰكِهَةٍ ءامِنينَ

They enjoy in it all kinds of fruits, in perfect peace.

لا يَذوقونَ فيهَا المَوتَ إِلَّا المَوتَةَ الأولىٰ وَوَقىٰهُم عَذابَ الجَحيمِ

They do not taste death therein - beyond the first death - and He has spared them the retribution of Hell.

*44:56 As detailed in Appendix 17, the righteous do not really die; they move on directly to the same Paradise where Adam and Eve once lived. Compare this statement with the disbelievers' statement in 40:11.

فَضلًا مِن رَبِّكَ ذٰلِكَ هُوَ الفَوزُ العَظيمُ

Such is the blessing from your Lord. Such is the great triumph.

فَإِنَّما يَسَّرنٰهُ بِلِسانِكَ لَعَلَّهُم يَتَذَكَّرونَ

We have thus clarified it in your language, that they may take heed.

فَارتَقِب إِنَّهُم مُرتَقِبونَ

Therefore, wait; they too will have to wait.