44 - The Smoke
The Smoke
  1. Ha Mim
  2. By the Clear Book.
  3. We have sent it down in a blessed night (We are ever warning)
  4. therein every wise bidding
  5. determined as a bidding from Us, (We are ever sending)
  6. as a mercy from thy Lord (surely He is the All-hearing, the All-knowing)
  7. Lord of the heavens and earth, and all that between them is if you have faith.
  8. There is no god but He; He gives life and makes to die; your Lord and the Lord of your fathers, the ancients.
  9. Nay, but they are in doubt, playing.
  10. So be on the watch for a day when heaven shall bring a manifest smoke
  11. covering the people; this is a painful chastisement.
  12. 'O our Lord, remove Thou from us the chastisement; we are believers.'
  13. How should they have the Reminder, seeing a clear Messenger already came to them,
  14. then they turned away from him and said, 'A man tutored, possessed!'
  15. 'Behold, We are removing the chastisement a little; behold, you revert!'
  16. Upon the day when We shall assault most mightily, then We shall take Our vengeance.
  17. Already before them We tried the people of Pharaoh, and a noble Messenger came unto them,
  18. saying, 'Deliver to me God's servants; I am for you a faithful Messenger,
  19. and, 'Rise not up against God; behold, I come to you with a clear authority,
  20. and I take refuge in my Lord and your Lord, lest you should stone me.
  21. 'But if so be that you believe me not, go you apart from me!'
  22. And he called to his Lord, saying, 'These are a sinful people.'
  23. 'Then set thou forth with My servants in a watch of the night; surely you will be followed.
  24. And leave the sea becalmed; they are a drowned host.'
  25. They left how many gardens and fountains,
  26. sown fields, and how noble a station,
  27. and what prosperity they had rejoiced in!
  28. Even so; and We bequeathed them upon another people.
  29. Neither heaven nor earth wept for them, nor were they respited;
  30. and We delivered the Children of Israel from the humbling chastisement,
  31. from Pharaoh; surely he was a high One, of the prodigals;
  32. and We chose them, out of a knowledge, above all beings,
  33. and gave them signs wherein there was a manifest trial.
  34. These men do say,
  35. 'There is nothing but our first death; we shall not be revived.
  36. Bring us our fathers, if you speak truly!'
  37. Are they better, or the people of Tubba' and those before them whom We destroyed? They were surely sinners.
  38. We created not the heavens and earth, and all that between them is, in play;
  39. We created them not save in truth; but most of them know it not.
  40. Surely the Day of Decision shall be their appointed time, all together,
  41. the day a master shall avail nothing a client, and they shall not be helped,
  42. save him upon whom God has mercy; He is the All-mighty, the All-compassionate.
  43. Lo, the Tree of Ez-Zakkoum
  44. is the food of the guilty,
  45. like molten copper, bubbling in the belly
  46. as boiling water bubbles.
  47. 'Take him, and thrust him into the midst of Hell,
  48. then pour over his head the chastisement of boiling water!'
  49. 'Taste! Surely thou art the mighty, the noble.
  50. This is that concerning which you were doubting.'
  51. Surely the godfearing shall be in a station secure
  52. among gardens and fountains,
  53. robed in silk and brocade, set face to face.
  54. Even so; and We shall espouse them to wide-eyed houris,
  55. therein calling for every fruit, secure.
  56. They shall not taste therein of death, save the first death, And He shall guard them against the chastisement of Hell --
  57. a bounty from thy Lord; that is the mighty triumph.
  58. Now We have made it easy by thy tongue, that haply they may remember.
  59. So be on the watch; they too are on the watch.