Qaf
Closer Than the Jugular Vein
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the name of God, the All-Benevolent, the Benevolent.
Qaf.
قٓ
By the glorious Recitation! They marveled instead that a warner, one of their own, had come to them. Those who disown said: "This is an astonishing thing. When we are dead and become earth...? That return is far-fetched."
وَٱلْقُرْءَانِ ٱلْمَجِيدِ بَلْ عَجِبُوٓا۟ أَن جَآءَهُم مُّنذِرٌۭ مِّنْهُمْ فَقَالَ ٱلْكَٰفِرُونَ هَٰذَا شَىْءٌ عَجِيبٌ أَءِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابًۭا ذَٰلِكَ رَجْعٌۢ بَعِيدٌۭ
We know what the earth diminishes of them, and We have a record that preserves everything.
قَدْ عَلِمْنَا مَا تَنقُصُ ٱلْأَرْضُ مِنْهُمْ وَعِندَنَا كِتَٰبٌ حَفِيظٌۢ
They rather denied the truth when it came to them; so they are in a confused state.
بَلْ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِٱلْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ فَهُمْ فِىٓ أَمْرٍۢ مَّرِيجٍ
Have they not looked at the sky above them: how We built it and adorned it, without a single crack in it?
أَفَلَمْ يَنظُرُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَوْقَهُمْ كَيْفَ بَنَيْنَٰهَا وَزَيَّنَّٰهَا وَمَا لَهَا مِن فُرُوجٍۢ
And the earth, We spread it out, cast firm anchors in it, and caused every splendid pair to grow in it — a source of insight and a reminder for every obedient one ever having recourse to Him.
وَٱلْأَرْضَ مَدَدْنَٰهَا وَأَلْقَيْنَا فِيهَا رَوَٰسِىَ وَأَنۢبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ زَوْجٍۭ بَهِيجٍۢ تَبْصِرَةًۭ وَذِكْرَىٰ لِكُلِّ عَبْدٍۢ مُّنِيبٍۢ
And We sent down from the sky a blessed water, by which We caused gardens to grow, and the grain of harvest, and the tall palm trees with layered spathes, as provision for the obedient ones.
وَنَزَّلْنَا مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءًۭ مُّبَٰرَكًۭا فَأَنۢبَتْنَا بِهِۦ جَنَّٰتٍۢ وَحَبَّ ٱلْحَصِيدِ وَٱلنَّخْلَ بَاسِقَٰتٍۢ لَّهَا طَلْعٌۭ نَّضِيدٌۭ رِّزْقًۭا لِّلْعِبَادِ
And by it We brought a dead land back to life.
وَأَحْيَيْنَا بِهِۦ بَلْدَةًۭ مَّيْتًۭا
Such will be the coming forth.
كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلْخُرُوجُ
Before them, the people of Nuh denied, as did the companions of ar-Rass, the Thamud, the Aad, Fir'awn, the brothers of Lut, the companions of the Thicket, and the people of Tubba'.
كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍۢ وَأَصْحَٰبُ ٱلرَّسِّ وَثَمُودُ وَعَادٌۭ وَفِرْعَوْنُ وَإِخْوَٰنُ لُوطٍۢ وَأَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْأَيْكَةِ وَقَوْمُ تُبَّعٍۢ
All of them denied the messengers, and My threat proved true.
كُلٌّۭ كَذَّبَ ٱلرُّسُلَ فَحَقَّ وَعِيدِ
Were We then worn out by the first creation?
أَفَعَيِينَا بِٱلْخَلْقِ ٱلْأَوَّلِ
They are rather in a blur about a new creation.
بَلْ هُمْ فِى لَبْسٍۢ مِّنْ خَلْقٍۢ جَدِيدٍۢ
We have indeed created the human being, and We know what his Self whispers to him; and We are closer to him than the jugular vein.
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ وَنَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِهِۦ نَفْسُهُۥ وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ ٱلْوَرِيدِ
When the two receivers receive, one on the right, one on the left, seated.
إِذْ يَتَلَقَّى ٱلْمُتَلَقِّيَانِ عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٌۭ
He does not utter a saying without an observer, ready, being at his side.
مَّا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌۭ
And the intoxication of death has come with the truth:
وَجَآءَتْ سَكْرَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ بِٱلْحَقِّ
this is what you used to shun.
ذَٰلِكَ مَا كُنتَ مِنْهُ تَحِيدُ
And the Horn will be blown:
وَنُفِخَ فِى ٱلصُّورِ
this is the Day of the Threat.
ذَٰلِكَ يَوْمُ ٱلْوَعِيدِ
And every Self will come, accompanied by a driver and a witness.
وَجَآءَتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍۢ مَّعَهَا سَآئِقٌۭ وَشَهِيدٌۭ
You were indeed heedless of this; so We removed your veil, and your sight today is sharp.
لَّقَدْ كُنتَ فِى غَفْلَةٍۢ مِّنْ هَٰذَا فَكَشَفْنَا عَنكَ غِطَآءَكَ فَبَصَرُكَ ٱلْيَوْمَ حَدِيدٌۭ
And his acolyte will say: "Here is what I have, ready."
وَقَالَ قَرِينُهُۥ هَٰذَا مَا لَدَىَّ عَتِيدٌ
Cast into Jahannam, both of you, everyone who persistently disowns, obstructive of good, a crosser of limits, a sower of doubt, who set up, alongside God, another deity — cast him then into the severe punishment.
أَلْقِيَا فِى جَهَنَّمَ كُلَّ كَفَّارٍ عَنِيدٍۢ مَّنَّاعٍۢ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍۢ مُّرِيبٍ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا ءَاخَرَ فَأَلْقِيَاهُ فِى ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلشَّدِيدِ
His acolyte will say: "Our Guardian, I did not make him exceed all measure, but he was in far error."
قَالَ قَرِينُهُۥ رَبَّنَا مَآ أَطْغَيْتُهُۥ وَلَٰكِن كَانَ فِى ضَلَٰلٍۭ بَعِيدٍۢ
He will say: "Do not quarrel before Me, when I had already advanced the threat to you."
قَالَ لَا تَخْتَصِمُوا۟ لَدَىَّ وَقَدْ قَدَّمْتُ إِلَيْكُم بِٱلْوَعِيدِ
The saying does not change with Me, and I am in no way one to wrong the constrained under compulsion.
مَا يُبَدَّلُ ٱلْقَوْلُ لَدَىَّ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ بِظَلَّٰمٍۢ لِّلْعَبِيدِ
The day We will say to Jahannam: "Are you full?" and it will say: "Is there more?"
يَوْمَ يَقُولُ لِجَهَنَّمَ هَلِ ٱمْتَلَأْتِ وَتَقُولُ هَلْ مِن مَّزِيدٍۢ
And the Garden will be brought near to those who guard themselves, not far off.
وَأُزْلِفَتِ ٱلْجَنَّةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ
This is what you are promised, for everyone ever-returning, preserving.
هَٰذَا مَا تُوعَدُونَ لِكُلِّ أَوَّابٍ حَفِيظٍۢ
Whoever dreaded the All-Benevolent even though He escapes his senses, and came with a core ever having recourse to Him: "Enter it in peace."
مَّنْ خَشِىَ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنَ بِٱلْغَيْبِ وَجَآءَ بِقَلْبٍۢ مُّنِيبٍ ٱدْخُلُوهَا بِسَلَٰمٍۢ
This is the Day of eternity.
ذَٰلِكَ يَوْمُ ٱلْخُلُودِ
They will have therein whatever they will,
لَهُم مَّا يَشَآءُونَ فِيهَا
and with Us there is even more.
وَلَدَيْنَا مَزِيدٌۭ
How many generations have We annihilated before them, more formidable than they in striking, who had scoured the land!
وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا قَبْلَهُم مِّن قَرْنٍ هُمْ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُم بَطْشًۭا فَنَقَّبُوا۟ فِى ٱلْبِلَٰدِ
Was there any escape?
هَلْ مِن مَّحِيصٍ
There is surely a reminder in that for whoever has a core, or lends an ear while being a witness.
إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَذِكْرَىٰ لِمَن كَانَ لَهُۥ قَلْبٌ أَوْ أَلْقَى ٱلسَّمْعَ وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌۭ
We have indeed created the heavens and the earth, and what is between them, in six days, without any weariness touching Us.
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍۢ وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِن لُّغُوبٍۢ
So be patient with what they say,
فَٱصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ
and glorify, with praise, your Guardian, before the rising of the sun and before its setting,
وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ ٱلشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ ٱلْغُرُوبِ
and glorify Him during part of the night, and at the fading of the prostrations.
وَمِنَ ٱلَّيْلِ فَسَبِّحْهُ وَإِدْبَٰرَ ٱلسُّجُودِ
And listen, the day the Caller will call from a near place, the day they will hear the Cry in truth —
وَٱسْتَمِعْ يَوْمَ يُنَادِ ٱلْمُنَادِ مِن مَّكَانٍۢ قَرِيبٍۢ يَوْمَ يَسْمَعُونَ ٱلصَّيْحَةَ بِٱلْحَقِّ
this is the Day of the coming forth.
ذَٰلِكَ يَوْمُ ٱلْخُرُوجِ
It is We who give life and cause death, and to Us is the destination.
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نُحْىِۦ وَنُمِيتُ وَإِلَيْنَا ٱلْمَصِيرُ
The day the earth will split open from them, rapidly —
يَوْمَ تَشَّقَّقُ ٱلْأَرْضُ عَنْهُمْ سِرَاعًۭا
that is a gathering easy for Us.
ذَٰلِكَ حَشْرٌ عَلَيْنَا يَسِيرٌۭ
We know best what they say,
نَّحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ
and you are not a tyrant over them.
وَمَآ أَنتَ عَلَيْهِم بِجَبَّارٍۢ
So remind, by the Recitation, whoever fears My threat.
فَذَكِّرْ بِٱلْقُرْءَانِ مَن يَخَافُ وَعِيدِ