سورة الذاريات
Surah Adh-Dhariyat
The Winnowing Winds
Surah Adh-Dhariyat (The Winnowing Winds) is the 51st surah of the Quran. It has 60 verses and is a Meccan surah. Below is the complete Arabic text with an English translation and transliteration, verse by verse.
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
وَ ٱلذَّٰرِيَٰتِ ذَرۡوࣰا﴿١﴾
Waalththariyati tharwan
By the [winds] scattering [dust], dispersing [it]
فَٱلۡحَٰمِلَٰتِ وِقۡرࣰا﴿٢﴾
Faalhamilati wiqran
And the [clouds] carrying a load [of water]
فَٱلۡجَٰرِيَٰتِ يُسۡرࣰا﴿٣﴾
Faaljariyati yusran
And the ships sailing with ease
فَٱلۡمُقَسِّمَٰتِ أَمۡرًا﴿٤﴾
Faalmuqassimati amran
And the [angels] apportioning [each] matter,
إِنَّمَا تُوعَدُونَ لَصَادِقࣱ﴿٥﴾
Innama tooʿadoona lasadiqun
Indeed, what you are promised is true.
وَ إِنَّ ٱلدِّينَ لَوَٰقِعࣱ﴿٦﴾
Wainna alddeena lawaqiʿun
And indeed, the recompense is to occur.
وَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ ٱلۡحُبُكِ﴿٧﴾
Waalssamai thati alhubuki
By the heaven containing pathways,
إِنَّكُمۡ لَفِي قَوۡلࣲ مُّخۡتَلِفࣲ﴿٨﴾
Innakum lafee qawlin mukhtalifin
Indeed, you are in differing speech.
يُؤۡفَكُ عَنۡهُ مَنۡ أُفِكَ﴿٩﴾
Yufaku ʿanhu man ofika
Deluded away from it [i.e., the Qur’ān] is he who is deluded.
قُتِلَ ٱلۡخَرَّٰصُونَ﴿١٠﴾
Qutila alkharrasoona
Destroyed are the misinformers
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ فِي غَمۡرَةࣲ سَاهُونَ﴿١١﴾
Allatheena hum fee ghamratin sahoona
Who are within a flood [of confusion] and heedless.
يَسۡـَٔلُونَ أَيَّانَ يَوۡمُ ٱلدِّينِ﴿١٢﴾
Yasaloona ayyana yawmu alddeeni
They ask, "When is the Day of Recompense?"
يَوۡمَ هُمۡ عَلَى ٱلنَّارِ يُفۡتَنُونَ﴿١٣﴾
Yawma hum ʿala alnnari yuftanoona
[It is] the Day they will be tormented over the Fire
ذُوقُواْ فِتۡنَتَكُمۡ هَٰذَا ٱلَّذِي كُنتُم بِهِۦ تَسۡتَعۡجِلُونَ﴿١٤﴾
Thooqoo fitnatakum hatha allathee kuntum bihi tastaʿjiloona
[And will be told], "Taste your torment. This is that for which you were impatient."
إِنَّ ٱلۡمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّٰتࣲ وَ عُيُونٍ﴿١٥﴾
Inna almuttaqeena fee jannatin waʿuyoonin
Indeed, the righteous will be among gardens and springs,
ءَاخِذِينَ مَآ ءَاتَىٰهُمۡ رَبُّهُمۡ ۚ إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ قَبۡلَ ذَٰلِكَ مُحۡسِنِينَ﴿١٦﴾
Akhitheena ma atahum rabbuhum innahum kanoo qabla thalika muhsineena
Accepting what their Lord has given them. Indeed, they were before that doers of good.
كَانُواْ قَلِيلࣰا مِّنَ ٱلَّيۡلِ مَا يَهۡجَعُونَ﴿١٧﴾
Kanoo qaleelan mina allayli ma yahjaʿoona
They used to sleep but little of the night,
وَ بِٱلۡأَسۡحَارِ هُمۡ يَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَ﴿١٨﴾
Wabialashari hum yastaghfiroona
And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness,
وَ فِيٓ أَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ حَقࣱّ لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَ ٱلۡمَحۡرُومِ﴿١٩﴾
Wafee amwalihim haqqun lilssaili waalmahroomi
And from their properties was [given] the right of the [needy] petitioner and the deprived.
وَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ ءَايَٰتࣱ لِّلۡمُوقِنِينَ﴿٢٠﴾
Wafee alardi ayatun lilmooqineena
And on the earth are signs for the certain [in faith]
وَ فِيٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡ ۚ أَفَلَا تُبۡصِرُونَ﴿٢١﴾
Wafee anfusikum afala tubsiroona
And in yourselves. Then will you not see?
وَ فِي ٱلسَّمَآءِ رِزۡقُكُمۡ وَ مَا تُوعَدُونَ﴿٢٢﴾
Wafee alssamai rizqukum wama tooʿadoona
And in the heaven is your provision and whatever you are promised.
فَوَرَبِّ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ إِنَّهُۥ لَحَقࣱّ مِّثۡلَ مَآ أَنَّكُمۡ تَنطِقُونَ﴿٢٣﴾
Fawarabbi alssamai waalardi innahu lahaqqun mithla ma annakum tantiqoona
Then by the Lord of the heaven and earth, indeed, it is truth - just as [sure as] it is that you are speaking.
هَلۡ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ ضَيۡفِ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ ٱلۡمُكۡرَمِينَ﴿٢٤﴾
Hal ataka hadeethu dayfi ibraheema almukrameena
Has there reached you the story of the honored guests of Abraham? -
إِذۡ دَخَلُواْ عَلَيۡهِ فَقَالُواْ سَلَٰمࣰا ۖ قَالَ سَلَٰمࣱ قَوۡمࣱ مُّنكَرُونَ﴿٢٥﴾
Ith dakhaloo ʿalayhi faqaloo salaman qala salamun qawmun munkaroona
When they entered upon him and said, "[We greet you with] peace." He answered, "[And upon you] peace; [you are] a people unknown."
فَرَاغَ إِلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهِۦ فَجَآءَ بِعِجۡلࣲ سَمِينࣲ﴿٢٦﴾
Faragha ila ahlihi fajaa biʿijlin sameenin
Then he went to his family and came with a fat [roasted] calf.
فَقَرَّبَهُۥٓ إِلَيۡهِمۡ قَالَ أَلَا تَأۡكُلُونَ﴿٢٧﴾
Faqarrabahu ilayhim qala ala takuloona
And placed it near them; he said, "Will you not eat?"
فَأَوۡجَسَ مِنۡهُمۡ خِيفَةࣰ ۖ قَالُواْ لَا تَخَفۡ ۖ وَ بَشَّرُوهُ بِغُلَٰمٍ عَلِيمࣲ﴿٢٨﴾
Faawjasa minhum kheefatan qaloo la takhaf wabashsharoohu bighulamin ʿaleemin
And he felt from them apprehension. They said, "Fear not," and gave him good tidings of a learned boy.
فَأَقۡبَلَتِ ٱمۡرَأَتُهُۥ فِي صَرَّةࣲ فَصَكَّتۡ وَجۡهَهَا وَ قَالَتۡ عَجُوزٌ عَقِيمࣱ﴿٢٩﴾
Faaqbalati imraatuhu fee sarratin fasakkat wajhaha waqalat ʿajoozun ʿaqeemun
And his wife approached with a cry [of alarm] and struck her face and said, "[I am] a barren old woman!"
قَالُواْ كَذَٰلِكِ قَالَ رَبُّكِ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ﴿٣٠﴾
Qaloo kathaliki qala rabbuki innahu huwa alhakeemu alʿaleemu
They said, "Thus has said your Lord; indeed, He is the Wise, the Knowing."
قَالَ فَمَا خَطۡبُكُمۡ أَيُّهَا ٱلۡمُرۡسَلُونَ﴿٣١﴾
Qala fama khatbukum ayyuha almursaloona
[Abraham] said, "Then what is your business [here], O messengers?"
قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّآ أُرۡسِلۡنَآ إِلَىٰ قَوۡمࣲ مُّجۡرِمِينَ﴿٣٢﴾
Qaloo inna orsilna ila qawmin mujrimeena
They said, "Indeed, we have been sent to a people of criminals
لِنُرۡسِلَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ حِجَارَةࣰ مِّن طِينࣲ﴿٣٣﴾
Linursila ʿalayhim hijaratan min teenin
To send down upon them stones of clay,
مُّسَوَّمَةً عِندَ رَبِّكَ لِلۡمُسۡرِفِينَ﴿٣٤﴾
Musawwamatan ʿinda rabbika lilmusrifeena
Marked in the presence of your Lord for the transgressors."
فَأَخۡرَجۡنَا مَن كَانَ فِيهَا مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ﴿٣٥﴾
Faakhrajna man kana feeha mina almumineena
So We brought out whoever was in them [i.e., the cities] of the believers.
فَمَا وَجَدۡنَا فِيهَا غَيۡرَ بَيۡتࣲ مِّنَ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ﴿٣٦﴾
Fama wajadna feeha ghayra baytin mina almuslimeena
And We found not within them other than a [single] house of Muslims.
وَ تَرَكۡنَا فِيهَآ ءَايَةࣰ لِّلَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ ٱلۡعَذَابَ ٱلۡأَلِيمَ﴿٣٧﴾
Watarakna feeha ayatan lillatheena yakhafoona alʿathaba alaleema
And We left therein a sign for those who fear the painful punishment.
وَ فِي مُوسَىٰٓ إِذۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَٰهُ إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ بِسُلۡطَٰنࣲ مُّبِينࣲ﴿٣٨﴾
Wafee moosa ith arsalnahu ila firʿawna bisultanin mubeenin
And in Moses [was a sign], when We sent him to Pharaoh with clear authority.
فَتَوَلَّىٰ بِرُكۡنِهِۦ وَ قَالَ سَٰحِرٌ أَوۡ مَجۡنُونࣱ﴿٣٩﴾
Fatawalla biruknihi waqala sahirun aw majnoonun
But he turned away with his supporters and said, "A magician or a madman."
فَأَخَذۡنَٰهُ وَ جُنُودَهُۥ فَنَبَذۡنَٰهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡيَمِّ وَ هُوَ مُلِيمࣱ﴿٤٠﴾
Faakhathnahu wajunoodahu fanabathnahum fee alyammi wahuwa muleemun
So We took him and his soldiers and cast them into the sea, and he was blameworthy.
وَ فِي عَادٍ إِذۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلرِّيحَ ٱلۡعَقِيمَ﴿٤١﴾
Wafee ʿadin ith arsalna ʿalayhimu alrreeha alʿaqeema
And in ʿAad [was a sign], when We sent against them the barren wind.
مَا تَذَرُ مِن شَيۡءٍ أَتَتۡ عَلَيۡهِ إِلَّا جَعَلَتۡهُ كَٱلرَّمِيمِ﴿٤٢﴾
Ma tatharu min shayin atat ʿalayhi illa jaʿalathu kaalrrameemi
It left nothing of what it came upon but that it made it like disintegrated ruins.
وَ فِي ثَمُودَ إِذۡ قِيلَ لَهُمۡ تَمَتَّعُواْ حَتَّىٰ حِينࣲ﴿٤٣﴾
Wafee thamooda ith qeela lahum tamattaʿoo hatta heenin
And in Thamūd, when it was said to them, "Enjoy yourselves for a time."
فَعَتَوۡاْ عَنۡ أَمۡرِ رَبِّهِمۡ فَأَخَذَتۡهُمُ ٱلصَّٰعِقَةُ وَ هُمۡ يَنظُرُونَ﴿٤٤﴾
Faʿataw ʿan amri rabbihim faakhathathumu alssaʿiqatu wahum yanthuroona
But they were insolent toward the command of their Lord, so the thunderbolt seized them while they were looking on.
فَمَا ٱسۡتَطَٰعُواْ مِن قِيَامࣲ وَ مَا كَانُواْ مُنتَصِرِينَ﴿٤٥﴾
Fama istataʿoo min qiyamin wama kanoo muntasireena
And they were unable to arise, nor could they defend themselves.
وَ قَوۡمَ نُوحࣲ مِّن قَبۡلُ ۖ إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ قَوۡمࣰا فَٰسِقِينَ﴿٤٦﴾
Waqawma noohin min qablu innahum kanoo qawman fasiqeena
And [We destroyed] the people of Noah before; indeed, they were a people defiantly disobedient.
وَ ٱلسَّمَآءَ بَنَيۡنَٰهَا بِأَيۡيْدࣲ وَ إِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ﴿٤٧﴾
Waalssamaa banaynaha biaydin wainna lamoosiʿoona
And the heaven We constructed with strength, and indeed, We are [its] expander.
وَ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ فَرَشۡنَٰهَا فَنِعۡمَ ٱلۡمَٰهِدُونَ﴿٤٨﴾
Waalarda farashnaha faniʿma almahidoona
And the earth We have spread out, and excellent is the preparer.
وَ مِن كُلِّ شَيۡءٍ خَلَقۡنَا زَوۡجَيۡنِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ﴿٤٩﴾
Wamin kulli shayin khalaqna zawjayni laʿallakum tathakkaroona
And of all things We created two mates [i.e., counterparts]; perhaps you will remember.
فَفِرُّوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنِّي لَكُم مِّنۡهُ نَذِيرࣱ مُّبِينࣱ﴿٥٠﴾
Fafirroo ila Allahi innee lakum minhu natheerun mubeenun
So flee to Allāh. Indeed, I am to you from Him a clear warner.
وَ لَا تَجۡعَلُواْ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا ءَاخَرَ ۖ إِنِّي لَكُم مِّنۡهُ نَذِيرࣱ مُّبِينࣱ﴿٥١﴾
Wala tajʿaloo maʿa Allahi ilahan akhara innee lakum minhu natheerun mubeenun
And do not make [as equal] with Allāh another deity. Indeed, I am to you from Him a clear warner.
كَذَٰلِكَ مَآ أَتَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِم مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا قَالُواْ سَاحِرٌ أَوۡ مَجۡنُونٌ﴿٥٢﴾
Kathalika ma ata allatheena min qablihim min rasoolin illa qaloo sahirun aw majnoonun
Similarly, there came not to those before them any messenger except that they said, "A magician or a madman."
أَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِهِۦ ۚ بَلۡ هُمۡ قَوۡمࣱ طَاغُونَ﴿٥٣﴾
Atawasaw bihi bal hum qawmun taghoona
Did they suggest it to them? Rather, they [themselves] are a transgressing people.
فَتَوَلَّ عَنۡهُمۡ فَمَآ أَنتَ بِمَلُومࣲ﴿٥٤﴾
Fatawalla ʿanhum fama anta bimaloomin
So leave them, [O Muḥammad], for you are not to be blamed.
وَ ذَكِّرۡ فَإِنَّ ٱلذِّكۡرَىٰ تَنفَعُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ﴿٥٥﴾
Wathakkir fainna alththikra tanfaʿu almumineena
And remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers.
وَ مَا خَلَقۡتُ ٱلۡجِنَّ وَ ٱلۡإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعۡبُدُونِ﴿٥٦﴾
Wama khalaqtu aljinna waalinsa illa liyaʿbudooni
And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.
مَآ أُرِيدُ مِنۡهُم مِّن رِّزۡقࣲ وَ مَآ أُرِيدُ أَن يُطۡعِمُونِ﴿٥٧﴾
Ma oreedu minhum min rizqin wama oreedu an yutʿimooni
I do not want from them any provision, nor do I want them to feed Me.
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلرَّزَّاقُ ذُو ٱلۡقُوَّةِ ٱلۡمَتِينُ﴿٥٨﴾
Inna Allaha huwa alrrazzaqu thoo alquwwati almateenu
Indeed, it is Allāh who is the [continual] Provider, the firm possessor of strength.
فَإِنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ ذَنُوبࣰا مِّثۡلَ ذَنُوبِ أَصۡحَٰبِهِمۡ فَلَا يَسۡتَعۡجِلُونِ﴿٥٩﴾
Fainna lillatheena thalamoo thanooban mithla thanoobi ashabihim fala yastaʿjiloona
And indeed, for those who have wronged is a portion [of punishment] like the portion of their companions [i.e., predecessors], so let them not impatiently urge Me.
فَوَيۡلࣱ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن يَوۡمِهِمُ ٱلَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ﴿٦٠﴾
Fawaylun lillatheena kafaroo min yawmihimu allathee yooʿadoona
And woe to those who have disbelieved from their Day which they are promised.
Translation: Saheeh International · Transliteration
About this surah
Name
It is derived from the very first word wadh-dhariyat, which implies that it is a Surah which begins with the word adh-dhariyat.
Period of Revelation
The subject matter and the style clearly show that it was sent down in the period when although the Holy Prophet's invitation was being resisted and opposed with denial and ridicule and false accusations stubbornly, persecution had not yet started. Therefore, this Surah also seems to have been revealed in the same period in which the Surah Qaf was revealed.
Subject Matter and Topics
The Surah mostly deals with the Hereafter, and in the end it presents the invitation to Tauhid. In addition, the people have also been warned that refusal to accept the message of the Prophets and persistence in the concepts and creeds of ignorance have proved to be disastrous for those nations themselves which have adopted this attitude and way of life in the past.
About the Hereafter what this Surah presents in short but pithy sentences is this: The people's different and conflicting beliefs about the end of human life are themselves an express proof that none of these beliefs and creeds is based on knowledge; everyone by himself has formed an ideology on the basis of conjecture and made the same his creed. Someone thought that there would be no life-after-death; someone believed in the life- after-death, but in the form of the transmigration of souls someone believed in the life hereafter and the meting out of the rewards and punishments but invented different sorts of props and supports to escape retribution. About a question of such vital and fundamental importance a wrong view of which renders man's whole life-work wrong and waste and ruins his future for ever, it would be a disastrous folly to build an ideology only on the basis of speculation and conjecture, without knowledge. It would mean that man should remain involved in a grave misunderstanding, pass his whole life in the heedlessness of error, and after death should suddenly meet with a situation for which he had made no preparation at all. There is only one way of forming the right opinion about such a question, and it is this: Man should seriously ponder over the knowledge about the Hereafter that the Prophet of Allah is conveying to him from Him, and should study carefully the system of the earth and heavens and his own existence: and should see whether the evidence of that knowledge's being sound and correct is afforded by everything around him or not. In this regard, the arrangement of the wind and rain, the structure of the earth and the creatures found on it, man's own self, the creation of the heavens and of everything in the world in the form of pairs have been presented as evidence of the Hereafter, and instances have been cited from human history to show that the temper of the empire of the Universe requires that the law of retribution must operate here.
After this, giving the invitation to Tauhid briefly, it has been said : "Your Creator has not created you for the service of others but for His own service. He is not like your false gods, which receive sustenance from you and godhead of which cannot function without your help, but He is a God Who is the Sustainer of all, Who does not stand in need of sustenance from anyone and Whose Godhead is functioning by His own power and might.
In this very connection, it has also been stated that whenever the Prophets of Allah have been opposed and resisted, they have not been opposed and resisted on the basis of any rational ground but on the basis of the same obduracy and stubbornness and false pride that is being shown against the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and there is no other motive for it than rebellion and arrogance. Then the Holy Prophet has been instructed not to bother about the rebels but to go on performing his mission of invitation and admonition, for it is useful and beneficial for the believers although it may not be so for the other people. As for the wicked people who still persist in their rebellion, they should know that their predecessors who followed the same way of life, have already received their shares of the punishment, and these people's share of the punishment has been made ready for them.
Source: Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi - Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Quran