سورة المرسلات
Surah Al-Mursalat
The Emissaries
Surah Al-Mursalat (The Emissaries) is the 77th surah of the Quran. It has 50 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 ٱلۡمُرۡسَلَٰتِ عُرۡفࣰا﴿١﴾
Waalmursalati ʿurfan
By those [winds] sent forth in gusts
فَٱلۡعَٰصِفَٰتِ عَصۡفࣰا﴿٢﴾
Faalʿasifati ʿasfan
And the winds that blow violently
وَ ٱلنَّٰشِرَٰتِ نَشۡرࣰا﴿٣﴾
Waalnnashirati nashran
And [by] the winds that spread [clouds]
فَٱلۡفَٰرِقَٰتِ فَرۡقࣰا﴿٤﴾
Faalfariqati farqan
And those [angels] who bring criterion
فَٱلۡمُلۡقِيَٰتِ ذِكۡرًا﴿٥﴾
Faalmulqiyati thikran
And those [angels] who deliver a message
عُذۡرًا أَوۡ نُذۡرًا﴿٦﴾
ʿuthran aw nuthran
As justification or warning,
إِنَّمَا تُوعَدُونَ لَوَٰقِعࣱ﴿٧﴾
Innama tooʿadoona lawaqiʿun
Indeed, what you are promised is to occur.
فَإِذَا ٱلنُّجُومُ طُمِسَتۡ﴿٨﴾
Faitha alnnujoomu tumisat
So when the stars are obliterated
وَ إِذَا ٱلسَّمَآءُ فُرِجَتۡ﴿٩﴾
Waitha alssamao furijat
And when the heaven is opened
وَ إِذَا ٱلۡجِبَالُ نُسِفَتۡ﴿١٠﴾
Waitha aljibalu nusifat
And when the mountains are blown away
وَ إِذَا ٱلرُّسُلُ أُقِّتَتۡ﴿١١﴾
Waitha alrrusulu oqqitat
And when the messengers' time has come...
لِأَيِّ يَوۡمٍ أُجِّلَتۡ﴿١٢﴾
Liayyi yawmin ojjilat
For what Day was it postponed?
لِيَوۡمِ ٱلۡفَصۡلِ﴿١٣﴾
Liyawmi alfasli
For the Day of Judgement.
وَ مَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا يَوۡمُ ٱلۡفَصۡلِ﴿١٤﴾
Wama adraka ma yawmu alfasli
And what can make you know what is the Day of Judgement?
وَيۡلࣱ يَوۡمَئِذࣲ لِّلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ﴿١٥﴾
Waylun yawmaithin lilmukaththibeena
Woe, that Day, to the deniers.
أَلَمۡ نُهۡلِكِ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ﴿١٦﴾
Alam nuhliki alawwaleena
Did We not destroy the former peoples?
ثُمَّ نُتۡبِعُهُمُ ٱلۡأٓخِرِينَ﴿١٧﴾
Thumma nutbiʿuhumu alakhireena
Then We will follow them with the later ones.
كَذَٰلِكَ نَفۡعَلُ بِٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ﴿١٨﴾
Kathalika nafʿalu bialmujrimeena
Thus do We deal with the criminals.
وَيۡلࣱ يَوۡمَئِذࣲ لِّلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ﴿١٩﴾
Waylun yawmaithin lilmukaththibeena
Woe, that Day, to the deniers.
أَلَمۡ نَخۡلُقكُّم مِّن مَّآءࣲ مَّهِينࣲ﴿٢٠﴾
Alam nakhluqkum min main maheenin
Did We not create you from a liquid disdained?
فَجَعَلۡنَٰهُ فِي قَرَارࣲ مَّكِينٍ﴿٢١﴾
Fajaʿalnahu fee qararin makeenin
And We placed it in a firm lodging [i.e., the womb]
إِلَىٰ قَدَرࣲ مَّعۡلُومࣲ﴿٢٢﴾
Ila qadarin maʿloomin
For a known extent.
فَقَدَرۡنَا فَنِعۡمَ ٱلۡقَٰدِرُونَ﴿٢٣﴾
Faqadarna faniʿma alqadiroona
And We determined [it], and excellent [are We] to determine.
وَيۡلࣱ يَوۡمَئِذࣲ لِّلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ﴿٢٤﴾
Waylun yawmaithin lilmukaththibeena
Woe, that Day, to the deniers.
أَلَمۡ نَجۡعَلِ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ كِفَاتًا﴿٢٥﴾
Alam najʿali alarda kifatan
Have We not made the earth a container
أَحۡيَآءࣰ وَ أَمۡوَٰتࣰا﴿٢٦﴾
Ahyaan waamwatan
Of the living and the dead?
وَ جَعَلۡنَا فِيهَا رَوَٰسِيَ شَٰمِخَٰتࣲ وَ أَسۡقَيۡنَٰكُم مَّآءࣰ فُرَاتࣰا﴿٢٧﴾
Wajaʿalna feeha rawasiya shamikhatin waasqaynakum maan furatan
And We placed therein lofty, firmly set mountains and have given you to drink sweet water.
وَيۡلࣱ يَوۡمَئِذࣲ لِّلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ﴿٢٨﴾
Waylun yawmaithin lilmukaththibeena
Woe, that Day, to the deniers.
ٱنطَلِقُوٓاْ إِلَىٰ مَا كُنتُم بِهِۦ تُكَذِّبُونَ﴿٢٩﴾
Intaliqoo ila ma kuntum bihi tukaththiboona
[They will be told], "Proceed to that which you used to deny.
ٱنطَلِقُوٓاْ إِلَىٰ ظِلࣲّ ذِي ثَلَٰثِ شُعَبࣲ﴿٣٠﴾
Intaliqoo ila thillin thee thalathi shuʿabin
Proceed to a shadow [of smoke] having three columns
لَّا ظَلِيلࣲ وَ لَا يُغۡنِي مِنَ ٱللَّهَبِ﴿٣١﴾
La thaleelin wala yughnee mina allahabi
[But having] no cool shade and availing not against the flame."
إِنَّهَا تَرۡمِي بِشَرَرࣲ كَٱلۡقَصۡرِ﴿٣٢﴾
Innaha tarmee bishararin kaalqasri
Indeed, it throws sparks [as huge] as a fortress,
كَأَنَّهُۥ جِمَٰلَتࣱ صُفۡرࣱ﴿٣٣﴾
Kaannahu jimalatun sufrun
As if they were yellowish [black] camels.
وَيۡلࣱ يَوۡمَئِذࣲ لِّلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ﴿٣٤﴾
Waylun yawmaithin lilmukaththibeena
Woe, that Day, to the deniers.
هَٰذَا يَوۡمُ لَا يَنطِقُونَ﴿٣٥﴾
Hatha yawmu la yantiqoona
This is a Day they will not speak,
وَ لَا يُؤۡذَنُ لَهُمۡ فَيَعۡتَذِرُونَ﴿٣٦﴾
Wala yuthanu lahum fayaʿtathiroona
Nor will it be permitted for them to make an excuse.
وَيۡلࣱ يَوۡمَئِذࣲ لِّلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ﴿٣٧﴾
Waylun yawmaithin lilmukaththibeena
Woe, that Day, to the deniers.
هَٰذَا يَوۡمُ ٱلۡفَصۡلِ ۖ جَمَعۡنَٰكُمۡ وَ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ﴿٣٨﴾
Hatha yawmu alfasli jamaʿnakum waalawwaleena
This is the Day of Judgement; We will have assembled you and the former peoples.
فَإِن كَانَ لَكُمۡ كَيۡدࣱ فَكِيدُونِ﴿٣٩﴾
Fain kana lakum kaydun fakeedooni
So if you have a plan, then plan against Me.
وَيۡلࣱ يَوۡمَئِذࣲ لِّلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ﴿٤٠﴾
Waylun yawmaithin lilmukaththibeena
Woe, that Day, to the deniers.
إِنَّ ٱلۡمُتَّقِينَ فِي ظِلَٰلࣲ وَ عُيُونࣲ﴿٤١﴾
Inna almuttaqeena fee thilalin waʿuyoonin
Indeed, the righteous will be among shades and springs
وَ فَوَٰكِهَ مِمَّا يَشۡتَهُونَ﴿٤٢﴾
Wafawakiha mimma yashtahoona
And fruits from whatever they desire,
كُلُواْ وَ ٱشۡرَبُواْ هَنِيٓـَٔۢا بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ﴿٤٣﴾
Kuloo waishraboo haneean bima kuntum taʿmaloona
[Being told], "Eat and drink in satisfaction for what you used to do."
إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجۡزِي ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ﴿٤٤﴾
Inna kathalika najzee almuhsineena
Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good.
وَيۡلࣱ يَوۡمَئِذࣲ لِّلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ﴿٤٥﴾
Waylun yawmaithin lilmukaththibeena
Woe, that Day, to the deniers.
كُلُواْ وَ تَمَتَّعُواْ قَلِيلًا إِنَّكُم مُّجۡرِمُونَ﴿٤٦﴾
Kuloo watamattaʿoo qaleelan innakum mujrimoona
[O disbelievers], eat and enjoy yourselves a little; indeed, you are criminals.
وَيۡلࣱ يَوۡمَئِذࣲ لِّلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ﴿٤٧﴾
Waylun yawmaithin lilmukaththibeena
Woe, that Day, to the deniers.
وَ إِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱرۡكَعُواْ لَا يَرۡكَعُونَ﴿٤٨﴾
Waitha qeela lahumu irkaʿoo la yarkaʿoona
And when it is said to them, "Bow [in prayer]," they do not bow.
وَيۡلࣱ يَوۡمَئِذࣲ لِّلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ﴿٤٩﴾
Waylun yawmaithin lilmukaththibeena
Woe, that Day, to the deniers.
فَبِأَيِّ حَدِيثِۭ بَعۡدَهُۥ يُؤۡمِنُونَ﴿٥٠﴾
Fabiayyi hadeethin baʿdahu yuminoona
Then in what statement after it [i.e., the Qur’ān] will they believe?
Translation: Saheeh International · Transliteration
About this surah
Name
The Surah takes its name from the word wal-mursalat in the first verse.
Period of Revelation
Its subject matter bears full evidence that it was revealed in the earliest period at Makkah. If this Surah is read together with the two Surahs preceding it, namely Al-Qiyamah and Ad-Dahr, and the two Surahs following it, namely An-Naba and An-Naziat, it becomes obvious that all these Surahs are the Revelations of the same period, and they deal with one and the same theme, which has been impressed on the people of Makkah in different ways.
Theme and Subject Matter
Its theme is to affirm the Resurrection and Hereafter and to warn the people of the consequences which will ultimately follow the denial and the affirmation of these truths.
In the first seven verses, the system of winds has been presented as an evidence of the truth that the Resurrection which is being foretold by the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) must come to pass. The reasoning is that the power of All-Mighty Allah Who established this wonderful system on the earth, cannot be helpless in bringing about the Resurrection, and the express wisdom which underlies this system bears full evidence that the Hereafter must appear, for no act of an All-Wise Creator can be vain and purposeless, and if there was no Hereafter, it would mean that the whole of one's life was useless and absurd.
The people of Makkah repeatedly asked, "Bring about the Resurrection with which you threaten us; only then shall we believe in it."In vv. 8-15, their demand has been answered, saying:"Resurrection is no sport or fun so that whenever a jester should ask for it, it should be brought forth immediately. It is indeed the Day of Judgment to settle the account of all mankind and of all its individuals. For it Allah has fixed a specific time it will take place at its own time, and when it takes place with all its dreads and horrors, it will confound those who are demanding it for fun today. Then their cases will be decided only on the evidence of those Messengers whom these deniers of the truth are repudiating with impunity. Then they will themselves realize how they themselves are responsible for their dooms
In vv. 16-28 arguments have been given continuously for the occurrence and necessity of the Resurrection and Hereafter. In these it has been stated that man's own history, his own birth, and the structure of the earth on which he lives, bear the testimony that the coming of Resurrection and the establishment of the Hereafter are possible as well as the demand of Allah Almighty's wisdom. History tells us that the nations which denied the Hereafter ultimately became corrupted and met with destruction. This means that the Hereafter is a truth which if denied and contradicted by a nation by its conduct and attitude, will cause it to meet the same doom, which is met by a blind man who bushes headlong into an approaching train. And it also means that in the kingdom of the universe only physical laws are not at work but a moral law also is working in it, under which in this very world the process of retribution is operating. But since in the present life of the world retribution is not taking place in its complete and perfect form, the moral law of the universe necessarily demands that there should come a time when it should take its full course and all those good works and evil deeds, which could not be rewarded here, or which escaped their due punishment should be fully rewarded and punished. For this it is inevitable that there should be a second life after death. If man only considers how he takes his birth in the world, his intellect, provided it is sound intellect, cannot deny that for the God Who began his creation from an insignificant sperm drop and developed him into a perfect man, it certainly possible to create the same man once again. After death the particles of man's body do not disappear but continue to exist on the same earth on which he lived his whole life. It is from the resources and treasures of this very earth that he is made and nourished and then into the same treasures of the earth he is deposited. The God who caused him to emerge from the treasures of the earth, in the first instance, can also cause him to re-emerge from the same treasures after he has been restored to them at death. If one only considers the powers of Allah, one cannot deny that He can do this; and if one considers the wisdom of Allah, one also cannot deny that it is certainly the very demand of His wisdom to call man to account for the right and wrong use of the powers that He has granted him on the earth; it would rather be against wisdom to let him off without rendering an account.
Then, in vv. 28-40, the fate of the deniers of the Hereafter has been depicted, and in vv. 41-45 of those who affirming faith in it in their worldly life, endeavored to improve their Hereafter, and abstained from the evils of disbelief and thought, morality and deed, conduct and character which might be helpful in man's worldly life, but are certainly ruinous for his life hereafter.
In the end, the deniers of the Hereafter and those who turn away from God-worship, have been warned as if to say: "Enjoy your short-lived worldly pleasure as you may, but your end will ultimately be disastrous." The discourse concludes with the assertion that the one who fails to obtain guidance from Book like the Qur'an, can have no ether source in the world to afford him Guidance.
Source: Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi - Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Quran