سورة ق
Surah Qaf
Surah Qaf is the 50th surah of the Quran. It has 45 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
قٓ ۚ وَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانِ ٱلۡمَجِيدِ﴿١﴾
Qaf waalqurani almajeedi
Qāf. By the honored Qur’ān...
بَلۡ عَجِبُوٓاْ أَن جَآءَهُم مُّنذِرࣱ مِّنۡهُمۡ فَقَالَ ٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ هَٰذَا شَيۡءٌ عَجِيبٌ﴿٢﴾
Bal ʿajiboo an jaahum munthirun minhum faqala alkafiroona hatha shayon ʿajeebun
But they wonder that there has come to them a warner from among themselves, and the disbelievers say, "This is an amazing thing.
أَءِذَا مِتۡنَا وَ كُنَّا تُرَابࣰا ۖ ذَٰلِكَ رَجۡعُۢ بَعِيدࣱ﴿٣﴾
Aitha mitna wakunna turaban thalika rajʿun baʿeedun
When we have died and have become dust, [we will return to life]? That is a distant [i.e., unlikely] return."
قَدۡ عَلِمۡنَا مَا تَنقُصُ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ مِنۡهُمۡ ۖ وَ عِندَنَا كِتَٰبٌ حَفِيظُۢ﴿٤﴾
Qad ʿalimna ma tanqusu alardu minhum waʿindana kitabun hafeethun
We know what the earth diminishes [i.e., consumes] of them, and with Us is a retaining record.
بَلۡ كَذَّبُواْ بِٱلۡحَقِّ لَمَّا جَآءَهُمۡ فَهُمۡ فِيٓ أَمۡرࣲ مَّرِيجٍ﴿٥﴾
Bal kaththaboo bialhaqqi lamma jaahum fahum fee amrin mareejin
But they denied the truth when it came to them, so they are in a confused condition.
أَفَلَمۡ يَنظُرُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَوۡقَهُمۡ كَيۡفَ بَنَيۡنَٰهَا وَ زَيَّنَّٰهَا وَ مَا لَهَا مِن فُرُوجࣲ﴿٦﴾
Afalam yanthuroo ila alssamai fawqahum kayfa banaynaha wazayyannaha wama laha min furoojin
Have they not looked at the heaven above them - how We structured it and adorned it and [how] it has no rifts?
وَ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ مَدَدۡنَٰهَا وَ أَلۡقَيۡنَا فِيهَا رَوَٰسِيَ وَ أَنۢبَتۡنَا فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ زَوۡجِۭ بَهِيجࣲ﴿٧﴾
Waalarda madadnaha waalqayna feeha rawasiya waanbatna feeha min kulli zawjin baheejin
And the earth - We spread it out and cast therein firmly set mountains and made grow therein [something] of every beautiful kind,
تَبۡصِرَةࣰ وَ ذِكۡرَىٰ لِكُلِّ عَبۡدࣲ مُّنِيبࣲ﴿٨﴾
Tabsiratan wathikra likulli ʿabdin muneebin
Giving insight and a reminder for every servant who turns [to Allāh].
وَ نَزَّلۡنَا مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءࣰ مُّبَٰرَكࣰا فَأَنۢبَتۡنَا بِهِۦ جَنَّٰتࣲ وَ حَبَّ ٱلۡحَصِيدِ﴿٩﴾
Wanazzalna mina alssamai maan mubarakan faanbatna bihi jannatin wahabba alhaseedi
And We have sent down blessed rain from the sky and made grow thereby gardens and grain from the harvest
وَ ٱلنَّخۡلَ بَاسِقَٰتࣲ لَّهَا طَلۡعࣱ نَّضِيدࣱ﴿١٠﴾
Waalnnakhla basiqatin laha talʿun nadeedun
And lofty palm trees having fruit arranged in layers -
رِّزۡقࣰا لِّلۡعِبَادِ ۖ وَ أَحۡيَيۡنَا بِهِۦ بَلۡدَةࣰ مَّيۡتࣰا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡخُرُوجُ﴿١١﴾
Rizqan lilʿibadi waahyayna bihi baldatan maytan kathalika alkhurooju
As provision for the servants, and We have given life thereby to a dead land. Thus is the emergence [i.e., resurrection].
كَذَّبَتۡ قَبۡلَهُمۡ قَوۡمُ نُوحࣲ وَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلرَّسِّ وَ ثَمُودُ﴿١٢﴾
Kaththabat qablahum qawmu noohin waashabu alrrassi wathamoodu
The people of Noah denied before them, and the companions of the well and Thamūd
وَ عَادࣱ وَ فِرۡعَوۡنُ وَ إِخۡوَٰنُ لُوطࣲ﴿١٣﴾
Waʿadun wafirʿawnu waikhwanu lootin
And ʿAad and Pharaoh and the brothers [i.e., people] of Lot
وَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡأَيۡكَةِ وَ قَوۡمُ تُبَّعࣲ ۚ كُلࣱّ كَذَّبَ ٱلرُّسُلَ فَحَقَّ وَعِيدِ﴿١٤﴾
Waashabu alaykati waqawmu tubbaʿin kullun kaththaba alrrusula fahaqqa waʿeedi
And the companions of the thicket and the people of Tubbaʿ. All denied the messengers, so My threat was justly fulfilled.
أَفَعَيِينَا بِٱلۡخَلۡقِ ٱلۡأَوَّلِ ۚ بَلۡ هُمۡ فِي لَبۡسࣲ مِّنۡ خَلۡقࣲ جَدِيدࣲ﴿١٥﴾
Afaʿayeena bialkhalqi alawwali bal hum fee labsin min khalqin jadeedin
Did We fail in the first creation? But they are in confusion over a new creation.
وَ لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ وَ نَعۡلَمُ مَا تُوَسۡوِسُ بِهِۦ نَفۡسُهُۥ ۖ وَ نَحۡنُ أَقۡرَبُ إِلَيۡهِ مِنۡ حَبۡلِ ٱلۡوَرِيدِ﴿١٦﴾
Walaqad khalaqna alinsana wanaʿlamu ma tuwaswisu bihi nafsuhu wanahnu aqrabu ilayhi min habli alwareedi
And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein.
إِذۡ يَتَلَقَّى ٱلۡمُتَلَقِّيَانِ عَنِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ وَ عَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ قَعِيدࣱ﴿١٧﴾
Ith yatalaqqa almutalaqqiyani ʿani alyameeni waʿani alshshimali qaʿeedun
When the two receivers [i.e., recording angels] receive, seated on the right and on the left.
مَّا يَلۡفِظُ مِن قَوۡلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيۡهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدࣱ﴿١٨﴾
Ma yalfithu min qawlin illa ladayhi raqeebun ʿateedun
He [i.e., man] utters no word except that with him is an observer prepared [to record].
وَ جَآءَتۡ سَكۡرَةُ ٱلۡمَوۡتِ بِٱلۡحَقِّ ۖ ذَٰلِكَ مَا كُنتَ مِنۡهُ تَحِيدُ﴿١٩﴾
Wajaat sakratu almawti bialhaqqi thalika ma kunta minhu taheedu
And the intoxication of death will bring the truth; that is what you were trying to avoid.
وَ نُفِخَ فِي ٱلصُّورِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ يَوۡمُ ٱلۡوَعِيدِ﴿٢٠﴾
Wanufikha fee alssoori thalika yawmu alwaʿeedi
And the Horn will be blown. That is the Day of [carrying out] the threat.
وَ جَآءَتۡ كُلُّ نَفۡسࣲ مَّعَهَا سَآئِقࣱ وَ شَهِيدࣱ﴿٢١﴾
Wajaat kullu nafsin maʿaha saiqun washaheedun
And every soul will come, with it a driver and a witness.
لَّقَدۡ كُنتَ فِي غَفۡلَةࣲ مِّنۡ هَٰذَا فَكَشَفۡنَا عَنكَ غِطَآءَكَ فَبَصَرُكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ حَدِيدࣱ﴿٢٢﴾
Laqad kunta fee ghaflatin min hatha fakashafna ʿanka ghitaaka fabasaruka alyawma hadeedun
[It will be said], "You were certainly in unmindfulness of this, and We have removed from you your cover, so your sight, this Day, is sharp."
وَ قَالَ قَرِينُهُۥ هَٰذَا مَا لَدَيَّ عَتِيدٌ﴿٢٣﴾
Waqala qareenuhu hatha ma ladayya ʿateedun
And his companion, [the angel], will say, "This [record] is what is with me, prepared."
أَلۡقِيَا فِي جَهَنَّمَ كُلَّ كَفَّارٍ عَنِيدࣲ﴿٢٤﴾
Alqiya fee jahannama kulla kaffarin ʿaneedin
[Allāh will say], "Throw into Hell every obstinate disbeliever,
مَّنَّاعࣲ لِّلۡخَيۡرِ مُعۡتَدࣲ مُّرِيبٍ﴿٢٥﴾
Mannaʿin lilkhayri muʿtadin mureebin
Preventer of good, aggressor, and doubter,
ٱلَّذِي جَعَلَ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا ءَاخَرَ فَأَلۡقِيَاهُ فِي ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٱلشَّدِيدِ﴿٢٦﴾
Allathee jaʿala maʿa Allahi ilahan akhara faalqiyahu fee alʿathabi alshshadeedi
Who made [as equal] with Allāh another deity; then throw him into the severe punishment."
قَالَ قَرِينُهُۥ رَبَّنَا مَآ أَطۡغَيۡتُهُۥ وَ لَٰكِن كَانَ فِي ضَلَٰلِۭ بَعِيدࣲ﴿٢٧﴾
Qala qareenuhu rabbana ma atghaytuhu walakin kana fee dalalin baʿeedin
His [devil] companion will say, "Our Lord, I did not make him transgress, but he [himself] was in extreme error."
قَالَ لَا تَخۡتَصِمُواْ لَدَيَّ وَ قَدۡ قَدَّمۡتُ إِلَيۡكُم بِٱلۡوَعِيدِ﴿٢٨﴾
Qala la takhtasimoo ladayya waqad qaddamtu ilaykum bialwaʿeedi
[Allāh] will say, "Do not dispute before Me, while I had already presented to you the threat [i.e., warning].
مَا يُبَدَّلُ ٱلۡقَوۡلُ لَدَيَّ وَ مَآ أَنَا۠ بِظَلَّٰمࣲ لِّلۡعَبِيدِ﴿٢٩﴾
Ma yubaddalu alqawlu ladayya wama ana bithallamin lilʿabeedi
The word [i.e., decree] will not be changed with Me, and never will I be unjust to the servants."
يَوۡمَ نَقُولُ لِجَهَنَّمَ هَلِ ٱمۡتَلَأۡتِ وَ تَقُولُ هَلۡ مِن مَّزِيدࣲ﴿٣٠﴾
Yawma naqoolu lijahannama hali imtalati wataqoolu hal min mazeedin
On the Day We will say to Hell, "Have you been filled?" and it will say, "Are there some more,"
وَ أُزۡلِفَتِ ٱلۡجَنَّةُ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ غَيۡرَ بَعِيدٍ﴿٣١﴾
Waozlifati aljannatu lilmuttaqeena ghayra baʿeedin
And Paradise will be brought near to the righteous, not far,
هَٰذَا مَا تُوعَدُونَ لِكُلِّ أَوَّابٍ حَفِيظࣲ﴿٣٢﴾
Hatha ma tooʿadoona likulli awwabin hafeethin
[It will be said], "This is what you were promised - for every returner [to Allāh] and keeper [of His covenant].
مَّنۡ خَشِيَ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنَ بِٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَ جَآءَ بِقَلۡبࣲ مُّنِيبٍ﴿٣٣﴾
Man khashiya alrrahmana bialghaybi wajaa biqalbin muneebin
Who feared the Most Merciful in the unseen and came with a heart returning [in repentance].
ٱدۡخُلُوهَا بِسَلَٰمࣲ ۖ ذَٰلِكَ يَوۡمُ ٱلۡخُلُودِ﴿٣٤﴾
Odkhulooha bisalamin thalika yawmu alkhuloodi
Enter it in peace. This is the Day of Eternity."
لَهُم مَّا يَشَآءُونَ فِيهَا وَ لَدَيۡنَا مَزِيدࣱ﴿٣٥﴾
Lahum ma yashaoona feeha waladayna mazeedun
They will have whatever they wish therein, and with Us is more.
وَ كَمۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَا قَبۡلَهُم مِّن قَرۡنٍ هُمۡ أَشَدُّ مِنۡهُم بَطۡشࣰا فَنَقَّبُواْ فِي ٱلۡبِلَٰدِ هَلۡ مِن مَّحِيصٍ﴿٣٦﴾
Wakam ahlakna qablahum min qarnin hum ashaddu minhum batshan fanaqqaboo fee albiladi hal min maheesin
And how many a generation before them did We destroy who were greater than them in [striking] power and had explored throughout the lands. Is there any place of escape?
إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَذِكۡرَىٰ لِمَن كَانَ لَهُۥ قَلۡبٌ أَوۡ أَلۡقَى ٱلسَّمۡعَ وَ هُوَ شَهِيدࣱ﴿٣٧﴾
Inna fee thalika lathikra liman kana lahu qalbun aw alqa alssamʿa wahuwa shaheedun
Indeed in that is a reminder for whoever has a heart or who listens while he is present [in mind].
وَ لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَ مَا بَيۡنَهُمَا فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامࣲ وَ مَا مَسَّنَا مِن لُّغُوبࣲ﴿٣٨﴾
Walaqad khalaqna alssamawati waalarda wama baynahuma fee sittati ayyamin wama massana min lughoobin
And We did certainly create the heavens and earth and what is between them in six days, and there touched Us no weariness.
فَٱصۡبِرۡ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَ سَبِّحۡ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّكَ قَبۡلَ طُلُوعِ ٱلشَّمۡسِ وَ قَبۡلَ ٱلۡغُرُوبِ﴿٣٩﴾
Faisbir ʿala ma yaqooloona wasabbih bihamdi rabbika qabla tulooʿi alshshamsi waqabla alghuroobi
So be patient, [O Muḥammad], over what they say and exalt [Allāh] with praise of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting,
وَ مِنَ ٱلَّيۡلِ فَسَبِّحۡهُ وَ أَدۡبَٰرَ ٱلسُّجُودِ﴿٤٠﴾
Wamina allayli fasabbihhu waadbara alssujoodi
And [in part] of the night exalt Him and after prostration [i.e., prayer].
وَ ٱسۡتَمِعۡ يَوۡمَ يُنَادِ ٱلۡمُنَادِ مِن مَّكَانࣲ قَرِيبࣲ﴿٤١﴾
Waistamiʿ yawma yunadi almunadi min makanin qareebin
And listen on the Day when the Caller will call out from a place that is near -
يَوۡمَ يَسۡمَعُونَ ٱلصَّيۡحَةَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ يَوۡمُ ٱلۡخُرُوجِ﴿٤٢﴾
Yawma yasmaʿoona alssayhata bialhaqqi thalika yawmu alkhurooji
The Day they will hear the blast [of the Horn] in truth. That is the Day of Emergence [from the graves].
إِنَّا نَحۡنُ نُحۡيِۦ وَ نُمِيتُ وَ إِلَيۡنَا ٱلۡمَصِيرُ﴿٤٣﴾
Inna nahnu nuhyee wanumeetu wailayna almaseeru
Indeed, it is We who give life and cause death, and to Us is the destination
يَوۡمَ تَشَقَّقُ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ عَنۡهُمۡ سِرَاعࣰا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ حَشۡرٌ عَلَيۡنَا يَسِيرࣱ﴿٤٤﴾
Yawma tashaqqaqu alardu ʿanhum siraʿan thalika hashrun ʿalayna yaseerun
On the Day the earth breaks away from them [and they emerge] rapidly; that is a gathering easy for Us.
نَّحۡنُ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ ۖ وَ مَآ أَنتَ عَلَيۡهِم بِجَبَّارࣲ ۖ فَذَكِّرۡ بِٱلۡقُرۡءَانِ مَن يَخَافُ وَعِيدِ﴿٤٥﴾
Nahnu aʿlamu bima yaqooloona wama anta ʿalayhim bijabbarin fathakkir bialqurani man yakhafu waʿeedi
We are most knowing of what they say, and you are not over them a tyrant. But remind by the Qur’ān whoever fears My threat.
Translation: Saheeh International · Transliteration
About this surah
Name
The Surah derives its name from the initial letter Qaf, thereby implying that it is the Surah which opens with the alphabetic letter Qaf.
Period of Revelation
There is no authentic tradition to show as to when exactly this Surah was sent down. A study of the subject matter, however, reveals that its period of revelation is the second stage of the Holy Prophet's life at Makkah, which lasted from the third year of the Prophethood till the fifth year. We have given the characteristics of this period in the Introduction to the Surah Al-An'am. In view of those characteristics it can be said that this Surah might have been sent down in about the 5th year, when the antagonism of the disbelievers had become quite intense but had not yet assumed tyrannical proportions.
Theme and Topics
Authentic traditions show that the Holy Prophet used to recite this Surah generally in the Prayer on the Eid days. A woman named Umm Hisham bin Harithah, who was a neighbor of the Holy Prophet, says that she was able to commit Surah Qaf to memory only because she often heard it from the Holy Prophet in the Friday sermons. According to some other traditions he often recited it in the Fajr Prayer. This makes it abundantly clear that this was an important Surah in the sight of the Holy Prophet. That is why he made sure that its contents reached as many people as possible over and over again.
This reason for this importance can be easily understood by a careful study of the Surah. The theme of the entire Surah is the Hereafter. When the Holy Prophet started preaching his message in Makkah what surprised the people most was the news that people would be resurrected after death, and they would have to render an account of their deeds. They said that that was impossible; human mind could not believe that that would happen. After all, how could it be possible that when the body had disintegrated into dust the scattered particles would be reassembled after hundreds of thousands of years to make up the same body once again and raised up as a living body, Allah in response sent down this discourse. In it, on the one hand, arguments have been given for the possibility and occurrence of the Hereafter in a brief way, in short sentences, and, on the other, the people have been warned, as if to say: "Whether you express wonder and surprise, or you regard it as something remote from reason, or deny it altogether, in any case it cannot change the truth. The absolute, un-alterable truth is that Allah knows the whereabouts of each and every particle of your body that has scattered away in the earth, and knows where and in what state it is. Allah's one signal is enough to make all the scattered particles gather together again and to make you rise up once again as you had been made in the first instance. Likewise, your this idea that you have been created and left free to yourselves in the world and that you have not been made answerable to anyone, is no more than a misunderstanding. The fact is that not only is Allah Himself directly aware of each act and word of yours, even of the ideas that pass in your mind, but His angels also are attached to each one of you, who are preserving the record of whatever you do and utter. When the time comes, you will come out of your graves at one call just as young shoots of vegetable sprout up from the earth on the first shower of the rain. Then this heedlessness which obstructs your vision will be removed and you will see with your own eyes all that you are denying today. At that time you will realize that you had not been created to be irresponsible in this world but accountable to all your deeds the meeting out of the rewards and punishments, the Hell and Heaven, which you regard as impossible and imaginary things, will at that time become visible realities for you in consequence of your enmity and opposition to the Truth you will be cast into the same Hell which you regard as remote from reason today and the ones who fear the Merciful God and return to the path of righteousness, will be admitted to the same Paradise at whose mention you now express wonder and surprise.
Source: Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi - Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Quran