The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

69. THE INEVITABLE HOUR
A Meccan sura that describes punishment in this life (verses 4–12) and the next
(verses 13–18). The bliss to be enjoyed by the believers is eloquently contrasted
with the torments of hell (verses 19–37). From verse 38 onwards, God affirms
the Truth of the Quran and the Prophet.
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
1 The Inevitable Hour! 2 What is the Inevitable Hour? 3 What will
explain to you what the Inevitable Hour is?
4 The people of Thamud and Ad denied that the crashing blow a
would come: 5 Thamud was destroyed by a deafening blast; 6 Ad was
destroyed by a furious wind 7 that God let loose against them for
seven consecutive nights, eight consecutive days, so that you could
have seen its people lying dead like hollow palm-trunks. 8 Can you
see any trace of them now? 9 Pharaoh, too, and those before him, and
the ruined cities: these people committed grave sins and disobeyed
the messenger of their Lord, so He seized them with an evertightening
grip. 10 But when the Flood rose high, 11 We saved you in
the floating ship, 12 making that event a reminder for you: attentive
ears may take heed.
13 When the Trumpet is sounded a single time, 14 when the earth
and its mountains are raised high and then crushed with a single
blow, 15 on that Day the Great Event will come to pass. 16 The sky will
be torn apart on that Day, it will be so frail. 17 The angels will be on
all sides of it and, on that Day, eight of them will bear the throne of
your Lord above them. 18 On that Day you will be brought to judgement
and none of your secrets will remain hidden. 19 Anyone who is
given his Record in his right hand will say, ‘Here is my Record, read
it. 20 I knew I would meet my Reckoning,’ 21 and so he will have a
pleasant life 22 in a lofty Garden, 23 with clustered fruit within his
reach. 24 It will be said, ‘Eat and drink to your heart’s content as a
reward for what you have done in days gone by.’ 25 But anyone who is
given his Record in his left hand will say, ‘If only I had never been
a Cf. the sura of this name (Sura 101).