The Inevitable 69

Ah, what will convey unto thee what the reality is!

(The tribes of) Thamud and A'ad disbelieved in the judgment to come.

As for Thamud, they were destroyed by the lightning.

And as for A'ad, they were destroyed by a fierce roaring wind,

Which He imposed on them for seven long nights and eight long days so that thou mightest have seen men lying overthrown, as they were hollow trunks of palm- trees.

Canst thou (O Muhammad) see any remnant of them?

And Pharaoh and those before him, and the communities that were destroyed, brought error,

And they disobeyed the messenger of their Lord, therefor did He grip them with a tightening grip.

Lo! when the waters rose, We carried you upon the ship

That We might make it a memorial for you, and that remembering ears (that heard the story) might remember.

And when the trumpet shall sound one blast

And the earth with the mountains shall be lifted up and crushed with one crash,

Then, on that day will the Event befall.

And the heaven will split asunder, for that day it will be frail.

And the angels will be on the sides thereof, and eight will uphold the Throne of thy Lord that day, above them.

On that day ye will be exposed; not a secret of you will be hidden.

Then, as for him who is given his record in his right hand, he will say: Take, read my book!

Surely I knew that I should have to meet my reckoning.

(And it will be said unto those therein): Eat and drink at ease for that which ye sent on before you in past days.

But as for him who is given his record in his left hand, he will say: Oh, would that I had not been given my book

(It will be said): Take him and fetter him

And then insert him in a chain whereof the length is seventy cubits.

Lo! He used not to believe in Allah the Tremendous,

And urged not on the feeding of the wretched.

Therefor hath he no lover here this day,

That it is indeed the speech of an illustrious messenger.

It is not poet's speech - little is it that ye believe!

Nor diviner's speech - little is it that ye remember!

It is a revelation from the Lord of the Worlds.

And if he had invented false sayings concerning Us,

We assuredly had taken him by the right hand

And not one of you could have held Us off from him.

And lo! it is a warrant unto those who ward off (evil).

And lo! We know that some among you will deny (it).

And lo! it is indeed an anguish for the disbelievers.

So glorify the name of thy Tremendous Lord.