Surah As-Saffat, Ayah 21-40 — Word by Word
الصافات
Those who set the Ranks
Explanations are simplified from tafsirs by Ibn Kathir, Mufti Muhammad Shafi, and Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Spot an inaccuracy? Let us know.
hādhā yawmu l-faṣli alladhī kuntum bihi tukadhibūna
[They will be told], "This is the Day of Judgement which you used to deny."
uḥ'shurū alladhīna ẓalamū wa-azwājahum wamā kānū yaʿbudūna
[The angels will be ordered], "Gather those who committed wrong, their kinds, and what they used to worship
min dūni l-lahi fa-ih'dūhum ilā ṣirāṭi l-jaḥīmi
Other than Allāh, and guide them to the path of Hellfire
waqifūhum innahum masūlūna
And stop them; indeed, they are to be questioned."
mā lakum lā tanāṣarūna
[They will be asked], "What is [wrong] with you? Why do you not help each other?"
bal humu l-yawma mus'taslimūna
But they, that Day, are in surrender.
wa-aqbala baʿḍuhum ʿalā baʿḍin yatasāalūna
And they will approach one another asking [i.e., blaming] each other.
qālū innakum kuntum tatūnanā ʿani l-yamīni
They will say, "Indeed, you used to come at us from the right."
qālū bal lam takūnū mu'minīna
They [i.e., the oppressors] will say, "Rather, you [yourselves] were not believers,
wamā kāna lanā ʿalaykum min sul'ṭānin bal kuntum qawman ṭāghīna
And we had over you no authority, but you were a transgressing people.
faḥaqqa ʿalaynā qawlu rabbinā innā ladhāiqūna
So the word [i.e., decree] of our Lord has come into effect upon us; indeed, we will taste [punishment].
fa-aghwaynākum innā kunnā ghāwīna
And we led you to deviation; indeed, we were deviators."
fa-innahum yawma-idhin fī l-ʿadhābi mush'tarikūna
So indeed they, that Day, will be sharing in the punishment.
innā kadhālika nafʿalu bil-muj'rimīna
Indeed, that is how We deal with the criminals.
innahum kānū idhā qīla lahum lā ilāha illā l-lahu yastakbirūna
Indeed they, when it was said to them, "There is no deity but Allāh," were arrogant
wayaqūlūna a-innā latārikū ālihatinā lishāʿirin majnūnin
And were saying, "Are we to leave our gods for a mad poet?"
bal jāa bil-ḥaqi waṣaddaqa l-mur'salīna
Rather, he [i.e., the Prophet (ﷺ)] has come with the truth and confirmed the [previous] messengers.
innakum ladhāiqū l-ʿadhābi l-alīmi
Indeed, you [disbelievers] will be tasters of the painful punishment,
wamā tuj'zawna illā mā kuntum taʿmalūna
And you will not be recompensed except for what you used to do -
illā ʿibāda l-lahi l-mukh'laṣīna
But not the chosen servants of Allāh.