81al-TakwīrThe Disposable Sphereسُورَةُ التكوير

When the Sun becomes disposable,

And when the stars run their course,

And when the mountains are dislodged [and vanish],

And when pre-birth-giving mothers [in their tenth month of pregnancy] are overdue and left unattended,

And when the [wild] beasts gather together [because of fear of life’s end],

And when the oceans boil over [with eruptions of quakes and volcanoes],

And when mortals are wedded [to their deeds],

And when the aborted baby is asked

For what crime it was murdered [aborted],

And when the scrolls [of an individual’s worldly deeds] are released [and disclosed],

And when the celestial sphere is sheared,

And when the fire-pit [of Hell] heats up,

And when the garden [of bliss] is drawn clo- ser —

[At that time] each living being shall know what he has brought [for accountability].

But No! I solemnly affirm by the receding stars,

And the orbiting planets,

And the night as it gains and loses darkness,

And the morning as it emits [the first light of day],

Indeed, this [Qur’anic] announcement comes from an honorable messenger [Muhammad],

Having a potency from and by the Master of the almighty throne;

He [Muhammad] is to be obeyed [in this world], as he is trusted [in the world to come].

For, your companion [Muhammad] is not a madman,

As he [Muhammad] truly saw him [Angel Gabriel] on the apparent horizon;

And he [Muhammad] is not one who scants [and skimps] on delivering what comes to him [originating] from what is beyond the reach of human perception.1

Nor is this [divine] announcement the word of a blasted satan.

[Knowing this now] where are you going to go?

This declaration [from on high] is [to serve as] an awareness to all social habitats —

To everyone who is determined to proceed straightforward [in life].

But you cannot determine anything outside of the realm of the [master] determination of the Sustainer of all social habitats.