Sūra LIV. Qamar, or the Moon.

The Holy Quran, tr. by Yusuf Ali, [1934], at sacred-texts.com

p. 1454

Sūra LIV.

Qamar, or the Moon.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful

1. The Hour (of Judgment)
Is nigh, and the moon
Is cleft asunder.

2. But if they see
A Sign, they turn away,
And say, "This is
(But) transient magic."

3. They reject (the warning)
And follow their (own) lusts
But every matter has
Its appointed time.

4. There have already come
To them Recitals wherein
There is (enough) to check (them),

5. Mature wisdom;—but
(The preaching of) Warners
Profits them not.

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6. Therefore, (O Prophet,)
Turn away from them.
The Day that the Caller
Will call (them)
To a terrible affair,

7. They will come forth,
Their eyes humbled—
From (their) graves, (torpid)
Like locusts scattered abroad,

8. Hastening, with eyes transfixed,
Towards the Caller!—
"Hard is this Day!",
The Unbelievers will say.

9. Before them the People
Of Noah rejected (their apostle):
They rejected Our servant,
And said, "Here is
One possessed!", and he
Was driven out.

10. Then he called on his Lord:
"I am one overcome:
Do Thou then help (me)!

11. So We opened the gates
Of heaven, with water
Pouring forth.

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12. And We caused the earth
To gush forth with springs.
So the waters met (and rose)
To the extent decreed.

13. But We bore him
On an (Ark) made of
Broad planks and caulked
With palm-fibre:

14. She floats under our eyes
(And care): a recompense
To one who had been
Rejected (with scorn)!

15. And We have left
This as a Sign
(For all time): then
Is there any that will
Receive admonition?

16. But how (terrible) was
My Penalty and My Warning?

17. And We have indeed
Made the Qur-ān easy

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To understand and remember:
Then is there any that
Will receive admonition?

18. The ‘Ād (people) (too)
Rejected (Truth): then
How terrible was
My Penalty and My Warning?

19. For We sent against them
A furious wind, on a Day
Of violent Disaster,

20. Plucking out men as if
They were roots of palm-trees
Torn up (from the ground).

21. Yea, how (terrible) was
My Penalty and My Warning!

22. But We have indeed
Made the Qur-ān easy
To understand and remember:
Then is there any that
Will receive admonition?

SECTION 2.

23. The Thamūd (also)
Rejected (their) Warners.

24. For they said: "What!
A man! a solitary one

p. 1458

From among ourselves!
Shall we follow such a one?
Truly should we then be
Straying in mind, and mad!

25. "Is it that the Message
Is sent to him,
Of all people amongst us?
Nay, he is a liar,
An insolent one!"

26. Ah! they will know
On the morrow, which is
The liar, the insolent one!

27. For We will send
The she-camel
By way of trial for them.
So watch them, (O Ṣāliḥ),
And possess thyself in patience!

28. And tell them that
The water is to be
Divided between them:
Each one's right to drink
Being brought forward
(By suitable turns).

29. But they called
To their companion,
And he took a sword
In hand, and hamstrung (her).

30. Ah! how (terrible) was
My Penalty and My Warning!

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31. For We sent against them
A single Mighty Blast,
And they became
Like the dry stubble used
By one who pens cattle.

32. And we have indeed
Made the Qur-ān easy
To understand and remember:
Then is there any that
Will receive admonition?

33. The People of Lūṭ
Rejected (his) Warning.

34. We sent against them
A violent tornado
With showers of stones,
(Which destroyed them), except
Lūṭ's household: them We
Delivered by early Dawn,—

35. As a Grace from Us:
Thus do We reward
Those who give thanks.

36. And (Lūṭ) did warn them
Of Our Punishment, but
They disputed about the Warning.

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37. And they even sought
To snatch away his guests
From him, but We blinded
Their eyes. (They heard:)
"Now taste ye My Wrath
And My Warning."

38. Early on the morrow
An abiding Punishment
Seized them:

39. "So taste ye My Wrath
And My Warning."

40. And We have indeed
Made the Qur-ān easy
To understand and remember:
Then is there any that
Will receive admonition?

SECTION 3.

41. To the People
Of Pharaoh, too, aforetime,
Came Warners (from God).

42. The (people) rejected all
Our Signs; but We
Seized them with such Penalty
(As comes) from One
Exalted in Power,
Able to carry out His Will.

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43. Are your Unbelievers,
(O Quraish), better than they?
Or have ye an immunity
In the Sacred Books?

44. Or do they say:
"We acting together
Can defend ourselves"?

45. Soon will their multitude
Be put to flight,
And they will show
Their backs.

46. Nay, the Hour (of Judgment)
Is the time promised them
(For their full recompense):
And that Hour will be
Most grievous and most bitter.

47. Truly those in sin
Are the ones
Straying in mind, and mad.

48. The Day they will be
Dragged through the Fire
On their faces, (they
Will hear:) "Taste ye
The touch of Hell!"

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49. Verily, all things
Have We created
In proportion and measure.

50. And Our Command
Is but a single (Act),—
Like the twinkling
Of an eye.

51. And (oft) in the past,
Have We destroyed gangs
Like unto you: then
Is there any that
Will receive admonition?

52. All that they do
Is noted in (their)
Books (of Deeds):

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53. Every matter, small and great,
Is on record.

54. As to the Righteous,
They will be in the midst
Of Gardens and Rivers,

55. In an Assembly of Truth,
In the Presence of
A Sovereign Omnipotent.

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