سُورَةُ النَّبَإِ
Surah 78 - An-Naba
The Announcement
- 40 verses
- Juz 30
- Pages 582 to 583 of the Mushaf
An-Naba begins with a question: what are these people asking one another about? The text answers in three words, a great announcement, says they disagree over it, then states twice running, in the same terms, that they will know. A list of things made follows: the earth laid out as a bed, the mountains, pairs, sleep, night, day, seven heavens, a burning lamp, water that brings up grain and gardens. The Day of Decision comes next, with the Trumpet, the sky opened and the mountains set moving. Two dwellings answer each other, that of the transgressors and that of the mindful. The close shows a day when no one speaks without leave, and the regret of the one who denied.
The main parts
- The question, and the news they disagree about1-5
- What has been made: earth, night, sky and water6-16
- The Day of Decision, and the sky that opens17-20
- The transgressors' dwelling, and what is held against them21-30
- The success of the mindful, and the Lord's gift31-37
- The day when no one speaks, and the last word38-40
The text of the surah
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ عَمَّ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ
About what are they asking one another?
عَنِ ٱلنَّبَإِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ
About the great news -
ٱلَّذِى هُمْ فِيهِ مُخْتَلِفُونَ
That over which they are in disagreement.
كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ
No! They are going to know.
ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ
Then, no! They are going to know.
أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ ٱلْأَرْضَ مِهَٰدًۭا
Have We not made the earth a resting place?
وَٱلْجِبَالَ أَوْتَادًۭا
And the mountains as stakes?
وَخَلَقْنَٰكُمْ أَزْوَٰجًۭا
And We created you in pairs
وَجَعَلْنَا نَوْمَكُمْ سُبَاتًۭا
And made your sleep [a means for] rest
وَجَعَلْنَا ٱلَّيْلَ لِبَاسًۭا
And made the night as clothing
وَجَعَلْنَا ٱلنَّهَارَ مَعَاشًۭا
And made the day for livelihood
وَبَنَيْنَا فَوْقَكُمْ سَبْعًۭا شِدَادًۭا
And constructed above you seven strong [heavens]
وَجَعَلْنَا سِرَاجًۭا وَهَّاجًۭا
And made [therein] a burning lamp
وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلْمُعْصِرَٰتِ مَآءًۭ ثَجَّاجًۭا
And sent down, from the rain clouds, pouring water
لِّنُخْرِجَ بِهِۦ حَبًّۭا وَنَبَاتًۭا
That We may bring forth thereby grain and vegetation
وَجَنَّٰتٍ أَلْفَافًا
And gardens of entwined growth.
إِنَّ يَوْمَ ٱلْفَصْلِ كَانَ مِيقَٰتًۭا
Indeed, the Day of Judgement is an appointed time -
يَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِى ٱلصُّورِ فَتَأْتُونَ أَفْوَاجًۭا
The Day the Horn is blown and you will come forth in multitudes
وَفُتِحَتِ ٱلسَّمَآءُ فَكَانَتْ أَبْوَٰبًۭا
And the heaven is opened and will become gateways
وَسُيِّرَتِ ٱلْجِبَالُ فَكَانَتْ سَرَابًا
And the mountains are removed and will be [but] a mirage.
إِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ كَانَتْ مِرْصَادًۭا
Indeed, Hell has been lying in wait
لِّلطَّٰغِينَ مَـَٔابًۭا
For the transgressors, a place of return,
لَّٰبِثِينَ فِيهَآ أَحْقَابًۭا
In which they will remain for ages [unending].
لَّا يَذُوقُونَ فِيهَا بَرْدًۭا وَلَا شَرَابًا
They will not taste therein [any] coolness or drink
إِلَّا حَمِيمًۭا وَغَسَّاقًۭا
Except scalding water and [foul] purulence -
جَزَآءًۭ وِفَاقًا
An appropriate recompense.
إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ لَا يَرْجُونَ حِسَابًۭا
Indeed, they were not expecting an account
وَكَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا كِذَّابًۭا
And denied Our verses with [emphatic] denial.
وَكُلَّ شَىْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَٰهُ كِتَٰبًۭا
But all things We have enumerated in writing.
فَذُوقُوا۟ فَلَن نَّزِيدَكُمْ إِلَّا عَذَابًا
"So taste [the penalty], and never will We increase you except in torment."
إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ مَفَازًا
Indeed, for the righteous is attainment -
حَدَآئِقَ وَأَعْنَٰبًۭا
Gardens and grapevines
وَكَوَاعِبَ أَتْرَابًۭا
And full-breasted [companions] of equal age
وَكَأْسًۭا دِهَاقًۭا
And a full cup.
لَّا يَسْمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغْوًۭا وَلَا كِذَّٰبًۭا
No ill speech will they hear therein or any falsehood -
جَزَآءًۭ مِّن رَّبِّكَ عَطَآءً حِسَابًۭا
[As] reward from your Lord, [a generous] gift [made due by] account,
رَّبِّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ۖ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِنْهُ خِطَابًۭا
[From] the Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, the Most Merciful. They possess not from Him [authority for] speech.
يَوْمَ يَقُومُ ٱلرُّوحُ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ صَفًّۭا ۖ لَّا يَتَكَلَّمُونَ إِلَّا مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ وَقَالَ صَوَابًۭا
The Day that the Spirit and the angels will stand in rows, they will not speak except for one whom the Most Merciful permits, and he will say what is correct.
ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۖ فَمَن شَآءَ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ مَـَٔابًا
That is the True Day; so he who wills may take to his Lord a [way of] return.
إِنَّآ أَنذَرْنَٰكُمْ عَذَابًۭا قَرِيبًۭا يَوْمَ يَنظُرُ ٱلْمَرْءُ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ وَيَقُولُ ٱلْكَافِرُ يَٰلَيْتَنِى كُنتُ تُرَٰبًۢا
Indeed, We have warned you of a near punishment on the Day when a man will observe what his hands have put forth and the disbeliever will say, "Oh, I wish that I were dust!"
Key verses of the surah
The verse that names the great announcement: the thing the opening question is about.
عَنِ ٱلنَّبَإِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ
About the great news -
Within the series of signs, the image of mountains driven in like pegs, between the earth spread out and creation in pairs.
وَٱلْجِبَالَ أَوْتَادًۭا
And the mountains as stakes?
The angels and the Spirit in ranks: no one there speaks unless leave is given.
يَوْمَ يَقُومُ ٱلرُّوحُ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ صَفًّۭا ۖ لَّا يَتَكَلَّمُونَ إِلَّا مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ وَقَالَ صَوَابًۭا
The Day that the Spirit and the angels will stand in rows, they will not speak except for one whom the Most Merciful permits, and he will say what is correct.
The last verse: the regret of the one who wishes he had been dust and nothing more.
إِنَّآ أَنذَرْنَٰكُمْ عَذَابًۭا قَرِيبًۭا يَوْمَ يَنظُرُ ٱلْمَرْءُ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ وَيَقُولُ ٱلْكَافِرُ يَٰلَيْتَنِى كُنتُ تُرَٰبًۢا
Indeed, We have warned you of a near punishment on the Day when a man will observe what his hands have put forth and the disbeliever will say, "Oh, I wish that I were dust!"
What is surah An-Naba about?
Of a day announced and contested. The text starts from a dispute, sets what has been put in place in the world against what will be undone on that day, then puts two destinations face to face. It moves by short statements, with no account and no rule.
What is the great announcement in surah An-Naba?
The text defines it by no synonym. It only says that people disagree over it and repeats that they will know. What follows describes the Day of Decision: the surah itself unfolds the object of the question, verse after verse.
How is surah An-Naba built?
In three moves. A question opens the text over five verses. Eleven verses then list what has been set in place, on one rhythm. The rest belongs to the day announced: its setting, its two dwellings, then the silence at the end.
How does surah An-Naba end?
With three verses. The angels and the Spirit stand in ranks and speech there requires leave. A warning follows, given as near at hand. The very last word goes to the one who denied: he would rather never have been anything but dust.
Why is surah An-Naba called that?
“An-Naba” means “the Announcement”. The name comes from the second verse: what the people are asking one another about is called there the great announcement, the one they disagree over. The word appears at that point only, and it is the subject the following thirty-eight verses unfold.
How many verses does surah An-Naba have?
Surah An-Naba has 40 verses. It stands at number 78 in the order of the Mushaf, which holds 114.
The Arabic text is that of the Mushaf. The summary, the outline and the answers on this page describe the text and how it is built: they are not religious commentary.