Verses 31–49

وَمَا جَعَلْنَآ أَصْحَٰبَ ٱلنَّارِ إِلَّا مَلَٰٓئِكَةًۭ ۙ وَمَا جَعَلْنَا عِدَّتَهُمْ إِلَّا فِتْنَةًۭ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لِيَسْتَيْقِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَيَزْدَادَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِيمَٰنًۭا ۙ وَلَا يَرْتَابَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۙ وَلِيَقُولَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌۭ وَٱلْكَٰفِرُونَ مَاذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَٰذَا مَثَلًۭا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَمَا هِىَ إِلَّا ذِكْرَىٰ لِلْبَشَرِ﴿٣١﴾

74:31We have assigned only angels as keepers of the Fire, and We have made their number merely a stumbling block for the faithless, and so that those who were given the Book may be reassured, and the faithful may increase in [their] faith, and so that those who were given the Book and the faithful may not be in doubt, and so that the faithless and those in whose hearts is a sickness may say, ‘What did Allah mean by this description?’ Thus does Allah lead astray whomever He wishes and guides whomever He wishes. No one knows the hosts of your Lord except Him, and it is just an admonition for all humans.

كَلَّا وَٱلْقَمَرِ﴿٣٢﴾

74:32No indeed! By the Moon!

وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذْ أَدْبَرَ﴿٣٣﴾

74:33By the night when it recedes!¹

وَٱلصُّبْحِ إِذَآ أَسْفَرَ﴿٣٤﴾

74:34By the dawn when it brightens!²

إِنَّهَا لَإِحْدَى ٱلْكُبَرِ﴿٣٥﴾

74:35Indeed they are one of the greatest [signs of God]³

نَذِيرًۭا لِّلْبَشَرِ﴿٣٦﴾

74:36—a warner to all humans,

لِمَن شَآءَ مِنكُمْ أَن يَتَقَدَّمَ أَوْ يَتَأَخَّرَ﴿٣٧﴾

74:37[alike] for those of you who like to advance ahead and those who would remain behind.⁴⁵

كُلُّ نَفْسٍۭ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ رَهِينَةٌ﴿٣٨﴾

74:38Every soul is hostage to what it has earned,⁶

إِلَّآ أَصْحَٰبَ ٱلْيَمِينِ﴿٣٩﴾

74:39except the People of the Right Hand.

فِى جَنَّٰتٍۢ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ﴿٤٠﴾

74:40[They will be] in gardens, questioning

عَنِ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ﴿٤١﴾

74:41the guilty:

مَا سَلَكَكُمْ فِى سَقَرَ﴿٤٢﴾

74:42‘What drew you into Hell?’⁷

قَالُوا۟ لَمْ نَكُ مِنَ ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ﴿٤٣﴾

74:43They will answer, ‘We were not among those who prayed.

وَلَمْ نَكُ نُطْعِمُ ٱلْمِسْكِينَ﴿٤٤﴾

74:44Nor did we feed the poor.

وَكُنَّا نَخُوضُ مَعَ ٱلْخَآئِضِينَ﴿٤٥﴾

74:45We used to indulge in [profane] gossip along with the gossipers,⁸

وَكُنَّا نُكَذِّبُ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ﴿٤٦﴾

74:46and we used to deny the Day of Retribution⁹

حَتَّىٰٓ أَتَىٰنَا ٱلْيَقِينُ﴿٤٧﴾

74:47until death came to us.’¹⁰

فَمَا تَنفَعُهُمْ شَفَٰعَةُ ٱلشَّٰفِعِينَ﴿٤٨﴾

74:48So the intercession of the intercessors will not avail them.

فَمَا لَهُمْ عَنِ ٱلتَّذْكِرَةِ مُعْرِضِينَ﴿٤٩﴾

74:49What is the matter with them that they evade the Reminder