The Galaxies (Al-Burooj)
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful
I CALL TO witness the sky (bespangled) with the signs of the Zodiac, 1 by the promised day, 2 And by the witnessing day (i.e. Friday), and by the witnessed day [i.e. the day of 'Arafat (Hajj) the ninth of Dhul-Hijjah]; 3 Perish the fellows of the ditch, 4 the fire abounding in fuel, 5 while they sat around it, 6 and were witnessing what they did to the believers. 7 And they did not take vengeance on them for aught except that they believed in Allah, the Mighty, the Praised, 8 To whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. And Allah, over all things, is Witness. 9 Those who persecuted the believing men and women and never repented, there is for them the punishment of Gehenna (Hell), and for them the punishment of the burning. 10 Indeed those who believed and did good deeds – for them are Gardens beneath which rivers flow; this is the great success. 11 Truly strong is the Grip (and Power) of thy Lord. 12 Behold, it is He who creates [man] in the first instance, and He [it is who] will bring him forth anew. 13 And He is the Forgiving, the Loving, 14 Lord of the Arsh, the Glorious, 15 Doer (without let) of all that He intends. 16 Have you not heard about the stories of the armies 17 [Those of] Pharaoh and Thamud? 18 Yet those who deny the truth persist in denial. 19 And Allah encompasses them from behind! (i.e. all their deeds are within His Knowledge, and He will requite them for their deeds). 20 Aye! it is a Recitation glorious, 21 [Inscribed] in a Preserved Slate. 22