Surah Qaf 12-21

كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍۢ وَأَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلرَّسِّ وَثَمُودُ ١٢

Before them, the people of Noah denied ˹the truth,˺ as did the people of the Water-pit, Thamûd,

وَعَادٌۭ وَفِرْعَوْنُ وَإِخْوَٰنُ لُوطٍۢ ١٣

’Ȃd, Pharaoh, the kinfolk of Lot,

وَأَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْأَيْكَةِ وَقَوْمُ تُبَّعٍۢ ۚ كُلٌّۭ كَذَّبَ ٱلرُّسُلَ فَحَقَّ وَعِيدِ ١٤

the residents of the Forest, and the people of Tubba’. Each rejected ˹their˺ messenger, so My warning was fulfilled.

أَفَعَيِينَا بِٱلْخَلْقِ ٱلْأَوَّلِ ۚ بَلْ هُمْ فِى لَبْسٍۢ مِّنْ خَلْقٍۢ جَدِيدٍۢ ١٥

Were We incapable of creating ˹them˺ the first time? In fact, they are in doubt about ˹their˺ re-creation.

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ وَنَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِهِۦ نَفْسُهُۥ ۖ وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ ٱلْوَرِيدِ ١٦

Indeed, ˹it is˺ We ˹Who˺ created humankind and ˹fully˺ know what their souls whisper to them, and We are closer to them than ˹their˺ jugular vein.

إِذْ يَتَلَقَّى ٱلْمُتَلَقِّيَانِ عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٌۭ ١٧

As the two recording-angels—˹one˺ sitting to the right, and ˹the other to˺ the left—note ˹everything˺,

مَّا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌۭ ١٨

not a word does a person utter without having a ˹vigilant˺ observer ready ˹to write it down˺. 

وَجَآءَتْ سَكْرَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ بِٱلْحَقِّ ۖ ذَٰلِكَ مَا كُنتَ مِنْهُ تَحِيدُ ١٩

˹Ultimately,˺ with the throes of death will come the truth. This is what you were trying to escape!

وَنُفِخَ فِى ٱلصُّورِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ يَوْمُ ٱلْوَعِيدِ ٢٠

And the Trumpet will be blown. This is the Day ˹you were˺ warned of.

وَجَآءَتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍۢ مَّعَهَا سَآئِقٌۭ وَشَهِيدٌۭ ٢١

Each soul will come forth with an angel to drive it and another to testify.