Surah Aş-Şāffāt (Those who set the Ranks) in English

1. ما لكم كيف تحكمون

   154

   What is the matter with you? How do you judge?

   mā lakum kayfa taḥkumūna

2. أفلا تذكرون

   155

   Will you not then take admonition?

   ʾa-fa-lā tadhakkarūna

3. أم لكم سلطان مبين

   156

   Do you have a manifest authority?

   ʾam lakum sulṭānun mubīnun

4. فأتوا بكتابكم إن كنتم صادقين

   157

   Then produce your scripture, should you be truthful.

   fa-ʾtū bi-kitābikum ʾin kuntum ṣādiqīna

5. وجعلوا بينه وبين الجنة نسبا ولقد علمت الجنة إنهم لمحضرون

   158

   And they have set up a kinship between Him and the jinn, while the jinn certainly know that they will be presented [before Him].

   wa-jaʿalū baynahū wa-bayna l-jinnati nasaban wa-la-qad ʿalimati l-jinnatu ʾinnahum la-muḥḍarūna

6. سبحان الله عما يصفون

   159

   Clear is Allah of whatever they allege [about Him]

   subḥāna llāhi ʿammā yaṣifūna

7. إلا عباد الله المخلصين

   160

   —[all] except Allah’s exclusive servants.

   ʾillā ʿibāda llāhi l-mukhlaṣīna

8. فإنكم وما تعبدون

   161

   Indeed you and what you worship

   fa-ʾinnakum wa-mā taʿbudūna

9. ما أنتم عليه بفاتنين

   162

   cannot mislead [anyone] about Him,

   mā ʾantum ʿalayhi bi-fātinīna

10. إلا من هو صال الجحيم

    163

    except someone who is bound for hell.

    ʾillā man huwa ṣāli l-jaḥīmi

11. وما منا إلا له مقام معلوم

    164

    ‘There is none among us but has a known place.

    wa-mā minnā ʾillā lahū maqāmun maʿlūmun

12. وإنا لنحن الصافون

    165

    It is we who are the ranged ones.

    wa-ʾinnā la-naḥnu ṣ-ṣāffūna

13. وإنا لنحن المسبحون

    166

    It is we who celebrate Allah’s glory.’

    wa-ʾinnā la-naḥnu l-musabbiḥūna

14. وإن كانوا ليقولون

    167

    They indeed, used to say,

    wa-ʾin kānū la-yaqūlūna

15. لو أن عندنا ذكرا من الأولين

    168

    ‘Had we possessed a Reminder from our predecessors,

    law ʾanna ʿindanā dhikran mina l-ʾawwalīna

16. لكنا عباد الله المخلصين

    169

    we would have surely been Allah’s exclusive servants.’

    la-kunnā ʿibāda llāhi l-mukhlaṣīna

17. فكفروا به فسوف يعلمون

    170

    But they disbelieved it [when it came to them]. Soon they will know!

    fa-kafarū bihī fa-sawfa yaʿlamūna

18. ولقد سبقت كلمتنا لعبادنا المرسلين

    171

    Certainly Our decree has gone beforehand in favour of Our servants, the apostles,

    wa-la-qad sabaqat kalimatunā li-ʿibādinā l-mursalīna

19. إنهم لهم المنصورون

    172

    that they will indeed receive [Allah’s] help,

    ʾinnahum la-humu l-manṣūrūna

20. وإن جندنا لهم الغالبون

    173

    and indeed Our hosts will be the victors.

    wa-ʾinna jundanā la-humu l-ghālibūna

21. فتول عنهم حتى حين

    174

    So leave them alone for a while,

    fa-tawalla ʿanhum ḥattā ḥīnin

22. وأبصرهم فسوف يبصرون

    175

    and watch them; soon they will see [the truth of the matter]!

    wa-ʾabṣirhum fa-sawfa yubṣirūna

23. أفبعذابنا يستعجلون

    176

    Do they seek to hasten Our punishment?

    ʾa-fa-bi-ʿadhābinā yastaʿjilūna

24. فإذا نزل بساحتهم فساء صباح المنذرين

    177

    But when it descends in their courtyard it will be a dismal dawn for those who had been warned.

    fa-ʾidhā nazala bi-sāḥatihim fa-sāʾa ṣabāḥu l-mundharīna

25. وتول عنهم حتى حين

    178

    So leave them alone for a while,

    wa-tawalla ʿanhum ḥattā ḥīnin

26. وأبصر فسوف يبصرون

    179

    and watch; soon they will see!

    wa-ʾabṣir fa-sawfa yubṣirūna

27. سبحان ربك رب العزة عما يصفون

    180

    Clear is your Lord, the Lord of Might, of whatever they allege [concerning Him].

    subḥāna rabbika rabbi l-ʿizzati ʿammā yaṣifūna

28. وسلام على المرسلين

    181

    Peace be to the apostles!

    wa-salāmun ʿalā l-mursalīna

29. والحمد لله رب العالمين

    182

    All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.

    wa-l-ḥamdu li-llāhi rabbi l-ʿālamīna