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Surah 79 · Meccan · 46 Verses

النازعات

SURAH AN-NAZI'AT

Those Who Drag Forth

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

1

وَٱلنَّٰزِعَٰتِ غَرْقًۭا

By those [angels] who extract with violence1833

  1. [1833] i.e., those who tear out the souls of those destined for Hell. ↩

2

وَٱلنَّٰشِطَٰتِ نَشْطًۭا

And [by] those who remove with ease1834

  1. [1834] i.e., those angels who ease out the souls of those destined for Paradise. ↩

3

وَٱلسَّٰبِحَٰتِ سَبْحًۭا

And [by] those who glide [as if] swimming1835

  1. [1835] Speeding to execute Allāh's commands. ↩

4

فَٱلسَّٰبِقَٰتِ سَبْقًۭا

And those who race each other in a race1836

  1. [1836] Racing to deliver the souls of the believers to Paradise. ↩

5

فَٱلْمُدَبِّرَٰتِ أَمْرًۭا

And those who arrange [each] matter,1837

  1. [1837] According to Allāh's decree. ↩

6

يَوْمَ تَرْجُفُ ٱلرَّاجِفَةُ

On the Day the blast [of the Horn] will convulse [creation],

7

تَتْبَعُهَا ٱلرَّادِفَةُ

There will follow it the subsequent [one].

8

قُلُوبٌۭ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ وَاجِفَةٌ

Hearts,1838 that Day, will tremble,

  1. [1838] Those of the disbelievers who denied the Resurrection. ↩

9

أَبْصَٰرُهَا خَٰشِعَةٌۭ

Their eyes1839 humbled.

  1. [1839] Those of the disbelievers. ↩

10

يَقُولُونَ أَءِنَّا لَمَرْدُودُونَ فِى ٱلْحَافِرَةِ

They are [presently] saying, "Will we indeed be returned to [our] former state [of life]?

11

أَءِذَا كُنَّا عِظَٰمًۭا نَّخِرَةًۭ

Even if we should be decayed bones?"1840

  1. [1840] The disbelievers say this in ridicule of the warning. ↩

12

قَالُوا۟ تِلْكَ إِذًۭا كَرَّةٌ خَاسِرَةٌۭ

They say, "That, then, would be a losing return."1841

  1. [1841] i.e., "If that were so, we would not be able to escape punishment." ↩

13

فَإِنَّمَا هِىَ زَجْرَةٌۭ وَٰحِدَةٌۭ

Indeed, it will be but one shout,

14

فَإِذَا هُم بِٱلسَّاهِرَةِ

And suddenly they will be [alert] upon the earth's surface.

15

هَلْ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ مُوسَىٰٓ

Has there reached you the story of Moses? -

16

إِذْ نَادَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ بِٱلْوَادِ ٱلْمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى

When his Lord called to him in the sacred valley of Ṭuwā,

17

ٱذْهَبْ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُۥ طَغَىٰ

"Go to Pharaoh. Indeed, he has transgressed.

18

فَقُلْ هَل لَّكَ إِلَىٰٓ أَن تَزَكَّىٰ

And say to him, 'Would you [be willing to] purify yourself

19

وَأَهْدِيَكَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَتَخْشَىٰ

And let me guide you to your Lord so you would fear [Him]?'"

20

فَأَرَىٰهُ ٱلْءَايَةَ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰ

And he showed him the greatest sign,1842

  1. [1842] i.e., the miracle of his staff becoming a great snake. ↩

21

فَكَذَّبَ وَعَصَىٰ

But he [i.e., Pharaoh] denied and disobeyed.

22

ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ يَسْعَىٰ

Then he turned his back, striving [i.e., plotting].1843

  1. [1843] An alternative meaning is "running [from the snake]." ↩

23

فَحَشَرَ فَنَادَىٰ

And he gathered [his people] and called out

24

فَقَالَ أَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمُ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ

And said, "I am your most exalted lord."

25

فَأَخَذَهُ ٱللَّهُ نَكَالَ ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ وَٱلْأُولَىٰٓ

So Allāh seized him in exemplary punishment for the last and the first [transgression].1844.

  1. [1844] i.e., for Pharaoh's setting himself up as a deity and for his previous oppression of the people and denial of Moses. ↩

26

إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبْرَةًۭ لِّمَن يَخْشَىٰٓ

Indeed in that is a lesson [i.e., warning] for whoever would fear [Allāh].

27

ءَأَنتُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقًا أَمِ ٱلسَّمَآءُ ۚ بَنَىٰهَا

Are you a more difficult creation or is the heaven? He [i.e., Allāh] constructed it.

28

رَفَعَ سَمْكَهَا فَسَوَّىٰهَا

He raised its ceiling and proportioned it.

29

وَأَغْطَشَ لَيْلَهَا وَأَخْرَجَ ضُحَىٰهَا

And He darkened its night and extracted its brightness.1845

  1. [1845] i.e., created the day from within the surrounding darkness. ↩

30

وَٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَىٰهَآ

And after that He spread the earth.

31

أَخْرَجَ مِنْهَا مَآءَهَا وَمَرْعَىٰهَا

He extracted from it its water and its pasture,

32

وَٱلْجِبَالَ أَرْسَىٰهَا

And the mountains He set firmly

33

مَتَٰعًۭا لَّكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَٰمِكُمْ

As enjoyment [i.e., provision] for you and your grazing livestock.

34

فَإِذَا جَآءَتِ ٱلطَّآمَّةُ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰ

But when there comes the greatest Overwhelming Calamity1846 -

  1. [1846] i.e., the Day of Resurrection. ↩

35

يَوْمَ يَتَذَكَّرُ ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ مَا سَعَىٰ

The Day when man will remember that for which he strove,

36

وَبُرِّزَتِ ٱلْجَحِيمُ لِمَن يَرَىٰ

And Hellfire will be exposed for [all] those who see -

37

فَأَمَّا مَن طَغَىٰ

So as for he who transgressed

38

وَءَاثَرَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا

And preferred the life of the world,

39

فَإِنَّ ٱلْجَحِيمَ هِىَ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ

Then indeed, Hellfire will be [his] refuge.

40

وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ وَنَهَى ٱلنَّفْسَ عَنِ ٱلْهَوَىٰ

But as for he who feared the position of his Lord1847 and prevented the soul from [unlawful] inclination,

  1. [1847] See footnote to 55:46. ↩

41

فَإِنَّ ٱلْجَنَّةَ هِىَ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ

Then indeed, Paradise will be [his] refuge.

42

يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلسَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْسَىٰهَا

They ask you, [O Muḥammad], about the Hour: when is its arrival?1848

  1. [1848] Literally, "resting" or "establishment." ↩

43

فِيمَ أَنتَ مِن ذِكْرَىٰهَآ

In what [position] are you that you should mention it?1849

  1. [1849] Meaning that Muḥammad (ﷺ) had no knowledge of it, so how could he inform them? ↩

44

إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ مُنتَهَىٰهَآ

To your Lord is its finality.1850

  1. [1850] i.e., its destination and termination. And to Him belongs ultimate knowledge of it. ↩

45

إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُنذِرُ مَن يَخْشَىٰهَا

You are only a warner for those who fear it.

46

كَأَنَّهُمْ يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَهَا لَمْ يَلْبَثُوٓا۟ إِلَّا عَشِيَّةً أَوْ ضُحَىٰهَا

It will be, on the Day they see it,1851 as though they had not remained [in the world] except for an afternoon or a morning thereof.

  1. [1851] i.e., the Hour, the Resurrection. ↩

About This Surah

Surah An-Nazi'at opens with oaths whose precise referents require interpretive humility, then presents resurrection, Moses’ mission to Pharaoh, and signs in heaven and earth. Pharaoh’s tyranny ends despite claims of supremacy. The final verses state that knowledge of the Hour’s timing belongs to God, excluding date-setting. Creation language must not be forced into simplistic astronomy or earth-shape claims.

An-Nazi'at begins with a sequence of oaths often associated in interpretation with angels or forces carrying out divine commands. Because the wording has interpretive discussion, this page does not present imaginative anatomy or one disputed identification as explicit certainty.

The first blast and the following one shake hearts, and people question whether they will return after becoming decayed bones. Their resurrection is described as one decisive cry.

Moses is called in the sacred valley and sent to Pharaoh, who transgresses, rejects the sign, gathers people, and proclaims supreme lordship. His consequence becomes a warning. The story condemns tyrannical self-deification without authorizing private violence or casual labeling of every modern opponent as Pharaoh.

The surah asks whether human creation is harder than the heaven God built, raised, darkened, and brightened, then mentions earth spread out, water, pasture, and mountains. These verses support resurrection and provision. They should not be used as simplistic proof in modern debates about the earth’s geometric shape or as a complete cosmology.

The overwhelming event exposes priorities. Those who feared standing before God and restrained destructive desire receive the Garden. The Messenger is asked about the Hour and told that its final knowledge belongs to God. No date, countdown, or headline mapping is allowed.

Core Themes

  • Oaths requiring interpretive humility
  • Resurrection after decayed bones
  • Moses confronting Pharaoh’s supremacy
  • Created heaven and habitable earth
  • Restraint before final accountability
  • The Hour’s timing reserved to God

Structure

Verses 1-14: Opening oaths and sudden resurrection — 1-14

Verses 1-14 focus on opening oaths and sudden resurrection.

Verses 15-26: Moses, Pharaoh, and tyrannical supremacy — 15-26

Verses 15-26 focus on moses, pharaoh, and tyrannical supremacy.

Verses 27-33: Heaven, earth, water, pasture, and mountains — 27-33

Verses 27-33 focus on heaven, earth, water, pasture, and mountains.

Verses 34-46: The overwhelming event and the Hour’s hidden timing — 34-46

Verses 34-46 focus on the overwhelming event and the hour’s hidden timing.

Key Passages

Opening oaths and sudden resurrection — 1-14

Verses 1-14 address opening oaths and sudden resurrection.

Moses, Pharaoh, and tyrannical supremacy — 15-26

Verses 15-26 address moses, pharaoh, and tyrannical supremacy.

Heaven, earth, water, pasture, and mountains — 27-33

Verses 27-33 address heaven, earth, water, pasture, and mountains.

The overwhelming event and the Hour’s hidden timing — 34-46

Verses 34-46 address the overwhelming event and the hour’s hidden timing.

Recitation Note

No exclusive time, fixed repetition count, or guaranteed worldly outcome is asserted here for reciting Surah An-Nazi'at. Reading it is worship and study; any claim about protection, healing, provision, family outcomes, or a prescribed number requires separate exact evidence and narrow wording.

Interpretation Limits

  • Opening-oath referents must not be embellished or presented as unanimous certainty.
  • Pharaoh language does not authorize private violence or casual labels for modern opponents.
  • Earth and heaven verses are not simplistic geometric or cosmological proof texts.
  • The Hour’s timing belongs to God; no date, countdown, or current-event mapping is permitted.

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