An-Naba
سُورَةُ النَّبَإِ
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
About Surah An-Naba
Meccan · 40 verses
Main Themes
The Day of Reckoning, divine signs in creation, the rewards of believers and punishment of disbelievers, certainty
Significance
An-Naba (The Great Tidings) addresses the 'great news' (an-naba al-'azim) that the Meccans disputed — understood by scholars as the Day of Judgement. The surah builds its case for resurrection through seven signs in creation: the earth as a bed, mountains as pegs, sleep as rest, night as a covering, day for livelihood, seven firm heavens, and the water cycle. Each sign is a controlled system requiring a Designer — and if this Designer controls the natural world, the resurrection is trivially easy.
Key Verse Explained
Ayah 40 concludes the surah: "Indeed, We have warned you of a near punishment on the Day when a man will observe what his hands have put forth and the disbeliever will say, 'Oh, I wish that I were dust!'" The disbeliever's wish to be dust is particularly poignant: having denied resurrection, he now wishes for the non-existence he once claimed as his destiny — but discovers it is unavailable. Scholars use this verse to illustrate the permanent, inescapable nature of the hereafter's accountability.
Related Practices
An-Naba is frequently taught as part of Juz 'Amma memorisation courses and is one of the first longer surahs memorised by students of Quran. Its structured argument from natural signs to divine power is used in Islamic apologetics and youth education as a model for rational da'wah. The seven signs of creation (78:6–16) are discussed in Islamic science education as an invitation to scientific observation as a form of worship.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ عَمَّ يَتَسَاءَلُونَ 1
About what are they asking one another?
عَنِ النَّبَإِ الْعَظِيمِ 2
About the great news -
الَّذِي هُمْ فِيهِ مُخْتَلِفُونَ 3
That over which they are in disagreement.
كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ 4
No! They are going to know.
ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ 5
Then, no! They are going to know.
أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ الْأَرْضَ مِهَادًا 6
Have We not made the earth a resting place?
وَالْجِبَالَ أَوْتَادًا 7
And the mountains as stakes?
وَخَلَقْنَاكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا 8
And We created you in pairs
وَجَعَلْنَا نَوْمَكُمْ سُبَاتًا 9
And made your sleep [a means for] rest
وَجَعَلْنَا اللَّيْلَ لِبَاسًا 10
And made the night as clothing
وَجَعَلْنَا النَّهَارَ مَعَاشًا 11
And made the day for livelihood
وَبَنَيْنَا فَوْقَكُمْ سَبْعًا شِدَادًا 12
And constructed above you seven strong [heavens]
وَجَعَلْنَا سِرَاجًا وَهَّاجًا 13
And made [therein] a burning lamp
وَأَنْزَلْنَا مِنَ الْمُعْصِرَاتِ مَاءً ثَجَّاجًا 14
And sent down, from the rain clouds, pouring water
لِنُخْرِجَ بِهِ حَبًّا وَنَبَاتًا 15
That We may bring forth thereby grain and vegetation
وَجَنَّاتٍ أَلْفَافًا 16
And gardens of entwined growth.
إِنَّ يَوْمَ الْفَصْلِ كَانَ مِيقَاتًا 17
Indeed, the Day of Judgement is an appointed time -
يَوْمَ يُنْفَخُ فِي الصُّورِ فَتَأْتُونَ أَفْوَاجًا 18
The Day the Horn is blown and you will come forth in multitudes
وَفُتِحَتِ السَّمَاءُ فَكَانَتْ أَبْوَابًا 19
And the heaven is opened and will become gateways
وَسُيِّرَتِ الْجِبَالُ فَكَانَتْ سَرَابًا 20
And the mountains are removed and will be [but] a mirage.
إِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ كَانَتْ مِرْصَادًا 21
Indeed, Hell has been lying in wait
لِلطَّاغِينَ مَآبًا 22
For the transgressors, a place of return,
لَابِثِينَ فِيهَا أَحْقَابًا 23
In which they will remain for ages [unending].
لَا يَذُوقُونَ فِيهَا بَرْدًا وَلَا شَرَابًا 24
They will not taste therein [any] coolness or drink
إِلَّا حَمِيمًا وَغَسَّاقًا 25
Except scalding water and [foul] purulence -
جَزَاءً وِفَاقًا 26
An appropriate recompense.
إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا لَا يَرْجُونَ حِسَابًا 27
Indeed, they were not expecting an account
وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا كِذَّابًا 28
And denied Our verses with [emphatic] denial.
وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَاهُ كِتَابًا 29
But all things We have enumerated in writing.
فَذُوقُوا فَلَنْ نَزِيدَكُمْ إِلَّا عَذَابًا 30
"So taste [the penalty], and never will We increase you except in torment."
إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ مَفَازًا 31
Indeed, for the righteous is attainment -
حَدَائِقَ وَأَعْنَابًا 32
Gardens and grapevines
وَكَوَاعِبَ أَتْرَابًا 33
And full-breasted [companions] of equal age
وَكَأْسًا دِهَاقًا 34
And a full cup.
لَا يَسْمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغْوًا وَلَا كِذَّابًا 35
No ill speech will they hear therein or any falsehood -
جَزَاءً مِنْ رَبِّكَ عَطَاءً حِسَابًا 36
[As] reward from your Lord, [a generous] gift [made due by] account,
رَبِّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا الرَّحْمَٰنِ ۖ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِنْهُ خِطَابًا 37
[From] the Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, the Most Merciful. They possess not from Him [authority for] speech.
يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الرُّوحُ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ صَفًّا ۖ لَا يَتَكَلَّمُونَ إِلَّا مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ الرَّحْمَٰنُ وَقَالَ صَوَابًا 38
The Day that the Spirit and the angels will stand in rows, they will not speak except for one whom the Most Merciful permits, and he will say what is correct.
ذَٰلِكَ الْيَوْمُ الْحَقُّ ۖ فَمَنْ شَاءَ اتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِ مَآبًا 39
That is the True Day; so he who wills may take to his Lord a [way of] return.
إِنَّا أَنْذَرْنَاكُمْ عَذَابًا قَرِيبًا يَوْمَ يَنْظُرُ الْمَرْءُ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ وَيَقُولُ الْكَافِرُ يَا لَيْتَنِي كُنْتُ تُرَابًا 40
Indeed, We have warned you of a near punishment on the Day when a man will observe what his hands have put forth and the disbeliever will say, "Oh, I wish that I were dust!"