Revealed in Makkah, Surah Al-Qamar (The Moon) begins with the famous miracle of the moon splitting, warning that the Day of Judgment is close. It reviews the destruction of past nations—such as the peoples of Noah, 'Ad, Thamud, Lot, and Pharaoh—repeating the powerful refrain that the Quran has been made easy for remembrance, and asking if there is anyone who will reflect. It concludes by promising the righteous a seat of honor in the presence of the Sovereign Creator.
Transliteration
Iqtarabati alssaAAatu wainshaqqa alqamaru
Translation
The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has split
Commemorates the physical miracle of the Splitting of the Moon ('Inshiqaq al-Qamar'): Meccan leaders challenged the Prophet ﷺ to split the full moon as proof of his prophethood. By God's permission, the moon visibly parted into two separate crescents on either side of Mount Hira, with the Prophet ﷺ calling witnesses to testify.
Transliteration
Wain yaraw ayatan yuAAridoo wayaqooloo sihrun mustamirrun
Translation
Yet whenever they see a miracle, they turn away, and say, “Continuous magic.”
Documents the cognitive dissonance of the Meccan skeptics: rather than accepting the visual miracle, they dismissed it as 'continuous sorcery' ('Sihrun mustamirr'), alleging the Prophet had cast a spell over their eyes, until independent desert caravans arrived confirming they saw the exact same phenomenon.
Transliteration
Wakaththaboo waittabaAAoo ahwaahum wakullu amrin mustaqirrun
Translation
They lied, and followed their opinions, but everything has its time
Transliteration
Walaqad jaahum mina alanbai ma feehi muzdajarun
Translation
And there came to them news containing a deterrent
Transliteration
Hikmatun balighatun fama tughnee alnnuthuru
Translation
Profound wisdom—but warnings are of no avail
Transliteration
Fatawalla AAanhum yawma yadAAu alddaAAi ila shayin nukurin
Translation
So turn away from them. On the Day when the Caller calls to something terrible
Transliteration
KhushshaAAan absaruhum yakhrujoona mina alajdathi kaannahum jaradun muntashirun
Translation
Their eyes humiliated, they will emerge from the graves, as if they were swarming locusts
Transliteration
MuhtiAAeena ila alddaAAi yaqoolu alkafiroona hatha yawmun AAasirun
Translation
Scrambling towards the Caller, the disbelievers will say, “This is a difficult Day.”
Transliteration
Kaththabat qablahum qawmu noohin fakaththaboo AAabdana waqaloo majnoonun waizdujira
Translation
Before them the people of Noah disbelieved. They rejected Our servant, and said, “Crazy,” and he was rebuked
Transliteration
FadaAAa rabbahu annee maghloobun faintasir
Translation
So he appealed to his Lord, “I am overwhelmed, so help me.”
Transliteration
Fafatahna abwaba alssamai bimain munhamirin
Translation
So We opened the floodgates of heaven with water pouring down
Transliteration
Wafajjarna alarda AAuyoonan failtaqa almao AAala amrin qad qudira
Translation
And We made the earth burst with springs, and the waters met for a purpose already destined
Transliteration
Wahamalnahu AAala thati alwahin wadusurin
Translation
And We carried him on a craft of planks and nails
Describes the nautical engineering of Noah's (Nuh) Ark in simple, elegant terms: built from flat wooden timber planks bound together by fiber ropes and iron nails ('Alwahin wa-Dusur').
Transliteration
Tajree biaAAyunina jazaan liman kana kufira
Translation
Sailing before Our eyes; a reward for him who was rejected
Transliteration
Walaqad taraknaha ayatan fahal min muddakirin
Translation
And We left it as a sign. Is there anyone who would take heed
Transliteration
Fakayfa kana AAathabee wanuthuri
Translation
So how were My punishment and My warnings
Transliteration
Walaqad yassarna alqurana lilththikri fahal min muddakirin
Translation
We made the Quran easy to learn. Is there anyone who would learn
A celebrated recurring divine promise (repeated in verses 22, 32, and 40): God has purposefully made the Quran smooth, rhythmic, and easy to memorize, understand, and reflect upon for any sincere seeker, regardless of age or native language.
Transliteration
Kaththabat AAadun fakayfa kana AAathabee wanuthuri
Translation
Aad denied the truth. So how were My punishment and My warnings
Transliteration
Inna arsalna AAalayhim reehan sarsaran fee yawmi nahsin mustamirrin
Translation
We unleashed upon them a screaming wind, on a day of unrelenting misery
Recalls the violent, howling desert gale ('Sarsar') that battered the defiant ancient civilization of 'Ad over seven nights and eight days without ceasing.
Transliteration
TanziAAu alnnasa kaannahum aAAjazu nakhlin munqaAAirin
Translation
Plucking the people away, as though they were trunks of uprooted palm-trees
Vividly describes the physical devastation of 'Ad: the hurricane winds lifted their massive bodies and slammed them violently onto the ground, leaving them strewn across the sand like uprooted, hollow trunks of date palms.
Transliteration
Fakayfa kana AAathabee wanuthuri
Translation
So how were My punishment and My warnings
Transliteration
Walaqad yassarna alqurana lilththikri fahal min muddakirin
Translation
We made the Quran easy to remember. Is there anyone who would remember
Transliteration
Kaththabat thamoodu bialnnuthuri
Translation
Thamood rejected the warnings
Transliteration
Faqaloo abasharan minna wahidan nattabiAAuhu inna ithan lafee dalalin wasuAAurin
Translation
They said, “Are we to follow one of us, a human being? We would then go astray, and end up in Hell
Transliteration
Aolqiya alththikru AAalayhi min baynina bal huwa kaththabun ashirun
Translation
Was the message given to him, out of all of us? In fact, he is a wicked liar.”
Transliteration
SayaAAlamoona ghadan mani alkaththabu alashiru
Translation
They will know tomorrow who the wicked liar is
Transliteration
Inna mursiloo alnnaqati fitnatan lahum fairtaqibhum waistabir
Translation
We are sending the she-camel as a test for them; so watch them and be patient
Describes the miraculous She-Camel of Thamud sent as a moral test: Prophet Salih instructed his people to share their water supply equitably with the camel on alternating days.
Transliteration
Wanabbihum anna almaa qismatun baynahum kullu shirbin muhtadarun
Translation
And inform them that the water is to be shared between them; each share of drink made available
Transliteration
Fanadaw sahibahum fataAAata faAAaqara
Translation
But they called their friend, and he dared, and he slaughtered
Thamud's corrupt leadership recruited their most reckless criminal (traditionally named Qudar ibn Salif) to ambush and hamstring the sacred She-Camel, sealing their national doom.
Transliteration
Fakayfa kana AAathabee wanuthuri
Translation
So how were My punishment and My warnings
Transliteration
Inna arsalna AAalayhim sayhatan wahidatan fakanoo kahasheemi almuhtathiri
Translation
We sent against them a single Scream, and they became like crushed hay
Transliteration
Walaqad yassarna alqurana lilththikri fahal min muddakirin
Translation
We made the Quran easy to understand. Is there anyone who would understand
Transliteration
Kaththabat qawmu lootin bialnnuthuri
Translation
The people of Lot rejected the warnings
Transliteration
Inna arsalna AAalayhim hasiban illa ala lootin najjaynahum bisaharin
Translation
We unleashed upon them a shower of stones, except for the family of Lot; We rescued them at dawn
Transliteration
NiAAmatan min AAindina kathalika najzee man shakara
Translation
A blessing from Us. Thus We reward the thankful
Transliteration
Walaqad antharahum batshatana fatamaraw bialnnuthuri
Translation
He had warned them of Our onslaught, but they dismissed the warnings
Transliteration
Walaqad rawadoohu AAan dayfihi fatamasna aAAyunahum fathooqoo AAathabee wanuthuri
Translation
They even lusted for his guest, so We obliterated their eyes. “So taste My punishment and My warnings.”
Transliteration
Walaqad sabbahahum bukratan AAathabun mustaqirrun
Translation
Early morning brought upon them enduring punishment
Transliteration
Fathooqoo AAathabee wanuthuri
Translation
So taste My punishment and My warnings
Transliteration
Walaqad yassarna alqurana lilththikri fahal min muddakirin
Translation
We made the Quran easy to memorize. Is there anyone who would memorize
Transliteration
Walaqad jaa ala firAAawna alnnuthuru
Translation
The warnings also came to the people of Pharaoh
Transliteration
Kaththaboo biayatina kulliha faakhathnahum akhtha AAazeezin muqtadirin
Translation
They rejected Our signs, all of them, so We seized them—the seizure of an Almighty Omnipotent
Transliteration
Akuffarukum khayrun min olaikum am lakum baraatun fee alzzuburi
Translation
Are your unbelievers better than all those? Or do you have immunity in the scriptures
Transliteration
Am yaqooloona nahnu jameeAAun muntasirun
Translation
Or do they say, “We are united, and we will be victorious”
Transliteration
Sayuhzamu aljamAAu wayuwalloona alddubura
Translation
The multitude will be defeated, and they will turn their backs
A stunning historical prophecy revealed in Mecca years before the migration: 'Their gathering will be defeated, and they will turn their backs and flee.' Umar ibn al-Khattab noted that he did not understand which army this referred to until the Battle of Badr, when he saw the Prophet ﷺ recite this exact verse as the Meccan army broke and fled.
Transliteration
Bali alssaAAatu mawAAiduhum waalssaAAatu adha waamarru
Translation
The Hour is their appointed time—the Hour is more disastrous, and most bitter
Transliteration
Inna almujrimeena fee dalalin wasuAAurin
Translation
The wicked are in confusion and madness
Transliteration
Yawma yushaboona fee alnnari AAala wujoohihim thooqoo massa saqara
Translation
The Day when they are dragged upon their faces into the Fire: “Taste the touch of Saqar.”
Transliteration
Inna kulla shayin khalaqnahu biqadarin
Translation
Everything We created is precisely measured
The scriptural anchor for belief in Divine Decree ('Al-Qadar'): establishes that every single element, event, particle, and life span in the entire universe was created according to a precise divine measurement and predetermined wisdom.
Transliteration
Wama amruna illa wahidatun kalamhin bialbasari
Translation
And Our command is but once, like the twinkling of an eye
Transliteration
Walaqad ahlakna ashyaAAakum fahal min muddakirin
Translation
We have destroyed your likes. Is there anyone who would ponder
Transliteration
Wakullu shayin faAAaloohu fee alzzuburi
Translation
Everything they have done is in the Books
Transliteration
Wakullu sagheerin wakabeerin mustatarun
Translation
Everything, small or large, is written down
Transliteration
Inna almuttaqeena fee jannatin wanaharin
Translation
The righteous will be amidst gardens and rivers
Transliteration
Fee maqAAadi sidqin AAinda maleekin muqtadirin
Translation
In an assembly of virtue, in the presence of an Omnipotent King