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[I swear] by the daybreak,
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by the even and the odd,
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and by the passing night!
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Is this not an oath for those who understand?
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Have you not seen how your Lord had treated ’Ad
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and Iram with its pillars,
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And Thamood who dug into the rocks in the valleys,
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and Pharaoh, the owner of stakes?
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They were oppressors in the land,
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and kept on spreading corruption.
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Your Lord submitted them to the scourge of punishment —
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verily, your Lord is watching from the heights!
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When his Lord tests a man by giving him honors and favors, he says: “My Lord has honored me.”
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But when [God] withholds his sustenance in order to test him, he says: “My Lord has humiliated me.”
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But no! You do not honor the orphan
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and you do not advocate feeding the poor.
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You greedily devour [your] inheritance
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and have a passion for wealth!
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But no! When the earth crumbles to dust,
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and your Lord comes with Angels in ranks,
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on that Day man shall face Hell. He will remember on that Day, but remembrance will not help him!
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He will say: “Alas, if only I’d prepared [some good deeds] for my [future] Life!”
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On that Day he will be punished as only [God] can punish.
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He shall bind him in chains!
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O you, the peaceful soul,
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return to your Lord satisfied and pleasing!
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Enter with My servants,