The Mount
The opening moves through a mount, an inscribed scripture, unrolled parchment, a frequented house and an elevated roof. Read the sequence aloud with a teacher. Notice how its accumulating images prepare the listener for what follows.
Based on Quran 52:1–5. Original study prompt, not a complete tafsir. Compare the passage ↗English Translation - Noor International Center · QuranEnc.com · v1.1.2 ↗
Issued by Noor International Center. Publisher footnotes appear with their verses.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ وَٱلطُّورِ
(1) By the mount
وَكِتَٰبٍۢ مَّسْطُورٍۢ
(2) And [by] a Book inscribed[1550]
فِى رَقٍّۢ مَّنشُورٍۢ
(3) In parchment spread open
وَٱلْبَيْتِ ٱلْمَعْمُورِ
(4) And [by] the frequented House[1551]
وَٱلسَّقْفِ ٱلْمَرْفُوعِ
(5) And [by] the ceiling [i.e., heaven] raised high
وَٱلْبَحْرِ ٱلْمَسْجُورِ
(6) And [by] the sea set on fire,[1552]
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ لَوَٰقِعٌۭ
(7) Indeed, the punishment of your Lord will occur.
مَّا لَهُۥ مِن دَافِعٍۢ
(8) Of it there is no preventer.
يَوْمَ تَمُورُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ مَوْرًۭا
(9) On the Day the heaven will sway with circular motion
وَتَسِيرُ ٱلْجِبَالُ سَيْرًۭا
(10) And the mountains will pass on, departing[1553] -
فَوَيْلٌۭ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ
(11) Then woe, that Day, to the deniers,
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ فِى خَوْضٍۢ يَلْعَبُونَ
(12) Who are in [empty] discourse amusing themselves.
يَوْمَ يُدَعُّونَ إِلَىٰ نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ دَعًّا
(13) The Day they are thrust toward the fire of Hell with a [violent] thrust, [its angels will say],
هَٰذِهِ ٱلنَّارُ ٱلَّتِى كُنتُم بِهَا تُكَذِّبُونَ
(14) "This is the Fire which you used to deny.
أَفَسِحْرٌ هَٰذَآ أَمْ أَنتُمْ لَا تُبْصِرُونَ
(15) Then is this magic, or do you not see?
ٱصْلَوْهَا فَٱصْبِرُوٓا۟ أَوْ لَا تَصْبِرُوا۟ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ إِنَّمَا تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
(16) [Enter to] burn therein; then be patient or impatient - it is all the same for you. You are only being recompensed [for] what you used to do."
إِنَّ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ فِى جَنَّٰتٍۢ وَنَعِيمٍۢ
(17) Indeed, the righteous will be in gardens and pleasure,
فَٰكِهِينَ بِمَآ ءَاتَىٰهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ وَوَقَىٰهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ عَذَابَ ٱلْجَحِيمِ
(18) Enjoying what their Lord has given them, and their Lord protected them from the punishment of Hellfire.
كُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ هَنِيٓـًٔۢا بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
(19) [They will be told], "Eat and drink in satisfaction for what you used to do."
مُتَّكِـِٔينَ عَلَىٰ سُرُرٍۢ مَّصْفُوفَةٍۢ ۖ وَزَوَّجْنَٰهُم بِحُورٍ عِينٍۢ
(20) They will be reclining on thrones lined up, and We will marry them to fair women with large, [beautiful] eyes.
وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَٱتَّبَعَتْهُمْ ذُرِّيَّتُهُم بِإِيمَٰنٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَمَآ أَلَتْنَٰهُم مِّنْ عَمَلِهِم مِّن شَىْءٍۢ ۚ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍۭ بِمَا كَسَبَ رَهِينٌۭ
(21) And those who believed and whose descendants followed them in faith - We will join with them their descendants, and We will not deprive them of anything of their deeds.[1554] Every person, for what he earned, is retained.[1555]
وَأَمْدَدْنَٰهُم بِفَٰكِهَةٍۢ وَلَحْمٍۢ مِّمَّا يَشْتَهُونَ
(22) And We will provide them with fruit and meat from whatever they desire.
يَتَنَٰزَعُونَ فِيهَا كَأْسًۭا لَّا لَغْوٌۭ فِيهَا وَلَا تَأْثِيمٌۭ
(23) They will exchange with one another a cup [of wine] wherein [results] no ill speech or commission of sin.
۞ وَيَطُوفُ عَلَيْهِمْ غِلْمَانٌۭ لَّهُمْ كَأَنَّهُمْ لُؤْلُؤٌۭ مَّكْنُونٌۭ
(24) There will circulate among them [servant] boys [especially] for them, as if they were pearls well-protected.
وَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍۢ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ
(25) And they will approach one another, inquiring of each other.
قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا كُنَّا قَبْلُ فِىٓ أَهْلِنَا مُشْفِقِينَ
(26) They will say, "Indeed, we were previously among our people fearful [of displeasing Allāh].
فَمَنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْنَا وَوَقَىٰنَا عَذَابَ ٱلسَّمُومِ
(27) So Allāh conferred favor upon us and protected us from the punishment of the Scorching Fire.
إِنَّا كُنَّا مِن قَبْلُ نَدْعُوهُ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْبَرُّ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
(28) Indeed, we used to supplicate[1556] Him before. Indeed, it is He who is the Beneficent, the Merciful."
فَذَكِّرْ فَمَآ أَنتَ بِنِعْمَتِ رَبِّكَ بِكَاهِنٍۢ وَلَا مَجْنُونٍ
(29) So remind, [O Muḥammad], for you are not, by the favor of your Lord, a soothsayer or a madman.
أَمْ يَقُولُونَ شَاعِرٌۭ نَّتَرَبَّصُ بِهِۦ رَيْبَ ٱلْمَنُونِ
(30) Or do they say [of you], "A poet for whom we await a misfortune of time"?[1557]
قُلْ تَرَبَّصُوا۟ فَإِنِّى مَعَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْمُتَرَبِّصِينَ
(31) Say, "Wait, for indeed I am, with you, among the waiters."
أَمْ تَأْمُرُهُمْ أَحْلَٰمُهُم بِهَٰذَآ ۚ أَمْ هُمْ قَوْمٌۭ طَاغُونَ
(32) Or do their minds[1558] command them to [say] this, or are they a transgressing people?
أَمْ يَقُولُونَ تَقَوَّلَهُۥ ۚ بَل لَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ
(33) Or do they say, "He has made it up"? Rather, they do not believe.
فَلْيَأْتُوا۟ بِحَدِيثٍۢ مِّثْلِهِۦٓ إِن كَانُوا۟ صَٰدِقِينَ
(34) Then let them produce a statement like it, if they should be truthful.
أَمْ خُلِقُوا۟ مِنْ غَيْرِ شَىْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ ٱلْخَٰلِقُونَ
(35) Or were they created by nothing, or were they the creators [of themselves]?
أَمْ خَلَقُوا۟ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ ۚ بَل لَّا يُوقِنُونَ
(36) Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Rather, they are not certain.
أَمْ عِندَهُمْ خَزَآئِنُ رَبِّكَ أَمْ هُمُ ٱلْمُصَۣيْطِرُونَ
(37) Or have they the depositories [containing the provision] of your Lord? Or are they the controllers [of them]?
أَمْ لَهُمْ سُلَّمٌۭ يَسْتَمِعُونَ فِيهِ ۖ فَلْيَأْتِ مُسْتَمِعُهُم بِسُلْطَٰنٍۢ مُّبِينٍ
(38) Or have they a stairway [into the heaven] upon which they listen? Then let their listener produce a clear authority [i.e., proof].
أَمْ لَهُ ٱلْبَنَٰتُ وَلَكُمُ ٱلْبَنُونَ
(39) Or has He daughters while you have sons?
أَمْ تَسْـَٔلُهُمْ أَجْرًۭا فَهُم مِّن مَّغْرَمٍۢ مُّثْقَلُونَ
(40) Or do you, [O Muḥammad], ask of them a payment, so they are by debt burdened down?
أَمْ عِندَهُمُ ٱلْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ
(41) Or have they [knowledge of] the unseen, so they write [it] down?
أَمْ يُرِيدُونَ كَيْدًۭا ۖ فَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ هُمُ ٱلْمَكِيدُونَ
(42) Or do they intend a plan? But those who disbelieve - they are the object of a plan.
أَمْ لَهُمْ إِلَٰهٌ غَيْرُ ٱللَّهِ ۚ سُبْحَٰنَ ٱللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
(43) Or have they a deity other than Allāh? Exalted is Allāh above whatever they associate with Him.
وَإِن يَرَوْا۟ كِسْفًۭا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ سَاقِطًۭا يَقُولُوا۟ سَحَابٌۭ مَّرْكُومٌۭ
(44) And if they were to see a fragment from the sky falling,[1559] they would say, "[It is merely] clouds heaped up."
فَذَرْهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى فِيهِ يُصْعَقُونَ
(45) So leave them until they meet their Day in which they will be struck insensible -
يَوْمَ لَا يُغْنِى عَنْهُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْـًۭٔا وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ
(46) The Day their plan will not avail them at all, nor will they be helped.
وَإِنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ عَذَابًۭا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
(47) And indeed, for those who have wronged is a punishment[1560] before that, but most of them do not know.
وَٱصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ فَإِنَّكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا ۖ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ
(48) And be patient, [O Muḥammad], for the decision of your Lord, for indeed, you are in Our eyes [i.e., sight]. And exalt [Allāh] with praise of your Lord when you arise
وَمِنَ ٱلَّيْلِ فَسَبِّحْهُ وَإِدْبَٰرَ ٱلنُّجُومِ
(49) And in a part of the night exalt Him and after [the setting of] the stars.