Chapter 81

Surah At Takwir (The Folding Up)

81.1

surah 81 - verse 1

translator's name verse
Arberry When the sun shall be darkened,
Maududi When the sun shall be folded up,
Pickthall When the sun is overthrown,
Sahih When the sun is wrapped up [in darkness]
Yusuf Ali When the sun (with its spacious light) is folded up;

81.2

surah 81 - verse 2

translator's name verse
Arberry when the stars shall be thrown down,
Maududi when the stars shall scatter away,
Pickthall And when the stars fall,
Sahih And when the stars fall, dispersing,
Yusuf Ali When the stars fall, losing their lustre;

81.3

surah 81 - verse 3

translator's name verse
Arberry when the mountains shall be set moving,
Maududi when the mountains shall be set in motion,
Pickthall And when the hills are moved,
Sahih And when the mountains are removed
Yusuf Ali When the mountains vanish (like a mirage);

81.4

surah 81 - verse 4

translator's name verse
Arberry when the pregnant camels shall be neglected,
Maududi when the ten-months pregnant camels shall be abandoned,
Pickthall And when the camels big with young are abandoned,
Sahih And when full-term she-camels are neglected
Yusuf Ali When the she-camels, ten months with young, are left untended;

81.5

surah 81 - verse 5

translator's name verse
Arberry when the savage beasts shall be mustered,
Maududi when the savage beasts shall be brought together,
Pickthall And when the wild beasts are herded together,
Sahih And when the wild beasts are gathered
Yusuf Ali When the wild beasts are herded together (in the human habitations);

81.6

surah 81 - verse 6

translator's name verse
Arberry when the seas shall be set boiling,
Maududi when the seas shall be set boiling,
Pickthall And when the seas rise,
Sahih And when the seas are filled with flame
Yusuf Ali When the oceans boil over with a swell;

81.7

surah 81 - verse 7

translator's name verse
Arberry when the souls shall be coupled,
Maududi when the souls shall be rejoined (with their bodies),
Pickthall And when souls are reunited,
Sahih And when the souls are paired
Yusuf Ali When the souls are sorted out, (being joined, like with like);

81.8

surah 81 - verse 8

translator's name verse
Arberry when the buried infant shall be asked
Maududi and when the girl-child buried alive shall be asked:
Pickthall And when the girl-child that was buried alive is asked
Sahih And when the girl [who was] buried alive is asked
Yusuf Ali When the female (infant), buried alive, is questioned -

81.9

surah 81 - verse 9

translator's name verse
Arberry for what sin she was slain,
Maududi for what offence was she killed?
Pickthall For what sin she was slain,
Sahih For what sin she was killed
Yusuf Ali For what crime she was killed;

81.10

surah 81 - verse 10

translator's name verse
Arberry when the scrolls shall be unrolled,
Maududi and when the scrolls of (men's) deeds shall be unfolded,
Pickthall And when the pages are laid open,
Sahih And when the pages are made public
Yusuf Ali When the scrolls are laid open;

81.11

surah 81 - verse 11

translator's name verse
Arberry when heaven shall be stripped off;
Maududi and when Heaven is laid bare;
Pickthall And when the sky is torn away,
Sahih And when the sky is stripped away
Yusuf Ali When the world on High is unveiled;

81.12

surah 81 - verse 12

translator's name verse
Arberry when Hell shall be set blazing,
Maududi and Hell is stoked,
Pickthall And when hell is lighted,
Sahih And when Hellfire is set ablaze
Yusuf Ali When the Blazing Fire is kindled to fierce heat;

81.13

surah 81 - verse 13

translator's name verse
Arberry when Paradise shall be brought nigh,
Maududi and Paradise brought nigh:
Pickthall And when the Garden is brought nigh,
Sahih And when Paradise is brought near,
Yusuf Ali And when the Garden is brought near;-

81.14

surah 81 - verse 14

translator's name verse
Arberry then shall a soul know what it has produced.
Maududi then shall each person know what he has brought along.
Pickthall (Then) every soul will know what it hath made ready.
Sahih A soul will [then] know what it has brought [with it].
Yusuf Ali (Then) shall each soul know what it has put forward.

81.15

surah 81 - verse 15

translator's name verse
Arberry No! I swear by the slinkers,
Maududi No indeed; I swear by the alternating stars
Pickthall Oh, but I call to witness the planets,
Sahih So I swear by the retreating stars -
Yusuf Ali So verily I call to witness the planets - that recede,

81.16

surah 81 - verse 16

translator's name verse
Arberry the runners, the sinkers,
Maududi that hide,
Pickthall The stars which rise and set,
Sahih Those that run [their courses] and disappear -
Yusuf Ali Go straight, or hide;

81.17

surah 81 - verse 17

translator's name verse
Arberry by the night swarming,
Maududi and by the night as it recedes,
Pickthall And the close of night,
Sahih And by the night as it closes in
Yusuf Ali And the Night as it dissipates;

81.18

surah 81 - verse 18

translator's name verse
Arberry by the dawn sighing,
Maududi and the morn as it breathes.
Pickthall And the breath of morning
Sahih And by the dawn when it breathes
Yusuf Ali And the Dawn as it breathes away the darkness;-

81.19

surah 81 - verse 19

translator's name verse
Arberry truly this is the word of a noble Messenger
Maududi Verily this is the word of a noble message-bearer;
Pickthall That this is in truth the word of an honoured messenger,
Sahih [That] indeed, the Qur'an is a word [conveyed by] a noble messenger
Yusuf Ali Verily this is the word of a most honourable Messenger,

81.20

surah 81 - verse 20

translator's name verse
Arberry having power, with the Lord of the Throne secure,
Maududi one mighty and held in honour with the Lord of the Throne;
Pickthall Mighty, established in the presence of the Lord of the Throne,
Sahih [Who is] possessed of power and with the Owner of the Throne, secure [in position],
Yusuf Ali Endued with Power, with rank before the Lord of the Throne,