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88. Al-Ghaashiya · The Overwhelming

Contrasting faces and conditions at the overwhelming event lead into questions about camels, sky, mountains, and earth. The messenger is called to give reminders, while the return of people and their final reckoning belong to God.

Updated 20 October 2026Editorial review edition

Meccan (traditional classification) · 26 verses

Editorial themes: Judgment · Creation · Reminder · Divine accountability

English: Marmaduke Pickthall (1930), public-domain translation. Arabic: Tanzil Project, Uthmani 1.1, used verbatim under its text licence. Text provenance & limitations →

A note on Arabic, English and verse numbering

Tanzil’s Arabic source includes the opening basmala with the first verse of surahs other than 9. Pickthall’s numbered translation includes it at 1:1; at other surah openings it is not repeated within the numbered English verse. This display preserves both source conventions. The Arabic is not a collection of all variant readings.

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ هَلْ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ ٱلْغَٰشِيَةِ

Hath there come unto thee tidings of the Overwhelming?

وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَٰشِعَةٌ

On that day (many) faces will be downcast,

عَامِلَةٌ نَّاصِبَةٌ

Toiling, weary,

تَصْلَىٰ نَارًا حَامِيَةً

Scorched by burning fire,

تُسْقَىٰ مِنْ عَيْنٍ ءَانِيَةٍ

Drinking from a boiling spring,

لَّيْسَ لَهُمْ طَعَامٌ إِلَّا مِن ضَرِيعٍ

No food for them save bitter thorn-fruit

لَّا يُسْمِنُ وَلَا يُغْنِى مِن جُوعٍ

Which doth not nourish nor release from hunger.

وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَّاعِمَةٌ

In that day other faces will be calm,

لِّسَعْيِهَا رَاضِيَةٌ

Glad for their effort past,

فِى جَنَّةٍ عَالِيَةٍ

In a high Garden

لَّا تَسْمَعُ فِيهَا لَٰغِيَةً

Where they hear no idle speech,

فِيهَا عَيْنٌ جَارِيَةٌ

Wherein is a gushing spring,

فِيهَا سُرُرٌ مَّرْفُوعَةٌ

Wherein are couches raised

وَأَكْوَابٌ مَّوْضُوعَةٌ

And goblets set at hand

وَنَمَارِقُ مَصْفُوفَةٌ

And cushions ranged

وَزَرَابِىُّ مَبْثُوثَةٌ

And silken carpets spread.

أَفَلَا يَنظُرُونَ إِلَى ٱلْإِبِلِ كَيْفَ خُلِقَتْ

Will they not regard the camels, how they are created?

وَإِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ كَيْفَ رُفِعَتْ

And the heaven, how it is raised?

وَإِلَى ٱلْجِبَالِ كَيْفَ نُصِبَتْ

And the hills, how they are set up?

وَإِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ كَيْفَ سُطِحَتْ

And the earth, how it is spread?

فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُذَكِّرٌ

Remind them, for thou art but an admonisher,

لَّسْتَ عَلَيْهِم بِمُصَيْطِرٍ

Thou art not at all a warder over them.

إِلَّا مَن تَوَلَّىٰ وَكَفَرَ

But whoso is averse and disbelieveth,

فَيُعَذِّبُهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْعَذَابَ ٱلْأَكْبَرَ

Allah will punish him with direst punishment.

إِنَّ إِلَيْنَآ إِيَابَهُمْ

Lo! unto Us is their return

ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا حِسَابَهُم

And Ours their reckoning.

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