Surah Al-Qiyamah
القيامة
Surah Al-Qiyamah is a Meccan surah of 40 verses that answers doubts about resurrection, describes the Day and the moment of death, and includes guidance to the Prophet on receiving revelation.
- Meaning
- The Resurrection
- Surah
- 75 of 114
- Verses
- 40
- Revealed in
- Mecca
- Found in
- Juz 29
What Surah Al-Qiyamah is about
Al-Qiyamah is the 75th surah of the Quran, revealed in Mecca, with 40 verses. Its name means The Resurrection, from its first verse, which swears by the Day of Resurrection. The second verse swears by the self-reproaching soul, the conscience that blames a person for their faults.
Verses 3 and 4 answer the doubt directly: does a person think Allah will not gather their bones? He is able to restore even their fingertips. Verses 5 to 15 describe a person who wants to keep sinning and asks mockingly when the Day will be. The answer comes in images of that Day: sight dazzled, the moon eclipsed, the sun and moon brought together, and the person asking where to flee. Verses 14 and 15 say a person will be a witness against themselves, even while offering excuses.
Verses 16 to 19 interrupt the description to address the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim report from Ibn Abbas that he used to move his tongue quickly to memorize the revelation as it came, and these verses told him not to hurry, since Allah would gather it in his heart, have it recited, and explain it.
Verses 20 to 25 return to the audience, who love the passing life and neglect the Hereafter, and describe faces on that Day: some radiant, looking toward their Lord, and others gloomy. Verses 26 to 30 describe the moment of death, when the soul reaches the collarbone, people ask who can heal, and the dying person realizes it is the parting. The surah ends in verses 36 to 40 by asking whether a person thinks they will be left without purpose, reminding them of their own creation from a drop, and asking whether the One who did that cannot give life to the dead.
Main themes
The blaming soul
The surah pairs an oath by the Day of Resurrection with an oath by the self-reproaching soul. The inner voice that blames a person for wrongdoing is treated as something worth swearing by.
Verses 1–2Even the fingertips
To those who doubt that scattered bones can be reassembled, verse 4 says Allah can restore even the fingertips. The surah then shows people who want to keep sinning and ask when the Day will be.
Verses 3–15Do not rush the revelation
Verses 16 to 19 tell the Prophet ﷺ not to move his tongue hastily to memorize the Quran. Allah takes responsibility for collecting it, reciting it and explaining it.
Verses 16–19Faces on that Day
Verses 22 and 23 describe radiant faces looking toward their Lord, and verses 24 and 25 describe gloomy faces expecting disaster.
Verses 20–25Death and purpose
The surah describes death in close detail, then asks whether a person thinks they will be left without purpose, and points to their own creation as proof that Allah can bring the dead back to life.
Verses 26–40
Verses to know
أَيَحۡسَبُ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ أَلَّن نَّجۡمَعَ عِظَامَهُۥ ﴿٣﴾ بَلَىٰ قَٰدِرِينَ عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّسَوِّيَ بَنَانَهُۥ ﴿٤﴾
3Does man think that We will not reassemble his bones? 4Yes indeed; We are Able to reconstruct his fingertips.
A direct answer to doubt about resurrection: the One who can gather a person's bones can restore their fingertips.
لَا تُحَرِّكۡ بِهِۦ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعۡجَلَ بِهِۦٓ ﴿١٦﴾ إِنَّ عَلَيۡنَا جَمۡعَهُۥ وَقُرۡءَانَهُۥ ﴿١٧﴾ فَإِذَا قَرَأۡنَٰهُ فَٱتَّبِعۡ قُرۡءَانَهُۥ ﴿١٨﴾ ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيۡنَا بَيَانَهُۥ ﴿١٩﴾
16Do not wag your tongue with it, to hurry on with it. 17Upon Us is its collection and its recitation. 18Then, when We have recited it, follow its recitation. 19Then upon Us is its explanation.
A rare glimpse of the Prophet ﷺ receiving revelation, told not to hurry and assured that Allah would preserve and explain the Quran.
وُجُوهࣱ يَوۡمَئِذٖ نَّاضِرَةٌ ﴿٢٢﴾ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةࣱ ﴿٢٣﴾
22Faces on that Day will be radiant. 23Looking towards their Lord.
These verses describe believers' faces shining on the Day of Judgment as they look toward their Lord.
أَيَحۡسَبُ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ أَن يُتۡرَكَ سُدًى ﴿٣٦﴾
Does man think that he will be left without purpose?
A short question with lasting weight: does a person think they will be left without purpose.
Surah Al-Qiyamah in Arabic and English
All 40 verses, with the Arabic, a transliteration to help you read it aloud, and the English translation by Talal Itani.
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
- 1
لَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ
La oqsimu biyawmi alqiyamati
I swear by the Day of Resurrection.
- 2
وَلَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِٱلنَّفۡسِ ٱللَّوَّامَةِ
Wala oqsimu bialnnafsi allawwamati
And I swear by the blaming soul.
- 3
أَيَحۡسَبُ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ أَلَّن نَّجۡمَعَ عِظَامَهُۥ
Ayahsabu alinsanu allan najmaAAa AAithamahu
Does man think that We will not reassemble his bones?
- 4
بَلَىٰ قَٰدِرِينَ عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّسَوِّيَ بَنَانَهُۥ
Bala qadireena AAala an nusawwiya bananahu
Yes indeed; We are Able to reconstruct his fingertips.
- 5
بَلۡ يُرِيدُ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ لِيَفۡجُرَ أَمَامَهُۥ
Bal yureedu alinsanu liyafjura amamahu
But man wants to deny what is ahead of him.
- 6
يَسۡـَٔلُ أَيَّانَ يَوۡمُ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ
Yasalu ayyana yawmu alqiyamati
He asks, “When is the Day of Resurrection?”
- 7
فَإِذَا بَرِقَ ٱلۡبَصَرُ
Faitha bariqa albasaru
When vision is dazzled.
- 8
وَخَسَفَ ٱلۡقَمَرُ
Wakhasafa alqamaru
And the moon is eclipsed.
- 9
وَجُمِعَ ٱلشَّمۡسُ وَٱلۡقَمَرُ
WajumiAAa alshshamsu waalqamaru
And the sun and the moon are joined together.
- 10
يَقُولُ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ يَوۡمَئِذٍ أَيۡنَ ٱلۡمَفَرُّ
Yaqoolu alinsanu yawmaithin ayna almafarru
On that Day, man will say, “Where is the escape?”
- 11
كَلَّا لَا وَزَرَ
Kalla la wazara
No indeed! There is no refuge.
- 12
إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ يَوۡمَئِذٍ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقَرُّ
Ila rabbika yawmaithin almustaqarru
To your Lord on that Day is the settlement.
- 13
يُنَبَّؤُاْ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ يَوۡمَئِذِۭ بِمَا قَدَّمَ وَأَخَّرَ
Yunabbao alinsanu yawmaithin bima qaddama waakhkhara
On that Day man will be informed of everything he put forward, and everything he left behind.
- 14
بَلِ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ عَلَىٰ نَفۡسِهِۦ بَصِيرَةࣱ
Bali alinsanu AAala nafsihi baseeratun
And man will be evidence against himself.
- 15
وَلَوۡ أَلۡقَىٰ مَعَاذِيرَهُۥ
Walaw alqa maAAatheerahu
Even as he presents his excuses.
- 16
لَا تُحَرِّكۡ بِهِۦ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعۡجَلَ بِهِۦٓ
La tuharrik bihi lisanaka litaAAjala bihi
Do not wag your tongue with it, to hurry on with it.
- 17
إِنَّ عَلَيۡنَا جَمۡعَهُۥ وَقُرۡءَانَهُۥ
Inna AAalayna jamAAahu waquranahu
Upon Us is its collection and its recitation.
- 18
فَإِذَا قَرَأۡنَٰهُ فَٱتَّبِعۡ قُرۡءَانَهُۥ
Faitha qaranahu faittabiAA quranahu
Then, when We have recited it, follow its recitation.
- 19
ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيۡنَا بَيَانَهُۥ
Thumma inna AAalayna bayanahu
Then upon Us is its explanation.
- 20
كَلَّا بَلۡ تُحِبُّونَ ٱلۡعَاجِلَةَ
Kalla bal tuhibboona alAAajilata
Alas, you love the fleeting life.
- 21
وَتَذَرُونَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَ
Watatharoona alakhirata
And you disregard the Hereafter.
- 22
وُجُوهࣱ يَوۡمَئِذٖ نَّاضِرَةٌ
Wujoohun yawmaithin nadiratun
Faces on that Day will be radiant.
- 23
إِلَىٰ رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةࣱ
Ila rabbiha nathiratun
Looking towards their Lord.
- 24
وَوُجُوهࣱ يَوۡمَئِذِۭ بَاسِرَةࣱ
Wawujoohun yawmaithin basiratun
And faces on that Day will be gloomy.
- 25
تَظُنُّ أَن يُفۡعَلَ بِهَا فَاقِرَةࣱ
Tathunnu an yufAAala biha faqiratun
Realizing that a back-breaker has befallen them.
- 26
كَلَّآ إِذَا بَلَغَتِ ٱلتَّرَاقِيَ
Kalla itha balaghati alttaraqiya
Indeed, when it has reached the breast-bones.
- 27
وَقِيلَ مَنۡۜ رَاقٖ
Waqeela man raqin
And it is said, “Who is the healer?”
- 28
وَظَنَّ أَنَّهُ ٱلۡفِرَاقُ
Wathanna annahu alfiraqu
And he realizes that it is the parting.
- 29
وَٱلۡتَفَّتِ ٱلسَّاقُ بِٱلسَّاقِ
Wailtaffati alssaqu bialssaqi
And leg is entwined with leg.
- 30
إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ يَوۡمَئِذٍ ٱلۡمَسَاقُ
Ila rabbika yawmaithin almasaqu
To your Lord on that Day is the drive.
- 31
فَلَا صَدَّقَ وَلَا صَلَّىٰ
Fala saddaqa wala salla
He neither believed nor prayed.
- 32
وَلَٰكِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
Walakin kaththaba watawalla
But he denied and turned away.
- 33
ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ إِلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهِۦ يَتَمَطَّىٰٓ
Thumma thahaba ila ahlihi yatamatta
Then he went to his family, full of pride.
- 34
أَوۡلَىٰ لَكَ فَأَوۡلَىٰ
Awla laka faawla
Woe to you; and woe.
- 35
ثُمَّ أَوۡلَىٰ لَكَ فَأَوۡلَىٰٓ
Thumma awla laka faawla
Then again: woe to you; and woe.
- 36
أَيَحۡسَبُ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ أَن يُتۡرَكَ سُدًى
Ayahsabu alinsanu an yutraka sudan
Does man think that he will be left without purpose?
- 37
أَلَمۡ يَكُ نُطۡفَةٗ مِّن مَّنِيّٖ يُمۡنَىٰ
Alam yaku nutfatan min manayyin yumna
Was he not a drop of ejaculated semen?
- 38
ثُمَّ كَانَ عَلَقَةٗ فَخَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ
Thumma kana AAalaqatan fakhalaqa fasawwa
Then he became a clot. And He created and proportioned?
- 39
فَجَعَلَ مِنۡهُ ٱلزَّوۡجَيۡنِ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلۡأُنثَىٰٓ
FajaAAala minhu alzzawjayni alththakara waalontha
And made of him the two sexes, the male and the female?
- 40
أَلَيۡسَ ذَٰلِكَ بِقَٰدِرٍ عَلَىٰٓ أَن يُحۡـِۧيَ ٱلۡمَوۡتَىٰ
Alaysa thalika biqadirin AAala an yuhyiya almawta
Is He not Able to revive the dead?
Surah Al-Qiyamah PDF
The whole surah on printable pages: Arabic, transliteration and English side by side. Free to download, print and share.
Questions about Surah Al-Qiyamah
How many verses are in Surah Al-Qiyamah?
Surah Al-Qiyamah has 40 verses. It is a Meccan surah and the 75th in the Quran.
What is the blaming soul in Surah Qiyamah?
Verse 2 swears by the self-reproaching soul, nafs al-lawwamah, which is generally understood as the conscience that blames a person for their wrongdoing.
Which verse mentions fingertips in the Quran?
Verse 4 of Surah Al-Qiyamah says Allah is able to restore even a person's fingertips, in answer to those who doubted that bones could be brought back together.
Why was the Prophet told not to move his tongue?
Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim report that he used to repeat the revelation quickly to memorize it. Verses 16 to 19 told him not to rush, since Allah would gather and explain it.