Al-Mursalaat
سُورَةُ المُرۡسَلَاتِ
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
About Surah Al-Mursalaat
Meccan · 50 verses
Main Themes
Divine power in nature, the Day of Judgement, the fate of the deniers, the blessings of the righteous
Significance
Al-Mursalat (The Emissaries) uses powerful natural imagery — winds sent in succession, storms, scattering clouds — as oaths affirming the certainty of divine judgement. The surah's refrain "Woe on that Day to the deniers!" appears ten times, creating a relentless rhythmic emphasis on accountability. Its alternating descriptions of the deniers' fate and the believers' reward makes it one of the most psychologically effective eschatological surahs.
Key Verse Explained
Ayah 20–23 on the creation of humanity from an insignificant fluid, placed in a secure repository (the womb) for a precisely determined period, are used by scholars as the Quran's argument for divine power over the resurrection: the God who designed and initiated human life from nothing is fully capable of recreating it. This argument — from the complexity of human origins to the possibility of resurrection — appears repeatedly in the Meccan surahs.
Related Practices
The refrain "Woe on that Day to the deniers!" (waylun yawma'idhin lil-mukaththibin) is one of the most recognised Quranic refrains and is commonly memorised alongside Al-Rahman's "Which of your Lord's favours will you deny?" as paired examples of Quranic rhythmic emphasis. Al-Mursalat is recited in Islamic gatherings on death, accountability, and the preparation for the afterlife.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ وَالْمُرْسَلَاتِ عُرْفًا 1
By those [winds] sent forth in gusts
فَالْعَاصِفَاتِ عَصْفًا 2
And the winds that blow violently
وَالنَّاشِرَاتِ نَشْرًا 3
And [by] the winds that spread [clouds]
فَالْفَارِقَاتِ فَرْقًا 4
And those [angels] who bring criterion
فَالْمُلْقِيَاتِ ذِكْرًا 5
And those [angels] who deliver a message
عُذْرًا أَوْ نُذْرًا 6
As justification or warning,
إِنَّمَا تُوعَدُونَ لَوَاقِعٌ 7
Indeed, what you are promised is to occur.
فَإِذَا النُّجُومُ طُمِسَتْ 8
So when the stars are obliterated
وَإِذَا السَّمَاءُ فُرِجَتْ 9
And when the heaven is opened
وَإِذَا الْجِبَالُ نُسِفَتْ 10
And when the mountains are blown away
وَإِذَا الرُّسُلُ أُقِّتَتْ 11
And when the messengers' time has come...
لِأَيِّ يَوْمٍ أُجِّلَتْ 12
For what Day was it postponed?
لِيَوْمِ الْفَصْلِ 13
For the Day of Judgement.
وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا يَوْمُ الْفَصْلِ 14
And what can make you know what is the Day of Judgement?
وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُكَذِّبِينَ 15
Woe, that Day, to the deniers.
أَلَمْ نُهْلِكِ الْأَوَّلِينَ 16
Did We not destroy the former peoples?
ثُمَّ نُتْبِعُهُمُ الْآخِرِينَ 17
Then We will follow them with the later ones.
كَذَٰلِكَ نَفْعَلُ بِالْمُجْرِمِينَ 18
Thus do We deal with the criminals.
وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُكَذِّبِينَ 19
Woe, that Day, to the deniers.
أَلَمْ نَخْلُقْكُمْ مِنْ مَاءٍ مَهِينٍ 20
Did We not create you from a liquid disdained?
فَجَعَلْنَاهُ فِي قَرَارٍ مَكِينٍ 21
And We placed it in a firm lodging
إِلَىٰ قَدَرٍ مَعْلُومٍ 22
For a known extent.
فَقَدَرْنَا فَنِعْمَ الْقَادِرُونَ 23
And We determined [it], and excellent [are We] to determine.
وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُكَذِّبِينَ 24
Woe, that Day, to the deniers.
أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ الْأَرْضَ كِفَاتًا 25
Have We not made the earth a container
أَحْيَاءً وَأَمْوَاتًا 26
Of the living and the dead?
وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ شَامِخَاتٍ وَأَسْقَيْنَاكُمْ مَاءً فُرَاتًا 27
And We placed therein lofty, firmly set mountains and have given you to drink sweet water.
وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُكَذِّبِينَ 28
Woe, that Day, to the deniers.
انْطَلِقُوا إِلَىٰ مَا كُنْتُمْ بِهِ تُكَذِّبُونَ 29
[They will be told], "Proceed to that which you used to deny.
انْطَلِقُوا إِلَىٰ ظِلٍّ ذِي ثَلَاثِ شُعَبٍ 30
Proceed to a shadow [of smoke] having three columns
لَا ظَلِيلٍ وَلَا يُغْنِي مِنَ اللَّهَبِ 31
[But having] no cool shade and availing not against the flame."
إِنَّهَا تَرْمِي بِشَرَرٍ كَالْقَصْرِ 32
Indeed, it throws sparks [as huge] as a fortress,
كَأَنَّهُ جِمَالَتٌ صُفْرٌ 33
As if they were yellowish [black] camels.
وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُكَذِّبِينَ 34
Woe, that Day, to the deniers.
هَٰذَا يَوْمُ لَا يَنْطِقُونَ 35
This is a Day they will not speak,
وَلَا يُؤْذَنُ لَهُمْ فَيَعْتَذِرُونَ 36
Nor will it be permitted for them to make an excuse.
وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُكَذِّبِينَ 37
Woe, that Day, to the deniers.
هَٰذَا يَوْمُ الْفَصْلِ ۖ جَمَعْنَاكُمْ وَالْأَوَّلِينَ 38
This is the Day of Judgement; We will have assembled you and the former peoples.
فَإِنْ كَانَ لَكُمْ كَيْدٌ فَكِيدُونِ 39
So if you have a plan, then plan against Me.
وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُكَذِّبِينَ 40
Woe, that Day, to the deniers.
إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي ظِلَالٍ وَعُيُونٍ 41
Indeed, the righteous will be among shades and springs
وَفَوَاكِهَ مِمَّا يَشْتَهُونَ 42
And fruits from whatever they desire,
كُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا هَنِيئًا بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ 43
[Being told], "Eat and drink in satisfaction for what you used to do."
إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ 44
Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good.
وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُكَذِّبِينَ 45
Woe, that Day, to the deniers.
كُلُوا وَتَمَتَّعُوا قَلِيلًا إِنَّكُمْ مُجْرِمُونَ 46
[O disbelievers], eat and enjoy yourselves a little; indeed, you are criminals.
وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُكَذِّبِينَ 47
Woe, that Day, to the deniers.
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ارْكَعُوا لَا يَرْكَعُونَ 48
And when it is said to them, "Bow [in prayer]," they do not bow.
وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُكَذِّبِينَ 49
Woe, that Day, to the deniers.
فَبِأَيِّ حَدِيثٍ بَعْدَهُ يُؤْمِنُونَ 50
Then in what statement after the Qur'an will they believe?