Surah As-Sajda (السجدة) is a Meccan surah of the Quran with 30 verses. Read, listen and memorize this surah with our interactive tools.
Updated on 07 March 2026 at 4:16 PM
📖 4 min readThe rhetorical question of denial is an addition to the exclusion, so they said: {إنا لفي خلق جديد} - it surrounds us and we are enclosed within it. Since their statement implies a denial of the power of God, and yet they acknowledge the power that necessitates their recognition of the ability to create and to deliver from every distress and the like, He alluded to it by saying: {بل} - meaning they are not deniers of His power, exalted be He, but {هم بلقاء ربهم} - they will meet their Lord, who bestows goodness through creation and preservation, and everything that benefits them in the Hereafter for the reckoning, alive and intact, just as they were in the world. The reference to this attribute indicates that it is not fitting for the Bestower of goodness to mar His goodness by neglecting to exact vengeance from the wrongdoer who will be present on the Day of Resurrection. {كافرون *} - meaning they are deniers of the resurrection, out of stubbornness, concealing the signs that are inherent in their nature, due to the dominance of their desires, which lead them to actions that prevent them from turning back from them, because of their pride in accepting the truth and their disdain for acknowledging what necessitates a recognition of the limitations of their intellect.
The Quran typically omits what is indicated by the context and does not necessitate its mention, thus it follows up with the statement: {then to your Lord} - that is, the One who initiated your creation and nurtured you, and bestowed upon you the utmost benevolence from the beginning, and not to anyone else. After your return {you will be brought back} as a single soul, and when you are before Him, His benevolence and lordship will be perfected by recompensing each individual for their deeds, as is the custom of kings with their servants, not leaving any of the wrongdoers among their subjects unpunished. Since the proof of resurrection has been established with undeniable and unambiguous evidence, the law prescribes the narration of some of their conditions at that time. So, He says, justly and in response to their insolent speech, and as a warning of His wrath, and addressing the Prophet, peace be upon him, to console him, or whoever's speech is being addressed: If you were to see them when the graves have been overturned and what is in the hearts has been revealed, and there are indeed great matters, using the present tense to describe something that will inevitably occur, as if it has already happened. This expression was chosen to soothe the soul by anticipating the sight of it while hearing about it, hastening the joy of anticipating the punishment for the evildoers: {And if you see} - that is, if you, O seer, were among those who see, you would see the state of the criminals {when the criminals} - that is, those who cut off what Allah has commanded
They roam in His earth and fluctuate in His sustenance, yet He does not hold them accountable for that, and He vindicates their oppressed. Thus, turning away from them is deserving to be called neglect from this perspective as well. And from the perspective that, despite the evident proofs He has shown them, which fill the vast expanse of existence, it is as if He has become hidden, and then forgotten. Then, He explains their inclination towards this or reiterates to illustrate the recompense for it, emphasizing the manifestation of His greatness, cutting off their hopes for salvation. Hence, He returns to the manifestation of His greatness, saying: {We have neglected you}, meaning We treated you with the grandeur that belongs to Us and the humility that belongs to you, with the treatment of one who neglects. We brought forth the Fire, as We swore that there is no one who will not be returned to it. Then, We took out those who were close to Us and left you in it, abandoning you like one who is neglected. Since what preceded regarding their being made to taste was general, He clarifies it by saying, while emphasizing: {And taste the punishment of eternity}, meaning the punishment that is specifically characterized by having no end. And since He previously specified the reason, He generalizes here, saying: {For what you used to do}, meaning the innate disposition and natural inclination towards the actions of those who do not fear the affair of the Resurrection, intending that you would not cease from that. And since the statement of the Exalted: {But they, in fact, are disbelievers in the meeting with their Lord} indicated that the carrier of their disbelief is the great lie, and His mention that He divided people into two categories
And when the believers now wished to be afflicted with some humiliation in this world, because human souls are inclined towards hastening, He gave them the glad tidings of that, in a manner that includes the torment of the grave. So, He said, affirming to them, due to their denial of the torment after death and their affliction in the world with their multitude and strength: {And We will surely make them taste} - that is, all of them, through direct experience and cause-and-effect - {of the lesser torment} - that is, before the Day of Resurrection, at your hands and others', and God's statement was fulfilled. They were, at the time of the revelation of this Surah, in Mecca, in a state of great multitude and prosperity, so He made them taste drought for consecutive years, and He dispersed their multitude, killed them, and took them captive at the hands of the believers, among other things, as He willed. Then, He reaffirmed His will, concerning what is before the Hereafter, and actualized it, saying, expressing what is suitable for humiliation and abasement: {before the greater torment} - that is, the one mentioned in the Hereafter - {that perhaps they will return}. That is, so that their state may be like that of one whose return from his transgression is hoped for, by one who is observing him. And that was the case, for many of them returned, fearing the sword, and when they saw the beauty of Islam, they were among those who had the greatest desire for it and love for it.
Thus, one understands the pardon regarding the discourse of the self that occurred among the nation, as explained by the Prophet, may God's blessings be upon him, {in a vision}, meaning a doubt, {about his meeting}, meaning do not act like one who doubts the meeting of Moses, peace be upon him, with the Book from Us and his reception of it with pleasure, acceptance, and submission. This is similar to the actions of those who claim to follow him and act according to his Book, yet turn away from what they are called to in the religion of Islam. Alternatively, do not act like one who doubts the meeting with the Book from Us, even if they attribute falsehood to you and even if some of what is foretold is delayed. For it will be guidance for those who remain among them and a punishment for those who have passed away. There will not remain any report of what has been foretold without it being in accordance with what was foretold. For you will receive it from the All-Wise, All-Knowing. Moses, peace be upon him, was patient in receiving his Book and calling until he died in the best of states. Alternatively, the meaning could be: We gave Moses the Book, and they differed regarding it. No one among those who are established in their faith doubts that We gave him the Book due to the turning away of those who turn away, nor the fleeing of those who flee. We took revenge on those who turned away from it, so let no one among those who believe in you doubt the giving of the Book to you due to the turning away of those who turn away. We will destroy those who are wretched according to Our judgment, taking revenge on them, and make the remaining ones happy with it. And when He indicated their turning away from him and the Arabs' turning away from their Book, He mentioned that all of them acted with misguidance contrary to what was revealed in the Book. So He said, giving thanks
For the cattle, {and themselves}, meaning from His love, and its origin is when it was a seedling. And since this verse is illuminating, and in its clarity in indicating the Resurrection, the ignorant person does not need anything to acknowledge it except to see it, say: {Will they not then consider?} indicating that whoever sees it and is heedless of the indication it contains and insists on denial has no sight or insight.
The intention here is to encourage sincerity in devotion to the Creator, without regard for any of His creations, for He is All-Knowing of what is beneficial for them, and Wise in His actions. Thus, He elevates whom He wills, even if they are weak, and debases whom He wills, even if they are strong. Therefore, one should not be concerned with the past or have hope in anyone's favor or fear of their evil, for His will is supreme. The name of this surah is clear in this regard, as reflected in the story to which it alludes. 'In the name of God' {بسم الله}, the One who, whatever He wills, happens, 'the Most Merciful' {الرحمن}, whose mercy permeates all existence, encompassing every being with generosity and bounty, 'the Most Compassionate' {الرحيم}, who shows compassion to those who put their trust in Him. Following the conclusion of the previous surah, which ended with turning away from the disbelievers and awaiting the judgment of the Lord of the Worlds, after establishing that the revelation of the Book is from the Manager of all this creation, and the prohibition against doubting the meeting with Him, this surah begins with the command to be firm in that, and the prohibition against obeying those who oppose, whether they do so openly or secretly, and the command to follow the revelation, the greatest of which is the Book, as a warning that turning away is only done
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الٓمٓ ﴿١﴾
Alif, Lam, Meem.
تَنزِيلُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ مِن رَّبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ﴿٢﴾
[This is] the revelation of the Book about which there is no doubt from the Lord of the worlds.
أَمْ يَقُولُونَ ٱفْتَرَىٰهُ ۚ بَلْ هُوَ ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ لِتُنذِرَ قَوْمًۭا مَّآ أَتَىٰهُم مِّن نَّذِيرٍۢ مِّن قَبْلِكَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ ﴿٣﴾
Or do they say, "He invented it"? Rather, it is the truth from your Lord, [O Muhammad], that you may warn a people to whom no warner has come before you [so] perhaps they will be guided.
ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍۢ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ ۖ مَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِهِۦ مِن وَلِىٍّۢ وَلَا شَفِيعٍ ۚ أَفَلَا تَتَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿٤﴾
It is Allah who created the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them in six days; then He established Himself above the Throne. You have not besides Him any protector or any intercessor; so will you not be reminded?
يُدَبِّرُ ٱلْأَمْرَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ إِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ يَعْرُجُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍۢ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥٓ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍۢ مِّمَّا تَعُدُّونَ ﴿٥﴾
He arranges [each] matter from the heaven to the earth; then it will ascend to Him in a Day, the extent of which is a thousand years of those which you count.
ذَٰلِكَ عَـٰلِمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ﴿٦﴾
That is the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, the Exalted in Might, the Merciful,
ٱلَّذِىٓ أَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقَهُۥ ۖ وَبَدَأَ خَلْقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنِ مِن طِينٍۢ ﴿٧﴾
Who perfected everything which He created and began the creation of man from clay.
ثُمَّ جَعَلَ نَسْلَهُۥ مِن سُلَـٰلَةٍۢ مِّن مَّآءٍۢ مَّهِينٍۢ ﴿٨﴾
Then He made his posterity out of the extract of a liquid disdained.
ثُمَّ سَوَّىٰهُ وَنَفَخَ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِهِۦ ۖ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْأَبْصَـٰرَ وَٱلْأَفْـِٔدَةَ ۚ قَلِيلًۭا مَّا تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿٩﴾
Then He proportioned him and breathed into him from His [created] soul and made for you hearing and vision and hearts; little are you grateful.
وَقَالُوٓا۟ أَءِذَا ضَلَلْنَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَءِنَّا لَفِى خَلْقٍۢ جَدِيدٍۭ ۚ بَلْ هُم بِلِقَآءِ رَبِّهِمْ كَـٰفِرُونَ ﴿١٠﴾
And they say, "When we are lost within the earth, will we indeed be [recreated] in a new creation?" Rather, they are, in [the matter of] the meeting with their Lord, disbelievers.
۞ قُلْ يَتَوَفَّىٰكُم مَّلَكُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ٱلَّذِى وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ تُرْجَعُونَ ﴿١١﴾
Say, "The angel of death will take you who has been entrusted with you. Then to your Lord you will be returned."
وَلَوْ تَرَىٰٓ إِذِ ٱلْمُجْرِمُونَ نَاكِسُوا۟ رُءُوسِهِمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ رَبَّنَآ أَبْصَرْنَا وَسَمِعْنَا فَٱرْجِعْنَا نَعْمَلْ صَـٰلِحًا إِنَّا مُوقِنُونَ ﴿١٢﴾
If you could but see when the criminals are hanging their heads before their Lord, [saying], "Our Lord, we have seen and heard, so return us [to the world]; we will work righteousness. Indeed, we are [now] certain."
وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَـَٔاتَيْنَا كُلَّ نَفْسٍ هُدَىٰهَا وَلَـٰكِنْ حَقَّ ٱلْقَوْلُ مِنِّى لَأَمْلَأَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنَ ٱلْجِنَّةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ ﴿١٣﴾
And if We had willed, We could have given every soul its guidance, but the word from Me will come into effect [that] "I will surely fill Hell with jinn and people all together.
فَذُوقُوا۟ بِمَا نَسِيتُمْ لِقَآءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَـٰذَآ إِنَّا نَسِينَـٰكُمْ ۖ وَذُوقُوا۟ عَذَابَ ٱلْخُلْدِ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١٤﴾
So taste [punishment] because you forgot the meeting of this, your Day; indeed, We have [accordingly] forgotten you. And taste the punishment of eternity for what you used to do."
إِنَّمَا يُؤْمِنُ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِّرُوا۟ بِهَا خَرُّوا۟ سُجَّدًۭا وَسَبَّحُوا۟ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ ۩ ﴿١٥﴾
Only those believe in Our verses who, when they are reminded by them, fall down in prostration and exalt [Allah] with praise of their Lord, and they are not arrogant.
تَتَجَافَىٰ جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ ٱلْمَضَاجِعِ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ خَوْفًۭا وَطَمَعًۭا وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ ﴿١٦﴾
They arise from [their] beds; they supplicate their Lord in fear and aspiration, and from what We have provided them, they spend.
فَلَا تَعْلَمُ نَفْسٌۭ مَّآ أُخْفِىَ لَهُم مِّن قُرَّةِ أَعْيُنٍۢ جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١٧﴾
And no soul knows what has been hidden for them of comfort for eyes as reward for what they used to do.
أَفَمَن كَانَ مُؤْمِنًۭا كَمَن كَانَ فَاسِقًۭا ۚ لَّا يَسْتَوُۥنَ ﴿١٨﴾
Then is one who was a believer like one who was defiantly disobedient? They are not equal.
أَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ فَلَهُمْ جَنَّـٰتُ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ نُزُلًۢا بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١٩﴾
As for those who believed and did righteous deeds, for them will be the Gardens of Refuge as accommodation for what they used to do.
وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ فَسَقُوا۟ فَمَأْوَىٰهُمُ ٱلنَّارُ ۖ كُلَّمَآ أَرَادُوٓا۟ أَن يَخْرُجُوا۟ مِنْهَآ أُعِيدُوا۟ فِيهَا وَقِيلَ لَهُمْ ذُوقُوا۟ عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ ٱلَّذِى كُنتُم بِهِۦ تُكَذِّبُونَ ﴿٢٠﴾
But as for those who defiantly disobeyed, their refuge is the Fire. Every time they wish to emerge from it, they will be returned to it while it is said to them, "Taste the punishment of the Fire which you used to deny."
وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُم مِّنَ ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلْأَدْنَىٰ دُونَ ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلْأَكْبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ ﴿٢١﴾
And we will surely let them taste the nearer punishment short of the greater punishment that perhaps they will repent.
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن ذُكِّرَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ رَبِّهِۦ ثُمَّ أَعْرَضَ عَنْهَآ ۚ إِنَّا مِنَ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ مُنتَقِمُونَ ﴿٢٢﴾
And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the verses of his Lord; then he turns away from them? Indeed We, from the criminals, will take retribution.
وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ فَلَا تَكُن فِى مِرْيَةٍۢ مِّن لِّقَآئِهِۦ ۖ وَجَعَلْنَـٰهُ هُدًۭى لِّبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ ﴿٢٣﴾
And We certainly gave Moses the Scripture, so do not be in doubt over his meeting. And we made the Torah guidance for the Children of Israel.
وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْهُمْ أَئِمَّةًۭ يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُوا۟ ۖ وَكَانُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ ﴿٢٤﴾
And We made from among them leaders guiding by Our command when they were patient and [when] they were certain of Our signs.
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ فِيمَا كَانُوا۟ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ ﴿٢٥﴾
Indeed, your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that over which they used to differ.
أَوَلَمْ يَهْدِ لَهُمْ كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّنَ ٱلْقُرُونِ يَمْشُونَ فِى مَسَـٰكِنِهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ ۖ أَفَلَا يَسْمَعُونَ ﴿٢٦﴾
Has it not become clear to them how many generations We destroyed before them, [as] they walk among their dwellings? Indeed in that are signs; then do they not hear?
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّا نَسُوقُ ٱلْمَآءَ إِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ ٱلْجُرُزِ فَنُخْرِجُ بِهِۦ زَرْعًۭا تَأْكُلُ مِنْهُ أَنْعَـٰمُهُمْ وَأَنفُسُهُمْ ۖ أَفَلَا يُبْصِرُونَ ﴿٢٧﴾
Have they not seen that We drive the water [in clouds] to barren land and bring forth thereby crops from which their livestock eat and [they] themselves? Then do they not see?
وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَىٰ هَـٰذَا ٱلْفَتْحُ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰدِقِينَ ﴿٢٨﴾
And they say, "When will be this conquest, if you should be truthful?"
قُلْ يَوْمَ ٱلْفَتْحِ لَا يَنفَعُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِيمَـٰنُهُمْ وَلَا هُمْ يُنظَرُونَ ﴿٢٩﴾
Say, [O Muhammad], "On the Day of Conquest the belief of those who had disbelieved will not benefit them, nor will they be reprieved."
فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ وَٱنتَظِرْ إِنَّهُم مُّنتَظِرُونَ ﴿٣٠﴾
So turn away from them and wait. Indeed, they are waiting.