Surah Al-Qamar (القمر) is a Meccan surah of the Quran with 55 verses. Read, listen and memorize this surah with our interactive tools.
Updated on 07 March 2026 at 4:16 PM
📖 4 min readIn all regions. And when their denial is mentioned, it is an indication that they were a people who rejected the prophethood outright, so they did not pay attention to affirming the truth. Their state did not change with regard to anyone among the people, whoever they may be. Therefore, the reason for this absolute statement is His saying: {fakadhaboo 'abdana} (So they denied Our servant), meaning that despite his greatness in relation to Us, because he never worshiped anyone other than Us, and We honored him with the message. Their denial was a flight from what they had entered into, which is the absolute denial encompassing everything that can be denied. And they said, {majnoon} (a madman), in addition to covering up the guidance that appeared from him, which is a matter related to the jinn. And since raising one's voice against the Prophet, whoever they may be, is a great abomination and excessive rudeness, how then if he is a messenger, how then if he is one of the resolute ones, how then if he is being denied, how then if he is in a state of what is done by those who have no power over him. He said, {wa izdajiroo} (and they intimidated), meaning they exerted themselves in threatening him, warning him, and intimidating him, and this spread among all of them with the utmost severity, as if to take responsibility away from the message and prevent him from it. The meaning is that they said: he overpowered them with madness. And when this continued from them and their generations passed, one after another, until more time passed from their warning than the time that has passed for the nation of this final Prophet until our day, and God informed him that none of them would believe except those who had already believed with him.
The ship is described in a way that highlights God's power to do as He wills, including splitting apart and joining together, such that the created thing becomes what He has ordained it to be. And since this is extraordinary, it is possible that another extraordinary thing could occur, such as the ship coming to rest on the surface of the water without moving. However, to show that this is not the case, God says, '{tjri}' - that is, the ship 'runs' or sails - '{bAynna}' - that is, under Our watchful eye, protected from entering the sea of darkness or suffering any other harm, due to Our great power to preserve what We will. Alternatively, '{bAynna}' could be the plural of '{Ayn al-m'}', referring to the surface of the water. God then explains the reason for this, saying '{jaz}' - that is, this is a reward for Our servant Noah, peace be upon him. However, here God expresses the reason in a way that warns the listener of the possibility of similar punishment if they act like the people of Noah's time. God says '{lmn}' and describes the long period of their disbelief, saying '{kn kfr *}' - that is, their disbelief occurred despite the great blessing they had received. This could also refer to the people of Noah, indicating that they were so prone to disbelief that it was as if it had been decreed upon them. After completing the story of Noah's salvation by being carried on the ship, God draws attention to its legacy, saying '{wlqd trknh}' - that is, We have left this great deed, the sailing of the ship in this manner and the preservation of its kind, as a sign of Our greatness. It is also said that '{wlqd trknh}' refers to the ship itself.
The people and the affirmation of the bond {Will anyone remember *} means, will anyone be affected by this great deed that We have done, such that they will be questioned about the state of the listeners: Is there among them one who will accept, preserve, and ponder it, and take heed of what happened to the previous nations, and remember all that has been said and apply it to himself and his circumstances, and make that a means of seeking Our face, and thus be granted honor in this life and the next. Since this is a matter of contemplation on the admonitions of the Quran, and the tribe of Thamud was the greatest in warning after 'Ad, due to their cries that exceeded the limits of the covenant, with their deadly and life-giving blasts, and He said, using the feminine form to describe their actions, indicating the baseness of their aspirations and the meanness of their deeds, teaching that whoever disbelieves will perish - in the manner of a response to one who might say, in astonishment at the denial after what occurred in the two previous stories of punishment: {Thamud denied} the warnings {and the warner *} all of them, because they are one and the same, then He explained and followed that up by saying, teaching through the use of the plural pronoun, that the ones who initiated this disbelief were their men, lest it be thought that they were only women: {They said}, rejecting what came to them from Allah, to the utmost extent of rejection: {A human being *} a rejection of the message of this type, in order to make the rejection of the prophethood a rejection of the prophethood of their prophet in the most explicit way, and the greatest rejection, saying, presenting the fact that he is not unique among them as a reason: {From among us *} meaning, he has no superiority over us, so what is the reason for his distinction from among us, and they added to that, in emphasis, saying: {One *} meaning, he has no one to support him, then the explainer of His statement {A human being *} said: {Should we follow *} meaning, should we struggle with our own selves to abandon what is familiar to us and to go against our fathers, and to acknowledge our own foolishness and ignorance, while we are the most numerous of people.
And when He knew from this that He, glorified and exalted, had distinguished between them, the listener looks to the knowledge of that, so He, the Exalted, said, starting anew and indicating that they had asked him for a sign proving his truthfulness: {Indeed, We} - that is, with the greatness that We possess - {are the senders of the she-camel} - that is, its creators and bringers forth, just as they had suggested, bringing it out from a rock that We had made suitable for that and specified it from among the rocks as a sign of Our sending Salih, peace be upon him, and distinguishing him from among his people. This is because they had said to Salih, peace be upon him: 'We want to know who is in the right among us, so let us invoke our gods and you invoke your God, and whoever's God responds, we will know that he is the one in the right.' So they invoked their idols, but they did not respond. Then they said: 'You invoke,' so he said: 'What do you want?' They said: 'Bring forth for us from this rock a she-camel that is pregnant, and let it be a sign.' So he said: 'I will do that, on the condition that you believe.' And they promised him that they would do so, and they confirmed it, but then they lied, just as they had lied when they said that their gods would respond to them. And he, may God's blessings be upon him, was truthful in everything he said. So his Lord, glorified and exalted, informed him that He would bring forth the she-camel for them {as a trial for them} - that is, as a test that would mix with them and cause them to deviate from the state in which they had promised to be, and to which they would be led by the consequences of the trial. So He, glorified and exalted, said: {Wait for them} - that is, take it upon yourself to wait for them, observing what they will do after bringing forth the she-camel, and what the consequences will be for them, waiting for them with the knowledge of One who is All-Knowing and All-Wise, for they will persist in their actions until they reach the calamity known as the 'mother of the cleft'.
And it indicates that his warning was worthy of acceptance because it was clear and truthful, as a result of which they said: {فتماروا} meaning they pretended to be skeptical {بالنذر *} i.e., the warning, and the warnings or the warners, until they resorted to denial, which became a reason for their punishment. Since abandoning caution and failing to take measures to save themselves from the warning of the warner, who had great knowledge, was a sign of foolishness, it shows that they exceeded that and violated the sanctity of the warner. So, he said, swearing that such an event is unlikely to occur and is hard to believe for those who hear about it: {ولقد راودوه} meaning they increased in denial, which deserves punishment, by persistently trying {عن ضيفه} to hand him over to them, and he was an angel in the form of a young man {فطمسنا} meaning we caused their eyes to be blinded {أعينهم} so they became equal to the rest of the faces and could not see. Al-Baghawi said: This is the opinion of most interpreters, and it was because of a strike by Jibril (Gabriel), peace be upon him. Al-Qushayri said: He touched their faces with his wings, so they became blind and could not find their way out. Ibn Jarir said: The Arabs say: 'The wind blinded the banners' - when it buries them under the dust it blows towards them. So, they rushed out in fear, hastening to the door, but they could not find it, and instead, they collided with the walls, fearing what was even greater, and they said: Lot has bewitched the people. Their minds did not lead them to believe and save themselves from what befell them. Al-Qushayri said:
And when this repetition occurred, it became known from it that the cause of the punishment was the denial of the warning of any prophet, and the reintroduction of each story was a reminder that it was for its people.
And the Hour is more grievous than anything that may befall in the world, an act of great astonishment, from which there is no guidance to its remedy. {والساعة أدهى} It is an affair {أمر} whose punishment for the disbeliever is inescapable and unrelenting. Having informed about the Hour with this tremendous notification, He explains, summarizing some of what its people will experience upon its establishment, saying, while affirming what they have shown of denial: {إن المجرمين} - namely, those who sever what Allah has commanded to be maintained - {في ضلال} are in a state of blindness, veiled from the right path due to their denial of the Resurrection, surrounded by a perplexity that prevents them from being saved from the horrors of the Hour and other things, and from reaching any of their objectives upon which they currently rely. {وسعر} - that is, fires that blaze and burn to the utmost degree of burning - {يوم} on that promised Day {يسحبون} they will be dragged {في النار} into the complete Fire {على وجوههم} because they will be in the utmost state of abasement and humiliation, as recompense for their humiliation of the allies of Allah, the Exalted. It will be said to them by any who might say it: {ذوقوا} - for they have no protection or safeguard - {مس سقر} - that is, the direct pain of the fiery layer that envelops and melts the body, causing its mind to dissolve, just as molasses and the juice of ripe dates flow, and thus the palm tree is called 'musqar' due to this.
The greatness refers to {أشياعكم} - those among you and them who share the same legislation in denial, and His power over you is like His power over them. So beware lest you be afflicted with what afflicted them. That is why He mentions the reason for it, saying: {فهل من مدكر} - is there anyone who will take heed of what happened to them, as it is a lesson for those who come after, and multiple times more. And His power, may He be exalted, over him is like His power over them, so that he may turn back from his transgression out of fear of His might, may He be exalted. And when the indication of the encompassing power was completed by what is seen of the tremendous actions
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ٱقْتَرَبَتِ ٱلسَّاعَةُ وَٱنشَقَّ ٱلْقَمَرُ ﴿١﴾
The Hour has come near, and the moon has split [in two].
وَإِن يَرَوْا۟ ءَايَةًۭ يُعْرِضُوا۟ وَيَقُولُوا۟ سِحْرٌۭ مُّسْتَمِرٌّۭ ﴿٢﴾
And if they see a miracle, they turn away and say, "Passing magic."
وَكَذَّبُوا۟ وَٱتَّبَعُوٓا۟ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ ۚ وَكُلُّ أَمْرٍۢ مُّسْتَقِرٌّۭ ﴿٣﴾
And they denied and followed their inclinations. But for every matter is a [time of] settlement.
وَلَقَدْ جَآءَهُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَنۢبَآءِ مَا فِيهِ مُزْدَجَرٌ ﴿٤﴾
And there has already come to them of information that in which there is deterrence -
حِكْمَةٌۢ بَـٰلِغَةٌۭ ۖ فَمَا تُغْنِ ٱلنُّذُرُ ﴿٥﴾
Extensive wisdom - but warning does not avail [them].
فَتَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ ۘ يَوْمَ يَدْعُ ٱلدَّاعِ إِلَىٰ شَىْءٍۢ نُّكُرٍ ﴿٦﴾
So leave them, [O Muhammad]. The Day the Caller calls to something forbidding,
خُشَّعًا أَبْصَـٰرُهُمْ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ كَأَنَّهُمْ جَرَادٌۭ مُّنتَشِرٌۭ ﴿٧﴾
Their eyes humbled, they will emerge from the graves as if they were locusts spreading,
مُّهْطِعِينَ إِلَى ٱلدَّاعِ ۖ يَقُولُ ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ هَـٰذَا يَوْمٌ عَسِرٌۭ ﴿٨﴾
Racing ahead toward the Caller. The disbelievers will say, "This is a difficult Day."
۞ كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍۢ فَكَذَّبُوا۟ عَبْدَنَا وَقَالُوا۟ مَجْنُونٌۭ وَٱزْدُجِرَ ﴿٩﴾
The people of Noah denied before them, and they denied Our servant and said, "A madman," and he was repelled.
فَدَعَا رَبَّهُۥٓ أَنِّى مَغْلُوبٌۭ فَٱنتَصِرْ ﴿١٠﴾
So he invoked his Lord, "Indeed, I am overpowered, so help."
فَفَتَحْنَآ أَبْوَٰبَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ بِمَآءٍۢ مُّنْهَمِرٍۢ ﴿١١﴾
Then We opened the gates of the heaven with rain pouring down
وَفَجَّرْنَا ٱلْأَرْضَ عُيُونًۭا فَٱلْتَقَى ٱلْمَآءُ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْرٍۢ قَدْ قُدِرَ ﴿١٢﴾
And caused the earth to burst with springs, and the waters met for a matter already predestined.
وَحَمَلْنَـٰهُ عَلَىٰ ذَاتِ أَلْوَٰحٍۢ وَدُسُرٍۢ ﴿١٣﴾
And We carried him on a [construction of] planks and nails,
تَجْرِى بِأَعْيُنِنَا جَزَآءًۭ لِّمَن كَانَ كُفِرَ ﴿١٤﴾
Sailing under Our observation as reward for he who had been denied.
وَلَقَد تَّرَكْنَـٰهَآ ءَايَةًۭ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍۢ ﴿١٥﴾
And We left it as a sign, so is there any who will remember?
فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ ﴿١٦﴾
And how [severe] were My punishment and warning.
وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍۢ ﴿١٧﴾
And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?
كَذَّبَتْ عَادٌۭ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ ﴿١٨﴾
'Aad denied; and how [severe] were My punishment and warning.
إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ رِيحًۭا صَرْصَرًۭا فِى يَوْمِ نَحْسٍۢ مُّسْتَمِرٍّۢ ﴿١٩﴾
Indeed, We sent upon them a screaming wind on a day of continuous misfortune,
تَنزِعُ ٱلنَّاسَ كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍۢ مُّنقَعِرٍۢ ﴿٢٠﴾
Extracting the people as if they were trunks of palm trees uprooted.
فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ ﴿٢١﴾
And how [severe] were My punishment and warning.
وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍۢ ﴿٢٢﴾
And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?
كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ بِٱلنُّذُرِ ﴿٢٣﴾
Thamud denied the warning
فَقَالُوٓا۟ أَبَشَرًۭا مِّنَّا وَٰحِدًۭا نَّتَّبِعُهُۥٓ إِنَّآ إِذًۭا لَّفِى ضَلَـٰلٍۢ وَسُعُرٍ ﴿٢٤﴾
And said, "Is it one human being among us that we should follow? Indeed, we would then be in error and madness.
أَءُلْقِىَ ٱلذِّكْرُ عَلَيْهِ مِنۢ بَيْنِنَا بَلْ هُوَ كَذَّابٌ أَشِرٌۭ ﴿٢٥﴾
Has the message been sent down upon him from among us? Rather, he is an insolent liar."
سَيَعْلَمُونَ غَدًۭا مَّنِ ٱلْكَذَّابُ ٱلْأَشِرُ ﴿٢٦﴾
They will know tomorrow who is the insolent liar.
إِنَّا مُرْسِلُوا۟ ٱلنَّاقَةِ فِتْنَةًۭ لَّهُمْ فَٱرْتَقِبْهُمْ وَٱصْطَبِرْ ﴿٢٧﴾
Indeed, We are sending the she-camel as trial for them, so watch them and be patient.
وَنَبِّئْهُمْ أَنَّ ٱلْمَآءَ قِسْمَةٌۢ بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ كُلُّ شِرْبٍۢ مُّحْتَضَرٌۭ ﴿٢٨﴾
And inform them that the water is shared between them, each [day of] drink attended [by turn].
فَنَادَوْا۟ صَاحِبَهُمْ فَتَعَاطَىٰ فَعَقَرَ ﴿٢٩﴾
But they called their companion, and he dared and hamstrung [her].
فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ ﴿٣٠﴾
And how [severe] were My punishment and warning.
إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ صَيْحَةًۭ وَٰحِدَةًۭ فَكَانُوا۟ كَهَشِيمِ ٱلْمُحْتَظِرِ ﴿٣١﴾
Indeed, We sent upon them one blast from the sky, and they became like the dry twig fragments of an [animal] pen.
وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍۢ ﴿٣٢﴾
And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?
كَذَّبَتْ قَوْمُ لُوطٍۭ بِٱلنُّذُرِ ﴿٣٣﴾
The people of Lot denied the warning.
إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ حَاصِبًا إِلَّآ ءَالَ لُوطٍۢ ۖ نَّجَّيْنَـٰهُم بِسَحَرٍۢ ﴿٣٤﴾
Indeed, We sent upon them a storm of stones, except the family of Lot - We saved them before dawn
نِّعْمَةًۭ مِّنْ عِندِنَا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى مَن شَكَرَ ﴿٣٥﴾
As favor from us. Thus do We reward he who is grateful.
وَلَقَدْ أَنذَرَهُم بَطْشَتَنَا فَتَمَارَوْا۟ بِٱلنُّذُرِ ﴿٣٦﴾
And he had already warned them of Our assault, but they disputed the warning.
وَلَقَدْ رَٰوَدُوهُ عَن ضَيْفِهِۦ فَطَمَسْنَآ أَعْيُنَهُمْ فَذُوقُوا۟ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ ﴿٣٧﴾
And they had demanded from him his guests, but We obliterated their eyes, [saying], "Taste My punishment and warning."
وَلَقَدْ صَبَّحَهُم بُكْرَةً عَذَابٌۭ مُّسْتَقِرٌّۭ ﴿٣٨﴾
And there came upon them by morning an abiding punishment.
فَذُوقُوا۟ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ ﴿٣٩﴾
So taste My punishment and warning.
وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍۢ ﴿٤٠﴾
And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?
وَلَقَدْ جَآءَ ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ ٱلنُّذُرُ ﴿٤١﴾
And there certainly came to the people of Pharaoh warning.
كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا كُلِّهَا فَأَخَذْنَـٰهُمْ أَخْذَ عَزِيزٍۢ مُّقْتَدِرٍ ﴿٤٢﴾
They denied Our signs, all of them, so We seized them with a seizure of one Exalted in Might and Perfect in Ability.
أَكُفَّارُكُمْ خَيْرٌۭ مِّنْ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكُمْ أَمْ لَكُم بَرَآءَةٌۭ فِى ٱلزُّبُرِ ﴿٤٣﴾
Are your disbelievers better than those [former ones], or have you immunity in the scripture?
أَمْ يَقُولُونَ نَحْنُ جَمِيعٌۭ مُّنتَصِرٌۭ ﴿٤٤﴾
Or do they say, "We are an assembly supporting [each other]"?
سَيُهْزَمُ ٱلْجَمْعُ وَيُوَلُّونَ ٱلدُّبُرَ ﴿٤٥﴾
[Their] assembly will be defeated, and they will turn their backs [in retreat].
بَلِ ٱلسَّاعَةُ مَوْعِدُهُمْ وَٱلسَّاعَةُ أَدْهَىٰ وَأَمَرُّ ﴿٤٦﴾
But the Hour is their appointment [for due punishment], and the Hour is more disastrous and more bitter.
إِنَّ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ فِى ضَلَـٰلٍۢ وَسُعُرٍۢ ﴿٤٧﴾
Indeed, the criminals are in error and madness.
يَوْمَ يُسْحَبُونَ فِى ٱلنَّارِ عَلَىٰ وُجُوهِهِمْ ذُوقُوا۟ مَسَّ سَقَرَ ﴿٤٨﴾
The Day they are dragged into the Fire on their faces [it will be said], "Taste the touch of Saqar."
إِنَّا كُلَّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقْنَـٰهُ بِقَدَرٍۢ ﴿٤٩﴾
Indeed, all things We created with predestination.
وَمَآ أَمْرُنَآ إِلَّا وَٰحِدَةٌۭ كَلَمْحٍۭ بِٱلْبَصَرِ ﴿٥٠﴾
And Our command is but one, like a glance of the eye.
وَلَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَآ أَشْيَاعَكُمْ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍۢ ﴿٥١﴾
And We have already destroyed your kinds, so is there any who will remember?
وَكُلُّ شَىْءٍۢ فَعَلُوهُ فِى ٱلزُّبُرِ ﴿٥٢﴾
And everything they did is in written records.
وَكُلُّ صَغِيرٍۢ وَكَبِيرٍۢ مُّسْتَطَرٌ ﴿٥٣﴾
And every small and great [thing] is inscribed.
إِنَّ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ فِى جَنَّـٰتٍۢ وَنَهَرٍۢ ﴿٥٤﴾
Indeed, the righteous will be among gardens and rivers,
فِى مَقْعَدِ صِدْقٍ عِندَ مَلِيكٍۢ مُّقْتَدِرٍۭ ﴿٥٥﴾
In a seat of honor near a Sovereign, Perfect in Ability.