Surah At-Takwir (81): Arabic, Transliteration and English

Full text of Surah At-Takwir, verse by verse

Every verse is given in Arabic (Uthmani script), in transliteration and in English. To hear it recited, open our Quran audio page and choose this surah; the rules of recitation are explained on our tajweed page.

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

إِذَا ٱلشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ ﴿١﴾

Izash shamsu kuwwirat

1 When the sun is wrapped up [in darkness]

وَإِذَا ٱلنُّجُومُ ٱنكَدَرَتْ ﴿٢﴾

Wa izan nujoomun kadarat

2 And when the stars fall, dispersing,

وَإِذَا ٱلْجِبَالُ سُيِّرَتْ ﴿٣﴾

Wa izal jibaalu suyyirat

3 And when the mountains are removed

وَإِذَا ٱلْعِشَارُ عُطِّلَتْ ﴿٤﴾

Wa izal 'ishaaru 'uttilat

4 And when full-term she-camels are neglected

وَإِذَا ٱلْوُحُوشُ حُشِرَتْ ﴿٥﴾

Wa izal wuhooshu hushirat

5 And when the wild beasts are gathered

وَإِذَا ٱلْبِحَارُ سُجِّرَتْ ﴿٦﴾

Wa izal bihaaru sujjirat

6 And when the seas are filled with flame

وَإِذَا ٱلنُّفُوسُ زُوِّجَتْ ﴿٧﴾

Wa izan nufoosu zuwwijat

7 And when the souls are paired

وَإِذَا ٱلْمَوْءُۥدَةُ سُئِلَتْ ﴿٨﴾

Wa izal maw'oodatu su'ilat

8 And when the girl [who was] buried alive is asked

بِأَىِّ ذَنۢبٍۢ قُتِلَتْ ﴿٩﴾

Bi ayyi zambin qutilat

9 For what sin she was killed

وَإِذَا ٱلصُّحُفُ نُشِرَتْ ﴿١٠﴾

Wa izas suhufu nushirat

10 And when the pages are made public

وَإِذَا ٱلسَّمَآءُ كُشِطَتْ ﴿١١﴾

Wa izas samaaa'u kushitat

11 And when the sky is stripped away

وَإِذَا ٱلْجَحِيمُ سُعِّرَتْ ﴿١٢﴾

Wa izal jaheemu su'-'irat

12 And when Hellfire is set ablaze

وَإِذَا ٱلْجَنَّةُ أُزْلِفَتْ ﴿١٣﴾

Wa izal jannatu uzlifat

13 And when Paradise is brought near,

عَلِمَتْ نَفْسٌۭ مَّآ أَحْضَرَتْ ﴿١٤﴾

'Alimat nafsum maaa ahdarat

14 A soul will [then] know what it has brought [with it].

فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِٱلْخُنَّسِ ﴿١٥﴾

Falaaa uqsimu bil khunnas

15 So I swear by the retreating stars -

ٱلْجَوَارِ ٱلْكُنَّسِ ﴿١٦﴾

Al jawaaril kunnas

16 Those that run [their courses] and disappear -

وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا عَسْعَسَ ﴿١٧﴾

Wallaili izaa 'as'as

17 And by the night as it closes in

وَٱلصُّبْحِ إِذَا تَنَفَّسَ ﴿١٨﴾

Wassubhi izaa tanaffas

18 And by the dawn when it breathes

إِنَّهُۥ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍۢ كَرِيمٍۢ ﴿١٩﴾

Innahoo laqawlu rasoolin kareem

19 [That] indeed, the Qur'an is a word [conveyed by] a noble messenger

ذِى قُوَّةٍ عِندَ ذِى ٱلْعَرْشِ مَكِينٍۢ ﴿٢٠﴾

Zee quwwatin 'inda zil 'arshi makeen

20 [Who is] possessed of power and with the Owner of the Throne, secure [in position],

مُّطَاعٍۢ ثَمَّ أَمِينٍۢ ﴿٢١﴾

Mutaa'in samma ameen

21 Obeyed there [in the heavens] and trustworthy.

وَمَا صَاحِبُكُم بِمَجْنُونٍۢ ﴿٢٢﴾

Wa maa saahibukum bimajnoon

22 And your companion is not [at all] mad.

وَلَقَدْ رَءَاهُ بِٱلْأُفُقِ ٱلْمُبِينِ ﴿٢٣﴾

Wa laqad ra aahu bilufuqil mubeen

23 And he has already seen Gabriel in the clear horizon.

وَمَا هُوَ عَلَى ٱلْغَيْبِ بِضَنِينٍۢ ﴿٢٤﴾

Wa maa huwa 'alal ghaibi bidaneen

24 And Muhammad is not a withholder of [knowledge of] the unseen.

وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَيْطَٰنٍۢ رَّجِيمٍۢ ﴿٢٥﴾

Wa maa huwa biqawli shaitaanir rajeem

25 And the Qur'an is not the word of a devil, expelled [from the heavens].

فَأَيْنَ تَذْهَبُونَ ﴿٢٦﴾

Fa ayna tazhaboon

26 So where are you going?

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌۭ لِّلْعَٰلَمِينَ ﴿٢٧﴾

In huwa illaa zikrul lil'aalameen

27 It is not except a reminder to the worlds

لِمَن شَآءَ مِنكُمْ أَن يَسْتَقِيمَ ﴿٢٨﴾

Liman shaaa'a minkum ai yastaqeem

28 For whoever wills among you to take a right course.

وَمَا تَشَآءُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ ﴿٢٩﴾

Wa maa tashaaa'oona illaaa ai yashaaa 'al laahu Rabbul 'Aalameen

29 And you do not will except that Allah wills - Lord of the worlds.

Sources: Arabic text in Uthmani script (Tanzil edition); English translation: Saheeh International; transliteration in standard Latin letters. Transliteration helps with pronunciation but cannot render every Arabic letter.