The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary
Seyyed Hossein Nasr (Ed.)
A landmark scholarly edition with verse-by-verse commentary drawn from classical sources — the most comprehensive single-volume study Quran in English.
النَّازِعَاتِ
Those who drag forth
The Day of Judgement and the lesson of Pharaoh.
An-Nazi‘at, “Those Who Pull Out,” swears by the angels and recalls the story of Musa and Pharaoh to warn against arrogance before the certain Hour.
Listen to Surah An-Naazi'aat
Full recitation — choose a reciter
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ وَٱلنَّٰزِعَٰتِ غَرْقًۭا
Wan naazi 'aati gharqa
By those [angels] who extract with violence
وَٱلنَّٰشِطَٰتِ نَشْطًۭا
Wan naa shi taati nashta
And [by] those who remove with ease
وَٱلسَّٰبِحَٰتِ سَبْحًۭا
Wass saabi-haati sabha
And [by] those who glide [as if] swimming
فَٱلسَّٰبِقَٰتِ سَبْقًۭا
Fass saabi qaati sabqa
And those who race each other in a race
فَٱلْمُدَبِّرَٰتِ أَمْرًۭا
Fal mu dab-bi raati amra
And those who arrange [each] matter,
يَوْمَ تَرْجُفُ ٱلرَّاجِفَةُ
Yawma tarjufur raajifa
On the Day the blast [of the Horn] will convulse [creation],
تَتْبَعُهَا ٱلرَّادِفَةُ
Tatba'u har raadifa
There will follow it the subsequent [one].
قُلُوبٌۭ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ وَاجِفَةٌ
Quloobuny-yau maaiziw-waaji-fa
Hearts, that Day, will tremble,
أَبْصَٰرُهَا خَٰشِعَةٌۭ
Absaa ruhaa khashi'ah
Their eyes humbled.
يَقُولُونَ أَءِنَّا لَمَرْدُودُونَ فِى ٱلْحَافِرَةِ
Ya qoo loona a-inna lamar doo doona fil haafirah
They are [presently] saying, "Will we indeed be returned to [our] former state [of life]?
أَءِذَا كُنَّا عِظَٰمًۭا نَّخِرَةًۭ
Aizaa kunna 'izaa man-nakhirah
Even if we should be decayed bones?
قَالُوا۟ تِلْكَ إِذًۭا كَرَّةٌ خَاسِرَةٌۭ
Qaalu tilka izan karratun khaasirah.
They say, "That, then, would be a losing return."
فَإِنَّمَا هِىَ زَجْرَةٌۭ وَٰحِدَةٌۭ
Fa inna ma hiya zajratuw-waahida
Indeed, it will be but one shout,
فَإِذَا هُم بِٱلسَّاهِرَةِ
Faizaa hum biss saahirah
And suddenly they will be [alert] upon the earth's surface.
هَلْ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ مُوسَىٰٓ
Hal ataaka hadeethu Musaa
Has there reached you the story of Moses? -
إِذْ نَادَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ بِٱلْوَادِ ٱلْمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى
Iz nadaahu rabbuhu bil waadil-muqad dasi tuwa
When his Lord called to him in the sacred valley of Tuwa,
ٱذْهَبْ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُۥ طَغَىٰ
Izhab ilaa fir'auna innahu taghaa.
"Go to Pharaoh. Indeed, he has transgressed.
فَقُلْ هَل لَّكَ إِلَىٰٓ أَن تَزَكَّىٰ
Faqul hal laka ilaa-an tazakka.
And say to him, 'Would you [be willing to] purify yourself
وَأَهْدِيَكَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَتَخْشَىٰ
Wa ahdi yaka ila rabbika fatakh sha
And let me guide you to your Lord so you would fear [Him]?'"
فَأَرَىٰهُ ٱلْءَايَةَ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰ
Fa araahul-aayatal kubra.
And he showed him the greatest sign,
فَكَذَّبَ وَعَصَىٰ
Fa kazzaba wa asaa.
But Pharaoh denied and disobeyed.
ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ يَسْعَىٰ
Thumma adbara yas'aa.
Then he turned his back, striving.
فَحَشَرَ فَنَادَىٰ
Fa hashara fanada.
And he gathered [his people] and called out
فَقَالَ أَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمُ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ
Faqala ana rabbu kumul-a'laa.
And said, "I am your most exalted lord."
فَأَخَذَهُ ٱللَّهُ نَكَالَ ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ وَٱلْأُولَىٰٓ
Fa-akha zahul laahu nakalal aakhirati wal-oola.
So Allah seized him in exemplary punishment for the last and the first [transgression].
إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبْرَةًۭ لِّمَن يَخْشَىٰٓ
Inna fee zaalika la'ibratal limaiy-yaksha
Indeed in that is a warning for whoever would fear [Allah].
ءَأَنتُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقًا أَمِ ٱلسَّمَآءُ ۚ بَنَىٰهَا
A-antum a shaddu khalqan amis samaa-u banaaha.
Are you a more difficult creation or is the heaven? Allah constructed it.
رَفَعَ سَمْكَهَا فَسَوَّىٰهَا
Raf'a sam kaha fasaw waaha
He raised its ceiling and proportioned it.
وَأَغْطَشَ لَيْلَهَا وَأَخْرَجَ ضُحَىٰهَا
Wa aghtasha lailaha wa akhraja duhaaha.
And He darkened its night and extracted its brightness.
وَٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَىٰهَآ
Wal arda b'ada zaalika dahaaha.
And after that He spread the earth.
أَخْرَجَ مِنْهَا مَآءَهَا وَمَرْعَىٰهَا
Akhraja minha maa-aha wa mar 'aaha.
He extracted from it its water and its pasture,
وَٱلْجِبَالَ أَرْسَىٰهَا
Wal jibala arsaaha.
And the mountains He set firmly
مَتَٰعًۭا لَّكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَٰمِكُمْ
Mataa'al lakum wali an 'aamikum.
As provision for you and your grazing livestock.
فَإِذَا جَآءَتِ ٱلطَّآمَّةُ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰ
Fa-izaa jaaa'atit taaam matul kubraa.
But when there comes the greatest Overwhelming Calamity -
يَوْمَ يَتَذَكَّرُ ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ مَا سَعَىٰ
Yauma Yata zakkarul insaanu ma sa'aa.
The Day when man will remember that for which he strove,
وَبُرِّزَتِ ٱلْجَحِيمُ لِمَن يَرَىٰ
Wa burrizatil-jaheemu limany-yaraa.
And Hellfire will be exposed for [all] those who see -
فَأَمَّا مَن طَغَىٰ
Fa ammaa man taghaa.
So as for he who transgressed
وَءَاثَرَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا
Wa aasaral hayaatad dunyaa
And preferred the life of the world,
فَإِنَّ ٱلْجَحِيمَ هِىَ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ
Fa innal jaheema hiyal maawaa.
Then indeed, Hellfire will be [his] refuge.
وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ وَنَهَى ٱلنَّفْسَ عَنِ ٱلْهَوَىٰ
Wa ammaa man khaafa maqaama Rabbihee wa nahan nafsa 'anil hawaa
But as for he who feared the position of his Lord and prevented the soul from [unlawful] inclination,
فَإِنَّ ٱلْجَنَّةَ هِىَ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ
Fa innal jannata hiyal maawaa
Then indeed, Paradise will be [his] refuge.
يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلسَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْسَىٰهَا
Yas'aloonaka 'anis saa'ati ayyaana mursaahaa
They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the Hour: when is its arrival?
فِيمَ أَنتَ مِن ذِكْرَىٰهَآ
Feema anta min zikraahaa
In what [position] are you that you should mention it?
إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ مُنتَهَىٰهَآ
Ilaa Rabbika muntahaa haa
To your Lord is its finality.
إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُنذِرُ مَن يَخْشَىٰهَا
Innamaaa anta munziru maiy yakshaahaa
You are only a warner for those who fear it.
كَأَنَّهُمْ يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَهَا لَمْ يَلْبَثُوٓا۟ إِلَّا عَشِيَّةً أَوْ ضُحَىٰهَا
Ka annahum Yawma yarawnahaa lam yalbasooo illaa 'ashiyyatan aw duhaahaa
It will be, on the Day they see it, as though they had not remained [in the world] except for an afternoon or a morning thereof.
“An-Naazi'aat” translates to “Those who drag forth.” It is the 79th surah (chapter) of the Holy Quran.
Surah An-Naazi'aat has 46 verses (ayahs).
It is a Makkah (Meccan) surah — revealed before the Prophet’s ﷺ migration (Hijrah) to Madinah.
Yes. You can read Surah An-Naazi'aat free on this page in Arabic with a clear English translation and transliteration, so you can both understand the meaning and learn to recite it.
Beautiful printed Qurans and translations we recommend for reading, study and gifting.
Seyyed Hossein Nasr (Ed.)
A landmark scholarly edition with verse-by-verse commentary drawn from classical sources — the most comprehensive single-volume study Quran in English.
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem
A modern, highly readable translation in flowing English prose — widely recommended as the best starting point for first-time readers.
Dr. Mustafa Khattab
An easy-to-understand, thematic translation praised for its accuracy and accessibility — ideal for everyday reading and dawah.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
The classic Yusuf Ali translation with extensive footnotes — a long-standing favourite for study and reflection.