[1] (In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful)

The meaning

More explanation

[2] 1. [I swear] by the scattering [winds^a] that scattered!^b

[Then God – be glorified – started to explain about some of the acts done by that wind, and He said:]

[3] 2. And that bore the heavy load!

[4] 3. And by that moved so swiftly^c!

[5] 4. And that [violently] strewed about^d the Am'r [: genies and souls!]

[If you do not believe and do not refrain from worshipping the idols, We will send on you such winds which will destroy you, as did We destroy the people of Prophet Hood with the hurricanes.]

[6] 5. Surely, that^e which you are threatened with, is a true promise.

[7] 6. And your submission will inevitably occur.^f

^{1 a} Sent on the people of Prophet Hood.

^{1 b} This is an oath or swear in the past, which is also a warning or threatening with the punishment; for God – be glorified – swore by an event that passed and was fulfilled.

^{3 c} i.e. moving so fast and quick.

^{4 d} By the force of its rushing.

This is similar to His saying – be glorified – in the Quran 79: 5, which means:

(And [I swear by those winds] that threw the am'r [: genies, devils and spirits in their way] on their backs!)

It means: Those winds, with the force of their rushing, threw the genies and souls on their backs.

^{5 e} ‘Gathering together’ and punishment.

^{6 f} The meaning: You will yield to the punishment following your death, if today you do not yield to Our command.

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[8] 7. [I also swear] by the sky^{a with} its [layers] firmly joined [one above another!]^b

[9] 8. Truly you [associaters] are at varying opinions [about the messenger^c and the Quran^d.]

[10] 9. He [: Satan, who] turns [people] away from [the messenger], [is the same Satan] who turned himself away [from obeying God.]^e

[11] 10. Perish 'those liars who insist on their falsehood’^f!"

[12] 11. That are heedless, being immersed^g [in the sea of ignorance.]

[13] 12. They ask: "When is the Day of Judgment?"^h

[So God – be glorified – said:]

[14] 13. The day when they will be punished by the fire.

[15] 14. [Then the punishment-angels will say to them:] "Suffer your punishment! This is [the chastisement] about which you [in the World] were seeking to hasten."

^{7 a} He means by it the gaseous heavens.

This is explained by His saying – be glorified – in the Quran 23: 17, which means:

(And We have created above you seven [gaseous] layers [for the dwelling of the genie]; and We are not heedless of creatures [neither of genies nor of humans.])

^{7 b} It means: These layers are compacted one above another without any gaps between them.

The meaning: These gaseous heavens will disperse and scatter, after being joined firmly to each other; and its gases will mix, after being distinct, and will be like the smoke, which consists of seven gases; while you, associaters, will remain on the earth to suffer from that smoke, and We will not raise you to the heaven together with believers.

This is confirmed by His saying – be glorified – in the Quran 44: 10-11, which means:

(But watch [O Mohammed] for the day when the sky will bring an obvious smoke. That will overwhelm people, which will be a painful torment.)

This event will occur before Doomsday.

^{8 c} So that some of you say Mohammed is a poet, others say he is a magician and others say he is mad or possessed.

^{8 d} Similarly you are at variance concerning the Quran too; so that some of you say: it is a magic; others say it is a soothsaying and still others say it is the written fables of the ancients.

^{9 e} The meaning: He turns people by means of his lies, and bars them from obeying the Prophet, as had he turned himself from obeying God.

He in fact is Satan who turned himself from obeying God when He ordered him to fall prostrate before Adam; now he bars people from complying to the Prophet and from believing in him.

^{10 f} This word has been explained in the interpretation of the Quran 6: 116.

^{11 g} This has been explained in the interpretation of the Quran, soora 6 and 23.

^{12 h} i.e. when will such day of punishment be, in which we may be convicted!?

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[Then God – be glorified – described ‘the pious or the God-fearing’, and He said:]

[16] 15. [But] those who ward off [the disobedience of God] shall be amidst gardens and [flowing water-] springs.

[17] 16. They [will] take whatever [gifts] their Lord may give them [in Paradise]; they – before that^a – were kind [to the weak and needy.]

[Then God – be glorified – described those kind men that they were righteous and pious, and He said:]

[18] 17. Little of the night would they sleep.^b

[19] 18. And in the pre-dawn time, they would ask for forgiveness.^c

[20] 19. And there was, for the beggar [that begged^d] and [for] the deprived [that begged not], a due portion of their wealth.^e

^{16 a} i.e. in the life of the World.

^{17 b} And most of the night time they worshipped God; whether the night was a long night of winter or a short night of summer.

^{18 c} Similar to this aya, in meaning, is His saying – be glorified – in the Quran 32: 16, which means:

([The night prayers make them] forsake their beds [because they prefer worshipping to sleeping].

They call on their Lord: [and they being] fearful [of His punishment] and hopeful [for His mercy.])

^{19 d} People to give him.

^{19 e} The meaning: They expend out of their wealth on the poor and needy.

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[So while God – be glorified – mentioned, in the beginning of this soorah, the winds and hurricanes which terminated the people of Prophet Hood, He followed that with these ayat as an explanation to the first ayat, and He said:]

[21] 20. In the earth are signs^a [indicating the termination of Hood's people by means of the hurricanes] for those having sure faith^b.

[22] 21. And [also] in yourselves [are signs indicating the truthfulness of Our words]^c; do you then not see [their remains and ruined habitations]?

[23] 22. And in heaven are [the means^d of] your provision, and [the provision in Paradise] that you are promised with^e.

[24] 23. Then, by Lord of the heaven and the earth! [The destruction of the heaven and the earth is inevitable^f, and to God it is as easy^g] as you can [easily and quickly^h] speak.ⁱ

^{20 a} The signs are their ‘ruined habitations’ and the ‘remains’ on the earth.

^{20 b} About the occurrence of such events as retaliation against them according to their denying the messengers (or apostles) of God.

That is because most people do not believe with certainty that such events were retaliation events occurred according to God’s command, but they say: these are only natural events which happen any time by chance.

[So, only people, with sure belief, do believe that such events were God’s punishment against the disbelieving people.]

^{21 c} That is their story told to you by your grandfathers, in addition, the Torah narrated it also, in the Book of Genesis.

^{22 d} Like the wind, the cloud and the rain.

^{22 e} It also is in heaven, for those who ward off God’s punishment.

^{23 f} i.e. it will inevitably occur.

^{23 g} Without any difficulty.

^{23 h} And without any difficulty.

^{23 i} I said previously that the oath or swearing which is in the Quran is for threatening and warning of the coming of the punishment or destruction and ruining.

So because the ‘heaven and the earth’ are mentioned after the oath, it thus means that God – be glorified – will destroy and split them up on Doomsday; so that the gaseous heaven will tear up and its gases will mix with each other to become a smoke, and the earth will split and cut up to be meteorites and moons for the new planets and will be strewn about in the space.

So this the meaning of the oath by which God swore, and in which He mentioned the heaven and the earth.

This is confirmed by His saying – be glorified – in the Quran 82: 2, which means:

(And when the planets [shall break up into pieces that] shall be strewn about [in the space to be meteorites.])

Therefore, if you like to have more explanation about The heavens then read my book The Universe and the Quran where I have fully explained about them.

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[Then God – be glorified – addressed His noble messenger, and said:]

[25] 24. Have you understood what you had received [before this soora^a] of the tale of the honored guests^b of Abraham?

[26] 25. When they entered upon him [in his home] and said: "Peace [be to you!]" [Abraham] said [in reply to them]: "Peace [be to you!]" [And thought: "These] men [seem] so strange [; for they have no riding animals nor any luggage like other travelers.]"

[27] 26. Then [Abraham] turned secretly to his household [to prepare food for his guests], and brought out a fat [roasted] calf.

[28] 27. And he set it before them; he said: "Would you [please] eat [of it.]^c "

[29] 28. [When they did not eat,] he conceived a fear of them; they said: "Fear not” and they gave him the glad news of a knowing boy [born to him by his wife Sarah.]"

[30] 29. And his wife came forward shouting a cheer of delight^d; she slapped her face [with the fingers of her hands^e], and said: "[I am] a barren old woman [so how can I give birth to a child?]

[31] 30. The [angels] said [to her]: "[It will be as we have said to you; for] thus has your Lord said; He is the All-Wise^f, the All-Knowing^g."

[32] 31. [Abraham] said: "What is it then your affair, O envoys^h?"

[33] 32. They said: "We have been sent to a guilty peopleⁱ."

[34] 33. "That we may loose upon them stones of clay^j."

[35] 34. "Marked [i.e. have marks^k from their origin by sedimentation], [in the world of Unknown] with your Lord [O Mohammed], [prepared] for the sinful^l."

[36] 35. And we brought forth from [Sodom] such of the believers^m as were there.

[37] 36. But We found not therein except one houseⁿ of those that submitted themselves [to God.]

[38] 37. And We left behind, there in [Sodom], a portent^o for those who fear the painful chastisement.^p

^{24 a} The tale of Abraham with his guest has been previously mentioned in the Quran, soorah or chapter 11.

^{24 b} Whom Abraham honored; they were three angels.

^{27 c} But they did not eat because they were spiritual who cannot eat any material thing.

^{29 d} Which is called ‘halhoola’ in Iraq, and Egyptians call it ‘zaghrooda’; it is a repeated nice sound (cheer) used by women at delightful situations, and at weddings.

^{29 e} Because of her extreme astonishment. The Arabic word in the aya which means: “she slapped her face [with the fingers of her hands]” is still in use in Iraq in the governorate of Nassiryah where Abraham and his wife Sarah dwelt, before they migrated to Jordan then to Palestine.

^{30 f} Concerning His creatures.

^{30 g} About the circumstances of His servants.

^{31 h} And for what purpose have you come?

^{32 i} The people of Lot.

^{33 j} It means: these stones were formed from mud and became stones.

God – be glorified – said in the Quran 11: 82, which means:

(And We rained down upon them packed sedimentary stones.)

And God – be glorified – said in the Quran 54: 34, which means:

(We loosed on them [a shower of] pebbles [that fell down and killed those who escaped the earthquake], save Lot's family whom We saved at the pre-dawn time.)

So in summary, they were sedimentary stones, formed at the start, from mud or clay to become stones after the passing of hundreds of years.

^{34 k} The marks are the colored lines in the pebble.

^{34 l} Who exceeded in sins; so the earth was quaked with them, and their houses collapsed over them; moreover, the pebble stones fell on those who were not present in those cities at the time of the occurrence of the earthquake, so they perished altogether.

^{35 m} They were Lot and his two daughters.

^{36 n} Which was the family of Lot, while the rest were the disbelievers and the disobedient.

^{37 o} Or an evident sign which is the Dead Sea in which no animal can live because of its much salt.

^{37 p} So they avoid the disbelief and association and get away from the disobedience.

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[39] 38. And [there is a lesson] in [the story of] Moses; for We sent him to Pharaoh with an obvious authority.^a

[40] 39. But [Pharaoh] turned away [from believing in Moses] relying on his hosts and power, and said: "[Moses is] a sorcerer or mad^b."

[41] 40. So We seized him and his troops [with punishment], and cast them in the sea, and he was blameworthy.^c

^{38 a} i.e. with an obvious argument and a manifest power.

^{39 b} And therefore, he claimed that he is a messenger [or apostle.]

^{40 c} i.e. he did that to which he deserved the blame: that is denying the apostles, enslaving the Children of Israel and slaying their sons.

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[42] 41. And [there is a sign and a lesson] in [the story of the tribe of] ‘Aad: when We sent against them the terminating wind,

[43] 42. That spared nothing [the wind] came upon, without making it as crushed stubble^a.

^{42 a} i.e. broken up and crushed, like the dry plant trampled and trodden by feet and cast on the ground.

Similar to this, is another aya in the Quran 23: 41, which means:

(And the 'cry' overtook them, with due [punishment], and We made them as broken sticks [carried by the torrent.])

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[44] 43. And [there is a sign and a lesson] in the [story of the tribe of] Thamood^a, when it was said to them [after they had hamstrung the female camel]: "Have your usual life for a period [of three days.]"

[45] 44. But they rebelled^b against [complying to] the bidding of their Lord, so the shocking [punishment] seized them^c, the while they looked on [their homes demolishing.]

[46] 45. And they were not able to stand up anymore [from under the wreck], nor were they helped [by anyone to pick them up from under the wreckage.]

^{43 a} The people of Prophet Salih.

^{44 b} i.e. they exceeded in their contradiction and disobedience.

^{44 c} i.e. they were seized with the chastisement which confounded the mind leaving them like the mindless.

Their destruction was by means of the earthquake, so their houses collapsed over them.

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[47] 46. And before, [We drowned] the people of Noah; surely they were a people disobedient [to Us.]

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[48] 47. And the sky –– We have built^{a
with} surplus [from Us^b], and We are Open-handed more^c.

[49] 48. And the earth –– We have covered it [with a layer of soil^d]; and how well We have prepared it [for you and for your plant!]^e

[50] 49. And of everything^f have We created two spouses [male and female]; that you may reflect.^g

[51] 50. Therefore, flee to God^h; for surely I am a plain warner to you from Him.

[52] 51. And set not any other god [to sanctify him] along with God; for surely I am a plain warner to you from Him.

^{47 a} i.e. We compacted its layers one above another; it is the gaseous heavens.

^{47 b} With Our favor on them.

^{47 c} With Our abundant bounties to Our servants.

Similar ayat to this aya have been explained in the interpretation of the Quran, soorah (or chapter) 2 and others.

^{48 d} To become suitable for cultivating and planting.

^{48 e} The meaning: And the soil layer is the best preparation that We made for implanting trees and planting the pasture on it.

^{49 f} Whether plant or animal.

^{49 g} i.e. so that you may think about their creation and receive admonition, and praise and thank God for that.

^{50 h} i.e. run away from the matter and go up to heaven to dwell together with the angels in the spiritual paradises, and you will live there a happy life.

You can achieve this only by your righteous deeds, by avoiding God’s disobedience and by worshipping Him.

And this will certainly be far better for you than staying on earth and clinging to the matter; because none may be deceived by it, other than the one who is ignorant about its consequences.

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[53] 52. Even so [are your people, O Mohammed]: not a messenger came to those before them, but they said: "A sorcerer, or mad.'

[54] 53. Did they recommend that to each other?^a [No, they didn't] but they were a froward people^b.

[55] 54. So leave them [O Mohammed, and migrate to Yathrib]; you will not be reproached [for leaving them after you have already conveyed the message to them.]

[56] 55. And teach [others]; for teaching benefits the believers.

^{53 a} It means: Did they recommend each other to deny the messengers (or apostles), and to say to any messenger coming to them: “You are a magician” or “You are mad or possessed”?

^{53 b} No, the grandfathers did not recommend their grandsons by that, but they were arrogant against God’s messengers, denied and hurt them; therefore, We punished them.

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[57] 56. I created not the genie-kind and the man-kind but only to worship Me [alone.]

[58] 57. I desire of them no provision, neither do I desire that they should feed Me.

[59] 58. For, surely, it is God Who is the Provider [of sustenance for His servants], the Lord of power [and might on them], the All-Disposer [in the affairs of His servants.]

[60] 59. But surely, [these] wrong-doers [among your people, O Mohammed] will have a portion [of punishment] like the portion of their likes [of earlier generations^{a who} denied their messengers.]

Therefore, let them not ask Me to hasten on [bringing the punishment on them.]

[61] 60. Woe, then, to those who disbelieve, on account of their day^b with which they have been threatened!

^{59 a} Like the people of Noah, Aad and Thamood.

^{60 b} The day of their death, when they will go from the life of the World to the Next Life.

By God's help, the interpretation of the soora 51 of the Quran is completed;

So (praise be to God: Lord of the worlds.)

[1] بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

[2] 1. وَالذَّارِيَاتِ ذَرْوًا

[3] 2. فَالْحَامِلَاتِ وِقْرًا

[4] 3. فَالْجَارِيَاتِ يُسْرًا

[5] 4. فَالْمُقَسِّمَاتِ أَمْرًا

[6] 5. إِنَّمَا تُوعَدُونَ لَصَادِقٌ

[7] 6. وَإِنَّ الدِّينَ لَوَاقِعٌ

[8] 7. وَالسَّمَاء ذَاتِ الْحُبُكِ

[9] 8. إِنَّكُمْ لَفِي قَوْلٍ مُّخْتَلِفٍ

[10] 9. يُؤْفَكُ عَنْهُ مَنْ أُفِكَ

[11] 10. قُتِلَ الْخَرَّاصُونَ

[12] 11. الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي غَمْرَةٍ سَاهُونَ

[13] 12. يَسْأَلُونَ أَيَّانَ يَوْمُ الدِّينِ

[14] 13. يَوْمَ هُمْ عَلَى النَّارِ يُفْتَنُونَ

[15] 14. ذُوقُوا فِتْنَتَكُمْ هَذَا الَّذِي كُنتُم بِهِ تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ

[16] 15. إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ

[17] 16. آخِذِينَ مَا آتَاهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ مُحْسِنِينَ

[18] 17. كَانُوا قَلِيلًا مِّنَ اللَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ

[19] 18. وَبِالْأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ

[20] 19. وَفِي أَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ لِّلسَّائِلِ وَالْمَحْرُومِ

[21] 20. وَفِي الْأَرْضِ آيَاتٌ لِّلْمُوقِنِينَ

[22] 21. وَفِي أَنفُسِكُمْ أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ

[23] 22. وَفِي السَّمَاء رِزْقُكُمْ وَمَا تُوعَدُونَ

[24] 23. فَوَرَبِّ السَّمَاء وَالْأَرْضِ إِنَّهُ لَحَقٌّ مِّثْلَ مَا أَنَّكُمْ تَنطِقُونَ

[25] 24. هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ ضَيْفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْمُكْرَمِينَ

[26] 25. إِذْ دَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا سَلَامًا قَالَ سَلَامٌ قَوْمٌ مُّنكَرُونَ

[27] 26. فَرَاغَ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ فَجَاء بِعِجْلٍ سَمِينٍ

[28] 27. فَقَرَّبَهُ إِلَيْهِمْ قَالَ أَلَا تَأْكُلُونَ

[29] 28. فَأَوْجَسَ مِنْهُمْ خِيفَةً قَالُوا لَا تَخَفْ وَبَشَّرُوهُ بِغُلَامٍ عَلِيمٍ

[30] 29. فَأَقْبَلَتِ امْرَأَتُهُ فِي صَرَّةٍ فَصَكَّتْ وَجْهَهَا وَقَالَتْ عَجُوزٌ عَقِيمٌ

[31] 30. قَالُوا كَذَلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْعَلِيمُ

[32] 31. قَالَ فَمَا خَطْبُكُمْ أَيُّهَا الْمُرْسَلُونَ

[33] 32. قَالُوا إِنَّا أُرْسِلْنَا إِلَى قَوْمٍ مُّجْرِمِينَ

[34] 33. لِنُرْسِلَ عَلَيْهِمْ حِجَارَةً مِّن طِينٍ

[35] 34. مُسَوَّمَةً عِندَ رَبِّكَ لِلْمُسْرِفِينَ

[36] 35. فَأَخْرَجْنَا مَن كَانَ فِيهَا مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

[37] 36. فَمَا وَجَدْنَا فِيهَا غَيْرَ بَيْتٍ مِّنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

[38] 37. وَتَرَكْنَا فِيهَا آيَةً لِّلَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ الْعَذَابَ الْأَلِيمَ

[39] 38. وَفِي مُوسَى إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَاهُ إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ بِسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِينٍ

[40] 39. فَتَوَلَّى بِرُكْنِهِ وَقَالَ سَاحِرٌ أَوْ مَجْنُونٌ

[41] 40. فَأَخَذْنَاهُ وَجُنُودَهُ فَنَبَذْنَاهُمْ فِي الْيَمِّ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ

[42] 41. وَفِي عَادٍ إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الرِّيحَ الْعَقِيمَ

[43] 42. مَا تَذَرُ مِن شَيْءٍ أَتَتْ عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا جَعَلَتْهُ كَالرَّمِيمِ

[44] 43. وَفِي ثَمُودَ إِذْ قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَمَتَّعُوا حَتَّى حِينٍ

[45] 44. فَعَتَوْا عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِمْ فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ وَهُمْ يَنظُرُونَ

[46] 45. فَمَا اسْتَطَاعُوا مِن قِيَامٍ وَمَا كَانُوا مُنتَصِرِينَ

[47] 46. وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍ مِّن قَبْلُ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَوْمًا فَاسِقِينَ

[48] 47. وَالسَّمَاء بَنَيْنَاهَا بِأَيْدٍ وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ

[49] 48. وَالْأَرْضَ فَرَشْنَاهَا فَنِعْمَ الْمَاهِدُونَ

[50] 49. وَمِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقْنَا زَوْجَيْنِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

[51] 50. فَفِرُّوا إِلَى اللَّهِ إِنِّي لَكُم مِّنْهُ نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ

[52] 51. وَلَا تَجْعَلُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ إِنِّي لَكُم مِّنْهُ نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ

[53] 52. كَذَلِكَ مَا أَتَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا قَالُوا سَاحِرٌ أَوْ مَجْنُونٌ

[54] 53. أَتَوَاصَوْا بِهِ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ طَاغُونَ

[55] 54. فَتَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ فَمَا أَنتَ بِمَلُومٍ

[56] 55. وَذَكِّرْ فَإِنَّ الذِّكْرَى تَنفَعُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

[57] 56. وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ

[58] 57. مَا أُرِيدُ مِنْهُم مِّن رِّزْقٍ وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَن يُطْعِمُونِ

[59] 58. إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الْقُوَّةِ الْمَتِينُ

[60] 59. فَإِنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا ذَنُوبًا مِّثْلَ ذَنُوبِ أَصْحَابِهِمْ فَلَا يَسْتَعْجِلُونِ

[61] 60. فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن يَوْمِهِمُ الَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ