Al-Qur'an Surah Ghafir Verse 18

Mufti Taqi Usmani

And warn them of the Day of approaching horror, when hearts will jump up into the throats, (and they will be) choked. There will be neither a friend for the unjust, nor an intercessor to be listened to.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Warn them ˹O Prophet˺ of the approaching Day when the hearts will jump into the throats, suppressing distress. The wrongdoers will have neither a close friend nor intercessor to be heard.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Warn them of the approaching Day, when hearts will be at the throats, full of distress. The wrongdoers will have no close friend or intercessor whose word may be heeded.

A. J. Arberry

And warn them against the Day of the Imminent when, choking with anguish, the hearts are in the throats and the evildoers have not one loyal friend, no intercessor to be heeded.

Abdul Haleem

Warn them [Prophet] of the ever-approaching Day, when hearts are at throats, choking them. The evildoer will have no friends, nor any intercessor to be heeded.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Wherefore warn them thou of the Day of portending, whereon the hearts will be in the throats, choking: then will be for the wrong- doers no ardent friend nor an intercessor to be given heed to.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Warn them of the Day that is (ever) drawing near, when the hearts will (come) right up to the throats to choke (them); No intimate friend nor intercessor will the wrong-doers have, who could be listened to.

Abul Ala Maududi

(O Prophet), then warn them of the Day that has drawn near, the Day when hearts full of suppressed grief will leap up to the throats and the wrong-doers shall neither have any sincere friend nor intercessor whose word will be heeded.

Ahmed Ali

Warn them of the coming day inevitable, when hearts would jump to the throats, filling them with anguish. The sinners will have neither friend nor intercessor whose (word) will be heeded.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And warn them of the day of impending calamity, when hearts will rise up to the throats filled with grief; and the disbelievers will have neither any friend nor any intercessor who will be obeyed. (Intercession will be accepted only for the Muslims, not for the disbelievers)

Ali Quli Qarai

Warn them of the Approaching Day, when the hearts will be at the throats, choking with suppressed agony, [and] the wrongdoers will have no sympathizer, nor any intercessor who might be heard.

Ali Ünal

Warn them of the Day that draws near, when the hearts will come right up to the throats, choking them. The wrongdoers will have no intimate friend, nor any intercessor who will be heeded.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And warn these people of the day drawing nigh, (day by day,) when the hearts will leap to their throats due to suppressed grief. The unjust will have no warm (hearted) friend, nor any intercessor who will be listened to (and could prevail for them on that day).

English Literal

And warn/give notice (of) the Resurrection Day when the hearts/minds (are) at/by the larynxes/voice boxes (throats), holding/suppressing (themselves), (there is) no concerned (relative/friend), and nor a mediator (to) be obeyed to the unjust/oppressive.

Faridul Haque

And warn them of the day of impending calamity, when hearts will rise up to the throats filled with grief; and the disbelievers will have neither any friend nor any intercessor who will be obeyed. (Intercession will be accepted only for the Muslims, not for the disbelievers)

Hamid S. Aziz

And warn them of the day that draws near, when heart shall rise up to the throats to choke them; the wrongdoers shall have no compassionate friend nor any intercessor who will be heard.

Hilali & Khan

And warn them (O Muhammad SAW) of the Day that is drawing near (i.e. the Day of Resurrection), when the hearts will be choking the throats, and they can neither return them (hearts) to their chests nor can they throw them out. There will be no friend, nor an intercessor for the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.), who could be given heed to.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

This day every soul is rewarded what it has earned. No injustice this day! Surely Allah is Swift in Reckoning.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And warn them of the day that draws near, when hearts shall rise up to the throats, grieving inwardly; the unjust shall not have any compassionate friend nor any intercessor who should be obeyed.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Warn them (O Muhammad) of the Day of the approaching (doom), when the hearts will be choking the throats, (when) there will be no friend for the wrong-doers, nor any intercessor who will be heard.

Muhammad Sarwar

(Muhammad), warn them of the approaching day when because of hardship and frustration their hearts will almost reach up to their throats. The unjust will have no friends nor any intercessor who will be heard.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Warn them against the Imminent Day when, choking with anguish, the hearts will be in their throats, the harmdoers will not have a single, loyal friend, and there will be no intercessor to be obeyed.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And warn them of the Day that is drawing near, when the hearts will be at the throats Kazimin. There will be no friend, nor an intercessor for the wrongdoers, who could be given heed to.

Wahiduddin Khan

[O Prophet] forewarn them of the approaching Day, when hearts will leap up to the throats and choke them; when the wrongdoers will have no friend, nor any intercessor who will be listened to,

Talal Itani

And warn them of the Day of Imminence, when the hearts are at the throats, choking them. The evildoers will have no intimate friend, and no intercessor to be obeyed.

Tafsir jalalayn

And warn them of the Impending Day, namely, the Day of Resurrection (al-azifa, as in azifa al-rahlu, `departure is very near') when the hearts will, rising up in fear, reach the throats, choking with anguish, filled with [suppressed] anxiety (kzimna is a circumstantial qualifier referring to al-qulbu, `the hearts', which is qualified by the [active animate participle] plural [kzimna] and referred to as though they were the very individuals themselves). The evildoers will not have any intimate [friend], [any] sympathiser, nor any intercessor who might be heeded -- the adjectival qualification [`who might be heeded'] has no [literal] significance, for they do not have intercessors in the first place; So [now] we have no intercessors ... [Q. 26;100]. The first part, however, may [be said to] have significance if [understand] on the basis of their claim to have intercessors, and so, in other words, even if -- hypothetically speaking -- they [their intercessors] did intercede for them, they would not be heeded.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Warning of the Day of Resurrection and Allah's judgement on that Day

Allah says;

وَأَنذِرْهُمْ يَوْمَ الاْأزِفَةِ

And warn them of the Day that is drawing near,

`The Day that is drawing near' is one of the names of the Day of Judgement. It is so called because it is close, as Allah says;

أَزِفَتِ الاٌّزِفَةُ

لَيْسَ لَهَا مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ كَاشِفَةٌ

The Day of Resurrection draws near. None besides Allah can avert it. (53;57-58)

اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ

The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft asunder. (54;1)

اقْتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَـبُهُمْ

Draws near for mankind their reckoning. (21;1)

أَتَى أَمْرُ اللَّهِ فَلَ تَسْتَعْجِلُوهُ

The Event (the Hour) ordained by Allah will come to pass, so seek not to hasten it. (16;1)

فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهُ زُلْفَةً سِييَتْ وُجُوهُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ

But when they will see it approaching, the faces of those who disbelieve will change and turn black with sadness and in grief. (67;27)

and

إِذِ الْقُلُوبُ لَدَى الْحَنَاجِرِ كَاظِمِينَ

when the hearts will be at the throats Kazimin.

Qatadah said,

"When the hearts reach the throats because of fear, and they will neither come out nor go back to their places."

This was also the view of Ikrimah, As-Suddi and others.

كَاظِمِينَ
(Kazimin),

means silent, for no one will speak without His permission;

يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الرُّوحُ وَالْمَلَـيِكَةُ صَفّاً لاَّ يَتَكَلَّمُونَ إِلاَّ مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ الرَّحْمَـنُ وَقَالَ صَوَاباً

The Day that Ar-Ruh (Jibril) and the angels will stand forth in rows, they will not speak except him whom the Most Gracious allows, and he will speak what is right. (78;38)

Ibn Jurayj said;
كَاظِمِينَ
(Kazimin),

"It means weeping."

مَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ حَمِيمٍ وَلَاا شَفِيعٍ يُطَاعُ



There will be no friend, nor an intercessor for the wrongdoers, who could be given heed to.

means, those who wronged themselves by associating others in worship with Allah, will have no relative to help them and no intercessor who can plead on their behalf; all means of good will be cut off from them.

يَعْلَمُ خَايِنَةَ الاَْعْيُنِ وَمَا تُخْفِي الصُّدُورُ