Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Qalam Verse 42

Mufti Taqi Usmani

On the Day when the Shin will be exposed, and they will be called upon to prostrate themselves, they will not be able to.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

˹Beware of˺ the Day the Shin ˹of Allah˺ will be bared,[[ Like the Face and the Hands, the Shin is believed by many to be one of the qualities of Allah, in a way befitting His Majesty and Greatness. Since baring the shin in the Arab culture is associated with the heat of battle, some interpret the verse metaphorically, so the meaning would be: “˹Beware of˺ the Day when horror sets in.”]] and the wicked will be asked to prostrate, but they will not be able to do so,

Ruwwad Translation Center

On the Day when the Shin [of Allah] will be uncovered, and they are invited to prostrate, but they will not be able to do so.

A. J. Arberry

Upon the day when the leg shall be bared, and they shall be summoned to bow themselves, but they cannot;

Abdul Haleem

On the Day when matters become dire, they will be invited to prostrate themselves but will be prevented from doing so,

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Remember the Day whereon the shank shall be bared and they shall be called upon to Prostrate themselves, but they shall not be able.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The Day that the shin shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to bow in adoration, but they shall not be able,-

Abul Ala Maududi

On the Day when the dreadful calamity will unfold, when people will be summoned to prostrate themselves, and yet they will not be able to prostrate.

Ahmed Ali

On the day the great calamity befalls, and they are called to bow in homage, they will not be able to do so.

Ahmed Raza Khan

On the day when the Shin* will be exposed and they will be called to prostrate themselves, they will be unable. (Used as a metaphor)

Ali Quli Qarai

The day when the catastrophe occurs and they are summoned to prostrate themselves, they will not be able [to do it].

Ali Ünal

On the Day when the truth will be manifest and they are in trouble, and being called to prostrate, they will be incapable of it:

Amatul Rahman Omar

On the day when there is severe affliction and the truth is laid bare and they will be called upon to prostrate (themselves), but they will not be able to do so.

English Literal

A day/time being uncovered/(relieved) of (a) shin/leg, and they be/are being called repeatedly to the prostration, so they are not able.

Faridul Haque

On the day when the Shin will be exposed and they will be called to prostrate themselves, they will be unable.

Hamid S. Aziz

On the day when the Shin (the Hidden Mystery or Truth) shall be laid bare, and they shall be called upon to make obeisance, but they shall not be able,

Hilali & Khan

(Remember) the Day when the Shin shall be laid bare (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) and they shall be called to prostrate (to Allah), but they (hypocrites) shall not be able to do so,

Maulana Mohammad Ali

So leave Me alone with him who rejects this announcement. We shall overtake them by degrees, from whence they know not.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

On the day when there shall be a severe affliction, and they shall be called upon to make obeisance, but they shall not be able,

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

On the day when it befalleth in earnest, and they are ordered to prostrate themselves but are not able,

Muhammad Sarwar

On the day when the terrible torment approaches, they will be told (in a mocking way) to prostrate themselves, but they will not be able to do it.

Qaribullah & Darwish

On the Day when the leg shall be bared, and they are ordered to prostrate themselves, they will be unable.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

The Day when the Shin shall be laid bare and they shall be called to prostrate themselves, but they shall not be able to do so.

Wahiduddin Khan

On the Day when the truth shall be laid bare, they will be called upon to prostrate themselves, but they will not be able to do so.

Talal Itani

On the Day when the Shin will be exposed, and they will be called to bow down, but they will be unable.

Tafsir jalalayn

Mention, the day when the shank is bared (an expression denoting the severity of the predicament during the reckoning and the requital on the Day of Resurrection; one says kashafati'l-harbu `an sqin, `the war has bared its shank', to mean that it has intensified) and they are summoned to prostrate themselves, as a test of their faith, but they will not be able [to do so] -- their backs will become as [stiff as] a brick wall.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Terror of the Day of Judgement

After Allah mentions that those who have Taqwa, will have Gardens of Delight with their Lord, He explains when this will be, and its actual occurrence.

He says,

يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ فَلَ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ




The Day when the Shin shall be laid bare and they shall be called to prostrate themselves, but they shall not be able to do so.

meaning, the Day of Judgement and the horrors, earthquakes, trials, tests and great matters that will occur during it.

Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri said that he heard the Prophet saying,

يَكْشِفُ رَبُّنَا عَنْ سَاقِهِ فَيَسْجُدُ لَهُ كُلُّ مُوْمِنٍ وَمُوْمِنَةٍ وَيَبْقَى مَنْ كَانَ يَسْجُدُ فِي الدُّنْيَا رِيَاءً وَسُمْعَةً فَيَذْهَبُ لِيَسْجُدَ فَيَعُودُ ظَهْرُهُ طَبَقًا وَاحِدًا

Our Lord will reveal His Shin, and every believing male and female will prostrate to Him. The only people who will remain standing are those who prostrated in the worldly life only to be seen and heard (showing off). This type of person will try to prostrate at that time, but his back will made to be one stiff plate (the bone will not bend or flex)."

This Hadith was recorded in the Two Sahihs and other books from different routes of transmission with various wordings. It is a long Hadith that is very popular.

Concerning Allah's statement