Al-Qur'an Surah An-Naba Verse 40

Mufti Taqi Usmani

We have warned you of an approaching torment (that will be inflicted) on a day when one will see what his hands have sent ahead, and the disbeliever will say, “O would that I had turned into dust.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Indeed, We have warned you of an imminent punishment—the Day every person will see ˹the consequences of˺ what their hands have done, and the disbelievers will cry, “I wish I were dust.”[[ In the Hereafter, Allah will judge between all of His creation including animals, which will eventually become dust. The wicked will wish that they too were turned into dust so they do not have to go to the Fire, as reported in an authentic narration collected by Al-Ḥakim.]]

Ruwwad Translation Center

Indeed, We have warned you of an imminent punishment on the Day when everyone will see what his hands have sent forth, and the disbeliever will say, “Oh, I wish that I were dust!”

A. J. Arberry

Lo, We have warned you of a nigh chastisement, upon the day when a man shall behold what his hands have forwarded, and the unbeliever shall say, 'O would that I were dust!'

Abdul Haleem

We have warned you of imminent torment, on the Day when every person will see what their own hands have sent ahead for them, when the disbeliever will say, ‘If only I were dust!’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Verily We! We have warned you of a torment nigh at hand, a Day whereon a man shall behold that which his hands have sent forth, and the infidel will say: would that I were dust!

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Verily, We have warned you of a Penalty near, the Day when man will see (the deeds) which his hands have sent forth, and the Unbeliever will say, "Woe unto me! Would that I were (metre) dust!"

Abul Ala Maududi

Lo! We warn you of a chastisement near at hand; the Day when a man will look on what his own hands have sent forth, and the unbelievers shall say: “Oh would that I were utter dust.”

Ahmed Ali

We have indeed warned you of a calamity near at hand, a day when man will see what he had sent (of his deeds) ahead, and the unbeliever will say: "Woe alas. Ah would that I were dust!"

Ahmed Raza Khan

We warn you of a punishment that has come near; a day on which man will see what his own hands have sent ahead, and the disbeliever will say, “Alas – if only I were dust!”

Ali Quli Qarai

Indeed We have warned you of a punishment near at hand—the day when a person will observe what his hands have sent ahead and the faithless one will say, ‘I wish I were dust!’

Ali Ünal

We have surely warned you against a punishment near at hand. On that Day a person will look at what he has forwarded (from the world) with his own hands, and the unbeliever will say: "Oh, would that I were mere dust (instead of being a responsible being with consciousness and free will)!"

Amatul Rahman Omar

Verily, We have warned you of a punishment which is close at hand, a day when a person shall see what (good or evil deeds) he has sent on before (for the next life), and the disbeliever will say, `Would that I were mere dust.´

English Literal

We (E), We warned/gave you notice of (a) near/close torture, a day/time the human/man looks (to) what his two hands advanced/undertook , and the disbeliever says: "Oh, if only I was dust/earth."454

Faridul Haque

We warn you of a punishment that has come near; a day on which man will see what his own hands have sent ahead, and the disbeliever will say, “Alas – if only I were dust!”

Hamid S. Aziz

Surely We have warned you of a doom near at hand: the day when man shall see that which his two hands have sent before, and the unbeliever shall say, "O! Would that I were dust!"

Hilali & Khan

Verily, We have warned you of a near torment, the Day when man will see that (the deeds) which his hands have sent forth, and the disbeliever will say: "Woe to me! Would that I were dust!"

Maulana Mohammad Ali

By those yearning vehemently!

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Surely We have warned you of a chastisement near at hand: the day when man shall see what his two hands have sent before, and the unbeliever shall say: O! would that I were dust!

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Lo! We warn you of a doom at hand, a day whereon a man will look on that which his own hands have sent before, and the disbeliever will cry: "Would that I were dust!"

Muhammad Sarwar

We have warned you of the approaching torment. On that day, a person will see what his hands have committed. A disbeliever will say, "Would that I had been dust".

Qaribullah & Darwish

Indeed, We have forewarned you of an imminent punishment, the Day when the person will look upon his works and the unbelievers will say: 'Would that I were dust'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Verily, We have warned you of a near torment -- the Day when man will see that which his hands have sent forth, and the disbeliever will say: "Woe to me! Would that I were dust!"

Wahiduddin Khan

We have warned you of a chastisement which is near at hand, on the Day when man shall [clearly] see what his hands have sent ahead, and when he who has denied the truth shall say, "Oh, would that I were dust!"

Talal Itani

We have warned you of a near punishment—the Day when a person will observe what his hands have produced, and the faithless will say, “O, I wish I were dust.”

Tafsir jalalayn

Lo! We have warned you, O disbelievers of Mecca, of a chastisement that is near, the chastisement of the impending Day of Resurrection -- for anything that is impending is [also] near -- the day (yawma adverbially qualifies `adhban, `a chastisement', by describing it) when a person, [when] every person, will behold what his hands have sent ahead, of good and evil, and the disbeliever will say, `O (y is a particle used to call attention to something) would that I were dust!', in other words, and not be chastised. He says this when God, exalted be He, says to the beasts, after each of them has retaliated against the other, `Be dust!'. Meccan, consisting of 46 verses.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

إِنَّا أَنذَرْنَاكُمْ عَذَابًا قَرِيبًا


Verily, We have warned you of a near torment,

meaning, the Day of Judgment.

It is mentioned here to emphasize the fact that its occurrence has become close, because everything that is coming will certainly come to pass.

يَوْمَ يَنظُرُ الْمَرْءُ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ

the Day when man will see that which his hands have sent forth,

meaning, all of his deeds will be presented to him -- the good and bad, and the old and new.

This is similar to Allah's statement,

وَوَجَدُواْ مَا عَمِلُواْ حَاضِرًا

And they will find all that they did, placed before them. (18;49)

It is also similar to His statement,

يُنَبَّأُ الاِنسَـنُ يَوْمَيِذِ بِمَا قَدَّمَ وَأَخَّرَ

On that Day man will be informed of what he sent forward, and what he left behind. (75;13)

Then Allah says,

..
وَيَقُولُ الْكَافِرُ يَا لَيْتَنِي كُنتُ تُرَابًا




and the disbeliever will say;"Woe to me! Would that I were dust!"

meaning, the disbeliever on that Day will wish that he had only been dust in the worldly life.

He will wish that he had not been created and that he had never come into existence. This will be when he sees the torment of Allah and he looks at his wicked deeds that will be written down against him by the noble righteous scribes among angels.

It has been said that he will only wish for that when Allah passes judgement between all of the animals that were in the worldly life. He will rectify matters between them with His just wisdom that does not wrong anyone. Even the hornless sheep will be allowed to avenge itself against the sheep with horns. Then, when the judgement between them is finished, He (Allah) will say to them (the animals),

"Be dust."

So they will all become dust.

Upon witnessing this the disbeliever will say,
يَـلَيْتَنِى كُنتُ تُرَباً
(Would that I were dust!)

meaning, `I wish I was an animal so that I would be returned to dust.'

Something of similar meaning to this has been reported in the well-known Hadith about the Sur.

There are also narrations recorded from Abu Hurayrah, Abdullah bin Amr, and others concerning this.

This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah An-Naba'. And all praise and thanks are due to Allah. He is the Giver of success and protection from error