Al-Ghashiyah 88
The Overwhelming EventHow to read the Hangul
الرَّحْمَٰنِ르r라흐마니 بِسْمِ비스밀
- Bold = the stressed syllable of the word; a little stronger.
- Overline = long vowel (madd): hold it about two beats. Length matters most in recitation.
- Tiny = no vowel in the Arabic here — just the consonant, short.
- Small Latin letter = a sound Korean lacks, on the next syllable: f upper teeth on lower lip · θ/ð tongue tip between the teeth · r rolled tongue tip (a bare ㄹ is l).
How to read the Hangul
beginning the Christ salvation
- Bold, larger (ˈ) = say it strong and a little longer — the stressed syllable.
- Faint = weak and short (a reduced vowel). Don't give every syllable equal weight.
- Tiny 으 · 트 · 스 = barely voiced. English has no vowel there — stop on the consonant.
- Whole word faint (the, of, and, to…) = light and quick in a sentence; stress the content words.
- Small f v θ ð r = sounds Korean doesn't have — f: upper teeth on the lower lip; v: the same, voiced; θ/ð: tongue tip between the teeth; r: tongue curled back, touching nothing.
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Surah
About this surah
Classed as a Meccan sura, it begins with a question: has news come to you of the Overwhelming Event? It then describes two groups of faces on that Day. The humbled faces are exhausted, burning in a scorching Fire, given water from a boiling spring and thorny food that neither nourishes nor satisfies hunger. The joyful faces are pleased with their striving and live in a lofty Garden where no idle talk is heard, with a flowing spring, raised couches, cups, cushions and carpets. The sura then turns to the world around its listeners, asking them to look at how camels are created, how the sky is raised, how mountains are set firm and how the earth is spread out. It ends by telling the one addressed that he is only a reminder, not a controller over people; their return and their reckoning belong to God.
- The Day of Judgement
- Two kinds of faces
- Fire and Garden
- Signs in nature
- The task of reminding
The name It takes its name from 'the Overwhelming [Event]' (al-Ghashiyah) in verse 1, which the following verses describe as 'that Day'.
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1
Has news come to you of the Overwhelming [Event]?
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2
Some faces that Day will be humbled,
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3
labouring, exhausted.
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4
They will burn in a scorching Fire,
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5
made to drink from a boiling spring.
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6
Their only food will be of thorny shrubs,
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7
which neither nourishes nor satisfies hunger.
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8
Some faces that Day will be joyful,
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9
well pleased with their striving,
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10
in a lofty Garden,
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11
in which they will hear no idle talk.
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12
In it is a flowing spring.
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13
In it are raised couches,
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14
and cups set in place,
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15
and cushions lined up,
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16
and carpets spread out.
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17
Do they not look at the camels, how they are created,
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18
and at the sky, how it is raised,
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19
and at the mountains, how they are set firm,
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20
and at the earth, how it is spread out?
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21
So remind; you are only a reminder.
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22
You are not a controller over them —
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23
except whoever turns away and disbelieves,
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24
then God will punish him with the greatest punishment.
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25
Indeed to Us is their return.
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26
Then indeed upon Us is their account.