Maktab QuranSurah An-Naziat opens at full velocity — five oaths by the angels who tear souls out and glide and race with the commands of their Lord — then drops into the Day the tremor shakes and hearts pound. Its centrepiece is the Quran's most compressed telling of Musa and Firawn: the call at the sacred valley, the arrogant claim 'I am your lord most high', and the seizure. It ends with creation zoomed out — the sky raised, the night darkened, the earth spread — and the question the Makkans kept asking: when is the Hour? You are only a warner for those who fear it.
Surah An-Naziat is the 79th chapter of the Qur'an, a Meccan surah of 46 verses. It opens with five oaths, answers those who ask whether they will really be returned to life, retells the sending of Musa to Pharaoh, argues from the making of the heaven and the earth, and ends on the Hour whose timing is not disclosed.
Surah An-Naziat at a glance
| Surah number | 79 of 114 |
|---|---|
| Arabic name | سُورَةُ النَّازِعَاتِ |
| Name in English | An-Naziat — “Those who drag forth” |
| Verses (ayahs) | 46 |
| Revealed in | Makkah |
| Juz | 30 |
| Length in the Mushaf | about 2 pages |
The oaths and the objection
The surah opens with oaths by those who extract with violence, remove with ease, glide as if swimming, race each other, and arrange each matter. It then describes the Day the blast convulses creation, hearts trembling and eyes humbled, and quotes the objection being made at the time: “Will we indeed be returned to our former state, even if we should be decayed bones?” The answer is that it will be one shout, and suddenly they will be upon the earth's surface.
Musa and Pharaoh
The middle of the surah retells Musa being called in the sacred valley of Tuwa and sent to Pharaoh with a question rather than a threat — would he be willing to purify himself and be guided. Pharaoh denied, turned his back, gathered his people and claimed to be their most exalted lord, and was seized in exemplary punishment for the last and the first.
The heaven, the earth, and the Hour
The surah then asks whether man is a more difficult creation than the heaven, and describes its ceiling raised and proportioned, its night darkened and its brightness drawn out, the earth spread with its water and pasture, and the mountains set firm. It closes on the Overwhelming Calamity, and on the Hour — the Prophet ﷺ is told he is not the one to declare its time, only a warner to whoever fears it.
Read Surah An-Naziat in full
The Arabic below is the Uthmani script, with a Roman transliteration to help you sound out each verse and the Sahih International English translation of the meaning. If you are learning to recite it, read the Arabic line first and use the transliteration only to check yourself — leaning on it slows real reading down.
Listen to Surah An-Naziat (Mishary Al-Afasy)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ وَٱلنَّٰزِعَٰتِ غَرْقًۭا
Wan naazi 'aati gharqa
By those [angels] who extract with violence
وَٱلنَّٰشِطَٰتِ نَشْطًۭا
Wan naa shi taati nashta
And [by] those who remove with ease
وَٱلسَّٰبِحَٰتِ سَبْحًۭا
Wass saabi-haati sabha
And [by] those who glide [as if] swimming
فَٱلسَّٰبِقَٰتِ سَبْقًۭا
Fass saabi qaati sabqa
And those who race each other in a race
فَٱلْمُدَبِّرَٰتِ أَمْرًۭا
Fal mu dab-bi raati amra
And those who arrange [each] matter,
يَوْمَ تَرْجُفُ ٱلرَّاجِفَةُ
Yawma tarjufur raajifa
On the Day the blast [of the Horn] will convulse [creation],
تَتْبَعُهَا ٱلرَّادِفَةُ
Tatba'u har raadifa
There will follow it the subsequent [one].
قُلُوبٌۭ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ وَاجِفَةٌ
Quloobuny-yau maaiziw-waaji-fa
Hearts, that Day, will tremble,
أَبْصَٰرُهَا خَٰشِعَةٌۭ
Absaa ruhaa khashi'ah
Their eyes humbled.
يَقُولُونَ أَءِنَّا لَمَرْدُودُونَ فِى ٱلْحَافِرَةِ
Ya qoo loona a-inna lamar doo doona fil haafirah
They are [presently] saying, "Will we indeed be returned to [our] former state [of life]?
أَءِذَا كُنَّا عِظَٰمًۭا نَّخِرَةًۭ
Aizaa kunna 'izaa man-nakhirah
Even if we should be decayed bones?
قَالُوا۟ تِلْكَ إِذًۭا كَرَّةٌ خَاسِرَةٌۭ
Qaalu tilka izan karratun khaasirah.
They say, "That, then, would be a losing return."
فَإِنَّمَا هِىَ زَجْرَةٌۭ وَٰحِدَةٌۭ
Fa inna ma hiya zajratuw-waahida
Indeed, it will be but one shout,
فَإِذَا هُم بِٱلسَّاهِرَةِ
Faizaa hum biss saahirah
And suddenly they will be [alert] upon the earth's surface.
هَلْ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ مُوسَىٰٓ
Hal ataaka hadeethu Musaa
Has there reached you the story of Moses? -
إِذْ نَادَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ بِٱلْوَادِ ٱلْمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى
Iz nadaahu rabbuhu bil waadil-muqad dasi tuwa
When his Lord called to him in the sacred valley of Tuwa,
ٱذْهَبْ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُۥ طَغَىٰ
Izhab ilaa fir'auna innahu taghaa.
"Go to Pharaoh. Indeed, he has transgressed.
فَقُلْ هَل لَّكَ إِلَىٰٓ أَن تَزَكَّىٰ
Faqul hal laka ilaa-an tazakka.
And say to him, 'Would you [be willing to] purify yourself
وَأَهْدِيَكَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَتَخْشَىٰ
Wa ahdi yaka ila rabbika fatakh sha
And let me guide you to your Lord so you would fear [Him]?'"
فَأَرَىٰهُ ٱلْءَايَةَ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰ
Fa araahul-aayatal kubra.
And he showed him the greatest sign,
فَكَذَّبَ وَعَصَىٰ
Fa kazzaba wa asaa.
But Pharaoh denied and disobeyed.
ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ يَسْعَىٰ
Thumma adbara yas'aa.
Then he turned his back, striving.
فَحَشَرَ فَنَادَىٰ
Fa hashara fanada.
And he gathered [his people] and called out
فَقَالَ أَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمُ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ
Faqala ana rabbu kumul-a'laa.
And said, "I am your most exalted lord."
فَأَخَذَهُ ٱللَّهُ نَكَالَ ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ وَٱلْأُولَىٰٓ
Fa-akha zahul laahu nakalal aakhirati wal-oola.
So Allah seized him in exemplary punishment for the last and the first [transgression].
إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبْرَةًۭ لِّمَن يَخْشَىٰٓ
Inna fee zaalika la'ibratal limaiy-yaksha
Indeed in that is a warning for whoever would fear [Allah].
ءَأَنتُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقًا أَمِ ٱلسَّمَآءُ ۚ بَنَىٰهَا
A-antum a shaddu khalqan amis samaa-u banaaha.
Are you a more difficult creation or is the heaven? Allah constructed it.
رَفَعَ سَمْكَهَا فَسَوَّىٰهَا
Raf'a sam kaha fasaw waaha
He raised its ceiling and proportioned it.
وَأَغْطَشَ لَيْلَهَا وَأَخْرَجَ ضُحَىٰهَا
Wa aghtasha lailaha wa akhraja duhaaha.
And He darkened its night and extracted its brightness.
وَٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَىٰهَآ
Wal arda b'ada zaalika dahaaha.
And after that He spread the earth.
أَخْرَجَ مِنْهَا مَآءَهَا وَمَرْعَىٰهَا
Akhraja minha maa-aha wa mar 'aaha.
He extracted from it its water and its pasture,
وَٱلْجِبَالَ أَرْسَىٰهَا
Wal jibala arsaaha.
And the mountains He set firmly
مَتَٰعًۭا لَّكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَٰمِكُمْ
Mataa'al lakum wali an 'aamikum.
As provision for you and your grazing livestock.
فَإِذَا جَآءَتِ ٱلطَّآمَّةُ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰ
Fa-izaa jaaa'atit taaam matul kubraa.
But when there comes the greatest Overwhelming Calamity -
يَوْمَ يَتَذَكَّرُ ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ مَا سَعَىٰ
Yauma Yata zakkarul insaanu ma sa'aa.
The Day when man will remember that for which he strove,
وَبُرِّزَتِ ٱلْجَحِيمُ لِمَن يَرَىٰ
Wa burrizatil-jaheemu limany-yaraa.
And Hellfire will be exposed for [all] those who see -
فَأَمَّا مَن طَغَىٰ
Fa ammaa man taghaa.
So as for he who transgressed
وَءَاثَرَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا
Wa aasaral hayaatad dunyaa
And preferred the life of the world,
فَإِنَّ ٱلْجَحِيمَ هِىَ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ
Fa innal jaheema hiyal maawaa.
Then indeed, Hellfire will be [his] refuge.
وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ وَنَهَى ٱلنَّفْسَ عَنِ ٱلْهَوَىٰ
Wa ammaa man khaafa maqaama Rabbihee wa nahan nafsa 'anil hawaa
But as for he who feared the position of his Lord and prevented the soul from [unlawful] inclination,
فَإِنَّ ٱلْجَنَّةَ هِىَ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ
Fa innal jannata hiyal maawaa
Then indeed, Paradise will be [his] refuge.
يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلسَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْسَىٰهَا
Yas'aloonaka 'anis saa'ati ayyaana mursaahaa
They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the Hour: when is its arrival?
فِيمَ أَنتَ مِن ذِكْرَىٰهَآ
Feema anta min zikraahaa
In what [position] are you that you should mention it?
إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ مُنتَهَىٰهَآ
Ilaa Rabbika muntahaa haa
To your Lord is its finality.
إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُنذِرُ مَن يَخْشَىٰهَا
Innamaaa anta munziru maiy yakshaahaa
You are only a warner for those who fear it.
كَأَنَّهُمْ يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَهَا لَمْ يَلْبَثُوٓا۟ إِلَّا عَشِيَّةً أَوْ ضُحَىٰهَا
Ka annahum Yawma yarawnahaa lam yalbasooo illaa 'ashiyyatan aw duhaahaa
It will be, on the Day they see it, as though they had not remained [in the world] except for an afternoon or a morning thereof.
Learning Surah An-Naziat
An-Naziat has three clearly different sections — oaths, the account of Musa, and the argument from creation — and memorising it section by section works far better than straight through, because the rhythm changes at each join.
Why memorize Surah An-Naziat?
Because its 46 ayahs are tiny — many just two or three words — and land in a driving rhythm that builds real momentum. Students who finish An-Naba often take this next-door surah as their second Juz 30 milestone, keeping the classic progression moving.
How long does Surah An-Naziat take to memorize?
Honest answer: it depends on your daily portion and whether someone is correcting you. Surah An-Naziat is about 28 lines of mushaf text. Here is what that means at three realistic paces — each assuming you also run the revision cycle (which is what makes it permanent):
| Pace | New memorization per day | Time to finish Surah An-Naziat | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relaxed | ~3 lines | about 10 days | Busy adults, first-time memorizers |
| Steady | ~5 lines | about 6 days | Most students — the sweet spot |
| Focused | ~10 lines | about 3 days | Experienced memorizers, school holidays |
Add roughly a consolidation week at the end — the point where you can recite the whole surah to a listener without prompts. Our guide to how long the whole Quran takes uses the same arithmetic.
The smart way to memorize Surah An-Naziat
Ride the tempo in four movements: the racing angels and the trembling Day (1–14), the Musa and Firawn story as a mini-drama with a beginning, boast and end (15–26), the creation panorama — sky, night, earth, mountains, provision (27–33) — and the great overwhelming and the two destinations (34–46). The story section is your anchor: it is the only narrative, so it naturally divides the surah into before and after. Watch the similar-sounding oath ayahs at the start — learn their meanings individually so the five oaths stay in order.
A milestone plan for Surah An-Naziat
At the steady pace (~5 lines a day), Surah An-Naziat breaks into four milestones. Print our free planner PDF and mark them off:
| Portion | New-memorization time | Cumulative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milestone 1 | Ayahs 1–11 | ~1 day | Day 1 |
| Milestone 2 | Ayahs 12–22 | ~1 day | Day 2 |
| Milestone 3 | Ayahs 23–33 | ~1 day | Day 3 |
| Milestone 4 | Ayahs 34–46 | ~2 days | Day 5 |
Sabaq, sabqi, manzil — the three gears
Memorize new lines (sabaq), keep this week's lines warm (sabqi), and cycle everything older (manzil) — three gears that together make memorization permanent instead of temporary. The pattern is centuries old because it works. Get it as a printable system in our free Quran memorization planner, or run it with a teacher on the Hifz course.
Don't memorize your mistakes
The most expensive error in memorization is invisible: reciting to yourself, you cannot catch your own mispronunciations — and repetition welds them in. This is why every serious hifz program pairs students with a listening teacher. Ours work one-to-one on a live synchronized Quran page, correcting letter by letter, with female teachers available for women and girls. The trial lesson is free.