Surah Al-Anbya (الأنبياء) • The Prophets

Quran 21:97

21:97

وَٱقْتَرَبَ ٱلْوَعْدُ ٱلْحَقُّ فَإِذَا هِىَ شَـٰخِصَةٌ أَبْصَـٰرُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يَـٰوَيْلَنَا قَدْ كُنَّا فِى غَفْلَةٍ مِّنْ هَـٰذَا بَلْ كُنَّا ظَـٰلِمِينَ

wa-iq'taraba l-waʿdu l-ḥaqu fa-idhā hiya shākhiṣatun abṣāru alladhīna kafarū yāwaylanā qad kunnā fī ghaflatin min hādhā bal kunnā ẓālimīna

And [when] the true promise [i.e., the resurrection] has approached; then suddenly the eyes of those who disbelieved will be staring [in horror, while they say], "O woe to us; we had been unmindful of this; rather, we were wrongdoers."

— Saheeh International

when the True Promise draws near, the disbelievers’ eyes will stare in terror, and they will say, ‘Woe to us! We were not aware of this at all. We were wrong.’

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

And the true promise (Day of Resurrection) shall draw near (of fulfillment). Then (when mankind is resurrected from their graves), you shall see the eyes of the disbelievers fixedly staring in horror. (They will say): "Woe to us! We were indeed heedless of this - nay, but we were Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers)."

— Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

Juz 17Page 330meccan

Word by Word

وَٱقْتَرَبَwa-iq'tarabaAnd has approached
ٱلْوَعْدُl-waʿduthe promise
ٱلْحَقُّl-ḥaqu[the] true
فَإِذَاfa-idhāthen behold
هِىَhiya[it]
شَـٰخِصَةٌshākhiṣatun(are) staring
أَبْصَـٰرُabṣāru(the) eyes
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna(of) those who
كَفَرُوا۟kafarūdisbelieved
يَـٰوَيْلَنَاyāwaylanāO woe to us
قَدْqadVerily
كُنَّاkunnāwe had been
فِىfīin
غَفْلَةٍۢghaflatinheedlessness
مِّنْminof
هَـٰذَاhādhāthis
بَلْbalnay
كُنَّاkunnāwe were
ظَـٰلِمِينَẓālimīnawrongdoers