Surah An-Naba: Meaning, Translation, and Tafsir of the Great News (Surah 78)
Quick answer: Surah An-Naba (“The Great News”) is the 78th surah of the Quran and the first surah of Juz 30 (Juz Amma). It is a Makkan surah of 40 verses. It answers people who argued about the coming Day of Judgment: Allah points to the earth, mountains, sleep, night, day and rain as signs of His power, describes the Day of Decision, warns of Hell, promises success to the God-fearing, and ends with the scene of that Day.
Surah An-Naba at a Glance
- Names: An-Naba (the Great News), also called Amma Yatasaa’alun after its opening words
- Number: 78, the first surah of Juz 30
- Verses: 40
- Revealed in: Makkah
- Main theme: The Resurrection is certain, and creation itself is the proof
Key Verses of Surah An-Naba With Transliteration and Meaning
The surah has 40 verses, so this guide gives the central passages with their meaning. Read the full surah from a printed mushaf or a trusted app alongside this explanation.
Verses 1 to 5: What are they arguing about?
عَمَّ يَتَسَاءَلُونَ ﴿١﴾ عَنِ النَّبَإِ الْعَظِيمِ ﴿٢﴾ الَّذِي هُمْ فِيهِ مُخْتَلِفُونَ ﴿٣﴾ كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٤﴾ ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٥﴾
Transliteration: ‘Amma yatasaa’aloon. ‘Anin-nabaa’il-‘azeem. Alladhee hum feehi mukhtalifoon. Kallaa sa ya‘lamoon. Thumma kallaa sa ya‘lamoon.
Meaning: What are they asking about? About the great news, over which they differ. No indeed, they will soon know. Again, no indeed, they will soon know.
Verses 6 to 16: Signs in the earth, sleep and rain
أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ الْأَرْضَ مِهَادًا ﴿٦﴾ وَالْجِبَالَ أَوْتَادًا ﴿٧﴾ وَخَلَقْنَاكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا ﴿٨﴾ وَجَعَلْنَا نَوْمَكُمْ سُبَاتًا ﴿٩﴾ وَجَعَلْنَا اللَّيْلَ لِبَاسًا ﴿١٠﴾ وَجَعَلْنَا النَّهَارَ مَعَاشًا ﴿١١﴾ وَبَنَيْنَا فَوْقَكُمْ سَبْعًا شِدَادًا ﴿١٢﴾ وَجَعَلْنَا سِرَاجًا وَهَّاجًا ﴿١٣﴾ وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ الْمُعْصِرَاتِ مَاءً ثَجَّاجًا ﴿١٤﴾ لِنُخْرِجَ بِهِ حَبًّا وَنَبَاتًا ﴿١٥﴾ وَجَنَّاتٍ أَلْفَافًا ﴿١٦﴾
Meaning: Did We not make the earth a resting place, and the mountains as pegs? And We created you in pairs, and made your sleep a rest. We made the night a covering and the day a time to earn a living. We built above you seven strong heavens and placed a blazing lamp. We sent down from the rain clouds pouring water, to bring forth grain and plants and dense gardens.
Verses 17 and 18: The Day of Decision
إِنَّ يَوْمَ الْفَصْلِ كَانَ مِيقَاتًا ﴿١٧﴾ يَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِي الصُّورِ فَتَأْتُونَ أَفْوَاجًا ﴿١٨﴾
Transliteration: Inna yawmal-fasli kaana meeqaatan. Yawma yunfakhu fis-soori fa ta’toona afwaajaa.
Meaning: Indeed the Day of Decision is a fixed time, the day the Trumpet is blown and you come forth in crowds.
Verse 30: The warning for the deniers
فَذُوقُوا فَلَن نَّزِيدَكُمْ إِلَّا عَذَابًا ﴿٣٠﴾
Meaning: So taste it. We will never increase you except in punishment.
Verse 31: The promise for the God-fearing
إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ مَفَازًا ﴿٣١﴾
Transliteration: Inna lil-muttaqeena mafaazaa.
Meaning: Indeed, for the God-fearing is a place of success.
Verses 38 to 40: The scene of that Day
يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الرُّوحُ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ صَفًّا ۖ لَّا يَتَكَلَّمُونَ إِلَّا مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ الرَّحْمَٰنُ وَقَالَ صَوَابًا ﴿٣٨﴾ ذَٰلِكَ الْيَوْمُ الْحَقُّ ۖ فَمَن شَاءَ اتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِ مَآبًا ﴿٣٩﴾ إِنَّا أَنذَرْنَاكُمْ عَذَابًا قَرِيبًا يَوْمَ يَنظُرُ الْمَرْءُ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ وَيَقُولُ الْكَافِرُ يَا لَيْتَنِي كُنتُ تُرَابًا ﴿٤٠﴾
Meaning: On the Day the Spirit and the angels stand in rows, none will speak except one whom the Most Merciful permits and who speaks what is right. That is the True Day, so whoever wills, let him take a way back to his Lord. We have warned you of a near punishment, on the Day a person will see what his hands have sent forth, and the disbeliever will say, “I wish I were dust.”
These are plain-language meanings, not a replacement for a full translation. Read a trusted translation and tafsir alongside them.
What Is “The Great News”?
Most mufassirun say the great news (an-naba’ al-‘azeem) is the Resurrection and the Day of Judgment. Some also include the Quran and the message of the Prophet ﷺ. The Makkan disbelievers kept asking each other about it and mocking it. Allah answers with a short warning, repeated twice (“they will soon know”), then moves to evidence instead of argument.
Tafsir: How the Surah Is Built
Part 1: Proof from creation (verses 6 to 16)
The argument is simple. The One who made the ground, mountains, sleep, day and night, the sky, the sun and the rain can bring people back to life. Rain that revives dead land is a daily picture of resurrection.
Part 2: The Day of Decision (verses 17 to 20)
The Day of Decision (yawm al-fasl) has a fixed time. The Trumpet is blown, people come in groups, the sky opens as if into gates and the mountains move and become like a mirage.
Part 3: The end of the transgressors (verses 21 to 30)
Hell lies in wait for those who denied the signs and never expected a reckoning. Verse 30 is often called the harshest verse in the Quran for the people of Hell, because it says punishment will only increase.
Part 4: The success of the God-fearing (verses 31 to 36)
The contrast is immediate. The muttaqeen receive gardens, vineyards and a fair reward from their Lord. Scholars explain that Paradise is described with simple, concrete things people understand, while its reality is beyond what we can imagine.
Part 5: The standing before Allah (verses 37 to 40)
No one can speak before Allah without His permission. The surah closes with a choice: whoever wills may take the way back to his Lord. The last words, “I wish I were dust,” show the regret of the one who comes unprepared.
Lessons From Surah An-Naba
- Look at ordinary things as signs. Sleep, rain and daylight are reminders every day.
- Live for the Day of Decision. Read more in our guide to the Day of Judgment (Qiyamah).
- Taqwa is the way to success. The surah names one group who succeed: the muttaqeen.
- Return while you can. The door is open, so ask forgiveness with istighfar and learn how to make dua.
- Stay patient and trust Allah. See sabr and tawakkul.
Reciting and Memorising Surah An-Naba
It is the first surah of Juz Amma, so many children and new learners begin there. Memorise it in sections with a teacher so the tajweed is right. No authentic hadith gives a fixed reward or wazifa for reciting it for a particular wish. Its value is in understanding and acting on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many verses does Surah An-Naba have?
Forty verses.
Is Surah An-Naba Makkan or Madani?
Makkan.
What does An-Naba mean?
It means “the news” or “the announcement.” The surah calls it “the great news,” which scholars mostly explain as the Day of Resurrection.
Which Juz is Surah An-Naba in?
Juz 30, also called Juz Amma. It is the first surah of that Juz.
What is the main message of Surah An-Naba?
The Day of Judgment is real, creation proves that Allah is able to bring people back, and success belongs to the God-fearing.
Conclusion
Surah An-Naba opens Juz Amma with a question and answers it with evidence from the world around us. Read it with its meaning and ask yourself what you have sent ahead for that Day.
Continue with Surah Alam Nashrah, Surah Ad-Duha, Surah Al-Fajr and Surah An-Nasr, or find a gathering near you on our Islamic events page.
Please confirm the Arabic text and rulings with a qualified scholar or a printed mushaf.