QuranHub · Online Quran Academy
How to Teach Your Child Surah An-Naba
By Nazeer AhmadFounder, QuranHub Online Quran AcademyM.A. Arabic & IslamiyatDars-e-Nizami (Tanzeem-ul-Madaris)10+ years teaching Quran and Islamic studies
Surah An-Naba is the 78th surah of the Quran, and it has forty verses — which is why it is often one of the later short surahs a child learns, once the shorter ones are firm. A child learns it verse by verse: first the words, then the sounds, then the meaning, with a tutor or a parent reading each verse aloud and the child repeating it.
This guide gives the forty verses in Arabic with transliteration and plain English meaning, explains what each verse says in plain words, and shows how to teach the surah line by line at home. QuranHub teaches children from age 4, through Qaida, Nazra, Tajweed, and Hifz, and every lesson is shaped around the child in front of the tutor.
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The forty verses of Surah An-Naba
Surah An-Naba has forty verses, and each verse is one line. Read each verse aloud to your child, let the child repeat it, and then read it together — one verse at a time, until the child reads the verse alone. The Arabic below is the standard text of the surah, with a transliteration to help with the sounds and a plain English meaning for each verse.
Start with the first verse and stay with it until the child reads it without help, then add the second verse, then the third, and so on through the fortieth. A child who learns one verse well holds it; a child who is pushed through all 40 at once holds none of them firmly.
- عَمَّ یَتَسَاۤءَلُونَ — Amma yatasaa'aloon — About what are they asking one another?
- عَنِ ٱلنَّبَإِ ٱلۡعَظِیمِ — 'Anin-naba'il-'azeem — About the great news.
- ٱلَّذِی هُمۡ فِیهِ مُخۡتَلِفُونَ — Alladhee hum feehi mukhtalifoon — About which they disagree.
- كَلَّا سَیَعۡلَمُونَ — Kallaa saya'lamoon — No! They will come to know.
- ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَیَعۡلَمُونَ — Thumma kallaa saya'lamoon — Then, no! They will come to know.
- أَلَمۡ نَجۡعَلِ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ مِهَـٰدًا — Alam naj'alil-arda mihaadaa — Have We not made the earth a resting place?
- وَٱلۡجِبَالَ أَوۡتَادًا — Wal-jibaala awtaadaa — And the mountains as pegs?
- وَخَلَقۡنَـٰكُمۡ أَزۡوَٰجًا — Wa khalaqnaakum azwaajaa — And We created you in pairs.
- وَجَعَلۡنَا نَوۡمَكُمۡ سُبَاتًا — Wa ja'alnaa nawmakoum subaataa — And We made your sleep a rest.
- وَجَعَلۡنَا ٱلَّیۡلَ لِبَاسًا — Wa ja'alnal-layla libaasaa — And We made the night a covering.
- وَجَعَلۡنَا ٱلنَّهَارَ مَعَاشًا — Wa ja'alnan-nahaara ma'aashaa — And We made the day for livelihood.
- وَبَنَیۡنَا فَوۡقَكُمۡ سَبۡعًا شِدَادًا — Wa banaynaa fawqakum sab'an shidaadaa — And We built above you seven strong heavens.
- وَجَعَلۡنَا سِرَاجًا وَهَّاجًا — Wa ja'alnaa siraajan wahhaajaa — And We made a blazing lamp.
- وَأَنزَلۡنَا مِنَ ٱلۡمُعۡصِرَٰتِ مَاۤءً ثَجَّاجًا — Wa anzalnaa minal-mu'siraati maaa'an thajjaajaa — And We sent down from the rain clouds pouring water.
- لِّنُخۡرِجَ بِهِۦ حَبًّا وَنَبَاتًا — Linukhrija bihi habban wa nabaataa — So that We bring forth with it grain and plants.
- وَجَنَّـٰتٍ أَلۡفَافًا — Wa jannaatin alfaafaa — And gardens of thick growth.
- إِنَّ یَوۡمَ ٱلۡفَصۡلِ كَانَ مِیقَـٰتًا — Inna yawmal-fasli kaana meeqaataa — Indeed, the Day of Judgement is an appointed time.
- یَوۡمَ یُنفَخُ فِی ٱلصُّورِ فَتَأۡتُونَ أَفۡوَاجًا — Yawma yunfakhu fis-soori fata'toona afwaajaa — The Day the Trumpet is blown and you will come in crowds.
- وَفُتِحَتِ ٱلسَّمَاۤءُ فَكَانَتۡ أَبۡوَٰبًا — Wa futihatis-samaa'u fakaanat abwaabaa — And the heaven is opened and becomes gates.
- وَسُیِّرَتِ ٱلۡجِبَالُ فَكَانَتۡ سَرَابًا — Wa suyyiratil-jibaalu fakaanat saraabaa — And the mountains are moved and become a mirage.
- إِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ كَانَتۡ مِرۡصَادًا — Inna jahannama kaanat mirsaadaa — Indeed, Hell is a place of ambush.
- لِّلطَّـٰغِینَ مَـَٔابًا — Lit-taagheena ma'aabaa — For the transgressors, a place of return.
- لَّـٰبِثِینَ فِیهَاۤ أَحۡقَابًا — Laabitheena feehaa ahqaabaa — They will remain in it for ages.
- لَّا یَذُوقُونَ فِیهَا بَرۡدًا وَلَا شَرَابًا — Laa yadhooqoona feehaa bardan wa laa sharaabaa — They will taste therein neither coolness nor drink.
- إِلَّا حَمِیمًا وَغَسَّاقًا — Illaa hameeman wa ghassaaqaa — Except scalding water and foul pus.
- جَزَاۤءً وِفَاقًا — Jazaa'an wifaaqaa — A fitting recompense.
- إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُوا۟ لَا یَرۡجُونَ حِسَابًا — Innahum kaanoo laa yarjoona hisaabaa — Indeed, they did not expect an account.
- وَكَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔایَـٰتِنَا كِذَّابًا — Wa kadhdhaboo bi-aayaatinaa kidhdhaabaa — And they denied Our signs with strong denial.
- وَكُلَّ شَیۡءٍ أَحۡصَیۡنَـٰهُ كِتَـٰبًا — Wa kulla shay'in ahsaynaahu kitaabaa — And everything We have recorded in a book.
- فَذُوقُوا۟ فَلَن نَّزِیدَكُمۡ إِلَّا عَذَابًا — Fadhooquoo falan nazeedakum illaa 'adhaabaa — So taste! We will not increase you except in punishment.
- إِنَّ لِلۡمُتَّقِینَ مَفَازًا — Inna lil-muttaqeena mafaazaa — Indeed, for the righteous is a great success.
- حَدَاۤىِٕقَ وَأَعۡنَـٰبًا — Hadaa'iqa wa a'naabaa — Gardens and grapevines.
- وَكَوَاعِبَ أَتۡرَابًا — Wa kawaa'iba atraabaa — And full-breasted companions of equal age.
- وَكَأۡسًا دِهَاقًا — Wa ka'san dihaaqaa — And a full cup.
- لَّا یَسۡمَعُونَ فِیهَا لَغۡوًا وَلَا كِذَّٰبًا — Laa yasma'oona feehaa laghwan wa laa kidhdhaabaa — They will not hear therein idle talk or lying.
- جَزَاۤءً مِّن رَّبِّكَ عَطَاۤءً حِسَابًا — Jazaa'an min rabbika 'ataa'an hisaabaa — A reward from your Lord, a gift, a sufficient reckoning.
- رَّبِّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا بَیۡنَهُمَا ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِۖ لَا یَمۡلِكُونَ مِنۡهُ خِطَابًا — Rabbis-samaawaati wal-ardi wa maa baynahumar-rahmaani laa yamlikoona minhu khitaabaa — Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, the Most Merciful — they will have no power to speak to Him.
- یَوۡمَ یَقُومُ ٱلرُّوحُ وَٱلۡمَلَـٰۤىِٕكَةُ صَفًّاۖ لَّا یَتَكَلَّمُونَ إِلَّا مَنۡ أَذِنَ لَهُ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنُ وَقَالَ صَوَابًا — Yawma yaqoomur-roohu wal-malaa'ikatu saffan laa yatakallamoona illaa man adhina lahur-rahmaanu wa qaala sawaabaa — The Day the Spirit and the angels stand in rows; they will not speak except one whom the Most Merciful permits, and he will say what is right.
- ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡیَوۡمُ ٱلۡحَقُّۖ فَمَن شَاۤءَ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ مَـَٔابًا — Dhaalikal-yawmul-haqqu faman shaaa'at-takhadha ilaa rabbihi ma'aabaa — That is the True Day; so whoever wills can take a return to his Lord.
- إِنَّاۤ أَنذَرۡنَـٰكُمۡ عَذَابًا قَرِیبًا یَوۡمَ یَنظُرُ ٱلۡمَرۡءُ مَا قَدَّمَتۡ یَدَاهُ وَیَقُولُ ٱلۡكَافِرُ یَـٰلَیۡتَنِی كُنتُ تُرَٰبَۢا — Innaa andharnaakum 'adhaaban qareeban yawma yanzurul-mar'u maa qaddamat yadaahu wa yaqoolul-kaafiru yaa laytanee kuntu turaabaa — Indeed, We have warned you of a near punishment, the Day a man will see what his hands have put forth, and the disbeliever will say, 'Oh, I wish I were dust!'
What each verse says, in plain words
The meaning helps the child hold the words, so teach the meaning with the words, not after them. Read the verse, say what it means in plain words, and let the child say the meaning back in their own words — a child who knows what a verse says reads it with more care.
Keep the meaning plain and short. A young child does not need a long explanation; one clear sentence for each verse is enough, and the tutor or the parent repeats that sentence each time the verse is read.
- Verse 1: About what are they asking one another?
- Verse 2: About the great news.
- Verse 3: About which they disagree.
- Verse 4: No! They will come to know.
- Verse 5: Then, no! They will come to know.
- Verse 6: Have We not made the earth a resting place?
- Verse 7: And the mountains as pegs?
- Verse 8: And We created you in pairs.
- Verse 9: And We made your sleep a rest.
- Verse 10: And We made the night a covering.
- Verse 11: And We made the day for livelihood.
- Verse 12: And We built above you seven strong heavens.
- Verse 13: And We made a blazing lamp.
- Verse 14: And We sent down from the rain clouds pouring water.
- Verse 15: So that We bring forth with it grain and plants.
- Verse 16: And gardens of thick growth.
- Verse 17: Indeed, the Day of Judgement is an appointed time.
- Verse 18: The Day the Trumpet is blown and you will come in crowds.
- Verse 19: And the heaven is opened and becomes gates.
- Verse 20: And the mountains are moved and become a mirage.
- Verse 21: Indeed, Hell is a place of ambush.
- Verse 22: For the transgressors, a place of return.
- Verse 23: They will remain in it for ages.
- Verse 24: They will taste therein neither coolness nor drink.
- Verse 25: Except scalding water and foul pus.
- Verse 26: A fitting recompense.
- Verse 27: Indeed, they did not expect an account.
- Verse 28: And they denied Our signs with strong denial.
- Verse 29: And everything We have recorded in a book.
- Verse 30: So taste! We will not increase you except in punishment.
- Verse 31: Indeed, for the righteous is a great success.
- Verse 32: Gardens and grapevines.
- Verse 33: And full-breasted companions of equal age.
- Verse 34: And a full cup.
- Verse 35: They will not hear therein idle talk or lying.
- Verse 36: A reward from your Lord, a gift, a sufficient reckoning.
- Verse 37: Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, the Most Merciful — they will have no power to speak to Him.
- Verse 38: The Day the Spirit and the angels stand in rows; they will not speak except one whom the Most Merciful permits, and he will say what is right.
- Verse 39: That is the True Day; so whoever wills can take a return to his Lord.
- Verse 40: Indeed, We have warned you of a near punishment, the Day a man will see what his hands have put forth, and the disbeliever will say, 'Oh, I wish I were dust!'
Teaching it line by line
Teach one verse at a time. Read the verse aloud slowly, let the child repeat it, then read it together — and only move to the next verse when the child reads the first one alone. If a sound is hard, say it slowly, break the word into its letters, and let the child build it again from the page.
When the child knows two verses, join them: read the first verse, then the second, in order, at the same even pace. Then add the third verse the same way, and then the fourth, and so on through the fortieth — so the child always reads from the start, in order, and the surah grows one verse at a time.
- One verse at a time — move on only when the child reads the verse alone
- Read aloud, let the child repeat, then read it together
- Break a hard word into its letters and build it again from the page
- Join the verses in order as each new verse is learned
Practising together at home
Read the surah aloud together for a few minutes each day, at the same time, in the same quiet room. The child reads to a listener, the listener hears a dropped sound sooner than the reader, and the page stays open so a slipped word can be checked at once.
Keep the practice short and steady: a few minutes of reading aloud, a short rest, and the page closed while the day goes on. A child who reads the surah a little every day meets each verse several times, and each meeting makes the verse firmer.
- Read the surah aloud together for a few minutes each day
- Same time, same quiet room, every day — a short, steady routine
- The child reads to a listener, who hears a dropped sound first
- Keep the page open so a slipped word can be checked at once
When the words slip: stay calm
A child who knew a verse yesterday and cannot find it today has not failed — the verse is fragile until it has been met several times, and forgetting is one of the most ordinary things in learning. Stay calm, go back one verse, and rebuild the slipped verse from the page.
Do not correct the child in a rush, and do not teach the verse yourself if the child has a tutor — the parent listens, and the tutor teaches. Tell the tutor which verse slipped, and the tutor re-teaches that verse in the next lesson, at the same even pace.
- A slipped verse is normal — go back one verse and rebuild it from the page
- Stay calm, and let the child find the words again without rushing
- Do not teach the verse yourself — the parent listens, the tutor teaches
- Tell the tutor which verse slipped so it is re-taught in the next lesson
Trying it free: three classes before you decide
Three real classes with a real tutor cost nothing — that is the free 3-day trial, and it is the honest way to see how a tutor teaches your child, including how the tutor teaches a surah line by line. The trial tutor watches how your child reads, which sounds come easily, and which ones need more care — and then shapes the lessons around what your child needs.
Booking takes a short message: your child's age, level, and the times that suit your family. A matched tutor is then arranged, and after the three classes there is no pressure to continue — you judge by how your child responded, and how they sounded in the lessons. Families who want a longer free start can also ask about the free one-month Qaida course, open to the first 50 students.
- Three real classes with a real tutor, free, at your child's level
- The trial tutor watches how your child reads and shapes lessons around them
- Judge by how your child responded — no pressure to continue after the trial
- Ask about the free one-month Qaida course for a longer free start
Frequently asked questions
How long is Surah An-Naba?+
Forty verses. A child learns it verse by verse — first the words, then the sounds, then the meaning — one verse at a time.
Does my child need to know Arabic before learning Surah An-Naba?+
No — the tutor teaches the sounds letter by letter from Qaida, and the child does not need to know any Arabic before starting. The transliteration in this guide helps with the sounds at home.
How do I teach the Arabic sounds at home?+
Read the verse aloud, let the child repeat it, and listen for each sound. Teach one verse at a time, break a hard word into its letters, and read the verse together until the child reads it alone.
Should I teach the meaning as well as the words?+
Yes — the meaning helps the child hold the words. Teach the words first, then the plain meaning of each verse, in the child's own language, and repeat that meaning each time the verse is read.
Can we try a lesson before deciding?+
Yes — the free 3-day trial gives three real classes with a real tutor, and the free one-month Qaida course is open to the first 50 students. Book the trial and share your child's level and the times that suit your family.