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Chronological Koran Part II: Middle Meccan Period: A.D. 617-619
Chronological Koran compiled by Wolf Pangloss
Following the Yusuf Ali translation.
MECCAN SURAS
Second Period
The fifth and sixth years of the Prophet's Mission A.D. 617-19.
The struggle against Mohammed's tribe, the Quraysh, waxed and waned over the time that Mohammed spent in Mecca establishing the first community of Muslims. The second period was distinguished by slowly increasing opposition from the Qurayshi against Mohammed and the Muslims. In this struggle Mohammed was protected and succored by his clan, the Hashem, the hereditary princes of Mecca and environs. The suras of this and the third period are distinguished by their focus on the divine inspiration of the Koran, and on revealing the ties between the Islamic teaching and the teachings of Judaism and Christianity, the other religions of the book.
The suras of the second Meccan period describe the way that Muslims act when they are still weak, but have established a coherent but vulnerable community, must focus on defense, and are growing, when the seed sprouts and its roots seek into the earth.
54, 37, 71, 76, 44, 50, 20, 26, 15, 19, 38, 36, 43, 72, 67, 23, 21, 25, 17, 27, 18.
[54:1] The Hour (of Judgment) is nigh, and the moon is cleft asunder.
[54:2] But if they see a Sign, they turn away, and say, "This is (but) transient magic."
[54:3] They reject (the warning) and follow their (own) lusts but every matter has its appointed time.
[54:4] There have already come to them Recitals wherein there is (enough) to check (them),
[54:5] Mature wisdom;- but (the preaching of) Warners profits them not.
[54:6] Therefore, (O Prophet,) turn away from them. The Day that the Caller will call (them) to a terrible affair,
[54:7] They will come forth,- their eyes humbled - from (their) graves, (torpid) like locusts scattered abroad,
[54:8] Hastening, with eyes transfixed, towards the Caller!- "Hard is this Day!", the Unbelievers will say.
[54:9] Before them the People of Noah rejected (their messenger): they rejected Our servant, and said, "Here is one possessed!", and he was driven out.
[54:10] Then he called on his Lord: "I am one overcome: do Thou then help (me)!"
[54:11] So We opened the gates of heaven, with water pouring forth.
[54:12] And We caused the earth to gush forth with springs, so the waters met (and rose) to the extent decreed.
[54:13] But We bore him on an (Ark) made of broad planks and caulked with palm-fibre:
[54:14] She floats under our eyes (and care): a recompense to one who had been rejected (with scorn)!
[54:15] And We have left this as a Sign (for all time): then is there any that will receive admonition?
[54:16] But how (terrible) was My Penalty and My Warning?
[54:17] And We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to understand and remember: then is there any that will receive admonition?
[54:18] The 'Ad (people) (too) rejected (Truth): then how terrible was My Penalty and My Warning?
[54:19] For We sent against them a furious wind, on a Day of violent Disaster,
[54:20] Plucking out men as if they were roots of palm-trees torn up (from the ground).
[54:21] Yea, how (terrible) was My Penalty and My Warning!
[54:22] But We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to understand and remember: then is there any that will receive admonition?
[54:23] The Thamud (also) rejected (their) Warners.
[54:24] For they said: "What! a man! a Solitary one from among ourselves! shall we follow such a one? Truly should we then be straying in mind, and mad!
[54:25] "Is it that the Message is sent to him, of all people amongst us? Nay, he is a liar, an insolent one!"
[54:26] Ah! they will know on the morrow, which is the liar, the insolent one!
[54:27] For We will send the she-camel by way of trial for them. So watch them, (O Salih), and possess thyself in patience!
[54:28] And tell them that the water is to be divided between them: Each one's right to drink being brought forward (by suitable turns).
[54:29] But they called to their companion, and he took a sword in hand, and hamstrung (her).
[54:30] Ah! how (terrible) was My Penalty and My Warning!
[54:31] For We sent against them a single Mighty Blast, and they became like the dry stubble used by one who pens cattle.
[54:32] And We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to understand and remember: then is there any that will receive admonition?
[54:33] The people of Lut rejected (his) warning.
[54:34] We sent against them a violent Tornado with showers of stones, (which destroyed them), except Lut's household: them We delivered by early Dawn,-
[54:35] As a Grace from Us: thus do We reward those who give thanks.
[54:36] And (Lut) did warn them of Our Punishment, but they disputed about the Warning.
[54:37] And they even sought to snatch away his guests from him, but We blinded their eyes. (They heard:) "Now taste ye My Wrath and My Warning."
[54:38] Early on the morrow an abiding Punishment seized them:
[54:39] "So taste ye My Wrath and My Warning."
[54:40] And We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to understand and remember: then is there any that will receive admonition?
[54:41] To the People of Pharaoh, too, aforetime, came Warners (from Allah).
[54:42] The (people) rejected all Our Signs; but We seized them with such Penalty (as comes) from One Exalted in Power, able to carry out His Will.
[54:43] Are your Unbelievers, (O Quraish), better than they? Or have ye an immunity in the Sacred Books?
[54:44] Or do they say: "We acting together can defend ourselves"?
[54:45] Soon will their multitude be put to flight, and they will show their backs.
[54:46] Nay, the Hour (of Judgment) is the time promised them (for their full recompense): And that Hour will be most grievous and most bitter.
[54:47] Truly those in sin are the ones straying in mind, and mad.
[54:48] The Day they will be dragged through the Fire on their faces, (they will hear:) "Taste ye the touch of Hell!"
[54:49] Verily, all things have We created in proportion and measure.
[54:50] And Our Command is but a single (Act),- like the twinkling of an eye.
[54:51] And (oft) in the past, have We destroyed gangs like unto you: then is there any that will receive admonition?
[54:52] All that they do is noted in (their) Books (of Deeds):
[54:53] Every matter, small and great, is on record.
[54:54] As to the Righteous, they will be in the midst of Gardens and Rivers,
[54:55] In an Assembly of Truth, in the Presence of a Sovereign Omnipotent.
[37:1] By those who range themselves in ranks,
[37:2] And so are strong in repelling (evil),
[37:3] And thus proclaim the Message (of Allah)!
[37:4] Verily, verily, your Allah is one!-
[37:5] Lord of the heavens and of the earth and all between them, and Lord of every point at the rising of the sun!
[37:6] We have indeed decked the lower heaven with beauty (in) the stars,-
[37:7] (For beauty) and for guard against all obstinate rebellious evil spirits,
[37:8] (So) they should not strain their ears in the direction of the Exalted Assembly but be cast away from every side,
[37:9] Repulsed, for they are under a perpetual penalty,
[37:10] Except such as snatch away something by stealth, and they are pursued by a flaming fire, of piercing brightness.
[37:11] Just ask their opinion: are they the more difficult to create, or the (other) beings We have created? Them have We created out of a sticky clay!
[37:12] Truly dost thou marvel, while they ridicule,
[37:13] And, when they are admonished, pay no heed,-
[37:14] And, when they see a Sign, turn it to mockery,
[37:15] And say, "This is nothing but evident sorcery!
[37:16] "What! when we die, and become dust and bones, shall we (then) be raised up (again)
[37:17] "And also our fathers of old?"
[37:18] Say thou: "Yea, and ye shall then be humiliated (on account of your evil)."
[37:19] Then it will be a single (compelling) cry; and behold, they will begin to see!
[37:20] They will say, "Ah! Woe to us! This is the Day of Judgment!"
[37:21] (A voice will say,) "This is the Day of Sorting Out, whose truth ye (once) denied!"
[37:22] "Bring ye up", it shall be said, "The wrong-doers and their wives, and the things they worshipped-
[37:23] "Besides Allah, and lead them to the Way to the (Fierce) Fire!
[37:24] "But stop them, for they must be asked:
[37:25] "'What is the matter with you that ye help not each other?'"
[37:26] Nay, but that day they shall submit (to Judgment);
[37:27] And they will turn to one another, and question one another.
[37:28] They will say: "It was ye who used to come to us from the right hand (of power and authority)!"
[37:29] They will reply: "Nay, ye yourselves had no Faith!
[37:30] "Nor had we any authority over you. Nay, it was ye who were a people in obstinate rebellion!
[37:31] "So now has been proved true, against us, the word of our Lord that we shall indeed (have to) taste (the punishment of our sins).
[37:32] "We led you astray: for truly we were ourselves astray."
[37:33] Truly, that Day, they will (all) share in the Penalty.
[37:34] Verily that is how We shall deal with Sinners.
[37:35] For they, when they were told that there is no god except Allah, would puff themselves up with Pride,
[37:36] And say: "What! shall we give up our gods for the sake of a Poet possessed?"
[37:37] Nay! he has come with the (very) Truth, and he confirms (the Message of) the messengers (before him).
[37:38] Ye shall indeed taste of the Grievous Penalty;-
[37:39] But it will be no more than the retribution of (the Evil) that ye have wrought;-
[37:40] But the sincere (and devoted) Servants of Allah,-
[37:41] For them is a Sustenance determined,
[37:42] Fruits (Delights); and they (shall enjoy) honour and dignity,
[37:43] In Gardens of Felicity,
[37:44] Facing each other on Thrones (of Dignity):
[37:45] Round will be passed to them a Cup from a clear-flowing fountain,
[37:46] Crystal-white, of a taste delicious to those who drink (thereof),
[37:47] Free from headiness; nor will they suffer intoxication therefrom.
[37:48] And besides them will be chaste women, restraining their glances, with big eyes (of wonder and beauty).
[37:49] As if they were (delicate) eggs closely guarded.
[37:50] Then they will turn to one another and question one another.
[37:51] One of them will start the talk and say: "I had an intimate companion (on the earth),
[37:52] "Who used to say, 'what! art thou amongst those who bear witness to the Truth (of the Message)?
[37:53] "'When we die and become dust and bones, shall we indeed receive rewards and punishments?'"
[37:54] (A voice) said: "Would ye like to look down?"
[37:55] He looked down and saw him in the midst of the Fire.
[37:56] He said: "By Allah! thou wast little short of bringing me to perdition!
[37:57] "Had it not been for the Grace of my Lord, I should certainly have been among those brought (there)!
[37:58] "Is it (the case) that we shall not die,
[37:59] "Except our first death, and that we shall not be punished?"
[37:60] Verily this is the supreme achievement!
[37:61] For the like of this let all strive, who wish to strive.
[37:62] Is that the better entertainment or the Tree of Zaqqum?
[37:63] For We have truly made it (as) a trial for the wrong-doers.
[37:64] For it is a tree that springs out of the bottom of Hell-Fire:
[37:65] The shoots of its fruit-stalks are like the heads of devils:
[37:66] Truly they will eat thereof and fill their bellies therewith.
[37:67] Then on top of that they will be given a mixture made of boiling water.
[37:68] Then shall their return be to the (Blazing) Fire.
[37:69] Truly they found their fathers on the wrong Path;
[37:70] So they (too) were rushed down on their footsteps!
[37:71] And truly before them, many of the ancients went astray;-
[37:72] But We sent aforetime, among them, (messengers) to admonish them;-
[37:73] Then see what was the end of those who were admonished (but heeded not),-
[37:74] Except the sincere (and devoted) Servants of Allah.
[37:75] (In the days of old), Noah cried to Us, and We are the best to hear prayer.
[37:76] And We delivered him and his people from the Great Calamity,
[37:77] And made his progeny to endure (on this earth);
[37:78] And We left (this blessing) for him among generations to come in later times:
[37:79] "Peace and salutation to Noah among the nations!"
[37:80] Thus indeed do we reward those who do right.
[37:81] For he was one of our believing Servants.
[37:82] Then the rest we overwhelmed in the Flood.
[37:83] Verily among those who followed his Way was Abraham.
[37:84] Behold! he approached his Lord with a sound heart.
[37:85] Behold! he said to his father and to his people, "What is that which ye worship?
[37:86] "Is it a falsehood- gods other than Allah- that ye desire?
[37:87] "Then what is your idea about the Lord of the worlds?"
[37:88] Then did he cast a glance at the Stars.
[37:89] And he said, "I am indeed sick (at heart)!"
[37:90] So they turned away from him, and departed.
[37:91] Then did he turn to their gods and said, "will ye not eat (of the offerings before you)?...
[37:92] "What is the matter with you that ye speak not (intelligently)?"
[37:93] Then did he turn upon them, striking (them) with the right hand.
[37:94] Then came (the worshippers) with hurried steps, and faced (him).
[37:95] He said: "Worship ye that which ye have (yourselves) carved?
[37:96] "But Allah has created you and your handwork!"
[37:97] They said, "Build him a furnace, and throw him into the blazing fire!"
[37:98] (This failing), they then sought a stratagem against him, but We made them the ones most humiliated!
[37:99] He said: "I will go to my Lord! He will surely guide me!
[37:100] "O my Lord! Grant me a righteous (son)!"
[37:101] So We gave him the good news of a boy ready to suffer and forbear.
[37:102] Then, when (the son) reached (the age of) (serious) work with him, he said: "O my son! I see in vision that I offer thee in sacrifice: Now see what is thy view!" (The son) said: "O my father! Do as thou art commanded: thou will find me, if Allah so wills one practising Patience and Constancy!"
[37:103] So when they had both submitted their wills (to Allah), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice),
[37:104] We called out to him "O Abraham!
[37:105] "Thou hast already fulfilled the vision!" - thus indeed do We reward those who do right.
[37:106] For this was obviously a trial-
[37:107] And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice:
[37:108] And We left (this blessing) for him among generations (to come) in later times:
[37:109] "Peace and salutation to Abraham!"
[37:110] Thus indeed do We reward those who do right.
[37:111] For he was one of our believing Servants.
[37:112] And We gave him the good news of Isaac - a prophet,- one of the Righteous.
[37:113] We blessed him and Isaac: but of their progeny are (some) that do right, and (some) that obviously do wrong, to their own souls.
[37:114] Again (of old) We bestowed Our favour on Moses and Aaron,
[37:115] And We delivered them and their people from (their) Great Calamity;
[37:116] And We helped them, so they overcame (their troubles);
[37:117] And We gave them the Book which helps to make things clear;
[37:118] And We guided them to the Straight Way.
[37:119] And We left (this blessing) for them among generations (to come) in later times:
[37:120] "Peace and salutation to Moses and Aaron!"
[37:121] Thus indeed do We reward those who do right.
[37:122] For they were two of our believing Servants.
[37:123] So also was Elias among those sent (by Us).
[37:124] Behold, he said to his people, "Will ye not fear (Allah)?
[37:125] "Will ye call upon Baal and forsake the Best of Creators,-
[37:126] "Allah, your Lord and Cherisher and the Lord and Cherisher of your fathers of old?"
[37:127] But they rejected him, and they will certainly be called up (for punishment),-
[37:128] Except the sincere and devoted Servants of Allah (among them).
[37:129] And We left (this blessing) for him among generations (to come) in later times:
[37:130] "Peace and salutation to such as Elias!"
[37:131] Thus indeed do We reward those who do right.
[37:132] For he was one of our believing Servants.
[37:133] So also was Lut among those sent (by Us).
[37:134] Behold, We delivered him and his adherents, all
[37:135] Except an old woman who was among those who lagged behind:
[37:136] Then We destroyed the rest.
[37:137] Verily, ye pass by their (sites), by day-
[37:138] And by night: will ye not understand?
[37:139] So also was Jonah among those sent (by Us).
[37:140] When he ran away (like a slave from captivity) to the ship (fully) laden,
[37:141] He (agreed to) cast lots, and he was condemned:
[37:142] Then the big Fish did swallow him, and he had done acts worthy of blame.
[37:143] Had it not been that he (repented and) glorified Allah,
[37:144] He would certainly have remained inside the Fish till the Day of Resurrection.
[37:145] But We cast him forth on the naked shore in a state of sickness,
[37:146] And We caused to grow, over him, a spreading plant of the gourd kind.
[37:147] And We sent him (on a mission) to a hundred thousand (men) or more.
[37:148] And they believed; so We permitted them to enjoy (their life) for a while.
[37:149] Now ask them their opinion: Is it that thy Lord has (only) daughters, and they have sons?-
[37:150] Or that We created the angels female, and they are witnesses (thereto)?
[37:151] Is it not that they say, from their own invention,
[37:152] "Allah has begotten children"? but they are liars!
[37:153] Did He (then) choose daughters rather than sons?
[37:154] What is the matter with you? How judge ye?
[37:155] Will ye not then receive admonition?
[37:156] Or have ye an authority manifest?
[37:157] Then bring ye your Book (of authority) if ye be truthful!
[37:158] And they have invented a blood-relationship between Him and the Jinns: but the Jinns know (quite well) that they have indeed to appear (before his Judgment-Seat)!
[37:159] Glory to Allah! (He is free) from the things they ascribe (to Him)!
[37:160] Not (so do) the Servants of Allah, sincere and devoted.
[37:161] For, verily, neither ye nor those ye worship-
[37:162] Can lead (any) into temptation concerning Allah,
[37:163] Except such as are (themselves) going to the blazing Fire!
[37:164] (Those ranged in ranks say): "Not one of us but has a place appointed;
[37:165] "And we are verily ranged in ranks (for service);
[37:166] "And we are verily those who declare (Allah's) glory!"
[37:167] And there were those who said,
[37:168] "If only we had had before us a Message from those of old,
[37:169] "We should certainly have been Servants of Allah, sincere (and devoted)!"
[37:170] But (now that the Qur'an has come), they reject it: But soon will they know!
[37:171] Already has Our Word been passed before (this) to our Servants sent (by Us),
[37:172] That they would certainly be assisted,
[37:173] And that Our forces,- they surely must conquer.
[37:174] So turn thou away from them for a little while,
[37:175] And watch them (how they fare), and they soon shall see (how thou farest)!
[37:176] Do they wish (indeed) to hurry on our Punishment?
[37:177] But when it descends into the open space before them, evil will be the morning for those who were warned (and heeded not)!
[37:178] So turn thou away from them for a little while,
[37:179] And watch (how they fare) and they soon shall see (how thou farest)!
[37:180] Glory to thy Lord, the Lord of Honour and Power! (He is free) from what they ascribe (to Him)!
[37:181] And Peace on the messengers!
[37:182] And Praise to Allah, the Lord and Cherisher of the Worlds.
[71:1] We sent Noah to his People (with the Command): "Do thou warn thy People before there comes to them a grievous Penalty."
[71:2] He said: "O my People! I am to you a Warner, clear and open:
[71:3] "That ye should worship Allah, fear Him and obey me:
[71:4] "So He may forgive you your sins and give you respite for a stated Term: for when the Term given by Allah is accomplished, it cannot be put forward: if ye only knew."
[71:5] He said: "O my Lord! I have called to my People night and day:
[71:6] "But my call only increases (their) flight (from the Right).
[71:7] "And every time I have called to them, that Thou mightest forgive them, they have (only) thrust their fingers into their ears, covered themselves up with their garments, grown obstinate, and given themselves up to arrogance.
[71:8] "So I have called to them aloud;
[71:9] "Further I have spoken to them in public and secretly in private,
[71:10] "Saying, 'Ask forgiveness from your Lord; for He is Oft-Forgiving;
[71:11] "'He will send rain to you in abundance;
[71:12] "'Give you increase in wealth and sons; and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers (of flowing water).
[71:13] "'What is the matter with you, that ye place not your hope for kindness and long-suffering in Allah,-
[71:14] "'Seeing that it is He that has created you in diverse stages?
[71:15] "'See ye not how Allah has created the seven heavens one above another,
[71:16] "'And made the moon a light in their midst, and made the sun as a (Glorious) Lamp?
[71:17] "'And Allah has produced you from the earth growing (gradually),
[71:18] "'And in the End He will return you into the (earth), and raise you forth (again at the Resurrection)?
[71:19] "'And Allah has made the earth for you as a carpet (spread out),
[71:20] "'That ye may go about therein, in spacious roads.'"
[71:21] Noah said: "O my Lord! They have disobeyed me, but they follow (men) whose wealth and children give them no increase but only Loss.
[71:22] "And they have devised a tremendous Plot.
[71:23] "And they have said (to each other), 'Abandon not your gods: Abandon neither Wadd nor Suwa', neither Yaguth nor Ya'uq, nor Nasr';-
[71:24] "They have already misled many; and grant Thou no increase to the wrong-doers but in straying (from their mark)."
[71:25] Because of their sins they were drowned (in the flood), and were made to enter the Fire (of Punishment): and they found- in lieu of Allah- none to help them.
[71:26] And Noah, said: "O my Lord! Leave not of the Unbelievers, a single one on earth!
[71:27] "For, if Thou dost leave (any of) them, they will but mislead Thy devotees, and they will breed none but wicked ungrateful ones.
[71:28] "O my Lord! Forgive me, my parents, all who enter my house in Faith, and (all) believing men and believing women: and to the wrong-doers grant Thou no increase but in perdition!"
[76:1] Has there not been over Man a long period of Time, when he was nothing - (not even) mentioned?
[76:2] Verily We created Man from a drop of mingled sperm, in order to try him: So We gave him (the gifts), of Hearing and Sight.
[76:3] We showed him the Way: whether he be grateful or ungrateful (rests on his will).
[76:4] For the Rejecters we have prepared chains, yokes, and a blazing Fire.
[76:5] As to the Righteous, they shall drink of a Cup (of Wine) mixed with Kafur,-
[76:6] A Fountain where the Devotees of Allah do drink, making it flow in unstinted abundance.
[76:7] They perform (their) vows, and they fear a Day whose evil flies far and wide.
[76:8] And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive,-
[76:9] (Saying),"We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks.
[76:10] "We only fear a Day of distressful Wrath from the side of our Lord."
[76:11] But Allah will deliver them from the evil of that Day, and will shed over them a Light of Beauty and (blissful) Joy.
[76:12] And because they were patient and constant, He will reward them with a Garden and (garments of) silk.
[76:13] Reclining in the (Garden) on raised thrones, they will see there neither the sun's (excessive heat) nor (the moon's) excessive cold.
[76:14] And the shades of the (Garden) will come low over them, and the bunches (of fruit), there, will hang low in humility.
[76:15] And amongst them will be passed round vessels of silver and goblets of crystal,-
[76:16] Crystal-clear, made of silver: they will determine the measure thereof (according to their wishes).
[76:17] And they will be given to drink there of a Cup (of Wine) mixed with Zanjabil,-
[76:18] A fountain there, called Salsabil.
[76:19] And round about them will (serve) youths of perpetual (freshness): If thou seest them, thou wouldst think them scattered Pearls.
[76:20] And when thou lookest, it is there thou wilt see a Bliss and a Realm Magnificent.
[76:21] Upon them will be green Garments of fine silk and heavy brocade, and they will be adorned with Bracelets of silver; and their Lord will give to them to drink of a Wine Pure and Holy.
[76:22] "Verily this is a Reward for you, and your Endeavour is accepted and recognised."
[76:23] It is We Who have sent down the Qur'an to thee by stages.
[76:24] Therefore be patient with constancy to the Command of thy Lord, and hearken not to the sinner or the ingrate among them.
[76:25] And celebrate the name or thy Lord morning and evening,
[76:26] And part of the night, prostrate thyself to Him; and glorify Him a long night through.
[76:27] As to these, they love the fleeting life, and put away behind them a Day (that will be) hard.
[76:28] It is We Who created them, and We have made their joints strong; but, when We will, We can substitute the like of them by a complete change.
[76:29] This is an admonition: Whosoever will, let him take a (straight) Path to his Lord.
[76:30] But ye will not, except as Allah wills; for Allah is full of Knowledge and Wisdom.
[76:31] He will admit to His Mercy whom He will; But the wrong-doers,- for them has He prepared a grievous Penalty.
[44:1] Ha-Mim.
[44:2] By the Book that makes things clear;-
[44:3] We sent it down during a Blessed Night: for We (ever) wish to warn (against Evil).
[44:4] In the (Night) is made distinct every affair of wisdom,
[44:5] By command, from Our Presence. For We (ever) send (revelations),
[44:6] As Mercy from thy Lord: for He hears and knows (all things);
[44:7] The Lord of the heavens and the earth and all between them, if ye (but) have an assured faith.
[44:8] There is no god but He: It is He Who gives life and gives death,- The Lord and Cherisher to you and your earliest ancestors.
[44:9] Yet they play about in doubt.
[44:10] Then watch thou for the Day that the sky will bring forth a kind of smoke (or mist) plainly visible,
[44:11] Enveloping the people: this will be a Penalty Grievous.
[44:12] (They will say:) "Our Lord! remove the Penalty from us, for we do really believe!"
[44:13] How shall the message be (effectual) for them, seeing that an Messenger explaining things clearly has (already) come to them,-
[44:14] Yet they turn away from him and say: "Tutored (by others), a man possessed!"
[44:15] We shall indeed remove the Penalty for a while, (but) truly ye will revert (to your ways).
[44:16] One day We shall seize you with a mighty onslaught: We will indeed (then) exact Retribution!
[44:17] We did, before them, try the people of Pharaoh: there came to them a messenger most honourable,
[44:18] Saying: "Restore to me the Servants of Allah: I am to you an messenger worthy of all trust;
[44:19] "And be not arrogant as against Allah: for I come to you with authority manifest.
[44:20] "For me, I have sought safety with my Lord and your Lord, against your injuring me.
[44:21] "If ye believe me not, at least keep yourselves away from me."
[44:22] (But they were aggressive:) then he cried to his Lord: "These are indeed a people given to sin."
[44:23] (The reply came:) "March forth with My Servants by night: for ye are sure to be pursued.
[44:24] "And leave the sea as a furrow (divided): for they are a host (destined) to be drowned."
[44:25] How many were the gardens and springs they left behind,
[44:26] And corn-fields and noble buildings,
[44:27] And wealth (and conveniences of life), wherein they had taken such delight!
[44:28] Thus (was their end)! And We made other people inherit (those things)!
[44:29] And neither heaven nor earth shed a tear over them: nor were they given a respite (again).
[44:30] We did deliver aforetime the Children of Israel from humiliating Punishment,
[44:31] Inflicted by Pharaoh, for he was arrogant (even) among inordinate transgressors.
[44:32] And We chose them aforetime above the nations, knowingly,
[44:33] And granted them Signs in which there was a manifest trial
[44:34] As to these (Quraish), they say forsooth:
[44:35] "There is nothing beyond our first death, and we shall not be raised again.
[44:36] "Then bring (back) our forefathers, if what ye say is true!"
[44:37] What! Are they better than the people of Tubba and those who were before them? We destroyed them because they were guilty of sin.
[44:38] We created not the heavens, the earth, and all between them, merely in (idle) sport:
[44:39] We created them not except for just ends: but most of them do not understand.
[44:40] Verily the Day of sorting out is the time appointed for all of them,-
[44:41] The Day when no protector can avail his client in aught, and no help can they receive,
[44:42] Except such as receive Allah's Mercy: for He is Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.
[44:43] Verily the tree of Zaqqum
[44:44] Will be the food of the Sinful,-
[44:45] Like molten brass; it will boil in their insides.
[44:46] Like the boiling of scalding water.
[44:47] (A voice will cry: "Seize ye him and drag him into the midst of the Blazing Fire!
[44:48] "Then pour over his head the Penalty of Boiling Water,
[44:49] "Taste thou (this)! Truly wast thou mighty, full of honour!
[44:50] "Truly this is what ye used to doubt!"
[44:51] As to the Righteous (they will be) in a position of Security,
[44:52] Among Gardens and Springs;
[44:53] Dressed in fine silk and in rich brocade, they will face each other;
[44:54] So; and We shall join them to fair women with beautiful, big, and lustrous eyes.
[44:55] There can they call for every kind of fruit in peace and security;
[44:56] Nor will they there taste Death, except the first death; and He will preserve them from the Penalty of the Blazing Fire,-
[44:57] As a Bounty from thy Lord! that will be the supreme achievement!
[44:58] Verily, We have made this (Qur'an) easy, in thy tongue, in order that they may give heed.
[44:59] So wait thou and watch; for they (too) are waiting.
[50:1] Qaf: By the Glorious Qur'an (Thou art Allah's Messenger).
[50:2] But they wonder that there has come to them a Warner from among themselves. So the Unbelievers say: "This is a wonderful thing!
[50:3] "What! When we die and become dust, (shall we live again?) That is a (sort of) return far (from our understanding)."
[50:4] We already know how much of them the earth takes away: With Us is a record guarding (the full account).
[50:5] But they deny the Truth when it comes to them: so they are in a confused state.
[50:6] Do they not look at the sky above them?- How We have made it and adorned it, and there are no flaws in it?
[50:7] And the earth- We have spread it out, and set thereon mountains standing firm, and produced therein every kind of beautiful growth (in pairs)-
[50:8] To be observed and commemorated by every devotee turning (to Allah).
[50:9] And We send down from the sky rain charted with blessing, and We produce therewith gardens and Grain for harvests;
[50:10] And tall (and stately) palm-trees, with shoots of fruit-stalks, piled one over another;-
[50:11] As sustenance for (Allah's) Servants;- and We give (new) life therewith to land that is dead: Thus will be the Resurrection.
[50:12] Before them was denied (the Hereafter) by the People of Noah, the Companions of the Rass, the Thamud,
[50:13] The 'Ad, Pharaoh, the brethren of Lut,
[50:14] The Companions of the Wood, and the People of Tubba'; each one (of them) rejected the messengers, and My warning was duly fulfilled (in them).
[50:15] Were We then weary with the first Creation, that they should be in confused doubt about a new Creation?
[50:16] It was We Who created man, and We know what dark suggestions his soul makes to him: for We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein.
[50:17] Behold, two (guardian angels) appointed to learn (his doings) learn (and noted them), one sitting on the right and one on the left.
[50:18] Not a word does he utter but there is a sentinel by him, ready (to note it).
[50:19] And the stupor of death will bring Truth (before his eyes): "This was the thing which thou wast trying to escape!"
[50:20] And the Trumpet shall be blown: that will be the Day whereof Warning (had been given).
[50:21] And there will come forth every soul: with each will be an (angel) to drive, and an (angel) to bear witness.
[50:22] (It will be said:) "Thou wast heedless of this; now have We removed thy veil, and sharp is thy sight this Day!"
[50:23] And his Companion will say: "Here is (his Record) ready with me!"
[50:24] (The sentence will be:) "Throw, throw into Hell every contumacious Rejecter (of Allah)!-
[50:25] "Who forbade what was good, transgressed all bounds, cast doubts and suspicions;
[50:26] "Who set up another god beside Allah: Throw him into a severe penalty."
[50:27] His Companion will say: "Our Lord! I did not make him transgress, but he was (himself) far astray."
[50:28] He will say: "Dispute not with each other in My Presence: I had already in advance sent you Warning.
[50:29] "The Word changes not before Me, and I do not the least injustice to My Servants."
[50:30] One Day We will ask Hell, "Art thou filled to the full?" It will say, "Are there any more (to come)?"
[50:31] And the Garden will be brought nigh to the Righteous,- no more a thing distant.
[50:32] (A voice will say:) "This is what was promised for you,- for every one who turned (to Allah) in sincere repentance, who kept (His Law),
[50:33] "Who feared (Allah) Most Gracious Unseen, and brought a heart turned in devotion (to Him):
[50:34] "Enter ye therein in Peace and Security; this is a Day of Eternal Life!"
[50:35] There will be for them therein all that they wish,- and more besides in Our Presence.
[50:36] But how many generations before them did We destroy (for their sins),- stronger in power than they? Then did they wander through the land: was there any place of escape (for them)?
[50:37] Verily in this is a Message for any that has a heart and understanding or who gives ear and earnestly witnesses (the truth).
[50:38] We created the heavens and the earth and all between them in Six Days, nor did any sense of weariness touch Us.
[50:39] Bear, then, with patience, all that they say, and celebrate the praises of thy Lord, before the rising of the sun and before (its) setting.
[50:40] And during part of the night, (also,) celebrate His praises, and (so likewise) after the postures of adoration.
[50:41] And listen for the Day when the Caller will call out from a place quiet near,-
[50:42] The Day when they will hear a (mighty) Blast in (very) truth: that will be the Day of Resurrection.
[50:43] Verily it is We Who give Life and Death; and to Us is the Final Goal-
[50:44] The Day when the Earth will be rent asunder, from (men) hurrying out: that will be a gathering together,- quite easy for Us.
[50:45] We know best what they say; and thou art not one to overawe them by force. So admonish with the Qur'an such as fear My Warning!
[20:1] Ta-Ha.
[20:2] We have not sent down the Qur'an to thee to be (an occasion) for thy distress,
[20:3] But only as an admonition to those who fear (Allah),-
[20:4] A revelation from Him Who created the earth and the heavens on high.
[20:5] (Allah) Most Gracious is firmly established on the throne (of authority).
[20:6] To Him belongs what is in the heavens and on earth, and all between them, and all beneath the soil.
[20:7] If thou pronounce the word aloud, (it is no matter): for verily He knoweth what is secret and what is yet more hidden.
[20:8] Allah! there is no god but He! To Him belong the most Beautiful Names.
[20:9] Has the story of Moses reached thee?
[20:10] Behold, he saw a fire: So he said to his family, "Tarry ye; I perceive a fire; perhaps I can bring you some burning brand therefrom, or find some guidance at the fire."
[20:11] But when he came to the fire, a voice was heard: "O Moses!
[20:12] "Verily I am thy Lord! therefore (in My presence) put off thy shoes: thou art in the sacred valley Tuwa.
[20:13] "I have chosen thee: listen, then, to the inspiration (sent to thee).
[20:14] "Verily, I am Allah: There is no god but I: So serve thou Me (only), and establish regular prayer for celebrating My praise.
[20:15] "Verily the Hour is coming - My design is to keep it hidden - for every soul to receive its reward by the measure of its Endeavour.
[20:16] "Therefore let not such as believe not therein but follow their own lusts, divert thee therefrom, lest thou perish!"..
[20:17] "And what is that in the right hand, O Moses?"
[20:18] He said, "It is my rod: on it I lean; with it I beat down fodder for my flocks; and in it I find other uses."
[20:19] (Allah) said, "Throw it, O Moses!"
[20:20] He threw it, and behold! It was a snake, active in motion.
[20:21] (Allah) said, "Seize it, and fear not: We shall return it at once to its former condition"..
[20:22] "Now draw thy hand close to thy side: It shall come forth white (and shining), without harm (or stain),- as another Sign,-
[20:23] "In order that We may show thee (two) of our Greater Signs.
[20:24] "Go thou to Pharaoh, for he has indeed transgressed all bounds."
[20:25] (Moses) said: "O my Lord! expand me my breast;
[20:26] "Ease my task for me;
[20:27] "And remove the impediment from my speech,
[20:28] "So they may understand what I say:
[20:29] "And give me a Minister from my family,
[20:30] "Aaron, my brother;
[20:31] "Add to my strength through him,
[20:32] "And make him share my task:
[20:33] "That we may celebrate Thy praise without stint,
[20:34] "And remember Thee without stint:
[20:35] "For Thou art He that (ever) regardeth us."
[20:36] (Allah) said: "Granted is thy prayer, O Moses!"
[20:37] "And indeed We conferred a favour on thee another time (before).
[20:38] "Behold! We sent to thy mother, by inspiration, the message:
[20:39] "'Throw (the child) into the chest, and throw (the chest) into the river: the river will cast him up on the bank, and he will be taken up by one who is an enemy to Me and an enemy to him': But I cast (the garment of) love over thee from Me: and (this) in order that thou mayest be reared under Mine eye.
[20:40] "Behold! thy sister goeth forth and saith, 'shall I show you one who will nurse and rear the (child)?' So We brought thee back to thy mother, that her eye might be cooled and she should not grieve. Then thou didst slay a man, but We saved thee from trouble, and We tried thee in various ways. Then didst thou tarry a number of years with the people of Midian. Then didst thou come hither as ordained, O Moses!
[20:41] "And I have prepared thee for Myself (for service)"..
[20:42] "Go, thou and thy brother, with My Signs, and slacken not, either of you, in keeping Me in remembrance.
[20:43] "Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, for he has indeed transgressed all bounds;
[20:44] "But speak to him mildly; perchance he may take warning or fear (Allah)."
[20:45] They (Moses and Aaron) said: "Our Lord! We fear lest he hasten with insolence against us, or lest he transgress all bounds."
[20:46] He said: "Fear not: for I am with you: I hear and see (everything).
[20:47] "So go ye both to him, and say, 'Verily we are messengers sent by thy Lord: Send forth, therefore, the Children of Israel with us, and afflict them not: with a Sign, indeed, have we come from thy Lord! and peace to all who follow guidance!
[20:48] "'Verily it has been revealed to us that the Penalty (awaits) those who reject and turn away.'"
[20:49] (When this message was delivered), (Pharaoh) said: "Who, then, O Moses, is the Lord of you two?"
[20:50] He said: "Our Lord is He Who gave to each (created) thing its form and nature, and further, gave (it) guidance."
[20:51] (Pharaoh) said: "What then is the condition of previous generations?"
[20:52] He replied: "The knowledge of that is with my Lord, duly recorded: my Lord never errs, nor forgets,-
[20:53] "He Who has, made for you the earth like a carpet spread out; has enabled you to go about therein by roads (and channels); and has sent down water from the sky." With it have We produced diverse pairs of plants each separate from the others.
[20:54] Eat (for yourselves) and pasture your cattle: verily, in this are Signs for men endued with understanding.
[20:55] From the (earth) did We create you, and into it shall We return you, and from it shall We bring you out once again.
[20:56] And We showed Pharaoh all Our Signs, but he did reject and refuse.
[20:57] He said: "Hast thou come to drive us out of our land with thy magic, O Moses?
[20:58] "But we can surely produce magic to match thine! So make a tryst between us and thee, which we shall not fail to keep - neither we nor thou - in a place where both shall have even chances."
[20:59] Moses said: "Your tryst is the Day of the Festival, and let the people be assembled when the sun is well up."
[20:60] So Pharaoh withdrew: He concerted his plan, and then came (back).
[20:61] Moses said to him: Woe to you! Forge not ye a lie against Allah, lest He destroy you (at once) utterly by chastisement: the forger must suffer frustration!"
[20:62] So they disputed, one with another, over their affair, but they kept their talk secret.
[20:63] They said: "These two are certainly (expert) magicians: their object is to drive you out from your land with their magic, and to do away with your most cherished institutions.
[20:64] "Therefore concert your plan, and then assemble in (serried) ranks: He wins (all along) today who gains the upper hand."
[20:65] They said: "O Moses! whether wilt thou that thou throw (first) or that we be the first to throw?"
[20:66] He said, "Nay, throw ye first!" Then behold their ropes and their rods-so it seemed to him on account of their magic - began to be in lively motion!
[20:67] So Moses conceived in his mind a (sort of) fear.
[20:68] We said: "Fear not! for thou hast indeed the upper hand:
[20:69] "Throw that which is in thy right hand: Quickly will it swallow up that which they have faked what they have faked is but a magician's trick: and the magician thrives not, (no matter) where he goes."
[20:70] So the magicians were thrown down to prostration: they said, "We believe in the Lord of Aaron and Moses".
[20:71] (Pharaoh) said: "Believe ye in Him before I give you permission? Surely this must be your leader, who has taught you magic! be sure I will cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides, and I will have you crucified on trunks of palm-trees: so shall ye know for certain, which of us can give the more severe and the more lasting punishment!"
[20:72] They said: "Never shall we regard thee as more than the Clear Signs that have come to us, or than Him Who created us! so decree whatever thou desirest to decree: for thou canst only decree (touching) the life of this world.
[20:73] "For us, we have believed in our Lord: may He forgive us our faults, and the magic to which thou didst compel us: for Allah is Best and Most Abiding."
[20:74] Verily he who comes to his Lord as a sinner (at Judgment),- for him is Hell: therein shall he neither die nor live.
[20:75] But such as come to Him as Believers who have worked righteous deeds,- for them are ranks exalted,-
[20:76] Gardens of Eternity, beneath which flow rivers: they will dwell therein for aye: such is the reward of those who purify themselves (from evil).
[20:77] We sent an inspiration to Moses: "Travel by night with My servants, and strike a dry path for them through the sea, without fear of being overtaken (by Pharaoh) and without (any other) fear."
[20:78] Then Pharaoh pursued them with his forces, but the waters completely overwhelmed them and covered them up.
[20:79] Pharaoh led his people astray instead of leading them aright.
[20:80] O ye Children of Israel! We delivered you from your enemy, and We made a Covenant with you on the right side of Mount (Sinai), and We sent down to you Manna and quails:
[20:81] (Saying): "Eat of the good things We have provided for your sustenance, but commit no excess therein, lest My Wrath should justly descend on you: and those on whom descends My Wrath do perish indeed!
[20:82] "But, without doubt, I am (also) He that forgives again and again, to those who repent, believe, and do right, who,- in fine, are ready to receive true guidance."
[20:83] (When Moses was up on the Mount, Allah said:) "What made thee hasten in advance of thy people, O Moses?"
[20:84] He replied: "Behold, they are close on my footsteps: I hastened to thee, O my Lord, to please thee."
[20:85] (Allah) said: "We have tested thy people in thy absence: the Samiri has led them astray."
[20:86] So Moses returned to his people in a state of indignation and sorrow. He said: "O my people! did not your Lord make a handsome promise to you? Did then the promise seem to you long (in coming)? Or did ye desire that Wrath should descend from your Lord on you, and so ye broke your promise to me?"
[20:87] They said: "We broke not the promise to thee, as far as lay in our power: but we were made to carry the weight of the ornaments of the (whole) people, and we threw them (into the fire), and that was what the Samiri suggested.
[20:88] "Then he brought out (of the fire) before the (people) the image of a calf: It seemed to low: so they said: This is your god, and the god of Moses, but (Moses) has forgotten!"
[20:89] Could they not see that it could not return them a word (for answer), and that it had no power either to harm them or to do them good?
[20:90] Aaron had already, before this said to them: "O my people! ye are being tested in this: for verily your Lord is (Allah) Most Gracious; so follow me and obey my command."
[20:91] They had said: "We will not abandon this cult, but we will devote ourselves to it until Moses returns to us."
[20:92] (Moses) said: "O Aaron! what kept thee back, when thou sawest them going wrong,
[20:93] "From following me? Didst thou then disobey my order?"
[20:94] (Aaron) replied: "O son of my mother! Seize (me) not by my beard nor by (the hair of) my head! Truly I feared lest thou shouldst say, 'Thou has caused a division among the children of Israel, and thou didst not respect my word!'"
[20:95] (Moses) said: "What then is thy case, O Samiri?"
[20:96] He replied: "I saw what they saw not: so I took a handful (of dust) from the footprint of the Messenger, and threw it (into the calf): thus did my soul suggest to me."
[20:97] (Moses) said: "Get thee gone! but thy (punishment) in this life will be that thou wilt say, 'touch me not'; and moreover (for a future penalty) thou hast a promise that will not fail: Now look at thy god, of whom thou hast become a devoted worshipper: We will certainly (melt) it in a blazing fire and scatter it broadcast in the sea!"
[20:98] But the god of you all is the One Allah: there is no god but He: all things He comprehends in His knowledge.
[20:99] Thus do We relate to thee some stories of what happened before: for We have sent thee a Message from Our own Presence.
[20:100] If any do turn away therefrom, verily they will bear a burden on the Day of judgment;
[20:101] They will abide in this (state): and grievous will the burden be to them on that Day,-
[20:102] The Day when the Trumpet will be sounded: that Day, We shall gather the sinful, blear-eyed (with terror).
[20:103] In whispers will they consult each other: "Yet tarried not longer than ten (Days);
[20:104] We know best what they will say, when their leader most eminent in conduct will say: "Ye tarried not longer than a day!"
[20:105] They ask thee concerning the Mountains: say, "My Lord will uproot them and scatter them as dust;
[20:106] "He will leave them as plains smooth and level;
[20:107] "Nothing crooked or curved wilt thou see in their place."
[20:108] On that Day will they follow the Caller (straight): no crookedness (can they show) him: all sounds shall humble themselves in the Presence of (Allah) Most Gracious: nothing shalt thou hear but the tramp of their feet (as they march).
[20:109] On that Day shall no intercession avail except for those for whom permission has been granted by (Allah) Most Gracious and whose word is acceptable to Him.
[20:110] He knows what (appears to His creatures as) before or after or behind them: but they shall not compass it with their knowledge.
[20:111] (All) faces shall be humbled before (Him) - the Living, the Self-Subsisting, Eternal: hopeless indeed will be the man that carries iniquity (on his back).
[20:112] But he who works deeds of righteousness, and has faith, will have no fear of harm nor of any curtailment (of what is his due).
[20:113] Thus have We sent this down - an arabic Qur'an - and explained therein in detail some of the warnings, in order that they may fear Allah, or that it may cause their remembrance (of Him).
[20:114] High above all is Allah, the King, the Truth! Be not in haste with the Qur'an before its revelation to thee is completed, but say, "O my Lord! advance me in knowledge."
[20:115] We had already, beforehand, taken the covenant of Adam, but he forgot: and We found on his part no firm resolve.
[20:116] When We said to the angels, "Prostrate yourselves to Adam", they prostrated themselves, but not Iblis: he refused.
[20:117] Then We said: "O Adam! verily, this is an enemy to thee and thy wife: so let him not get you both out of the Garden, so that thou art landed in misery.
[20:118] "There is therein (enough provision) for thee not to go hungry nor to go naked,
[20:119] "Nor to suffer from thirst, nor from the sun's heat."
[20:120] But Satan whispered evil to him: he said, "O Adam! shall I lead thee to the Tree of Eternity and to a kingdom that never decays?"
[20:121] In the result, they both ate of the tree, and so their nakedness appeared to them: they began to sew together, for their covering, leaves from the Garden: thus did Adam disobey his Lord, and allow himself to be seduced.
[20:122] But his Lord chose him (for His Grace): He turned to him, and gave him Guidance.
[20:123] He said: "Get ye down, both of you,- all together, from the Garden, with enmity one to another: but if, as is sure, there comes to you Guidance from Me, whosoever follows My Guidance, will not lose his way, nor fall into misery.
[20:124] "But whosoever turns away from My Message, verily for him is a life narrowed down, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Judgment."
[20:125] He will say: "O my Lord! why hast Thou raised me up blind, while I had sight (before)?"
[20:126] (Allah) will say: "Thus didst Thou, when Our Signs came unto thee, disregard them: so wilt thou, this day, be disregarded."
[20:127] And thus do We recompense him who transgresses beyond bounds and believes not in the Signs of his Lord: and the Penalty of the Hereafter is far more grievous and more enduring.
[20:128] Is it not a warning to such men (to call to mind) how many generations before them We destroyed, in whose haunts they (now) move? Verily, in this are Signs for men endued with understanding.
[20:129] Had it not been for a Word that went forth before from thy Lord, (their punishment) must necessarily have come; but there is a Term appointed (for respite).
[20:130] Therefore be patient with what they say, and celebrate (constantly) the praises of thy Lord, before the rising of the sun, and before its setting; yea, celebrate them for part of the hours of the night, and at the sides of the day: that thou mayest have (spiritual) joy.
[20:131] Nor strain thine eyes in longing for the things We have given for enjoyment to parties of them, the splendour of the life of this world, through which We test them: but the provision of thy Lord is better and more enduring.
[20:132] Enjoin prayer on thy people, and be constant therein. We ask thee not to provide sustenance: We provide it for thee. But the (fruit of) the Hereafter is for righteousness.
[20:133] They say: "Why does he not bring us a sign from his Lord?" Has not a Clear Sign come to them of all that was in the former Books of revelation?
[20:134] And if We had inflicted on them a penalty before this, they would have said: "Our Lord! If only Thou hadst sent us a messenger, we should certainly have followed Thy Signs before we were humbled and put to shame."
[20:135] Say: "Each one (of us) is waiting: wait ye, therefore, and soon shall ye know who it is that is on the straight and even way, and who it is that has received Guidance."
[26:1] Ta. Sin. Mim.
[26:2] These are verses of the Book that makes (things) clear.
[26:3] It may be thou frettest thy soul with grief, that they do not become Believers.
[26:4] If (such) were Our Will, We could send down to them from the sky a Sign, to which they would bend their necks in humility.
[26:5] But there comes not to them a newly-revealed Message from (Allah) Most Gracious, but they turn away therefrom.
[26:6] They have indeed rejected (the Message): so they will know soon (enough) the truth of what they mocked at!
[26:7] Do they not look at the earth,- how many noble things of all kinds We have produced therein?
[26:8] Verily, in this is a Sign: but most of them do not believe.
[26:9] And verily, thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.
[26:10] Behold, thy Lord called Moses: "Go to the people of iniquity,-
[26:11] "The people of the Pharaoh: will they not fear Allah?"
[26:12] He said: "O my Lord! I do fear that they will charge me with falsehood:
[26:13] "My breast will be straitened. And my speech may not go (smoothly): so send unto Aaron.
[26:14] "And (further), they have a charge of crime against me; and I fear they may slay me."
[26:15] Allah said: "By no means! proceed then, both of you, with Our Signs; We are with you, and will listen (to your call).
[26:16] "So go forth, both of you, to Pharaoh, and say: 'We have been sent by the Lord and Cherisher of the worlds;
[26:17] "'Send thou with us the Children of Israel.'"
[26:18] (Pharaoh) said: "Did we not cherish thee as a child among us, and didst thou not stay in our midst many years of thy life?
[26:19] "And thou didst a deed of thine which (thou knowest) thou didst, and thou art an ungrateful (wretch)!"
[26:20] Moses said: "I did it then, when I was in error.
[26:21] "So I fled from you (all) when I feared you; but my Lord has (since) invested me with judgment (and wisdom) and appointed me as one of the messengers.
[26:22] "And this is the favour with which thou dost reproach me,- that thou hast enslaved the Children of Israel!"
[26:23] Pharaoh said: "And what is the 'Lord and Cherisher of the worlds'?"
[26:24] (Moses) said: "The Lord and Cherisher of the heavens and the earth, and all between,- if ye want to be quite sure."
[26:25] (Pharaoh) said to those around: "Did ye not listen (to what he says)?"
[26:26] (Moses) said: "Your Lord and the Lord of your fathers from the beginning!"
[26:27] (Pharaoh) said: "Truly your messenger who has been sent to you is a veritable madman!"
[26:28] (Moses) said: "Lord of the East and the West, and all between! if ye only had sense!"
[26:29] (Pharaoh) said: "If thou dost put forward any god other than me, I will certainly put thee in prison!"
[26:30] (Moses) said: "Even if I showed you something clear (and) convincing?"
[26:31] (Pharaoh) said: "Show it then, if thou tellest the truth!"
[26:32] So (Moses) threw his rod, and behold, it was a serpent, plain (for all to see)!
[26:33] And he drew out his hand, and behold, it was white to all beholders!
[26:34] (Pharaoh) said to the Chiefs around him: "This is indeed a sorcerer well-versed:
[26:35] "His plan is to get you out of your land by his sorcery; then what is it ye counsel?"
[26:36] They said: "Keep him and his brother in suspense (for a while), and dispatch to the Cities heralds to collect-
[26:37] "And bring up to thee all (our) sorcerers well-versed."
[26:38] So the sorcerers were got together for the appointment of a day well-known,
[26:39] And the people were told: "Are ye (now) assembled?-
[26:40] "That we may follow the sorcerers (in religion) if they win?"
[26:41] So when the sorcerers arrived, they said to Pharaoh: "Of course - shall we have a (suitable) reward if we win?
[26:42] He said: "Yea, (and more),- for ye shall in that case be (raised to posts) nearest (to my person)."
[26:43] Moses said to them: "Throw ye - that which ye are about to throw!"
[26:44] So they threw their ropes and their rods, and said: "By the might of Pharaoh, it is we who will certainly win!"
[26:45] Then Moses threw his rod, when, behold, it straightway swallows up all the falsehoods which they fake!
[26:46] Then did the sorcerers fall down, prostrate in adoration,
[26:47] Saying: "We believe in the Lord of the Worlds,
[26:48] "The Lord of Moses and Aaron."
[26:49] Said (Pharaoh): "Believe ye in Him before I give you permission? surely he is your leader, who has taught you sorcery! but soon shall ye know! Be sure I will cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will cause you all to die on the cross!"
[26:50] They said: "No matter! for us, we shall but return to our Lord!
[26:51] "Only, our desire is that our Lord will forgive us our faults, that we may become foremost among the believers!"
[26:52] By inspiration we told Moses: "Travel by night with my servants; for surely ye shall be pursued."
[26:53] Then Pharaoh sent heralds to (all) the Cities,
[26:54] (Saying): "These (Israelites) are but a small band,
[26:55] "And they are raging furiously against us;
[26:56] "But we are a multitude amply fore-warned."
[26:57] So We expelled them from gardens, springs,
[26:58] Treasures, and every kind of honourable position;
[26:59] Thus it was, but We made the Children of Israel inheritors of such things.
[26:60] So they pursued them at sunrise.
[26:61] And when the two bodies saw each other, the people of Moses said: "We are sure to be overtaken."
[26:62] (Moses) said: "By no means! my Lord is with me! Soon will He guide me!"
[26:63] Then We told Moses by inspiration: "Strike the sea with thy rod." So it divided, and each separate part became like the huge, firm mass of a mountain.
[26:64] And We made the other party approach thither.
[26:65] We delivered Moses and all who were with him;
[26:66] But We drowned the others.
[26:67] Verily in this is a Sign: but most of them do not believe.
[26:68] And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.
[26:69] And rehearse to them (something of) Abraham's story.
[26:70] Behold, he said to his father and his people: "What worship ye?"
[26:71] They said: "We worship idols, and we remain constantly in attendance on them."
[26:72] He said: "Do they listen to you when ye call (on them)?"
[26:73] "Or do you good or harm?"
[26:74] They said: "Nay, but we found our fathers doing thus (what we do)."
[26:75] He said: "Do ye then see whom ye have been worshipping,-
[26:76] "Ye and your fathers before you?-
[26:77] "For they are enemies to me; not so the Lord and Cherisher of the Worlds;
[26:78] "Who created me, and it is He Who guides me;
[26:79] "Who gives me food and drink,
[26:80] "And when I am ill, it is He Who cures me;
[26:81] "Who will cause me to die, and then to life (again);
[26:82] "And who, I hope, will forgive me my faults on the day of Judgment.
[26:83] "O my Lord! bestow wisdom on me, and join me with the righteous;
[26:84] "Grant me honourable mention on the tongue of truth among the latest (generations);
[26:85] "Make me one of the inheritors of the Garden of Bliss;
[26:86] "Forgive my father, for that he is among those astray;
[26:87] "And let me not be in disgrace on the Day when (men) will be raised up;-
[26:88] "The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail,
[26:89] "But only he (will prosper) that brings to Allah a sound heart;
[26:90] "To the righteous, the Garden will be brought near,
[26:91] "And to those straying in Evil, the Fire will be placed in full view;
[26:92] "And it shall be said to them: 'Where are the (gods) ye worshipped-
[26:93] "'Besides Allah? Can they help you or help themselves?'
[26:94] "Then they will be thrown headlong into the (Fire),- they and those straying in Evil,
[26:95] "And the whole hosts of Iblis together.
[26:96] "They will say there in their mutual bickerings:
[26:97] "'By Allah, we were truly in an error manifest,
[26:98] "'When we held you as equals with the Lord of the Worlds;
[26:99] "'And our seducers were only those who were steeped in guilt.
[26:100] "'Now, then, we have none to intercede (for us),
[26:101] "'Nor a single friend to feel (for us).
[26:102] "'Now if we only had a chance of return we shall truly be of those who believe!'"
[26:103] Verily in this is a Sign but most of them do not believe.
[26:104] And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.
[26:105] The people of Noah rejected the messengers.
[26:106] Behold, their brother Noah said to them: "Will ye not fear (Allah)?
[26:107] "I am to you a messenger worthy of all trust:
[26:108] "So fear Allah, and obey me.
[26:109] "No reward do I ask of you for it: my reward is only from the Lord of the Worlds:
[26:110] "So fear Allah, and obey me."
[26:111] They said: "Shall we believe in thee when it is the meanest that follow thee?"
[26:112] He said: "And what do I know as to what they do?
[26:113] "Their account is only with my Lord, if ye could (but) understand.
[26:114] "I am not one to drive away those who believe.
[26:115] "I am sent only to warn plainly in public."
[26:116] They said: "If thou desist not, O Noah! thou shalt be stoned (to death)."
[26:117] He said: "O my Lord! truly my people have rejected me.
[26:118] "Judge Thou, then, between me and them openly, and deliver me and those of the Believers who are with me."
[26:119] So We delivered him and those with him, in the Ark filled (with all creatures).
[26:120] Thereafter We drowned those who remained behind.
[26:121] Verily in this is a Sign: but most of them do not believe.
[26:122] And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.
[26:123] The 'Ad (people) rejected the messengers.
[26:124] Behold, their brother Hud said to them: "Will ye not fear (Allah)?
[26:125] "I am to you a messenger worthy of all trust:
[26:126] "So fear Allah and obey me.
[26:127] "No reward do I ask of you for it: my reward is only from the Lord of the Worlds.
[26:128] "Do ye build a landmark on every high place to amuse yourselves?
[26:129] "And do ye get for yourselves fine buildings in the hope of living therein (for ever)?
[26:130] "And when ye exert your strong hand, do ye do it like men of absolute power?
[26:131] "Now fear Allah, and obey me.
[26:132] "Yea, fear Him Who has bestowed on you freely all that ye know.
[26:133] "Freely has He bestowed on you cattle and sons,-
[26:134] "And Gardens and Springs.
[26:135] "Truly I fear for you the Penalty of a Great Day."
[26:136] They said: "It is the same to us whether thou admonish us or be not among (our) admonishers!
[26:137] "This is no other than a customary device of the ancients,
[26:138] "And we are not the ones to receive Pains and Penalties!"
[26:139] So they rejected him, and We destroyed them. Verily in this is a Sign: but most of them do not believe.
[26:140] And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.
[26:141] The Thamud (people) rejected the messengers.
[26:142] Behold, their brother Salih said to them: "Will you not fear (Allah)?
[26:143] "I am to you a messenger worthy of all trust.
[26:144] "So fear Allah, and obey me.
[26:145] "No reward do I ask of you for it: my reward is only from the Lord of the Worlds.
[26:146] "Will ye be left secure, in (the enjoyment of) all that ye have here?-
[26:147] "Gardens and Springs,
[26:148] "And corn-fields and date-palms with spathes near breaking (with the weight of fruit)?
[26:149] "And ye carve houses out of (rocky) mountains with great skill.
[26:150] "But fear Allah and obey me;
[26:151] "And follow not the bidding of those who are extravagant,-
[26:152] "Who make mischief in the land, and mend not (their ways)."
[26:153] They said: "Thou art only one of those bewitched!
[26:154] "Thou art no more than a mortal like us: then bring us a Sign, if thou tellest the truth!"
[26:155] He said: "Here is a she-camel: she has a right of watering, and ye have a right of watering, (severally) on a day appointed.
[26:156] "Touch her not with harm, lest the Penalty of a Great Day seize you."
[26:157] But they ham-strung her: then did they become full of regrets.
[26:158] But the Penalty seized them. Verily in this is a Sign: but most of them do not believe.
[26:159] And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.
[26:160] The people of Lut rejected the messengers.
[26:161] Behold, their brother Lut said to them: "Will ye not fear (Allah)?
[26:162] "I am to you a messenger worthy of all trust.
[26:163] "So fear Allah and obey me.
[26:164] "No reward do I ask of you for it: my reward is only from the lord of the Worlds.
[26:165] "Of all the creatures in the world, will ye approach males,
[26:166] "And leave those whom Allah has created for you to be your mates? Nay, ye are a people transgressing (all limits)!"
[26:167] They said: "If thou desist not, O Lut! thou wilt assuredly be cast out!"
[26:168] He said: "I do detest your doings."
[26:169] "O my Lord! deliver me and my family from such things as they do!"
[26:170] So We delivered him and his family,- all
[26:171] Except an old woman who lingered behind.
[26:172] But the rest We destroyed utterly.
[26:173] We rained down on them a shower (of brimstone): and evil was the shower on those who were admonished (but heeded not)!
[26:174] Verily in this is a Sign: but most of them do not believe.
[26:175] And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might Most Merciful.
[26:176] The Companions of the Wood rejected the messengers.
[26:177] Behold, Shu'aib said to them: "Will ye not fear (Allah)?
[26:178] "I am to you a messenger worthy of all trust.
[26:179] "So fear Allah and obey me.
[26:180] "No reward do I ask of you for it: my reward is only from the Lord of the Worlds.
[26:181] "Give just measure, and cause no loss (to others by fraud).
[26:182] "And weigh with scales true and upright.
[26:183] "And withhold not things justly due to men, nor do evil in the land, working mischief.
[26:184] "And fear Him Who created you and (who created) the generations before (you)"
[26:185] They said: "Thou art only one of those bewitched!
[26:186] "Thou art no more than a mortal like us, and indeed we think thou art a liar!
[26:187] "Now cause a piece of the sky to fall on us, if thou art truthful!"
[26:188] He said: "My Lord knows best what ye do."
[26:189] But they rejected him. Then the punishment of a day of overshadowing gloom seized them, and that was the Penalty of a Great Day.
[26:190] Verily in that is a Sign: but most of them do not believe.
[26:191] And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.
[26:192] Verily this is a Revelation from the Lord of the Worlds:
[26:193] With it came down the spirit of Faith and Truth-
[26:194] To thy heart and mind, that thou mayest admonish.
[26:195] In the perspicuous Arabic tongue.
[26:196] Without doubt it is (announced) in the mystic Books of former peoples.
[26:197] Is it not a Sign to them that the Learned of the Children of Israel knew it (as true)?
[26:198] Had We revealed it to any of the non-Arabs,
[26:199] And had he recited it to them, they would not have believed in it.
[26:200] Thus have We caused it to enter the hearts of the sinners.
[26:201] They will not believe in it until they see the grievous Penalty;
[26:202] But the (Penalty) will come to them of a sudden, while they perceive it not;
[26:203] Then they will say: "Shall we be respited?"
[26:204] Do they then ask for Our Penalty to be hastened on?
[26:205] Seest thou? If We do let them enjoy (this life) for a few years,
[26:206] Yet there comes to them at length the (Punishment) which they were promised!
[26:207] It will profit them not that they enjoyed (this life)!
[26:208] Never did We destroy a population, but had its warners -
[26:209] By way of reminder; and We never are unjust.
[26:210] No evil ones have brought down this (Revelation):
[26:211] It would neither suit them nor would they be able (to produce it).
[26:212] Indeed they have been removed far from even (a chance of) hearing it.
[26:213] So call not on any other god with Allah, or thou wilt be among those under the Penalty.
[26:214] And admonish thy nearest kinsmen,
[26:215] And lower thy wing to the Believers who follow thee.
[26:216] Then if they disobey thee, say: "I am free (of responsibility) for what ye do!"
[26:217] And put thy trust on the Exalted in Might, the Merciful,-
[26:218] Who seeth thee standing forth (in prayer),
[26:219] And thy movements among those who prostrate themselves,
[26:220] For it is He Who heareth and knoweth all things.
[26:221] Shall I inform you, (O people!), on whom it is that the evil ones descend?
[26:222] They descend on every lying, wicked person,
[26:223] (Into whose ears) they pour hearsay vanities, and most of them are liars.
[26:224] And the Poets,- It is those straying in Evil, who follow them:
[26:225] Seest thou not that they wander distracted in every valley?-
[26:226] And that they say what they practise not?-
[26:227] Except those who believe, work righteousness, engage much in the remembrance of Allah, and defend themselves only after they are unjustly attacked. And soon will the unjust assailants know what vicissitudes their affairs will take!
[15:1] A. L. R. These are the Ayats of Revelation,- of a Qur'an that makes things clear.
[15:2] Again and again will those who disbelieve, wish that they had bowed (to Allah's will) in Islam.
[15:3] Leave them alone, to enjoy (the good things of this life) and to please themselves: let (false) hope amuse them: soon will knowledge (undeceive them).
[15:4] Never did We destroy a population that had not a term decreed and assigned beforehand.
[15:5] Neither can a people anticipate its term, nor delay it.
[15:6] They say: "O thou to whom the Message is being revealed! truly thou art mad (or possessed)!
[15:7] "Why bringest thou not angels to us if it be that thou hast the Truth?"
[15:8] We send not the angels down except for just cause: if they came (to the ungodly), behold! no respite would they have!
[15:9] We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption).
[15:10] We did send messengers before thee amongst the religious sects of old:
[15:11] But never came a messenger to them but they mocked him.
[15:12] Even so do we let it creep into the hearts of the sinners -
[15:13] That they should not believe in the (Message); but the ways of the ancients have passed away.
[15:14] Even if We opened out to them a gate from heaven, and they were to continue (all day) ascending therein,
[15:15] They would only say: "Our eyes have been intoxicated: Nay, we have been bewitched by sorcery."
[15:16] It is We Who have set out the zodiacal signs in the heavens, and made them fair-seeming to (all) beholders;
[15:17] And (moreover) We have guarded them from every cursed devil:
[15:18] But any that gains a hearing by stealth, is pursued by a flaming fire, bright (to see).
[15:19] And the earth We have spread out (like a carpet); set thereon mountains firm and immovable; and produced therein all kinds of things in due balance.
[15:20] And We have provided therein means of subsistence,- for you and for those for whose sustenance ye are not responsible.
[15:21] And there is not a thing but its (sources and) treasures (inexhaustible) are with Us; but We only send down thereof in due and ascertainable measures.
[15:22] And We send the fecundating winds, then cause the rain to descend from the sky, therewith providing you with water (in abundance), though ye are not the guardians of its stores.
[15:23] And verily, it is We Who give life, and Who give death: it is We Who remain inheritors (after all else passes away).
[15:24] To Us are known those of you who hasten forward, and those who lag behind.
[15:25] Assuredly it is thy Lord Who will gather them together: for He is perfect in Wisdom and Knowledge.
[15:26] We created man from sounding clay, from mud moulded into shape;
[15:27] And the Jinn race, We had created before, from the fire of a scorching wind.
[15:28] Behold! thy Lord said to the angels: "I am about to create man, from sounding clay from mud moulded into shape;
[15:29] "When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My spirit, fall ye down in obeisance unto him."
[15:30] So the angels prostrated themselves, all of them together:
[15:31] Not so Iblis: he refused to be among those who prostrated themselves.
[15:32] (Allah) said: "O Iblis! what is your reason for not being among those who prostrated themselves?"
[15:33] (Iblis) said: "I am not one to prostrate myself to man, whom Thou didst create from sounding clay, from mud moulded into shape."
[15:34] (Allah) said: "Then get thee out from here; for thou art rejected, accursed.
[15:35] "And the curse shall be on thee till the day of Judgment."
[15:36] (Iblis) said: "O my Lord! give me then respite till the Day the (dead) are raised."
[15:37] (Allah) said: "Respite is granted thee
[15:38] "Till the Day of the Time appointed."
[15:39] (Iblis) said: "O my Lord! because Thou hast put me in the wrong, I will make (wrong) fair-seeming to them on the earth, and I will put them all in the wrong,-
[15:40] "Except Thy servants among them, sincere and purified (by Thy Grace)."
[15:41] (Allah) said: "This (way of My sincere servants) is indeed a way that leads straight to Me.
[15:42] "For over My servants no authority shalt thou have, except such as put themselves in the wrong and follow thee."
[15:43] And verily, Hell is the promised abode for them all!
[15:44] To it are seven gates: for each of those gates is a (special) class (of sinners) assigned.
[15:45] The righteous (will be) amid gardens and fountains (of clear-flowing water).
[15:46] (Their greeting will be): "Enter ye here in peace and security."
[15:47] And We shall remove from their hearts any lurking sense of injury: (they will be) brothers (joyfully) facing each other on thrones (of dignity).
[15:48] There no sense of fatigue shall touch them, nor shall they (ever) be asked to leave.
[15:49] Tell My servants that I am indeed the Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful;
[15:50] And that My Penalty will be indeed the most grievous Penalty.
[15:51] Tell them about the guests of Abraham.
[15:52] When they entered his presence and said, "Peace!" He said, "We feel afraid of you!"
[15:53] They said: "Fear not! We give thee glad tidings of a son endowed with wisdom."
[15:54] He said: "Do ye give me glad tidings that old age has seized me? Of what, then, is your good news?"
[15:55] They said: "We give thee glad tidings in truth: be not then in despair!"
[15:56] He said: "And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord, but such as go astray?"
[15:57] Abraham said: "What then is the business on which ye (have come), O ye messengers (of Allah)?"
[15:58] They said: "We have been sent to a people (deep) in sin,
[15:59] "Excepting the adherents of Lut: them we are certainly (charged) to save (from harm),- All -
[15:60] "Except his wife, who, We have ascertained, will be among those who will lag behind."
[15:61] At length when the messengers arrived among the adherents of Lut,
[15:62] He said: "Ye appear to be uncommon folk."
[15:63] They said: "Yea, we have come to thee to accomplish that of which they doubt.
[15:64] "We have brought to thee that which is inevitably due, and assuredly we tell the truth.
[15:65] "Then travel by night with thy household, when a portion of the night (yet remains), and do thou bring up the rear: let no one amongst you look back, but pass on whither ye are ordered."
[15:66] And We made known this decree to him, that the last remnants of those (sinners) should be cut off by the morning.
[15:67] The inhabitants of the city came in (mad) joy (at news of the young men).
[15:68] Lut said: "These are my guests: disgrace me not:
[15:69] "But fear Allah, and shame me not."
[15:70] They said: "Did we not forbid thee (to speak) for all and sundry?"
[15:71] He said: "There are my daughters (to marry), if ye must act (so)."
[15:72] Verily, by thy life (O Prophet), in their wild intoxication, they wander in distraction, to and fro.
[15:73] But the (mighty) Blast overtook them before morning,
[15:74] And We turned (the cities) upside down, and rained down on them brimstones hard as baked clay.
[15:75] Behold! in this are Signs for those who by tokens do understand.
[15:76] And the (cities were) right on the high-road.
[15:77] Behold! in this is a sign for those who believed.
[15:78] And the Companions of the Wood were also wrong-doers;
[15:79] So We exacted retribution from them. They were both on an open highway, plain to see.
[15:80] The Companions of the Rocky Tract also rejected the messengers:
[15:81] We sent them Our Signs, but they persisted in turning away from them.
[15:82] Out of the mountains did they hew (their) edifices, (feeling themselves) secure.
[15:83] But the (mighty) Blast seized them of a morning,
[15:84] And of no avail to them was all that they did (with such art and care)!
[15:85] We created not the heavens, the earth, and all between them, but for just ends. And the Hour is surely coming (when this will be manifest). So overlook (any human faults) with gracious forgiveness.
[15:86] For verily it is thy Lord who is the Master-Creator, knowing all things.
[15:87] And We have bestowed upon thee the Seven Oft-repeated (verses) and the Grand Qur'an.
[15:88] Strain not thine eyes. (Wistfully) at what We have bestowed on certain classes of them, nor grieve over them: but lower thy wing (in gentleness) to the believers.
[15:89] And say: "I am indeed he that warneth openly and without ambiguity,"-
[15:90] (Of just such wrath) as We sent down on those who divided (Scripture into arbitrary parts),-
[15:91] (So also on such) as have made Qur'an into shreds (as they please).
[15:92] Therefore, by the Lord, We will, of a surety, call them to account,
[15:93] For all their deeds.
[15:94] Therefore expound openly what thou art commanded, and turn away from those who join false gods with Allah.
[15:95] For sufficient are We unto thee against those who scoff,-
[15:96] Those who adopt, with Allah, another god: but soon will they come to know.
[15:97] We do indeed know how thy heart is distressed at what they say.
[15:98] But celebrate the praises of thy Lord, and be of those who prostrate themselves in adoration.
[15:99] And serve thy Lord until there come unto thee the Hour that is Certain.
[19:1] Kaf. Ha. Ya. 'Ain. Sad.
[19:2] (This is) a recital of the Mercy of thy Lord to His servant Zakariya.
[19:3] Behold! he cried to his Lord in secret,
[19:4] Praying: "O my Lord! infirm indeed are my bones, and the hair of my head doth glisten with grey: but never am I unblest, O my Lord, in my prayer to Thee!
[19:5] "Now I fear (what) my relatives (and colleagues) (will do) after me: but my wife is barren: so give me an heir as from Thyself,-
[19:6] "(One that) will (truly) represent me, and represent the posterity of Jacob; and make him, O my Lord! one with whom Thou art well-pleased!"
[19:7] (His prayer was answered): "O Zakariya! We give thee good news of a son: His name shall be Yahya: on none by that name have We conferred distinction before."
[19:8] He said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son, when my wife is barren and I have grown quite decrepit from old age?"
[19:9] He said: "So (it will be) thy Lord saith, 'that is easy for Me: I did indeed create thee before, when thou hadst been nothing!'"
[19:10] (Zakariya) said: "O my Lord! give me a Sign." "Thy Sign," was the answer, "Shall be that thou shalt speak to no man for three nights, although thou art not dumb."
[19:11] So Zakariya came out to his people from him chamber: He told them by signs to celebrate Allah's praises in the morning and in the evening.
[19:12] (To his son came the command): "O Yahya! take hold of the Book with might": and We gave him Wisdom even as a youth,
[19:13] And piety (for all creatures) as from Us, and purity: He was devout,
[19:14] And kind to his parents, and he was not overbearing or rebellious.
[19:15] So Peace on him the day he was born, the day that he dies, and the day that he will be raised up to life (again)!
[19:16] Relate in the Book (the story of) Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place in the East.
[19:17] She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent her our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects.
[19:18] She said: "I seek refuge from thee to (Allah) Most Gracious: (come not near) if thou dost fear Allah."
[19:19] He said: "Nay, I am only a messenger from thy Lord, (to announce) to thee the gift of a holy son.
[19:20] She said: "How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and I am not unchaste?"
[19:21] He said: "So (it will be): Thy Lord saith, 'that is easy for Me: and (We wish) to appoint him as a Sign unto men and a Mercy from Us':It is a matter (so) decreed."
[19:22] So she conceived him, and she retired with him to a remote place.
[19:23] And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree: She cried (in her anguish): "Ah! would that I had died before this! would that I had been a thing forgotten and out of sight!"
[19:24] But (a voice) cried to her from beneath the (palm-tree): "Grieve not! for thy Lord hath provided a rivulet beneath thee;
[19:25] "And shake towards thyself the trunk of the palm-tree: It will let fall fresh ripe dates upon thee.
[19:26] "So eat and drink and cool (thine) eye. And if thou dost see any man, say, 'I have vowed a fast to (Allah) Most Gracious, and this day will I enter into not talk with any human being'"
[19:27] At length she brought the (babe) to her people, carrying him (in her arms). They said: "O Mary! truly an amazing thing hast thou brought!
[19:28] "O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a man of evil, nor thy mother a woman unchaste!"
[19:29] But she pointed to the babe. They said: "How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?"
[19:30] He said: "I am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet;
[19:31] "And He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be, and hath enjoined on me Prayer and Charity as long as I live;
[19:32] "(He) hath made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable;
[19:33] "So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)"!
[19:34] Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary: (it is) a statement of truth, about which they (vainly) dispute.
[19:35] It is not befitting to (the majesty of) Allah that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! when He determines a matter, He only says to it, "Be", and it is.
[19:36] Verily Allah is my Lord and your Lord: Him therefore serve ye: this is a Way that is straight.
[19:37] But the sects differ among themselves: and woe to the unbelievers because of the (coming) Judgment of a Momentous Day!
[19:38] How plainly will they see and hear, the Day that they will appear before Us! but the unjust today are in error manifest!
[19:39] But warn them of the Day of Distress, when the matter will be determined: for (behold,) they are negligent and they do not believe!
[19:40] It is We Who will inherit the earth, and all beings thereon: to Us will they all be returned.
[19:41] (Also mention in the Book (the story of) Abraham: He was a man of Truth, a prophet.
[19:42] Behold, he said to his father: "O my father! why worship that which heareth not and seeth not, and can profit thee nothing?
[19:43] "O my father! to me hath come knowledge which hath not reached thee: so follow me: I will guide thee to a way that is even and straight.
[19:44] "O my father! serve not Satan: for Satan is a rebel against (Allah) Most Gracious.
[19:45] "O my father! I fear lest a Penalty afflict thee from (Allah) Most Gracious, so that thou become to Satan a friend."
[19:46] (The father) replied: "Dost thou hate my gods, O Abraham? If thou forbear not, I will indeed stone thee: Now get away from me for a good long while!"
[19:47] Abraham said: "Peace be on thee: I will pray to my Lord for thy forgiveness: for He is to me Most Gracious.
[19:48] "And I will turn away from you (all) and from those whom ye invoke besides Allah: I will call on my Lord: perhaps, by my prayer to my Lord, I shall be not unblest."
[19:49] When he had turned away from them and from those whom they worshipped besides Allah, We bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob, and each one of them We made a prophet.
[19:50] And We bestowed of Our Mercy on them, and We granted them lofty honour on the tongue of truth.
[19:51] Also mention in the Book (the story of) Moses: for he was specially chosen, and he was a messenger (and) a prophet.
[19:52] And we called him from the right side of Mount (Sinai), and made him draw near to Us, for mystic (converse).
[19:53] And, out of Our Mercy, We gave him his brother Aaron, (also) a prophet.
[19:54] Also mention in the Book (the story of) Isma'il: He was (strictly) true to what he promised, and he was a messenger (and) a prophet.
[19:55] He used to enjoin on his people Prayer and Charity, and he was most acceptable in the sight of his Lord.
[19:56] Also mention in the Book the case of Idris: He was a man of truth (and sincerity), (and) a prophet:
[19:57] And We raised him to a lofty station.
[19:58] Those were some of the prophets on whom Allah did bestow His Grace,- of the posterity of Adam, and of those who We carried (in the Ark) with Noah, and of the posterity of Abraham and Israel of those whom We guided and chose. Whenever the Signs of (Allah) Most Gracious were rehearsed to them, they would fall down in prostrate adoration and in tears.
[19:59] But after them there followed a posterity who missed prayers and followed after lusts soon, then, will they face Destruction,-
[19:60] Except those who repent and believe, and work righteousness: for these will enter the Garden and will not be wronged in the least,-
[19:61] Gardens of Eternity, those which (Allah) Most Gracious has promised to His servants in the Unseen: for His promise must (necessarily) come to pass.
[19:62] They will not there hear any vain discourse, but only salutations of Peace: And they will have therein their sustenance, morning and evening.
[19:63] Such is the Garden which We give as an inheritance to those of Our servants who guard against Evil.
[19:64] (The angels say:) "We descend not but by command of thy Lord: to Him belongeth what is before us and what is behind us, and what is between: and thy Lord never doth forget,-
[19:65] "Lord of the heavens and of the earth, and of all that is between them; so worship Him, and be constant and patient in His worship: knowest thou of any who is worthy of the same Name as He?"
[19:66] Man says: "What! When I am dead, shall I then be raised up alive?"
[19:67] But does not man call to mind that We created him before out of nothing?
[19:68] So, by thy Lord, without doubt, We shall gather them together, and (also) the Evil Ones (with them); then shall We bring them forth on their knees round about Hell;
[19:69] Then shall We certainly drag out from every sect all those who were worst in obstinate rebellion against (Allah) Most Gracious.
[19:70] And certainly We know best those who are most worthy of being burned therein.
[19:71] Not one of you but will pass over it: this is, with thy Lord, a Decree which must be accomplished.
[19:72] But We shall save those who guarded against evil, and We shall leave the wrong-doers therein, (humbled) to their knees.
[19:73] When Our Clear Signs are rehearsed to them, the Unbelievers say to those who believe, "Which of the two sides is best in point of position? Which makes the best show in council?"
[19:74] But how many (countless) generations before them have we destroyed, who were even better in equipment and in glitter to the eye?
[19:75] Say: "If any men go astray, (Allah) Most Gracious extends (the rope) to them, until, when they see the warning of Allah (being fulfilled) - either in punishment or in (the approach of) the Hour,- they will at length realise who is worst in position, and (who) weakest in forces!
[19:76] "And Allah doth advance in guidance those who seek guidance: and the things that endure, Good Deeds, are best in the sight of thy Lord, as rewards, and best in respect of (their) eventual return."
[19:77] Hast thou then seen the (sort of) man who rejects Our Signs, yet says: "I shall certainly be given wealth and children?"
[19:78] Has he penetrated to the Unseen, or has he taken a contract with (Allah) Most Gracious?
[19:79] Nay! We shall record what he says, and We shall add and add to his punishment.
[19:80] To Us shall return all that he talks of and he shall appear before Us bare and alone.
[19:81] And they have taken (for worship) gods other than Allah, to give them power and glory!
[19:82] Instead, they shall reject their worship, and become adversaries against them.
[19:83] Seest thou not that We have set the Evil Ones on against the unbelievers, to incite them with fury?
[19:84] So make no haste against them, for We but count out to them a (limited) number (of days).
[19:85] The day We shall gather the righteous to (Allah) Most Gracious, like a band presented before a king for honours,
[19:86] And We shall drive the sinners to Hell, like thirsty cattle driven down to water,-
[19:87] None shall have the power of intercession, but such a one as has received permission (or promise) from (Allah) Most Gracious.
[19:88] They say: "(Allah) Most Gracious has begotten a son!"
[19:89] Indeed ye have put forth a thing most monstrous!
[19:90] At it the skies are ready to burst, the earth to split asunder, and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin,
[19:91] That they should invoke a son for (Allah) Most Gracious.
[19:92] For it is not consonant with the majesty of (Allah) Most Gracious that He should beget a son.
[19:93] Not one of the beings in the heavens and the earth but must come to (Allah) Most Gracious as a servant.
[19:94] He does take an account of them (all), and hath numbered them (all) exactly.
[19:95] And everyone of them will come to Him singly on the Day of Judgment.
[19:96] On those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, will (Allah) Most Gracious bestow love.
[19:97] So have We made the (Qur'an) easy in thine own tongue, that with it thou mayest give Glad Tidings to the righteous, and warnings to people given to contention.
[19:98] But how many (countless) generations before them have We destroyed? Canst thou find a single one of them (now) or hear (so much as) a whisper of them?
[38:1] Sad: By the Qur'an, Full of Admonition: (This is the Truth).
[38:2] But the Unbelievers (are steeped) in self-glory and Separatism.
[38:3] How many generations before them did We destroy? In the end they cried (for mercy)- when there was no longer time for being saved!
[38:4] So they wonder that a Warner has come to them from among themselves! and the Unbelievers say, "This is a sorcerer telling lies!
[38:5] "Has he made the gods (all) into one Allah? Truly this is a wonderful thing!"
[38:6] And the leader among them go away (impatiently), (saying), "Walk ye away, and remain constant to your gods! For this is truly a thing designed (against you)!
[38:7] "We never heard (the like) of this among the people of these latter days: this is nothing but a made-up tale!"
[38:8] "What! has the Message been sent to him - (Of all persons) among us?"...but they are in doubt concerning My (Own) Message! Nay, they have not yet tasted My Punishment!
[38:9] Or have they the treasures of the mercy of thy Lord,- the Exalted in Power, the Grantor of Bounties without measure?
[38:10] Or have they the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all between? If so, let them mount up with the ropes and means (to reach that end)!
[38:11] But there - will be put to flight even a host of confederates.
[38:12] Before them (were many who) rejected messengers,- the people of Noah, and 'Ad, and Pharaoh, the Lord of Stakes,
[38:13] And Thamud, and the people of Lut, and the Companions of the Wood; - such were the Confederates.
[38:14] Not one (of them) but rejected the messengers, but My punishment came justly and inevitably (on them).
[38:15] These (today) only wait for a single mighty Blast, which (when it comes) will brook no delay.
[38:16] They say: "Our Lord! hasten to us our sentence (even) before the Day of Account!"
[38:17] Have patience at what they say, and remember our servant David, the man of strength: for he ever turned (to Allah).
[38:18] It was We that made the hills declare, in unison with him, Our Praises, at eventide and at break of day,
[38:19] And the birds gathered (in assemblies): all with him did turn (to Allah).
[38:20] We strengthened his kingdom, and gave him wisdom and sound judgment in speech and decision.
[38:21] Has the Story of the Disputants reached thee? Behold, they climbed over the wall of the private chamber;
[38:22] When they entered the presence of David, and he was terrified of them, they said: "Fear not: we are two disputants, one of whom has wronged the other: Decide now between us with truth, and treat us not with injustice, but guide us to the even Path..
[38:23] "This man is my brother: He has nine and ninety ewes, and I have (but) one: Yet he says, 'commit her to my care,' and is (moreover) harsh to me in speech."
[38:24] (David) said: "He has undoubtedly wronged thee in demanding thy (single) ewe to be added to his (flock of) ewes: truly many are the partners (in business) who wrong each other: Not so do those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, and how few are they?"...and David gathered that We had tried him: he asked forgiveness of his Lord, fell down, bowing (in prostration), and turned (to Allah in repentance).
[38:25] So We forgave him this (lapse): he enjoyed, indeed, a Near Approach to Us, and a beautiful place of (Final) Return.
[38:26] O David! We did indeed make thee a vicegerent on earth: so judge thou between men in truth (and justice): Nor follow thou the lusts (of thy heart), for they will mislead thee from the Path of Allah: for those who wander astray from the Path of Allah, is a Penalty Grievous, for that they forget the Day of Account.
[38:27] Not without purpose did We create heaven and earth and all between! that were the thought of Unbelievers! but woe to the Unbelievers because of the Fire (of Hell)!
[38:28] Shall We treat those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, the same as those who do mischief on earth? Shall We treat those who guard against evil, the same as those who turn aside from the right?
[38:29] (Here is) a Book which We have sent down unto thee, full of blessings, that they may mediate on its Signs, and that men of understanding may receive admonition.
[38:30] To David We gave Solomon (for a son),- How excellent in Our service! Ever did he turn (to Us)!
[38:31] Behold, there were brought before him, at eventide coursers of the highest breeding, and swift of foot;
[38:32] And he said, "Truly do I love the love of good, with a view to the glory of my Lord,"- until (the sun) was hidden in the veil (of night):
[38:33] "Bring them back to me." then began he to pass his hand over (their) legs and their necks.
[38:34] And We did try Solomon: We placed on his throne a body (without life); but he did turn (to Us in true devotion):
[38:35] He said, "O my Lord! Forgive me, and grant me a kingdom which, (it may be), suits not another after me: for Thou art the Grantor of Bounties (without measure).
[38:36] Then We subjected the wind to his power, to flow gently to his order, Whithersoever he willed,-
[38:37] As also the evil ones, (including) every kind of builder and diver,-
[38:38] As also others bound together in fetters.
[38:39] "Such are Our Bounties: whether thou bestow them (on others) or withhold them, no account will be asked."
[38:40] And he enjoyed, indeed, a Near Approach to Us, and a beautiful Place of (Final) Return.
[38:41] Commemorate Our Servant Job. Behold he cried to his Lord: "The Evil One has afflicted me with distress and suffering!"
[38:42] (The command was given:) "Strike with thy foot: here is (water) wherein to wash, cool and refreshing, and (water) to drink."
[38:43] And We gave him (back) his people, and doubled their number,- as a Grace from Ourselves, and a thing for commemoration, for all who have Understanding.
[38:44] "And take in thy hand a little grass, and strike therewith: and break not (thy oath)." Truly We found him full of patience and constancy. How excellent in Our service! ever did he turn (to Us)!
[38:45] And commemorate Our Servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, possessors of Power and Vision.
[38:46] Verily We did choose them for a special (purpose)- proclaiming the Message of the Hereafter.
[38:47] They were, in Our sight, truly, of the company of the Elect and the Good.
[38:48] And commemorate Isma'il, Elisha, and Zul-Kifl: Each of them was of the Company of the Good.
[38:49] This is a Message (of admonition): and verily, for the righteous, is a beautiful Place of (Final) Return,-
[38:50] Gardens of Eternity, whose doors will (ever) be open to them;
[38:51] Therein will they recline (at ease): Therein can they call (at pleasure) for fruit in abundance, and (delicious) drink;
[38:52] And beside them will be chaste women restraining their glances, (companions) of equal age.
[38:53] Such is the Promise made, to you for the Day of Account!
[38:54] Truly such will be Our Bounty (to you); it will never fail;-
[38:55] Yea, such! but - for the wrong-doers will be an evil place of (Final) Return!-
[38:56] Hell!- they will burn therein, - an evil bed (indeed, to lie on)!-
[38:57] Yea, such! - then shall they taste it,- a boiling fluid, and a fluid dark, murky, intensely cold!-
[38:58] And other Penalties of a similar kind, to match them!
[38:59] Here is a troop rushing headlong with you! No welcome for them! truly, they shall burn in the Fire!
[38:60] (The followers shall cry to the misleaders:) "Nay, ye (too)! No welcome for you! It is ye who have brought this upon us! Now evil is (this) place to stay in!"
[38:61] They will say: "Our Lord! whoever brought this upon us,- Add to him a double Penalty in the Fire!"
[38:62] And they will say: "What has happened to us that we see not men whom we used to number among the bad ones?
[38:63] "Did we treat them (as such) in ridicule, or have (our) eyes failed to perceive them?"
[38:64] Truly that is just and fitting,- the mutual recriminations of the People of the Fire!
[38:65] Say: "Truly am I a Warner: no god is there but the one Allah, Supreme and Irresistible,-
[38:66] "The Lord of the heavens and the earth, and all between,- Exalted in Might, able to enforce His Will, forgiving again and again."
[38:67] Say: "That is a Message Supreme (above all),-
[38:68] "From which ye do turn away!
[38:69] "No knowledge have I of the Chiefs on high, when they discuss (matters) among themselves.
[38:70] 'Only this has been revealed to me: that I am to give warning plainly and publicly."
[38:71] Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: "I am about to create man from clay:
[38:72] "When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My spirit, fall ye down in obeisance unto him."
[38:73] So the angels prostrated themselves, all of them together:
[38:74] Not so Iblis: he was haughty, and became one of those who reject Faith.
[38:75] (Allah) said: "O Iblis! What prevents thee from prostrating thyself to one whom I have created with my hands? Art thou haughty? Or art thou one of the high (and mighty) ones?"
[38:76] (Iblis) said: "I am better than he: thou createdst me from fire, and him thou createdst from clay."
[38:77] (Allah) said: "Then get thee out from here: for thou art rejected, accursed.
[38:78] "And My curse shall be on thee till the Day of Judgment."
[38:79] (Iblis) said: "O my Lord! Give me then respite till the Day the (dead) are raised."
[38:80] (Allah) said: "Respite then is granted thee-
[38:81] "Till the Day of the Time Appointed."
[38:82] (Iblis) said: "Then, by Thy power, I will put them all in the wrong,-
[38:83] "Except Thy Servants amongst them, sincere and purified (by Thy Grace)."
[38:84] (Allah) said: "Then it is just and fitting- and I say what is just and fitting-
[38:85] "That I will certainly fill Hell with thee and those that follow thee,- every one."
[38:86] Say: "No reward do I ask of you for this (Qur'an), nor am I a pretender.
[38:87] "This is no less than a Message to (all) the Worlds.
[38:88] "And ye shall certainly know the truth of it (all) after a while."
[36:1] Ya Sin.
[36:2] By the Qur'an, full of Wisdom,-
[36:3] Thou art indeed one of the messengers,
[36:4] On a Straight Way.
[36:5] It is a Revelation sent down by (Him), the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.
[36:6] In order that thou mayest admonish a people, whose fathers had received no admonition, and who therefore remain heedless (of the Signs of Allah).
[36:7] The Word is proved true against the greater part of them: for they do not believe.
[36:8] We have put yokes round their necks right up to their chins, so that their heads are forced up (and they cannot see).
[36:9] And We have put a bar in front of them and a bar behind them, and further, We have covered them up; so that they cannot see.
[36:10] The same is it to them whether thou admonish them or thou do not admonish them: they will not believe.
[36:11] Thou canst but admonish such a one as follows the Message and fears the (Lord) Most Gracious, unseen: give such a one, therefore, good tidings, of Forgiveness and a Reward most generous.
[36:12] Verily We shall give life to the dead, and We record that which they send before and that which they leave behind, and of all things have We taken account in a clear Book (of evidence).
[36:13] Set forth to them, by way of a parable, the (story of) the Companions of the City. Behold!, there came messengers to it.
[36:14] When We (first) sent to them two messengers, they rejected them: But We strengthened them with a third: they said, "Truly, we have been sent on a mission to you."
[36:15] The (people) said: "Ye are only men like ourselves; and (Allah) Most Gracious sends no sort of revelation: ye do nothing but lie."
[36:16] They said: "Our Lord doth know that we have been sent on a mission to you:
[36:17] "And our duty is only to proclaim the clear Message."
[36:18] The (people) said: "for us, we augur an evil omen from you: if ye desist not, we will certainly stone you. And a grievous punishment indeed will be inflicted on you by us."
[36:19] They said: "Your evil omens are with yourselves: (deem ye this an evil omen). If ye are admonished? Nay, but ye are a people transgressing all bounds!"
[36:20] Then there came running, from the farthest part of the City, a man, saying, "O my people! Obey the messengers:
[36:21] "Obey those who ask no reward of you (for themselves), and who have themselves received Guidance.
[36:22] "It would not be reasonable in me if I did not serve Him Who created me, and to Whom ye shall (all) be brought back.
[36:23] "Shall I take (other) gods besides Him? If (Allah) Most Gracious should intend some adversity for me, of no use whatever will be their intercession for me, nor can they deliver me.
[36:24] "I would indeed, if I were to do so, be in manifest Error.
[36:25] "For me, I have faith in the Lord of you (all): listen, then, to me!"
[36:26] It was said: "Enter thou the Garden." He said: "Ah me! Would that my People knew (what I know)!-
[36:27] "For that my Lord has granted me Forgiveness and has enrolled me among those held in honour!"
[36:28] And We sent not down against his People, after him, any hosts from heaven, nor was it needful for Us so to do.
[36:29] It was no more than a single mighty Blast, and behold! they were (like ashes) quenched and silent.
[36:30] Ah! Alas for (My) Servants! There comes not a messenger to them but they mock him!
[36:31] See they not how many generations before them we destroyed? Not to them will they return:
[36:32] But each one of them all - will be brought before Us (for judgment).
[36:33] A Sign for them is the earth that is dead: We do give it life, and produce grain therefrom, of which ye do eat.
[36:34] And We produce therein orchard with date-palms and vines, and We cause springs to gush forth therein:
[36:35] That they may enjoy the fruits of this (artistry): It was not their hands that made this: will they not then give thanks?
[36:36] Glory to Allah, Who created in pairs all things that the earth produces, as well as their own (human) kind and (other) things of which they have no knowledge.
[36:37] And a Sign for them is the Night: We withdraw therefrom the Day, and behold they are plunged in darkness;
[36:38] And the sun runs his course for a period determined for him: that is the decree of (Him), the Exalted in Might, the All-Knowing.
[36:39] And the Moon,- We have measured for her mansions (to traverse) till she returns like the old (and withered) lower part of a date-stalk.
[36:40] It is not permitted to the Sun to catch up the Moon, nor can the Night outstrip the Day: Each (just) swims along in (its own) orbit (according to Law).
[36:41] And a Sign for them is that We bore their race (through the Flood) in the loaded Ark;
[36:42] And We have created for them similar (vessels) on which they ride.
[36:43] If it were Our Will, We could drown them: then would there be no helper (to hear their cry), nor could they be delivered,
[36:44] Except by way of Mercy from Us, and by way of (world) convenience (to serve them) for a time.
[36:45] When they are told, "Fear ye that which is before you and that which will be after you, in order that ye may receive Mercy," (they turn back).
[36:46] Not a Sign comes to them from among the Signs of their Lord, but they turn away therefrom.
[36:47] And when they are told, "Spend ye of (the bounties) with which Allah has provided you," the Unbelievers say to those who believe: "Shall we then feed those whom, if Allah had so willed, He would have fed, (Himself)?- Ye are in nothing but manifest error."
[36:48] Further, they say, "When will this promise (come to pass), if what ye say is true?"
[36:49] They will not (have to) wait for aught but a single Blast: it will seize them while they are yet disputing among themselves!
[36:50] No (chance) will they then have, by will, to dispose (of their affairs), nor to return to their own people!
[36:51] The trumpet shall be sounded, when behold! from the sepulchres (men) will rush forth to their Lord!
[36:52] They will say: "Ah! Woe unto us! Who hath raised us up from our beds of repose?"... (A voice will say:) "This is what (Allah) Most Gracious had promised. And true was the word of the messengers!"
[36:53] It will be no more than a single Blast, when lo! they will all be brought up before Us!
[36:54] Then, on that Day, not a soul will be wronged in the least, and ye shall but be repaid the meeds of your past Deeds.
[36:55] Verily the Companions of the Garden shall that Day have joy in all that they do;
[36:56] They and their associates will be in groves of (cool) shade, reclining on Thrones (of dignity);
[36:57] (Every) fruit (enjoyment) will be there for them; they shall have whatever they call for;
[36:58] "Peace!" - a word (of salutation) from a Lord Most Merciful!
[36:59] "And O ye in sin! Get ye apart this Day!
[36:60] "Did I not enjoin on you, O ye Children of Adam, that ye should not worship Satan; for that he was to you an enemy avowed?-
[36:61] "And that ye should worship Me, (for that) this was the Straight Way?
[36:62] "But he did lead astray a great multitude of you. Did ye not, then, understand?
[36:63] "This is the Hell of which ye were (repeatedly) warned!
[36:64] "Embrace ye the (fire) this Day, for that ye (persistently) rejected (Truth)."
[36:65] That Day shall We set a seal on their mouths. But their hands will speak to us, and their feet bear witness, to all that they did.
[36:66] If it had been our Will, We could surely have blotted out their eyes; then should they have run about groping for the Path, but how could they have seen?
[36:67] And if it had been Our Will, We could have transformed them (to remain) in their places; then should they have been unable to move about, nor could they have returned (after error).
[36:68] If We grant long life to any, We cause him to be reversed in nature: Will they not then understand?
[36:69] We have not instructed the (Prophet) in Poetry, nor is it meet for him: this is no less than a Message and a Qur'an making things clear:
[36:70] That it may give admonition to any (who are) alive, and that the charge may be proved against those who reject (Truth).
[36:71] See they not that it is We Who have created for them - among the things which Our hands have fashioned - cattle, which are under their dominion?-
[36:72] And that We have subjected them to their (use)? of them some do carry them and some they eat:
[36:73] And they have (other) profits from them (besides), and they get (milk) to drink. Will they not then be grateful?
[36:74] Yet they take (for worship) gods other than Allah, (hoping) that they might be helped!
[36:75] They have not the power to help them: but they will be brought up (before Our Judgment-seat) as a troop (to be condemned).
[36:76] Let not their speech, then, grieve thee. Verily We know what they hide as well as what they disclose.
[36:77] Doth not man see that it is We Who created him from sperm? yet behold! he (stands forth) as an open adversary!
[36:78] And he makes comparisons for Us, and forgets his own (origin and) Creation: He says, "Who can give life to (dry) bones and decomposed ones (at that)?"
[36:79] Say, "He will give them life Who created them for the first time! for He is Well-versed in every kind of creation!-
[36:80] "The same Who produces for you fire out of the green tree, when behold! ye kindle therewith (your own fires)!
[36:81] "Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth able to create the like thereof?" - Yea, indeed! for He is the Creator Supreme, of skill and knowledge (infinite)!
[36:82] Verily, when He intends a thing, His Command is, "be", and it is!
[36:83] So glory to Him in Whose hands is the dominion of all things: and to Him will ye be all brought back.
[43:1] Ha-Mim
[43:2] By the Book that makes things clear,-
[43:3] We have made it a Qur'an in Arabic, that ye may be able to understand (and learn wisdom).
[43:4] And verily, it is in the Mother of the Book, in Our Presence, high (in dignity), full of wisdom.
[43:5] Shall We then take away the Message from you and repel (you), for that ye are a people transgressing beyond bounds?
[43:6] But how many were the prophets We sent amongst the peoples of old?
[43:7] And never came there a prophet to them but they mocked him.
[43:8] So We destroyed (them)- stronger in power than these;- and (thus) has passed on the Parable of the peoples of old.
[43:9] If thou wert to question them, 'Who created the heavens and the earth?' They would be sure to reply, 'they were created by (Him), the Exalted in Power, Full of Knowledge';-
[43:10] (Yea, the same that) has made for you the earth (like a carpet) spread out, and has made for you roads (and channels) therein, in order that ye may find guidance (on the way);
[43:11] That sends down (from time to time) rain from the sky in due measure;- and We raise to life therewith a land that is dead; even so will ye be raised (from the dead);-
[43:12] That has created pairs in all things, and has made for you ships and cattle on which ye ride,
[43:13] In order that ye may sit firm and square on their backs, and when so seated, ye may celebrate the (kind) favour of your Lord, and say, "Glory to Him Who has subjected these to our (use), for we could never have accomplished this (by ourselves),
[43:14] "And to our Lord, surely, must we turn back!"
[43:15] Yet they attribute to some of His servants a share with Him (in his godhead)! truly is man a blasphemous ingrate avowed!
[43:16] What! has He taken daughters out of what He himself creates, and granted to you sons for choice?
[43:17] When news is brought to one of them of (the birth of) what he sets up as a likeness to (Allah) Most Gracious, his face darkens, and he is filled with inward grief!
[43:18] Is then one brought up among trinkets, and unable to give a clear account in a dispute (to be associated with Allah)?
[43:19] And they make into females angels who themselves serve Allah. Did they witness their creation? Their evidence will be recorded, and they will be called to account!
[43:20] ("Ah!") they say, "If it had been the will of (Allah) Most Gracious, we should not have worshipped such (deities)!" Of that they have no knowledge! they do nothing but lie!
[43:21] What! have We given them a Book before this, to which they are holding fast?
[43:22] Nay! they say: "We found our fathers following a certain religion, and we do guide ourselves by their footsteps."
[43:23] Just in the same way, whenever We sent a Warner before thee to any people, the wealthy ones among them said: "We found our fathers following a certain religion, and we will certainly follow in their footsteps."
[43:24] He said: "What! Even if I brought you better guidance than that which ye found your fathers following?" They said: "For us, we deny that ye (prophets) are sent (on a mission at all)."
[43:25] So We exacted retribution from them: now see what was the end of those who rejected (Truth)!
[43:26] Behold! Abraham said to his father and his people: "I do indeed clear myself of what ye worship:
[43:27] "(I worship) only Him Who made me, and He will certainly guide me."
[43:28] And he left it as a Word to endure among those who came after him, that they may turn back (to Allah).
[43:29] Yea, I have given the good things of this life to these (men) and their fathers, until the Truth has come to them, and a messenger making things clear.
[43:30] But when the Truth came to them, they said: "This is sorcery, and we do reject it."
[43:31] Also, they say: "Why is not this Qur'an sent down to some leading man in either of the two (chief) cities?"
[43:32] Is it they who would portion out the Mercy of thy Lord? It is We Who portion out between them their livelihood in the life of this world: and We raise some of them above others in ranks, so that some may command work from others. But the Mercy of thy Lord is better than the (wealth) which they amass.
[43:33] And were it not that (all) men might become of one (evil) way of life, We would provide, for everyone that blasphemes against (Allah) Most Gracious, silver roofs for their houses and (silver) stair-ways on which to go up,
[43:34] And (silver) doors to their houses, and thrones (of silver) on which they could recline,
[43:35] And also adornments of gold. But all this were nothing but conveniences of the present life: The Hereafter, in the sight of thy Lord is for the Righteous.
[43:36] If anyone withdraws himself from remembrance of (Allah) Most Gracious, We appoint for him an evil one, to be an intimate companion to him.
[43:37] Such (evil ones) really hinder them from the Path, but they think that they are being guided aright!
[43:38] At length, when (such a one) comes to Us, he says (to his evil companion): "Would that between me and thee were the distance of East and West!" Ah! evil is the companion (indeed)!
[43:39] When ye have done wrong, it will avail you nothing, that Day, that ye shall be partners in Punishment!
[43:40] Canst thou then make the deaf to hear, or give direction to the blind or to such as (wander) in manifest error?
[43:41] Even if We take thee away, We shall be sure to exact retribution from them,
[43:42] Or We shall show thee that (accomplished) which We have promised them: for verily We shall prevail over them.
[43:43] So hold thou fast to the Revelation sent down to thee; verily thou art on a Straight Way.
[43:44] The (Qur'an) is indeed the message, for thee and for thy people; and soon shall ye (all) be brought to account.
[43:45] And question thou our messengers whom We sent before thee; did We appoint any deities other than (Allah) Most Gracious, to be worshipped?
[43:46] We did send Moses aforetime, with Our Signs, to Pharaoh and his Chiefs: He said, "I am a messenger of the Lord of the Worlds."
[43:47] But when he came to them with Our Signs, behold they ridiculed them.
[43:48] We showed them Sign after Sign, each greater than its fellow, and We seized them with Punishment, in order that they might turn (to Us).
[43:49] And they said, "O thou sorcerer! Invoke thy Lord for us according to His covenant with thee; for we shall truly accept guidance."
[43:50] But when We removed the Penalty from them, behold, they broke their word.
[43:51] And Pharaoh proclaimed among his people, saying: "O my people! Does not the dominion of Egypt belong to me, (witness) these streams flowing underneath my (palace)? What! see ye not then?
[43:52] "Am I not better than this (Moses), who is a contemptible wretch and can scarcely express himself clearly?
[43:53] "Then why are not gold bracelets bestowed on him, or (why) come (not) with him angels accompanying him in procession?"
[43:54] Thus did he make fools of his people, and they obeyed him: truly were they a people rebellious (against Allah).
[43:55] When at length they provoked Us, We exacted retribution from them, and We drowned them all.
[43:56] And We made them (a people) of the Past and an Example to later ages.
[43:57] When (Jesus) the son of Mary is held up as an example, behold, thy people raise a clamour thereat (in ridicule)!
[43:58] And they say, "Are our gods best, or he?" This they set forth to thee, only by way of disputation: yea, they are a contentious people.
[43:59] He was no more than a servant: We granted Our favour to him, and We made him an example to the Children of Israel.
[43:60] And if it were Our Will, We could make angels from amongst you, succeeding each other on the earth.
[43:61] And (Jesus) shall be a Sign (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment): therefore have no doubt about the (Hour), but follow ye Me: this is a Straight Way.
[43:62] Let not the Evil One hinder you: for he is to you an enemy avowed.
[43:63] When Jesus came with Clear Signs, he said: "Now have I come to you with Wisdom, and in order to make clear to you some of the (points) on which ye dispute: therefore fear Allah and obey me.
[43:64] "For Allah, He is my Lord and your Lord: so worship ye Him: this is a Straight Way."
[43:65] But sects from among themselves fell into disagreement: then woe to the wrong-doers, from the Penalty of a Grievous Day!
[43:66] Do they only wait for the Hour - that it should come on them all of a sudden, while they perceive not?
[43:67] Friends on that day will be foes, one to another,- except the Righteous.
[43:68] My devotees! no fear shall be on you that Day, nor shall ye grieve,-
[43:69] (Being) those who have believed in Our Signs and bowed (their wills to Ours) in Islam.
[43:70] Enter ye the Garden, ye and your wives, in (beauty and) rejoicing.
[43:71] To them will be passed round, dishes and goblets of gold: there will be there all that the souls could desire, all that their ayes could delight in: and ye shall abide therein (for eye).
[43:72] Such will be the Garden of which ye are made heirs for your (good) deeds (in life).
[43:73] Ye shall have therein abundance of fruit, from which ye shall have satisfaction.
[43:74] The sinners will be in the Punishment of Hell, to dwell therein (for aye):
[43:75] Nowise will the (Punishment) be lightened for them, and in despair will they be there overwhelmed.
[43:76] Nowise shall We be unjust to them: but it is they who have been unjust themselves.
[43:77] They will cry: "O Malik! would that thy Lord put an end to us!" He will say, "Nay, but ye shall abide!"
[43:78] Verily We have brought the Truth to you: but most of you have a hatred for Truth.
[43:79] What! have they settled some plan (among themselves)? But it is We Who settle things.
[43:80] Or do they think that We hear not their secrets and their private counsels? Indeed (We do), and Our messengers are by them, to record.
[43:81] Say: "If (Allah) Most Gracious had a son, I would be the first to worship."
[43:82] Glory to the Lord of the heavens and the earth, the Lord of the Throne (of Authority)! (He is free) from the things they attribute (to him)!
[43:83] So leave them to babble and play (with vanities) until they meet that Day of theirs, which they have been promised.
[43:84] It is He Who is Allah in heaven and Allah on earth; and He is full of Wisdom and Knowledge.
[43:85] And blessed is He to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all between them: with Him is the Knowledge of the Hour (of Judgment): and to Him shall ye be brought back.
[43:86] And those whom they invoke besides Allah have no power of intercession;- only he who bears witness to the Truth, and they know (him).
[43:87] If thou ask them, who created them, they will certainly say, Allah: How then are they deluded away (from the Truth)?
[43:88] (Allah has knowledge) of the (Prophet's) cry, "O my Lord! Truly these are people who will not believe!"
[43:89] But turn away from them, and say "Peace!" But soon shall they know!
[72:1] Say: It has been revealed to me that a company of Jinns listened (to the Qur'an). They said, 'We have really heard a wonderful Recital!
[72:2] 'It gives guidance to the Right, and we have believed therein: we shall not join (in worship) any (gods) with our Lord.
[72:3] 'And Exalted is the Majesty of our Lord: He has taken neither a wife nor a son.
[72:4] 'There were some foolish ones among us, who used to utter extravagant lies against Allah;
[72:5] 'But we do think that no man or spirit should say aught that untrue against Allah.
[72:6] 'True, there were persons among mankind who took shelter with persons among the Jinns, but they increased them in folly.
[72:7] 'And they (came to) think as ye thought, that Allah would not raise up any one (to Judgment).
[72:8] 'And we pried into the secrets of heaven; but we found it filled with stern guards and flaming fires.
[72:9] 'We used, indeed, to sit there in (hidden) stations, to (steal) a hearing; but any who listen now will find a flaming fire watching him in ambush.
[72:10] 'And we understand not whether ill is intended to those on earth, or whether their Lord (really) intends to guide them to right conduct.
[72:11] 'There are among us some that are righteous, and some the contrary: we follow divergent paths.
[72:12] 'But we think that we can by no means frustrate Allah throughout the earth, nor can we frustrate Him by flight.
[72:13] 'And as for us, since we have listened to the Guidance, we have accepted it: and any who believes in his Lord has no fear, either of a short (account) or of any injustice.
[72:14] 'Amongst us are some that submit their wills (to Allah), and some that swerve from justice. Now those who submit their wills - they have sought out (the path) of right conduct:
[72:15] 'But those who swerve,- they are (but) fuel for Hell-fire'-
[72:16] (And Allah's Message is): "If they (the Pagans) had (only) remained on the (right) Way, We should certainly have bestowed on them Rain in abundance.
[72:17] "That We might try them by that (means). But if any turns away from the remembrance of his Lord, He will cause him to undergo a severe Penalty.
[72:18] "And the places of worship are for Allah (alone): So invoke not any one along with Allah;
[72:19] "Yet when the Devotee of Allah stands forth to invoke Him, they just make round him a dense crowd."
[72:20] Say: "I do no more than invoke my Lord, and I join not with Him any (false god)."
[72:21] Say: "It is not in my power to cause you harm, or to bring you to right conduct."
[72:22] Say: "No one can deliver me from Allah (If I were to disobey Him), nor should I find refuge except in Him,
[72:23] "Unless I proclaim what I receive from Allah and His Messages: for any that disobey Allah and His Messenger,- for them is Hell: they shall dwell therein for ever."
[72:24] At length, when they see (with their own eyes) that which they are promised,- then will they know who it is that is weakest in (his) helper and least important in point of numbers.
[72:25] Say: "I know not whether the (Punishment) which ye are promised is near, or whether my Lord will appoint for it a distant term.
[72:26] "He (alone) knows the Unseen, nor does He make any one acquainted with His Mysteries,-
[72:27] "Except a messenger whom He has chosen: and then He makes a band of watchers march before him and behind him,
[72:28] "That He may know that they have (truly) brought and delivered the Messages of their Lord: and He surrounds (all the mysteries) that are with them, and takes account of every single thing."
[67:1] Blessed be He in Whose hands is Dominion; and He over all things hath Power;-
[67:2] He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving;-
[67:3] He Who created the seven heavens one above another: No want of proportion wilt thou see in the Creation of (Allah) Most Gracious. So turn thy vision again: seest thou any flaw?
[67:4] Again turn thy vision a second time: (thy) vision will come back to thee dull and discomfited, in a state worn out.
[67:5] And we have, (from of old), adorned the lowest heaven with Lamps, and We have made such (Lamps) (as) missiles to drive away the Evil Ones, and have prepared for them the Penalty of the Blazing Fire.
[67:6] For those who reject their Lord (and Cherisher) is the Penalty of Hell: and evil is (such), Destination.
[67:7] When they are cast therein, they will hear the (terrible) drawing in of its breath even as it blazes forth,
[67:8] Almost bursting with fury: Every time a Group is cast therein, its Keepers will ask, "Did no Warner come to you?"
[67:9] They will say: "Yes indeed; a Warner did come to us, but we rejected him and said, 'Allah never sent down any (Message): ye are nothing but an egregious delusion!'"
[67:10] They will further say: "Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we should not (now) be among the Companions of the Blazing Fire!"
[67:11] They will then confess their sins: but far will be (Forgiveness) from the Companions of the Blazing Fire!
[67:12] As for those who fear their Lord unseen, for them is Forgiveness and a great Reward.
[67:13] And whether ye hide your word or publish it, He certainly has (full) knowledge, of the secrets of (all) hearts.
[67:14] Should He not know,- He that created? and He is the One that understands the finest mysteries (and) is well-acquainted (with them).
[67:15] It is He Who has made the earth manageable for you, so traverse ye through its tracts and enjoy of the Sustenance which He furnishes: but unto Him is the Resurrection.
[67:16] Do ye feel secure that He Who is in heaven will not cause you to be swallowed up by the earth when it shakes (as in an earthquake)?
[67:17] Or do ye feel secure that He Who is in Heaven will not send against you a violent tornado (with showers of stones), so that ye shall know how (terrible) was My warning?
[67:18] But indeed men before them rejected (My warning): then how (terrible) was My rejection (of them)?
[67:19] Do they not observe the birds above them, spreading their wings and folding them in? None can uphold them except (Allah) Most Gracious: Truly (Allah) Most Gracious: Truly it is He that watches over all things.
[67:20] Nay, who is there that can help you, (even as) an army, besides (Allah) Most Merciful? In nothing but delusion are the Unbelievers.
[67:21] Or who is there that can provide you with Sustenance if He were to withhold His provision? Nay, they obstinately persist in insolent impiety and flight (from the Truth).
[67:22] Is then one who walks headlong, with his face grovelling, better guided,- or one who walks evenly on a Straight Way?
[67:23] Say: "It is He Who has created you (and made you grow), and made for you the faculties of hearing, seeing, feeling and understanding: little thanks it is ye give.
[67:24] Say: "It is He Who has multiplied you through the earth, and to Him shall ye be gathered together."
[67:25] They ask: When will this promise be (fulfilled)? - If ye are telling the truth.
[67:26] Say: "As to the knowledge of the time, it is with Allah alone: I am (sent) only to warn plainly in public."
[67:27] At length, when they see it close at hand, grieved will be the faces of the Unbelievers, and it will be said (to them): "This is (the promise fulfilled), which ye were calling for!"
[67:28] Say: "See ye?- If Allah were to destroy me, and those with me, or if He bestows His Mercy on us,- yet who can deliver the Unbelievers from a grievous Penalty?"
[67:29] Say: "He is (Allah) Most Gracious: We have believed in Him, and on Him have we put our trust: So, soon will ye know which (of us) it is that is in manifest error."
[67:30] Say: "See ye?- If your stream be some morning lost (in the underground earth), who then can supply you with clear-flowing water?"
[23:1] The believers must (eventually) win through,-
[23:2] Those who humble themselves in their prayers;
[23:3] Who avoid vain talk;
[23:4] Who are active in deeds of charity;
[23:5] Who abstain from sex,
[23:6] Except with those joined to them in the marriage bond, or (the captives) whom their right hands possess,- for (in their case) they are free from blame,
[23:7] But those whose desires exceed those limits are transgressors;-
[23:8] Those who faithfully observe their trusts and their covenants;
[23:9] And who (strictly) guard their prayers;-
[23:10] These will be the heirs,
[23:11] Who will inherit Paradise: they will dwell therein (for ever).
[23:12] Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay);
[23:13] Then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed;
[23:14] Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We made a (foetus) lump; then we made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then we developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, the best to create!
[23:15] After that, at length ye will die
[23:16] Again, on the Day of Judgment, will ye be raised up.
[23:17] And We have made, above you, seven tracts; and We are never unmindful of (our) Creation.
[23:18] And We send down water from the sky according to (due) measure, and We cause it to soak in the soil; and We certainly are able to drain it off (with ease).
[23:19] With it We grow for you gardens of date-palms and vines: in them have ye abundant fruits: and of them ye eat (and have enjoyment),-
[23:20] Also a tree springing out of Mount Sinai, which produces oil, and relish for those who use it for food.
[23:21] And in cattle (too) ye have an instructive example: from within their bodies We produce (milk) for you to drink; there are, in them, (besides), numerous (other) benefits for you; and of their (meat) ye eat;
[23:22] An on them, as well as in slips, ye side.
[23:23] (Further, We sent a long line of prophets for your instruction). We sent Noah to his people: He said, "O my people! worship Allah! Ye have no other god but Him. Will ye not fear (Him)?"
[23:24] The chiefs of the Unbelievers among his people said: "He is no more than a man like yourselves: his wish is to assert his superiority over you: if Allah had wished (to send messengers), He could have sent down angels; never did we hear such a thing (as he says), among our ancestors of old."
[23:25] (And some said): "He is only a man possessed: wait (and have patience) with him for a time."
[23:26] (Noah) said: "O my Lord! help me: for that they accuse me of falsehood!"
[23:27] So We inspired him (with this message): "Construct the Ark within Our sight and under Our guidance: then when comes Our Command, and the fountains of the earth gush forth, take thou on board pairs of every species, male and female, and thy family- except those of them against whom the Word has already gone forth: And address Me not in favour of the wrong-doers; for they shall be drowned (in the Flood).
[23:28] And when thou hast embarked on the Ark - thou and those with thee,- say: "Praise be to Allah, Who has saved us from the people who do wrong."
[23:29] And say: "O my Lord! enable me to disembark with thy blessing: for Thou art the Best to enable (us) to disembark."
[23:30] Verily in this there are Signs (for men to understand); (thus) do We try (men).
[23:31] Then We raised after them another generation.
[23:32] And We sent to them a messenger from among themselves, (saying), "Worship Allah! ye have no other god but Him. Will ye not fear (Him)?"
[23:33] And the chiefs of his people, who disbelieved and denied the Meeting in the Hereafter, and on whom We had bestowed the good things of this life, said: "He is no more than a man like yourselves: he eats of that of which ye eat, and drinks of what ye drink.
[23:34] "If ye obey a man like yourselves, behold, it is certain ye will be lost.
[23:35] "Does he promise that when ye die and become dust and bones, ye shall be brought forth (again)?
[23:36] "Far, very far is that which ye are promised!
[23:37] "There is nothing but our life in this world! We shall die and we live! But we shall never be raised up again!
[23:38] "He is only a man who invents a lie against Allah, but we are not the ones to believe in him!"
[23:39] (The prophet) said: "O my Lord! help me: for that they accuse me of falsehood."
[23:40] (Allah) said: "In but a little while, they are sure to be sorry!"
[23:41] Then the Blast overtook them with justice, and We made them as rubbish of dead leaves (floating on the stream of Time)! So away with the people who do wrong!
[23:42] Then We raised after them other generations.
[23:43] No people can hasten their term, nor can they delay (it).
[23:44] Then sent We our messengers in succession: every time there came to a people their messenger, they accused him of falsehood: so We made them follow each other (in punishment): We made them as a tale (that is told): So away with a people that will not believe!
[23:45] Then We sent Moses and his brother Aaron, with Our Signs and authority manifest,
[23:46] To Pharaoh and his Chiefs: But these behaved insolently: they were an arrogant people.
[23:47] They said: "Shall we believe in two men like ourselves? And their people are subject to us!"
[23:48] So they accused them of falsehood, and they became of those who were destroyed.
[23:49] And We gave Moses the Book, in order that they might receive guidance.
[23:50] And We made the son of Mary and his mother as a Sign: We gave them both shelter on high ground, affording rest and security and furnished with springs.
[23:51] O ye messengers! enjoy (all) things good and pure, and work righteousness: for I am well-acquainted with (all) that ye do.
[23:52] And verily this Brotherhood of yours is a single Brotherhood, and I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore fear Me (and no other).
[23:53] But people have cut off their affair (of unity), between them, into sects: each party rejoices in that which is with itself.
[23:54] But leave them in their confused ignorance for a time.
[23:55] Do they think that because We have granted them abundance of wealth and sons,
[23:56] We would hasten them on in every good? Nay, they do not understand.
[23:57] Verily those who live in awe for fear of their Lord;
[23:58] Those who believe in the Signs of their Lord;
[23:59] Those who join not (in worship) partners with their Lord;
[23:60] And those who dispense their charity with their hearts full of fear, because they will return to their Lord;-
[23:61] It is these who hasten in every good work, and these who are foremost in them.
[23:62] On no soul do We place a burden greater than it can bear: before Us is a record which clearly shows the truth: they will never be wronged.
[23:63] But their hearts are in confused ignorance of this; and there are, besides that, deeds of theirs, which they will (continue) to do,-
[23:64] Until, when We seize in Punishment those of them who received the good things of this world, behold, they will groan in supplication!
[23:65] (It will be said): "Groan not in supplication this day: for ye shall certainly not be helped by Us.
[23:66] "My Signs used to be rehearsed to you, but ye used to turn back on your heels-
[23:67] "In arrogance: talking nonsense about the (Qur'an), like one telling fables by night."
[23:68] Do they not ponder over the Word (of Allah), or has anything (new) come to them that did not come to their fathers of old?
[23:69] Or do they not recognise their Messenger, that they deny him?
[23:70] Or do they say, "He is possessed"? Nay, he has brought them the Truth, but most of them hate the Truth.
[23:71] If the Truth had been in accord with their desires, truly the heavens and the earth, and all beings therein would have been in confusion and corruption! Nay, We have sent them their admonition, but they turn away from their admonition.
[23:72] Or is it that thou askest them for some recompense? But the recompense of thy Lord is best: He is the Best of those who give sustenance.
[23:73] But verily thou callest them to the Straight Way;
[23:74] And verily those who believe not in the Hereafter are deviating from that Way.
[23:75] If We had mercy on them and removed the distress which is on them, they would obstinately persist in their transgression, wandering in distraction to and fro.
[23:76] We inflicted Punishment on them, but they humbled not themselves to their Lord, nor do they submissively entreat (Him)!-
[23:77] Until We open on them a gate leading to a severe Punishment: then Lo! they will be plunged in despair therein!
[23:78] It is He Who has created for you (the faculties of) hearing, sight, feeling and understanding: little thanks it is ye give!
[23:79] And He has multiplied you through the earth, and to Him shall ye be gathered back.
[23:80] It is He Who gives life and death, and to Him (is due) the alternation of Night and Day: will ye not then understand?
[23:81] On the contrary they say things similar to what the ancients said.
[23:82] They say: "What! when we die and become dust and bones, could we really be raised up again?
[23:83] "Such things have been promised to us and to our fathers before! they are nothing but tales of the ancients!"
[23:84] Say: "To whom belong the earth and all beings therein? (say) if ye know!"
[23:85] They will say, "To Allah!" say: "Yet will ye not receive admonition?"
[23:86] Say: "Who is the Lord of the seven heavens, and the Lord of the Throne (of Glory) Supreme?"
[23:87] They will say, "(They belong) to Allah." Say: "Will ye not then be filled with awe?"
[23:88] Say: "Who is it in whose hands is the governance of all things,- who protects (all), but is not protected (of any)? (say) if ye know."
[23:89] They will say, "(It belongs) to Allah." Say: "Then how are ye deluded?"
[23:90] We have sent them the Truth: but they indeed practise falsehood!
[23:91] No son did Allah beget, nor is there any god along with Him: (if there were many gods), behold, each god would have taken away what he had created, and some would have lorded it over others! Glory to Allah! (He is free) from the (sort of) things they attribute to Him!
[23:92] He knows what is hidden and what is open: too high is He for the partners they attribute to Him!
[23:93] Say: "O my Lord! if Thou wilt show me (in my lifetime) that which they are warned against,-
[23:94] "Then, O my Lord! put me not amongst the people who do wrong!"
[23:95] And We are certainly able to show thee (in fulfilment) that against which they are warned.
[23:96] Repel evil with that which is best: We are well acquainted with the things they say.
[23:97] And say "O my Lord! I seek refuge with Thee from the suggestions of the Evil Ones.
[23:98] "And I seek refuge with Thee O my Lord! lest they should come near me."
[23:99] (In Falsehood will they be) Until, when death comes to one of them, he says: "O my Lord! send me back (to life),-
[23:100] "In order that I may work righteousness in the things I neglected." - "By no means! It is but a word he says."- Before them is a Partition till the Day they are raised up.
[23:101] Then when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no more relationships between them that Day, nor will one ask after another!
[23:102] Then those whose balance (of good deeds) is heavy,- they will attain salvation:
[23:103] But those whose balance is light, will be those who have lost their souls, in Hell will they abide.
[23:104] The Fire will burn their faces, and they will therein grin, with their lips displaced.
[23:105] "Were not My Signs rehearsed to you, and ye did but treat them as falsehood?"
[23:106] They will say: "our Lord! Our misfortune overwhelmed us, and we became a people astray!
[23:107] "Our Lord! bring us out of this: if ever we return (to Evil), then shall we be wrong-doers indeed!"
[23:108] He will say: "Be ye driven into it (with ignominy)! And speak ye not to Me!
[23:109] "A part of My servants there was, who used to pray 'our Lord! we believe; then do Thou forgive us, and have mercy upon us: For Thou art the Best of those who show mercy!"
[23:110] "But ye treated them with ridicule, so much so that (ridicule of) them made you forget My Message while ye were laughing at them!
[23:111] "I have rewarded them this Day for their patience and constancy: they are indeed the ones that have achieved Bliss..."
[23:112] He will say: "What number of years did ye stay on earth?"
[23:113] They will say: "We stayed a day or part of a day: but ask those who keep account."
[23:114] He will say: "Ye stayed not but a little,- if ye had only known!
[23:115] "Did ye then think that We had created you in jest, and that ye would not be brought back to Us (for account)?"
[23:116] Therefore exalted be Allah, the King, the Reality: there is no god but He, the Lord of the Throne of Honour!
[23:117] If anyone invokes, besides Allah, Any other god, he has no authority therefor; and his reckoning will be only with his Lord! and verily the Unbelievers will fail to win through!
[23:118] So say: "O my Lord! grant Thou forgiveness and mercy for Thou art the Best of those who show mercy!"
[21:1] Closer and closer to mankind comes their Reckoning: yet they heed not and they turn away.
[21:2] Never comes (aught) to them of a renewed Message from their Lord, but they listen to it as in jest,-
[21:3] Their hearts toying as with trifles. The wrong-doers conceal their private counsels, (saying), "Is this (one) more than a man like yourselves? Will ye go to witchcraft with your eyes open?"
[21:4] Say: "My Lord knoweth (every) word (spoken) in the heavens and on earth: He is the One that heareth and knoweth (all things)."
[21:5] "Nay," they say, "(these are) medleys of dream! - Nay, He forged it! - Nay, He is (but) a poet! Let him then bring us a Sign like the ones that were sent to (Prophets) of old!"
[21:6] (As to those) before them, not one of the populations which We destroyed believed: will these believe?
[21:7] Before thee, also, the messengers We sent were but men, to whom We granted inspiration: If ye realise this not, ask of those who possess the Message.
[21:8] Nor did We give them bodies that ate no food, nor were they exempt from death.
[21:9] In the end We fulfilled to them Our Promise, and We saved them and those whom We pleased, but We destroyed those who transgressed beyond bounds.
[21:10] We have revealed for you (O men!) a book in which is a Message for you: will ye not then understand?
[21:11] How many were the populations We utterly destroyed because of their iniquities, setting up in their places other peoples?
[21:12] Yet, when they felt Our Punishment (coming), behold, they (tried to) flee from it.
[21:13] Flee not, but return to the good things of this life which were given you, and to your homes in order that ye may be called to account.
[21:14] They said: "Ah! woe to us! We were indeed wrong-doers!"
[21:15] And that cry of theirs ceased not, till We made them as a field that is mown, as ashes silent and quenched.
[21:16] Not for (idle) sport did We create the heavens and the earth and all that is between!
[21:17] If it had been Our wish to take (just) a pastime, We should surely have taken it from the things nearest to Us, if We would do (such a thing)!
[21:18] Nay, We hurl the Truth against falsehood, and it knocks out its brain, and behold, falsehood doth perish! Ah! woe be to you for the (false) things ye ascribe (to Us).
[21:19] To Him belong all (creatures) in the heavens and on earth: Even those who are in His (very) Presence are not too proud to serve Him, nor are they (ever) weary (of His service):
[21:20] They celebrate His praises night and day, nor do they ever flag or intermit.
[21:21] Or have they taken (for worship) gods from the earth who can raise (the dead)?
[21:22] If there were, in the heavens and the earth, other gods besides Allah, there would have been confusion in both! but glory to Allah, the Lord of the Throne: (High is He) above what they attribute to Him!
[21:23] He cannot be questioned for His acts, but they will be questioned (for theirs).
[21:24] Or have they taken for worship (other) gods besides him? Say, "Bring your convincing proof: this is the Message of those with me and the Message of those before me." But most of them know not the Truth, and so turn away.
[21:25] Not a messenger did We send before thee without this inspiration sent by Us to him: that there is no god but I; therefore worship and serve Me.
[21:26] And they say: "(Allah) Most Gracious has begotten offspring." Glory to Him! they are (but) servants raised to honour.
[21:27] They speak not before He speaks, and they act (in all things) by His Command.
[21:28] He knows what is before them, and what is behind them, and they offer no intercession except for those who are acceptable, and they stand in awe and reverence of His (Glory).
[21:29] If any of them should say, "I am a god besides Him", such a one We should reward with Hell: thus do We reward those who do wrong.
[21:30] Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation), before we clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?
[21:31] And We have set on the earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with them, and We have made therein broad highways (between mountains) for them to pass through: that they may receive Guidance.
[21:32] And We have made the heavens as a canopy well guarded: yet do they turn away from the Signs which these things (point to)!
[21:33] It is He Who created the Night and the Day, and the sun and the moon: all (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its rounded course.
[21:34] We granted not to any man before thee permanent life (here): if then thou shouldst die, would they live permanently?
[21:35] Every soul shall have a taste of death: and We test you by evil and by good by way of trial. to Us must ye return.
[21:36] When the Unbelievers see thee, they treat thee not except with ridicule. "Is this," (they say), "the one who talks of your gods?" and they blaspheme at the mention of (Allah) Most Gracious!
[21:37] Man is a creature of haste: soon (enough) will I show you My Signs; then ye will not ask Me to hasten them!
[21:38] They say: "When will this promise come to pass, if ye are telling the truth?"
[21:39] If only the Unbelievers knew (the time) when they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces, nor yet from their backs, and (when) no help can reach them!
[21:40] Nay, it may come to them all of a sudden and confound them: no power will they have then to avert it, nor will they (then) get respite.
[21:41] Mocked were (many) messenger before thee; But their scoffers were hemmed in by the thing that they mocked.
[21:42] Say: "Who can keep you safe by night and by day from (the Wrath of) (Allah) Most Gracious?" Yet they turn away from the mention of their Lord.
[21:43] Or have they gods that can guard them from Us? They have no power to aid themselves, nor can they be defended from Us.
[21:44] Nay, We gave the good things of this life to these men and their fathers until the period grew long for them; See they not that We gradually reduce the land (in their control) from its outlying borders? Is it then they who will win?
[21:45] Say, "I do but warn you according to revelation": But the deaf will not hear the call, (even) when they are warned!
[21:46] If but a breath of the Wrath of thy Lord do touch them, they will then say, "Woe to us! we did wrong indeed!"
[21:47] We shall set up scales of justice for the Day of Judgment, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least, and if there be (no more than) the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it (to account): and enough are We to take account.
[21:48] In the past We granted to Moses and Aaron the criterion (for judgment), and a Light and a Message for those who would do right,-
[21:49] Those who fear their Lord in their most secret thoughts, and who hold the Hour (of Judgment) in awe.
[21:50] And this is a blessed Message which We have sent down: will ye then reject it?
[21:51] We bestowed aforetime on Abraham his rectitude of conduct, and well were We acquainted with him.
[21:52] Behold! he said to his father and his people, "What are these images, to which ye are (so assiduously) devoted?"
[21:53] They said, "We found our fathers worshipping them."
[21:54] He said, "Indeed ye have been in manifest error - ye and your fathers."
[21:55] They said, "Have you brought us the Truth, or are you one of those who jest?"
[21:56] He said, "Nay, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, He Who created them (from nothing): and I am a witness to this (Truth).
[21:57] "And by Allah, I have a plan for your idols - after ye go away and turn your backs"..
[21:58] So he broke them to pieces, (all) but the biggest of them, that they might turn (and address themselves) to it.
[21:59] They said, "Who has done this to our gods? He must indeed be some man of impiety!"
[21:60] They said, "We heard a youth talk of them: He is called Abraham."
[21:61] They said, "Then bring him before the eyes of the people, that they may bear witness."
[21:62] They said, "Art thou the one that did this with our gods, O Abraham?"
[21:63] He said: "Nay, this was done by - this is their biggest one! ask them, if they can speak intelligently!"
[21:64] So they turned to themselves and said, "Surely ye are the ones in the wrong!"
[21:65] Then were they confounded with shame: (they said), "Thou knowest full well that these (idols) do not speak!"
[21:66] (Abraham) said, "Do ye then worship, besides Allah, things that can neither be of any good to you nor do you harm?
[21:67] "Fie upon you, and upon the things that ye worship besides Allah! Have ye no sense?"..
[21:68] They said, "Burn him and protect your gods, If ye do (anything at all)!"
[21:69] We said, "O Fire! be thou cool, and (a means of) safety for Abraham!"
[21:70] Then they sought a stratagem against him: but We made them the ones that lost most!
[21:71] But We delivered him and (his nephew) Lut (and directed them) to the land which We have blessed for the nations.
[21:72] And We bestowed on him Isaac and, as an additional gift, (a grandson), Jacob, and We made righteous men of every one (of them).
[21:73] And We made them leaders, guiding (men) by Our Command, and We sent them inspiration to do good deeds, to establish regular prayers, and to practise regular charity; and they constantly served Us (and Us only).
[21:74] And to Lut, too, We gave Judgment and Knowledge, and We saved him from the town which practised abominations: truly they were a people given to Evil, a rebellious people.
[21:75] And We admitted him to Our Mercy: for he was one of the Righteous.
[21:76] (Remember) Noah, when he cried (to Us) aforetime: We listened to his (prayer) and delivered him and his family from great distress.
[21:77] We helped him against people who rejected Our Signs: truly they were a people given to Evil: so We drowned them (in the Flood) all together.
[21:78] And remember David and Solomon, when they gave judgment in the matter of the field into which the sheep of certain people had strayed by night: We did witness their judgment.
[21:79] To Solomon We inspired the (right) understanding of the matter: to each (of them) We gave Judgment and Knowledge; it was Our power that made the hills and the birds celebrate Our praises, with David: it was We Who did (all these things).
[21:80] It was We Who taught him the making of coats of mail for your benefit, to guard you from each other's violence: will ye then be grateful?
[21:81] (It was Our power that made) the violent (unruly) wind flow (tamely) for Solomon, to his order, to the land which We had blessed: for We do know all things.
[21:82] And of the evil ones, were some who dived for him, and did other work besides; and it was We Who guarded them.
[21:83] And (remember) Job, when He cried to his Lord, "Truly distress has seized me, but Thou art the Most Merciful of those that are merciful."
[21:84] So We listened to him: We removed the distress that was on him, and We restored his people to him, and doubled their number,- as a Grace from Ourselves, and a thing for commemoration, for all who serve Us.
[21:85] And (remember) Isma'il, Idris, and Zul-kifl, all (men) of constancy and patience;
[21:86] We admitted them to Our mercy: for they were of the righteous ones.
[21:87] And remember Zun-nun, when he departed in wrath: He imagined that We had no power over him! But he cried through the deptHs of darkness, "There is no god but thou: glory to thee: I was indeed wrong!"
[21:88] So We listened to him: and delivered him from distress: and thus do We deliver those who have faith.
[21:89] And (remember) Zakariya, when he cried to his Lord: "O my Lord! leave me not without offspring, though thou art the best of inheritors."
[21:90] So We listened to him: and We granted him Yahya: We cured his wife's (Barrenness) for him. These (three) were ever quick in emulation in good works; they used to call on Us with love and reverence, and humble themselves before Us.
[21:91] And (remember) her who guarded her chastity: We breathed into her of Our spirit, and We made her and her son a sign for all peoples.
[21:92] Verily, this brotherhood of yours is a single brotherhood, and I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore serve Me (and no other).
[21:93] But (later generations) cut off their affair (of unity), one from another: (yet) will they all return to Us.
[21:94] Whoever works any act of righteousness and has faith,- His endeavour will not be rejected: We shall record it in his favour.
[21:95] But there is a ban on any population which We have destroyed: that they shall not return,
[21:96] Until the Gog and Magog (people) are let through (their barrier), and they swiftly swarm from every hill.
[21:97] Then will the true promise draw nigh (of fulfilment): then behold! the eyes of the Unbelievers will fixedly stare in horror: "Ah! Woe to us! we were indeed heedless of this; nay, we truly did wrong!"
[21:98] Verily ye, (unbelievers), and the (false) gods that ye worship besides Allah, are (but) fuel for Hell! to it will ye (surely) come!
[21:99] If these had been gods, they would not have got there! but each one will abide therein.
[21:100] There, sobbing will be their lot, nor will they there hear (aught else).
[21:101] Those for whom the good (record) from Us has gone before, will be removed far therefrom.
[21:102] Not the slightest sound will they hear of Hell: what their souls desired, in that will they dwell.
[21:103] The Great Terror will bring them no grief: but the angels will meet them (with mutual greetings): "This is your Day,- (the Day) that ye were promised."
[21:104] The Day that We roll up the heavens like a scroll rolled up for books (completed),- even as We produced the first creation, so shall We produce a new one: a promise We have undertaken: truly shall We fulfil it.
[21:105] Before this We wrote in the Psalms, after the Message (given to Moses): My servants the righteous, shall inherit the earth."
[21:106] Verily in this (Qur'an) is a Message for people who would (truly) worship Allah.
[21:107] We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures.
[21:108] Say: "What has come to me by inspiration is that your Allah is One Allah: will ye therefore bow to His Will (in Islam)?"
[21:109] But if they turn back, Say: "I have proclaimed the Message to you all alike and in truth; but I know not whether that which ye are promised is near or far.
[21:110] "It is He Who knows what is open in speech and what ye hide (in your hearts).
[21:111] "I know not but that it may be a trial for you, and a grant of (worldly) livelihood (to you) for a time."
[21:112] Say: "O my Lord! judge Thou in truth!" "Our Lord Most Gracious is the One Whose assistance should be sought against the blasphemies ye utter!"
[25:1] Blessed is He who sent down the criterion to His servant, that it may be an admonition to all creatures;-
[25:2] He to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: no son has He begotten, nor has He a partner in His dominion: it is He who created all things, and ordered them in due proportions.
[25:3] Yet have they taken, besides him, gods that can create nothing but are themselves created; that have no control of hurt or good to themselves; nor can they control death nor life nor resurrection.
[25:4] But the misbelievers say: "Naught is this but a lie which he has forged, and others have helped him at it." In truth it is they who have put forward an iniquity and a falsehood.
[25:5] And they say: "Tales of the ancients, which he has caused to be written: and they are dictated before him morning and evening."
[25:6] Say: "The (Qur'an) was sent down by Him who knows the mystery (that is) in the heavens and the earth: verily He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
[25:7] And they say: "What sort of a messenger is this, who eats food, and walks through the streets? Why has not an angel been sent down to him to give admonition with him?
[25:8] "Or (Why) has not a treasure been bestowed on him, or why has he (not) a garden for enjoyment?" The wicked say: "Ye follow none other than a man bewitched."
[25:9] See what kinds of comparisons they make for thee! But they have gone astray, and never a way will they be able to find!
[25:10] Blessed is He who, if that were His will, could give thee better (things) than those,- Gardens beneath which rivers flow; and He could give thee palaces (secure to dwell in).
[25:11] Nay they deny the hour (of the judgment to come): but We have prepared a blazing fire for such as deny the hour:
[25:12] When it sees them from a place fAr off, they will hear its fury and its ranging sigh.
[25:13] And when they are cast, bound together into a constricted place therein, they will pLead for destruction there and then!
[25:14] "This day plead not for a single destruction: plead for destruction oft-repeated!"
[25:15] Say: "Is that best, or the eternal garden, promised to the righteous? for them, that is a reward as well as a goal (of attainment).
[25:16] "For them there will be therein all that they wish for: they will dwell (there) for aye: A promise to be prayed for from thy Lord."
[25:17] The day He will gather them together as well as those whom they worship besides Allah, He will ask: "Was it ye who let these My servants astray, or did they stray from the Path themselves?"
[25:18] They will say: "Glory to Thee! not meet was it for us that we should take for protectors others besides Thee: But Thou didst bestow, on them and their fathers, good things (in life), until they forgot the Message: for they were a people (worthless and) lost."
[25:19] (Allah will say): "Now have they proved you liars in what ye say: so ye cannot avert (your penalty) nor (get) help." And whoever among you does wrong, him shall We cause to taste of a grievous Penalty.
[25:20] And the messengers whom We sent before thee were all (men) who ate food and walked through the streets: We have made some of you as a trial for others: will ye have patience? for Allah is One Who sees (all things).
[25:21] Such as fear not the meeting with Us (for Judgment) say: "Why are not the angels sent down to us, or (why) do we not see our Lord?" Indeed they have an arrogant conceit of themselves, and mighty is the insolence of their impiety!
[25:22] The Day they see the angels,- no joy will there be to the sinners that Day: The (angels) will say: "There is a barrier forbidden (to you) altogether!"
[25:23] And We shall turn to whatever deeds they did (in this life), and We shall make such deeds as floating dust scattered about.
[25:24] The Companions of the Garden will be well, that Day, in their abode, and have the fairest of places for repose.
[25:25] The Day the heaven shall be rent asunder with clouds, and angels shall be sent down, descending (in ranks),-
[25:26] That Day, the dominion as of right and truth, shall be (wholly) for (Allah) Most Merciful: it will be a Day of dire difficulty for the Misbelievers.
[25:27] The Day that the wrong-doer will bite at his hands, he will say, "Oh! would that I had taken a (straight) path with the Messenger!
[25:28] "Ah! woe is me! Would that I had never taken such a one for a friend!
[25:29] "He did lead me astray from the Message (of Allah) after it had come to me! Ah! the Evil One is but a traitor to man!"
[25:30] Then the Messenger will say: "O my Lord! Truly my people took this Qur'an for just foolish nonsense."
[25:31] Thus have We made for every prophet an enemy among the sinners: but enough is thy Lord to guide and to help.
[25:32] Those who reject Faith say: "Why is not the Qur'an revealed to him all at once? Thus (is it revealed), that We may strengthen thy heart thereby, and We have rehearsed it to thee in slow, well-arranged stages, gradually.
[25:33] And no question do they bring to thee but We reveal to thee the truth and the best explanation (thereof).
[25:34] Those who will be gathered to Hell (prone) on their faces,- they will be in an evil plight, and, as to Path, most astray.
[25:35] (Before this,) We sent Moses The Book, and appointed his brother Aaron with him as minister;
[25:36] And We command: "Go ye both, to the people who have rejected our Signs:" And those (people) We destroyed with utter destruction.
[25:37] And the people of Noah,- when they rejected the messengers, We drowned them, and We made them as a Sign for mankind; and We have prepared for (all) wrong-doers a grievous Penalty;-
[25:38] As also 'Ad and Thamud, and the Companions of the Rass, and many a generation between them.
[25:39] To each one We set forth Parables and examples; and each one We broke to utter annihilation (for their sins).
[25:40] And the (Unbelievers) must indeed have passed by the town on which was rained a shower of evil: did they not then see it (with their own eyes)? But they fear not the Resurrection.
[25:41] When they see thee, they treat thee no otherwise than in mockery: "Is this the one whom Allah has sent as a messenger?"
[25:42] "He indeed would well-nigh have misled us from our gods, had it not been that we were constant to them!" - Soon will they know, when they see the Penalty, who it is that is most misled in Path!
[25:43] Seest thou such a one as taketh for his god his own passion (or impulse)? Couldst thou be a disposer of affairs for him?
[25:44] Or thinkest thou that most of them listen or understand? They are only like cattle;- nay, they are worse astray in Path.
[25:45] Hast thou not turned thy vision to thy Lord?- How He doth prolong the shadow! If He willed, He could make it stationary! then do We make the sun its guide;
[25:46] Then We draw it in towards Ourselves,- a contraction by easy stages.
[25:47] And He it is Who makes the Night as a Robe for you, and Sleep as Repose, and makes the Day (as it were) a Resurrection.
[25:48] And He it is Who sends the winds as heralds of glad tidings, going before His mercy, and We send down pure water from the sky,-
[25:49] That with it We may give life to a dead land, and slake the thirst of things We have created,- cattle and men in great numbers.
[25:50] And We have distributed the (water) amongst them, in order that they may celebrate (our) praises, but most men are averse (to aught) but (rank) ingratitude.
[25:51] Had it been Our Will, We could have sent a warner to every centre of population.
[25:52] Therefore listen not to the Unbelievers, but strive against them with the utmost strenuousness, with the (Qur'an).
[25:53] It is He Who has let free the two bodies of flowing water: One palatable and sweet, and the other salt and bitter; yet has He made a barrier between them, a partition that is forbidden to be passed.
[25:54] It is He Who has created man from water: then has He established relationships of lineage and marriage: for thy Lord has power (over all things).
[25:55] Yet do they worship, besides Allah, things that can neither profit them nor harm them: and the Misbeliever is a helper (of Evil), against his own Lord!
[25:56] But thee We only sent to give glad tidings and admonition.
[25:57] Say: "No reward do I ask of you for it but this: that each one who will may take a (straight) Path to his Lord."
[25:58] And put thy trust in Him Who lives and dies not; and celebrate his praise; and enough is He to be acquainted with the faults of His servants;-
[25:59] He Who created the heavens and the earth and all that is between, in six days, and is firmly established on the Throne (of Authority): Allah Most Gracious: ask thou, then, about Him of any acquainted (with such things).
[25:60] When it is said to them, "Prostrate to (Allah) Most Gracious!", they say, "And what is (Allah) Most Gracious? Shall we prostrate to that which thou commandest us?" And it increases their flight (from the Truth).
[25:61] Blessed is He Who made constellations in the skies, and placed therein a Lamp and a Moon giving light;
[25:62] And it is He Who made the Night and the Day to follow each other: for such as have the will to celebrate His praises or to show their gratitude.
[25:63] And the servants of (Allah) Most Gracious are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say, "Peace!";
[25:64] Those who spend the night in adoration of their Lord prostrate and standing;
[25:65] Those who say, "Our Lord! avert from us the Wrath of Hell, for its Wrath is indeed an affliction grievous,-
[25:66] "Evil indeed is it as an abode, and as a place to rest in";
[25:67] Those who, when they spend, are not extravagant and not niggardly, but hold a just (balance) between those (extremes);
[25:68] Those who invoke not, with Allah, any other god, nor slay such life as Allah has made sacred except for just cause, nor commit fornication; - and any that does this (not only) meets punishment.
[25:69] (But) the Penalty on the Day of Judgment will be doubled to him, and he will dwell therein in ignominy,-
[25:70] Unless he repents, believes, and works righteous deeds, for Allah will change the evil of such persons into good, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful,
[25:71] And whoever repents and does good has truly turned to Allah with an (acceptable) conversion;-
[25:72] Those who witness no falsehood, and, if they pass by futility, they pass by it with honourable (avoidance);
[25:73] Those who, when they are admonished with the Signs of their Lord, droop not down at them as if they were deaf or blind;
[25:74] And those who pray, "Our Lord! Grant unto us wives and offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and give us (the grace) to lead the righteous."
[25:75] Those are the ones who will be rewarded with the highest place in heaven, because of their patient constancy: therein shall they be met with salutations and peace,
[25:76] Dwelling therein;- how beautiful an abode and place of rest!
[25:77] Say (to the Rejecters): "My Lord is not uneasy because of you if ye call not on Him: But ye have indeed rejected (Him), and soon will come the inevitable (punishment)!"
[17:1] Glory to (Allah) Who did take His servant for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless,- in order that We might show him some of Our Signs: for He is the One Who heareth and seeth (all things).
[17:2] We gave Moses the Book, and made it a Guide to the Children of Israel, (commanding): "Take not other than Me as Disposer of (your) affairs."
[17:3] O ye that are sprung from those whom We carried (in the Ark) with Noah! Verily he was a devotee most grateful.
[17:4] And We gave (Clear) Warning to the Children of Israel in the Book, that twice would they do mischief on the earth and be elated with mighty arrogance (and twice would they be punished)!
[17:5] When the first of the warnings came to pass, We sent against you Our servants given to terrible warfare: They entered the very inmost parts of your homes; and it was a warning (completely) fulfilled.
[17:6] Then did We grant you the Return as against them: We gave you increase in resources and sons, and made you the more numerous in man-power.
[17:7] If ye did well, ye did well for yourselves; if ye did evil, (ye did it) against yourselves. So when the second of the warnings came to pass, (We permitted your enemies) to disfigure your faces, and to enter your Temple as they had entered it before, and to visit with destruction all that fell into their power.
[17:8] It may be that your Lord may (yet) show Mercy unto you; but if ye revert (to your sins), We shall revert (to Our punishments): And we have made Hell a prison for those who reject (all Faith).
[17:9] Verily this Qur'an doth guide to that which is most right (or stable), and giveth the Glad Tidings to the Believers who work deeds of righteousness, that they shall have a magnificent reward;
[17:10] And to those who believe not in the Hereafter, (it announceth) that We have prepared for them a Penalty Grievous (indeed).
[17:11] The prayer that man should make for good, he maketh for evil; for man is given to hasty (deeds).
[17:12] We have made the Night and the Day as two (of Our) Signs: the Sign of the Night have We obscured, while the Sign of the Day We have made to enlighten you; that ye may seek bounty from your Lord, and that ye may know the number and count of the years: all things have We explained in detail.
[17:13] Every man's fate We have fastened on his own neck: On the Day of Judgment We shall bring out for him a scroll, which he will see spread open.
[17:14] (It will be said to him:) "Read thine (own) record: Sufficient is thy soul this day to make out an account against thee."
[17:15] Who receiveth guidance, receiveth it for his own benefit: who goeth astray doth so to his own loss: No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another: nor would We visit with Our Wrath until We had sent an messenger (to give warning).
[17:16] When We decide to destroy a population, We (first) send a definite order to those among them who are given the good things of this life and yet transgress; so that the word is proved true against them: then (it is) We destroy them utterly.
[17:17] How many generations have We destroyed after Noah? and enough is thy Lord to note and see the sins of His servants.
[17:18] If any do wish for the transitory things (of this life), We readily grant them - such things as We will, to such person as We will: in the end have We provided Hell for them: they will burn therein, disgraced and rejected.
[17:19] Those who do wish for the (things of) the Hereafter, and strive therefor with all due striving, and have Faith,- they are the ones whose striving is acceptable (to Allah).
[17:20] Of the bounties of thy Lord We bestow freely on all- These as well as those: The bounties of thy Lord are not closed (to anyone).
[17:21] See how We have bestowed more on some than on others; but verily the Hereafter is more in rank and gradation and more in excellence.
[17:22] Take not with Allah another object of worship; or thou (O man!) wilt sit in disgrace and destitution.
[17:23] Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour.
[17:24] And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: "My Lord! bestow on them thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood."
[17:25] Your Lord knoweth best what is in your hearts: If ye do deeds of righteousness, verily He is Most Forgiving to those who turn to Him again and again (in true penitence).
[17:26] And render to the kindred their due rights, as (also) to those in want, and to the wayfarer: But squander not (your wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift.
[17:27] Verily spendthrifts are brothers of the Evil Ones; and the Evil One is to his Lord (himself) ungrateful.
[17:28] And even if thou hast to turn away from them in pursuit of the Mercy from thy Lord which thou dost expect, yet speak to them a word of easy kindness.
[17:29] Make not thy hand tied (like a niggard's) to thy neck, nor stretch it forth to its utmost reach, so that thou become blameworthy and destitute.
[17:30] Verily thy Lord doth provide sustenance in abundance for whom He pleaseth, and He provideth in a just measure. For He doth know and regard all His servants.
[17:31] Kill not your children for fear of want: We shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you. Verily the killing of them is a great sin.
[17:32] Nor come nigh to adultery: for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the road (to other evils).
[17:33] Nor take life - which Allah has made sacred - except for just cause. And if anyone is slain wrongfully, we have given his heir authority (to demand qisas or to forgive): but let him not exceed bounds in the matter of taking life; for he is helped (by the Law).
[17:34] Come not nigh to the orphan's property except to improve it, until he attains the age of full strength; and fulfil (every) engagement, for (every) engagement will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning).
[17:35] Give full measure when ye measure, and weigh with a balance that is straight: that is the most fitting and the most advantageous in the final determination.
[17:36] And pursue not that of which thou hast no knowledge; for every act of hearing, or of seeing or of (feeling in) the heart will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning).
[17:37] Nor walk on the earth with insolence: for thou canst not rend the earth asunder, nor reach the mountains in height.
[17:38] Of all such things the evil is hateful in the sight of thy Lord.
[17:39] These are among the (precepts of) wisdom, which thy Lord has revealed to thee. Take not, with Allah, another object of worship, lest thou shouldst be thrown into Hell, blameworthy and rejected.
[17:40] Has then your Lord (O Pagans!) preferred for you sons, and taken for Himself daughters among the angels? Truly ye utter a most dreadful saying!
[17:41] We have explained (things) in various (ways) in this Qur'an, in order that they may receive admonition, but it only increases their flight (from the Truth)!
[17:42] Say: If there had been (other) gods with Him, as they say,- behold, they would certainly have sought out a way to the Lord of the Throne!
[17:43] Glory to Him! He is high above all that they say!- Exalted and Great (beyond measure)!
[17:44] The seven heavens and the earth, and all beings therein, declare His glory: there is not a thing but celebrates His praise; And yet ye understand not how they declare His glory! Verily He is Oft-Forbear, Most Forgiving!
[17:45] When thou dost recite the Qur'an, We put, between thee and those who believe not in the Hereafter, a veil invisible:
[17:46] And We put coverings over their hearts (and minds) lest they should understand the Qur'an, and deafness into their ears: when thou dost commemorate thy Lord and Him alone in the Qur'an, they turn on their backs, fleeing (from the Truth).
[17:47] We know best why it is they listen, when they listen to thee; and when they meet in private conference, behold, the wicked say, "Ye follow none other than a man bewitched!"
[17:48] See what similes they strike for thee: but they have gone astray, and never can they find a way.
[17:49] They say: "What! when we are reduced to bones and dust, should we really be raised up (to be) a new creation?"
[17:50] Say: "(Nay!) be ye stones or iron,
[17:51] "Or created matter which, in your minds, is hardest (to be raised up),- (Yet shall ye be raised up)!" then will they say: "Who will cause us to return?" Say: "He who created you first!" Then will they wag their heads towards thee, and say, "When will that be?" Say, "May be it will be quite soon!
[17:52] "It will be on a Day when He will call you, and ye will answer (His call) with (words of) His praise, and ye will think that ye tarried but a little while!"
[17:53] Say to My servants that they should (only) say those things that are best: for Satan doth sow dissensions among them: For Satan is to man an avowed enemy.
[17:54] It is your Lord that knoweth you best: If He please, He granteth you mercy, or if He please, punishment: We have not sent thee to be a disposer of their affairs for them.
[17:55] And it is your Lord that knoweth best all beings that are in the heavens and on earth: We did bestow on some prophets more (and other) gifts than on others: and We gave to David (the gift of) the Psalms.
[17:56] Say: "Call on those - besides Him - whom ye fancy: they have neither the power to remove your troubles from you nor to change them."
[17:57] Those whom they call upon do desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord, - even those who are nearest: they hope for His Mercy and fear His Wrath: for the Wrath of thy Lord is something to take heed of.
[17:58] There is not a population but We shall destroy it before the Day of Judgment or punish it with a dreadful Penalty: that is written in the (eternal) Record.
[17:59] And We refrain from sending the signs, only because the men of former generations treated them as false: We sent the she-camel to the Thamud to open their eyes, but they treated her wrongfully: We only send the Signs by way of terror (and warning from evil).
[17:60] Behold! We told thee that thy Lord doth encompass mankind round about: We granted the vision which We showed thee, but as a trial for men,- as also the Cursed Tree (mentioned) in the Qur'an: We put terror (and warning) into them, but it only increases their inordinate transgression!
[17:61] Behold! We said to the angels: "Bow down unto Adam": They bowed down except Iblis: He said, "Shall I bow down to one whom Thou didst create from clay?"
[17:62] He said: "Seest Thou? this is the one whom Thou hast honoured above me! If Thou wilt but respite me to the Day of Judgment, I will surely bring his descendants under my sway - all but a few!"
[17:63] (Allah) said: "Go thy way; if any of them follow thee, verily Hell will be the recompense of you (all)- an ample recompense.
[17:64] "Lead to destruction those whom thou canst among them, with thy (seductive) voice; make assaults on them with thy cavalry and thy infantry; mutually share with them wealth and children; and make promises to them." But Satan promises them nothing but deceit.
[17:65] "As for My servants, no authority shalt thou have over them:" Enough is thy Lord for a Disposer of affairs.
[17:66] Your Lord is He That maketh the Ship go smoothly for you through the sea, in order that ye may seek of his Bounty. For he is unto you most Merciful.
[17:67] When distress seizes you at sea, those that ye call upon - besides Himself - leave you in the lurch! but when He brings you back safe to land, ye turn away (from Him). Most ungrateful is man!
[17:68] Do ye then feel secure that He will not cause you to be swallowed up beneath the earth when ye are on land, or that He will not send against you a violent tornado (with showers of stones) so that ye shall find no one to carry out your affairs for you?
[17:69] Or do ye feel secure that He will not send you back a second time to sea and send against you a heavy gale to drown you because of your ingratitude, so that ye find no helper. Therein against Us?
[17:70] We have honoured the sons of Adam; provided them with transport on land and sea; given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favours, above a great part of our creation.
[17:71] One day We shall call together all human beings with their (respective) Imams: those who are given their record in their right hand will read it (with pleasure), and they will not be dealt with unjustly in the least.
[17:72] But those who were blind in this world, will be blind in the hereafter, and most astray from the Path.
[17:73] And their purpose was to tempt thee away from that which We had revealed unto thee, to substitute in our name something quite different; (in that case), behold! they would certainly have made thee (their) friend!
[17:74] And had We not given thee strength, thou wouldst nearly have inclined to them a little.
[17:75] In that case We should have made thee taste an equal portion (of punishment) in this life, and an equal portion in death: and moreover thou wouldst have found none to help thee against Us!
[17:76] Their purpose was to scare thee off the land, in order to expel thee; but in that case they would not have stayed (therein) after thee, except for a little while.
[17:77] (This was Our) way with the messengers We sent before thee: thou wilt find no change in Our ways.
[17:78] Establish regular prayers - at the sun's decline till the darkness of the night, and the morning prayer and reading: for the prayer and reading in the morning carry their testimony.
[17:79] And pray in the small watches of the morning: (it would be) an additional prayer (or spiritual profit) for thee: soon will thy Lord raise thee to a Station of Praise and Glory!
[17:80] Say: "O my Lord! Let my entry be by the Gate of Truth and Honour, and likewise my exit by the Gate of Truth and Honour; and grant me from Thy Presence an authority to aid (me)."
[17:81] And say: "Truth has (now) arrived, and Falsehood perished: for Falsehood is (by its nature) bound to perish."
[17:82] We send down (stage by stage) in the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe: to the unjust it causes nothing but loss after loss.
[17:83] Yet when We bestow Our favours on man, he turns away and becomes remote on his side (instead of coming to Us), and when evil seizes him he gives himself up to despair!
[17:84] Say: "Everyone acts according to his own disposition: But your Lord knows best who it is that is best guided on the Way."
[17:85] They ask thee concerning the Spirit (of inspiration). Say: "The Spirit (cometh) by command of my Lord: of knowledge it is only a little that is communicated to you, (O men!)"
[17:86] If it were Our Will, We could take away that which We have sent thee by inspiration:then wouldst thou find none to plead thy affair in that matter as against Us,-
[17:87] Except for Mercy from thy Lord: for his bounty is to thee (indeed) great.
[17:88] Say: "If the whole of mankind and Jinns were to gather together to produce the like of this Qur'an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they backed up each other with help and support.
[17:89] And We have explained to man, in this Qur'an, every kind of similitude: yet the greater part of men refuse (to receive it) except with ingratitude!
[17:90] They say: "We shall not believe in thee, until thou cause a spring to gush forth for us from the earth,
[17:91] "Or (until) thou have a garden of date trees and vines, and cause rivers to gush forth in their midst, carrying abundant water;
[17:92] "Or thou cause the sky to fall in pieces, as thou sayest (will happen), against us; or thou bring Allah and the angels before (us) face to face:
[17:93] "Or thou have a house adorned with gold, or thou mount a ladder right into the skies. No, we shall not even believe in thy mounting until thou send down to us a book that we could read." Say: "Glory to my Lord! Am I aught but a man,- a messenger?"
[17:94] What kept men back from belief when Guidance came to them, was nothing but this: they said, "Has Allah sent a man (like us) to be (His) Messenger?"
[17:95] Say, "If there were settled, on earth, angels walking about in peace and quiet, We should certainly have sent them down from the heavens an angel for a messenger."
[17:96] Say: "Enough is Allah for a witness between me and you: for He is well acquainted with His servants, and He sees (all things).
[17:97] It is he whom Allah guides, that is on true Guidance; but he whom He leaves astray - for such wilt thou find no protector besides Him. On the Day of Judgment We shall gather, them together, prone on their faces, blind, dumb, and deaf: their abode will be Hell: every time it shows abatement, We shall increase from them the fierceness of the Fire.
[17:98] That is their recompense, because they rejected Our signs, and said, "When we are reduced to bones and broken dust, should we really be raised up (to be) a new Creation?"
[17:99] See they not that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, has power to create the like of them (anew)? Only He has decreed a term appointed, of which there is no doubt. But the unjust refuse (to receive it) except with ingratitude.
[17:100] Say: "If ye had control of the Treasures of the Mercy of my Lord, behold, ye would keep them back, for fear of spending them: for man is (every) niggardly!"
[17:101] To Moses We did give Nine Clear Signs: As the Children of Israel: when he came to them, Pharaoh said to him: "O Moses! I consider thee, indeed, to have been worked upon by sorcery!
[17:102] Moses said, "Thou knowest well that these things have been sent down by none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth as eye-opening evidence: and I consider thee indeed, O Pharaoh, to be one doomed to destruction!"
[17:103] So he resolved to remove them from the face of the earth: but We did drown him and all who were with him.
[17:104] And We said thereafter to the Children of Israel, "Dwell securely in the land (of promise)": but when the second of the warnings came to pass, We gathered you together in a mingled crowd.
[17:105] We sent down the (Qur'an) in Truth, and in Truth has it descended: and We sent thee but to give Glad Tidings and to warn (sinners).
[17:106] (It is) a Qur'an which We have divided (into parts from time to time), in order that thou mightest recite it to men at intervals: We have revealed it by stages.
[17:107] Say: "Whether ye believe in it or not, it is true that those who were given knowledge beforehand, when it is recited to them, fall down on their faces in humble prostration,
[17:108] "And they say: 'Glory to our Lord! Truly has the promise of our Lord been fulfilled!'"
[17:109] They fall down on their faces in tears, and it increases their (earnest) humility.
[17:110] Say: "Call upon Allah, or call upon Rahman: by whatever name ye call upon Him, (it is well): for to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. Neither speak thy Prayer aloud, nor speak it in a low tone, but seek a middle course between."
[17:111] Say: "Praise be to Allah, who begets no son, and has no partner in (His) dominion: Nor (needs) He any to protect Him from humiliation: yea, magnify Him for His greatness and glory!"
[27:1] These are verses of the Qur'an,-a book that makes (things) clear;
[27:2] A guide: and glad tidings for the believers,-
[27:3] Those who establish regular prayers and give in regular charity, and also have (full) assurance of the hereafter.
[27:4] As to those who believe not in the Hereafter, We have made their deeds pleasing in their eyes; and so they wander about in distraction.
[27:5] Such are they for whom a grievous Penalty is (waiting); and in the Hereafter theirs will be the greatest loss.
[27:6] As to thee, the Qur'an is bestowed upon thee from the presence of one who is wise and all-knowing.
[27:7] Behold! Moses said to his family: "I perceive a fire; soon will I bring you from there some information, or I will bring you a burning brand to light our fuel, that ye may warn yourselves.
[27:8] But when he came to the (fire), a voice was heard: "Blessed are those in the fire and those around: and glory to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
[27:9] "O Moses! verily, I am Allah, the exalted in might, the wise!....
[27:10] "Now do thou throw thy rod!" But when he saw it moving (of its own accord)as if it had been a snake, he turned back in retreat, and retraced not his steps: "O Moses!" (it was said), "Fear not: truly, in My presence, those called as messengers have no fear,-
[27:11] "But if any have done wrong and have thereafter substituted good to take the place of evil, truly, I am Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
[27:12] "Now put thy hand into thy bosom, and it will come forth white without stain (or harm): (these are) among the nine Signs (thou wilt take) to Pharaoh and his people: for they are a people rebellious in transgression."
[27:13] But when Our Signs came to them, that should have opened their eyes, they said: "This is sorcery manifest!"
[27:14] And they rejected those Signs in iniquity and arrogance, though their souls were convinced thereof: so see what was the end of those who acted corruptly!
[27:15] We gave (in the past) knowledge to David and Solomon: And they both said: "Praise be to Allah, Who has favoured us above many of his servants who believe!"
[27:16] And Solomon was David's heir. He said: "O ye people! We have been taught the speech of birds, and on us has been bestowed (a little) of all things: this is indeed Grace manifest (from Allah.)"
[27:17] And before Solomon were marshalled his hosts,- of Jinns and men and birds, and they were all kept in order and ranks.
[27:18] At length, when they came to a (lowly) valley of ants, one of the ants said: "O ye ants, get into your habitations, lest Solomon and his hosts crush you (under foot) without knowing it."
[27:19] So he smiled, amused at her speech; and he said: "O my Lord! so order me that I may be grateful for Thy favours, which thou hast bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may work the righteousness that will please Thee: And admit me, by Thy Grace, to the ranks of Thy righteous Servants."
[27:20] And he took a muster of the Birds; and he said: "Why is it I see not the Hoopoe? Or is he among the absentees?
[27:21] "I will certainly punish him with a severe penalty, or execute him, unless he bring me a clear reason (for absence)."
[27:22] But the Hoopoe tarried not far: he (came up and) said: "I have compassed (territory) which thou hast not compassed, and I have come to thee from Saba with tidings true.
[27:23] "I found (there) a woman ruling over them and provided with every requisite; and she has a magnificent throne.
[27:24] "I found her and her people worshipping the sun besides Allah: Satan has made their deeds seem pleasing in their eyes, and has kept them away from the Path,- so they receive no guidance,-
[27:25] "(Kept them away from the Path), that they should not worship Allah, Who brings to light what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows what ye hide and what ye reveal.
[27:26] "Allah!- there is no god but He!- Lord of the Throne Supreme!"
[27:27] (Solomon) said: "Soon shall we see whether thou hast told the truth or lied!
[27:28] "Go thou, with this letter of mine, and deliver it to them: then draw back from them, and (wait to) see what answer they return"...
[27:29] (The queen) said: "Ye chiefs! here is delivered to me - a letter worthy of respect.
[27:30] "It is from Solomon, and is (as follows): 'In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful:
[27:31] "'Be ye not arrogant against me, but come to me in submission (to the true Religion).'"
[27:32] She said: "Ye chiefs! advise me in (this) my affair: no affair have I decided except in your presence."
[27:33] They said: "We are endued with strength, and given to vehement war: but the command is with thee; so consider what thou wilt command."
[27:34] She said: "Kings, when they enter a country, despoil it, and make the noblest of its people its meanest thus do they behave.
[27:35] "But I am going to send him a present, and (wait) to see with what (answer) return (my) ambassadors."
[27:36] Now when (the embassy) came to Solomon, he said: "Will ye give me abundance in wealth? But that which Allah has given me is better than that which He has given you! Nay it is ye who rejoice in your gift!
[27:37] "Go back to them, and be sure we shall come to them with such hosts as they will never be able to meet: We shall expel them from there in disgrace, and they will feel humbled (indeed)."
[27:38] He said (to his own men): "Ye chiefs! which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?"
[27:39] Said an 'Ifrit, of the Jinns: "I will bring it to thee before thou rise from thy council: indeed I have full strength for the purpose, and may be trusted."
[27:40] Said one who had knowledge of the Book: "I will bring it to thee within the twinkling of an eye!" Then when (Solomon) saw it placed firmly before him, he said: "This is by the Grace of my Lord!- to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful! and if any is grateful, truly his gratitude is (a gain) for his own soul; but if any is ungrateful, truly my Lord is Free of all Needs, Supreme in Honour !"
[27:41] He said: "Transform her throne out of all recognition by her: let us see whether she is guided (to the truth) or is one of those who receive no guidance."
[27:42] So when she arrived, she was asked, "Is this thy throne?" She said, "It was just like this; and knowledge was bestowed on us in advance of this, and we have submitted to Allah (in Islam)."
[27:43] And he diverted her from the worship of others besides Allah: for she was (sprung) of a people that had no faith.
[27:44] She was asked to enter the lofty Palace: but when she saw it, she thought it was a lake of water, and she (tucked up her skirts), uncovering her legs. He said: "This is but a palace paved smooth with slabs of glass." She said: "O my Lord! I have indeed wronged my soul: I do (now) submit (in Islam), with Solomon, to the Lord of the Worlds."
[27:45] We sent (aforetime), to the Thamud, their brother Salih, saying, "Serve Allah": But behold, they became two factions quarrelling with each other.
[27:46] He said: "O my people! why ask ye to hasten on the evil in preference to the good? If only ye ask Allah for forgiveness, ye may hope to receive mercy.
[27:47] They said: "Ill omen do we augur from thee and those that are with thee". He said: "Your ill omen is with Allah; yea, ye are a people under trial."
[27:48] There were in the city nine men of a family, who made mischief in the land, and would not reform.
[27:49] They said: "Swear a mutual oath by Allah that we shall make a secret night attack on him and his people, and that we shall then say to his heir (when he seeks vengeance): 'We were not present at the slaughter of his people, and we are positively telling the truth.'"
[27:50] They plotted and planned, but We too planned, even while they perceived it not.
[27:51] Then see what was the end of their plot!- this, that We destroyed them and their people, all (of them).
[27:52] Now such were their houses, - in utter ruin, - because they practised wrong-doing. Verily in this is a Sign for people of knowledge.
[27:53] And We saved those who believed and practised righteousness.
[27:54] (We also sent) Lut (as a messenger): behold, He said to his people, "Do ye do what is shameful though ye see (its iniquity)?
[27:55] Would ye really approach men in your lusts rather than women? Nay, ye are a people (grossly) ignorant!
[27:56] But his people gave no other answer but this: they said, "Drive out the followers of Lut from your city: these are indeed men who want to be clean and pure!"
[27:57] But We saved him and his family, except his wife; her We destined to be of those who lagged behind.
[27:58] And We rained down on them a shower (of brimstone): and evil was the shower on those who were admonished (but heeded not)!
[27:59] Say: Praise be to Allah, and Peace on his servants whom He has chosen (for his Message). (Who) is better?- Allah or the false gods they associate (with Him)?
[27:60] Or, Who has created the heavens and the earth, and Who sends you down rain from the sky? Yea, with it We cause to grow well-planted orchards full of beauty of delight: it is not in your power to cause the growth of the trees in them. (Can there be another) god besides Allah? Nay, they are a people who swerve from justice.
[27:61] Or, Who has made the earth firm to live in; made rivers in its midst; set thereon mountains immovable; and made a separating bar between the two bodies of flowing water? (can there be another) god besides Allah? Nay, most of them know not.
[27:62] Or, Who listens to the (soul) distressed when it calls on Him, and Who relieves its suffering, and makes you (mankind) inheritors of the earth? (Can there be another) god besides Allah? Little it is that ye heed!
[27:63] Or, Who guides you through the depths of darkness on land and sea, and Who sends the winds as heralds of glad tidings, going before His Mercy? (Can there be another) god besides Allah?- High is Allah above what they associate with Him!
[27:64] Or, Who originates creation, then repeats it, and who gives you sustenance from heaven and earth? (Can there be another) god besides Allah? Say, "Bring forth your argument, if ye are telling the truth!"
[27:65] Say: None in the heavens or on earth, except Allah, knows what is hidden: nor can they perceive when they shall be raised up (for Judgment).
[27:66] Still less can their knowledge comprehend the Hereafter: Nay, they are in doubt and uncertainty thereanent; nay, they are blind thereunto!
[27:67] The Unbelievers say: "What! when we become dust,- we and our fathers,- shall we really be raised (from the dead)?
[27:68] "It is true we were promised this,- we and our fathers before (us): these are nothing but tales of the ancients."
[27:69] Say: "Go ye through the earth and see what has been the end of those guilty (of sin)."
[27:70] But grieve not over them, nor distress thyself because of their plots.
[27:71] They also say: "When will this promise (come to pass)? (Say) if ye are truthful."
[27:72] Say: "It may be that some of the events which ye wish to hasten on may be (close) in your pursuit!"
[27:73] But verily thy Lord is full of grace to mankind: Yet most of them are ungrateful.
[27:74] And verily thy Lord knoweth all that their hearts do hide. As well as all that they reveal.
[27:75] Nor is there aught of the unseen, in heaven or earth, but is (recorded) in a clear record.
[27:76] Verily this Qur'an doth explain to the Children of Israel most of the matters in which they disagree.
[27:77] And it certainly is a Guide and a Mercy to those who believe.
[27:78] Verily thy Lord will decide between them by His Decree: and He is Exalted in Might, All-Knowing.
[27:79] So put thy trust in Allah: for thou art on (the path of) manifest Truth.
[27:80] Truly thou canst not cause the dead to listen, nor canst thou cause the deaf to hear the call, (especially) when they turn back in retreat.
[27:81] Nor canst thou be a guide to the blind, (to prevent them) from straying: only those wilt thou get to listen who believe in Our Signs, and they will bow in Islam.
[27:82] And when the Word is fulfilled against them (the unjust), we shall produce from the earth a beast to (face) them: He will speak to them, for that mankind did not believe with assurance in Our Signs.
[27:83] One day We shall gather together from every people a troop of those who reject our Signs, and they shall be kept in ranks,-
[27:84] Until, when they come (before the Judgment-seat), (Allah) will say: "Did ye reject My Signs, though ye comprehended them not in knowledge, or what was it ye did?"
[27:85] And the Word will be fulfilled against them, because of their wrong-doing, and they will be unable to speak (in plea).
[27:86] See they not that We have made the Night for them to rest in and the Day to give them light? Verily in this are Signs for any people that believe!
[27:87] And the Day that the Trumpet will be sounded - then will be smitten with terror those who are in the heavens, and those who are on earth, except such as Allah will please (to exempt): and all shall come to His (Presence) as beings conscious of their lowliness.
[27:88] Thou seest the mountains and thinkest them firmly fixed: but they shall pass away as the clouds pass away: (such is) the artistry of Allah, who disposes of all things in perfect order: for he is well acquainted with all that ye do.
[27:89] If any do good, good will (accrue) to them therefrom; and they will be secure from terror that Day.
[27:90] And if any do evil, their faces will be thrown headlong into the Fire: "Do ye receive a reward other than that which ye have earned by your deeds?"
[27:91] For me, I have been commanded to serve the Lord of this city, Him Who has sanctified it and to Whom (belong) all things: and I am commanded to be of those who bow in Islam to Allah's Will,-
[27:92] And to rehearse the Qur'an: and if any accept guidance, they do it for the good of their own souls, and if any stray, say: "I am only a Warner".
[27:93] And say: "Praise be to Allah, Who will soon show you His Signs, so that ye shall know them"; and thy Lord is not unmindful of all that ye do.
[18:1] Praise be to Allah, Who hath sent to His Servant the Book, and hath allowed therein no Crookedness:
[18:2] (He hath made it) Straight (and Clear) in order that He may warn (the godless) of a terrible Punishment from Him, and that He may give Glad Tidings to the Believers who work righteous deeds, that they shall have a goodly Reward,
[18:3] Wherein they shall remain for ever:
[18:4] Further, that He may warn those (also) who say, "Allah hath begotten a son":
[18:5] No knowledge have they of such a thing, nor had their fathers. It is a grievous thing that issues from their mouths as a saying what they say is nothing but falsehood!
[18:6] Thou wouldst only, perchance, fret thyself to death, following after them, in grief, if they believe not in this Message.
[18:7] That which is on earth we have made but as a glittering show for the earth, in order that We may test them - as to which of them are best in conduct.
[18:8] Verily what is on earth we shall make but as dust and dry soil (without growth or herbage).
[18:9] Or dost thou reflect that the Companions of the Cave and of the Inscription were wonders among Our Sign?
[18:10] Behold, the youths betook themselves to the Cave: they said, "Our Lord! bestow on us Mercy from Thyself, and dispose of our affair for us in the right way!"
[18:11] Then We draw (a veil) over their ears, for a number of years, in the Cave, (so that they heard not):
[18:12] Then We roused them, in order to test which of the two parties was best at calculating the term of years they had tarried!
[18:13] We relate to thee their story in truth: they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We advanced them in guidance:
[18:14] We gave strength to their hearts: Behold, they stood up and said: "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and of the earth: never shall we call upon any god other than Him: if we did, we should indeed have uttered an enormity!
[18:15] "These our people have taken for worship gods other than Him: why do they not bring forward an authority clear (and convincing) for what they do? Who doth more wrong than such as invent a falsehood against Allah?
[18:16] "When ye turn away from them and the things they worship other than Allah, betake yourselves to the Cave: Your Lord will shower His mercies on you and disposes of your affair towards comfort and ease."
[18:17] Thou wouldst have seen the sun, when it rose, declining to the right from their Cave, and when it set, turning away from them to the left, while they lay in the open space in the midst of the Cave. Such are among the Signs of Allah: He whom Allah, guides is rightly guided; but he whom Allah leaves to stray,- for him wilt thou find no protector to lead him to the Right Way.
[18:18] Thou wouldst have deemed them awake, whilst they were asleep, and We turned them on their right and on their left sides: their dog stretching forth his two fore-legs on the threshold: if thou hadst come up on to them, thou wouldst have certainly turned back from them in flight, and wouldst certainly have been filled with terror of them.
[18:19] Such (being their state), we raised them up (from sleep), that they might question each other. Said one of them, "How long have ye stayed (here)?" They said, "We have stayed (perhaps) a day, or part of a day." (At length) they (all) said, "Allah (alone) knows best how long ye have stayed here.... Now send ye then one of you with this money of yours to the town: let him find out which is the best food (to be had) and bring some to you, that (ye may) satisfy your hunger therewith: And let him behave with care and courtesy, and let him not inform any one about you.
[18:20] "For if they should come upon you, they would stone you or force you to return to their cult, and in that case ye would never attain prosperity."
[18:21] Thus did We make their case known to the people, that they might know that the promise of Allah is true, and that there can be no doubt about the Hour of Judgment. Behold, they dispute among themselves as to their affair. (Some) said, "Construct a building over them": Their Lord knows best about them: those who prevailed over their affair said, "Let us surely build a place of worship over them."
[18:22] (Some) say they were three, the dog being the fourth among them; (others) say they were five, the dog being the sixth,- doubtfully guessing at the unknown; (yet others) say they were seven, the dog being the eighth. Say thou: "My Lord knoweth best their number; It is but few that know their (real case)." Enter not, therefore, into controversies concerning them, except on a matter that is clear, nor consult any of them about (the affair of) the Sleepers.
[18:23] Nor say of anything, "I shall be sure to do so and so tomorrow"-
[18:24] Without adding, "So please Allah!" and call thy Lord to mind when thou forgettest, and say, "I hope that my Lord will guide me ever closer (even) than this to the right road."
[18:25] So they stayed in their Cave three hundred years, and (some) add nine (more)
[18:26] Say: "Allah knows best how long they stayed: with Him is (the knowledge of) the secrets of the heavens and the earth: how clearly He sees, how finely He hears (everything)! They have no protector other than Him; nor does He share His Command with any person whatsoever.
[18:27] And recite (and teach) what has been revealed to thee of the Book of thy Lord: none can change His Words, and none wilt thou find as a refuge other than Him.
[18:28] And keep thy soul content with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face; and let not thine eyes pass beyond them, seeking the pomp and glitter of this Life; no obey any whose heart We have permitted to neglect the remembrance of Us, one who follows his own desires, whose case has gone beyond all bounds.
[18:29] Say, "The truth is from your Lord": Let him who will believe, and let him who will, reject (it): for the wrong-doers We have prepared a Fire whose (smoke and flames), like the walls and roof of a tent, will hem them in: if they implore relief they will be granted water like melted brass, that will scald their faces, how dreadful the drink! How uncomfortable a couch to recline on!
[18:30] As to those who believe and work righteousness, verily We shall not suffer to perish the reward of any who do a (single) righteous deed.
[18:31] For them will be Gardens of Eternity; beneath them rivers will flow; they will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold, and they will wear green garments of fine silk and heavy brocade: They will recline therein on raised thrones. How good the recompense! How beautiful a couch to recline on!
[18:32] Set forth to them the parable of two men: for one of them We provided two gardens of grape-vines and surrounded them with date palms; in between the two We placed corn-fields.
[18:33] Each of those gardens brought forth its produce, and failed not in the least therein: in the midst of them We caused a river to flow.
[18:34] (Abundant) was the produce this man had : he said to his companion, in the course of a mutual argument: "more wealth have I than you, and more honour and power in (my following of) men."
[18:35] He went into his garden in a state (of mind) unjust to his soul: He said, "I deem not that this will ever perish,
[18:36] "Nor do I deem that the Hour (of Judgment) will (ever) come: Even if I am brought back to my Lord, I shall surely find (there) something better in exchange."
[18:37] His companion said to him, in the course of the argument with him: "Dost thou deny Him Who created thee out of dust, then out of a sperm-drop, then fashioned thee into a man?
[18:38] "But (I think) for my part that He is Allah, My Lord, and none shall I associate with my Lord.
[18:39] "Why didst thou not, as thou wentest into thy garden, say: 'Allah's will (be done)! There is no power but with Allah!' If thou dost see me less than thee in wealth and sons,
[18:40] "It may be that my Lord will give me something better than thy garden, and that He will send on thy garden thunderbolts (by way of reckoning) from heaven, making it (but) slippery sand!-
[18:41] "Or the water of the garden will run off underground so that thou wilt never be able to find it."
[18:42] So his fruits (and enjoyment) were encompassed (with ruin), and he remained twisting and turning his hands over what he had spent on his property, which had (now) tumbled to pieces to its very foundations, and he could only say, "Woe is me! Would I had never ascribed partners to my Lord and Cherisher!"
[18:43] Nor had he numbers to help him against Allah, nor was he able to deliver himself.
[18:44] There, the (only) protection comes from Allah, the True One. He is the Best to reward, and the Best to give success.
[18:45] Set forth to them the similitude of the life of this world: It is like the rain which we send down from the skies: the earth's vegetation absorbs it, but soon it becomes dry stubble, which the winds do scatter: it is (only) Allah who prevails over all things.
[18:46] Wealth and sons are allurements of the life of this world: But the things that endure, good deeds, are best in the sight of thy Lord, as rewards, and best as (the foundation for) hopes.
[18:47] One Day We shall remove the mountains, and thou wilt see the earth as a level stretch, and We shall gather them, all together, nor shall We leave out any one of them.
[18:48] And they will be marshalled before thy Lord in ranks, (with the announcement), "Now have ye come to Us (bare) as We created you first: aye, ye thought We shall not fulfil the appointment made to you to meet (Us)!":
[18:49] And the Book (of Deeds) will be placed (before you); and thou wilt see the sinful in great terror because of what is (recorded) therein; they will say, "Ah! woe to us! what a Book is this! It leaves out nothing small or great, but takes account thereof!" They will find all that they did, placed before them: And not one will thy Lord treat with injustice.
[18:50] Behold! We said to the angels, "Bow down to Adam": They bowed down except Iblis. He was one of the Jinns, and he broke the Command of his Lord. Will ye then take him and his progeny as protectors rather than Me? And they are enemies to you! Evil would be the exchange for the wrong-doers!
[18:51] I called them not to witness the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor (even) their own creation: nor is it for helpers such as Me to take as lead (men) astray!
[18:52] One Day He will say, "Call on those whom ye thought to be My partners," and they will call on them, but they will not listen to them; and We shall make for them a place of common perdition.
[18:53] And the Sinful shall see the fire and apprehend that they have to fall therein: no means will they find to turn away therefrom.
[18:54] We have explained in detail in this Qur'an, for the benefit of mankind, every kind of similitude: but man is, in most things, contentious.
[18:55] And what is there to keep back men from believing, now that Guidance has come to them, nor from praying for forgiveness from their Lord, but that (they ask that) the ways of the ancients be repeated with them, or the Wrath be brought to them face to face?
[18:56] We only send the messengers to give Glad Tidings and to give warnings: But the unbelievers dispute with vain argument, in order therewith to weaken the truth, and they treat My Signs as a jest, as also the fact that they are warned!
[18:57] And who doth more wrong than one who is reminded of the Signs of his Lord, but turns away from them, forgetting the (deeds) which his hands have sent forth? Verily We have set veils over their hearts lest they should understand this, and over their ears, deafness, if thou callest them to guidance, even then will they never accept guidance.
[18:58] But your Lord is Most forgiving, full of Mercy. If He were to call them (at once) to account for what they have earned, then surely He would have hastened their punishment: but they have their appointed time, beyond which they will find no refuge.
[18:59] Such were the populations we destroyed when they committed iniquities; but we fixed an appointed time for their destruction.
[18:60] Behold, Moses said to his attendant, "I will not give up until I reach the junction of the two seas or (until) I spend years and years in travel."
[18:61] But when they reached the Junction, they forgot (about) their Fish, which took its course through the sea (straight) as in a tunnel.
[18:62] When they had passed on (some distance), Moses said to his attendant: "Bring us our early meal; truly we have suffered much fatigue at this (stage of) our journey."
[18:63] He replied: "Sawest thou (what happened) when we betook ourselves to the rock? I did indeed forget (about) the Fish: none but Satan made me forget to tell (you) about it: it took its course through the sea in a marvellous way!"
[18:64] Moses said: "That was what we were seeking after:" So they went back on their footsteps, following (the path they had come).
[18:65] So they found one of Our servants, on whom We had bestowed Mercy from Ourselves and whom We had taught knowledge from Our own Presence.
[18:66] Moses said to him: "May I follow thee, on the footing that thou teach me something of the (Higher) Truth which thou hast been taught?"
[18:67] (The other) said: "Verily thou wilt not be able to have patience with me!"
[18:68] "And how canst thou have patience about things about which thy understanding is not complete?"
[18:69] Moses said: "Thou wilt find me, if Allah so will, (truly) patient: nor shall I disobey thee in aught."
[18:70] The other said: "If then thou wouldst follow me, ask me no questions about anything until I myself speak to thee concerning it."
[18:71] So they both proceeded: until, when they were in the boat, he scuttled it. Said Moses: "Hast thou scuttled it in order to drown those in it? Truly a strange thing hast thou done!"
[18:72] He answered: "Did I not tell thee that thou canst have no patience with me?"
[18:73] Moses said: "Rebuke me not for forgetting, nor grieve me by raising difficulties in my case."
[18:74] Then they proceeded: until, when they met a young man, he slew him. Moses said: "Hast thou slain an innocent person who had slain none? Truly a foul (unheard of) thing hast thou done!"
[18:75] He answered: "Did I not tell thee that thou canst have no patience with me?"
[18:76] (Moses) said: "If ever I ask thee about anything after this, keep me not in thy company: then wouldst thou have received (full) excuse from my side."
[18:77] Then they proceeded: until, when they came to the inhabitants of a town, they asked them for food, but they refused them hospitality. They found there a wall on the point of falling down, but he set it up straight. (Moses) said: "If thou hadst wished, surely thou couldst have exacted some recompense for it!"
[18:78] He answered: "This is the parting between me and thee: now will I tell thee the interpretation of (those things) over which thou wast unable to hold patience.
[18:79] "As for the boat, it belonged to certain men in dire want: they plied on the water: I but wished to render it unserviceable, for there was after them a certain king who seized on every boat by force.
[18:80] "As for the youth, his parents were people of Faith, and we feared that he would grieve them by obstinate rebellion and ingratitude (to Allah and man).
[18:81] "So we desired that their Lord would give them in exchange (a son) better in purity (of conduct) and closer in affection.
[18:82] "As for the wall, it belonged to two youths, orphans, in the Town; there was, beneath it, a buried treasure, to which they were entitled: their father had been a righteous man: So thy Lord desired that they should attain their age of full strength and get out their treasure - a mercy (and favour) from thy Lord. I did it not of my own accord. Such is the interpretation of (those things) over which thou wast unable to hold patience."
[18:83] They ask thee concerning Zul-qarnain. Say, "I will rehearse to you something of his story."
[18:84] Verily We established his power on earth, and We gave him the ways and the means to all ends.
[18:85] One (such) way he followed,
[18:86] Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it set in a spring of murky water: Near it he found a People: We said: "O Zul-qarnain! (thou hast authority,) either to punish them, or to treat them with kindness."
[18:87] He said: "Whoever doth wrong, him shall we punish; then shall he be sent back to his Lord; and He will punish him with a punishment unheard-of (before).
[18:88] "But whoever believes, and works righteousness,- he shall have a goodly reward, and easy will be his task as We order it by our Command."
[18:89] Then followed he (another) way,
[18:90] Until, when he came to the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had provided no covering protection against the sun.
[18:91] (He left them) as they were: We completely understood what was before him.
[18:92] Then followed he (another) way,
[18:93] Until, when he reached (a tract) between two mountains, he found, beneath them, a people who scarcely understood a word.
[18:94] They said: "O Zul-qarnain! the Gog and Magog (People) do great mischief on earth: shall we then render thee tribute in order that thou mightest erect a barrier between us and them?
[18:95] He said: "(The power) in which my Lord has established me is better (than tribute): Help me therefore with strength (and labour): I will erect a strong barrier between you and them:
[18:96] "Bring me blocks of iron." At length, when he had filled up the space between the two steep mountain-sides, He said, "Blow (with your bellows)" Then, when he had made it (red) as fire, he said: "Bring me, that I may pour over it, molten lead."
[18:97] Thus were they made powerless to scale it or to dig through it.
[18:98] He said: "This is a mercy from my Lord: But when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will make it into dust; and the promise of my Lord is true."
[18:99] On that day We shall leave them to surge like waves on one another: the trumpet will be blown, and We shall collect them all together.
[18:100] And We shall present Hell that day for Unbelievers to see, all spread out,-
[18:101] (Unbelievers) whose eyes had been under a veil from remembrance of Me, and who had been unable even to hear.
[18:102] Do the Unbelievers think that they can take My servants as protectors besides Me? Verily We have prepared Hell for the Unbelievers for (their) entertainment.
[18:103] Say: "Shall we tell you of those who lose most in respect of their deeds?-
[18:104] "Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life, while they thought that they were acquiring good by their works?"
[18:105] They are those who deny the Signs of their Lord and the fact of their having to meet Him (in the Hereafter): vain will be their works, nor shall We, on the Day of Judgment, give them any weight.
[18:106] That is their reward, Hell, because they rejected Faith, and took My Signs and My Messengers by way of jest.
[18:107] As to those who believe and work righteous deeds, they have, for their entertainment, the Gardens of Paradise,
[18:108] Wherein they shall dwell (for aye): no change will they wish for from them.
[18:109] Say: "If the ocean were ink (wherewith to write out) the words of my Lord, sooner would the ocean be exhausted than would the words of my Lord, even if we added another ocean like it, for its aid."
[18:110] Say: "I am but a man like yourselves, (but) the inspiration has come to me, that your Allah is one Allah: whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and, in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as partner.
END of Chronological Koran Part II
Technorati Tags: Chronological Koran, Koran
Following the Yusuf Ali translation.
MECCAN SURAS
Second Period
The fifth and sixth years of the Prophet's Mission A.D. 617-19.
The struggle against Mohammed's tribe, the Quraysh, waxed and waned over the time that Mohammed spent in Mecca establishing the first community of Muslims. The second period was distinguished by slowly increasing opposition from the Qurayshi against Mohammed and the Muslims. In this struggle Mohammed was protected and succored by his clan, the Hashem, the hereditary princes of Mecca and environs. The suras of this and the third period are distinguished by their focus on the divine inspiration of the Koran, and on revealing the ties between the Islamic teaching and the teachings of Judaism and Christianity, the other religions of the book.
The suras of the second Meccan period describe the way that Muslims act when they are still weak, but have established a coherent but vulnerable community, must focus on defense, and are growing, when the seed sprouts and its roots seek into the earth.
54, 37, 71, 76, 44, 50, 20, 26, 15, 19, 38, 36, 43, 72, 67, 23, 21, 25, 17, 27, 18.
Part II: Middle Meccan Period: A.D. 617-619
Al-Qamr / The Moon (54)
[54:1] The Hour (of Judgment) is nigh, and the moon is cleft asunder.
[54:2] But if they see a Sign, they turn away, and say, "This is (but) transient magic."
[54:3] They reject (the warning) and follow their (own) lusts but every matter has its appointed time.
[54:4] There have already come to them Recitals wherein there is (enough) to check (them),
[54:5] Mature wisdom;- but (the preaching of) Warners profits them not.
[54:6] Therefore, (O Prophet,) turn away from them. The Day that the Caller will call (them) to a terrible affair,
[54:7] They will come forth,- their eyes humbled - from (their) graves, (torpid) like locusts scattered abroad,
[54:8] Hastening, with eyes transfixed, towards the Caller!- "Hard is this Day!", the Unbelievers will say.
[54:9] Before them the People of Noah rejected (their messenger): they rejected Our servant, and said, "Here is one possessed!", and he was driven out.
[54:10] Then he called on his Lord: "I am one overcome: do Thou then help (me)!"
[54:11] So We opened the gates of heaven, with water pouring forth.
[54:12] And We caused the earth to gush forth with springs, so the waters met (and rose) to the extent decreed.
[54:13] But We bore him on an (Ark) made of broad planks and caulked with palm-fibre:
[54:14] She floats under our eyes (and care): a recompense to one who had been rejected (with scorn)!
[54:15] And We have left this as a Sign (for all time): then is there any that will receive admonition?
[54:16] But how (terrible) was My Penalty and My Warning?
[54:17] And We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to understand and remember: then is there any that will receive admonition?
[54:18] The 'Ad (people) (too) rejected (Truth): then how terrible was My Penalty and My Warning?
[54:19] For We sent against them a furious wind, on a Day of violent Disaster,
[54:20] Plucking out men as if they were roots of palm-trees torn up (from the ground).
[54:21] Yea, how (terrible) was My Penalty and My Warning!
[54:22] But We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to understand and remember: then is there any that will receive admonition?
[54:23] The Thamud (also) rejected (their) Warners.
[54:24] For they said: "What! a man! a Solitary one from among ourselves! shall we follow such a one? Truly should we then be straying in mind, and mad!
[54:25] "Is it that the Message is sent to him, of all people amongst us? Nay, he is a liar, an insolent one!"
[54:26] Ah! they will know on the morrow, which is the liar, the insolent one!
[54:27] For We will send the she-camel by way of trial for them. So watch them, (O Salih), and possess thyself in patience!
[54:28] And tell them that the water is to be divided between them: Each one's right to drink being brought forward (by suitable turns).
[54:29] But they called to their companion, and he took a sword in hand, and hamstrung (her).
[54:30] Ah! how (terrible) was My Penalty and My Warning!
[54:31] For We sent against them a single Mighty Blast, and they became like the dry stubble used by one who pens cattle.
[54:32] And We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to understand and remember: then is there any that will receive admonition?
[54:33] The people of Lut rejected (his) warning.
[54:34] We sent against them a violent Tornado with showers of stones, (which destroyed them), except Lut's household: them We delivered by early Dawn,-
[54:35] As a Grace from Us: thus do We reward those who give thanks.
[54:36] And (Lut) did warn them of Our Punishment, but they disputed about the Warning.
[54:37] And they even sought to snatch away his guests from him, but We blinded their eyes. (They heard:) "Now taste ye My Wrath and My Warning."
[54:38] Early on the morrow an abiding Punishment seized them:
[54:39] "So taste ye My Wrath and My Warning."
[54:40] And We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to understand and remember: then is there any that will receive admonition?
[54:41] To the People of Pharaoh, too, aforetime, came Warners (from Allah).
[54:42] The (people) rejected all Our Signs; but We seized them with such Penalty (as comes) from One Exalted in Power, able to carry out His Will.
[54:43] Are your Unbelievers, (O Quraish), better than they? Or have ye an immunity in the Sacred Books?
[54:44] Or do they say: "We acting together can defend ourselves"?
[54:45] Soon will their multitude be put to flight, and they will show their backs.
[54:46] Nay, the Hour (of Judgment) is the time promised them (for their full recompense): And that Hour will be most grievous and most bitter.
[54:47] Truly those in sin are the ones straying in mind, and mad.
[54:48] The Day they will be dragged through the Fire on their faces, (they will hear:) "Taste ye the touch of Hell!"
[54:49] Verily, all things have We created in proportion and measure.
[54:50] And Our Command is but a single (Act),- like the twinkling of an eye.
[54:51] And (oft) in the past, have We destroyed gangs like unto you: then is there any that will receive admonition?
[54:52] All that they do is noted in (their) Books (of Deeds):
[54:53] Every matter, small and great, is on record.
[54:54] As to the Righteous, they will be in the midst of Gardens and Rivers,
[54:55] In an Assembly of Truth, in the Presence of a Sovereign Omnipotent.
As-Saffat / The Rangers -OR- Those Drawn up in Ranks (37)
[37:1] By those who range themselves in ranks,
[37:2] And so are strong in repelling (evil),
[37:3] And thus proclaim the Message (of Allah)!
[37:4] Verily, verily, your Allah is one!-
[37:5] Lord of the heavens and of the earth and all between them, and Lord of every point at the rising of the sun!
[37:6] We have indeed decked the lower heaven with beauty (in) the stars,-
[37:7] (For beauty) and for guard against all obstinate rebellious evil spirits,
[37:8] (So) they should not strain their ears in the direction of the Exalted Assembly but be cast away from every side,
[37:9] Repulsed, for they are under a perpetual penalty,
[37:10] Except such as snatch away something by stealth, and they are pursued by a flaming fire, of piercing brightness.
[37:11] Just ask their opinion: are they the more difficult to create, or the (other) beings We have created? Them have We created out of a sticky clay!
[37:12] Truly dost thou marvel, while they ridicule,
[37:13] And, when they are admonished, pay no heed,-
[37:14] And, when they see a Sign, turn it to mockery,
[37:15] And say, "This is nothing but evident sorcery!
[37:16] "What! when we die, and become dust and bones, shall we (then) be raised up (again)
[37:17] "And also our fathers of old?"
[37:18] Say thou: "Yea, and ye shall then be humiliated (on account of your evil)."
[37:19] Then it will be a single (compelling) cry; and behold, they will begin to see!
[37:20] They will say, "Ah! Woe to us! This is the Day of Judgment!"
[37:21] (A voice will say,) "This is the Day of Sorting Out, whose truth ye (once) denied!"
[37:22] "Bring ye up", it shall be said, "The wrong-doers and their wives, and the things they worshipped-
[37:23] "Besides Allah, and lead them to the Way to the (Fierce) Fire!
[37:24] "But stop them, for they must be asked:
[37:25] "'What is the matter with you that ye help not each other?'"
[37:26] Nay, but that day they shall submit (to Judgment);
[37:27] And they will turn to one another, and question one another.
[37:28] They will say: "It was ye who used to come to us from the right hand (of power and authority)!"
[37:29] They will reply: "Nay, ye yourselves had no Faith!
[37:30] "Nor had we any authority over you. Nay, it was ye who were a people in obstinate rebellion!
[37:31] "So now has been proved true, against us, the word of our Lord that we shall indeed (have to) taste (the punishment of our sins).
[37:32] "We led you astray: for truly we were ourselves astray."
[37:33] Truly, that Day, they will (all) share in the Penalty.
[37:34] Verily that is how We shall deal with Sinners.
[37:35] For they, when they were told that there is no god except Allah, would puff themselves up with Pride,
[37:36] And say: "What! shall we give up our gods for the sake of a Poet possessed?"
[37:37] Nay! he has come with the (very) Truth, and he confirms (the Message of) the messengers (before him).
[37:38] Ye shall indeed taste of the Grievous Penalty;-
[37:39] But it will be no more than the retribution of (the Evil) that ye have wrought;-
[37:40] But the sincere (and devoted) Servants of Allah,-
[37:41] For them is a Sustenance determined,
[37:42] Fruits (Delights); and they (shall enjoy) honour and dignity,
[37:43] In Gardens of Felicity,
[37:44] Facing each other on Thrones (of Dignity):
[37:45] Round will be passed to them a Cup from a clear-flowing fountain,
[37:46] Crystal-white, of a taste delicious to those who drink (thereof),
[37:47] Free from headiness; nor will they suffer intoxication therefrom.
[37:48] And besides them will be chaste women, restraining their glances, with big eyes (of wonder and beauty).
[37:49] As if they were (delicate) eggs closely guarded.
[37:50] Then they will turn to one another and question one another.
[37:51] One of them will start the talk and say: "I had an intimate companion (on the earth),
[37:52] "Who used to say, 'what! art thou amongst those who bear witness to the Truth (of the Message)?
[37:53] "'When we die and become dust and bones, shall we indeed receive rewards and punishments?'"
[37:54] (A voice) said: "Would ye like to look down?"
[37:55] He looked down and saw him in the midst of the Fire.
[37:56] He said: "By Allah! thou wast little short of bringing me to perdition!
[37:57] "Had it not been for the Grace of my Lord, I should certainly have been among those brought (there)!
[37:58] "Is it (the case) that we shall not die,
[37:59] "Except our first death, and that we shall not be punished?"
[37:60] Verily this is the supreme achievement!
[37:61] For the like of this let all strive, who wish to strive.
[37:62] Is that the better entertainment or the Tree of Zaqqum?
[37:63] For We have truly made it (as) a trial for the wrong-doers.
[37:64] For it is a tree that springs out of the bottom of Hell-Fire:
[37:65] The shoots of its fruit-stalks are like the heads of devils:
[37:66] Truly they will eat thereof and fill their bellies therewith.
[37:67] Then on top of that they will be given a mixture made of boiling water.
[37:68] Then shall their return be to the (Blazing) Fire.
[37:69] Truly they found their fathers on the wrong Path;
[37:70] So they (too) were rushed down on their footsteps!
[37:71] And truly before them, many of the ancients went astray;-
[37:72] But We sent aforetime, among them, (messengers) to admonish them;-
[37:73] Then see what was the end of those who were admonished (but heeded not),-
[37:74] Except the sincere (and devoted) Servants of Allah.
[37:75] (In the days of old), Noah cried to Us, and We are the best to hear prayer.
[37:76] And We delivered him and his people from the Great Calamity,
[37:77] And made his progeny to endure (on this earth);
[37:78] And We left (this blessing) for him among generations to come in later times:
[37:79] "Peace and salutation to Noah among the nations!"
[37:80] Thus indeed do we reward those who do right.
[37:81] For he was one of our believing Servants.
[37:82] Then the rest we overwhelmed in the Flood.
[37:83] Verily among those who followed his Way was Abraham.
[37:84] Behold! he approached his Lord with a sound heart.
[37:85] Behold! he said to his father and to his people, "What is that which ye worship?
[37:86] "Is it a falsehood- gods other than Allah- that ye desire?
[37:87] "Then what is your idea about the Lord of the worlds?"
[37:88] Then did he cast a glance at the Stars.
[37:89] And he said, "I am indeed sick (at heart)!"
[37:90] So they turned away from him, and departed.
[37:91] Then did he turn to their gods and said, "will ye not eat (of the offerings before you)?...
[37:92] "What is the matter with you that ye speak not (intelligently)?"
[37:93] Then did he turn upon them, striking (them) with the right hand.
[37:94] Then came (the worshippers) with hurried steps, and faced (him).
[37:95] He said: "Worship ye that which ye have (yourselves) carved?
[37:96] "But Allah has created you and your handwork!"
[37:97] They said, "Build him a furnace, and throw him into the blazing fire!"
[37:98] (This failing), they then sought a stratagem against him, but We made them the ones most humiliated!
[37:99] He said: "I will go to my Lord! He will surely guide me!
[37:100] "O my Lord! Grant me a righteous (son)!"
[37:101] So We gave him the good news of a boy ready to suffer and forbear.
[37:102] Then, when (the son) reached (the age of) (serious) work with him, he said: "O my son! I see in vision that I offer thee in sacrifice: Now see what is thy view!" (The son) said: "O my father! Do as thou art commanded: thou will find me, if Allah so wills one practising Patience and Constancy!"
[37:103] So when they had both submitted their wills (to Allah), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice),
[37:104] We called out to him "O Abraham!
[37:105] "Thou hast already fulfilled the vision!" - thus indeed do We reward those who do right.
[37:106] For this was obviously a trial-
[37:107] And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice:
[37:108] And We left (this blessing) for him among generations (to come) in later times:
[37:109] "Peace and salutation to Abraham!"
[37:110] Thus indeed do We reward those who do right.
[37:111] For he was one of our believing Servants.
[37:112] And We gave him the good news of Isaac - a prophet,- one of the Righteous.
[37:113] We blessed him and Isaac: but of their progeny are (some) that do right, and (some) that obviously do wrong, to their own souls.
[37:114] Again (of old) We bestowed Our favour on Moses and Aaron,
[37:115] And We delivered them and their people from (their) Great Calamity;
[37:116] And We helped them, so they overcame (their troubles);
[37:117] And We gave them the Book which helps to make things clear;
[37:118] And We guided them to the Straight Way.
[37:119] And We left (this blessing) for them among generations (to come) in later times:
[37:120] "Peace and salutation to Moses and Aaron!"
[37:121] Thus indeed do We reward those who do right.
[37:122] For they were two of our believing Servants.
[37:123] So also was Elias among those sent (by Us).
[37:124] Behold, he said to his people, "Will ye not fear (Allah)?
[37:125] "Will ye call upon Baal and forsake the Best of Creators,-
[37:126] "Allah, your Lord and Cherisher and the Lord and Cherisher of your fathers of old?"
[37:127] But they rejected him, and they will certainly be called up (for punishment),-
[37:128] Except the sincere and devoted Servants of Allah (among them).
[37:129] And We left (this blessing) for him among generations (to come) in later times:
[37:130] "Peace and salutation to such as Elias!"
[37:131] Thus indeed do We reward those who do right.
[37:132] For he was one of our believing Servants.
[37:133] So also was Lut among those sent (by Us).
[37:134] Behold, We delivered him and his adherents, all
[37:135] Except an old woman who was among those who lagged behind:
[37:136] Then We destroyed the rest.
[37:137] Verily, ye pass by their (sites), by day-
[37:138] And by night: will ye not understand?
[37:139] So also was Jonah among those sent (by Us).
[37:140] When he ran away (like a slave from captivity) to the ship (fully) laden,
[37:141] He (agreed to) cast lots, and he was condemned:
[37:142] Then the big Fish did swallow him, and he had done acts worthy of blame.
[37:143] Had it not been that he (repented and) glorified Allah,
[37:144] He would certainly have remained inside the Fish till the Day of Resurrection.
[37:145] But We cast him forth on the naked shore in a state of sickness,
[37:146] And We caused to grow, over him, a spreading plant of the gourd kind.
[37:147] And We sent him (on a mission) to a hundred thousand (men) or more.
[37:148] And they believed; so We permitted them to enjoy (their life) for a while.
[37:149] Now ask them their opinion: Is it that thy Lord has (only) daughters, and they have sons?-
[37:150] Or that We created the angels female, and they are witnesses (thereto)?
[37:151] Is it not that they say, from their own invention,
[37:152] "Allah has begotten children"? but they are liars!
[37:153] Did He (then) choose daughters rather than sons?
[37:154] What is the matter with you? How judge ye?
[37:155] Will ye not then receive admonition?
[37:156] Or have ye an authority manifest?
[37:157] Then bring ye your Book (of authority) if ye be truthful!
[37:158] And they have invented a blood-relationship between Him and the Jinns: but the Jinns know (quite well) that they have indeed to appear (before his Judgment-Seat)!
[37:159] Glory to Allah! (He is free) from the things they ascribe (to Him)!
[37:160] Not (so do) the Servants of Allah, sincere and devoted.
[37:161] For, verily, neither ye nor those ye worship-
[37:162] Can lead (any) into temptation concerning Allah,
[37:163] Except such as are (themselves) going to the blazing Fire!
[37:164] (Those ranged in ranks say): "Not one of us but has a place appointed;
[37:165] "And we are verily ranged in ranks (for service);
[37:166] "And we are verily those who declare (Allah's) glory!"
[37:167] And there were those who said,
[37:168] "If only we had had before us a Message from those of old,
[37:169] "We should certainly have been Servants of Allah, sincere (and devoted)!"
[37:170] But (now that the Qur'an has come), they reject it: But soon will they know!
[37:171] Already has Our Word been passed before (this) to our Servants sent (by Us),
[37:172] That they would certainly be assisted,
[37:173] And that Our forces,- they surely must conquer.
[37:174] So turn thou away from them for a little while,
[37:175] And watch them (how they fare), and they soon shall see (how thou farest)!
[37:176] Do they wish (indeed) to hurry on our Punishment?
[37:177] But when it descends into the open space before them, evil will be the morning for those who were warned (and heeded not)!
[37:178] So turn thou away from them for a little while,
[37:179] And watch (how they fare) and they soon shall see (how thou farest)!
[37:180] Glory to thy Lord, the Lord of Honour and Power! (He is free) from what they ascribe (to Him)!
[37:181] And Peace on the messengers!
[37:182] And Praise to Allah, the Lord and Cherisher of the Worlds.
Nuh / Noah (71)
[71:1] We sent Noah to his People (with the Command): "Do thou warn thy People before there comes to them a grievous Penalty."
[71:2] He said: "O my People! I am to you a Warner, clear and open:
[71:3] "That ye should worship Allah, fear Him and obey me:
[71:4] "So He may forgive you your sins and give you respite for a stated Term: for when the Term given by Allah is accomplished, it cannot be put forward: if ye only knew."
[71:5] He said: "O my Lord! I have called to my People night and day:
[71:6] "But my call only increases (their) flight (from the Right).
[71:7] "And every time I have called to them, that Thou mightest forgive them, they have (only) thrust their fingers into their ears, covered themselves up with their garments, grown obstinate, and given themselves up to arrogance.
[71:8] "So I have called to them aloud;
[71:9] "Further I have spoken to them in public and secretly in private,
[71:10] "Saying, 'Ask forgiveness from your Lord; for He is Oft-Forgiving;
[71:11] "'He will send rain to you in abundance;
[71:12] "'Give you increase in wealth and sons; and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers (of flowing water).
[71:13] "'What is the matter with you, that ye place not your hope for kindness and long-suffering in Allah,-
[71:14] "'Seeing that it is He that has created you in diverse stages?
[71:15] "'See ye not how Allah has created the seven heavens one above another,
[71:16] "'And made the moon a light in their midst, and made the sun as a (Glorious) Lamp?
[71:17] "'And Allah has produced you from the earth growing (gradually),
[71:18] "'And in the End He will return you into the (earth), and raise you forth (again at the Resurrection)?
[71:19] "'And Allah has made the earth for you as a carpet (spread out),
[71:20] "'That ye may go about therein, in spacious roads.'"
[71:21] Noah said: "O my Lord! They have disobeyed me, but they follow (men) whose wealth and children give them no increase but only Loss.
[71:22] "And they have devised a tremendous Plot.
[71:23] "And they have said (to each other), 'Abandon not your gods: Abandon neither Wadd nor Suwa', neither Yaguth nor Ya'uq, nor Nasr';-
[71:24] "They have already misled many; and grant Thou no increase to the wrong-doers but in straying (from their mark)."
[71:25] Because of their sins they were drowned (in the flood), and were made to enter the Fire (of Punishment): and they found- in lieu of Allah- none to help them.
[71:26] And Noah, said: "O my Lord! Leave not of the Unbelievers, a single one on earth!
[71:27] "For, if Thou dost leave (any of) them, they will but mislead Thy devotees, and they will breed none but wicked ungrateful ones.
[71:28] "O my Lord! Forgive me, my parents, all who enter my house in Faith, and (all) believing men and believing women: and to the wrong-doers grant Thou no increase but in perdition!"
Ad-Dahr / The Man (76)
[76:1] Has there not been over Man a long period of Time, when he was nothing - (not even) mentioned?
[76:2] Verily We created Man from a drop of mingled sperm, in order to try him: So We gave him (the gifts), of Hearing and Sight.
[76:3] We showed him the Way: whether he be grateful or ungrateful (rests on his will).
[76:4] For the Rejecters we have prepared chains, yokes, and a blazing Fire.
[76:5] As to the Righteous, they shall drink of a Cup (of Wine) mixed with Kafur,-
[76:6] A Fountain where the Devotees of Allah do drink, making it flow in unstinted abundance.
[76:7] They perform (their) vows, and they fear a Day whose evil flies far and wide.
[76:8] And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive,-
[76:9] (Saying),"We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks.
[76:10] "We only fear a Day of distressful Wrath from the side of our Lord."
[76:11] But Allah will deliver them from the evil of that Day, and will shed over them a Light of Beauty and (blissful) Joy.
[76:12] And because they were patient and constant, He will reward them with a Garden and (garments of) silk.
[76:13] Reclining in the (Garden) on raised thrones, they will see there neither the sun's (excessive heat) nor (the moon's) excessive cold.
[76:14] And the shades of the (Garden) will come low over them, and the bunches (of fruit), there, will hang low in humility.
[76:15] And amongst them will be passed round vessels of silver and goblets of crystal,-
[76:16] Crystal-clear, made of silver: they will determine the measure thereof (according to their wishes).
[76:17] And they will be given to drink there of a Cup (of Wine) mixed with Zanjabil,-
[76:18] A fountain there, called Salsabil.
[76:19] And round about them will (serve) youths of perpetual (freshness): If thou seest them, thou wouldst think them scattered Pearls.
[76:20] And when thou lookest, it is there thou wilt see a Bliss and a Realm Magnificent.
[76:21] Upon them will be green Garments of fine silk and heavy brocade, and they will be adorned with Bracelets of silver; and their Lord will give to them to drink of a Wine Pure and Holy.
[76:22] "Verily this is a Reward for you, and your Endeavour is accepted and recognised."
[76:23] It is We Who have sent down the Qur'an to thee by stages.
[76:24] Therefore be patient with constancy to the Command of thy Lord, and hearken not to the sinner or the ingrate among them.
[76:25] And celebrate the name or thy Lord morning and evening,
[76:26] And part of the night, prostrate thyself to Him; and glorify Him a long night through.
[76:27] As to these, they love the fleeting life, and put away behind them a Day (that will be) hard.
[76:28] It is We Who created them, and We have made their joints strong; but, when We will, We can substitute the like of them by a complete change.
[76:29] This is an admonition: Whosoever will, let him take a (straight) Path to his Lord.
[76:30] But ye will not, except as Allah wills; for Allah is full of Knowledge and Wisdom.
[76:31] He will admit to His Mercy whom He will; But the wrong-doers,- for them has He prepared a grievous Penalty.
Ad-Dukhan / The Evident Smoke (44)
[44:1] Ha-Mim.
[44:2] By the Book that makes things clear;-
[44:3] We sent it down during a Blessed Night: for We (ever) wish to warn (against Evil).
[44:4] In the (Night) is made distinct every affair of wisdom,
[44:5] By command, from Our Presence. For We (ever) send (revelations),
[44:6] As Mercy from thy Lord: for He hears and knows (all things);
[44:7] The Lord of the heavens and the earth and all between them, if ye (but) have an assured faith.
[44:8] There is no god but He: It is He Who gives life and gives death,- The Lord and Cherisher to you and your earliest ancestors.
[44:9] Yet they play about in doubt.
[44:10] Then watch thou for the Day that the sky will bring forth a kind of smoke (or mist) plainly visible,
[44:11] Enveloping the people: this will be a Penalty Grievous.
[44:12] (They will say:) "Our Lord! remove the Penalty from us, for we do really believe!"
[44:13] How shall the message be (effectual) for them, seeing that an Messenger explaining things clearly has (already) come to them,-
[44:14] Yet they turn away from him and say: "Tutored (by others), a man possessed!"
[44:15] We shall indeed remove the Penalty for a while, (but) truly ye will revert (to your ways).
[44:16] One day We shall seize you with a mighty onslaught: We will indeed (then) exact Retribution!
[44:17] We did, before them, try the people of Pharaoh: there came to them a messenger most honourable,
[44:18] Saying: "Restore to me the Servants of Allah: I am to you an messenger worthy of all trust;
[44:19] "And be not arrogant as against Allah: for I come to you with authority manifest.
[44:20] "For me, I have sought safety with my Lord and your Lord, against your injuring me.
[44:21] "If ye believe me not, at least keep yourselves away from me."
[44:22] (But they were aggressive:) then he cried to his Lord: "These are indeed a people given to sin."
[44:23] (The reply came:) "March forth with My Servants by night: for ye are sure to be pursued.
[44:24] "And leave the sea as a furrow (divided): for they are a host (destined) to be drowned."
[44:25] How many were the gardens and springs they left behind,
[44:26] And corn-fields and noble buildings,
[44:27] And wealth (and conveniences of life), wherein they had taken such delight!
[44:28] Thus (was their end)! And We made other people inherit (those things)!
[44:29] And neither heaven nor earth shed a tear over them: nor were they given a respite (again).
[44:30] We did deliver aforetime the Children of Israel from humiliating Punishment,
[44:31] Inflicted by Pharaoh, for he was arrogant (even) among inordinate transgressors.
[44:32] And We chose them aforetime above the nations, knowingly,
[44:33] And granted them Signs in which there was a manifest trial
[44:34] As to these (Quraish), they say forsooth:
[44:35] "There is nothing beyond our first death, and we shall not be raised again.
[44:36] "Then bring (back) our forefathers, if what ye say is true!"
[44:37] What! Are they better than the people of Tubba and those who were before them? We destroyed them because they were guilty of sin.
[44:38] We created not the heavens, the earth, and all between them, merely in (idle) sport:
[44:39] We created them not except for just ends: but most of them do not understand.
[44:40] Verily the Day of sorting out is the time appointed for all of them,-
[44:41] The Day when no protector can avail his client in aught, and no help can they receive,
[44:42] Except such as receive Allah's Mercy: for He is Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.
[44:43] Verily the tree of Zaqqum
[44:44] Will be the food of the Sinful,-
[44:45] Like molten brass; it will boil in their insides.
[44:46] Like the boiling of scalding water.
[44:47] (A voice will cry: "Seize ye him and drag him into the midst of the Blazing Fire!
[44:48] "Then pour over his head the Penalty of Boiling Water,
[44:49] "Taste thou (this)! Truly wast thou mighty, full of honour!
[44:50] "Truly this is what ye used to doubt!"
[44:51] As to the Righteous (they will be) in a position of Security,
[44:52] Among Gardens and Springs;
[44:53] Dressed in fine silk and in rich brocade, they will face each other;
[44:54] So; and We shall join them to fair women with beautiful, big, and lustrous eyes.
[44:55] There can they call for every kind of fruit in peace and security;
[44:56] Nor will they there taste Death, except the first death; and He will preserve them from the Penalty of the Blazing Fire,-
[44:57] As a Bounty from thy Lord! that will be the supreme achievement!
[44:58] Verily, We have made this (Qur'an) easy, in thy tongue, in order that they may give heed.
[44:59] So wait thou and watch; for they (too) are waiting.
Qaf / The Letter "Qaf" (50)
[50:1] Qaf: By the Glorious Qur'an (Thou art Allah's Messenger).
[50:2] But they wonder that there has come to them a Warner from among themselves. So the Unbelievers say: "This is a wonderful thing!
[50:3] "What! When we die and become dust, (shall we live again?) That is a (sort of) return far (from our understanding)."
[50:4] We already know how much of them the earth takes away: With Us is a record guarding (the full account).
[50:5] But they deny the Truth when it comes to them: so they are in a confused state.
[50:6] Do they not look at the sky above them?- How We have made it and adorned it, and there are no flaws in it?
[50:7] And the earth- We have spread it out, and set thereon mountains standing firm, and produced therein every kind of beautiful growth (in pairs)-
[50:8] To be observed and commemorated by every devotee turning (to Allah).
[50:9] And We send down from the sky rain charted with blessing, and We produce therewith gardens and Grain for harvests;
[50:10] And tall (and stately) palm-trees, with shoots of fruit-stalks, piled one over another;-
[50:11] As sustenance for (Allah's) Servants;- and We give (new) life therewith to land that is dead: Thus will be the Resurrection.
[50:12] Before them was denied (the Hereafter) by the People of Noah, the Companions of the Rass, the Thamud,
[50:13] The 'Ad, Pharaoh, the brethren of Lut,
[50:14] The Companions of the Wood, and the People of Tubba'; each one (of them) rejected the messengers, and My warning was duly fulfilled (in them).
[50:15] Were We then weary with the first Creation, that they should be in confused doubt about a new Creation?
[50:16] It was We Who created man, and We know what dark suggestions his soul makes to him: for We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein.
[50:17] Behold, two (guardian angels) appointed to learn (his doings) learn (and noted them), one sitting on the right and one on the left.
[50:18] Not a word does he utter but there is a sentinel by him, ready (to note it).
[50:19] And the stupor of death will bring Truth (before his eyes): "This was the thing which thou wast trying to escape!"
[50:20] And the Trumpet shall be blown: that will be the Day whereof Warning (had been given).
[50:21] And there will come forth every soul: with each will be an (angel) to drive, and an (angel) to bear witness.
[50:22] (It will be said:) "Thou wast heedless of this; now have We removed thy veil, and sharp is thy sight this Day!"
[50:23] And his Companion will say: "Here is (his Record) ready with me!"
[50:24] (The sentence will be:) "Throw, throw into Hell every contumacious Rejecter (of Allah)!-
[50:25] "Who forbade what was good, transgressed all bounds, cast doubts and suspicions;
[50:26] "Who set up another god beside Allah: Throw him into a severe penalty."
[50:27] His Companion will say: "Our Lord! I did not make him transgress, but he was (himself) far astray."
[50:28] He will say: "Dispute not with each other in My Presence: I had already in advance sent you Warning.
[50:29] "The Word changes not before Me, and I do not the least injustice to My Servants."
[50:30] One Day We will ask Hell, "Art thou filled to the full?" It will say, "Are there any more (to come)?"
[50:31] And the Garden will be brought nigh to the Righteous,- no more a thing distant.
[50:32] (A voice will say:) "This is what was promised for you,- for every one who turned (to Allah) in sincere repentance, who kept (His Law),
[50:33] "Who feared (Allah) Most Gracious Unseen, and brought a heart turned in devotion (to Him):
[50:34] "Enter ye therein in Peace and Security; this is a Day of Eternal Life!"
[50:35] There will be for them therein all that they wish,- and more besides in Our Presence.
[50:36] But how many generations before them did We destroy (for their sins),- stronger in power than they? Then did they wander through the land: was there any place of escape (for them)?
[50:37] Verily in this is a Message for any that has a heart and understanding or who gives ear and earnestly witnesses (the truth).
[50:38] We created the heavens and the earth and all between them in Six Days, nor did any sense of weariness touch Us.
[50:39] Bear, then, with patience, all that they say, and celebrate the praises of thy Lord, before the rising of the sun and before (its) setting.
[50:40] And during part of the night, (also,) celebrate His praises, and (so likewise) after the postures of adoration.
[50:41] And listen for the Day when the Caller will call out from a place quiet near,-
[50:42] The Day when they will hear a (mighty) Blast in (very) truth: that will be the Day of Resurrection.
[50:43] Verily it is We Who give Life and Death; and to Us is the Final Goal-
[50:44] The Day when the Earth will be rent asunder, from (men) hurrying out: that will be a gathering together,- quite easy for Us.
[50:45] We know best what they say; and thou art not one to overawe them by force. So admonish with the Qur'an such as fear My Warning!
Ta Ha / Ta Ha (20)
[20:1] Ta-Ha.
[20:2] We have not sent down the Qur'an to thee to be (an occasion) for thy distress,
[20:3] But only as an admonition to those who fear (Allah),-
[20:4] A revelation from Him Who created the earth and the heavens on high.
[20:5] (Allah) Most Gracious is firmly established on the throne (of authority).
[20:6] To Him belongs what is in the heavens and on earth, and all between them, and all beneath the soil.
[20:7] If thou pronounce the word aloud, (it is no matter): for verily He knoweth what is secret and what is yet more hidden.
[20:8] Allah! there is no god but He! To Him belong the most Beautiful Names.
[20:9] Has the story of Moses reached thee?
[20:10] Behold, he saw a fire: So he said to his family, "Tarry ye; I perceive a fire; perhaps I can bring you some burning brand therefrom, or find some guidance at the fire."
[20:11] But when he came to the fire, a voice was heard: "O Moses!
[20:12] "Verily I am thy Lord! therefore (in My presence) put off thy shoes: thou art in the sacred valley Tuwa.
[20:13] "I have chosen thee: listen, then, to the inspiration (sent to thee).
[20:14] "Verily, I am Allah: There is no god but I: So serve thou Me (only), and establish regular prayer for celebrating My praise.
[20:15] "Verily the Hour is coming - My design is to keep it hidden - for every soul to receive its reward by the measure of its Endeavour.
[20:16] "Therefore let not such as believe not therein but follow their own lusts, divert thee therefrom, lest thou perish!"..
[20:17] "And what is that in the right hand, O Moses?"
[20:18] He said, "It is my rod: on it I lean; with it I beat down fodder for my flocks; and in it I find other uses."
[20:19] (Allah) said, "Throw it, O Moses!"
[20:20] He threw it, and behold! It was a snake, active in motion.
[20:21] (Allah) said, "Seize it, and fear not: We shall return it at once to its former condition"..
[20:22] "Now draw thy hand close to thy side: It shall come forth white (and shining), without harm (or stain),- as another Sign,-
[20:23] "In order that We may show thee (two) of our Greater Signs.
[20:24] "Go thou to Pharaoh, for he has indeed transgressed all bounds."
[20:25] (Moses) said: "O my Lord! expand me my breast;
[20:26] "Ease my task for me;
[20:27] "And remove the impediment from my speech,
[20:28] "So they may understand what I say:
[20:29] "And give me a Minister from my family,
[20:30] "Aaron, my brother;
[20:31] "Add to my strength through him,
[20:32] "And make him share my task:
[20:33] "That we may celebrate Thy praise without stint,
[20:34] "And remember Thee without stint:
[20:35] "For Thou art He that (ever) regardeth us."
[20:36] (Allah) said: "Granted is thy prayer, O Moses!"
[20:37] "And indeed We conferred a favour on thee another time (before).
[20:38] "Behold! We sent to thy mother, by inspiration, the message:
[20:39] "'Throw (the child) into the chest, and throw (the chest) into the river: the river will cast him up on the bank, and he will be taken up by one who is an enemy to Me and an enemy to him': But I cast (the garment of) love over thee from Me: and (this) in order that thou mayest be reared under Mine eye.
[20:40] "Behold! thy sister goeth forth and saith, 'shall I show you one who will nurse and rear the (child)?' So We brought thee back to thy mother, that her eye might be cooled and she should not grieve. Then thou didst slay a man, but We saved thee from trouble, and We tried thee in various ways. Then didst thou tarry a number of years with the people of Midian. Then didst thou come hither as ordained, O Moses!
[20:41] "And I have prepared thee for Myself (for service)"..
[20:42] "Go, thou and thy brother, with My Signs, and slacken not, either of you, in keeping Me in remembrance.
[20:43] "Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, for he has indeed transgressed all bounds;
[20:44] "But speak to him mildly; perchance he may take warning or fear (Allah)."
[20:45] They (Moses and Aaron) said: "Our Lord! We fear lest he hasten with insolence against us, or lest he transgress all bounds."
[20:46] He said: "Fear not: for I am with you: I hear and see (everything).
[20:47] "So go ye both to him, and say, 'Verily we are messengers sent by thy Lord: Send forth, therefore, the Children of Israel with us, and afflict them not: with a Sign, indeed, have we come from thy Lord! and peace to all who follow guidance!
[20:48] "'Verily it has been revealed to us that the Penalty (awaits) those who reject and turn away.'"
[20:49] (When this message was delivered), (Pharaoh) said: "Who, then, O Moses, is the Lord of you two?"
[20:50] He said: "Our Lord is He Who gave to each (created) thing its form and nature, and further, gave (it) guidance."
[20:51] (Pharaoh) said: "What then is the condition of previous generations?"
[20:52] He replied: "The knowledge of that is with my Lord, duly recorded: my Lord never errs, nor forgets,-
[20:53] "He Who has, made for you the earth like a carpet spread out; has enabled you to go about therein by roads (and channels); and has sent down water from the sky." With it have We produced diverse pairs of plants each separate from the others.
[20:54] Eat (for yourselves) and pasture your cattle: verily, in this are Signs for men endued with understanding.
[20:55] From the (earth) did We create you, and into it shall We return you, and from it shall We bring you out once again.
[20:56] And We showed Pharaoh all Our Signs, but he did reject and refuse.
[20:57] He said: "Hast thou come to drive us out of our land with thy magic, O Moses?
[20:58] "But we can surely produce magic to match thine! So make a tryst between us and thee, which we shall not fail to keep - neither we nor thou - in a place where both shall have even chances."
[20:59] Moses said: "Your tryst is the Day of the Festival, and let the people be assembled when the sun is well up."
[20:60] So Pharaoh withdrew: He concerted his plan, and then came (back).
[20:61] Moses said to him: Woe to you! Forge not ye a lie against Allah, lest He destroy you (at once) utterly by chastisement: the forger must suffer frustration!"
[20:62] So they disputed, one with another, over their affair, but they kept their talk secret.
[20:63] They said: "These two are certainly (expert) magicians: their object is to drive you out from your land with their magic, and to do away with your most cherished institutions.
[20:64] "Therefore concert your plan, and then assemble in (serried) ranks: He wins (all along) today who gains the upper hand."
[20:65] They said: "O Moses! whether wilt thou that thou throw (first) or that we be the first to throw?"
[20:66] He said, "Nay, throw ye first!" Then behold their ropes and their rods-so it seemed to him on account of their magic - began to be in lively motion!
[20:67] So Moses conceived in his mind a (sort of) fear.
[20:68] We said: "Fear not! for thou hast indeed the upper hand:
[20:69] "Throw that which is in thy right hand: Quickly will it swallow up that which they have faked what they have faked is but a magician's trick: and the magician thrives not, (no matter) where he goes."
[20:70] So the magicians were thrown down to prostration: they said, "We believe in the Lord of Aaron and Moses".
[20:71] (Pharaoh) said: "Believe ye in Him before I give you permission? Surely this must be your leader, who has taught you magic! be sure I will cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides, and I will have you crucified on trunks of palm-trees: so shall ye know for certain, which of us can give the more severe and the more lasting punishment!"
[20:72] They said: "Never shall we regard thee as more than the Clear Signs that have come to us, or than Him Who created us! so decree whatever thou desirest to decree: for thou canst only decree (touching) the life of this world.
[20:73] "For us, we have believed in our Lord: may He forgive us our faults, and the magic to which thou didst compel us: for Allah is Best and Most Abiding."
[20:74] Verily he who comes to his Lord as a sinner (at Judgment),- for him is Hell: therein shall he neither die nor live.
[20:75] But such as come to Him as Believers who have worked righteous deeds,- for them are ranks exalted,-
[20:76] Gardens of Eternity, beneath which flow rivers: they will dwell therein for aye: such is the reward of those who purify themselves (from evil).
[20:77] We sent an inspiration to Moses: "Travel by night with My servants, and strike a dry path for them through the sea, without fear of being overtaken (by Pharaoh) and without (any other) fear."
[20:78] Then Pharaoh pursued them with his forces, but the waters completely overwhelmed them and covered them up.
[20:79] Pharaoh led his people astray instead of leading them aright.
[20:80] O ye Children of Israel! We delivered you from your enemy, and We made a Covenant with you on the right side of Mount (Sinai), and We sent down to you Manna and quails:
[20:81] (Saying): "Eat of the good things We have provided for your sustenance, but commit no excess therein, lest My Wrath should justly descend on you: and those on whom descends My Wrath do perish indeed!
[20:82] "But, without doubt, I am (also) He that forgives again and again, to those who repent, believe, and do right, who,- in fine, are ready to receive true guidance."
[20:83] (When Moses was up on the Mount, Allah said:) "What made thee hasten in advance of thy people, O Moses?"
[20:84] He replied: "Behold, they are close on my footsteps: I hastened to thee, O my Lord, to please thee."
[20:85] (Allah) said: "We have tested thy people in thy absence: the Samiri has led them astray."
[20:86] So Moses returned to his people in a state of indignation and sorrow. He said: "O my people! did not your Lord make a handsome promise to you? Did then the promise seem to you long (in coming)? Or did ye desire that Wrath should descend from your Lord on you, and so ye broke your promise to me?"
[20:87] They said: "We broke not the promise to thee, as far as lay in our power: but we were made to carry the weight of the ornaments of the (whole) people, and we threw them (into the fire), and that was what the Samiri suggested.
[20:88] "Then he brought out (of the fire) before the (people) the image of a calf: It seemed to low: so they said: This is your god, and the god of Moses, but (Moses) has forgotten!"
[20:89] Could they not see that it could not return them a word (for answer), and that it had no power either to harm them or to do them good?
[20:90] Aaron had already, before this said to them: "O my people! ye are being tested in this: for verily your Lord is (Allah) Most Gracious; so follow me and obey my command."
[20:91] They had said: "We will not abandon this cult, but we will devote ourselves to it until Moses returns to us."
[20:92] (Moses) said: "O Aaron! what kept thee back, when thou sawest them going wrong,
[20:93] "From following me? Didst thou then disobey my order?"
[20:94] (Aaron) replied: "O son of my mother! Seize (me) not by my beard nor by (the hair of) my head! Truly I feared lest thou shouldst say, 'Thou has caused a division among the children of Israel, and thou didst not respect my word!'"
[20:95] (Moses) said: "What then is thy case, O Samiri?"
[20:96] He replied: "I saw what they saw not: so I took a handful (of dust) from the footprint of the Messenger, and threw it (into the calf): thus did my soul suggest to me."
[20:97] (Moses) said: "Get thee gone! but thy (punishment) in this life will be that thou wilt say, 'touch me not'; and moreover (for a future penalty) thou hast a promise that will not fail: Now look at thy god, of whom thou hast become a devoted worshipper: We will certainly (melt) it in a blazing fire and scatter it broadcast in the sea!"
[20:98] But the god of you all is the One Allah: there is no god but He: all things He comprehends in His knowledge.
[20:99] Thus do We relate to thee some stories of what happened before: for We have sent thee a Message from Our own Presence.
[20:100] If any do turn away therefrom, verily they will bear a burden on the Day of judgment;
[20:101] They will abide in this (state): and grievous will the burden be to them on that Day,-
[20:102] The Day when the Trumpet will be sounded: that Day, We shall gather the sinful, blear-eyed (with terror).
[20:103] In whispers will they consult each other: "Yet tarried not longer than ten (Days);
[20:104] We know best what they will say, when their leader most eminent in conduct will say: "Ye tarried not longer than a day!"
[20:105] They ask thee concerning the Mountains: say, "My Lord will uproot them and scatter them as dust;
[20:106] "He will leave them as plains smooth and level;
[20:107] "Nothing crooked or curved wilt thou see in their place."
[20:108] On that Day will they follow the Caller (straight): no crookedness (can they show) him: all sounds shall humble themselves in the Presence of (Allah) Most Gracious: nothing shalt thou hear but the tramp of their feet (as they march).
[20:109] On that Day shall no intercession avail except for those for whom permission has been granted by (Allah) Most Gracious and whose word is acceptable to Him.
[20:110] He knows what (appears to His creatures as) before or after or behind them: but they shall not compass it with their knowledge.
[20:111] (All) faces shall be humbled before (Him) - the Living, the Self-Subsisting, Eternal: hopeless indeed will be the man that carries iniquity (on his back).
[20:112] But he who works deeds of righteousness, and has faith, will have no fear of harm nor of any curtailment (of what is his due).
[20:113] Thus have We sent this down - an arabic Qur'an - and explained therein in detail some of the warnings, in order that they may fear Allah, or that it may cause their remembrance (of Him).
[20:114] High above all is Allah, the King, the Truth! Be not in haste with the Qur'an before its revelation to thee is completed, but say, "O my Lord! advance me in knowledge."
[20:115] We had already, beforehand, taken the covenant of Adam, but he forgot: and We found on his part no firm resolve.
[20:116] When We said to the angels, "Prostrate yourselves to Adam", they prostrated themselves, but not Iblis: he refused.
[20:117] Then We said: "O Adam! verily, this is an enemy to thee and thy wife: so let him not get you both out of the Garden, so that thou art landed in misery.
[20:118] "There is therein (enough provision) for thee not to go hungry nor to go naked,
[20:119] "Nor to suffer from thirst, nor from the sun's heat."
[20:120] But Satan whispered evil to him: he said, "O Adam! shall I lead thee to the Tree of Eternity and to a kingdom that never decays?"
[20:121] In the result, they both ate of the tree, and so their nakedness appeared to them: they began to sew together, for their covering, leaves from the Garden: thus did Adam disobey his Lord, and allow himself to be seduced.
[20:122] But his Lord chose him (for His Grace): He turned to him, and gave him Guidance.
[20:123] He said: "Get ye down, both of you,- all together, from the Garden, with enmity one to another: but if, as is sure, there comes to you Guidance from Me, whosoever follows My Guidance, will not lose his way, nor fall into misery.
[20:124] "But whosoever turns away from My Message, verily for him is a life narrowed down, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Judgment."
[20:125] He will say: "O my Lord! why hast Thou raised me up blind, while I had sight (before)?"
[20:126] (Allah) will say: "Thus didst Thou, when Our Signs came unto thee, disregard them: so wilt thou, this day, be disregarded."
[20:127] And thus do We recompense him who transgresses beyond bounds and believes not in the Signs of his Lord: and the Penalty of the Hereafter is far more grievous and more enduring.
[20:128] Is it not a warning to such men (to call to mind) how many generations before them We destroyed, in whose haunts they (now) move? Verily, in this are Signs for men endued with understanding.
[20:129] Had it not been for a Word that went forth before from thy Lord, (their punishment) must necessarily have come; but there is a Term appointed (for respite).
[20:130] Therefore be patient with what they say, and celebrate (constantly) the praises of thy Lord, before the rising of the sun, and before its setting; yea, celebrate them for part of the hours of the night, and at the sides of the day: that thou mayest have (spiritual) joy.
[20:131] Nor strain thine eyes in longing for the things We have given for enjoyment to parties of them, the splendour of the life of this world, through which We test them: but the provision of thy Lord is better and more enduring.
[20:132] Enjoin prayer on thy people, and be constant therein. We ask thee not to provide sustenance: We provide it for thee. But the (fruit of) the Hereafter is for righteousness.
[20:133] They say: "Why does he not bring us a sign from his Lord?" Has not a Clear Sign come to them of all that was in the former Books of revelation?
[20:134] And if We had inflicted on them a penalty before this, they would have said: "Our Lord! If only Thou hadst sent us a messenger, we should certainly have followed Thy Signs before we were humbled and put to shame."
[20:135] Say: "Each one (of us) is waiting: wait ye, therefore, and soon shall ye know who it is that is on the straight and even way, and who it is that has received Guidance."
Ash-Shu`ara' / The Poets (26)
[26:1] Ta. Sin. Mim.
[26:2] These are verses of the Book that makes (things) clear.
[26:3] It may be thou frettest thy soul with grief, that they do not become Believers.
[26:4] If (such) were Our Will, We could send down to them from the sky a Sign, to which they would bend their necks in humility.
[26:5] But there comes not to them a newly-revealed Message from (Allah) Most Gracious, but they turn away therefrom.
[26:6] They have indeed rejected (the Message): so they will know soon (enough) the truth of what they mocked at!
[26:7] Do they not look at the earth,- how many noble things of all kinds We have produced therein?
[26:8] Verily, in this is a Sign: but most of them do not believe.
[26:9] And verily, thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.
[26:10] Behold, thy Lord called Moses: "Go to the people of iniquity,-
[26:11] "The people of the Pharaoh: will they not fear Allah?"
[26:12] He said: "O my Lord! I do fear that they will charge me with falsehood:
[26:13] "My breast will be straitened. And my speech may not go (smoothly): so send unto Aaron.
[26:14] "And (further), they have a charge of crime against me; and I fear they may slay me."
[26:15] Allah said: "By no means! proceed then, both of you, with Our Signs; We are with you, and will listen (to your call).
[26:16] "So go forth, both of you, to Pharaoh, and say: 'We have been sent by the Lord and Cherisher of the worlds;
[26:17] "'Send thou with us the Children of Israel.'"
[26:18] (Pharaoh) said: "Did we not cherish thee as a child among us, and didst thou not stay in our midst many years of thy life?
[26:19] "And thou didst a deed of thine which (thou knowest) thou didst, and thou art an ungrateful (wretch)!"
[26:20] Moses said: "I did it then, when I was in error.
[26:21] "So I fled from you (all) when I feared you; but my Lord has (since) invested me with judgment (and wisdom) and appointed me as one of the messengers.
[26:22] "And this is the favour with which thou dost reproach me,- that thou hast enslaved the Children of Israel!"
[26:23] Pharaoh said: "And what is the 'Lord and Cherisher of the worlds'?"
[26:24] (Moses) said: "The Lord and Cherisher of the heavens and the earth, and all between,- if ye want to be quite sure."
[26:25] (Pharaoh) said to those around: "Did ye not listen (to what he says)?"
[26:26] (Moses) said: "Your Lord and the Lord of your fathers from the beginning!"
[26:27] (Pharaoh) said: "Truly your messenger who has been sent to you is a veritable madman!"
[26:28] (Moses) said: "Lord of the East and the West, and all between! if ye only had sense!"
[26:29] (Pharaoh) said: "If thou dost put forward any god other than me, I will certainly put thee in prison!"
[26:30] (Moses) said: "Even if I showed you something clear (and) convincing?"
[26:31] (Pharaoh) said: "Show it then, if thou tellest the truth!"
[26:32] So (Moses) threw his rod, and behold, it was a serpent, plain (for all to see)!
[26:33] And he drew out his hand, and behold, it was white to all beholders!
[26:34] (Pharaoh) said to the Chiefs around him: "This is indeed a sorcerer well-versed:
[26:35] "His plan is to get you out of your land by his sorcery; then what is it ye counsel?"
[26:36] They said: "Keep him and his brother in suspense (for a while), and dispatch to the Cities heralds to collect-
[26:37] "And bring up to thee all (our) sorcerers well-versed."
[26:38] So the sorcerers were got together for the appointment of a day well-known,
[26:39] And the people were told: "Are ye (now) assembled?-
[26:40] "That we may follow the sorcerers (in religion) if they win?"
[26:41] So when the sorcerers arrived, they said to Pharaoh: "Of course - shall we have a (suitable) reward if we win?
[26:42] He said: "Yea, (and more),- for ye shall in that case be (raised to posts) nearest (to my person)."
[26:43] Moses said to them: "Throw ye - that which ye are about to throw!"
[26:44] So they threw their ropes and their rods, and said: "By the might of Pharaoh, it is we who will certainly win!"
[26:45] Then Moses threw his rod, when, behold, it straightway swallows up all the falsehoods which they fake!
[26:46] Then did the sorcerers fall down, prostrate in adoration,
[26:47] Saying: "We believe in the Lord of the Worlds,
[26:48] "The Lord of Moses and Aaron."
[26:49] Said (Pharaoh): "Believe ye in Him before I give you permission? surely he is your leader, who has taught you sorcery! but soon shall ye know! Be sure I will cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will cause you all to die on the cross!"
[26:50] They said: "No matter! for us, we shall but return to our Lord!
[26:51] "Only, our desire is that our Lord will forgive us our faults, that we may become foremost among the believers!"
[26:52] By inspiration we told Moses: "Travel by night with my servants; for surely ye shall be pursued."
[26:53] Then Pharaoh sent heralds to (all) the Cities,
[26:54] (Saying): "These (Israelites) are but a small band,
[26:55] "And they are raging furiously against us;
[26:56] "But we are a multitude amply fore-warned."
[26:57] So We expelled them from gardens, springs,
[26:58] Treasures, and every kind of honourable position;
[26:59] Thus it was, but We made the Children of Israel inheritors of such things.
[26:60] So they pursued them at sunrise.
[26:61] And when the two bodies saw each other, the people of Moses said: "We are sure to be overtaken."
[26:62] (Moses) said: "By no means! my Lord is with me! Soon will He guide me!"
[26:63] Then We told Moses by inspiration: "Strike the sea with thy rod." So it divided, and each separate part became like the huge, firm mass of a mountain.
[26:64] And We made the other party approach thither.
[26:65] We delivered Moses and all who were with him;
[26:66] But We drowned the others.
[26:67] Verily in this is a Sign: but most of them do not believe.
[26:68] And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.
[26:69] And rehearse to them (something of) Abraham's story.
[26:70] Behold, he said to his father and his people: "What worship ye?"
[26:71] They said: "We worship idols, and we remain constantly in attendance on them."
[26:72] He said: "Do they listen to you when ye call (on them)?"
[26:73] "Or do you good or harm?"
[26:74] They said: "Nay, but we found our fathers doing thus (what we do)."
[26:75] He said: "Do ye then see whom ye have been worshipping,-
[26:76] "Ye and your fathers before you?-
[26:77] "For they are enemies to me; not so the Lord and Cherisher of the Worlds;
[26:78] "Who created me, and it is He Who guides me;
[26:79] "Who gives me food and drink,
[26:80] "And when I am ill, it is He Who cures me;
[26:81] "Who will cause me to die, and then to life (again);
[26:82] "And who, I hope, will forgive me my faults on the day of Judgment.
[26:83] "O my Lord! bestow wisdom on me, and join me with the righteous;
[26:84] "Grant me honourable mention on the tongue of truth among the latest (generations);
[26:85] "Make me one of the inheritors of the Garden of Bliss;
[26:86] "Forgive my father, for that he is among those astray;
[26:87] "And let me not be in disgrace on the Day when (men) will be raised up;-
[26:88] "The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail,
[26:89] "But only he (will prosper) that brings to Allah a sound heart;
[26:90] "To the righteous, the Garden will be brought near,
[26:91] "And to those straying in Evil, the Fire will be placed in full view;
[26:92] "And it shall be said to them: 'Where are the (gods) ye worshipped-
[26:93] "'Besides Allah? Can they help you or help themselves?'
[26:94] "Then they will be thrown headlong into the (Fire),- they and those straying in Evil,
[26:95] "And the whole hosts of Iblis together.
[26:96] "They will say there in their mutual bickerings:
[26:97] "'By Allah, we were truly in an error manifest,
[26:98] "'When we held you as equals with the Lord of the Worlds;
[26:99] "'And our seducers were only those who were steeped in guilt.
[26:100] "'Now, then, we have none to intercede (for us),
[26:101] "'Nor a single friend to feel (for us).
[26:102] "'Now if we only had a chance of return we shall truly be of those who believe!'"
[26:103] Verily in this is a Sign but most of them do not believe.
[26:104] And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.
[26:105] The people of Noah rejected the messengers.
[26:106] Behold, their brother Noah said to them: "Will ye not fear (Allah)?
[26:107] "I am to you a messenger worthy of all trust:
[26:108] "So fear Allah, and obey me.
[26:109] "No reward do I ask of you for it: my reward is only from the Lord of the Worlds:
[26:110] "So fear Allah, and obey me."
[26:111] They said: "Shall we believe in thee when it is the meanest that follow thee?"
[26:112] He said: "And what do I know as to what they do?
[26:113] "Their account is only with my Lord, if ye could (but) understand.
[26:114] "I am not one to drive away those who believe.
[26:115] "I am sent only to warn plainly in public."
[26:116] They said: "If thou desist not, O Noah! thou shalt be stoned (to death)."
[26:117] He said: "O my Lord! truly my people have rejected me.
[26:118] "Judge Thou, then, between me and them openly, and deliver me and those of the Believers who are with me."
[26:119] So We delivered him and those with him, in the Ark filled (with all creatures).
[26:120] Thereafter We drowned those who remained behind.
[26:121] Verily in this is a Sign: but most of them do not believe.
[26:122] And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.
[26:123] The 'Ad (people) rejected the messengers.
[26:124] Behold, their brother Hud said to them: "Will ye not fear (Allah)?
[26:125] "I am to you a messenger worthy of all trust:
[26:126] "So fear Allah and obey me.
[26:127] "No reward do I ask of you for it: my reward is only from the Lord of the Worlds.
[26:128] "Do ye build a landmark on every high place to amuse yourselves?
[26:129] "And do ye get for yourselves fine buildings in the hope of living therein (for ever)?
[26:130] "And when ye exert your strong hand, do ye do it like men of absolute power?
[26:131] "Now fear Allah, and obey me.
[26:132] "Yea, fear Him Who has bestowed on you freely all that ye know.
[26:133] "Freely has He bestowed on you cattle and sons,-
[26:134] "And Gardens and Springs.
[26:135] "Truly I fear for you the Penalty of a Great Day."
[26:136] They said: "It is the same to us whether thou admonish us or be not among (our) admonishers!
[26:137] "This is no other than a customary device of the ancients,
[26:138] "And we are not the ones to receive Pains and Penalties!"
[26:139] So they rejected him, and We destroyed them. Verily in this is a Sign: but most of them do not believe.
[26:140] And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.
[26:141] The Thamud (people) rejected the messengers.
[26:142] Behold, their brother Salih said to them: "Will you not fear (Allah)?
[26:143] "I am to you a messenger worthy of all trust.
[26:144] "So fear Allah, and obey me.
[26:145] "No reward do I ask of you for it: my reward is only from the Lord of the Worlds.
[26:146] "Will ye be left secure, in (the enjoyment of) all that ye have here?-
[26:147] "Gardens and Springs,
[26:148] "And corn-fields and date-palms with spathes near breaking (with the weight of fruit)?
[26:149] "And ye carve houses out of (rocky) mountains with great skill.
[26:150] "But fear Allah and obey me;
[26:151] "And follow not the bidding of those who are extravagant,-
[26:152] "Who make mischief in the land, and mend not (their ways)."
[26:153] They said: "Thou art only one of those bewitched!
[26:154] "Thou art no more than a mortal like us: then bring us a Sign, if thou tellest the truth!"
[26:155] He said: "Here is a she-camel: she has a right of watering, and ye have a right of watering, (severally) on a day appointed.
[26:156] "Touch her not with harm, lest the Penalty of a Great Day seize you."
[26:157] But they ham-strung her: then did they become full of regrets.
[26:158] But the Penalty seized them. Verily in this is a Sign: but most of them do not believe.
[26:159] And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.
[26:160] The people of Lut rejected the messengers.
[26:161] Behold, their brother Lut said to them: "Will ye not fear (Allah)?
[26:162] "I am to you a messenger worthy of all trust.
[26:163] "So fear Allah and obey me.
[26:164] "No reward do I ask of you for it: my reward is only from the lord of the Worlds.
[26:165] "Of all the creatures in the world, will ye approach males,
[26:166] "And leave those whom Allah has created for you to be your mates? Nay, ye are a people transgressing (all limits)!"
[26:167] They said: "If thou desist not, O Lut! thou wilt assuredly be cast out!"
[26:168] He said: "I do detest your doings."
[26:169] "O my Lord! deliver me and my family from such things as they do!"
[26:170] So We delivered him and his family,- all
[26:171] Except an old woman who lingered behind.
[26:172] But the rest We destroyed utterly.
[26:173] We rained down on them a shower (of brimstone): and evil was the shower on those who were admonished (but heeded not)!
[26:174] Verily in this is a Sign: but most of them do not believe.
[26:175] And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might Most Merciful.
[26:176] The Companions of the Wood rejected the messengers.
[26:177] Behold, Shu'aib said to them: "Will ye not fear (Allah)?
[26:178] "I am to you a messenger worthy of all trust.
[26:179] "So fear Allah and obey me.
[26:180] "No reward do I ask of you for it: my reward is only from the Lord of the Worlds.
[26:181] "Give just measure, and cause no loss (to others by fraud).
[26:182] "And weigh with scales true and upright.
[26:183] "And withhold not things justly due to men, nor do evil in the land, working mischief.
[26:184] "And fear Him Who created you and (who created) the generations before (you)"
[26:185] They said: "Thou art only one of those bewitched!
[26:186] "Thou art no more than a mortal like us, and indeed we think thou art a liar!
[26:187] "Now cause a piece of the sky to fall on us, if thou art truthful!"
[26:188] He said: "My Lord knows best what ye do."
[26:189] But they rejected him. Then the punishment of a day of overshadowing gloom seized them, and that was the Penalty of a Great Day.
[26:190] Verily in that is a Sign: but most of them do not believe.
[26:191] And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.
[26:192] Verily this is a Revelation from the Lord of the Worlds:
[26:193] With it came down the spirit of Faith and Truth-
[26:194] To thy heart and mind, that thou mayest admonish.
[26:195] In the perspicuous Arabic tongue.
[26:196] Without doubt it is (announced) in the mystic Books of former peoples.
[26:197] Is it not a Sign to them that the Learned of the Children of Israel knew it (as true)?
[26:198] Had We revealed it to any of the non-Arabs,
[26:199] And had he recited it to them, they would not have believed in it.
[26:200] Thus have We caused it to enter the hearts of the sinners.
[26:201] They will not believe in it until they see the grievous Penalty;
[26:202] But the (Penalty) will come to them of a sudden, while they perceive it not;
[26:203] Then they will say: "Shall we be respited?"
[26:204] Do they then ask for Our Penalty to be hastened on?
[26:205] Seest thou? If We do let them enjoy (this life) for a few years,
[26:206] Yet there comes to them at length the (Punishment) which they were promised!
[26:207] It will profit them not that they enjoyed (this life)!
[26:208] Never did We destroy a population, but had its warners -
[26:209] By way of reminder; and We never are unjust.
[26:210] No evil ones have brought down this (Revelation):
[26:211] It would neither suit them nor would they be able (to produce it).
[26:212] Indeed they have been removed far from even (a chance of) hearing it.
[26:213] So call not on any other god with Allah, or thou wilt be among those under the Penalty.
[26:214] And admonish thy nearest kinsmen,
[26:215] And lower thy wing to the Believers who follow thee.
[26:216] Then if they disobey thee, say: "I am free (of responsibility) for what ye do!"
[26:217] And put thy trust on the Exalted in Might, the Merciful,-
[26:218] Who seeth thee standing forth (in prayer),
[26:219] And thy movements among those who prostrate themselves,
[26:220] For it is He Who heareth and knoweth all things.
[26:221] Shall I inform you, (O people!), on whom it is that the evil ones descend?
[26:222] They descend on every lying, wicked person,
[26:223] (Into whose ears) they pour hearsay vanities, and most of them are liars.
[26:224] And the Poets,- It is those straying in Evil, who follow them:
[26:225] Seest thou not that they wander distracted in every valley?-
[26:226] And that they say what they practise not?-
[26:227] Except those who believe, work righteousness, engage much in the remembrance of Allah, and defend themselves only after they are unjustly attacked. And soon will the unjust assailants know what vicissitudes their affairs will take!
Al-Hijr / The Rock (15)
[15:1] A. L. R. These are the Ayats of Revelation,- of a Qur'an that makes things clear.
[15:2] Again and again will those who disbelieve, wish that they had bowed (to Allah's will) in Islam.
[15:3] Leave them alone, to enjoy (the good things of this life) and to please themselves: let (false) hope amuse them: soon will knowledge (undeceive them).
[15:4] Never did We destroy a population that had not a term decreed and assigned beforehand.
[15:5] Neither can a people anticipate its term, nor delay it.
[15:6] They say: "O thou to whom the Message is being revealed! truly thou art mad (or possessed)!
[15:7] "Why bringest thou not angels to us if it be that thou hast the Truth?"
[15:8] We send not the angels down except for just cause: if they came (to the ungodly), behold! no respite would they have!
[15:9] We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption).
[15:10] We did send messengers before thee amongst the religious sects of old:
[15:11] But never came a messenger to them but they mocked him.
[15:12] Even so do we let it creep into the hearts of the sinners -
[15:13] That they should not believe in the (Message); but the ways of the ancients have passed away.
[15:14] Even if We opened out to them a gate from heaven, and they were to continue (all day) ascending therein,
[15:15] They would only say: "Our eyes have been intoxicated: Nay, we have been bewitched by sorcery."
[15:16] It is We Who have set out the zodiacal signs in the heavens, and made them fair-seeming to (all) beholders;
[15:17] And (moreover) We have guarded them from every cursed devil:
[15:18] But any that gains a hearing by stealth, is pursued by a flaming fire, bright (to see).
[15:19] And the earth We have spread out (like a carpet); set thereon mountains firm and immovable; and produced therein all kinds of things in due balance.
[15:20] And We have provided therein means of subsistence,- for you and for those for whose sustenance ye are not responsible.
[15:21] And there is not a thing but its (sources and) treasures (inexhaustible) are with Us; but We only send down thereof in due and ascertainable measures.
[15:22] And We send the fecundating winds, then cause the rain to descend from the sky, therewith providing you with water (in abundance), though ye are not the guardians of its stores.
[15:23] And verily, it is We Who give life, and Who give death: it is We Who remain inheritors (after all else passes away).
[15:24] To Us are known those of you who hasten forward, and those who lag behind.
[15:25] Assuredly it is thy Lord Who will gather them together: for He is perfect in Wisdom and Knowledge.
[15:26] We created man from sounding clay, from mud moulded into shape;
[15:27] And the Jinn race, We had created before, from the fire of a scorching wind.
[15:28] Behold! thy Lord said to the angels: "I am about to create man, from sounding clay from mud moulded into shape;
[15:29] "When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My spirit, fall ye down in obeisance unto him."
[15:30] So the angels prostrated themselves, all of them together:
[15:31] Not so Iblis: he refused to be among those who prostrated themselves.
[15:32] (Allah) said: "O Iblis! what is your reason for not being among those who prostrated themselves?"
[15:33] (Iblis) said: "I am not one to prostrate myself to man, whom Thou didst create from sounding clay, from mud moulded into shape."
[15:34] (Allah) said: "Then get thee out from here; for thou art rejected, accursed.
[15:35] "And the curse shall be on thee till the day of Judgment."
[15:36] (Iblis) said: "O my Lord! give me then respite till the Day the (dead) are raised."
[15:37] (Allah) said: "Respite is granted thee
[15:38] "Till the Day of the Time appointed."
[15:39] (Iblis) said: "O my Lord! because Thou hast put me in the wrong, I will make (wrong) fair-seeming to them on the earth, and I will put them all in the wrong,-
[15:40] "Except Thy servants among them, sincere and purified (by Thy Grace)."
[15:41] (Allah) said: "This (way of My sincere servants) is indeed a way that leads straight to Me.
[15:42] "For over My servants no authority shalt thou have, except such as put themselves in the wrong and follow thee."
[15:43] And verily, Hell is the promised abode for them all!
[15:44] To it are seven gates: for each of those gates is a (special) class (of sinners) assigned.
[15:45] The righteous (will be) amid gardens and fountains (of clear-flowing water).
[15:46] (Their greeting will be): "Enter ye here in peace and security."
[15:47] And We shall remove from their hearts any lurking sense of injury: (they will be) brothers (joyfully) facing each other on thrones (of dignity).
[15:48] There no sense of fatigue shall touch them, nor shall they (ever) be asked to leave.
[15:49] Tell My servants that I am indeed the Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful;
[15:50] And that My Penalty will be indeed the most grievous Penalty.
[15:51] Tell them about the guests of Abraham.
[15:52] When they entered his presence and said, "Peace!" He said, "We feel afraid of you!"
[15:53] They said: "Fear not! We give thee glad tidings of a son endowed with wisdom."
[15:54] He said: "Do ye give me glad tidings that old age has seized me? Of what, then, is your good news?"
[15:55] They said: "We give thee glad tidings in truth: be not then in despair!"
[15:56] He said: "And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord, but such as go astray?"
[15:57] Abraham said: "What then is the business on which ye (have come), O ye messengers (of Allah)?"
[15:58] They said: "We have been sent to a people (deep) in sin,
[15:59] "Excepting the adherents of Lut: them we are certainly (charged) to save (from harm),- All -
[15:60] "Except his wife, who, We have ascertained, will be among those who will lag behind."
[15:61] At length when the messengers arrived among the adherents of Lut,
[15:62] He said: "Ye appear to be uncommon folk."
[15:63] They said: "Yea, we have come to thee to accomplish that of which they doubt.
[15:64] "We have brought to thee that which is inevitably due, and assuredly we tell the truth.
[15:65] "Then travel by night with thy household, when a portion of the night (yet remains), and do thou bring up the rear: let no one amongst you look back, but pass on whither ye are ordered."
[15:66] And We made known this decree to him, that the last remnants of those (sinners) should be cut off by the morning.
[15:67] The inhabitants of the city came in (mad) joy (at news of the young men).
[15:68] Lut said: "These are my guests: disgrace me not:
[15:69] "But fear Allah, and shame me not."
[15:70] They said: "Did we not forbid thee (to speak) for all and sundry?"
[15:71] He said: "There are my daughters (to marry), if ye must act (so)."
[15:72] Verily, by thy life (O Prophet), in their wild intoxication, they wander in distraction, to and fro.
[15:73] But the (mighty) Blast overtook them before morning,
[15:74] And We turned (the cities) upside down, and rained down on them brimstones hard as baked clay.
[15:75] Behold! in this are Signs for those who by tokens do understand.
[15:76] And the (cities were) right on the high-road.
[15:77] Behold! in this is a sign for those who believed.
[15:78] And the Companions of the Wood were also wrong-doers;
[15:79] So We exacted retribution from them. They were both on an open highway, plain to see.
[15:80] The Companions of the Rocky Tract also rejected the messengers:
[15:81] We sent them Our Signs, but they persisted in turning away from them.
[15:82] Out of the mountains did they hew (their) edifices, (feeling themselves) secure.
[15:83] But the (mighty) Blast seized them of a morning,
[15:84] And of no avail to them was all that they did (with such art and care)!
[15:85] We created not the heavens, the earth, and all between them, but for just ends. And the Hour is surely coming (when this will be manifest). So overlook (any human faults) with gracious forgiveness.
[15:86] For verily it is thy Lord who is the Master-Creator, knowing all things.
[15:87] And We have bestowed upon thee the Seven Oft-repeated (verses) and the Grand Qur'an.
[15:88] Strain not thine eyes. (Wistfully) at what We have bestowed on certain classes of them, nor grieve over them: but lower thy wing (in gentleness) to the believers.
[15:89] And say: "I am indeed he that warneth openly and without ambiguity,"-
[15:90] (Of just such wrath) as We sent down on those who divided (Scripture into arbitrary parts),-
[15:91] (So also on such) as have made Qur'an into shreds (as they please).
[15:92] Therefore, by the Lord, We will, of a surety, call them to account,
[15:93] For all their deeds.
[15:94] Therefore expound openly what thou art commanded, and turn away from those who join false gods with Allah.
[15:95] For sufficient are We unto thee against those who scoff,-
[15:96] Those who adopt, with Allah, another god: but soon will they come to know.
[15:97] We do indeed know how thy heart is distressed at what they say.
[15:98] But celebrate the praises of thy Lord, and be of those who prostrate themselves in adoration.
[15:99] And serve thy Lord until there come unto thee the Hour that is Certain.
Maryam / Mary (19)
[19:1] Kaf. Ha. Ya. 'Ain. Sad.
[19:2] (This is) a recital of the Mercy of thy Lord to His servant Zakariya.
[19:3] Behold! he cried to his Lord in secret,
[19:4] Praying: "O my Lord! infirm indeed are my bones, and the hair of my head doth glisten with grey: but never am I unblest, O my Lord, in my prayer to Thee!
[19:5] "Now I fear (what) my relatives (and colleagues) (will do) after me: but my wife is barren: so give me an heir as from Thyself,-
[19:6] "(One that) will (truly) represent me, and represent the posterity of Jacob; and make him, O my Lord! one with whom Thou art well-pleased!"
[19:7] (His prayer was answered): "O Zakariya! We give thee good news of a son: His name shall be Yahya: on none by that name have We conferred distinction before."
[19:8] He said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son, when my wife is barren and I have grown quite decrepit from old age?"
[19:9] He said: "So (it will be) thy Lord saith, 'that is easy for Me: I did indeed create thee before, when thou hadst been nothing!'"
[19:10] (Zakariya) said: "O my Lord! give me a Sign." "Thy Sign," was the answer, "Shall be that thou shalt speak to no man for three nights, although thou art not dumb."
[19:11] So Zakariya came out to his people from him chamber: He told them by signs to celebrate Allah's praises in the morning and in the evening.
[19:12] (To his son came the command): "O Yahya! take hold of the Book with might": and We gave him Wisdom even as a youth,
[19:13] And piety (for all creatures) as from Us, and purity: He was devout,
[19:14] And kind to his parents, and he was not overbearing or rebellious.
[19:15] So Peace on him the day he was born, the day that he dies, and the day that he will be raised up to life (again)!
[19:16] Relate in the Book (the story of) Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place in the East.
[19:17] She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent her our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects.
[19:18] She said: "I seek refuge from thee to (Allah) Most Gracious: (come not near) if thou dost fear Allah."
[19:19] He said: "Nay, I am only a messenger from thy Lord, (to announce) to thee the gift of a holy son.
[19:20] She said: "How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and I am not unchaste?"
[19:21] He said: "So (it will be): Thy Lord saith, 'that is easy for Me: and (We wish) to appoint him as a Sign unto men and a Mercy from Us':It is a matter (so) decreed."
[19:22] So she conceived him, and she retired with him to a remote place.
[19:23] And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree: She cried (in her anguish): "Ah! would that I had died before this! would that I had been a thing forgotten and out of sight!"
[19:24] But (a voice) cried to her from beneath the (palm-tree): "Grieve not! for thy Lord hath provided a rivulet beneath thee;
[19:25] "And shake towards thyself the trunk of the palm-tree: It will let fall fresh ripe dates upon thee.
[19:26] "So eat and drink and cool (thine) eye. And if thou dost see any man, say, 'I have vowed a fast to (Allah) Most Gracious, and this day will I enter into not talk with any human being'"
[19:27] At length she brought the (babe) to her people, carrying him (in her arms). They said: "O Mary! truly an amazing thing hast thou brought!
[19:28] "O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a man of evil, nor thy mother a woman unchaste!"
[19:29] But she pointed to the babe. They said: "How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?"
[19:30] He said: "I am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet;
[19:31] "And He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be, and hath enjoined on me Prayer and Charity as long as I live;
[19:32] "(He) hath made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable;
[19:33] "So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)"!
[19:34] Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary: (it is) a statement of truth, about which they (vainly) dispute.
[19:35] It is not befitting to (the majesty of) Allah that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! when He determines a matter, He only says to it, "Be", and it is.
[19:36] Verily Allah is my Lord and your Lord: Him therefore serve ye: this is a Way that is straight.
[19:37] But the sects differ among themselves: and woe to the unbelievers because of the (coming) Judgment of a Momentous Day!
[19:38] How plainly will they see and hear, the Day that they will appear before Us! but the unjust today are in error manifest!
[19:39] But warn them of the Day of Distress, when the matter will be determined: for (behold,) they are negligent and they do not believe!
[19:40] It is We Who will inherit the earth, and all beings thereon: to Us will they all be returned.
[19:41] (Also mention in the Book (the story of) Abraham: He was a man of Truth, a prophet.
[19:42] Behold, he said to his father: "O my father! why worship that which heareth not and seeth not, and can profit thee nothing?
[19:43] "O my father! to me hath come knowledge which hath not reached thee: so follow me: I will guide thee to a way that is even and straight.
[19:44] "O my father! serve not Satan: for Satan is a rebel against (Allah) Most Gracious.
[19:45] "O my father! I fear lest a Penalty afflict thee from (Allah) Most Gracious, so that thou become to Satan a friend."
[19:46] (The father) replied: "Dost thou hate my gods, O Abraham? If thou forbear not, I will indeed stone thee: Now get away from me for a good long while!"
[19:47] Abraham said: "Peace be on thee: I will pray to my Lord for thy forgiveness: for He is to me Most Gracious.
[19:48] "And I will turn away from you (all) and from those whom ye invoke besides Allah: I will call on my Lord: perhaps, by my prayer to my Lord, I shall be not unblest."
[19:49] When he had turned away from them and from those whom they worshipped besides Allah, We bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob, and each one of them We made a prophet.
[19:50] And We bestowed of Our Mercy on them, and We granted them lofty honour on the tongue of truth.
[19:51] Also mention in the Book (the story of) Moses: for he was specially chosen, and he was a messenger (and) a prophet.
[19:52] And we called him from the right side of Mount (Sinai), and made him draw near to Us, for mystic (converse).
[19:53] And, out of Our Mercy, We gave him his brother Aaron, (also) a prophet.
[19:54] Also mention in the Book (the story of) Isma'il: He was (strictly) true to what he promised, and he was a messenger (and) a prophet.
[19:55] He used to enjoin on his people Prayer and Charity, and he was most acceptable in the sight of his Lord.
[19:56] Also mention in the Book the case of Idris: He was a man of truth (and sincerity), (and) a prophet:
[19:57] And We raised him to a lofty station.
[19:58] Those were some of the prophets on whom Allah did bestow His Grace,- of the posterity of Adam, and of those who We carried (in the Ark) with Noah, and of the posterity of Abraham and Israel of those whom We guided and chose. Whenever the Signs of (Allah) Most Gracious were rehearsed to them, they would fall down in prostrate adoration and in tears.
[19:59] But after them there followed a posterity who missed prayers and followed after lusts soon, then, will they face Destruction,-
[19:60] Except those who repent and believe, and work righteousness: for these will enter the Garden and will not be wronged in the least,-
[19:61] Gardens of Eternity, those which (Allah) Most Gracious has promised to His servants in the Unseen: for His promise must (necessarily) come to pass.
[19:62] They will not there hear any vain discourse, but only salutations of Peace: And they will have therein their sustenance, morning and evening.
[19:63] Such is the Garden which We give as an inheritance to those of Our servants who guard against Evil.
[19:64] (The angels say:) "We descend not but by command of thy Lord: to Him belongeth what is before us and what is behind us, and what is between: and thy Lord never doth forget,-
[19:65] "Lord of the heavens and of the earth, and of all that is between them; so worship Him, and be constant and patient in His worship: knowest thou of any who is worthy of the same Name as He?"
[19:66] Man says: "What! When I am dead, shall I then be raised up alive?"
[19:67] But does not man call to mind that We created him before out of nothing?
[19:68] So, by thy Lord, without doubt, We shall gather them together, and (also) the Evil Ones (with them); then shall We bring them forth on their knees round about Hell;
[19:69] Then shall We certainly drag out from every sect all those who were worst in obstinate rebellion against (Allah) Most Gracious.
[19:70] And certainly We know best those who are most worthy of being burned therein.
[19:71] Not one of you but will pass over it: this is, with thy Lord, a Decree which must be accomplished.
[19:72] But We shall save those who guarded against evil, and We shall leave the wrong-doers therein, (humbled) to their knees.
[19:73] When Our Clear Signs are rehearsed to them, the Unbelievers say to those who believe, "Which of the two sides is best in point of position? Which makes the best show in council?"
[19:74] But how many (countless) generations before them have we destroyed, who were even better in equipment and in glitter to the eye?
[19:75] Say: "If any men go astray, (Allah) Most Gracious extends (the rope) to them, until, when they see the warning of Allah (being fulfilled) - either in punishment or in (the approach of) the Hour,- they will at length realise who is worst in position, and (who) weakest in forces!
[19:76] "And Allah doth advance in guidance those who seek guidance: and the things that endure, Good Deeds, are best in the sight of thy Lord, as rewards, and best in respect of (their) eventual return."
[19:77] Hast thou then seen the (sort of) man who rejects Our Signs, yet says: "I shall certainly be given wealth and children?"
[19:78] Has he penetrated to the Unseen, or has he taken a contract with (Allah) Most Gracious?
[19:79] Nay! We shall record what he says, and We shall add and add to his punishment.
[19:80] To Us shall return all that he talks of and he shall appear before Us bare and alone.
[19:81] And they have taken (for worship) gods other than Allah, to give them power and glory!
[19:82] Instead, they shall reject their worship, and become adversaries against them.
[19:83] Seest thou not that We have set the Evil Ones on against the unbelievers, to incite them with fury?
[19:84] So make no haste against them, for We but count out to them a (limited) number (of days).
[19:85] The day We shall gather the righteous to (Allah) Most Gracious, like a band presented before a king for honours,
[19:86] And We shall drive the sinners to Hell, like thirsty cattle driven down to water,-
[19:87] None shall have the power of intercession, but such a one as has received permission (or promise) from (Allah) Most Gracious.
[19:88] They say: "(Allah) Most Gracious has begotten a son!"
[19:89] Indeed ye have put forth a thing most monstrous!
[19:90] At it the skies are ready to burst, the earth to split asunder, and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin,
[19:91] That they should invoke a son for (Allah) Most Gracious.
[19:92] For it is not consonant with the majesty of (Allah) Most Gracious that He should beget a son.
[19:93] Not one of the beings in the heavens and the earth but must come to (Allah) Most Gracious as a servant.
[19:94] He does take an account of them (all), and hath numbered them (all) exactly.
[19:95] And everyone of them will come to Him singly on the Day of Judgment.
[19:96] On those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, will (Allah) Most Gracious bestow love.
[19:97] So have We made the (Qur'an) easy in thine own tongue, that with it thou mayest give Glad Tidings to the righteous, and warnings to people given to contention.
[19:98] But how many (countless) generations before them have We destroyed? Canst thou find a single one of them (now) or hear (so much as) a whisper of them?
Saad / The letter "Saad" (38)
[38:1] Sad: By the Qur'an, Full of Admonition: (This is the Truth).
[38:2] But the Unbelievers (are steeped) in self-glory and Separatism.
[38:3] How many generations before them did We destroy? In the end they cried (for mercy)- when there was no longer time for being saved!
[38:4] So they wonder that a Warner has come to them from among themselves! and the Unbelievers say, "This is a sorcerer telling lies!
[38:5] "Has he made the gods (all) into one Allah? Truly this is a wonderful thing!"
[38:6] And the leader among them go away (impatiently), (saying), "Walk ye away, and remain constant to your gods! For this is truly a thing designed (against you)!
[38:7] "We never heard (the like) of this among the people of these latter days: this is nothing but a made-up tale!"
[38:8] "What! has the Message been sent to him - (Of all persons) among us?"...but they are in doubt concerning My (Own) Message! Nay, they have not yet tasted My Punishment!
[38:9] Or have they the treasures of the mercy of thy Lord,- the Exalted in Power, the Grantor of Bounties without measure?
[38:10] Or have they the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all between? If so, let them mount up with the ropes and means (to reach that end)!
[38:11] But there - will be put to flight even a host of confederates.
[38:12] Before them (were many who) rejected messengers,- the people of Noah, and 'Ad, and Pharaoh, the Lord of Stakes,
[38:13] And Thamud, and the people of Lut, and the Companions of the Wood; - such were the Confederates.
[38:14] Not one (of them) but rejected the messengers, but My punishment came justly and inevitably (on them).
[38:15] These (today) only wait for a single mighty Blast, which (when it comes) will brook no delay.
[38:16] They say: "Our Lord! hasten to us our sentence (even) before the Day of Account!"
[38:17] Have patience at what they say, and remember our servant David, the man of strength: for he ever turned (to Allah).
[38:18] It was We that made the hills declare, in unison with him, Our Praises, at eventide and at break of day,
[38:19] And the birds gathered (in assemblies): all with him did turn (to Allah).
[38:20] We strengthened his kingdom, and gave him wisdom and sound judgment in speech and decision.
[38:21] Has the Story of the Disputants reached thee? Behold, they climbed over the wall of the private chamber;
[38:22] When they entered the presence of David, and he was terrified of them, they said: "Fear not: we are two disputants, one of whom has wronged the other: Decide now between us with truth, and treat us not with injustice, but guide us to the even Path..
[38:23] "This man is my brother: He has nine and ninety ewes, and I have (but) one: Yet he says, 'commit her to my care,' and is (moreover) harsh to me in speech."
[38:24] (David) said: "He has undoubtedly wronged thee in demanding thy (single) ewe to be added to his (flock of) ewes: truly many are the partners (in business) who wrong each other: Not so do those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, and how few are they?"...and David gathered that We had tried him: he asked forgiveness of his Lord, fell down, bowing (in prostration), and turned (to Allah in repentance).
[38:25] So We forgave him this (lapse): he enjoyed, indeed, a Near Approach to Us, and a beautiful place of (Final) Return.
[38:26] O David! We did indeed make thee a vicegerent on earth: so judge thou between men in truth (and justice): Nor follow thou the lusts (of thy heart), for they will mislead thee from the Path of Allah: for those who wander astray from the Path of Allah, is a Penalty Grievous, for that they forget the Day of Account.
[38:27] Not without purpose did We create heaven and earth and all between! that were the thought of Unbelievers! but woe to the Unbelievers because of the Fire (of Hell)!
[38:28] Shall We treat those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, the same as those who do mischief on earth? Shall We treat those who guard against evil, the same as those who turn aside from the right?
[38:29] (Here is) a Book which We have sent down unto thee, full of blessings, that they may mediate on its Signs, and that men of understanding may receive admonition.
[38:30] To David We gave Solomon (for a son),- How excellent in Our service! Ever did he turn (to Us)!
[38:31] Behold, there were brought before him, at eventide coursers of the highest breeding, and swift of foot;
[38:32] And he said, "Truly do I love the love of good, with a view to the glory of my Lord,"- until (the sun) was hidden in the veil (of night):
[38:33] "Bring them back to me." then began he to pass his hand over (their) legs and their necks.
[38:34] And We did try Solomon: We placed on his throne a body (without life); but he did turn (to Us in true devotion):
[38:35] He said, "O my Lord! Forgive me, and grant me a kingdom which, (it may be), suits not another after me: for Thou art the Grantor of Bounties (without measure).
[38:36] Then We subjected the wind to his power, to flow gently to his order, Whithersoever he willed,-
[38:37] As also the evil ones, (including) every kind of builder and diver,-
[38:38] As also others bound together in fetters.
[38:39] "Such are Our Bounties: whether thou bestow them (on others) or withhold them, no account will be asked."
[38:40] And he enjoyed, indeed, a Near Approach to Us, and a beautiful Place of (Final) Return.
[38:41] Commemorate Our Servant Job. Behold he cried to his Lord: "The Evil One has afflicted me with distress and suffering!"
[38:42] (The command was given:) "Strike with thy foot: here is (water) wherein to wash, cool and refreshing, and (water) to drink."
[38:43] And We gave him (back) his people, and doubled their number,- as a Grace from Ourselves, and a thing for commemoration, for all who have Understanding.
[38:44] "And take in thy hand a little grass, and strike therewith: and break not (thy oath)." Truly We found him full of patience and constancy. How excellent in Our service! ever did he turn (to Us)!
[38:45] And commemorate Our Servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, possessors of Power and Vision.
[38:46] Verily We did choose them for a special (purpose)- proclaiming the Message of the Hereafter.
[38:47] They were, in Our sight, truly, of the company of the Elect and the Good.
[38:48] And commemorate Isma'il, Elisha, and Zul-Kifl: Each of them was of the Company of the Good.
[38:49] This is a Message (of admonition): and verily, for the righteous, is a beautiful Place of (Final) Return,-
[38:50] Gardens of Eternity, whose doors will (ever) be open to them;
[38:51] Therein will they recline (at ease): Therein can they call (at pleasure) for fruit in abundance, and (delicious) drink;
[38:52] And beside them will be chaste women restraining their glances, (companions) of equal age.
[38:53] Such is the Promise made, to you for the Day of Account!
[38:54] Truly such will be Our Bounty (to you); it will never fail;-
[38:55] Yea, such! but - for the wrong-doers will be an evil place of (Final) Return!-
[38:56] Hell!- they will burn therein, - an evil bed (indeed, to lie on)!-
[38:57] Yea, such! - then shall they taste it,- a boiling fluid, and a fluid dark, murky, intensely cold!-
[38:58] And other Penalties of a similar kind, to match them!
[38:59] Here is a troop rushing headlong with you! No welcome for them! truly, they shall burn in the Fire!
[38:60] (The followers shall cry to the misleaders:) "Nay, ye (too)! No welcome for you! It is ye who have brought this upon us! Now evil is (this) place to stay in!"
[38:61] They will say: "Our Lord! whoever brought this upon us,- Add to him a double Penalty in the Fire!"
[38:62] And they will say: "What has happened to us that we see not men whom we used to number among the bad ones?
[38:63] "Did we treat them (as such) in ridicule, or have (our) eyes failed to perceive them?"
[38:64] Truly that is just and fitting,- the mutual recriminations of the People of the Fire!
[38:65] Say: "Truly am I a Warner: no god is there but the one Allah, Supreme and Irresistible,-
[38:66] "The Lord of the heavens and the earth, and all between,- Exalted in Might, able to enforce His Will, forgiving again and again."
[38:67] Say: "That is a Message Supreme (above all),-
[38:68] "From which ye do turn away!
[38:69] "No knowledge have I of the Chiefs on high, when they discuss (matters) among themselves.
[38:70] 'Only this has been revealed to me: that I am to give warning plainly and publicly."
[38:71] Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: "I am about to create man from clay:
[38:72] "When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My spirit, fall ye down in obeisance unto him."
[38:73] So the angels prostrated themselves, all of them together:
[38:74] Not so Iblis: he was haughty, and became one of those who reject Faith.
[38:75] (Allah) said: "O Iblis! What prevents thee from prostrating thyself to one whom I have created with my hands? Art thou haughty? Or art thou one of the high (and mighty) ones?"
[38:76] (Iblis) said: "I am better than he: thou createdst me from fire, and him thou createdst from clay."
[38:77] (Allah) said: "Then get thee out from here: for thou art rejected, accursed.
[38:78] "And My curse shall be on thee till the Day of Judgment."
[38:79] (Iblis) said: "O my Lord! Give me then respite till the Day the (dead) are raised."
[38:80] (Allah) said: "Respite then is granted thee-
[38:81] "Till the Day of the Time Appointed."
[38:82] (Iblis) said: "Then, by Thy power, I will put them all in the wrong,-
[38:83] "Except Thy Servants amongst them, sincere and purified (by Thy Grace)."
[38:84] (Allah) said: "Then it is just and fitting- and I say what is just and fitting-
[38:85] "That I will certainly fill Hell with thee and those that follow thee,- every one."
[38:86] Say: "No reward do I ask of you for this (Qur'an), nor am I a pretender.
[38:87] "This is no less than a Message to (all) the Worlds.
[38:88] "And ye shall certainly know the truth of it (all) after a while."
Ya Sin / Ya Sin (36)
[36:1] Ya Sin.
[36:2] By the Qur'an, full of Wisdom,-
[36:3] Thou art indeed one of the messengers,
[36:4] On a Straight Way.
[36:5] It is a Revelation sent down by (Him), the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.
[36:6] In order that thou mayest admonish a people, whose fathers had received no admonition, and who therefore remain heedless (of the Signs of Allah).
[36:7] The Word is proved true against the greater part of them: for they do not believe.
[36:8] We have put yokes round their necks right up to their chins, so that their heads are forced up (and they cannot see).
[36:9] And We have put a bar in front of them and a bar behind them, and further, We have covered them up; so that they cannot see.
[36:10] The same is it to them whether thou admonish them or thou do not admonish them: they will not believe.
[36:11] Thou canst but admonish such a one as follows the Message and fears the (Lord) Most Gracious, unseen: give such a one, therefore, good tidings, of Forgiveness and a Reward most generous.
[36:12] Verily We shall give life to the dead, and We record that which they send before and that which they leave behind, and of all things have We taken account in a clear Book (of evidence).
[36:13] Set forth to them, by way of a parable, the (story of) the Companions of the City. Behold!, there came messengers to it.
[36:14] When We (first) sent to them two messengers, they rejected them: But We strengthened them with a third: they said, "Truly, we have been sent on a mission to you."
[36:15] The (people) said: "Ye are only men like ourselves; and (Allah) Most Gracious sends no sort of revelation: ye do nothing but lie."
[36:16] They said: "Our Lord doth know that we have been sent on a mission to you:
[36:17] "And our duty is only to proclaim the clear Message."
[36:18] The (people) said: "for us, we augur an evil omen from you: if ye desist not, we will certainly stone you. And a grievous punishment indeed will be inflicted on you by us."
[36:19] They said: "Your evil omens are with yourselves: (deem ye this an evil omen). If ye are admonished? Nay, but ye are a people transgressing all bounds!"
[36:20] Then there came running, from the farthest part of the City, a man, saying, "O my people! Obey the messengers:
[36:21] "Obey those who ask no reward of you (for themselves), and who have themselves received Guidance.
[36:22] "It would not be reasonable in me if I did not serve Him Who created me, and to Whom ye shall (all) be brought back.
[36:23] "Shall I take (other) gods besides Him? If (Allah) Most Gracious should intend some adversity for me, of no use whatever will be their intercession for me, nor can they deliver me.
[36:24] "I would indeed, if I were to do so, be in manifest Error.
[36:25] "For me, I have faith in the Lord of you (all): listen, then, to me!"
[36:26] It was said: "Enter thou the Garden." He said: "Ah me! Would that my People knew (what I know)!-
[36:27] "For that my Lord has granted me Forgiveness and has enrolled me among those held in honour!"
[36:28] And We sent not down against his People, after him, any hosts from heaven, nor was it needful for Us so to do.
[36:29] It was no more than a single mighty Blast, and behold! they were (like ashes) quenched and silent.
[36:30] Ah! Alas for (My) Servants! There comes not a messenger to them but they mock him!
[36:31] See they not how many generations before them we destroyed? Not to them will they return:
[36:32] But each one of them all - will be brought before Us (for judgment).
[36:33] A Sign for them is the earth that is dead: We do give it life, and produce grain therefrom, of which ye do eat.
[36:34] And We produce therein orchard with date-palms and vines, and We cause springs to gush forth therein:
[36:35] That they may enjoy the fruits of this (artistry): It was not their hands that made this: will they not then give thanks?
[36:36] Glory to Allah, Who created in pairs all things that the earth produces, as well as their own (human) kind and (other) things of which they have no knowledge.
[36:37] And a Sign for them is the Night: We withdraw therefrom the Day, and behold they are plunged in darkness;
[36:38] And the sun runs his course for a period determined for him: that is the decree of (Him), the Exalted in Might, the All-Knowing.
[36:39] And the Moon,- We have measured for her mansions (to traverse) till she returns like the old (and withered) lower part of a date-stalk.
[36:40] It is not permitted to the Sun to catch up the Moon, nor can the Night outstrip the Day: Each (just) swims along in (its own) orbit (according to Law).
[36:41] And a Sign for them is that We bore their race (through the Flood) in the loaded Ark;
[36:42] And We have created for them similar (vessels) on which they ride.
[36:43] If it were Our Will, We could drown them: then would there be no helper (to hear their cry), nor could they be delivered,
[36:44] Except by way of Mercy from Us, and by way of (world) convenience (to serve them) for a time.
[36:45] When they are told, "Fear ye that which is before you and that which will be after you, in order that ye may receive Mercy," (they turn back).
[36:46] Not a Sign comes to them from among the Signs of their Lord, but they turn away therefrom.
[36:47] And when they are told, "Spend ye of (the bounties) with which Allah has provided you," the Unbelievers say to those who believe: "Shall we then feed those whom, if Allah had so willed, He would have fed, (Himself)?- Ye are in nothing but manifest error."
[36:48] Further, they say, "When will this promise (come to pass), if what ye say is true?"
[36:49] They will not (have to) wait for aught but a single Blast: it will seize them while they are yet disputing among themselves!
[36:50] No (chance) will they then have, by will, to dispose (of their affairs), nor to return to their own people!
[36:51] The trumpet shall be sounded, when behold! from the sepulchres (men) will rush forth to their Lord!
[36:52] They will say: "Ah! Woe unto us! Who hath raised us up from our beds of repose?"... (A voice will say:) "This is what (Allah) Most Gracious had promised. And true was the word of the messengers!"
[36:53] It will be no more than a single Blast, when lo! they will all be brought up before Us!
[36:54] Then, on that Day, not a soul will be wronged in the least, and ye shall but be repaid the meeds of your past Deeds.
[36:55] Verily the Companions of the Garden shall that Day have joy in all that they do;
[36:56] They and their associates will be in groves of (cool) shade, reclining on Thrones (of dignity);
[36:57] (Every) fruit (enjoyment) will be there for them; they shall have whatever they call for;
[36:58] "Peace!" - a word (of salutation) from a Lord Most Merciful!
[36:59] "And O ye in sin! Get ye apart this Day!
[36:60] "Did I not enjoin on you, O ye Children of Adam, that ye should not worship Satan; for that he was to you an enemy avowed?-
[36:61] "And that ye should worship Me, (for that) this was the Straight Way?
[36:62] "But he did lead astray a great multitude of you. Did ye not, then, understand?
[36:63] "This is the Hell of which ye were (repeatedly) warned!
[36:64] "Embrace ye the (fire) this Day, for that ye (persistently) rejected (Truth)."
[36:65] That Day shall We set a seal on their mouths. But their hands will speak to us, and their feet bear witness, to all that they did.
[36:66] If it had been our Will, We could surely have blotted out their eyes; then should they have run about groping for the Path, but how could they have seen?
[36:67] And if it had been Our Will, We could have transformed them (to remain) in their places; then should they have been unable to move about, nor could they have returned (after error).
[36:68] If We grant long life to any, We cause him to be reversed in nature: Will they not then understand?
[36:69] We have not instructed the (Prophet) in Poetry, nor is it meet for him: this is no less than a Message and a Qur'an making things clear:
[36:70] That it may give admonition to any (who are) alive, and that the charge may be proved against those who reject (Truth).
[36:71] See they not that it is We Who have created for them - among the things which Our hands have fashioned - cattle, which are under their dominion?-
[36:72] And that We have subjected them to their (use)? of them some do carry them and some they eat:
[36:73] And they have (other) profits from them (besides), and they get (milk) to drink. Will they not then be grateful?
[36:74] Yet they take (for worship) gods other than Allah, (hoping) that they might be helped!
[36:75] They have not the power to help them: but they will be brought up (before Our Judgment-seat) as a troop (to be condemned).
[36:76] Let not their speech, then, grieve thee. Verily We know what they hide as well as what they disclose.
[36:77] Doth not man see that it is We Who created him from sperm? yet behold! he (stands forth) as an open adversary!
[36:78] And he makes comparisons for Us, and forgets his own (origin and) Creation: He says, "Who can give life to (dry) bones and decomposed ones (at that)?"
[36:79] Say, "He will give them life Who created them for the first time! for He is Well-versed in every kind of creation!-
[36:80] "The same Who produces for you fire out of the green tree, when behold! ye kindle therewith (your own fires)!
[36:81] "Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth able to create the like thereof?" - Yea, indeed! for He is the Creator Supreme, of skill and knowledge (infinite)!
[36:82] Verily, when He intends a thing, His Command is, "be", and it is!
[36:83] So glory to Him in Whose hands is the dominion of all things: and to Him will ye be all brought back.
Az-Zukhruf / The Embellishment -OR- Ornaments of Gold (43)
[43:1] Ha-Mim
[43:2] By the Book that makes things clear,-
[43:3] We have made it a Qur'an in Arabic, that ye may be able to understand (and learn wisdom).
[43:4] And verily, it is in the Mother of the Book, in Our Presence, high (in dignity), full of wisdom.
[43:5] Shall We then take away the Message from you and repel (you), for that ye are a people transgressing beyond bounds?
[43:6] But how many were the prophets We sent amongst the peoples of old?
[43:7] And never came there a prophet to them but they mocked him.
[43:8] So We destroyed (them)- stronger in power than these;- and (thus) has passed on the Parable of the peoples of old.
[43:9] If thou wert to question them, 'Who created the heavens and the earth?' They would be sure to reply, 'they were created by (Him), the Exalted in Power, Full of Knowledge';-
[43:10] (Yea, the same that) has made for you the earth (like a carpet) spread out, and has made for you roads (and channels) therein, in order that ye may find guidance (on the way);
[43:11] That sends down (from time to time) rain from the sky in due measure;- and We raise to life therewith a land that is dead; even so will ye be raised (from the dead);-
[43:12] That has created pairs in all things, and has made for you ships and cattle on which ye ride,
[43:13] In order that ye may sit firm and square on their backs, and when so seated, ye may celebrate the (kind) favour of your Lord, and say, "Glory to Him Who has subjected these to our (use), for we could never have accomplished this (by ourselves),
[43:14] "And to our Lord, surely, must we turn back!"
[43:15] Yet they attribute to some of His servants a share with Him (in his godhead)! truly is man a blasphemous ingrate avowed!
[43:16] What! has He taken daughters out of what He himself creates, and granted to you sons for choice?
[43:17] When news is brought to one of them of (the birth of) what he sets up as a likeness to (Allah) Most Gracious, his face darkens, and he is filled with inward grief!
[43:18] Is then one brought up among trinkets, and unable to give a clear account in a dispute (to be associated with Allah)?
[43:19] And they make into females angels who themselves serve Allah. Did they witness their creation? Their evidence will be recorded, and they will be called to account!
[43:20] ("Ah!") they say, "If it had been the will of (Allah) Most Gracious, we should not have worshipped such (deities)!" Of that they have no knowledge! they do nothing but lie!
[43:21] What! have We given them a Book before this, to which they are holding fast?
[43:22] Nay! they say: "We found our fathers following a certain religion, and we do guide ourselves by their footsteps."
[43:23] Just in the same way, whenever We sent a Warner before thee to any people, the wealthy ones among them said: "We found our fathers following a certain religion, and we will certainly follow in their footsteps."
[43:24] He said: "What! Even if I brought you better guidance than that which ye found your fathers following?" They said: "For us, we deny that ye (prophets) are sent (on a mission at all)."
[43:25] So We exacted retribution from them: now see what was the end of those who rejected (Truth)!
[43:26] Behold! Abraham said to his father and his people: "I do indeed clear myself of what ye worship:
[43:27] "(I worship) only Him Who made me, and He will certainly guide me."
[43:28] And he left it as a Word to endure among those who came after him, that they may turn back (to Allah).
[43:29] Yea, I have given the good things of this life to these (men) and their fathers, until the Truth has come to them, and a messenger making things clear.
[43:30] But when the Truth came to them, they said: "This is sorcery, and we do reject it."
[43:31] Also, they say: "Why is not this Qur'an sent down to some leading man in either of the two (chief) cities?"
[43:32] Is it they who would portion out the Mercy of thy Lord? It is We Who portion out between them their livelihood in the life of this world: and We raise some of them above others in ranks, so that some may command work from others. But the Mercy of thy Lord is better than the (wealth) which they amass.
[43:33] And were it not that (all) men might become of one (evil) way of life, We would provide, for everyone that blasphemes against (Allah) Most Gracious, silver roofs for their houses and (silver) stair-ways on which to go up,
[43:34] And (silver) doors to their houses, and thrones (of silver) on which they could recline,
[43:35] And also adornments of gold. But all this were nothing but conveniences of the present life: The Hereafter, in the sight of thy Lord is for the Righteous.
[43:36] If anyone withdraws himself from remembrance of (Allah) Most Gracious, We appoint for him an evil one, to be an intimate companion to him.
[43:37] Such (evil ones) really hinder them from the Path, but they think that they are being guided aright!
[43:38] At length, when (such a one) comes to Us, he says (to his evil companion): "Would that between me and thee were the distance of East and West!" Ah! evil is the companion (indeed)!
[43:39] When ye have done wrong, it will avail you nothing, that Day, that ye shall be partners in Punishment!
[43:40] Canst thou then make the deaf to hear, or give direction to the blind or to such as (wander) in manifest error?
[43:41] Even if We take thee away, We shall be sure to exact retribution from them,
[43:42] Or We shall show thee that (accomplished) which We have promised them: for verily We shall prevail over them.
[43:43] So hold thou fast to the Revelation sent down to thee; verily thou art on a Straight Way.
[43:44] The (Qur'an) is indeed the message, for thee and for thy people; and soon shall ye (all) be brought to account.
[43:45] And question thou our messengers whom We sent before thee; did We appoint any deities other than (Allah) Most Gracious, to be worshipped?
[43:46] We did send Moses aforetime, with Our Signs, to Pharaoh and his Chiefs: He said, "I am a messenger of the Lord of the Worlds."
[43:47] But when he came to them with Our Signs, behold they ridiculed them.
[43:48] We showed them Sign after Sign, each greater than its fellow, and We seized them with Punishment, in order that they might turn (to Us).
[43:49] And they said, "O thou sorcerer! Invoke thy Lord for us according to His covenant with thee; for we shall truly accept guidance."
[43:50] But when We removed the Penalty from them, behold, they broke their word.
[43:51] And Pharaoh proclaimed among his people, saying: "O my people! Does not the dominion of Egypt belong to me, (witness) these streams flowing underneath my (palace)? What! see ye not then?
[43:52] "Am I not better than this (Moses), who is a contemptible wretch and can scarcely express himself clearly?
[43:53] "Then why are not gold bracelets bestowed on him, or (why) come (not) with him angels accompanying him in procession?"
[43:54] Thus did he make fools of his people, and they obeyed him: truly were they a people rebellious (against Allah).
[43:55] When at length they provoked Us, We exacted retribution from them, and We drowned them all.
[43:56] And We made them (a people) of the Past and an Example to later ages.
[43:57] When (Jesus) the son of Mary is held up as an example, behold, thy people raise a clamour thereat (in ridicule)!
[43:58] And they say, "Are our gods best, or he?" This they set forth to thee, only by way of disputation: yea, they are a contentious people.
[43:59] He was no more than a servant: We granted Our favour to him, and We made him an example to the Children of Israel.
[43:60] And if it were Our Will, We could make angels from amongst you, succeeding each other on the earth.
[43:61] And (Jesus) shall be a Sign (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment): therefore have no doubt about the (Hour), but follow ye Me: this is a Straight Way.
[43:62] Let not the Evil One hinder you: for he is to you an enemy avowed.
[43:63] When Jesus came with Clear Signs, he said: "Now have I come to you with Wisdom, and in order to make clear to you some of the (points) on which ye dispute: therefore fear Allah and obey me.
[43:64] "For Allah, He is my Lord and your Lord: so worship ye Him: this is a Straight Way."
[43:65] But sects from among themselves fell into disagreement: then woe to the wrong-doers, from the Penalty of a Grievous Day!
[43:66] Do they only wait for the Hour - that it should come on them all of a sudden, while they perceive not?
[43:67] Friends on that day will be foes, one to another,- except the Righteous.
[43:68] My devotees! no fear shall be on you that Day, nor shall ye grieve,-
[43:69] (Being) those who have believed in Our Signs and bowed (their wills to Ours) in Islam.
[43:70] Enter ye the Garden, ye and your wives, in (beauty and) rejoicing.
[43:71] To them will be passed round, dishes and goblets of gold: there will be there all that the souls could desire, all that their ayes could delight in: and ye shall abide therein (for eye).
[43:72] Such will be the Garden of which ye are made heirs for your (good) deeds (in life).
[43:73] Ye shall have therein abundance of fruit, from which ye shall have satisfaction.
[43:74] The sinners will be in the Punishment of Hell, to dwell therein (for aye):
[43:75] Nowise will the (Punishment) be lightened for them, and in despair will they be there overwhelmed.
[43:76] Nowise shall We be unjust to them: but it is they who have been unjust themselves.
[43:77] They will cry: "O Malik! would that thy Lord put an end to us!" He will say, "Nay, but ye shall abide!"
[43:78] Verily We have brought the Truth to you: but most of you have a hatred for Truth.
[43:79] What! have they settled some plan (among themselves)? But it is We Who settle things.
[43:80] Or do they think that We hear not their secrets and their private counsels? Indeed (We do), and Our messengers are by them, to record.
[43:81] Say: "If (Allah) Most Gracious had a son, I would be the first to worship."
[43:82] Glory to the Lord of the heavens and the earth, the Lord of the Throne (of Authority)! (He is free) from the things they attribute (to him)!
[43:83] So leave them to babble and play (with vanities) until they meet that Day of theirs, which they have been promised.
[43:84] It is He Who is Allah in heaven and Allah on earth; and He is full of Wisdom and Knowledge.
[43:85] And blessed is He to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all between them: with Him is the Knowledge of the Hour (of Judgment): and to Him shall ye be brought back.
[43:86] And those whom they invoke besides Allah have no power of intercession;- only he who bears witness to the Truth, and they know (him).
[43:87] If thou ask them, who created them, they will certainly say, Allah: How then are they deluded away (from the Truth)?
[43:88] (Allah has knowledge) of the (Prophet's) cry, "O my Lord! Truly these are people who will not believe!"
[43:89] But turn away from them, and say "Peace!" But soon shall they know!
Al-Jinn / The Jinn (72)
[72:1] Say: It has been revealed to me that a company of Jinns listened (to the Qur'an). They said, 'We have really heard a wonderful Recital!
[72:2] 'It gives guidance to the Right, and we have believed therein: we shall not join (in worship) any (gods) with our Lord.
[72:3] 'And Exalted is the Majesty of our Lord: He has taken neither a wife nor a son.
[72:4] 'There were some foolish ones among us, who used to utter extravagant lies against Allah;
[72:5] 'But we do think that no man or spirit should say aught that untrue against Allah.
[72:6] 'True, there were persons among mankind who took shelter with persons among the Jinns, but they increased them in folly.
[72:7] 'And they (came to) think as ye thought, that Allah would not raise up any one (to Judgment).
[72:8] 'And we pried into the secrets of heaven; but we found it filled with stern guards and flaming fires.
[72:9] 'We used, indeed, to sit there in (hidden) stations, to (steal) a hearing; but any who listen now will find a flaming fire watching him in ambush.
[72:10] 'And we understand not whether ill is intended to those on earth, or whether their Lord (really) intends to guide them to right conduct.
[72:11] 'There are among us some that are righteous, and some the contrary: we follow divergent paths.
[72:12] 'But we think that we can by no means frustrate Allah throughout the earth, nor can we frustrate Him by flight.
[72:13] 'And as for us, since we have listened to the Guidance, we have accepted it: and any who believes in his Lord has no fear, either of a short (account) or of any injustice.
[72:14] 'Amongst us are some that submit their wills (to Allah), and some that swerve from justice. Now those who submit their wills - they have sought out (the path) of right conduct:
[72:15] 'But those who swerve,- they are (but) fuel for Hell-fire'-
[72:16] (And Allah's Message is): "If they (the Pagans) had (only) remained on the (right) Way, We should certainly have bestowed on them Rain in abundance.
[72:17] "That We might try them by that (means). But if any turns away from the remembrance of his Lord, He will cause him to undergo a severe Penalty.
[72:18] "And the places of worship are for Allah (alone): So invoke not any one along with Allah;
[72:19] "Yet when the Devotee of Allah stands forth to invoke Him, they just make round him a dense crowd."
[72:20] Say: "I do no more than invoke my Lord, and I join not with Him any (false god)."
[72:21] Say: "It is not in my power to cause you harm, or to bring you to right conduct."
[72:22] Say: "No one can deliver me from Allah (If I were to disobey Him), nor should I find refuge except in Him,
[72:23] "Unless I proclaim what I receive from Allah and His Messages: for any that disobey Allah and His Messenger,- for them is Hell: they shall dwell therein for ever."
[72:24] At length, when they see (with their own eyes) that which they are promised,- then will they know who it is that is weakest in (his) helper and least important in point of numbers.
[72:25] Say: "I know not whether the (Punishment) which ye are promised is near, or whether my Lord will appoint for it a distant term.
[72:26] "He (alone) knows the Unseen, nor does He make any one acquainted with His Mysteries,-
[72:27] "Except a messenger whom He has chosen: and then He makes a band of watchers march before him and behind him,
[72:28] "That He may know that they have (truly) brought and delivered the Messages of their Lord: and He surrounds (all the mysteries) that are with them, and takes account of every single thing."
Al-Mulk / The Kingdom (67)
[67:1] Blessed be He in Whose hands is Dominion; and He over all things hath Power;-
[67:2] He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving;-
[67:3] He Who created the seven heavens one above another: No want of proportion wilt thou see in the Creation of (Allah) Most Gracious. So turn thy vision again: seest thou any flaw?
[67:4] Again turn thy vision a second time: (thy) vision will come back to thee dull and discomfited, in a state worn out.
[67:5] And we have, (from of old), adorned the lowest heaven with Lamps, and We have made such (Lamps) (as) missiles to drive away the Evil Ones, and have prepared for them the Penalty of the Blazing Fire.
[67:6] For those who reject their Lord (and Cherisher) is the Penalty of Hell: and evil is (such), Destination.
[67:7] When they are cast therein, they will hear the (terrible) drawing in of its breath even as it blazes forth,
[67:8] Almost bursting with fury: Every time a Group is cast therein, its Keepers will ask, "Did no Warner come to you?"
[67:9] They will say: "Yes indeed; a Warner did come to us, but we rejected him and said, 'Allah never sent down any (Message): ye are nothing but an egregious delusion!'"
[67:10] They will further say: "Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we should not (now) be among the Companions of the Blazing Fire!"
[67:11] They will then confess their sins: but far will be (Forgiveness) from the Companions of the Blazing Fire!
[67:12] As for those who fear their Lord unseen, for them is Forgiveness and a great Reward.
[67:13] And whether ye hide your word or publish it, He certainly has (full) knowledge, of the secrets of (all) hearts.
[67:14] Should He not know,- He that created? and He is the One that understands the finest mysteries (and) is well-acquainted (with them).
[67:15] It is He Who has made the earth manageable for you, so traverse ye through its tracts and enjoy of the Sustenance which He furnishes: but unto Him is the Resurrection.
[67:16] Do ye feel secure that He Who is in heaven will not cause you to be swallowed up by the earth when it shakes (as in an earthquake)?
[67:17] Or do ye feel secure that He Who is in Heaven will not send against you a violent tornado (with showers of stones), so that ye shall know how (terrible) was My warning?
[67:18] But indeed men before them rejected (My warning): then how (terrible) was My rejection (of them)?
[67:19] Do they not observe the birds above them, spreading their wings and folding them in? None can uphold them except (Allah) Most Gracious: Truly (Allah) Most Gracious: Truly it is He that watches over all things.
[67:20] Nay, who is there that can help you, (even as) an army, besides (Allah) Most Merciful? In nothing but delusion are the Unbelievers.
[67:21] Or who is there that can provide you with Sustenance if He were to withhold His provision? Nay, they obstinately persist in insolent impiety and flight (from the Truth).
[67:22] Is then one who walks headlong, with his face grovelling, better guided,- or one who walks evenly on a Straight Way?
[67:23] Say: "It is He Who has created you (and made you grow), and made for you the faculties of hearing, seeing, feeling and understanding: little thanks it is ye give.
[67:24] Say: "It is He Who has multiplied you through the earth, and to Him shall ye be gathered together."
[67:25] They ask: When will this promise be (fulfilled)? - If ye are telling the truth.
[67:26] Say: "As to the knowledge of the time, it is with Allah alone: I am (sent) only to warn plainly in public."
[67:27] At length, when they see it close at hand, grieved will be the faces of the Unbelievers, and it will be said (to them): "This is (the promise fulfilled), which ye were calling for!"
[67:28] Say: "See ye?- If Allah were to destroy me, and those with me, or if He bestows His Mercy on us,- yet who can deliver the Unbelievers from a grievous Penalty?"
[67:29] Say: "He is (Allah) Most Gracious: We have believed in Him, and on Him have we put our trust: So, soon will ye know which (of us) it is that is in manifest error."
[67:30] Say: "See ye?- If your stream be some morning lost (in the underground earth), who then can supply you with clear-flowing water?"
Al-Mu'minun / The Believers (23)
[23:1] The believers must (eventually) win through,-
[23:2] Those who humble themselves in their prayers;
[23:3] Who avoid vain talk;
[23:4] Who are active in deeds of charity;
[23:5] Who abstain from sex,
[23:6] Except with those joined to them in the marriage bond, or (the captives) whom their right hands possess,- for (in their case) they are free from blame,
[23:7] But those whose desires exceed those limits are transgressors;-
[23:8] Those who faithfully observe their trusts and their covenants;
[23:9] And who (strictly) guard their prayers;-
[23:10] These will be the heirs,
[23:11] Who will inherit Paradise: they will dwell therein (for ever).
[23:12] Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay);
[23:13] Then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed;
[23:14] Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We made a (foetus) lump; then we made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then we developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, the best to create!
[23:15] After that, at length ye will die
[23:16] Again, on the Day of Judgment, will ye be raised up.
[23:17] And We have made, above you, seven tracts; and We are never unmindful of (our) Creation.
[23:18] And We send down water from the sky according to (due) measure, and We cause it to soak in the soil; and We certainly are able to drain it off (with ease).
[23:19] With it We grow for you gardens of date-palms and vines: in them have ye abundant fruits: and of them ye eat (and have enjoyment),-
[23:20] Also a tree springing out of Mount Sinai, which produces oil, and relish for those who use it for food.
[23:21] And in cattle (too) ye have an instructive example: from within their bodies We produce (milk) for you to drink; there are, in them, (besides), numerous (other) benefits for you; and of their (meat) ye eat;
[23:22] An on them, as well as in slips, ye side.
[23:23] (Further, We sent a long line of prophets for your instruction). We sent Noah to his people: He said, "O my people! worship Allah! Ye have no other god but Him. Will ye not fear (Him)?"
[23:24] The chiefs of the Unbelievers among his people said: "He is no more than a man like yourselves: his wish is to assert his superiority over you: if Allah had wished (to send messengers), He could have sent down angels; never did we hear such a thing (as he says), among our ancestors of old."
[23:25] (And some said): "He is only a man possessed: wait (and have patience) with him for a time."
[23:26] (Noah) said: "O my Lord! help me: for that they accuse me of falsehood!"
[23:27] So We inspired him (with this message): "Construct the Ark within Our sight and under Our guidance: then when comes Our Command, and the fountains of the earth gush forth, take thou on board pairs of every species, male and female, and thy family- except those of them against whom the Word has already gone forth: And address Me not in favour of the wrong-doers; for they shall be drowned (in the Flood).
[23:28] And when thou hast embarked on the Ark - thou and those with thee,- say: "Praise be to Allah, Who has saved us from the people who do wrong."
[23:29] And say: "O my Lord! enable me to disembark with thy blessing: for Thou art the Best to enable (us) to disembark."
[23:30] Verily in this there are Signs (for men to understand); (thus) do We try (men).
[23:31] Then We raised after them another generation.
[23:32] And We sent to them a messenger from among themselves, (saying), "Worship Allah! ye have no other god but Him. Will ye not fear (Him)?"
[23:33] And the chiefs of his people, who disbelieved and denied the Meeting in the Hereafter, and on whom We had bestowed the good things of this life, said: "He is no more than a man like yourselves: he eats of that of which ye eat, and drinks of what ye drink.
[23:34] "If ye obey a man like yourselves, behold, it is certain ye will be lost.
[23:35] "Does he promise that when ye die and become dust and bones, ye shall be brought forth (again)?
[23:36] "Far, very far is that which ye are promised!
[23:37] "There is nothing but our life in this world! We shall die and we live! But we shall never be raised up again!
[23:38] "He is only a man who invents a lie against Allah, but we are not the ones to believe in him!"
[23:39] (The prophet) said: "O my Lord! help me: for that they accuse me of falsehood."
[23:40] (Allah) said: "In but a little while, they are sure to be sorry!"
[23:41] Then the Blast overtook them with justice, and We made them as rubbish of dead leaves (floating on the stream of Time)! So away with the people who do wrong!
[23:42] Then We raised after them other generations.
[23:43] No people can hasten their term, nor can they delay (it).
[23:44] Then sent We our messengers in succession: every time there came to a people their messenger, they accused him of falsehood: so We made them follow each other (in punishment): We made them as a tale (that is told): So away with a people that will not believe!
[23:45] Then We sent Moses and his brother Aaron, with Our Signs and authority manifest,
[23:46] To Pharaoh and his Chiefs: But these behaved insolently: they were an arrogant people.
[23:47] They said: "Shall we believe in two men like ourselves? And their people are subject to us!"
[23:48] So they accused them of falsehood, and they became of those who were destroyed.
[23:49] And We gave Moses the Book, in order that they might receive guidance.
[23:50] And We made the son of Mary and his mother as a Sign: We gave them both shelter on high ground, affording rest and security and furnished with springs.
[23:51] O ye messengers! enjoy (all) things good and pure, and work righteousness: for I am well-acquainted with (all) that ye do.
[23:52] And verily this Brotherhood of yours is a single Brotherhood, and I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore fear Me (and no other).
[23:53] But people have cut off their affair (of unity), between them, into sects: each party rejoices in that which is with itself.
[23:54] But leave them in their confused ignorance for a time.
[23:55] Do they think that because We have granted them abundance of wealth and sons,
[23:56] We would hasten them on in every good? Nay, they do not understand.
[23:57] Verily those who live in awe for fear of their Lord;
[23:58] Those who believe in the Signs of their Lord;
[23:59] Those who join not (in worship) partners with their Lord;
[23:60] And those who dispense their charity with their hearts full of fear, because they will return to their Lord;-
[23:61] It is these who hasten in every good work, and these who are foremost in them.
[23:62] On no soul do We place a burden greater than it can bear: before Us is a record which clearly shows the truth: they will never be wronged.
[23:63] But their hearts are in confused ignorance of this; and there are, besides that, deeds of theirs, which they will (continue) to do,-
[23:64] Until, when We seize in Punishment those of them who received the good things of this world, behold, they will groan in supplication!
[23:65] (It will be said): "Groan not in supplication this day: for ye shall certainly not be helped by Us.
[23:66] "My Signs used to be rehearsed to you, but ye used to turn back on your heels-
[23:67] "In arrogance: talking nonsense about the (Qur'an), like one telling fables by night."
[23:68] Do they not ponder over the Word (of Allah), or has anything (new) come to them that did not come to their fathers of old?
[23:69] Or do they not recognise their Messenger, that they deny him?
[23:70] Or do they say, "He is possessed"? Nay, he has brought them the Truth, but most of them hate the Truth.
[23:71] If the Truth had been in accord with their desires, truly the heavens and the earth, and all beings therein would have been in confusion and corruption! Nay, We have sent them their admonition, but they turn away from their admonition.
[23:72] Or is it that thou askest them for some recompense? But the recompense of thy Lord is best: He is the Best of those who give sustenance.
[23:73] But verily thou callest them to the Straight Way;
[23:74] And verily those who believe not in the Hereafter are deviating from that Way.
[23:75] If We had mercy on them and removed the distress which is on them, they would obstinately persist in their transgression, wandering in distraction to and fro.
[23:76] We inflicted Punishment on them, but they humbled not themselves to their Lord, nor do they submissively entreat (Him)!-
[23:77] Until We open on them a gate leading to a severe Punishment: then Lo! they will be plunged in despair therein!
[23:78] It is He Who has created for you (the faculties of) hearing, sight, feeling and understanding: little thanks it is ye give!
[23:79] And He has multiplied you through the earth, and to Him shall ye be gathered back.
[23:80] It is He Who gives life and death, and to Him (is due) the alternation of Night and Day: will ye not then understand?
[23:81] On the contrary they say things similar to what the ancients said.
[23:82] They say: "What! when we die and become dust and bones, could we really be raised up again?
[23:83] "Such things have been promised to us and to our fathers before! they are nothing but tales of the ancients!"
[23:84] Say: "To whom belong the earth and all beings therein? (say) if ye know!"
[23:85] They will say, "To Allah!" say: "Yet will ye not receive admonition?"
[23:86] Say: "Who is the Lord of the seven heavens, and the Lord of the Throne (of Glory) Supreme?"
[23:87] They will say, "(They belong) to Allah." Say: "Will ye not then be filled with awe?"
[23:88] Say: "Who is it in whose hands is the governance of all things,- who protects (all), but is not protected (of any)? (say) if ye know."
[23:89] They will say, "(It belongs) to Allah." Say: "Then how are ye deluded?"
[23:90] We have sent them the Truth: but they indeed practise falsehood!
[23:91] No son did Allah beget, nor is there any god along with Him: (if there were many gods), behold, each god would have taken away what he had created, and some would have lorded it over others! Glory to Allah! (He is free) from the (sort of) things they attribute to Him!
[23:92] He knows what is hidden and what is open: too high is He for the partners they attribute to Him!
[23:93] Say: "O my Lord! if Thou wilt show me (in my lifetime) that which they are warned against,-
[23:94] "Then, O my Lord! put me not amongst the people who do wrong!"
[23:95] And We are certainly able to show thee (in fulfilment) that against which they are warned.
[23:96] Repel evil with that which is best: We are well acquainted with the things they say.
[23:97] And say "O my Lord! I seek refuge with Thee from the suggestions of the Evil Ones.
[23:98] "And I seek refuge with Thee O my Lord! lest they should come near me."
[23:99] (In Falsehood will they be) Until, when death comes to one of them, he says: "O my Lord! send me back (to life),-
[23:100] "In order that I may work righteousness in the things I neglected." - "By no means! It is but a word he says."- Before them is a Partition till the Day they are raised up.
[23:101] Then when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no more relationships between them that Day, nor will one ask after another!
[23:102] Then those whose balance (of good deeds) is heavy,- they will attain salvation:
[23:103] But those whose balance is light, will be those who have lost their souls, in Hell will they abide.
[23:104] The Fire will burn their faces, and they will therein grin, with their lips displaced.
[23:105] "Were not My Signs rehearsed to you, and ye did but treat them as falsehood?"
[23:106] They will say: "our Lord! Our misfortune overwhelmed us, and we became a people astray!
[23:107] "Our Lord! bring us out of this: if ever we return (to Evil), then shall we be wrong-doers indeed!"
[23:108] He will say: "Be ye driven into it (with ignominy)! And speak ye not to Me!
[23:109] "A part of My servants there was, who used to pray 'our Lord! we believe; then do Thou forgive us, and have mercy upon us: For Thou art the Best of those who show mercy!"
[23:110] "But ye treated them with ridicule, so much so that (ridicule of) them made you forget My Message while ye were laughing at them!
[23:111] "I have rewarded them this Day for their patience and constancy: they are indeed the ones that have achieved Bliss..."
[23:112] He will say: "What number of years did ye stay on earth?"
[23:113] They will say: "We stayed a day or part of a day: but ask those who keep account."
[23:114] He will say: "Ye stayed not but a little,- if ye had only known!
[23:115] "Did ye then think that We had created you in jest, and that ye would not be brought back to Us (for account)?"
[23:116] Therefore exalted be Allah, the King, the Reality: there is no god but He, the Lord of the Throne of Honour!
[23:117] If anyone invokes, besides Allah, Any other god, he has no authority therefor; and his reckoning will be only with his Lord! and verily the Unbelievers will fail to win through!
[23:118] So say: "O my Lord! grant Thou forgiveness and mercy for Thou art the Best of those who show mercy!"
Al-Anbiya' / The Prophets (21)
[21:1] Closer and closer to mankind comes their Reckoning: yet they heed not and they turn away.
[21:2] Never comes (aught) to them of a renewed Message from their Lord, but they listen to it as in jest,-
[21:3] Their hearts toying as with trifles. The wrong-doers conceal their private counsels, (saying), "Is this (one) more than a man like yourselves? Will ye go to witchcraft with your eyes open?"
[21:4] Say: "My Lord knoweth (every) word (spoken) in the heavens and on earth: He is the One that heareth and knoweth (all things)."
[21:5] "Nay," they say, "(these are) medleys of dream! - Nay, He forged it! - Nay, He is (but) a poet! Let him then bring us a Sign like the ones that were sent to (Prophets) of old!"
[21:6] (As to those) before them, not one of the populations which We destroyed believed: will these believe?
[21:7] Before thee, also, the messengers We sent were but men, to whom We granted inspiration: If ye realise this not, ask of those who possess the Message.
[21:8] Nor did We give them bodies that ate no food, nor were they exempt from death.
[21:9] In the end We fulfilled to them Our Promise, and We saved them and those whom We pleased, but We destroyed those who transgressed beyond bounds.
[21:10] We have revealed for you (O men!) a book in which is a Message for you: will ye not then understand?
[21:11] How many were the populations We utterly destroyed because of their iniquities, setting up in their places other peoples?
[21:12] Yet, when they felt Our Punishment (coming), behold, they (tried to) flee from it.
[21:13] Flee not, but return to the good things of this life which were given you, and to your homes in order that ye may be called to account.
[21:14] They said: "Ah! woe to us! We were indeed wrong-doers!"
[21:15] And that cry of theirs ceased not, till We made them as a field that is mown, as ashes silent and quenched.
[21:16] Not for (idle) sport did We create the heavens and the earth and all that is between!
[21:17] If it had been Our wish to take (just) a pastime, We should surely have taken it from the things nearest to Us, if We would do (such a thing)!
[21:18] Nay, We hurl the Truth against falsehood, and it knocks out its brain, and behold, falsehood doth perish! Ah! woe be to you for the (false) things ye ascribe (to Us).
[21:19] To Him belong all (creatures) in the heavens and on earth: Even those who are in His (very) Presence are not too proud to serve Him, nor are they (ever) weary (of His service):
[21:20] They celebrate His praises night and day, nor do they ever flag or intermit.
[21:21] Or have they taken (for worship) gods from the earth who can raise (the dead)?
[21:22] If there were, in the heavens and the earth, other gods besides Allah, there would have been confusion in both! but glory to Allah, the Lord of the Throne: (High is He) above what they attribute to Him!
[21:23] He cannot be questioned for His acts, but they will be questioned (for theirs).
[21:24] Or have they taken for worship (other) gods besides him? Say, "Bring your convincing proof: this is the Message of those with me and the Message of those before me." But most of them know not the Truth, and so turn away.
[21:25] Not a messenger did We send before thee without this inspiration sent by Us to him: that there is no god but I; therefore worship and serve Me.
[21:26] And they say: "(Allah) Most Gracious has begotten offspring." Glory to Him! they are (but) servants raised to honour.
[21:27] They speak not before He speaks, and they act (in all things) by His Command.
[21:28] He knows what is before them, and what is behind them, and they offer no intercession except for those who are acceptable, and they stand in awe and reverence of His (Glory).
[21:29] If any of them should say, "I am a god besides Him", such a one We should reward with Hell: thus do We reward those who do wrong.
[21:30] Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation), before we clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?
[21:31] And We have set on the earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with them, and We have made therein broad highways (between mountains) for them to pass through: that they may receive Guidance.
[21:32] And We have made the heavens as a canopy well guarded: yet do they turn away from the Signs which these things (point to)!
[21:33] It is He Who created the Night and the Day, and the sun and the moon: all (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its rounded course.
[21:34] We granted not to any man before thee permanent life (here): if then thou shouldst die, would they live permanently?
[21:35] Every soul shall have a taste of death: and We test you by evil and by good by way of trial. to Us must ye return.
[21:36] When the Unbelievers see thee, they treat thee not except with ridicule. "Is this," (they say), "the one who talks of your gods?" and they blaspheme at the mention of (Allah) Most Gracious!
[21:37] Man is a creature of haste: soon (enough) will I show you My Signs; then ye will not ask Me to hasten them!
[21:38] They say: "When will this promise come to pass, if ye are telling the truth?"
[21:39] If only the Unbelievers knew (the time) when they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces, nor yet from their backs, and (when) no help can reach them!
[21:40] Nay, it may come to them all of a sudden and confound them: no power will they have then to avert it, nor will they (then) get respite.
[21:41] Mocked were (many) messenger before thee; But their scoffers were hemmed in by the thing that they mocked.
[21:42] Say: "Who can keep you safe by night and by day from (the Wrath of) (Allah) Most Gracious?" Yet they turn away from the mention of their Lord.
[21:43] Or have they gods that can guard them from Us? They have no power to aid themselves, nor can they be defended from Us.
[21:44] Nay, We gave the good things of this life to these men and their fathers until the period grew long for them; See they not that We gradually reduce the land (in their control) from its outlying borders? Is it then they who will win?
[21:45] Say, "I do but warn you according to revelation": But the deaf will not hear the call, (even) when they are warned!
[21:46] If but a breath of the Wrath of thy Lord do touch them, they will then say, "Woe to us! we did wrong indeed!"
[21:47] We shall set up scales of justice for the Day of Judgment, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least, and if there be (no more than) the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it (to account): and enough are We to take account.
[21:48] In the past We granted to Moses and Aaron the criterion (for judgment), and a Light and a Message for those who would do right,-
[21:49] Those who fear their Lord in their most secret thoughts, and who hold the Hour (of Judgment) in awe.
[21:50] And this is a blessed Message which We have sent down: will ye then reject it?
[21:51] We bestowed aforetime on Abraham his rectitude of conduct, and well were We acquainted with him.
[21:52] Behold! he said to his father and his people, "What are these images, to which ye are (so assiduously) devoted?"
[21:53] They said, "We found our fathers worshipping them."
[21:54] He said, "Indeed ye have been in manifest error - ye and your fathers."
[21:55] They said, "Have you brought us the Truth, or are you one of those who jest?"
[21:56] He said, "Nay, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, He Who created them (from nothing): and I am a witness to this (Truth).
[21:57] "And by Allah, I have a plan for your idols - after ye go away and turn your backs"..
[21:58] So he broke them to pieces, (all) but the biggest of them, that they might turn (and address themselves) to it.
[21:59] They said, "Who has done this to our gods? He must indeed be some man of impiety!"
[21:60] They said, "We heard a youth talk of them: He is called Abraham."
[21:61] They said, "Then bring him before the eyes of the people, that they may bear witness."
[21:62] They said, "Art thou the one that did this with our gods, O Abraham?"
[21:63] He said: "Nay, this was done by - this is their biggest one! ask them, if they can speak intelligently!"
[21:64] So they turned to themselves and said, "Surely ye are the ones in the wrong!"
[21:65] Then were they confounded with shame: (they said), "Thou knowest full well that these (idols) do not speak!"
[21:66] (Abraham) said, "Do ye then worship, besides Allah, things that can neither be of any good to you nor do you harm?
[21:67] "Fie upon you, and upon the things that ye worship besides Allah! Have ye no sense?"..
[21:68] They said, "Burn him and protect your gods, If ye do (anything at all)!"
[21:69] We said, "O Fire! be thou cool, and (a means of) safety for Abraham!"
[21:70] Then they sought a stratagem against him: but We made them the ones that lost most!
[21:71] But We delivered him and (his nephew) Lut (and directed them) to the land which We have blessed for the nations.
[21:72] And We bestowed on him Isaac and, as an additional gift, (a grandson), Jacob, and We made righteous men of every one (of them).
[21:73] And We made them leaders, guiding (men) by Our Command, and We sent them inspiration to do good deeds, to establish regular prayers, and to practise regular charity; and they constantly served Us (and Us only).
[21:74] And to Lut, too, We gave Judgment and Knowledge, and We saved him from the town which practised abominations: truly they were a people given to Evil, a rebellious people.
[21:75] And We admitted him to Our Mercy: for he was one of the Righteous.
[21:76] (Remember) Noah, when he cried (to Us) aforetime: We listened to his (prayer) and delivered him and his family from great distress.
[21:77] We helped him against people who rejected Our Signs: truly they were a people given to Evil: so We drowned them (in the Flood) all together.
[21:78] And remember David and Solomon, when they gave judgment in the matter of the field into which the sheep of certain people had strayed by night: We did witness their judgment.
[21:79] To Solomon We inspired the (right) understanding of the matter: to each (of them) We gave Judgment and Knowledge; it was Our power that made the hills and the birds celebrate Our praises, with David: it was We Who did (all these things).
[21:80] It was We Who taught him the making of coats of mail for your benefit, to guard you from each other's violence: will ye then be grateful?
[21:81] (It was Our power that made) the violent (unruly) wind flow (tamely) for Solomon, to his order, to the land which We had blessed: for We do know all things.
[21:82] And of the evil ones, were some who dived for him, and did other work besides; and it was We Who guarded them.
[21:83] And (remember) Job, when He cried to his Lord, "Truly distress has seized me, but Thou art the Most Merciful of those that are merciful."
[21:84] So We listened to him: We removed the distress that was on him, and We restored his people to him, and doubled their number,- as a Grace from Ourselves, and a thing for commemoration, for all who serve Us.
[21:85] And (remember) Isma'il, Idris, and Zul-kifl, all (men) of constancy and patience;
[21:86] We admitted them to Our mercy: for they were of the righteous ones.
[21:87] And remember Zun-nun, when he departed in wrath: He imagined that We had no power over him! But he cried through the deptHs of darkness, "There is no god but thou: glory to thee: I was indeed wrong!"
[21:88] So We listened to him: and delivered him from distress: and thus do We deliver those who have faith.
[21:89] And (remember) Zakariya, when he cried to his Lord: "O my Lord! leave me not without offspring, though thou art the best of inheritors."
[21:90] So We listened to him: and We granted him Yahya: We cured his wife's (Barrenness) for him. These (three) were ever quick in emulation in good works; they used to call on Us with love and reverence, and humble themselves before Us.
[21:91] And (remember) her who guarded her chastity: We breathed into her of Our spirit, and We made her and her son a sign for all peoples.
[21:92] Verily, this brotherhood of yours is a single brotherhood, and I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore serve Me (and no other).
[21:93] But (later generations) cut off their affair (of unity), one from another: (yet) will they all return to Us.
[21:94] Whoever works any act of righteousness and has faith,- His endeavour will not be rejected: We shall record it in his favour.
[21:95] But there is a ban on any population which We have destroyed: that they shall not return,
[21:96] Until the Gog and Magog (people) are let through (their barrier), and they swiftly swarm from every hill.
[21:97] Then will the true promise draw nigh (of fulfilment): then behold! the eyes of the Unbelievers will fixedly stare in horror: "Ah! Woe to us! we were indeed heedless of this; nay, we truly did wrong!"
[21:98] Verily ye, (unbelievers), and the (false) gods that ye worship besides Allah, are (but) fuel for Hell! to it will ye (surely) come!
[21:99] If these had been gods, they would not have got there! but each one will abide therein.
[21:100] There, sobbing will be their lot, nor will they there hear (aught else).
[21:101] Those for whom the good (record) from Us has gone before, will be removed far therefrom.
[21:102] Not the slightest sound will they hear of Hell: what their souls desired, in that will they dwell.
[21:103] The Great Terror will bring them no grief: but the angels will meet them (with mutual greetings): "This is your Day,- (the Day) that ye were promised."
[21:104] The Day that We roll up the heavens like a scroll rolled up for books (completed),- even as We produced the first creation, so shall We produce a new one: a promise We have undertaken: truly shall We fulfil it.
[21:105] Before this We wrote in the Psalms, after the Message (given to Moses): My servants the righteous, shall inherit the earth."
[21:106] Verily in this (Qur'an) is a Message for people who would (truly) worship Allah.
[21:107] We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures.
[21:108] Say: "What has come to me by inspiration is that your Allah is One Allah: will ye therefore bow to His Will (in Islam)?"
[21:109] But if they turn back, Say: "I have proclaimed the Message to you all alike and in truth; but I know not whether that which ye are promised is near or far.
[21:110] "It is He Who knows what is open in speech and what ye hide (in your hearts).
[21:111] "I know not but that it may be a trial for you, and a grant of (worldly) livelihood (to you) for a time."
[21:112] Say: "O my Lord! judge Thou in truth!" "Our Lord Most Gracious is the One Whose assistance should be sought against the blasphemies ye utter!"
Al-Furqan / The Criterion (25)
[25:1] Blessed is He who sent down the criterion to His servant, that it may be an admonition to all creatures;-
[25:2] He to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: no son has He begotten, nor has He a partner in His dominion: it is He who created all things, and ordered them in due proportions.
[25:3] Yet have they taken, besides him, gods that can create nothing but are themselves created; that have no control of hurt or good to themselves; nor can they control death nor life nor resurrection.
[25:4] But the misbelievers say: "Naught is this but a lie which he has forged, and others have helped him at it." In truth it is they who have put forward an iniquity and a falsehood.
[25:5] And they say: "Tales of the ancients, which he has caused to be written: and they are dictated before him morning and evening."
[25:6] Say: "The (Qur'an) was sent down by Him who knows the mystery (that is) in the heavens and the earth: verily He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
[25:7] And they say: "What sort of a messenger is this, who eats food, and walks through the streets? Why has not an angel been sent down to him to give admonition with him?
[25:8] "Or (Why) has not a treasure been bestowed on him, or why has he (not) a garden for enjoyment?" The wicked say: "Ye follow none other than a man bewitched."
[25:9] See what kinds of comparisons they make for thee! But they have gone astray, and never a way will they be able to find!
[25:10] Blessed is He who, if that were His will, could give thee better (things) than those,- Gardens beneath which rivers flow; and He could give thee palaces (secure to dwell in).
[25:11] Nay they deny the hour (of the judgment to come): but We have prepared a blazing fire for such as deny the hour:
[25:12] When it sees them from a place fAr off, they will hear its fury and its ranging sigh.
[25:13] And when they are cast, bound together into a constricted place therein, they will pLead for destruction there and then!
[25:14] "This day plead not for a single destruction: plead for destruction oft-repeated!"
[25:15] Say: "Is that best, or the eternal garden, promised to the righteous? for them, that is a reward as well as a goal (of attainment).
[25:16] "For them there will be therein all that they wish for: they will dwell (there) for aye: A promise to be prayed for from thy Lord."
[25:17] The day He will gather them together as well as those whom they worship besides Allah, He will ask: "Was it ye who let these My servants astray, or did they stray from the Path themselves?"
[25:18] They will say: "Glory to Thee! not meet was it for us that we should take for protectors others besides Thee: But Thou didst bestow, on them and their fathers, good things (in life), until they forgot the Message: for they were a people (worthless and) lost."
[25:19] (Allah will say): "Now have they proved you liars in what ye say: so ye cannot avert (your penalty) nor (get) help." And whoever among you does wrong, him shall We cause to taste of a grievous Penalty.
[25:20] And the messengers whom We sent before thee were all (men) who ate food and walked through the streets: We have made some of you as a trial for others: will ye have patience? for Allah is One Who sees (all things).
[25:21] Such as fear not the meeting with Us (for Judgment) say: "Why are not the angels sent down to us, or (why) do we not see our Lord?" Indeed they have an arrogant conceit of themselves, and mighty is the insolence of their impiety!
[25:22] The Day they see the angels,- no joy will there be to the sinners that Day: The (angels) will say: "There is a barrier forbidden (to you) altogether!"
[25:23] And We shall turn to whatever deeds they did (in this life), and We shall make such deeds as floating dust scattered about.
[25:24] The Companions of the Garden will be well, that Day, in their abode, and have the fairest of places for repose.
[25:25] The Day the heaven shall be rent asunder with clouds, and angels shall be sent down, descending (in ranks),-
[25:26] That Day, the dominion as of right and truth, shall be (wholly) for (Allah) Most Merciful: it will be a Day of dire difficulty for the Misbelievers.
[25:27] The Day that the wrong-doer will bite at his hands, he will say, "Oh! would that I had taken a (straight) path with the Messenger!
[25:28] "Ah! woe is me! Would that I had never taken such a one for a friend!
[25:29] "He did lead me astray from the Message (of Allah) after it had come to me! Ah! the Evil One is but a traitor to man!"
[25:30] Then the Messenger will say: "O my Lord! Truly my people took this Qur'an for just foolish nonsense."
[25:31] Thus have We made for every prophet an enemy among the sinners: but enough is thy Lord to guide and to help.
[25:32] Those who reject Faith say: "Why is not the Qur'an revealed to him all at once? Thus (is it revealed), that We may strengthen thy heart thereby, and We have rehearsed it to thee in slow, well-arranged stages, gradually.
[25:33] And no question do they bring to thee but We reveal to thee the truth and the best explanation (thereof).
[25:34] Those who will be gathered to Hell (prone) on their faces,- they will be in an evil plight, and, as to Path, most astray.
[25:35] (Before this,) We sent Moses The Book, and appointed his brother Aaron with him as minister;
[25:36] And We command: "Go ye both, to the people who have rejected our Signs:" And those (people) We destroyed with utter destruction.
[25:37] And the people of Noah,- when they rejected the messengers, We drowned them, and We made them as a Sign for mankind; and We have prepared for (all) wrong-doers a grievous Penalty;-
[25:38] As also 'Ad and Thamud, and the Companions of the Rass, and many a generation between them.
[25:39] To each one We set forth Parables and examples; and each one We broke to utter annihilation (for their sins).
[25:40] And the (Unbelievers) must indeed have passed by the town on which was rained a shower of evil: did they not then see it (with their own eyes)? But they fear not the Resurrection.
[25:41] When they see thee, they treat thee no otherwise than in mockery: "Is this the one whom Allah has sent as a messenger?"
[25:42] "He indeed would well-nigh have misled us from our gods, had it not been that we were constant to them!" - Soon will they know, when they see the Penalty, who it is that is most misled in Path!
[25:43] Seest thou such a one as taketh for his god his own passion (or impulse)? Couldst thou be a disposer of affairs for him?
[25:44] Or thinkest thou that most of them listen or understand? They are only like cattle;- nay, they are worse astray in Path.
[25:45] Hast thou not turned thy vision to thy Lord?- How He doth prolong the shadow! If He willed, He could make it stationary! then do We make the sun its guide;
[25:46] Then We draw it in towards Ourselves,- a contraction by easy stages.
[25:47] And He it is Who makes the Night as a Robe for you, and Sleep as Repose, and makes the Day (as it were) a Resurrection.
[25:48] And He it is Who sends the winds as heralds of glad tidings, going before His mercy, and We send down pure water from the sky,-
[25:49] That with it We may give life to a dead land, and slake the thirst of things We have created,- cattle and men in great numbers.
[25:50] And We have distributed the (water) amongst them, in order that they may celebrate (our) praises, but most men are averse (to aught) but (rank) ingratitude.
[25:51] Had it been Our Will, We could have sent a warner to every centre of population.
[25:52] Therefore listen not to the Unbelievers, but strive against them with the utmost strenuousness, with the (Qur'an).
[25:53] It is He Who has let free the two bodies of flowing water: One palatable and sweet, and the other salt and bitter; yet has He made a barrier between them, a partition that is forbidden to be passed.
[25:54] It is He Who has created man from water: then has He established relationships of lineage and marriage: for thy Lord has power (over all things).
[25:55] Yet do they worship, besides Allah, things that can neither profit them nor harm them: and the Misbeliever is a helper (of Evil), against his own Lord!
[25:56] But thee We only sent to give glad tidings and admonition.
[25:57] Say: "No reward do I ask of you for it but this: that each one who will may take a (straight) Path to his Lord."
[25:58] And put thy trust in Him Who lives and dies not; and celebrate his praise; and enough is He to be acquainted with the faults of His servants;-
[25:59] He Who created the heavens and the earth and all that is between, in six days, and is firmly established on the Throne (of Authority): Allah Most Gracious: ask thou, then, about Him of any acquainted (with such things).
[25:60] When it is said to them, "Prostrate to (Allah) Most Gracious!", they say, "And what is (Allah) Most Gracious? Shall we prostrate to that which thou commandest us?" And it increases their flight (from the Truth).
[25:61] Blessed is He Who made constellations in the skies, and placed therein a Lamp and a Moon giving light;
[25:62] And it is He Who made the Night and the Day to follow each other: for such as have the will to celebrate His praises or to show their gratitude.
[25:63] And the servants of (Allah) Most Gracious are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say, "Peace!";
[25:64] Those who spend the night in adoration of their Lord prostrate and standing;
[25:65] Those who say, "Our Lord! avert from us the Wrath of Hell, for its Wrath is indeed an affliction grievous,-
[25:66] "Evil indeed is it as an abode, and as a place to rest in";
[25:67] Those who, when they spend, are not extravagant and not niggardly, but hold a just (balance) between those (extremes);
[25:68] Those who invoke not, with Allah, any other god, nor slay such life as Allah has made sacred except for just cause, nor commit fornication; - and any that does this (not only) meets punishment.
[25:69] (But) the Penalty on the Day of Judgment will be doubled to him, and he will dwell therein in ignominy,-
[25:70] Unless he repents, believes, and works righteous deeds, for Allah will change the evil of such persons into good, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful,
[25:71] And whoever repents and does good has truly turned to Allah with an (acceptable) conversion;-
[25:72] Those who witness no falsehood, and, if they pass by futility, they pass by it with honourable (avoidance);
[25:73] Those who, when they are admonished with the Signs of their Lord, droop not down at them as if they were deaf or blind;
[25:74] And those who pray, "Our Lord! Grant unto us wives and offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and give us (the grace) to lead the righteous."
[25:75] Those are the ones who will be rewarded with the highest place in heaven, because of their patient constancy: therein shall they be met with salutations and peace,
[25:76] Dwelling therein;- how beautiful an abode and place of rest!
[25:77] Say (to the Rejecters): "My Lord is not uneasy because of you if ye call not on Him: But ye have indeed rejected (Him), and soon will come the inevitable (punishment)!"
Bani Isra'il / The Israelites (17)
[17:1] Glory to (Allah) Who did take His servant for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless,- in order that We might show him some of Our Signs: for He is the One Who heareth and seeth (all things).
[17:2] We gave Moses the Book, and made it a Guide to the Children of Israel, (commanding): "Take not other than Me as Disposer of (your) affairs."
[17:3] O ye that are sprung from those whom We carried (in the Ark) with Noah! Verily he was a devotee most grateful.
[17:4] And We gave (Clear) Warning to the Children of Israel in the Book, that twice would they do mischief on the earth and be elated with mighty arrogance (and twice would they be punished)!
[17:5] When the first of the warnings came to pass, We sent against you Our servants given to terrible warfare: They entered the very inmost parts of your homes; and it was a warning (completely) fulfilled.
[17:6] Then did We grant you the Return as against them: We gave you increase in resources and sons, and made you the more numerous in man-power.
[17:7] If ye did well, ye did well for yourselves; if ye did evil, (ye did it) against yourselves. So when the second of the warnings came to pass, (We permitted your enemies) to disfigure your faces, and to enter your Temple as they had entered it before, and to visit with destruction all that fell into their power.
[17:8] It may be that your Lord may (yet) show Mercy unto you; but if ye revert (to your sins), We shall revert (to Our punishments): And we have made Hell a prison for those who reject (all Faith).
[17:9] Verily this Qur'an doth guide to that which is most right (or stable), and giveth the Glad Tidings to the Believers who work deeds of righteousness, that they shall have a magnificent reward;
[17:10] And to those who believe not in the Hereafter, (it announceth) that We have prepared for them a Penalty Grievous (indeed).
[17:11] The prayer that man should make for good, he maketh for evil; for man is given to hasty (deeds).
[17:12] We have made the Night and the Day as two (of Our) Signs: the Sign of the Night have We obscured, while the Sign of the Day We have made to enlighten you; that ye may seek bounty from your Lord, and that ye may know the number and count of the years: all things have We explained in detail.
[17:13] Every man's fate We have fastened on his own neck: On the Day of Judgment We shall bring out for him a scroll, which he will see spread open.
[17:14] (It will be said to him:) "Read thine (own) record: Sufficient is thy soul this day to make out an account against thee."
[17:15] Who receiveth guidance, receiveth it for his own benefit: who goeth astray doth so to his own loss: No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another: nor would We visit with Our Wrath until We had sent an messenger (to give warning).
[17:16] When We decide to destroy a population, We (first) send a definite order to those among them who are given the good things of this life and yet transgress; so that the word is proved true against them: then (it is) We destroy them utterly.
[17:17] How many generations have We destroyed after Noah? and enough is thy Lord to note and see the sins of His servants.
[17:18] If any do wish for the transitory things (of this life), We readily grant them - such things as We will, to such person as We will: in the end have We provided Hell for them: they will burn therein, disgraced and rejected.
[17:19] Those who do wish for the (things of) the Hereafter, and strive therefor with all due striving, and have Faith,- they are the ones whose striving is acceptable (to Allah).
[17:20] Of the bounties of thy Lord We bestow freely on all- These as well as those: The bounties of thy Lord are not closed (to anyone).
[17:21] See how We have bestowed more on some than on others; but verily the Hereafter is more in rank and gradation and more in excellence.
[17:22] Take not with Allah another object of worship; or thou (O man!) wilt sit in disgrace and destitution.
[17:23] Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour.
[17:24] And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: "My Lord! bestow on them thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood."
[17:25] Your Lord knoweth best what is in your hearts: If ye do deeds of righteousness, verily He is Most Forgiving to those who turn to Him again and again (in true penitence).
[17:26] And render to the kindred their due rights, as (also) to those in want, and to the wayfarer: But squander not (your wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift.
[17:27] Verily spendthrifts are brothers of the Evil Ones; and the Evil One is to his Lord (himself) ungrateful.
[17:28] And even if thou hast to turn away from them in pursuit of the Mercy from thy Lord which thou dost expect, yet speak to them a word of easy kindness.
[17:29] Make not thy hand tied (like a niggard's) to thy neck, nor stretch it forth to its utmost reach, so that thou become blameworthy and destitute.
[17:30] Verily thy Lord doth provide sustenance in abundance for whom He pleaseth, and He provideth in a just measure. For He doth know and regard all His servants.
[17:31] Kill not your children for fear of want: We shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you. Verily the killing of them is a great sin.
[17:32] Nor come nigh to adultery: for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the road (to other evils).
[17:33] Nor take life - which Allah has made sacred - except for just cause. And if anyone is slain wrongfully, we have given his heir authority (to demand qisas or to forgive): but let him not exceed bounds in the matter of taking life; for he is helped (by the Law).
[17:34] Come not nigh to the orphan's property except to improve it, until he attains the age of full strength; and fulfil (every) engagement, for (every) engagement will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning).
[17:35] Give full measure when ye measure, and weigh with a balance that is straight: that is the most fitting and the most advantageous in the final determination.
[17:36] And pursue not that of which thou hast no knowledge; for every act of hearing, or of seeing or of (feeling in) the heart will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning).
[17:37] Nor walk on the earth with insolence: for thou canst not rend the earth asunder, nor reach the mountains in height.
[17:38] Of all such things the evil is hateful in the sight of thy Lord.
[17:39] These are among the (precepts of) wisdom, which thy Lord has revealed to thee. Take not, with Allah, another object of worship, lest thou shouldst be thrown into Hell, blameworthy and rejected.
[17:40] Has then your Lord (O Pagans!) preferred for you sons, and taken for Himself daughters among the angels? Truly ye utter a most dreadful saying!
[17:41] We have explained (things) in various (ways) in this Qur'an, in order that they may receive admonition, but it only increases their flight (from the Truth)!
[17:42] Say: If there had been (other) gods with Him, as they say,- behold, they would certainly have sought out a way to the Lord of the Throne!
[17:43] Glory to Him! He is high above all that they say!- Exalted and Great (beyond measure)!
[17:44] The seven heavens and the earth, and all beings therein, declare His glory: there is not a thing but celebrates His praise; And yet ye understand not how they declare His glory! Verily He is Oft-Forbear, Most Forgiving!
[17:45] When thou dost recite the Qur'an, We put, between thee and those who believe not in the Hereafter, a veil invisible:
[17:46] And We put coverings over their hearts (and minds) lest they should understand the Qur'an, and deafness into their ears: when thou dost commemorate thy Lord and Him alone in the Qur'an, they turn on their backs, fleeing (from the Truth).
[17:47] We know best why it is they listen, when they listen to thee; and when they meet in private conference, behold, the wicked say, "Ye follow none other than a man bewitched!"
[17:48] See what similes they strike for thee: but they have gone astray, and never can they find a way.
[17:49] They say: "What! when we are reduced to bones and dust, should we really be raised up (to be) a new creation?"
[17:50] Say: "(Nay!) be ye stones or iron,
[17:51] "Or created matter which, in your minds, is hardest (to be raised up),- (Yet shall ye be raised up)!" then will they say: "Who will cause us to return?" Say: "He who created you first!" Then will they wag their heads towards thee, and say, "When will that be?" Say, "May be it will be quite soon!
[17:52] "It will be on a Day when He will call you, and ye will answer (His call) with (words of) His praise, and ye will think that ye tarried but a little while!"
[17:53] Say to My servants that they should (only) say those things that are best: for Satan doth sow dissensions among them: For Satan is to man an avowed enemy.
[17:54] It is your Lord that knoweth you best: If He please, He granteth you mercy, or if He please, punishment: We have not sent thee to be a disposer of their affairs for them.
[17:55] And it is your Lord that knoweth best all beings that are in the heavens and on earth: We did bestow on some prophets more (and other) gifts than on others: and We gave to David (the gift of) the Psalms.
[17:56] Say: "Call on those - besides Him - whom ye fancy: they have neither the power to remove your troubles from you nor to change them."
[17:57] Those whom they call upon do desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord, - even those who are nearest: they hope for His Mercy and fear His Wrath: for the Wrath of thy Lord is something to take heed of.
[17:58] There is not a population but We shall destroy it before the Day of Judgment or punish it with a dreadful Penalty: that is written in the (eternal) Record.
[17:59] And We refrain from sending the signs, only because the men of former generations treated them as false: We sent the she-camel to the Thamud to open their eyes, but they treated her wrongfully: We only send the Signs by way of terror (and warning from evil).
[17:60] Behold! We told thee that thy Lord doth encompass mankind round about: We granted the vision which We showed thee, but as a trial for men,- as also the Cursed Tree (mentioned) in the Qur'an: We put terror (and warning) into them, but it only increases their inordinate transgression!
[17:61] Behold! We said to the angels: "Bow down unto Adam": They bowed down except Iblis: He said, "Shall I bow down to one whom Thou didst create from clay?"
[17:62] He said: "Seest Thou? this is the one whom Thou hast honoured above me! If Thou wilt but respite me to the Day of Judgment, I will surely bring his descendants under my sway - all but a few!"
[17:63] (Allah) said: "Go thy way; if any of them follow thee, verily Hell will be the recompense of you (all)- an ample recompense.
[17:64] "Lead to destruction those whom thou canst among them, with thy (seductive) voice; make assaults on them with thy cavalry and thy infantry; mutually share with them wealth and children; and make promises to them." But Satan promises them nothing but deceit.
[17:65] "As for My servants, no authority shalt thou have over them:" Enough is thy Lord for a Disposer of affairs.
[17:66] Your Lord is He That maketh the Ship go smoothly for you through the sea, in order that ye may seek of his Bounty. For he is unto you most Merciful.
[17:67] When distress seizes you at sea, those that ye call upon - besides Himself - leave you in the lurch! but when He brings you back safe to land, ye turn away (from Him). Most ungrateful is man!
[17:68] Do ye then feel secure that He will not cause you to be swallowed up beneath the earth when ye are on land, or that He will not send against you a violent tornado (with showers of stones) so that ye shall find no one to carry out your affairs for you?
[17:69] Or do ye feel secure that He will not send you back a second time to sea and send against you a heavy gale to drown you because of your ingratitude, so that ye find no helper. Therein against Us?
[17:70] We have honoured the sons of Adam; provided them with transport on land and sea; given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favours, above a great part of our creation.
[17:71] One day We shall call together all human beings with their (respective) Imams: those who are given their record in their right hand will read it (with pleasure), and they will not be dealt with unjustly in the least.
[17:72] But those who were blind in this world, will be blind in the hereafter, and most astray from the Path.
[17:73] And their purpose was to tempt thee away from that which We had revealed unto thee, to substitute in our name something quite different; (in that case), behold! they would certainly have made thee (their) friend!
[17:74] And had We not given thee strength, thou wouldst nearly have inclined to them a little.
[17:75] In that case We should have made thee taste an equal portion (of punishment) in this life, and an equal portion in death: and moreover thou wouldst have found none to help thee against Us!
[17:76] Their purpose was to scare thee off the land, in order to expel thee; but in that case they would not have stayed (therein) after thee, except for a little while.
[17:77] (This was Our) way with the messengers We sent before thee: thou wilt find no change in Our ways.
[17:78] Establish regular prayers - at the sun's decline till the darkness of the night, and the morning prayer and reading: for the prayer and reading in the morning carry their testimony.
[17:79] And pray in the small watches of the morning: (it would be) an additional prayer (or spiritual profit) for thee: soon will thy Lord raise thee to a Station of Praise and Glory!
[17:80] Say: "O my Lord! Let my entry be by the Gate of Truth and Honour, and likewise my exit by the Gate of Truth and Honour; and grant me from Thy Presence an authority to aid (me)."
[17:81] And say: "Truth has (now) arrived, and Falsehood perished: for Falsehood is (by its nature) bound to perish."
[17:82] We send down (stage by stage) in the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe: to the unjust it causes nothing but loss after loss.
[17:83] Yet when We bestow Our favours on man, he turns away and becomes remote on his side (instead of coming to Us), and when evil seizes him he gives himself up to despair!
[17:84] Say: "Everyone acts according to his own disposition: But your Lord knows best who it is that is best guided on the Way."
[17:85] They ask thee concerning the Spirit (of inspiration). Say: "The Spirit (cometh) by command of my Lord: of knowledge it is only a little that is communicated to you, (O men!)"
[17:86] If it were Our Will, We could take away that which We have sent thee by inspiration:then wouldst thou find none to plead thy affair in that matter as against Us,-
[17:87] Except for Mercy from thy Lord: for his bounty is to thee (indeed) great.
[17:88] Say: "If the whole of mankind and Jinns were to gather together to produce the like of this Qur'an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they backed up each other with help and support.
[17:89] And We have explained to man, in this Qur'an, every kind of similitude: yet the greater part of men refuse (to receive it) except with ingratitude!
[17:90] They say: "We shall not believe in thee, until thou cause a spring to gush forth for us from the earth,
[17:91] "Or (until) thou have a garden of date trees and vines, and cause rivers to gush forth in their midst, carrying abundant water;
[17:92] "Or thou cause the sky to fall in pieces, as thou sayest (will happen), against us; or thou bring Allah and the angels before (us) face to face:
[17:93] "Or thou have a house adorned with gold, or thou mount a ladder right into the skies. No, we shall not even believe in thy mounting until thou send down to us a book that we could read." Say: "Glory to my Lord! Am I aught but a man,- a messenger?"
[17:94] What kept men back from belief when Guidance came to them, was nothing but this: they said, "Has Allah sent a man (like us) to be (His) Messenger?"
[17:95] Say, "If there were settled, on earth, angels walking about in peace and quiet, We should certainly have sent them down from the heavens an angel for a messenger."
[17:96] Say: "Enough is Allah for a witness between me and you: for He is well acquainted with His servants, and He sees (all things).
[17:97] It is he whom Allah guides, that is on true Guidance; but he whom He leaves astray - for such wilt thou find no protector besides Him. On the Day of Judgment We shall gather, them together, prone on their faces, blind, dumb, and deaf: their abode will be Hell: every time it shows abatement, We shall increase from them the fierceness of the Fire.
[17:98] That is their recompense, because they rejected Our signs, and said, "When we are reduced to bones and broken dust, should we really be raised up (to be) a new Creation?"
[17:99] See they not that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, has power to create the like of them (anew)? Only He has decreed a term appointed, of which there is no doubt. But the unjust refuse (to receive it) except with ingratitude.
[17:100] Say: "If ye had control of the Treasures of the Mercy of my Lord, behold, ye would keep them back, for fear of spending them: for man is (every) niggardly!"
[17:101] To Moses We did give Nine Clear Signs: As the Children of Israel: when he came to them, Pharaoh said to him: "O Moses! I consider thee, indeed, to have been worked upon by sorcery!
[17:102] Moses said, "Thou knowest well that these things have been sent down by none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth as eye-opening evidence: and I consider thee indeed, O Pharaoh, to be one doomed to destruction!"
[17:103] So he resolved to remove them from the face of the earth: but We did drown him and all who were with him.
[17:104] And We said thereafter to the Children of Israel, "Dwell securely in the land (of promise)": but when the second of the warnings came to pass, We gathered you together in a mingled crowd.
[17:105] We sent down the (Qur'an) in Truth, and in Truth has it descended: and We sent thee but to give Glad Tidings and to warn (sinners).
[17:106] (It is) a Qur'an which We have divided (into parts from time to time), in order that thou mightest recite it to men at intervals: We have revealed it by stages.
[17:107] Say: "Whether ye believe in it or not, it is true that those who were given knowledge beforehand, when it is recited to them, fall down on their faces in humble prostration,
[17:108] "And they say: 'Glory to our Lord! Truly has the promise of our Lord been fulfilled!'"
[17:109] They fall down on their faces in tears, and it increases their (earnest) humility.
[17:110] Say: "Call upon Allah, or call upon Rahman: by whatever name ye call upon Him, (it is well): for to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. Neither speak thy Prayer aloud, nor speak it in a low tone, but seek a middle course between."
[17:111] Say: "Praise be to Allah, who begets no son, and has no partner in (His) dominion: Nor (needs) He any to protect Him from humiliation: yea, magnify Him for His greatness and glory!"
An-Naml / The Ant (27)
[27:1] These are verses of the Qur'an,-a book that makes (things) clear;
[27:2] A guide: and glad tidings for the believers,-
[27:3] Those who establish regular prayers and give in regular charity, and also have (full) assurance of the hereafter.
[27:4] As to those who believe not in the Hereafter, We have made their deeds pleasing in their eyes; and so they wander about in distraction.
[27:5] Such are they for whom a grievous Penalty is (waiting); and in the Hereafter theirs will be the greatest loss.
[27:6] As to thee, the Qur'an is bestowed upon thee from the presence of one who is wise and all-knowing.
[27:7] Behold! Moses said to his family: "I perceive a fire; soon will I bring you from there some information, or I will bring you a burning brand to light our fuel, that ye may warn yourselves.
[27:8] But when he came to the (fire), a voice was heard: "Blessed are those in the fire and those around: and glory to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
[27:9] "O Moses! verily, I am Allah, the exalted in might, the wise!....
[27:10] "Now do thou throw thy rod!" But when he saw it moving (of its own accord)as if it had been a snake, he turned back in retreat, and retraced not his steps: "O Moses!" (it was said), "Fear not: truly, in My presence, those called as messengers have no fear,-
[27:11] "But if any have done wrong and have thereafter substituted good to take the place of evil, truly, I am Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
[27:12] "Now put thy hand into thy bosom, and it will come forth white without stain (or harm): (these are) among the nine Signs (thou wilt take) to Pharaoh and his people: for they are a people rebellious in transgression."
[27:13] But when Our Signs came to them, that should have opened their eyes, they said: "This is sorcery manifest!"
[27:14] And they rejected those Signs in iniquity and arrogance, though their souls were convinced thereof: so see what was the end of those who acted corruptly!
[27:15] We gave (in the past) knowledge to David and Solomon: And they both said: "Praise be to Allah, Who has favoured us above many of his servants who believe!"
[27:16] And Solomon was David's heir. He said: "O ye people! We have been taught the speech of birds, and on us has been bestowed (a little) of all things: this is indeed Grace manifest (from Allah.)"
[27:17] And before Solomon were marshalled his hosts,- of Jinns and men and birds, and they were all kept in order and ranks.
[27:18] At length, when they came to a (lowly) valley of ants, one of the ants said: "O ye ants, get into your habitations, lest Solomon and his hosts crush you (under foot) without knowing it."
[27:19] So he smiled, amused at her speech; and he said: "O my Lord! so order me that I may be grateful for Thy favours, which thou hast bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may work the righteousness that will please Thee: And admit me, by Thy Grace, to the ranks of Thy righteous Servants."
[27:20] And he took a muster of the Birds; and he said: "Why is it I see not the Hoopoe? Or is he among the absentees?
[27:21] "I will certainly punish him with a severe penalty, or execute him, unless he bring me a clear reason (for absence)."
[27:22] But the Hoopoe tarried not far: he (came up and) said: "I have compassed (territory) which thou hast not compassed, and I have come to thee from Saba with tidings true.
[27:23] "I found (there) a woman ruling over them and provided with every requisite; and she has a magnificent throne.
[27:24] "I found her and her people worshipping the sun besides Allah: Satan has made their deeds seem pleasing in their eyes, and has kept them away from the Path,- so they receive no guidance,-
[27:25] "(Kept them away from the Path), that they should not worship Allah, Who brings to light what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows what ye hide and what ye reveal.
[27:26] "Allah!- there is no god but He!- Lord of the Throne Supreme!"
[27:27] (Solomon) said: "Soon shall we see whether thou hast told the truth or lied!
[27:28] "Go thou, with this letter of mine, and deliver it to them: then draw back from them, and (wait to) see what answer they return"...
[27:29] (The queen) said: "Ye chiefs! here is delivered to me - a letter worthy of respect.
[27:30] "It is from Solomon, and is (as follows): 'In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful:
[27:31] "'Be ye not arrogant against me, but come to me in submission (to the true Religion).'"
[27:32] She said: "Ye chiefs! advise me in (this) my affair: no affair have I decided except in your presence."
[27:33] They said: "We are endued with strength, and given to vehement war: but the command is with thee; so consider what thou wilt command."
[27:34] She said: "Kings, when they enter a country, despoil it, and make the noblest of its people its meanest thus do they behave.
[27:35] "But I am going to send him a present, and (wait) to see with what (answer) return (my) ambassadors."
[27:36] Now when (the embassy) came to Solomon, he said: "Will ye give me abundance in wealth? But that which Allah has given me is better than that which He has given you! Nay it is ye who rejoice in your gift!
[27:37] "Go back to them, and be sure we shall come to them with such hosts as they will never be able to meet: We shall expel them from there in disgrace, and they will feel humbled (indeed)."
[27:38] He said (to his own men): "Ye chiefs! which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?"
[27:39] Said an 'Ifrit, of the Jinns: "I will bring it to thee before thou rise from thy council: indeed I have full strength for the purpose, and may be trusted."
[27:40] Said one who had knowledge of the Book: "I will bring it to thee within the twinkling of an eye!" Then when (Solomon) saw it placed firmly before him, he said: "This is by the Grace of my Lord!- to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful! and if any is grateful, truly his gratitude is (a gain) for his own soul; but if any is ungrateful, truly my Lord is Free of all Needs, Supreme in Honour !"
[27:41] He said: "Transform her throne out of all recognition by her: let us see whether she is guided (to the truth) or is one of those who receive no guidance."
[27:42] So when she arrived, she was asked, "Is this thy throne?" She said, "It was just like this; and knowledge was bestowed on us in advance of this, and we have submitted to Allah (in Islam)."
[27:43] And he diverted her from the worship of others besides Allah: for she was (sprung) of a people that had no faith.
[27:44] She was asked to enter the lofty Palace: but when she saw it, she thought it was a lake of water, and she (tucked up her skirts), uncovering her legs. He said: "This is but a palace paved smooth with slabs of glass." She said: "O my Lord! I have indeed wronged my soul: I do (now) submit (in Islam), with Solomon, to the Lord of the Worlds."
[27:45] We sent (aforetime), to the Thamud, their brother Salih, saying, "Serve Allah": But behold, they became two factions quarrelling with each other.
[27:46] He said: "O my people! why ask ye to hasten on the evil in preference to the good? If only ye ask Allah for forgiveness, ye may hope to receive mercy.
[27:47] They said: "Ill omen do we augur from thee and those that are with thee". He said: "Your ill omen is with Allah; yea, ye are a people under trial."
[27:48] There were in the city nine men of a family, who made mischief in the land, and would not reform.
[27:49] They said: "Swear a mutual oath by Allah that we shall make a secret night attack on him and his people, and that we shall then say to his heir (when he seeks vengeance): 'We were not present at the slaughter of his people, and we are positively telling the truth.'"
[27:50] They plotted and planned, but We too planned, even while they perceived it not.
[27:51] Then see what was the end of their plot!- this, that We destroyed them and their people, all (of them).
[27:52] Now such were their houses, - in utter ruin, - because they practised wrong-doing. Verily in this is a Sign for people of knowledge.
[27:53] And We saved those who believed and practised righteousness.
[27:54] (We also sent) Lut (as a messenger): behold, He said to his people, "Do ye do what is shameful though ye see (its iniquity)?
[27:55] Would ye really approach men in your lusts rather than women? Nay, ye are a people (grossly) ignorant!
[27:56] But his people gave no other answer but this: they said, "Drive out the followers of Lut from your city: these are indeed men who want to be clean and pure!"
[27:57] But We saved him and his family, except his wife; her We destined to be of those who lagged behind.
[27:58] And We rained down on them a shower (of brimstone): and evil was the shower on those who were admonished (but heeded not)!
[27:59] Say: Praise be to Allah, and Peace on his servants whom He has chosen (for his Message). (Who) is better?- Allah or the false gods they associate (with Him)?
[27:60] Or, Who has created the heavens and the earth, and Who sends you down rain from the sky? Yea, with it We cause to grow well-planted orchards full of beauty of delight: it is not in your power to cause the growth of the trees in them. (Can there be another) god besides Allah? Nay, they are a people who swerve from justice.
[27:61] Or, Who has made the earth firm to live in; made rivers in its midst; set thereon mountains immovable; and made a separating bar between the two bodies of flowing water? (can there be another) god besides Allah? Nay, most of them know not.
[27:62] Or, Who listens to the (soul) distressed when it calls on Him, and Who relieves its suffering, and makes you (mankind) inheritors of the earth? (Can there be another) god besides Allah? Little it is that ye heed!
[27:63] Or, Who guides you through the depths of darkness on land and sea, and Who sends the winds as heralds of glad tidings, going before His Mercy? (Can there be another) god besides Allah?- High is Allah above what they associate with Him!
[27:64] Or, Who originates creation, then repeats it, and who gives you sustenance from heaven and earth? (Can there be another) god besides Allah? Say, "Bring forth your argument, if ye are telling the truth!"
[27:65] Say: None in the heavens or on earth, except Allah, knows what is hidden: nor can they perceive when they shall be raised up (for Judgment).
[27:66] Still less can their knowledge comprehend the Hereafter: Nay, they are in doubt and uncertainty thereanent; nay, they are blind thereunto!
[27:67] The Unbelievers say: "What! when we become dust,- we and our fathers,- shall we really be raised (from the dead)?
[27:68] "It is true we were promised this,- we and our fathers before (us): these are nothing but tales of the ancients."
[27:69] Say: "Go ye through the earth and see what has been the end of those guilty (of sin)."
[27:70] But grieve not over them, nor distress thyself because of their plots.
[27:71] They also say: "When will this promise (come to pass)? (Say) if ye are truthful."
[27:72] Say: "It may be that some of the events which ye wish to hasten on may be (close) in your pursuit!"
[27:73] But verily thy Lord is full of grace to mankind: Yet most of them are ungrateful.
[27:74] And verily thy Lord knoweth all that their hearts do hide. As well as all that they reveal.
[27:75] Nor is there aught of the unseen, in heaven or earth, but is (recorded) in a clear record.
[27:76] Verily this Qur'an doth explain to the Children of Israel most of the matters in which they disagree.
[27:77] And it certainly is a Guide and a Mercy to those who believe.
[27:78] Verily thy Lord will decide between them by His Decree: and He is Exalted in Might, All-Knowing.
[27:79] So put thy trust in Allah: for thou art on (the path of) manifest Truth.
[27:80] Truly thou canst not cause the dead to listen, nor canst thou cause the deaf to hear the call, (especially) when they turn back in retreat.
[27:81] Nor canst thou be a guide to the blind, (to prevent them) from straying: only those wilt thou get to listen who believe in Our Signs, and they will bow in Islam.
[27:82] And when the Word is fulfilled against them (the unjust), we shall produce from the earth a beast to (face) them: He will speak to them, for that mankind did not believe with assurance in Our Signs.
[27:83] One day We shall gather together from every people a troop of those who reject our Signs, and they shall be kept in ranks,-
[27:84] Until, when they come (before the Judgment-seat), (Allah) will say: "Did ye reject My Signs, though ye comprehended them not in knowledge, or what was it ye did?"
[27:85] And the Word will be fulfilled against them, because of their wrong-doing, and they will be unable to speak (in plea).
[27:86] See they not that We have made the Night for them to rest in and the Day to give them light? Verily in this are Signs for any people that believe!
[27:87] And the Day that the Trumpet will be sounded - then will be smitten with terror those who are in the heavens, and those who are on earth, except such as Allah will please (to exempt): and all shall come to His (Presence) as beings conscious of their lowliness.
[27:88] Thou seest the mountains and thinkest them firmly fixed: but they shall pass away as the clouds pass away: (such is) the artistry of Allah, who disposes of all things in perfect order: for he is well acquainted with all that ye do.
[27:89] If any do good, good will (accrue) to them therefrom; and they will be secure from terror that Day.
[27:90] And if any do evil, their faces will be thrown headlong into the Fire: "Do ye receive a reward other than that which ye have earned by your deeds?"
[27:91] For me, I have been commanded to serve the Lord of this city, Him Who has sanctified it and to Whom (belong) all things: and I am commanded to be of those who bow in Islam to Allah's Will,-
[27:92] And to rehearse the Qur'an: and if any accept guidance, they do it for the good of their own souls, and if any stray, say: "I am only a Warner".
[27:93] And say: "Praise be to Allah, Who will soon show you His Signs, so that ye shall know them"; and thy Lord is not unmindful of all that ye do.
Al-Kahf / The Cave (18)
[18:1] Praise be to Allah, Who hath sent to His Servant the Book, and hath allowed therein no Crookedness:
[18:2] (He hath made it) Straight (and Clear) in order that He may warn (the godless) of a terrible Punishment from Him, and that He may give Glad Tidings to the Believers who work righteous deeds, that they shall have a goodly Reward,
[18:3] Wherein they shall remain for ever:
[18:4] Further, that He may warn those (also) who say, "Allah hath begotten a son":
[18:5] No knowledge have they of such a thing, nor had their fathers. It is a grievous thing that issues from their mouths as a saying what they say is nothing but falsehood!
[18:6] Thou wouldst only, perchance, fret thyself to death, following after them, in grief, if they believe not in this Message.
[18:7] That which is on earth we have made but as a glittering show for the earth, in order that We may test them - as to which of them are best in conduct.
[18:8] Verily what is on earth we shall make but as dust and dry soil (without growth or herbage).
[18:9] Or dost thou reflect that the Companions of the Cave and of the Inscription were wonders among Our Sign?
[18:10] Behold, the youths betook themselves to the Cave: they said, "Our Lord! bestow on us Mercy from Thyself, and dispose of our affair for us in the right way!"
[18:11] Then We draw (a veil) over their ears, for a number of years, in the Cave, (so that they heard not):
[18:12] Then We roused them, in order to test which of the two parties was best at calculating the term of years they had tarried!
[18:13] We relate to thee their story in truth: they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We advanced them in guidance:
[18:14] We gave strength to their hearts: Behold, they stood up and said: "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and of the earth: never shall we call upon any god other than Him: if we did, we should indeed have uttered an enormity!
[18:15] "These our people have taken for worship gods other than Him: why do they not bring forward an authority clear (and convincing) for what they do? Who doth more wrong than such as invent a falsehood against Allah?
[18:16] "When ye turn away from them and the things they worship other than Allah, betake yourselves to the Cave: Your Lord will shower His mercies on you and disposes of your affair towards comfort and ease."
[18:17] Thou wouldst have seen the sun, when it rose, declining to the right from their Cave, and when it set, turning away from them to the left, while they lay in the open space in the midst of the Cave. Such are among the Signs of Allah: He whom Allah, guides is rightly guided; but he whom Allah leaves to stray,- for him wilt thou find no protector to lead him to the Right Way.
[18:18] Thou wouldst have deemed them awake, whilst they were asleep, and We turned them on their right and on their left sides: their dog stretching forth his two fore-legs on the threshold: if thou hadst come up on to them, thou wouldst have certainly turned back from them in flight, and wouldst certainly have been filled with terror of them.
[18:19] Such (being their state), we raised them up (from sleep), that they might question each other. Said one of them, "How long have ye stayed (here)?" They said, "We have stayed (perhaps) a day, or part of a day." (At length) they (all) said, "Allah (alone) knows best how long ye have stayed here.... Now send ye then one of you with this money of yours to the town: let him find out which is the best food (to be had) and bring some to you, that (ye may) satisfy your hunger therewith: And let him behave with care and courtesy, and let him not inform any one about you.
[18:20] "For if they should come upon you, they would stone you or force you to return to their cult, and in that case ye would never attain prosperity."
[18:21] Thus did We make their case known to the people, that they might know that the promise of Allah is true, and that there can be no doubt about the Hour of Judgment. Behold, they dispute among themselves as to their affair. (Some) said, "Construct a building over them": Their Lord knows best about them: those who prevailed over their affair said, "Let us surely build a place of worship over them."
[18:22] (Some) say they were three, the dog being the fourth among them; (others) say they were five, the dog being the sixth,- doubtfully guessing at the unknown; (yet others) say they were seven, the dog being the eighth. Say thou: "My Lord knoweth best their number; It is but few that know their (real case)." Enter not, therefore, into controversies concerning them, except on a matter that is clear, nor consult any of them about (the affair of) the Sleepers.
[18:23] Nor say of anything, "I shall be sure to do so and so tomorrow"-
[18:24] Without adding, "So please Allah!" and call thy Lord to mind when thou forgettest, and say, "I hope that my Lord will guide me ever closer (even) than this to the right road."
[18:25] So they stayed in their Cave three hundred years, and (some) add nine (more)
[18:26] Say: "Allah knows best how long they stayed: with Him is (the knowledge of) the secrets of the heavens and the earth: how clearly He sees, how finely He hears (everything)! They have no protector other than Him; nor does He share His Command with any person whatsoever.
[18:27] And recite (and teach) what has been revealed to thee of the Book of thy Lord: none can change His Words, and none wilt thou find as a refuge other than Him.
[18:28] And keep thy soul content with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face; and let not thine eyes pass beyond them, seeking the pomp and glitter of this Life; no obey any whose heart We have permitted to neglect the remembrance of Us, one who follows his own desires, whose case has gone beyond all bounds.
[18:29] Say, "The truth is from your Lord": Let him who will believe, and let him who will, reject (it): for the wrong-doers We have prepared a Fire whose (smoke and flames), like the walls and roof of a tent, will hem them in: if they implore relief they will be granted water like melted brass, that will scald their faces, how dreadful the drink! How uncomfortable a couch to recline on!
[18:30] As to those who believe and work righteousness, verily We shall not suffer to perish the reward of any who do a (single) righteous deed.
[18:31] For them will be Gardens of Eternity; beneath them rivers will flow; they will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold, and they will wear green garments of fine silk and heavy brocade: They will recline therein on raised thrones. How good the recompense! How beautiful a couch to recline on!
[18:32] Set forth to them the parable of two men: for one of them We provided two gardens of grape-vines and surrounded them with date palms; in between the two We placed corn-fields.
[18:33] Each of those gardens brought forth its produce, and failed not in the least therein: in the midst of them We caused a river to flow.
[18:34] (Abundant) was the produce this man had : he said to his companion, in the course of a mutual argument: "more wealth have I than you, and more honour and power in (my following of) men."
[18:35] He went into his garden in a state (of mind) unjust to his soul: He said, "I deem not that this will ever perish,
[18:36] "Nor do I deem that the Hour (of Judgment) will (ever) come: Even if I am brought back to my Lord, I shall surely find (there) something better in exchange."
[18:37] His companion said to him, in the course of the argument with him: "Dost thou deny Him Who created thee out of dust, then out of a sperm-drop, then fashioned thee into a man?
[18:38] "But (I think) for my part that He is Allah, My Lord, and none shall I associate with my Lord.
[18:39] "Why didst thou not, as thou wentest into thy garden, say: 'Allah's will (be done)! There is no power but with Allah!' If thou dost see me less than thee in wealth and sons,
[18:40] "It may be that my Lord will give me something better than thy garden, and that He will send on thy garden thunderbolts (by way of reckoning) from heaven, making it (but) slippery sand!-
[18:41] "Or the water of the garden will run off underground so that thou wilt never be able to find it."
[18:42] So his fruits (and enjoyment) were encompassed (with ruin), and he remained twisting and turning his hands over what he had spent on his property, which had (now) tumbled to pieces to its very foundations, and he could only say, "Woe is me! Would I had never ascribed partners to my Lord and Cherisher!"
[18:43] Nor had he numbers to help him against Allah, nor was he able to deliver himself.
[18:44] There, the (only) protection comes from Allah, the True One. He is the Best to reward, and the Best to give success.
[18:45] Set forth to them the similitude of the life of this world: It is like the rain which we send down from the skies: the earth's vegetation absorbs it, but soon it becomes dry stubble, which the winds do scatter: it is (only) Allah who prevails over all things.
[18:46] Wealth and sons are allurements of the life of this world: But the things that endure, good deeds, are best in the sight of thy Lord, as rewards, and best as (the foundation for) hopes.
[18:47] One Day We shall remove the mountains, and thou wilt see the earth as a level stretch, and We shall gather them, all together, nor shall We leave out any one of them.
[18:48] And they will be marshalled before thy Lord in ranks, (with the announcement), "Now have ye come to Us (bare) as We created you first: aye, ye thought We shall not fulfil the appointment made to you to meet (Us)!":
[18:49] And the Book (of Deeds) will be placed (before you); and thou wilt see the sinful in great terror because of what is (recorded) therein; they will say, "Ah! woe to us! what a Book is this! It leaves out nothing small or great, but takes account thereof!" They will find all that they did, placed before them: And not one will thy Lord treat with injustice.
[18:50] Behold! We said to the angels, "Bow down to Adam": They bowed down except Iblis. He was one of the Jinns, and he broke the Command of his Lord. Will ye then take him and his progeny as protectors rather than Me? And they are enemies to you! Evil would be the exchange for the wrong-doers!
[18:51] I called them not to witness the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor (even) their own creation: nor is it for helpers such as Me to take as lead (men) astray!
[18:52] One Day He will say, "Call on those whom ye thought to be My partners," and they will call on them, but they will not listen to them; and We shall make for them a place of common perdition.
[18:53] And the Sinful shall see the fire and apprehend that they have to fall therein: no means will they find to turn away therefrom.
[18:54] We have explained in detail in this Qur'an, for the benefit of mankind, every kind of similitude: but man is, in most things, contentious.
[18:55] And what is there to keep back men from believing, now that Guidance has come to them, nor from praying for forgiveness from their Lord, but that (they ask that) the ways of the ancients be repeated with them, or the Wrath be brought to them face to face?
[18:56] We only send the messengers to give Glad Tidings and to give warnings: But the unbelievers dispute with vain argument, in order therewith to weaken the truth, and they treat My Signs as a jest, as also the fact that they are warned!
[18:57] And who doth more wrong than one who is reminded of the Signs of his Lord, but turns away from them, forgetting the (deeds) which his hands have sent forth? Verily We have set veils over their hearts lest they should understand this, and over their ears, deafness, if thou callest them to guidance, even then will they never accept guidance.
[18:58] But your Lord is Most forgiving, full of Mercy. If He were to call them (at once) to account for what they have earned, then surely He would have hastened their punishment: but they have their appointed time, beyond which they will find no refuge.
[18:59] Such were the populations we destroyed when they committed iniquities; but we fixed an appointed time for their destruction.
[18:60] Behold, Moses said to his attendant, "I will not give up until I reach the junction of the two seas or (until) I spend years and years in travel."
[18:61] But when they reached the Junction, they forgot (about) their Fish, which took its course through the sea (straight) as in a tunnel.
[18:62] When they had passed on (some distance), Moses said to his attendant: "Bring us our early meal; truly we have suffered much fatigue at this (stage of) our journey."
[18:63] He replied: "Sawest thou (what happened) when we betook ourselves to the rock? I did indeed forget (about) the Fish: none but Satan made me forget to tell (you) about it: it took its course through the sea in a marvellous way!"
[18:64] Moses said: "That was what we were seeking after:" So they went back on their footsteps, following (the path they had come).
[18:65] So they found one of Our servants, on whom We had bestowed Mercy from Ourselves and whom We had taught knowledge from Our own Presence.
[18:66] Moses said to him: "May I follow thee, on the footing that thou teach me something of the (Higher) Truth which thou hast been taught?"
[18:67] (The other) said: "Verily thou wilt not be able to have patience with me!"
[18:68] "And how canst thou have patience about things about which thy understanding is not complete?"
[18:69] Moses said: "Thou wilt find me, if Allah so will, (truly) patient: nor shall I disobey thee in aught."
[18:70] The other said: "If then thou wouldst follow me, ask me no questions about anything until I myself speak to thee concerning it."
[18:71] So they both proceeded: until, when they were in the boat, he scuttled it. Said Moses: "Hast thou scuttled it in order to drown those in it? Truly a strange thing hast thou done!"
[18:72] He answered: "Did I not tell thee that thou canst have no patience with me?"
[18:73] Moses said: "Rebuke me not for forgetting, nor grieve me by raising difficulties in my case."
[18:74] Then they proceeded: until, when they met a young man, he slew him. Moses said: "Hast thou slain an innocent person who had slain none? Truly a foul (unheard of) thing hast thou done!"
[18:75] He answered: "Did I not tell thee that thou canst have no patience with me?"
[18:76] (Moses) said: "If ever I ask thee about anything after this, keep me not in thy company: then wouldst thou have received (full) excuse from my side."
[18:77] Then they proceeded: until, when they came to the inhabitants of a town, they asked them for food, but they refused them hospitality. They found there a wall on the point of falling down, but he set it up straight. (Moses) said: "If thou hadst wished, surely thou couldst have exacted some recompense for it!"
[18:78] He answered: "This is the parting between me and thee: now will I tell thee the interpretation of (those things) over which thou wast unable to hold patience.
[18:79] "As for the boat, it belonged to certain men in dire want: they plied on the water: I but wished to render it unserviceable, for there was after them a certain king who seized on every boat by force.
[18:80] "As for the youth, his parents were people of Faith, and we feared that he would grieve them by obstinate rebellion and ingratitude (to Allah and man).
[18:81] "So we desired that their Lord would give them in exchange (a son) better in purity (of conduct) and closer in affection.
[18:82] "As for the wall, it belonged to two youths, orphans, in the Town; there was, beneath it, a buried treasure, to which they were entitled: their father had been a righteous man: So thy Lord desired that they should attain their age of full strength and get out their treasure - a mercy (and favour) from thy Lord. I did it not of my own accord. Such is the interpretation of (those things) over which thou wast unable to hold patience."
[18:83] They ask thee concerning Zul-qarnain. Say, "I will rehearse to you something of his story."
[18:84] Verily We established his power on earth, and We gave him the ways and the means to all ends.
[18:85] One (such) way he followed,
[18:86] Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it set in a spring of murky water: Near it he found a People: We said: "O Zul-qarnain! (thou hast authority,) either to punish them, or to treat them with kindness."
[18:87] He said: "Whoever doth wrong, him shall we punish; then shall he be sent back to his Lord; and He will punish him with a punishment unheard-of (before).
[18:88] "But whoever believes, and works righteousness,- he shall have a goodly reward, and easy will be his task as We order it by our Command."
[18:89] Then followed he (another) way,
[18:90] Until, when he came to the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had provided no covering protection against the sun.
[18:91] (He left them) as they were: We completely understood what was before him.
[18:92] Then followed he (another) way,
[18:93] Until, when he reached (a tract) between two mountains, he found, beneath them, a people who scarcely understood a word.
[18:94] They said: "O Zul-qarnain! the Gog and Magog (People) do great mischief on earth: shall we then render thee tribute in order that thou mightest erect a barrier between us and them?
[18:95] He said: "(The power) in which my Lord has established me is better (than tribute): Help me therefore with strength (and labour): I will erect a strong barrier between you and them:
[18:96] "Bring me blocks of iron." At length, when he had filled up the space between the two steep mountain-sides, He said, "Blow (with your bellows)" Then, when he had made it (red) as fire, he said: "Bring me, that I may pour over it, molten lead."
[18:97] Thus were they made powerless to scale it or to dig through it.
[18:98] He said: "This is a mercy from my Lord: But when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will make it into dust; and the promise of my Lord is true."
[18:99] On that day We shall leave them to surge like waves on one another: the trumpet will be blown, and We shall collect them all together.
[18:100] And We shall present Hell that day for Unbelievers to see, all spread out,-
[18:101] (Unbelievers) whose eyes had been under a veil from remembrance of Me, and who had been unable even to hear.
[18:102] Do the Unbelievers think that they can take My servants as protectors besides Me? Verily We have prepared Hell for the Unbelievers for (their) entertainment.
[18:103] Say: "Shall we tell you of those who lose most in respect of their deeds?-
[18:104] "Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life, while they thought that they were acquiring good by their works?"
[18:105] They are those who deny the Signs of their Lord and the fact of their having to meet Him (in the Hereafter): vain will be their works, nor shall We, on the Day of Judgment, give them any weight.
[18:106] That is their reward, Hell, because they rejected Faith, and took My Signs and My Messengers by way of jest.
[18:107] As to those who believe and work righteous deeds, they have, for their entertainment, the Gardens of Paradise,
[18:108] Wherein they shall dwell (for aye): no change will they wish for from them.
[18:109] Say: "If the ocean were ink (wherewith to write out) the words of my Lord, sooner would the ocean be exhausted than would the words of my Lord, even if we added another ocean like it, for its aid."
[18:110] Say: "I am but a man like yourselves, (but) the inspiration has come to me, that your Allah is one Allah: whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and, in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as partner.
END of Chronological Koran Part II
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posted by Pangloss | 11/29/2007 03:29:00 PM
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