The Qur'án

Translation to English by Sher Ali

Chapter 1--Exordium

In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.

1:2  All praise is due to Allah alone, Lord of all the worlds.
1:3  The Gracious, the Merciful.
1:4  Master of the Day of Judgment.
1:5  Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do we implore for help.
1:6  Guide us in the straight path,
1:7  The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy favours,
   those who have not incurred Thy displeasure and those who
   have not gone astray.

Chapter 2--The Cow

In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.

2:1 Alif, Lam, Mim.

2:2 This is a perfect Book; there is no doubt in it; it is a guidance for the righteous,

2:3 Who believe in the unseen and observe prayer and spend out of what We have provided for them.

2:4 And who believe in that which has been revealed to thee and that which was revealed before thee and they have firm faith in the hereafter.

2:5 It is they who follow the guidance from their Lord and it is they who shall prosper.

2:6 Those who have disbelieved--it being alike to them whether thou warn them or warn them not--they will not believe.

2:7 Allah has set a seal on their hearts and their ears, and over their eyes is a covering; and for them is a grievous chastisement.

2:8 And of the people there are some who say, 'We believe in Allah, and the Last Day;' while they are not believers at all.

2:9 They would deceive Allah and those who believe, but they deceive none but themselves; only they perceive it not.

2:10 In their hearts was a disease, so Allah has increased their disease, and for them is a grievous punishment because they lied.

2:11 And when it is said to them, 'Create not disorder in the earth,' they say 'We are only promoters of peace.'

2:12 Beware! it is surely they who create disorder, but they do not perceive it.

2:13 And when it is said to them, 'Believe as other people have believed,' they say, 'Shall we believe as the fools have believed?' Remember! it is surely they that are the fools, but they do not know.

2:14 And when they meet those who believe, they say, 'We believe;' but when they are alone with their ring-leaders they say, 'We were only mocking.'

2:15 Allah will punish their mockery and will let them continue in their transgression, wandering blindly.

2:16 These are they who have bartered away guidance for error, but their traffic has brought them no gain, nor are they rightly guided.

2:17 Their case is like the case of a person who kindled a fire, and when it lighted up all around him, Allah took away their light and left them in thick darkness, they see not.

2:18 They are deaf, dumb and blind; so they will not return.

2:19 Or, it is like a heavy rain from the clouds, wherein is thick darkness and thunder and lightning; they put their fingers into their ears because of the thunder claps for fear of death, and Allah encompasses the disbelievers.

2:20 The lightning might well nigh snatch away their sight; whenever it shines upon them, they walk therein; and when it becomes dark to them, they stand still. And if Allah had so willed He could take away their hearing and their sight; surely Allah has the power to do all that He wills.

2:21 O ye men! worship your Lord Who created you and those before you, that you may guard against evil.

2:22 Who made the earth a bed for you, and the heaven a roof, and caused water to come down from the clouds and therewith brought forth fruits for your sustenance; so do not set up equals to Allah, while you know.

2:23 And if you are in doubt as to what We have sent down to Our servant, then produce a chapter like it, and call upon your helpers besides Allah, if you are truthful.

2:24 But if you do it not--and never shall you do it--then guard against the Fire, whose fuel is men and stones, which is prepared for the disbelievers.

2:25 And give glad tidings to those who believe and do good works, that for them are gardens beneath which flow streams. Whenever they are given a portion of fruit therefrom, they will say, 'This is what was given us before,' and gifts mutually resembling shall be brought to them. And they will have therein pure mates, and therein will they abide.

2:26 Allah disdains not to give an illustration--as small as a gnat or even smaller. Those who believe know that it is the truth from their Lord, while those who disbelieve say, 'What does Allah mean by such an illustration?' Many does He adjudge by it to be in error and many by it does He guide, and none does He adjudge thereby to be in error except the disobedient,

2:27 Who breaks the covenant of Allah after having established it, and cut asunder what Allah has bidden to be joined, and create disorder in the earth; it is these that are the losers.

2:28 How can you disbelieve in Allah? You were without life and He gave you life, and then He will cause you to die, then restore you to life, and then to Him shall you be made to return.

2:29 He it is Who created for you all that is in the earth; then He turned towards the heavens, and He perfected them as seven heavens; and He has perfect knowledge of all things.

2:30 And when thy Lord said to the angels, 'I am about to place a viceregent in the earth,' they said 'Wilt Thou place therein such as will cause disorder in it, and shed blood?--and we glorify Thee with Thy praise and extol Thy holiness,' He answered, 'I know what you know not.'

2:31 And He taught Adam all the names, then He put the objects of these names before the angles and said, 'Tell Me the names of these, if you are right,'

2:32 They said, 'Holy art Thou! No knowledge have we except what Thou hast taught us; surely Thou art All-Knowing, the Wise.'

2:33 He said 'O Adam, tell them their names;' and when he had told them their names, He said 'Did I not say to you, I know the secrets of the heavens and the earth, and I know what you reveal and what you hide?

2:34 And remember the time when We said to the angels 'Submit to ADAM,' and they all submitted. But Iblis did not. He refused and deem himself too big; and he was of the disbelievers.

2:35 And when We said 'O Adam, dwell thou and thy wife in the garden, and eat therefrom plentifully where ever you will, but approach not this tree, least you be of the wrongdoers.'

2:36 But Satan caused them both to slip by means of it and drove them out of the state in which they were. And We said, 'Go forth hence; some of you are enemies of others and for you there is an abode in the earth and a provision for a time.'

2:37 Then Adam learnt from his Lord certain words of prayer. So He turned towards him with mercy. Surely He is Oft-Returning with compassion, and is Merciful.

2:38 We said. 'Go forth hence, all of you. And if there comes to you guidance from Me then whoso shall follow My guidance, on them shall come no fear nor shall they grieve.'

2:39 But they who will disbelieve and treat Our signs as lies, these shall be the inmates of the Fire; herein shall they abide.

2:40 O Children of Israel! remember My favours which I bestowed upon you, and fulfill your covenant with Me, I will fulfill My covenant with you, and Me alone should you fear.

2:41 And believe in what I have sent which fulfill that which is with you, and be not the first to disbelieve therein, and barter not My Signs for a paltry price, and take protection in Me alone.

2:42 And confound not truth with falsehood nor hide the truth knowingly.

2:43 And observe Prayer and pay the Zakaat, and bow down with those who bow.

2:44 Do you enjoined others to do what is good and forget your ownselves, while you read the book? Will you not then understand?

2:45 And seek help with patience and prayer, and this indeed is hard except for the humble in spirit,

2:46 Who know for certain that they will meet their Lord, and to Him will they return.

2:47 O Children of Israel! remember My favours which I bestowed upon you and that I exalted you above the peoples of the time.

2:48 And guard yourselves against the day when no soul shall serve as a substitute for another soul at all, nor shall intercession be accepted for it, nor shall ransom be taken from it, nor shall they be helped.

2:49 And remember the time when We delivered you from Pharaoh's people who afflicted you with grievous torment, slaying your sons and sparing your women; and in that was a great trial for you from your Lord.

2:50 And remember also the time when We divided the sea for you and saved you and drowned Pharaoh's people while you looked on.

2:51 And when We made Moses a promise of forty nights, then you took the calf for worship in his absence and you were the transgressors.

2:52 Then We forgave you thereafter, that you may be grateful.

2:53 And remember when We gave Moses the Book and the Discrimination, that you may be rightly guided.

2:54 And when Moses said to his people, 'O my people, you have indeed wronged yourselves by taking the calf for worship; turn ye therefore to your Maker, and kill your evil desires; that is best for you in the sight of your Maker.' Then He turned towards you with compassion. Surely He is Oft-Returning with compassion and is Merciful.

2:55 And remember when you said, 'O Moses, we will not believe thee until we see Allah face to face;' Then the thunderbolt overtook you, while you witnessed with your own eyes the consequences of your conduct.

2:56 The We raised you up after your death that you might be grateful.

2:57 And We caused the clouds to be a shade over you and sent down on you Manna and Salwa, saying, 'Eat of the good things We have provided for you.' And they wronged us not, but it was themselves that they wronged.

2:58 And remember the time when We said 'Enter this town and eat therefrom--whatever you will--plentifully; and enter the gate submissively and say, 'Allah! forgive us our sins.' We shall forgive you your sins and We shall give increase to those who do good.'

2:59 The transgressors changed it for a word other than that which was said to them. So We send down upon the transgressors a punishment from heaven because they were disobedient.

2:60 And remember the time when Moses prayed for water for his people and We said, 'Strike the rock with thy rod;' And there gushed forth from it twelve springs, so that each tribe knew their drinking place. And they were told, 'Eat and drink of what Allah has provided, and commit not iniquity in the earth, creating disorder.'

2:61 And remember when you said, O Moses, surely we will not remain content with one kind of food; pray, then, to thy Lord for us that He may bring forth for us of what the earth grows--of its herbs and its cucumbers and its wheat and its lentils and its onions.' He said, 'Would you take in exchange that which is worse for that which is better? Go down to some town and there is for you what you ask.' And they were smitten with abasement and destitution, and they incurred the wrath of Allah; that was because they rejected the Signs of Allah and sought to slay the Prophets unjustly; this was because they rebelled and transgressed.

2:62 Surely, those who believe and the Jews and the Christians and the Sabians--whichever party from among these truly believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good deeds, shall have their reward with their Lord, and no fear shall come upon then nor shall they grieve.

2:63 And remember the time when We took a covenant from you and raised you above the Mount, saying, 'Hold fast that which We have given you and bear in mind what is therein, that you may be saved.'

2:64 Then you turned back thereafter; and had it not been for Allah's grace and His mercy upon you, you would surely have been of the losers.

2:65 And surely, you have known the end of those amongst you, who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath. So We said to them, 'Be ye apes, despised.'

2:66 Thus We made it an example to those of its time and to those who came after it, and a lesson to those who fear Allah.

2:67 And remember when Moses said to his people, 'Allah commands you to slaughter a cow,' they said, 'Dost thou make a jest of us?' He said 'I seek refuge with Allah least I should be of the ignorant.'

2:68 They said, 'Pray for us to thy Lord that He make plain to us what she is,' He answered, 'Allah says, it is a cow, neither old nor young, full-grown between the two; now do what you are commanded.'

2:69 They said, 'Pray for us to thy Lord that He make plain to us of what colour she is.' He answered, 'Allah says, it is a cow of dun colour, pure and rich in tone, delighting the beholders.'

2:70 They said, 'Pray for us to thy Lord that He make plain to us what she is, for all such cows appear to us alike; and if Allah please, we shall indeed be guided aright,'

2:71 He answered, 'Allah says it is a cow not broken to plough the earth or water the tilth; one without blemish; of one colour.' They said, 'Now thou have brought the truth.' Then they slaughtered her, though they would rather not do it.

2:72 And remember the time when you killed a person and differed among yourselves about it, and Allah, would bring to light what you were hiding.

2:73 Then We said, 'Compare this incident with some other similar ones' and you will discover the truth. Thus does Allah give life to the dead and show you His Signs that you may understand.

2:74 Then your hearts became hardened after that, till they were like stones or harder still; for of stones there are some out of which gush forth streams, and of them there are some out of which flows water when they cleave asunder. And indeed of them are some that humble themselves for the fear of Allah. And Allah is not unmindful of what you do.

2:75 Do you expect that they will believe you when a party of them hear the Word of Allah, then pervert it after they have understood it, and they well know the consequences thereof.

2:76 And when they meet those who believe, they say 'We believe,' and when they meet one another in private, they say, 'Do you inform them (the believers) of what Allah has unfolded to you, that they may thereby argue with you before your Lord. Will you not then understand?

2:77 Do they not know that Allah knows what they keep secret and what they make known?

2:78 And some of them are illiterate, they know not the book but their own false notions, and they do nothing but conjecture.

2:79 Woe, therefore, to those who write the Book with their own hands and then say, 'This is from Allah,' That they may take it for a paltry price. Woe, then, to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for what they earn.

2:80 And they say, 'The fire shall not touch us except for a small number of days,' Say, 'Have you taken a promise from Allah? Then, Allah will never break His promise. Or, do you say of Allah what you know not.

2:81 Aye! whoso does evil and is encompassed by his sins--those are the inmates of the Fire; therein shall they abide.

2:82 But they who believe and do good works--those are the dwellers of Heaven; therein shall they abide.

2:83 And remember the time when We took a covenant from the Children of Israel: 'You shall worship none but Allah and be kind to parents and to the kindred and orphans and the poor, and speak to men kindly and observe prayer, and pay the Zakát.' then you turned away in aversion, except a few of you.

2:84 And remember when We took a covenant from you: 'You shall not shed each other's blood nor turn your people out of your homes,' Then you confirmed it; and you have been witness to it.

2:85 Yet you are those who slay one another and turn out a section of your people from their homes, backing up their enemies against them in sin and transgression. And if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, while their expulsion itself was unlawful for you. Do you then believe in a part of the Book and disbelieve in another part? What is then the reward of such among you as do so, except disgrace in the present life; and on the Day of Judgment they shall be driven to a most severe chastisement; and surely Allah is not unmindful of what you do.

2:86 These are they who have preferred the present life to the Hereafter. Their punishment shall not, therefore, be lightened, nor shall they be helped in any way.

2:87 And verily We gave Moses the Book and caused Messengers to follow in his footsteps after him; and to Jesus, son of Mary, We gave manifest Signs, and strengthened him with the Spirit of Holiness. Will you, then, every time a Messenger comes to you with what you yourselves desire not, behave arrogantly and treat some as liars and slay others?

2:88 They said 'Our hearts are wrapped up in covers.' Nay, Allah has cursed them for their disbelief. Little is that which they believe.

2:89 And when there came to them a book from Allah, fulfilling that which is with them--and before that they have prayed for victory over the disbelievers--yet when there came to them that which they knew to be the truth, they rejected it. The curse of Allah be on the disbelievers.

2:90 Evil is that which they have sold their souls--that they should disbelieve in what Allah has revealed, grudging that Allah should send down His grace on whomsoever of His servants He pleases. So they have incurred wrath upon wrath; and there is a humiliating chastisement for the disbelievers.

2:91 And when it is said to them 'Believe in what Allah has sent down,' they say 'We believe in what has been sent down to us;' and they disbelieve in what has been sent down after that, yet it is the Truth, fulfilling that which is with them. Say 'Why, then, do you seek to slay the Prophets of Allah before this, if you were believers.

2:92 And Moses came to you with manifest Signs, then you took the calf for worship in his absence, and you were transgressors.

2:93 And remember the time when We took a covenant from you and raised high above you the Mount, saying 'Hold firmly to what We have given you and hearken;' They said, 'We hear and we disobey;' and their hearts were saturated with the love of the calf because of their disbelieve. Say 'Evil is that which your faith enjoins on you if you are believers,'

2:94 Say 'If the abode of the Hereafter with Allah is solely for you to the exclusion of all other people, then wish for death if you are truthful.'

2:95 But never shall they wish for it, because of what their own hands have sent on before them; and Allah knows the wrongdoers well.

2:96 And thou shalt surely find them of all people, the most covetous of life, even more than those who set up equals with Allah. Every one of them wishes that he may be granted a life of a thousand years, but his being granted such a life shall not remove him further away from the punishment; and Allah sees all they do.

2:97 Say 'Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel'--for he it is who has caused it to descend on thy heart by the command of Allah, fulfilling that revelation which precedes it, and is a guidance and glad tidings to the believers.

2:98 Whoever is an enemy to Allah, and His angels, and His Messengers, and Gabriel, and Michael, then surely, Allah is an enemy to such disbelievers.'

2:99 And surely We have sent down to thee manifest Signs, and none disbelieves in them but the disobedient.

2:100 What! every time they make a covenant, will a party among them throw it aside? Nay, most of them have no faith.

2:101 And now that there has come to them a messenger from Allah, fulfilling that which is with them, a party of the people to whom the Book was given have thrown the Book of Allah behind their backs, as if they know it not.

2:102 And they pursue the course which was pursued by the rebellious men against the Kingdom of Solomon. And Solomon did not disbelieve; but it was the rebellious ones who disbelieved. They taught people falsehood and deception, and they claim that they follow what was revealed to the two angels in Babylon, Harut and Marut. But these two taught no one anything until they had said, 'We are but a trial from Allah, do not, therefore, reject what we say.' So men learnt from them that by which they made a distinction between man and his wife, but they harmed no one thereby, except by the command of Allah; on the contrary, these people (the opponents of the Holy Prophet) are learning that which would harm them and do them no good. And they have certainly known that he who traffics therein has no share of good in the Hereafter; and surely evil is that for which they sold their souls; if only they knew.

2:103 And if they had believed and acted righteously, better surely, would have been their reward from Allah, if only they knew.

2:104 O ye who believe, say not to the Prophet 'Ra'ina,' but say 'Unzurna' and hearken unto him. And for the disbelievers is a painful punishment.

2:105 They who disbelieve from among the people of the Book, or from among those who associate gods with Allah, desire not that any good should be sent down to you from your Lord; but Allah chooses for His mercy whomsoever He pleases; and Allah is Lord of exceeding bounty.

2:106 Whatever message We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring one better than that or the like thereof. Knowest thou not that Allah has the power to do all that He wills?

2:107 Knowest thou not that the Kingdom of the Heavens and the earth belongs to Allah alone? And there is no protector or helper for you besides Allah.

2:108 Would you question the Messenger sent to you as Moses was questioned before this? And whoever takes disbelief in exchange for belief has undoubtedly gone astray from the right path.

2:109 Many people of the Book wish, out of sheer envy from themselves, that, after you have believed, they could turn you again into disbelievers after the truth has become manifest to them. But forgive and overlook till Allah brings His decree, surely Allah has the power to do all that He wills.

2:110 And observe prayer and pay the Zakaat; and whatever good you send on before you for yourselves, you shall find it with Allah; surely Allah sees all that you do.

2:111 And they say. 'None shall enter Heaven unless he be a Jew or a Christian.' These are their vain desires. Say, 'Produce your proof, if you are truthful.'

2:112 Nay, whosoever submits himself completely to Allah and he is the doer of good, shall have his reward from his Lord. No fear shall come on them nor shall they grieve.

2:113 And the Jews say, 'The Christians stand on nothing' and the Christians say, 'The Jews stand on nothing;' while they both read the same book. Even thus said those, who had no knowledge, like what they say. But Allah shall judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that wherein they disagree.

2:114 And who is more unjust than he who prohibits the name of Allah being glorified in Allah's temples and strives to ruin them? It was not proper for such men to enter therein except in fear. For them is disgrace in this world; and theirs shall be a great punishment in the next.

2:115 To Allah belongs the East and the West; so whithersover you turn, there will be the face of Allah. Surely, Allah is Bountiful, All-Knowing.

2:116 And they say, 'Allah has taken to Himself a son.' Holy is He! Nay, everything in the Heavens and the earth belongs to Him. To Him are all obedient.

2:117 He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a thing, He only says to it 'Be,' and it is.

2:118 And those who have no knowledge say, 'Why does Allah not speak to us, or a Sign come to us direct?' Likewise said those before them what was similar to their saying. Their hearts are all alike. We have certainly made the Signs plain for a people who firmly believe.

2:119 We have sent thee with the Truth, as a bearer of glad tidings and a Warner. And thou wilt not be questioned concerning the inmates of Hell.

2:120 And the Jews will never be pleased with thee, nor the Christians, unless thou followest their creed. Say 'Surely Allah's guidance alone is the true guidance,' And if thou follow their evil desires after the knowledge has come to thee, thou shalt have from Allah, no friend nor helper.

2:121 They to whom we have given the Book, follow it as it ought to be followed; it is these that believe therein. And whoso believes not therein, these are they who are the losers.

2:122 O Children of Israel! remember My favours which I bestowed upon you, and that I exalted you above all the nations of the time.

2:123 And guard yourselves against the day when no soul shall serve as a substitute for another soul at all, nor shall any ransom be accepted from it, nor any intercession avail it, nor shall it be helped.

2:124 And remember when his Lord tried Abraham with certain commandments which he fulfilled, He said, 'I will make thee a leader of men.' Abraham asked, 'And from among my offspring?' Allah said, 'My covenant does not embrace the transgressors.'

2:125 And remember the time when We made the House a resort for mankind and a place of security; We said, 'Take ye the station of Abraham as a place of prayer.' And we commanded Abraham and Ishmael, saying, 'Purify My House for those who perform the circuit and for those who remain therein for devotion and those who bow down and fall prostrate in Prayer.'

2:126 And remember when Abraham said, 'My Lord, make this a town of peace and provide with fruits such of its dwellers as believe in Allah and the Last Day.' Allah said 'And on him too who believes not, will I bestow benefits for a little while; then will I drive him to the punishment of the Fire, and an evil destination it is.

2:127 And remember the time when Abraham and Ishmael raised the foundations of the house, praying, 'Our Lord, accept this from us; for thou art the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing;

2:128 Our Lord, make us both submissive to Thee and make of our offspring a people submissive to Thee. And show us our ways of worship and turn to us with mercy; for thou art Oft-Returning with compassion, and art Merciful.

2:129 And, Our Lord, raise up among them a Messenger from among themselves who may recite to them Thy Signs and teach them the Book and Wisdom and may purify them; surely Thou art the Mighty the Wise.

2:130 And who will turn away from the religion of Abraham but he who makes a fool of himself. Him did we choose in this world, and in the next he will surely be among the righteous.

2:131 When his Lord said to Him, 'Submit', he said, 'I have already submitted to the Lord of the worlds.'

2:132 The same did Abraham enjoin upon his sons,--and Jacob also -- saying, 'O my sons, truly Allah has chosen this religion for you; so let not death overtake you except when you are in a state of complete submission.'

2:133 Were you present when death came to Jacob, when he said to his sons. 'What will you worship after me?' They answered, 'We will worship thy Allah, the Allah of thy fathers, Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac, the One Allah; and to Him we submit ourselves.'

2:134 Those are a people that have passed away, for them is that which they have earned, and for you is what you earn, and you shall not be questioned as to what they did.

2:135 And they say, 'Be ye Jews or Christians, then you will be rightly guided,' Say 'Nay, but follow ye the religion of Abraham who was ever inclined to Allah; he was not of those who associated gods with Allah.'

2:136 Say ye, 'We believe in Allah and what has been revealed to us, and what was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael, and Isaac and Jacob and his children and what was given to Moses and Jesus, and what was given to all other Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them; and to Him we submit ourselves.'

2:137 And if they believe as you have believed, then they are rightly guided; but if they turn back, then they are bent upon creating a schism, and Allah will surely suffice thee against them, for He is All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

2:138 Say, 'We have adopted the religion of Allah; and who is better than Allah in teaching religion, and him alone do we worship.'

2:139 Say, 'Do you dispute with us concerning Allah, while He is our Lord and your Lord? And for us is our works and for you your works; and to Him alone are we sincerely devoted.'

2:140 Do you say that Abraham and Ishmael, and Isaac and Jacob and his children were Jews or Christians?' Say 'Do you know better or Allah and who is more unjust than he who hides the testimony that he has from Allah? And Allah is not unaware of what you do.'

2:141 Those are a people that have passed away, for them is what they have earned, and for you is what you earn, and you shall not be questioned as to what they did.

2:142 The fools among the people will say 'What has turned them away from their Qiblah which they followed?' Say, 'To Allah belong the East and the West. He guides whom He pleases to the right path.'

2:143 And thus have We made you an exalted nation, that you may be guardians over the people and the Messenger of Allah may be a guardian over you. And We did not appoint the Qiblah which thou didst follow; except that We might know him who follows the Messenger of Allah from him who turns upon his heels. And this is indeed hard except for those whom Allah has guided. And Allah would never let your faith go in vain; surely, Allah is compassionate and Merciful to the people.

2:144 Verily, We see thee turning thy face often to heaven, surely then will we make thee turn to the Qiblah which thou likest. So turn thy face towards the Sacred Mosque; and wherever you may be, turn your faces towards it. And they to whom the Book has been given know that this is the truth from their Lord; and Allah is not unmindful of what they do.

2:145 And even if thou shouldst bring every Sign to those who have been given the Book, they would not follow thy Qiblah nor wouldst thou follow their Qiblah, nor would some of them follow the Qiblah of others. And if thou shouldst follow their desires after the knowledge that has come to thee, then thou shalt surely be of the transgressors.

2:146 Those to whom We have given the Book recognize it even as they recognize their sons, but surely some of them hide the truth knowingly.

2:147 It is the truth from thy Lord; be not, therefore of those who doubt.

2:148 And everyone has a goal to which he turns his whole attention. Then vie with one another in good works. Wherever you may be Allah will bring you all together. Surely, Allah has the power to do all that He wills.

2:149 And from wheresoever thou comest forth, turn thy face towards the Sacred Mosque; for that is indeed the truth from thy Lord. And Allah is not unmindful of what you do.

2:150 And from wheresoever thou comest forth, turn thy face towards the Sacred Mosque; and wherever you be, turn your faces towards it that people may have no argument against you, except those who are unjust -- so fear them not, but fear Me--and that I may perfect My favour upon you, and that you may be rightly guided.

2:151 Even as We have sent to you a Messenger from among yourselves who recites Our Signs to you, and purifies you, and teaches you the Book and Wisdom, and teaches you that which you knew not.

2:152 Therefore, remember Me and I will remember you; and be thankful to Me and do not be ungrateful to Me.

2:153 O ye who believe, seek help through perseverance and Prayer; surely, Allah is with those who patiently persevere.

2:154 And say not of those who are slain in the way of Allah that they are dead; nay they are living, only you perceive not.

2:155 And We will try you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives and fruits; but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere.

2:156 Who, when a misfortune overtakes them, say, 'Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.'

2:157 It is these on whom descend blessings from their Lord and also mercy, and it is these that are rightly guided.

2:158 Surely, Al-Safa and Al-Marwah are among the Signs of Allah. It is therefore no sin for him who is on Pilgrimage to the House, or performs Umrah, or go around the two. And whoso does good beyond what is obligatory, surely then, Allah is appreciative of good deeds, and All-Knowing.

2:159 Those who hide what We have sent down of Signs and guidance after We have made it clear for the people in the Book, it is these whom Allah curses; so curse them those who have the right to curse.

2:160 But they who repent and amend and openly declare the truth, it is these to whom I turn with forgiveness, and I am Oft-Returning with compassion and Merciful.

2:161 Those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers, on them shall be the curse of Allah and of the angels and of men all together.

2:162 They shall remain under it. The punishment shall not be lightened for them, nor shall they be granted respite.

2:163 And your Allah is One Allah; there is no Allah but He, the Gracious, the Merciful.

2:164 Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and in the alternation of the night and the day, and in the ships that sail the sea with that which profits men, and in the water which Allah sends down from the sky and quickens therewith the earth after its death and scatters therein all kinds of beasts, and in the change of the winds and the clouds pressed into service between the heaven and the earth -- are indeed Signs for the people who use their understanding.

2:165 And there are some among men who take for themselves objects of worship other than Allah, loving them as they should love Allah. But believers are stronger in their love for Allah. And if those who transgress could now see the time when they shall see the punishment, they would realize that all power belongs to Allah and that Allah is severe in punishing.

2:166 Could they but see when those who were followed shall disown their followers and shall see the punishment and all their ties shall be cut asunder.

2:167 And those who followed shall say, 'If we could only return, we would disown them even as they have disowned us.' Thus will Allah show them their works as anguish for them, and that they shall not get out of the fire.

2:168 O ye men! eat of what is lawful and good in the earth; and follow not the footsteps of Satan, surely he is to you an open enemy.

2:169 He enjoins upon you only what is evil and what is foul, and that you say of Allah what you do not know.

2:170 And when it is said to them, 'Follow that which Allah has sent down, they say, 'Nay, we will follow that wherein we found our fathers.' What! even if their fathers had no sense at all and followed not the right path.

2:171 And the case of those who disbelieve is like the case of one who shouts to that which hears naught but a call and a cry. They are deaf dumb and blind--so they do not understand.

2:172 O ye who believe, eat of the good things We have provided for you, and render thanks to Allah, if it is He Whom you really worship.

2:173 He has made unlawful to you only that which dies of itself, and blood and the flesh of swine, and that on which the name of any other than Allah has been invoked. But he who is driven by necessity, being neither disobedient nor exceeding the limit, it shall be no sin for him. Surely, Allah is most Forgiving, Merciful.

2:174 Those who hide that which Allah has sent down of the Book and take in exchange for it a paltry price, they fill their bellies with nothing but fire. Allah will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them. And for them is a grievous punishment.

2:175 It is they who have bought error for guidance and punishment for forgiveness. How great is their endurance of the Fire!

2:176 That is because Allah has sent down the Book with the truth; and surely they who disagree concerning the Book are gone far in enmity.

2:177 It is not righteousness that you turn your faces to the East or the West, but truly righteous is he who believes in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Book and the Prophets, and spends his money out of love for Him, on the kindred and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and those who ask for charity and for ransoming the captives; and observes prayer and pays the Zakát; and those who fulfill their promise when they have made one, and the patient in poverty and afflictions and the steadfast in the time of war; it is these who have proved truthful and it is these who are truly Allah-Fearing.

2:178 O ye who believe! equitable retaliation in the matter of the slain is prescribed for you; the free man for the free man, and the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But for him who is granted any remission by his injured brother, pursuing the matter for the realization of the blood-money shall be done with fairness, and the murderer shall pay him the blood-money in a handsome manner. This is an alleviation from your Lord and a mercy. And whoso transgresses thereafter, for him there shall be a grievous punishment.

2:179 And there is life for you in the law of retaliation, O men of understanding, that you may enjoy security.

2:180 It is prescribed for you, when death comes to any one of you, if he leaves much wealth that he make a will to parents and near relatives to act with fairness. This is an obligation on those who fear Allah.

2:181 And he who alters it after he has heard it, the sin thereof shall surely lie on those who alter it. Surely Allah is All-Hearing and All-Knowing.

2:182 But whoso apprehends from a testator a partiality or a wrong, and makes peace between them (the parties affected), it shall be no sin for him. Surely, Allah is most Forgiving and Merciful.

2:183 O ye who believe! fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard against evil.

2:184 The prescribed fasting is for a fixed number of days, but whoso among you is sick or on a journey, shall fast the same number of other days; and for those who are able to fast only with great difficulty, is an expiation--the feeding of a poor man. And whoso does good of his own accord it is better for him. And fasting is good for you, if you only knew.

2:185 The month of Ramadan is that in which the Qur'án was revealed as a guidance for mankind with clear proofs of guidance and discrimination. Therefore, whosoever is present at home in this month let him fast therein. But whoso is temporarily sick or on a journey, shall fast the same number of other days, Allah desires ease for you and He desires not hardship for you, and He desires that you may complete the number, and that you may exalt Allah for His having guided you and that you may be grateful.

2:186 And when My servants ask thee about Me, say 'I am near. I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he prays to Me. So they should hearken to Me and believe in Me that they may follow the right way.

2:187 It is made lawful for you to go in unto your wives on the night of the fast. They are a sort of garment for you and you are a sort of garment for them. Allah knows that you have been acting unjustly to yourselves, wherefore He has turned to you with mercy and afforded you relief. So you may now go in unto them and seek what Allah has ordained for you; and eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black tread of the dawn. Then complete the fast till nightfall and do not go in unto them while you remain in the Mosques for devotion. These are the limits set by Allah, so approach them not. Thus does Allah make His commandments clear to men that they may become secure against evil.

2:188 And do not devour your property among yourselves by false means and offer it not as bribe to the authorities that you may devour a part of the wealth of other people wrongfully while you know.

2:189 They ask thee about the new moons. Say, 'They are means for measuring time, for the general convenience of people and for the Pilgrimage.' And it is not righteousness that you come into houses by the backs thereof, but truly righteous is he who fears Allah. And you should come into houses by the doors thereof; and fear Allah that you may prosper.

2:190 And fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but do not transgress. Surely, Allah loves not the transgressors.

2:191 And slay these transgressors wherever you meet them and drive them out from where they have driven you out; for persecution is worst than slaying. And fight them not in and near the Sacred Mosque until they fight you therein. But if they fight you, then fight them. Such is the requital for the disbelievers.

2:192 But if they desist, then surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

2:193 And fight them until there is no persecution, and religion is professed only for Allah. But if they desist, then remember that no hostility is allowed except against the wrongdoers.

2:194 The violation of a Sacred Month may be retaliated in the Sacred Month, and for all sacred things there is the law of retaliation. So whoso transgresses against you, punish him for his transgression to the extent to which he has transgressed against you. And fear Allah and know that Allah is with those who fear him,

2:195 And spend in the cause of Allah, and cast not yourselves into ruin with your own hands, and do good; surely Allah loves those who do good.

2:196 And complete the pilgrimage and the Umrah for the sake of Allah; but if you are kept back, then make whatever offering is easily available; and do not shave your heads until the offering reaches its destination. And whoever among you is sick or has an ailment of the head, should make and expiation either by fasting or alms giving, or a sacrifice. But when you are safe, then he who would avail himself of the Umrah together with the Pilgrimage, should make whatever offering is easily obtainable. But such of you as cannot find an offering should fast three days during the Pilgrimage, and seven when you return home; these are ten complete. This is for him whose family does not reside near the Sacred Mosque. And fear Allah and know that Allah is severe in punishing.

2:197 The months of the Pilgrimage are well known; so whoever determines to perform the Pilgrimage in these months should remember that there is to be no foul talk, nor any transgression, nor any quarreling during the Pilgrimage. And whatever good you do, Allah knows it. And furnish yourselves with necessary provisions for your journey and surely, the best provision is righteousness. And fear Me alone, O men of understanding.

2:198 It is no sin for you that you seek the bounty of your Lord. But when you pour forth from Arafat, remember Allah at Mash'ar al-Haraam, and remember Him as He has guided you; although before this you were of those gone astray.

2:199 Then pour forth from where the people pour forth, and seek forgiveness from Allah; surely Allah is most forgiving, Merciful.

2:200 And when you have performed the acts of worship prescribed for you, celebrate the praises of Allah as you used to celebrate the praises of your fathers, or even with greater devotion. And of men there are some who say 'Our Lord grant us good things in this world;' and such a one shall have no share in the hereafter.

2:201 And of them there are some who say, 'Our Lord grant us good in this world as well as good in the world to come, and save us from the torment of the fire.

2:202 For these their shall be a goodly share because of what they have earned. And Allah is swift at reckoning.

2:203 And remember Allah during the appointed number of days, but whoso hastens to leave in two days, it shall be no sin for him; and whoso stays behind, it shall be no sin for him either. This direction is for him who fears Allah. So fear Allah and know that you shall all be brought together before Him.

2:204 And of men there is he whose talk on this life would please thee, and he calls Allah to witness as to that which is in his heart, and yet he is the most contentious of quarrelers.

2:205 And when he is in authority, he runs about in the land to create disorder in it and destroys the tilth and the progeny of man; and Allah loves not disorder.

2:206 And when it is said to him 'Fear Allah,' pride incites him to further sin. So Hell shall be his sufficient reward; and surely it is an evil place of rest.

2:207 And of men there is he who would sell himself to seek the pleasure of Allah; and Allah is Compassionate to His servants.

2:208 O ye who believe, come into submission all of you and follow not the footsteps of Satan; surely he is your open enemy.

2:209 But if you slip after the clear Signs that have come to you, then know that Allah is Mighty and Wise.

2:210 What do they wait for but that Allah should come to them in the coverings of the clouds with angels, and the matter be decided? And to Allah do all things return.

2:211 Ask the Children of Israel how many clear Signs We gave them. But whoso changes the gift of Allah after it has come to him, surely then, Allah is Severe in punishing.

2:212 The life of this world is made to appear attractive to those who disbelieve; and they scoff at those who believe. But those who fear Allah shall be above them on the day of Resurrection; and Allah bestows His gifts on whomsoever He pleases without reckoning.

2:213 Mankind were one community, then they differed among themselves, so Allah raised Prophets as bearers of good tidings and as warners, and sent down with them the book containing the truth that He might judge between the people wherein they differed. But then they began to differ about the Book, and none differed about it except those to whom it was given, after clear Signs had come to them, out of envy towards one another. Now has Allah, by His command, guided the believers to the truth in regard to which they (the unbelievers) differed; and Allah guides whomsoever He pleases to the right path.

2:214 Do you think that you will enter heaven while there has not come to you the like of that which came to those who passed away before you? Poverty and afflictions befell them and they were violently shaken until the Messenger and those who believe along with him said, 'When will the help of Allah come?' Yea, surely the help of Allah is nigh.

2:215 They ask thee what they shall spend. Say, 'Whatever of good and abundant wealth you spend should be for parents and near relatives and orphans and the needy and the wayfarer. And whatever good you do, surely Allah knows it perfectly well.'

2:216 Fighting is ordained for you, though it is repugnant to you; but it may be that you dislike a thing while it is good for you, and it may be that you like a thing while it is bad for you. Allah knows and you know not.

2:217 They ask thee about fighting in the Sacred Month. Say, 'Fighting therein is a heinous thing, but to hinder men from the way of Allah, and to be ungrateful to Him, and to hinder men from the Sacred Mosque, and to turn out its people therefrom, is more heinous in the sight of Allah; and persecution is worst than killing.' And they will not cease fighting you until they turn you back from your Faith, if they can. And whoso from among you turns back from his Faith and dies while he is a disbeliever, it is they whose works shall be vain in this world and in the next. These are the inmates of the Fire and therein shall they abide.

2:218 Those who believe and those who emigrate and strive hard in the cause of Allah, it is these who hope for Allah's mercy; And Allah is Most forgiving Merciful.

2:219 They ask thee concerning wine and games of chance. Say 'In both there is great sin and harm and also some advantages for men, but their sin and harm are greater than their advantage,' And they ask thee what they should spend. Say, 'Spend what you can spare.' Thus does Allah makes His commandments clear to you that you may reflect

2:220--Upon this world and the next. And they ask thee concerning the orphans. Say 'Promotion of their welfare is an act of great goodness. And if you intermix with them, they are your brethren. And Allah knows him who seeks to make mischief apart from him who seeks to promote the welfare of the orphans. And if Allah had so willed, He would have put you to hardship. Surely Allah is Mighty and Wise.'

2:221 And marry not idolatrous women until they believe; even a believing bond women is better than an idolatress, although she may please you. And give not believing women in marriage to idolaters until they believe; even a believing slave is better than an idolater, although he may please you. These call to Fire, but Allah calls to Heaven and to forgiveness by His will. And He makes His Signs clear to the people that they may remember.

2:222 And they ask thee concerning menstruation. Say, 'It is a harmful thing, so keep away from women during menstruation, and go not in unto them until they are clean. But when they have cleansed themselves, go in unto them as Allah has commanded you. Allah loves those who keep themselves clean.'

2:223 Your wives are a sort of tilth for you; so approach your tilth when and as you like and send ahead some good for yourselves; and fear Allah and know that you shall meet Him; and bear good tidings to those who believe.

2:224 And make not Allah a target for your oaths that you may thereby abstain from doing good and acting righteously and making peace between men. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

2:225 Allah will not call you to account for such of your oaths as are vain, but He will call you to account for what your hearts have earned. And Allah is Most forgiving, Forbearing.

2:226 For those who vow abstinence from their wives, the maximum period of waiting is four months. Then if they go back to their normal relationship, surely Allah is Most forgiving, Merciful.

2:227 And if they decide upon divorce, then surely Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

2:228 And the divorced women shall wait concerning themselves for three courses; and it is not lawful for them that they conceal what Allah has created in their wombs, if they believe in Allah and the Last Day; and their husbands have the greater right to take them back during that period, provided they desire reconciliation. And they (the women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them in equity; but men have a degree of advantage above them. And Allah is Mighty and Wise.

2:229 Such divorce may be pronounced twice; then either retain them in a becoming manner or send them away with kindness. And it is not lawful for you that you take anything of what you have given them (your wives) unless both fear that they cannot observe the limits prescribe by Allah. But if you fear that they cannot observe the limits prescribed by Allah, then it shall be no sin for either of them in what she gives to get her freedom. These are the limits prescribed by Allah, so transgress them not; and whoso transgresses the limits prescribed by Allah, it is they that are the wrongdoers.

2:230 And if he divorces her the third time, then she is not lawful for him thereafter, until she marries another husband; and, if he also divorces her, then it shall be no sin for them to return to each other, provided they are sure that they would be able to observe the limits prescribed by Allah. And these are the limits prescribed by Allah which He makes clear to the people who have knowledge.

2:231 And when you divorce women and they approach the end of their appointed period, then either retain them in a becoming manner or send them away in a becoming manner; but retain them not wrongfully so that you may transgress against them. And whoso does that, surely wrongs his own soul. And do not make a jest of the commandments of Allah, and remember the favour of Allah upon you and the book and the Wisdom which He has sent down to you, whereby He exhorts you. And fear Allah and know that Allah knows all things well

2:232 And when you divorce women and they reach the end of their period, prevent them not from marrying their husbands, if they agree between themselves in a decent manner. This an admonition for him among you who believes in Allah and the Last Day. It is more blessed for you and purer; and Allah knows but you know not.

2:233 And mothers shall give suck to their children for two whole years; this is for those who desire to complete the period of suckling. And the man to whom the child belongs shall be responsible for their (the mothers') maintenance and clothing according to usage. No soul is burdened beyond its capacity. Neither shall a mother be made to suffer on account of her child, nor shall he to whom the child belongs be made to suffer on account of his child and the same is incumbent on the father's heir. If they both decide upon weaning the child by mutual consent and consultation, there is no blame on them. And if you desire to engage a wet-nurse for your children, there shall be no blame on you, provided you pay what you have agreed to pay in a fair manner. And fear Allah and know that Allah sees what you do.

2:234 And as for those of you who die and leave wives behind, these (wives) shall wait concerning themselves for four months and ten days. And when they have reached the end of their period, no blame shall be attached to you concerning anything that they do with regard to themselves in a decent manner. And Allah is Aware of what you do.

2:235 And their shall be no blame on you in throwing out a hint regarding proposal of marriage to these women or in keeping the desire hidden in your minds. Allah knows that you will think of them in this connection. But make not a contract with them in secret, except that you say a fair word. And resolve not on marriage tie until the prescribed period reaches its end. And know that Allah knows what is in your minds; so beware of Him. And know that Allah is Most Forgiving, Forbearing.

2:236 It shall be no sin for you if you divorce women while you have not touched them, nor settle for them a dowry. But provide for them -- the rich man according to his means and the poor man according to his need--a provision in a becoming manner. This is an obligation upon the virtuous.

2:237 And if you divorce them before you have touched them, but have settled upon them a dowry, then half of what you have settled shall be due from you, unless they remit, or he, in whose hands is the tie of marriage, should remit. And that you should remit is nearer to righteousness. And do not forget to do good to one another. Surely Allah sees what you do.

2:238 Watch over prayers, and particularly the middle Prayer, and stand before Allah submissively.

2:239 If you are in a state of fear, then say your prayers on foot or riding, but when you are safe, remember Allah as He has taught you that which you did not know.

2:240 And those of you who die and leave behind wives shall bequeath to their wives provision for a year without being turned out. But if they themselves go out, then there shall be no blame upon you in regard to any proper thing which they do concerning themselves. And Allah is Mighty and Wise.

2:241 And for the divorce women also there should be a provision according to what is fair--an obligation on the Allah-fearing.

2:242 Thus does Allah make His commandments clear to you that you may understand.

2:243 Hast thou not heard of those who went forth from their homes, and they were thousands, fearing death? And Allah said to them, 'Die', Then He brought them to life. Surely Allah is Gracious to men, but most men are not grateful.

2:244 And fight in the cause of Allah and know that Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

2:245 Who is it that will lend Allah a goodly loan that He may multiply it for him manifold? And Allah receives and enlarges. And to Him shall you be made to return.

2:246 Hast thou not heard of the chiefs of the Children of Israel after Moses, when they said to a Prophet of theirs, 'Appoint for us a king that we may fight in the way of Allah?' He said, 'It is not likely that you will not fight, if fighting is prescribe for you?' They said, 'What reason have we that we should not fight in the way of Allah when we have been driven forth from our homes and our sons?' But when fighting was ordained for them, they turned back except a small number of them. And Allah knows the transgressors well.

2:247 And their Prophet said to them, 'Allah has appointed for you Talut as king.' They said, 'How can he have sovereignty over us while we are better entitled to sovereignty than he, and he is not given abundance of wealth?' He said, 'Surely, Allah has chosen him above you and has bestowed upon him abundant increase in knowledge and in strength of body. And Allah gives sovereignty to whom He pleases. And Allah is Bountiful, All-Knowing.

2:248 And their Prophet said to them, 'The sign of his sovereignty is that there shall be given you a heart wherein there will be tranquility from your Lord and a legacy of good left by the family of Moses and the family of Aaron--the angels bearing it. Surely, in this there is a sign for you if you are believers.'

2:249 And when Talut set out with the forces, he said, 'Surely, Allah will try you with a river. So he who drinks therefrom is not of me; and he who taste it not is assuredly of me, save him who takes only a handful of water with his hand.' But they drank of it, except a few of them. And when they crossed it--he and those who believed along with him--they said, 'We have no power today against Jalut and his forces.' But those who knew for certain that they would one day meet Allah, said, 'How many a small party has triumphed over a large party by Allah's command! And Allah is with the steadfast.'

2:250 And when they issued forth to encounter Jalut and his forces, they said, 'O our Lord, pour forth steadfastness upon us, and make our steps firm, and help us against the disbelieving people.'

2:251 So they routed them by the command of Allah, and David slew Jalut, and Allah gave him sovereignty and wisdom and taught him of what He pleased. And had not Allah repelled some men by others, the earth would be full of mischief. But Allah is the Lord of grace to all peoples.

2:252 These are the Signs of Allah. We recite them unto thee with truth. Surely, thou art of the Messengers.

2:253 These messengers have We exalted some of them above others; among them there are those to whom Allah spoke and some of them He exalted in degrees of rank and We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs and strengthened him with the spirit of holiness. And if Allah had so willed, those that came after them would not have fought with one another after clear Signs had come to them; but they did disagree. Of them were some who believed, and of them were some who disbelieved. And if Allah had so willed, they would not have fought with one another; but Allah does what He desires.

2:254 O ye who believe! spend out of what We have bestowed on you before the day comes wherein there shall be no buying and selling, nor friendship, nor intercession, and it is those who disbelieve that do wrong to themselves.

2:255 Allah--there is no god save Him, the Living, the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining. Slumber seizes Him not, nor sleep. To Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is he that dare intercede with Him save by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them; and they encompass nothing of His knowledge, except what He pleases. His knowledge extends over the heavens and the earth; and the care of them wearies Him not; and He is the High, the Great.

2:256 There is no compulsion in religion. Surely the right has become distinct from error; so whosoever refuses to be led by those who transgress and believes in Allah, has surely grasped a strong handle which knows no breaking. And Allah is All-Hearing. All-Knowing.

2:257 Allah is the Friend of those who believe; He brings them out of all kinds of darkness into light. And those who disbelieve, their friends are the transgressors who brings them out of light into manifold darknesses. These are the inmates of the Fire, therein shall they abide.

2:258 Hast thou not heard of him who disputed with Abraham about his Lord, because Allah has given him kingdom? When Abraham said, 'My Lord is He Who gives life and causes death,' he said, 'I also give life and cause death.' Abraham said, 'Well, Allah brings the sun from the East; bring it thou from the West,' Thereupon the infidel was confounded. And Allah guides not the unjust people.

2:259 Or hast thou not heard of the like of him who passed by a town which had fallen down upon its roofs and exclaimed, 'When will Allah restore it to life after its destruction?' Then Allah caused him to die for a hundred years, then He raised him and said, 'How long hast thou remained in this state?' He answered, 'I have remained a day or part of a day.' Allah said, 'It is so but thou hast also remained in this state for a hundred years. Now look at thy food and thy drink; they have not rotted And look at thy ass. And We have done this that We may make thee a Sign unto men. And look at the bones, how We set them and then clothe them with flesh.' And when this became clear to him, he said, 'I know that Allah has the power to do all that He wills.'

2:260 And remember when Abraham said, 'My Lord, show me how Thou givest life to the dead.' Allah said, 'Dost thou not believe?' Abraham said, 'Yes, but I ask this that my heart may be at ease.' Allah answered, 'Take four birds and make them attached to thee. Then put each of them on a hill; then call them; they will come to thee in haste.' And know that Allah is Mighty and Wise.

2:261 The similitude of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like the similitude of a grain of corn which grows seven ears, in each ear a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies it further for whomsoever He pleases and Allah is Bountiful, All-Knowing.

2:262 They who spend their wealth in the way of Allah, then follow not up what they have spent with taunt or injury, for them is their reward with their Lord, and they shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve.

2:263 A kind word and forgiveness are better than charity followed by injury. And Allah is Self-Sufficient, Forbearing.

2:264 O ye who believe! render not vain your alms by reproach and injury like him who spends his wealth to be seen by men, and he believes not in Allah and the Last Day. His case is like the case of a smooth rock covered with earth, on which heavy rain falls, leaving it bare and hard, They shall not secure aught of what they earn. And Allah guides not the disbelieving people.

2:265 And the case of those who spend their wealth to seek the pleasure of Allah and to strengthen their souls is like the case of a garden on elevated ground. Heavy rain falls on it so that it brings forth its fruit twofold. And if heavy rain does not fall on it, then light rain suffices. And Allah sees what you do.

2:266 Would any of you desire that there should be for him a garden of palm tress and vines with streams flowing beneath it, and with all kinds of fruit for him therein--while old age has stricken him and he has weak offspring--and that a fiery whirlwind should smite it and it be all burnt? Thus does Allah makes His Signs clear to you that you may reflect.

2:267 O ye who believe! spend of the good things you have earned, and from what We produce for you from the earth; and seek not what is bad that you may spend out of it when you would not take it yourselves except that you connive at it. And know that Allah is Self-Sufficient, praiseworthy.

2:268 Satan threatens you with poverty and enjoins upon you what is foul, whereas Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself and bounty. And Allah is Bountiful, All-Knowing.

2:269 He grants wisdom to whom He pleases, and whoever is granted wisdom has indeed been granted abundant good; and none would take heed except those endowed with understanding.

2:270 And whatsoever you spend or whatsoever you vow, Allah surely knows it; and for the wrongdoers there shall be no helpers.

2:271 If you give alms openly it is well and good; but if you hide them and give them to the poor, it is better for you, And He will remit from you many of your evil deeds. And Allah is Aware of what you do.

2:272 It is not thy responsibility to make them follow the right path; But Allah guides whosoever He pleases. And whatever of wealth you spend, the benefit will of it will be for yourselves, for, you spend not but to seek the favour of Allah. And whatever of wealth you spend, it shall be paid back to you in full and you shall not be wronged.

2:273 Alms are for the poor who are detained in the way of Allah and are unable to move about in the land. The ignorant man imagines them to be free from want because of their abstaining from begging. Thou shalt know them by their appearance, they do not beg of men with importunity. And whatever of wealth you spend, Surely Allah has perfect knowledge thereof.

2:274 Those who spend their wealth by night and day, secretly and openly, have their reward with their Lord; on them shall come no fear nor shall they grieve.

2:275 Those who devour interest do not rise except as rises one whom Satan has smitten with insanity. That is because they say, 'Trade also is like interest;' whereas Allah has made trade lawful and has made interest unlawful. So he to whom an admonition comes from his Lord and he desist, then will that which he received in the pass be his; and his affair rests with Allah. And those who revert to it they are the inmates of the Fire; therein shall they abide.

2:276 Allah will blot out interest and will cause charity to increase. And Allah loves not anyone who is a confirmed disbeliever and an arch-sinner.

2:277 Surely, those, who believe and do good deeds, and observe Prayer and pay the Zakát, shall have their reward from their Lord, and no fear shall come on them, nor shall they grieve.

2:278 O ye who believe! fear Allah and give up what remains of interest, if you are truly believers.

2:279 But if you do it not, then beware of war from Allah and His Messenger; and if you repent, then you shall have your principal; thus you shall not wrong nor shall you be wronged.

2:280 And if the debtor be in straitened circumstances, then grant him respite till a time of ease. And that you remit it as charity shall be better for you, if you only knew.

2:281 And guard yourselves against the day when you shall be made to return to Allah; then shall every soul be paid in full what it has earned; and they shall not be wronged.

2:282 O ye who believe! When you borrow one from another for a fixed period, then write it down. And let a scribe write it in your presence faithfully; and no scribe should refuse to write, because Allah has taught him, so let him write and let him who incurs the liability dictate, and he should fear Allah, his Lord, and not diminish anything therefrom. But if the person incurring the liability be of low understanding or be weak or be unable himself to dictate, then let someone who can guard his interest dictate with justice. And call two witnesses from among your men; and if two men be not available, then a man and two women, of such as you approve as witnesses, so that if either of the two women should forget, then one may remind the other. And the witnesses should not refuse when they are called. And be not averse to writing it down whether it be small or large, along with its appointed time of payment. This is more equitable in the sight of Allah and makes testimony surer and is more likely to save you from doubt; so write it down except that it be ready transaction which you make among yourselves on the spot in which case it shall be no sin for you that you write it not. And have witnesses when you sell one to another, and let no harm be done to the scribe or the witness. And if you do that, then certainly it shall be disobedience on your part. And fear Allah. And Allah teaches you and Allah knows all things quite well.

2:283 And if you be on a journey, and you find not a scribe, then let there be a pledge with possession. And if one of you entrust another with something, then let him who is entrusted, surrender his trust and let him fear Allah, his Lord. And hide not testimony; and whoever hides it his heart is certainly sinful. And Allah is Well-Aware of what you do.

2:284 To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth; and whether you disclose what is in your minds or keep it hidden, Allah will call you to account for it, then will He forgive whomsoever He pleases, and punish whomsoever He pleases; and Allah has the power to do all that He wills.

2:285 This Messenger of OURS believes in that which has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers; all of them believe in Allah, and in His angels, and in His Books, and in His Messengers, saying, 'We make no distinction between any of His Messengers;' and they say 'We have heard and we are obedient. Our Lord, we implore Thy forgiveness, and to Thee is the returning.'

2:286 Allah burdens not any soul beyond its capacity. It shall have the reward it earns, and it shall get the punishment it incurs. Our Lord, do not punish us if we forget or fall into error, and our Lord, lay not on us a responsibility as Thou didst lay upon those before us. Our Lord, burden us not with what we have not he strength to bear; and efface our sins and grant us forgiveness and have mercy on us; Thou art our Master; so help us against the disbelieving people.

Chapter 3--Al-Imran

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

3:1 Alif, Lam, Mim.

3:2 Allah is He besides Whom there is none worthy of worship, the Living, the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining.

3:3 He has sent down to thee the Book containing the truth and fulfilling that which precedes it; and He has sent down the Torah and the Gospel

3:4 Before this, as a guidance to the people; and He has sent down the Discrimination. Surely, those who deny the Signs of Allah, shall have a severe punishment. And Allah is Mighty, Lord of Retribution.

3:5 Surely, nothing in the earth or in the heaven is hidden from Allah.

3:6 He it is who fashions you in the wombs as He wills; there is none worthy of worship but He, the Mighty, the Wise.

3:7 He it is who has sent down to thee the Book; in it there are verses that are firm and decisive in meaning--they are the basis of the Book--and there are others that are susceptible of different interpretations. But those in whose hearts is perversity pursue such thereof as are susceptible of different interpretations, seeking to cause discord and seeking wrong interpretations of it. And none knows it except Allah and those who are firmly grounded in knowledge; they say, 'We believe in it; the whole is from our Lord.'--And none take heed except those gifted with understanding -

3:8 Our Lord, let not our hearts become perverse after Thou hast guided us, and bestow on us mercy from Thyself; surely Thou art the Great Bestower;

3:9 Our Lord, Thou wilt certainly assemble mankind together on the Day about which there is no doubt; surely, Allah never fails in His promise.'

3:10 Those who disbelieve--their possessions and their children shall not avail them at all against Allah; and it is they that are the fuel of the Fire.

3:11 Their case is the like the case of the people of Pharaoh and those before them; They rejected our Signs; So Allah punished them for their sins, and Allah is severe in punishing.

3:12 Say to those who disbelieve, 'You shall be overcome and be gathered unto Hell; and an evil place of rest it is.'

3:13 Certainly there was for you a Sign in the two armies which encountered each other--one army fighting in the way of Allah and the other disbelieving, whom they saw with their own eyes to be twice as many as themselves. Thus does Allah strengthen with His aid whomsoever He pleases. In that surely is a lesson for those who have eyes.

3:14 Fair-seeming to men is made the love of desired things--women and children, and stored up heaps of gold and silver, and horses of mark and cattle and crops. That is the provision of the present life; but it is Allah with Whom is an excellent home.

3:15 Say, 'Shall I inform you of something better than that?' For those who fear Allah, there are Gardens with their Lord; beneath which streams flow; therein shall they abide; and pure mates and Allah's pleasure. And Allah is Mindful of His servants.

3:16 Those who say, 'Our Lord, we do believe; forgive us, therefore, our sins and save us from the punishment of the Fire;

3:17 The steadfast, and the truthful, and the humble, and those who spend in the way of Allah and those who pray for pardon in the latter part of the night.

3:18 Allah bears witness that there is no god but He--and also do the angels and those possessed of knowledge, maintaining justice; there is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise.

3:19 Surely the true religion with Allah is Islam. And those who were given the Book did not disagree but, after knowledge had come to them, out of mutual envy. And whoso denies the Signs of Allah, then surely Allah is quick at reckoning.

3:20 But if they dispute with thee, say 'I have surrendered myself completely to Allah, and also those who follow me.' And say to those who have been given the Book and to the Unlearned, 'Have you also surrendered? If they surrender, then they will surely be rightly guided, but if they turn back, then thy duty is only to convey the Message. And Allah is Watchful of His servants.

3:21 Surely, those who deny the signs of Allah and seek to slay the Prophets unjustly and seek to slay such men as enjoin equity -- announce to them a painful punishment.

3:22 Those are they whose deed shall come to naught in this world and in the next, and they shall have no helpers.

3:23 Hast thou not seen those who have been given their portion of the Book? They are called to the Book of Allah that it may judge between them, but a party of them turn away in aversion.

3:24 That is because they say, 'The Fire shall not touch us except for a limited number of days.' And what they used to forge has deceived them regarding their religion.

3:25 How will it be with them when We will gather them together on the Day about which there is no doubt; and when every soul will be paid in full what it has earned, and they shall not be wronged?

3:26 Say, 'O Allah, Lord of Sovereignty, Thou givest sovereignty to whomsoever Thou pleasest; and Thou takest away sovereignty from whomsoever Thou pleasest. Thou exaltest whomsoever Thou pleasest and Thou abasest whomsoever Thou pleasest. In Thy hand is all good. Thou surely hast power to do all things.

3:27 Thou makest the night pass into the day and makest the day pass into the night. And Thou bringest forth the living from the dead and bringest forth the dead from the living. And Thou givest to whomsoever Thou pleasest without measure.'

3:28 Let not the believers take disbelievers for friends in preference to believers--and whoever does that has no connection with Allah--except that you guard yourselves fully against them. And Allah cautions you against His punishment; and to Allah is the returning.

3:29 Say, 'Whether you hide what is in your breasts or reveal it, Allah knows it; and He knows whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. And Allah has power to do all things.'

3:30 Beware of the Day when every soul shall find itself confronted with all the good it has done and all the evil it has done. It will wish there were a great distance between it and that evil. And Allah cautions you against His punishment. And Allah is Most Compassionate to His servants.

3:31 Say 'If you love Allah, follow me; then will Allah love you and forgive you your sins.' And Allah is Most Forgiving and Merciful.

3:32 Say, 'Obey Allah and His Messenger;' but if they turn away, then remember that Allah loves not the disbelievers.

3:33 Allah chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of Imran above all peoples of the time.

3:34 They were descendants of one another and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

3:35 Remember when a women of Imran said, 'My Lord, I have vowed to Thee what is in my womb to be dedicated to Thy service. So do Thou accept it of me; Verily Thou alone art All-Hearing, All-Knowing.'

3:36 But when she was delivered of it, she said, 'My Lord, I am delivered of a female,'--and Allah knew best of what she was delivered and the male she desired to have was not like the female she was delivered of--'and I have named her Mary, and I commit her and her offspring to Thy protection from Satan, the rejected.

3:37 So her Lord accepted her with gracious acceptance and caused her to grow an excellent growth and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah visited her in the chamber, he found with her provisions. He said, 'O Mary whence hast thou this?' She replied, 'It is from Allah.' Surely Allah gives to whomsoever He pleases without measure.

3:38 Then and there did Zachariah pray to his Lord, saying, 'My Lord grant me from Thyself pure offspring; surely thou art the Hearer of Prayer.'

3:39 And the angels called to him as he stood praying in the chamber, 'Allah gives thee glad tidings of Yahya, who shall testify to the truth of a word from Allah--noble and chaste and a Prophet, from among the righteous.

3:40 He said 'My Lord, how shall I have a son, when old age has overtaken me already, and my wife is barren?' He answered, 'Such is the way of Allah; He does what He pleases,'

3:41 He said 'My Lord, give me a commandment.' He replied, 'The commandment for thee is that thou shalt not speak to men for three days except by signs. And remember thy Lord much and glorify Him in the evening and in the early morning.'

3:42 And remember when the angels said, 'Allah has chosen thee and purified thee and chosen thee above all women of the time.

3:43 O Mary, be obedient to thy Lord and prostrate thyself and worship the one Allah with those who worship Him.'

3:44 This is of the tidings of things unseen which We reveal to thee. And thou was not with them when they cast their arrows, as to which of them should be the guardian of Mary, nor was thou with them when they disputed with one another.

3:45 When the angels said, 'O Mary, Allah gives thee glad tidings of a son through a word from Him; his name shall be the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, honoured in this world and in the next, and of those who are granted nearness to Allah;

3:46 And he shall speak to the people in the cradle, and when of middle age, and he shall be of the righteous.

3:47 She said, 'My Lord, how shall I have a son, when no man has touch me? He said, 'Such is the way of Allah. He creates what He pleases. When He decrees a thing He says to it 'Be,' and it is;

3:48 And He will teach him the Book and the Wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel;

3:49 And will send him as a Messenger to the Children of Israel with the Message, 'I come to you with a Sign from your Lord, which is, that I will fashion out for you a creation out of clay after the manner of a bird; then I will breath into it a new spirit and it will become a soaring being by the command of Allah; and I will heal the night blind and the leprous, and I will quicken the dead by the command of Allah; and I will announce to you what you will eat and what you will store up in your houses. Surely therein is a Sign for you, if you are believers.

3:50 And I come fulfilling that which is before me, namely the Torah; and to allow you some of that which was forbidden unto you, and I come to you with a Sign from your Lord; so fear Allah and obey me;

3:51 Surely, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship him this is the right path.'

3:52 And when Jesus perceived their disbelief, he said, 'Who will be my helpers in the cause of Allah?' The disciples answered, 'We are the helpers of Allah. We have believed in Allah. And bear thou witness that we are obedient;

3:53 Our Lord, we believe in that which thou hast sent down and we follow this Messenger. So write us down among those who bear witness.'

3:54 And Jesus's enemies planned and Allah also planned, and Allah is the Best of Planners.

3:55 Remember the time when Allah said' 'O Jesus, I will cause thee to die a natural death and will raise thee to Myself, and will clear thee of the charges of those who disbelieve, and will exalt those who follow thee above those who disbelieve, until the Day of Resurrection; then to Me shall be your return, and I will judge between you concerning that wherein you differ.

3:56 Then as for those who disbelieve, I will punish them with a severe punishment in this world and in the next, and they shall have no helpers;'

3:57 And as for those who believe and do good works, He will give them their full rewards. And Allah loves not the wrongdoers.'

3:58 That is what We recite unto thee of the Signs and the Reminder, full of Wisdom.

3:59 Surely the case of Jesus is like the case of Adam. He created him out of dust, then he said to him, "Be" and he was.

3:60 This is the truth from thy Lord, so be thou not of those who doubt.

3:61 Now whoso disputes with thee concerning him, after what has come to thee of Knowledge, say to him 'Come, let us call our sons and your sons, and our women and your women, and our people and your people; then let us pray fervently and invoke the curse of Allah on those who lie.

3:62 This certainly is the true account. There is none worthy of worship save Allah; and surely, it is Allah Who is the Mighty, the Wise.

3:63 But if they turn away, then remember that Allah fully knows the mischief-makers.

3:64 Say, 'O people of the Book! come to a word equal to us and you -- that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partner with Him, and that some of us take not others for Lords beside Allah.' But if they turn away, then say 'Bear witness that we have submitted to Allah.'

3:65 O People of the Book! Why do you dispute concerning Abraham, When the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed till after him? Will you not understand.

3:66 Behold! you are those who disputed about that whereof you had some knowledge. Why then do you now dispute about that whereof you have no knowledge at all? Allah knows and you know not.

3:67 Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian but he was ever inclined to Allah and obedient to Him, and he was not of those who associate gods with Allah.

3:68 Surely, the nearest of men to Abraham are those who followed him and this prophet and those who believe in him, and Allah is the Friend of the believers.

3:69 A party of the People of the Book would fain lead you astray; but they lead astray none except themselves, only they perceive not.

3:70 O People of the Book! Why do you deny the signs of Allah, while you are witnesses thereof?

3:71 O People of the Book! Why do you confound truth with falsehood and hide the truth knowingly?

3:72 And a party of the People of the Book say, 'Declare your belief outwardly in that which has been revealed unto the believers, in the early part of the day, and disbelieve in the latter part of thereof; perchance they may return.

3:73 And obey none but him who follows your religion.' Say, 'Surely, true guidance--the guidance of Allah,--is, that one be given the like of that which has been given to you--or they would argue with you before your Lord.' Say, 'All grace is in the hand of Allah. He gives it to whomsoever He pleases. And Allah is Bountiful, All-knowing.

3:74 He selects for His mercy whomsoever He pleases. And Allah is the Lord of mighty grace.

3:75 Among the People of the Book there is he who, if thou trust him with a treasure, will return it to thee; and among them is he who, if thou trust him with a dinar, will not return it to thee, unless thou keep standing over him. That is because they say, 'We are not liable to be called to account in the matter of the Unlearned people; and they utter a lie against Allah knowingly.

3:76 Nay, but whoso fulfills his pledge and fears Allah--verily, Allah loves those who fear Him.

3:77 As for those who take a paltry price in exchange for their covenant with Allah and their oaths, they shall have no portion in the life to come, and Allah will neither speak to them nor look upon them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them; and for them shall be a grievous punishment.

3:78 And, surely, among them is a party who twist their tongues while reciting the Book that you may think it to be part of the Book, while it is not part of the Book. And they say 'It is from Allah;' while it is not from Allah; and they utter a lie against Allah while they know.

3:79 It does not befit a truthful man that Allah should give him the Book and Wisdom and Prophethood, and then he should say to men, 'Be my worshippers instead of Allah; but he would say, 'Be solely devoted to the Lord because you teach the book and because you study it.

3:80 Nor does it befit that he should bid you to take angels and Prophets for lords. What! would he enjoin you to disbelieve after you have submitted to Allah.

3:81 And remember the time when Allah took a covenant from the people through the Prophets, saying 'Whatever I give you of the Book and Wisdom and then there comes to you a Messenger, fulfilling that which is with you, you shall believe in him and help him.' And He said, 'Do you agree, and do you accept the responsibility which I lay upon you in this matter?' They said 'We agree.' He said 'Then bear witness and I am with you among the witnesses.'

3:82 Now whoso turns away after this, then surely, those are the transgressors.

3:83 Do the seek a religion other than Allah's, while to Him submits whosoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and to Him shall they all be returned?

3:84 Say, 'We believe in Allah and that which has been revealed to us, and that which was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and in that which was given to Moses and Jesus and other Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them and to Him we submit.

3:85 And whoso seeks a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he shall be among the losers.

3:86 How shall Allah guide a people who have disbelieved after believing and who had borne witness that the messenger was true and to whom clear proofs had come? And Allah guides not the wrong doing people.

3:87 As for such--their reward is that on them shall be the curse of Allah and of angels and of men, all together.

3:88 They shall abide thereunder. Their punishment shall not be lightened nor shall they be reprieved.

3:89 Except those who repent thereafter and amend. And surely Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

3:90 Surely those who disbelieve after they have believed and then increase in their disbelief, their repentance shall not be accepted, and these are they who have gone astray.

3:91 As for those who have disbelieved, and die while they are disbelievers, there shall not be accepted from anyone of them even the earth-full of gold though he offer it as ransom. It is these for whom shall be a grievous punishment, and they shall have no helpers.

3:92 You cannot attain to righteousness unless you spend out of that which you love; and whatever you spend, Allah surely knows it well.

3:93 All food was lawful to the Children of Israel, except what Israel forbade himself before the Torah was sent down. Say, 'Bring, then, the Torah and read it, if you are truthful.'

3:94 Now whoso forges a lie against Allah after this, then it is these that are the wrongdoers.

3:95 Say, 'Allah has declared the truth; follow, therefore, the religion of Abraham who was ever inclined to Allah, and he was not of those who associated gods with Him.'

3:96 Surely the first House founded for all mankind is that at Becca, abounding in blessings and a guidance for all peoples.

3:97 In it are manifest Signs; it is the place of Abraham; and whoso enters it, is safe. And pilgrimage to the House is a duty which men -- those who can find a way thither--owe to Allah. And whoso disbelieves, let him remember that Allah is surely Independent of all creatures.

3:98 Say, 'O People of the Book! why deny ye the signs of Allah, while Allah is Witness of what you do?

3:99 Say, 'O People of the Book! why hinder ye the believers from the path of Allah, seeking to make it crooked, while you are witnesses thereof? And Allah is not unmindful of what you do.'

3:100 O ye who believe! if you obey any party of those who have been given the Book, they will turn you again into disbelievers after you have believed.

3:101 How would you disbelieve, while to you are rehearsed the Signs of Allah, and His messenger is in your midst? And he who holds fast to Allah is indeed guided to the right path.

3:102 O ye who believe! fear Allah as He should be feared; and let not death overtake you except when you are in a state of submission.

3:103 And hold fast, all together, to the rope of Allah and be not divided; and remember the favour of Allah which He bestowed upon you when you were enemies and He united your hearts in love, so that by His grace you became as brothers; and you were on the brink of a pit of fire and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah explain to you His commandments that you may be guided.

3:104 And let there always be among you a body of men who should invite to goodness, and enjoin virtue and forbid evil. And it is they who shall prosper.

3:105 And be not like those who became divided and who disagreed among themselves after clear proofs had come to them. And it is they for whom there shall be grievous punishment,

3:106 On the day when some faces shall be white, and some faces shall be black. As for those whose faces will be black, it will be said to them: 'Did you disbelieve after believing? Taste then the punishment because you disbelieved.'

3:107 And as for those whose faces will be white, they will be in the mercy of Allah; therein will they abide.

3:108 These are the Signs of Allah, comprising the Truth. We rehearse them to thee and Allah desires not any injustice to His creatures.

3:109 And to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and what ever is in the earth, and to Allah shall all affairs be returned for decision.

3:110 You are the best people raised for the good of mankind; you enjoin good and forbid evil and believe in Allah. And if the People of the Book had believed, it would have, surely, been better for them. Some of them are believers, but most of them are transgressors.

3:111 They cannot harm you save that they may cause you slight hurt; and if they fight you, they will turn their backs to you. Then they shall not be helped.

3:112 They shall be smitten with abasement wherever they are found unless they are protected by a covenant with Allah or by a covenant with men. They have incurred the wrath of Allah, and they have been smitten with wretchedness. That is because they rejected the Signs of Allah and sought to slay the Prophets unjustly. That is because they rebelled and used to transgress.

3:113 They are not all alike. Among the People of the Book, there is a party who stand by their covenant; they recite the word of Allah in the hours of the night and prostrate themselves before Him.

3:114 They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and enjoin good and forbid evil, and hasten to vie with one another in good works. And these are among the righteous.

3:115 And whatever good they do, they shall not be denied its due reward, and Allah well knows those who guard against evil.

3:116 As for those who disbelieve, their possessions and their children shall not avail them aught against Allah, and these are the inmates of the Fire; therein shall they abide.

3:117 The likeness of what they spend for the present life is as the likeness of a wind wherein there is intense cold. It smites the harvest of a people who have wronged themselves and destroys it. And Allah wronged them not but they wronged themselves.

3:118 O ye who believe! take not others than your own people as intimate friends; they will spare no pains to ruin you. They love to see you in trouble. Hatred has already shown itself through the utterances of their mouths and what their breasts hide is greater still. We have made clear to you Our commandments, if you will only use your understanding.

3:119 Behold! you are those who love them, but they love you not. And you believe in the Book, all of it. When they meet you, they say, 'We believe;' but when they are alone, they bite their finger tips at you for rage. Say, 'Perish in your rage. Surely Allah has full knowledge of what is hidden in your breast.'

3:120 If anything good befalls you, it grieves them; and if an evil afflicts you, they rejoice thereat. But if you be steadfast and righteous, their designs will not harm you at all; surely Allah encompasses all that they do.

3:121 And remember when thou didst go forth early in the morning from thy household, assigning to the believers their positions for battle. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

3:122 When two parties from among you, thought of showing cowardice, although Allah was their Friend. And upon Allah should the believers rely.

3:123 And Allah had already helped you at Badr when you were weak. So take Allah for your protector so that you may be grateful.

3:124 When thou didst say to the believers, 'Will it not suffice you that your Lord should help you with three thousand angels sent down from on high.

3:125 Yea, if you be steadfast and righteous and they came upon you immediately in hot haste, your Lord will help you with five thousand angels, attacking vehemently.

3:126 And Allah has made it only as glad tidings for you and to put your hearts at rest thereby; and help comes from Allah alone, the Mighty, the Wise.

3:127 This will be, that He might cut off a part of the disbelievers or abase them so that they may go back frustrated.

3:128 It is none of thy concern whether He may turn to them in mercy or punish them, for they are wrongdoers.

3:129 And to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. He forgives whomsoever He pleases and punishes whomsoever He pleases, and Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

3:130 O ye who believe! devour not interest involving multiple additions, and fear Allah that you may prosper.

3:131 And fear the Fire which has been prepared for the disbelievers.

3:132 And obey Allah and the Messenger that you may be shown mercy.

3:133 And hasten towards forgiveness from your Lord, and the Paradise whose value is the heavens and the earth. It is prepared for the Allah-fearing.

3:134 Those, who spends in prosperity and adversity, and those who suppress anger, and pardon men; and Allah loves those who do good;

3:135 And those who, when they commit a foul deed or wrong themselves, remember Allah and implore forgiveness for their sins--and who can forgive sins except Allah--and do not knowingly persist in what they do.

3:136 It is these whose reward is forgiveness from their Lord, and gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide; and an excellent is the reward of good workers.

3:137 Surely there have been many dispensations before you; so travel through the earth and see how evil was the end of those who treated the Prophets as liars.

3:138 This Qur'án is a clear demonstration to men, and a guidance and an admonition to the Allah-fearing.

3:139 Slacken not nor grieve; and you shall certainly have the upper hand, if you are true believers.

3:140 If you have received an injury, surely the disbelieving people have already received a similar injury. And such days We cause to alternate among men that they may be admonished, and that Allah may cause to be distinguished those who believe and may take witnesses from among you; and Allah loves not the unjust.

3:141 And that Allah may purify those who believe, and destroy the disbelievers.

3:142 Do you suppose that you will enter Heaven while Allah has not yet caused to be distinguished those of you that strive in the way of Allah and has not yet caused to be distinguished the steadfast.

3:143 And you used to wish for such a death before you met it; now you have seen it face to face, then why do some of you seek to avoid it.

3:144 And Muhammad is but a messenger. Verily all Messengers have passed away before him. If then he dies or is slain, will you turn back on your heels? And he who turns back on his heels shall not harm Allah at all. And Allah will certainly reward the grateful.

3:145 And no soul can die except by Allah's leave,--a decree with a fixed term. And whoever desires the reward of the present world, We will give him thereof; and whoever desires the reward of the Hereafter, We will give him thereof; and We will surely reward the grateful.

3:146 And many a Prophet there has been beside whom fought numerous companies of their followers. They slacken not for aught that befell them in the way of Allah nor did they weaken, nor did they humiliate themselves before the enemy. And Allah loves the steadfast.

3:147 And they uttered not a word except that they said, 'Our Lord forgive us our sins and our excesses in our conduct, and make firm our steps and help us against the disbelieving people.

3:148 So Allah gave them the reward of this world, and also an excellent reward of the Hereafter; and Allah loves those who do good.

3:149 O ye who believe! if you obey those who have disbelieved, they will cause you to turn back on your heels, and you will become the losers.

3:150 Nay, Allah is your Protector, and He is the Best of helpers.

3:151 And We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved because they associate partners with Allah, for which He has sent down no authority. Their abode is the Fire; and evil is the habitation of the wrongdoers.

3:152 And Allah had surely made good to you His promise when you were slaying and destroying them by His leave, until, when your courage failed you and you disputed among yourselves concerning the order and you disobeyed, after He had shown you that which you love, He withdrew His help. Among you were those who desired the present world, and among you were those who desired the Hereafter. Then He turned you away from them, that He might try you--and He has surely pardoned you, and Allah is Gracious to the believers -

3:153 When you were running away and looked not back at anyone while the Messenger was calling you, in your rear, then He gave you one sorrow after another sorrow, that you might not grieve for what escaped you nor for what befell you. And Allah is quite Aware of what you do.

3:154 Then after the sorrow He sent down peace on you--a slumber that overcame a party of you--while the other part was anxious concerning their ownselves. They entertain about Allah wrong thoughts of ignorance. They said, 'Have we any part in the affair?' Say, 'Verily the affair wholly belongs to Allah.' They hide in their minds what they disclose not to thee. They say, 'If we had any part in the determination of the affairs, we should not have been killed here.' Say, 'If you had remained in your homes, surely those on whom fighting had been enjoined would have gone forth to their death-beds that Allah might fulfill His decree and that He might test what is in your breasts and that He might purge what was in your hearts. And Allah knows well what is in your breasts;

3:155 Those of you who turned their backs on the day when the two host met, surely it was Satan who sought to make them stumble because of certain doings of theirs. But certainly Allah has already pardoned them. Verily Allah is Most Forgiving, Forbearing.

3:156 O ye who believe! be not like those who have disbelieved, and who say of their brethren when they travel in the land or go forth to war: 'Had they been with us, they would not have died or been slain.' They say this that Allah may make it a cause of regret in their hearts. And Allah gives life and causes death and Allah is Mindful of what you do.

3:157 And if you are slain in the cause of Allah or you die, surely, forgiveness from Allah and mercy are better than what they hoard.

3:158 And if you die or be slain, surely unto Allah shall you be gathered together.

3:159 And it is by the great mercy of Allah that thou art kind towards them, and if thou hadst been rough and hard-hearted, they would surely have dispersed from around thee. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them, and consult them in matters of administration; and when thou art resolved, then put thy trust in Allah. Surely, Allah loves those who put their trust in Him.

3:160 If Allah helps you none can overcome you; but if He forsakes you, then who is there that can help you beside Him? In Allah, then, let the believers put their trust.

3:161 And it is not possible for a Prophet to act dishonestly, and whosoever acts dishonestly shall bring with him that, concerning which he has been dishonest, on the Day of Resurrection. Then every soul shall be fully paid what it has earned; and they shall not be wronged.

3:162 Is he who follows the pleasure of Allah like him who draws on himself the wrath of Allah and whose abode is Hell? And an evil retreat it is!

3:163 They have different ranks with Allah; and Allah sees what they do.

3:164 Verily, Allah has conferred a favour on the believers by raising among them a Messenger from among themselves who recites to them His Signs, and purifies them and teaches them the Book and Wisdom; and, before that, they were surely in manifest error.

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
3:165 What! when a misfortune befalls you--and you had already inflicted twice as much--you say, 'Whence is this? Say, 'It is from your ownselves.' Surely Allah has the power over all things.

3:166 And that which befell you, on the day when the two host met, was by Allah's command; and this was so that he might cause the believers to be distinguished;

3:167 And that He might cause the hypocrites to be distinguished. And it was said to them, 'Come ye, fight in the cause of Allah and repel the attack of the enemy;' they said, 'If we knew how to fight we would surely follow you.' They were that day, nearer to disbelief than belief. They say with their mouths what is not in their hearts. And Allah knows quite well what they hide.

3:168 It is these who said to their brethren, while they themselves remained behind, 'If they had obeyed us, they would not have been slain.' Say, 'Then avert death from yourselves, if you are truthful.'

3:169 Think not of those, who have been slain in the cause of Allah, as dead. Nay, they are living, in the presence of their Lord, and are granted gifts from Him;

3:170 Jubilant because that which Allah has given them of His bounty; and rejoicing for the sake of those who have not yet joined them from behind them, because on them shall come no fear nor shall they grieve.

3:171 They rejoice at the favour of Allah and His bounty, and at the fact that Allah suffers not the reward of the believers to be lost.

3:172 Those who answered the call of Allah and the Messenger after they had received an injury--such of them as do good and act righteously shall have a great reward;

3:173 Those to whom men said, 'People have mustered against you, therefore fear them,' but this only increased their faith and they said, 'Sufficient for us is Allah, and an excellent Guardian is He.'

3:174 So they returned with a mighty favour from Allah and a great bounty, while no evil had touched them; and they followed the pleasure of Allah; and Allah is the Lord of great bounty.

3:175 It is Satan who only frightens his friends, so fear them not but fear Me, if you are believers.

3:176 And let not those who hasten to fall into disbelief grieve thee; surely, they cannot harm Allah in any way. Allah desires not to assign them any portion in the life to come; and they shall have a severe punishment.

3:177 Surely those who have purchased disbelief at the price of faith cannot harm Allah at all; and they shall have a grievous punishment.

3:178 And let not the disbelievers think that Our granting them respite is good for them; in fact the result of Our granting them respite will only be that they will increase in sin; and they shall have an humiliating punishment.

3:179 Allah would not leave the believers in the state in which you are, until He separated the wicked from the good. Nor would Allah reveal to you the unseen. But Allah chooses of His Messengers whom He pleases. Believe therefore in Allah and His Messengers. If you believe and be righteous, you shall have a great reward.

3:180 And let not those who are niggardly in spending what Allah has given them of His bounty, think that it is good for them; nay, it is bad for them. That with respect to which they were niggardly shall be put as a collar round their necks on the Day of Resurrection. And to Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is fully Aware of what you do.

3:181 And surely, Allah has heard the utterance of those who said, 'Allah is poor and we are rich.' We shall record what they have said, and their attempts to slay the Prophets unjustly; and We shall say, 'Take ye the punishment of the burning;'

3:182 That is because of that which your hands have sent on before.' and Allah is not at all unjust to His servants.

3:183 Those who say, 'Allah has charged us not to believe in any Messenger until he brings us an offering which fire devours.' Say, 'There have already come to you Messengers before me with clear Signs and with that which you ask for. Why, then, did you seek to slay them, if you are truthful?'

3:184 And if they accuse thee of lying, even so were accused of lying Messengers before thee who came with clear Signs and Books of wisdom and the illuminating Book.

3:185 Every soul shall taste of death. And you shall be paid in full your rewards only on the Day of Resurrection. So whosoever is removed away from the Fire and is made to enter Heaven has indeed attained his goal. And the life of this world is nothing but an illusory enjoyment.

3:186 You shall surely be tried in your possessions and your persons and you shall surely hear many hurtful things from those who were given the Book before you and from those who set up equals to Allah. But if you show patience and fortitude and act righteously, that indeed is a matter of high resolve.

3:187 And remember when Allah took a covenant from those who were given the Book, saying, 'You shall expound it to the people and not hide it.' But they threw it away behind their backs, and bartered it for a paltry price. Evil is that which they purchased.

3:188 Think not that those who exult in what they have done, and love to be praised for what they have not done--think not that they are secure from punishment. They shall suffer a grievous chastisement.

3:189 And to Allah belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth; and Allah has the power over all things.

3:190 In the creation of the heavens and the earth and in the alternation of the night and the day there are indeed Signs for men of understanding.;

3:191 Those who remember Allah standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and ponder over the creation of the heavens and the earth; and say, 'Our Lord, thou hast not created this universe in vain. Holy art Thou; save us then from the punishment of the Fire;

3:192 Our Lord, whomsoever Thou causest to enter the Fire, him Thou hast surely disgraced. And the wrongdoers shall have no helpers;

3:193 Our Lord, we have heard a Crier calling us unto faith, saying, 'Believe ye in your Lord,' and we have believed. Our Lord, forgive us, therefore, our sins and remit from us our evils and in death join us with the righteous;

3:194 Our Lord, give us what Thou hast promised to us through Thy Messengers; and disgrace us not on the Day of Resurrection. Surely, Thou breakest not Thy promise.

3:195 So their Lord answered their prayers, saying, 'I will suffer not the work of any worker from among you, whether male or female, to be lost. You are from one another. Those, therefore, who have emigrated, and have been driven out of their homes, and have been persecuted for My cause, and have fought and been slain, I will surely remit from them their evil deeds and will cause them to enter gardens through which streams flow--a reward from Allah, and with Allah is the best of rewards.

3:196 Let not the moving about of the disbelievers in the land deceive thee.

3:197 It is a small and temporary advantage, then Hell shall be their abode. What an evil place of rest.

3:198 But those who fear their Lord shall have gardens through which streams flow; therein shall they abide--an entertainment from Allah. And that which is with Allah is still better for the righteous.

3:199 And surely, among the People of the Book there are some who believe in Allah and in what has been sent down to you and in what was sent down to them, humbling themselves before Allah. They barter not the Signs of Allah for a paltry price. It is these who shall have their reward with their Lord. Surely Allah is Swift in settling account.

3:200 O ye who believe! be steadfast and strive to excel in steadfastness and be on your guard and fear Allah, that you may prosper.

Chapter 4--Women

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

4:1 O ye people! fear your Lord who created you from a single soul and of its kind created its mate, and from them twain spread many men and women; and fear Allah, in Whose name you appeal to one another, and fear him particularly respecting ties of kinship. Verily Allah watches over you.

4:2 And give to the orphans their property and exchange not the bad for the good, and devour not their property by mixing it with your own. Surely, it is a great sin.

4:3 And if you fear that you will not be just in dealing with the orphans, then marry of other women as may be agreeable to you, two, or three, or four; and if you fear you will not be able to do justice, then marry only one or marry what your right hand possess. Thus it is more likely that you will not do injustice.

4:4 And give the women their dowries willingly. But if they, of their own pleasure, remit to you a part thereof, then enjoy it as something pleasant and wholesome.

4:5 And give not to those weak of understanding your property which Allah has made for you a means of support; but feed them therewith and clothe them and speak to them words of kind advice.

4:6 And test the understanding of orphans until they attain the age of marriage, then, if you perceive in them mature judgment, deliver to them their property; and devour it not in extravagance and haste against their growing up. And whoso is rich, let him abstain; and who so is poor let him eat thereof with equity. And when you deliver to them their property, then call witnesses in their presence. And Allah is sufficient as a Reckoner.

4:7 For men is a share of that which parents leave and near relations leave; and for women is a share of that which parents and near relations leave, whether it be little or much--a determined share.

4:8 And when other relations and orphans and the poor are present at the division of the heritage, give them something therefrom and speak to them words of kindness.

4:9 And let those fear Allah who, if they should leave behind them weak offspring, would be afraid on their account. Let them, therefore, fear Allah and let them say the right word.

4:10 Surely they who devour the property of the orphans unjustly, only swallow fire into their bellies, and they shall burn in a blazing fire.

4:11 Allah commands you concerning your children; a male shall have as much as the share of two females; but if their be females only, numbering more than two, then they shall have two-thirds of what the deceased leave; and if there be one, she shall have the half. And his parents each of them a sixth of the inheritance, if he have a child, but if he have no child and his parents be his heirs, then his mother shall have a third; and if he have brothers and sisters, then his mother shall have a sixth, after the payment of any bequests he may have bequeathed or of debts. Your fathers and your children; you know not which of them is more beneficent to you. This fixing of portions is from Allah. Surely, Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

4:12 And you shall half of that which your wives leave, if they have no child; but if they have a child, then you shall have a fourth of that which they leave, after the payment of any bequests they may have bequeathed or of debts. And they shall have a fourth of that which you leave, if you have no child; but if you have a child, then they shall have an eighth of that which you leave, after the payment of any bequests you may have bequeathed or of debt. And if there be a man or a woman whose heritage is to be divided and he or she has neither parent nor child, and he or she has a brother and a sister, then each one of them shall have a sixth. But if they be more than that, then they shall be equal sharers in one-third, after the payment of any bequests which may have been bequeathed or of debt. And all this shall be without intent to cause injury to anyone. This is an injunction from Allah and Allah is Wise, Forbearing.

4:13 These are the limits set by Allah; and whoso obeys Allah and His Messenger, He will make him enter Gardens through which streams flow; Therein shall they abide; and that is a great triumph.

4:14 And whoso disobeys Allah and His Messenger and transgresses His limits. He will make him enter into the Fire; therein he shall abide; and he shall have an humiliating punishment.

4:15 And such of your women who are guilty of any flagrant impropriety--call to witness four of you against them; and if they bear witness, then confine them to the houses until death overtakes them or Allah opens for them some other way.

4:16 And if two from among you are guilty of it, punish them both. And if they repent and amend, then leave them alone; surely Allah is Oft-Returning with compassion and is ever Merciful.

4:17 Verily, Allah accepts the repentance of only those who do evil in ignorance and then repent soon after. These are they to whom Allah turns with mercy; and Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

4:18 There is no acceptance of repentance for those who continue to do evil until, when death faces one of them, he says, I do indeed repent now; nor for those who die disbelievers. It is these for whom We have prepared a painful punishment.

4:19 O ye who believe, it is not lawful for you to inherit women against their will, nor should you detain them wrongfully that you may take away part of that which you have given them, except that they be guilty of a flagrant impropriety, and consort with them in kindness, and if you dislike them, it may be that you dislike a thing wherein Allah has placed much good.

4:20 And if you desire to take one wife in place of another and you have given one of them a treasure, take not aught therefrom. Will you take it by false accusations and manifest sinfulness?

4:21 And how can you take it when one of you may have consorted with the other, and they (the women) have taken from you a strong covenant?

4:22 And marry not those women whom your fathers married, except what has already passed. It is a thing foul and hateful and an evil way.

4:23 Forbidden to you are your mothers, and your daughters, and your sisters, and your fathers' sisters and your mothers' sisters and brother's daughters, and sister's daughters, and your foster mothers that have given you suck, and your foster-sisters, and the mothers of your wives, and your step-daughters, who are your wards being born of your wives to whom you have gone in--but if you have not gone in unto them, there is no blame on you--and the wives of your sons that are from your loins; and it is forbidden to you to have two sisters together in marriage, except what has already passed; surely Allah is Most Forgiving Merciful.

4:24 And forbidden to you are married women, except such as your right hands possess. This has Allah enjoined on you. And allowed to you are those beyond that, that you may seek them by means of your property, marrying them properly and not committing fornication. And for the benefit you receive from them, give them their dowries, as fixed, and there is no blame on you what you do by mutual agreement after the fixing of the dowry. Surely Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

4:25 And whoso of you cannot afford to marry free believing women, let him marry what your right hands possess, namely your believing hand-maids. And Allah knows your faith best; you are all one from another; so marry them with the leave of their masters and give them their dowries, according to what is fair, they being chaste, not committing fornication, nor taking secret paramours. And if, after they are married, they are guilty of lewdness, they shall have half the punishment prescribe for free married women. This is for him among you who fears lest he should commit sin. And that you restrain yourselves is better for you; and Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

4:26 Allah desires to make clear to you, and guide you to, the path of those before you and to turn to you in mercy. And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

4:27 And Allah wishes to turn to you in mercy, but those who follow their low desires wish that you should incline wholly towards evil.

4:28 Allah desires to lighten your burden, for man has been created weak.

4:29 O ye who believe! devour not your property among yourselves by unlawful means, except that you earn by trade with mutual consent. And kill not your people. Surely, Allah is Merciful towards you.

4:30 And whosoever does that by way of transgression and injustice, We shall cast him into Fire; and that is easy for Allah.

4:31 If you keep away from the more grievous of the things which are forbidden you, We will remove from you your minor evils and admit you to a place of great honour.

4:32 And covet not that whereby Allah has made some of you excel others. Men shall have a share of that which they have earned, and women a share of that which they have earned. And ask Allah of His bounty. Surely, Allah has perfect knowledge of all things.

4:33 And to everyone We have appointed heirs to what the parents and their relations leave, and also those with whom your oaths have ratified a contract. So give them their portion. Surely, Allah watches over all things.

4:34 Men are guardians over women because Allah has made some of them excel others, and because men spend on them of their wealth. So virtuous women are obedient, and guard the secrets of their husbands with Allah's protection. And as for those on whose part you fear disobedience, admonish them and keep away from them in their beds and chastise them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them. Surely, Allah is High and Great.

4:35 And if you fear a breach between them, then appoint an arbiter from his folk and an arbiter from her folk. If they (the arbiters) desire reconciliation, Allah will effect it between them. Surely, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.

4:36 And worship Allah and associate naught with Him, and show kindness to parents, and to kindred, and orphans, and the needy, and to the neighbour who is a kinsman and the neighbour who is a stranger, and the companion by your side, and the wayfarer, and those whom your right hands possess. Surely, Allah loves not the arrogant and the boastful;

4:37 Who are niggardly and also enjoin people to be niggardly, and hide that which Allah has given them of His bounty. And We have prepared for the disbelievers an humiliating punishment;

4:38 And as for those who spend their wealth in order to be seen of men, and believe not in Allah, nor the Last Day, they are the companions of Satan, and whoso has Satan for a companion, an evil companion is he.

4:39 And what harm would have befallen them if they have believed in Allah and the Last Day and spend out of what Allah has given them? And Allah knows them well.

4:40 Surely, Allah wrongs not anyone even so much as the weight of an atom. And if there be a good deed, He multiplies it and gives from Himself a great reward.

4:41 And how will it fare with them when We shall bring a witness from every people, and shall bring thee as a witness against these!

4:42 On that day those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger will wish that the earth were made level with them, and they will not be able to hide anything from Allah.

4:43 O ye who believe! go not near Prayer when you are not in full possession of your senses, until you know what you are saying, nor when you are unclean, except when you are traveling along a way, until you have bathed. And if you are ill or you are on a journey while unclean, or if one of you comes from the privy or you have touched women and you find no water, then betake yourselves to pure dust and wipe therewith your faces and your hands. Surely Allah is the Effacer of sins, Forgiving,

4:44 Hast thou not seen those who were given a portion of the Book? They buy error and desire that you too may lose the way.

4:45 And Allah knows your enemies well. And sufficient is Allah as a Friend, and sufficient is Allah as a helper.

4:46 There were some among the Jews who pervert words from their proper places. And they say, 'We hear and we disobey' and 'hear us and may Allah's Word never be heard by you,' and they say, 'Ra'ina.' They say all this twisting with their tongues and seeking to injure the Faith. And if they had said, 'We hear and we obey,' and hear thou,' and 'Unzurna,' it would have been better for them and more upright. But Allah has cursed them for their disbelief; so they believe but little.

4:47 O ye people of the Book! believe in what We have now sent down, fulfilling that which is with you, before We destroy some of your leaders and turn them on their backs or curse them as We cursed the people of the Sabbath. And the decree of Allah is bound to be fulfilled.

4:48 Surely, Allah will not forgive that a partner be associated with Him; but He will forgive whatever is short of that to whomsoever He pleases. And whoso associates partners with Allah has indeed devised a very great sin.

4:49 Hast thou not seen those who hold themselves to be pure? Nay, it is Allah who purifies whomsoever He pleases, and they will not be wronged a whit.

4:50 See how they forge a lie against Allah! And sufficient is that as a manifest sin.

4:51 Hast thou not seen those who were given a portion of the Book? They believe in evil objects and follow those who transgress, and they say of the disbelievers, 'These are better guided in religion than those who believe.'

4:52 Those are they whom Allah has cursed, and he whom Allah curses, thou shalt not find for him a helper.

4:53 Have they a share in the kingdom? Then they would not give men even so much as a the little hollow in the back of a date-stone.

4:54 Or do they envy men for what Allah has given them out of His bounty? If that is so, surely, We gave the children of Abraham the Book and wisdom and We gave them a great kingdom.

4:55 And of them were some who believed in him; and of them were others who turned away from him. And sufficient for them as punishment is the blazing fire of Hell.

4:56 Those who disbelieve in Our Signs, We shall soon cause them to enter Fire. As often as their skins are burnt up, We shall give them in exchange other skins that they may continue to taste the punishment. Surely, Allah is Mighty and Wise.

4:57 And those who believe and do good works. We shall make them enter Gardens through which streams flow, to abide therein for ever; therein shall they have pure spouses, and We shall admit them to a place of plenteous shade.

4:58 Verily Allah commands you to give over the trusts to those entitled to them, and that, when you judge between men, you judge with justice. And surely, excellent is that with which Allah admonishes you. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.

4:59 O ye who believe! obey Allah, and obey His Messenger and those who are in authority among you. And if you differ in anything refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you are believers in Allah and the Last Day. That is best and most commendable in the end.

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
4:60 Hast thou not seen those who assert that they believe in what has been revealed to thee and what has been revealed before thee? They desire to seek judgment from the Evil One, although they were commanded not to obey him. And Satan desires to lead them far astray.

4:61 And when it is said to them, 'Come ye to what Allah has sent down and to His Messenger,' thou seest the hypocrites turn away from thee with aversion.

4:62 Then how is it that when an affliction befalls them because of what their hands have sent on before, they come to thee swearing by Allah, saying, 'We meant nothing but the doing of good and conciliation.'

4:63 These are they, the secrets of whose hearts Allah knows well. So turn away from them and admonish them and speak to them an effective word concerning themselves.

4:64 And We have sent no Messenger but that he should be obeyed by the command of Allah. And if they had come to thee, when they had wronged their souls, and asked forgiveness of Allah, and the Messenger also had asked forgiveness for them, they would have surely found Allah Oft-Returning with compassion, and Merciful.

4:65 But no, by thy Lord, they will not be true believers until they make thee judge in all that is in dispute between them and then find not in their hearts any demur concerning that which thou decidest and submit with full submission.

4:66 And if We had commanded them: Slay your people or leave your homes,' they would not have done it except a few of them; and if they had done what they are exhorted to do, it would surely have been better for them and conducive to greater strength;

4:67 And then We would have surely, given them a great reward from Ourselves;

4:68 And We could surely have guided them in the right path.

4:69 And whoso obeys Allah and this Messenger shall be among those on whom Allah has bestowed His blessings--the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs, and the Righteous. And an excellent company are they.

4:70 This grace is from Allah, and Allah suffices as One Who is All-Knowing.

4:71 O ye who believe! take your precautions for security, then go forth in separate parties or go forth all together.

4:72 And among you there is he who tarries behind, and if a misfortune befalls you, he says, 'Surely Allah has been gracious to me, since I was not present with them.'

4:73 But if there comes to you good fortune from Allah, he says, as if there were no love between you and him, 'Would that I had been with them, then should I have indeed achieved a great success!'

4:74 Let those then fight in the cause of Allah who would sell the present life for the Hereafter. And whoso fights in the cause of Allah, be he slain or be he victorious, We shall soon give him a great reward.

4:75 And why should you not fight in the cause of Allah and for the rescue of the weak men, women and children--who say, 'Our Lord, take us out of this town whose people are oppressors, and give us a friend from Thyself and give us from Thyself a helper.'

4:76 Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah, and those who disbelieve fight in the cause of the Evil One. Fight ye therefore, against the friends of Satan; surely Satan's strategy is weak.

4:77 Hast thou not seen those to whom it was said : 'Restrain your hands, observe Prayer, and pay the Zakát.' And when fighting is prescribed for them, behold a section of them fear men as they should fear Allah, or with still greater fear; and they say 'Our Lord, why hast thou prescribed fighting for us? Wouldst Thou not grant us respite yet a while?' Say, 'The benefit of this world is little and the Hereafter will be better for him who fears Allah; and you shall not be wronged a whit.'

4:78 Wheresoever you may be, death will overtake you, even if you be in strongly built towers. And if some good befalls them, they say, 'This is from Allah;' and if evil befalls them, they say, 'This is from thee.' Say, 'All is from Allah.' What has happened to these people that they would not try to understand anything?

4:79 Whatever of good comes to thee is from Allah; and whatever of evil befalls thee is from thyself. And We have sent thee as a Messenger to all mankind. And sufficient is Allah as a Witness.

4:80 Whoso obeys the Messenger obeys Allah indeed; and whoso turns away, then We have not sent thee to be a keeper over them.

4:81 And they say, 'Obedience is our guiding principle;' but when they go forth from thy presence, a section of them spends the night scheming against what thou hast said. Allah records whatever they scheme by night. So turn away from them, and put thy trust in Allah. And sufficient is Allah as a Disposer of affairs.

4:82 Will they not, then, meditate upon the Qur'án? Had it been from anyone other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much discrepancy.

4:83 And when there comes to them any tidings whether of peace or of fear they spread it about, whereas if they had referred it to the Messenger and to those in authority among them, surely those of them, who can elicit the truth from it, would have understood it. And had it not been for the grace of Allah upon you and His mercy, you would have followed Satan, save a few.

4:84 Fight, therefore, in the way of Allah--thou art not made responsible except for thyself--and urge on the believers to fight. It may be that Allah will restrain the might of those that disbelieve; And Allah is stronger in might and stronger in inflicting punishment.

4:85 Whoso makes a righteous intercession shall have a share thereof, and whoso makes an evil intercession, shall have a like portion thereof; and Allah is Powerful over everything.

4:86 And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet ye with a better greeting or at least return it. Surely Allah takes account of all things.

4:87 Allah is He besides Whom there is none worthy of worship. He will certainly continue to assemble you till the Day of Resurrection about which there is no doubt. And who is more truthful in his word than Allah?

4:88 What is the matter with you that you are divided into two parties regarding the Hypocrites? And Allah has overthrown them because of what they earned. Desire ye to guide him whom Allah has caused to perish? And for him whom Allah causes to perish thou shalt not find a way.

4:89 They wish that you should disbelieve as they have disbelieved, so that you may become alike. Take not, therefore, friends from among them, until they emigrate in the way of Allah. And if they turn away, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them; and take no friend nor helper from among them;

4:90 Except those who are connected with a people between whom and you there is a pact, or those who come to you, while their hearts shrink from fighting you or fighting their own people. And if Allah had so pleased, He could have given them power against you, then they would have surely fought you. So, if they keep aloof from you and fight you not, and make you an offer of peace, then Allah has allowed you no way of aggression against them.

4:91 You will find others who desire to be secure from you and to be secure from their own people. Whenever they are made to revert to hostility, they fall headlong into it. Therefore, if they do not keep aloof from you nor offer you peace nor restrain their hands, then seize them and kill them, wherever you find them. Against these We have given you clear authority.

4:92 It does not behove a believer to slay a believer unless it be by mistake. And he who slays a believer by mistake shall free a believing slave, and pay blood-money to be handed over to his heirs, unless they remit it as charity. But if the person slain be of a people hostile to you, and he is a believer, then the penalty is only the freeing of a believing slave, and if he be of a people between whom and you is a pact, then the penalty is blood-money to be handed over to his heirs, and the freeing of a believing slave. But whoso finds not one, then he shall fast for two consecutive months--a mercy from Allah. And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

4:93 And whoso slays a believer intentionally, his reward shall be Hell wherein he shall abide. And Allah shall be wroth with him and shall curse him and shall prepare for him a great punishment.

4:94 O ye who believe! when you go forth to fight in the cause of Allah, make proper investigation and say not to anyone who greets you with the greeting of peace, Thou art not a believer.' You seek the goods of this life, but with Allah are good things in plenty. Such were you before this, but Allah conferred His special favour on you; so do make proper investigation. Surely, Allah is Aware of what you do.

4:95 Those of the believers who sit at home, excepting the disabled ones, and those who strive in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their persons, are not equal. Allah has exalted in rank those who strive with their wealth and their persons above those who sit at home. And to each Allah has promised good. And Allah has exalted those who strive above those who sit at home, by a great reward --

4:96 By degrees of excellence bestowed by Him, and by special forgiveness and mercy. And Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

4:97 Verily, those whom the angels cause to die while they are wronging their own souls, the angels will say to them : 'What were you after?' They will say : 'We were treated as weak in the land.' The angels will say, 'Was not Allah's earth spacious enough so that you could have emigrated therein?' It is these whose abode shall be Hell, and an evil destination it is;

4:98 Except such weak ones among men, women and children, as are incapable of adopting any plan or of finding any way to escape.

4:99 As to these, maybe Allah will efface their sins; for Allah is the Effacer of sins, the Most Forgiving.

4:100 And whoso emigrates from his country in the way of Allah will find in the earth an abundant place of refuge and plentifulness. And whoso goes forth from his home, emigrating in the cause of Allah and His Messenger, and death overtakes him, his reward lies on Allah, and Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful,

4:101 And when you journey in the land, it shall be no blame on you if you shorten the Prayer, if you fear that those who disbelieve will cause you trouble. Verily the disbelievers are an open enemy to you.

4:102 And when thou art among them, and leadest the Prayer for them, let a party of them stand with thee and let them take their arms. And when they have performed their prostrations, let them go to your rear, and let another party, who have not yet prayed, come forward and pray with thee, and let them take their means of defence and their arms. The disbelievers wish that you were neglectful of your arms and your baggage that they may fall upon you at once. And it shall be no sin for you, because of the inconvenience caused by rain or because you are sick, that you lay aside your arms. But you should always take your precautions. Surely, Allah has prepared an humiliating punishment for the disbelievers.

4:103 And when you have finished the Prayer, remember Allah, standing and sitting, and laying on your sides. And when you are secure from danger, then observe Prayer in the prescribe form; verily Prayer is enjoined on the believers to be performed at fixed hours.

4:104 And slacken not in seeking these people. If you suffer, they too suffer even as you suffer. But you hope from Allah what they hope not. And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

4:105 We have surely sent down to thee the Book comprising the truth, that thou mayest judge between men by what Allah has taught thee. And be not thou a disputer on behalf of the faithless;

4:106 And ask forgiveness of Allah. Surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

4:107 And plead not on behalf of those who are dishonest to themselves. Surely, Allah loves not one who is perfidious and a great sinner.

4:108 They seek to hide their designs from men, but they cannot hide them from Allah; and He is present with them when they plot at night about matters which He does not approve. And Allah encompasses what they do.

4:109 Behold! you are those who pleaded for them in the present life. But who will plead with Allah for them on the Day of Resurrection, or who will be a guardian over them?

4:110 And whoso does evil or wrongs his soul, and then asks forgiveness of Allah, will find Allah Most Forgiving, Merciful.

4:111 And whoso commits a sin, it is only against his own soul. And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

4:112 And whoso commits a fault or a sin, then throws the blame thereof on an innocent person, certainly bears the burden of calumny and a manifest sin.

4:113 And but for the grace of Allah upon thee and His mercy, a party of them had resolved to bring about thy ruin. And they ruin none but themselves and they cannot harm thee at all. And Allah has sent down to thee the Book and wisdom and has taught thee what thou knewest not, and great is Allah's grace on thee.

4:114 There is no good in many of their conferences except the conferences of such as enjoin charity, or goodness or the making of peace among men. And whoso does that, seeking the pleasure of Allah, We shall soon bestow on him a great reward.

4:115 And whoso opposes the Messenger after guidance has become manifest to him, and follows a way other than that of the believers, We shall let him pursue the way he is pursuing and shall cast him into Hell, and an evil destination it is.

4:116 Allah shall not forgive that anything be associated with Him as partner, but He will forgive what is short of that to whomsoever He pleases. And whoso associates anything with Allah has indeed strayed far away.

4:117 They invoke besides Him none but lifeless objects, and they invoke none but Satan the rebellious,

4:118 Whom Allah has cursed. He said, 'I will assuredly take a fixed portion from Thy servants;

4:119 And assuredly I will lead them astray and assuredly I will arouse in them vain desires, and assuredly I will incite them and they will cut the ears of cattle; and assuredly I will incite them and they will alter Allah's creation.' And whoever takes Satan for a friend instead of Allah, he certainly suffers a manifest loss.

4:120 He holds out promises to them and excites vain desires in them, and Satan promises them nothing but vain things.

4:121 For such, their abode shall be Hell, and they shall find no way of escape from it.

4:122 But as for those who believe and do good works, We will admit them into Gardens, beneath which streams flow, wherein they will abide forever. It is Allah's unfailing promise; and who can be more truthful than Allah in word?

4:123 It shall not be according to your desires, nor according to the desires of the People of the Book. Whoso does evil shall be requited for it; and he shall find for himself no friend or helper besides Allah.

4:124 But whoso does good works, whether male or female, and he or she is a believer, such shall enter heaven, and shall not be wronged even as much as the little hollow in the back of a date-stone.

4:125 And who is better in faith than he who submits himself entirely to Allah, and he is a doer of good and follows the religion of Abraham? And Allah took Abraham for a special friend.

4:126 And to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and that is in the earth; and Allah encompasses all things.

4:127 And they seek of thee the decision of the law concerning marriage with more women than one. Say, Allah gives you His decision concerning them. And that which is recited to you elsewhere in your Book concerns the orphan girls whom you give not what is prescribed for them and whom you desire to marry, and also concerns the weak among children. And He enjoins you to deal equitably with the orphans. And whatever good you do, surely Allah knows it well.

4:128 And if a women fears ill treatment or indifference from her husband, it shall be no sin that they be suitably reconciled to each other; and reconciliation is best. And people are prone to covetousness. And if you do good and are righteous, surely Allah is Aware of what you do.

4:129 And you cannot keep perfect balance between wives, however much you may desire it. But incline not wholly to one so that you leave the other like a thing suspended. And if you are reconciled and act righteously, surely Allah is Most Forgiving, and Merciful.

4:130 And if they separate, Allah will make both independent out of His abundance, and Allah is Bountiful, Wise.

4:131 And to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. And We have assuredly commanded those who were given the Book before you and commanded you also to fear Allah. But if you disbelieve, then remember that to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, and Allah is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.

4:132 And to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, and sufficient is Allah as a Guardian.

4:133 If He please, He can take you away, O people, and bring others in your stead; and Allah has the full power to do that.

4:134 Whoso desires the reward of this world, then let him know that with Allah is the reward of this world and of the hereafter; and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.

4:135 O ye who believe! be strict in observing justice and be witnesses for Allah, even though it be against yourselves or against your parents or kindred. Whether he, against whom witness is borne, be rich or poor, Allah is more regardful of them both than you are. Therefore follow not your low desires that you may be able to act equitably. And if you hide the truth or evade it, then know that Allah is Well-Aware of what you do.

4:136 O ye who believe! believe in Allah and His Messenger and in the Book which He had revealed to His Messenger, and the Book which He revealed before it. And whoso disbelieves in Allah and His angels, and His Books and His Messengers and the Last Day, has surely strayed far away.

4:137 Those who believe, then disbelieve, then again believe, then disbelieve and then increase in disbelief, Allah will never forgive them nor will He guide them to the right way.

4:138 Give to the hypocrites the tidings that for them is a grievous punishment;

4:139 Those who take disbelievers as friends rather than believers. Do they seek honour at their hands? Surely, all honour belongs to Allah.

4:140 And He has already revealed to you in the Book that when you hear the Signs of Allah being denied and mocked at, sit not with those who indulge in such talk, until they engage in some other talk; for in that case you would be like them. Surely Allah will assemble the hypocrite and the disbelievers in Hell, all together.

4:141 Those who await your ruin. If you have a victory from Allah, they say, 'Were we not with you?' And if the disbelievers have a share of it, they say to them, 'Did we not on a previous occasion get the better of you and save you from the believers?' Allah will judge between you on the day of Resurrection; and Allah will not grant the disbelievers a way to prevail against the believers.

4:142 The hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but He will punish them for their deception. And when they stand up for Prayer, they stand up lazily and to be seen of men, and they remember Allah but little.

4:143 Wavering between this and that, belonging neither to these nor to those. And he whom Allah causes to perish, for him thou shalt not find a way of escape.

4:144 O ye who believe, take not disbelievers for friends, in preference to believers. Do you mean to give Allah a manifest proof against yourselves?

4:145 The hypocrite shall surely be in the lowest depths of the Fire; and thou shalt find no helper for them,

4:146 Except those who repent and amend and hold fast to Allah and are sincere in their obedience to Allah--these are among the believers. And Allah will soon bestow a great reward upon the believers.

4:147 Why should Allah punish you, if you are thankful and if you believe? And Allah is Appreciating, All-Knowing.

4:148 Allah likes not the uttering of unseemly speech in public, except on the part of one who is being wronged. Verily, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

4:149 Whether you make public a good deed or keep it secret or pardon an evil, Allah is certainly the Effacer of sins, All-Powerful.

4:150 Surely, those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers and seek to make a distinction between Allah and His Messengers, and say, 'We believe in some and disbelieve in others,' and seek to take a way between;

4:151 These really are the disbelievers, and We have prepared for the disbelievers an humiliating punishment.

4:152 And those who believe in Allah and in all his Messengers and make no distinction between any of them, to such He will soon give their rewards. And Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

4:153 The people of the Book ask thee to bring down upon them a Book from heaven. They asked Moses a greater thing than this. They said, 'Show us Allah openly.' Thereupon a destructive punishment overtook them because of their transgression. Then they took the calf for worship after clear Signs had come to them, but We pardoned even that. And We gave Moses a manifest authority.

4:154 And We raised high above them the Mount while making a covenant with them, and We said to them, 'Enter the gate submissively,' and We said to them, 'Transgress not in the matter of the Sabbath.' And We took from them a firm covenant.

4:155 So, for their breaking the covenant, and their denial of the Signs of Allah, and their seeking to slay the Prophets unjustly, and their saying: 'Our hearts are wrapped up in covers,'--nay, but Allah has sealed them because of their disbelief, so they believe not but little --

4:156 And for their disbelief and for their uttering against Mary a grievous calumny;

4:157 And for their saying, 'We did slay the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah;' whereas they slew him not, nor did they bring about his death upon the cross, but he was made to appear to them like one crucified; and those who differ therein are certainly in a state of doubt about it; they have no certain knowledge thereof, but only pursue a conjecture; and they did not arrive at a certainty concerning it.

4:158 On the contrary, Allah exalted him to Himself. And Allah is Mighty, Wise.

4:159 And there is none among the People of the Book but will continue to believe in it before his death; and on the Day of Resurrection, he (Jesus) shall be a witness against them.

4:160 So, because of the transgression of the Jews, We forbade them pure things which had been allowed to them, and also because of their hindering many men from Allah's way,

4:161 And because of their taking interest although they had been forbidden it, and because of their devouring peoples wealth wrongfully. And We have prepared for those of them, who disbelieve, a painful punishment.

4:162 But those among them who are firmly grounded in knowledge, and the believers, believe in what has been sent down to thee and what was sent down before thee, and especially those that observe Prayer and those who pay the Zakát and those who believe in Allah and the Last Day. To these We will surely give a mighty reward.

4:163 Surely, We have sent revelation to thee, as We sent revelation to Noah and the Prophets after him; and We sent revelation to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and his children and to Jesus and Job and Jonah and Aaron and Solomon, and We gave David a Book.

4:164 And We sent some Messengers whom We have already mentioned to thee and some Messengers whom We have not mentioned to thee--and to Moses Allah spoke at great length -

4:165 Messengers, bearers of glad tidings and Warners, so that people may have no plea against Allah after the coming of Messengers. And Allah is Mighty, Wise.

4:166 But Allah bears witness by means of the revelation which He has sent down to thee, that He has sent it down full of His knowledge, and the angels also bear witness; and sufficient is Allah as a Witness.

4:167 Those who disbelieve and hinder others from the way of Allah, have certainly strayed far away.

4:168 Surely, those who have disbelieved and have acted unjustly, Allah will not forgive them, nor will He show them any way.

4:169 Except the way of Hell, wherein they shall abide for a long, long period. And that is easy for Allah.

4:170 O mankind! the Messenger has indeed come to you with truth from your Lord; believe therefore, it will be better for you. But if you disbelieve, verily, to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and in the earth. And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

4:171 O People of the Book! exceed not the limits in your religion, and say not of Allah anything but the truth. Verily, the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was only a Messenger of Allah, and a fulfillment of His word which He has sent down to Mary, and a mercy from Him. So believe in Allah and His Messengers, and say not, 'They are three.' Desist, it will be better for you. Verily, Allah is the only One Allah. Holy is He, far above having a son. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. And sufficient is Allah as a guardian.

4:172 Surely, the Messiah disdains not to be a servant of Allah, nor do the angels who are near to Him, and whoso disdains to worship Him and is proud, He will gather them all to Himself.

4:173 Then as for those who believe and do good works, He will give them their rewards in full and will give them more out of His grace; but as for those who disdain and are proud, He will punish them with a painful punishment. And they shall find for themselves beside Allah no friend, nor helper.

4:174 O ye people, manifest proof has indeed come to you from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a clear Light.

4:175 Then, as for those who believe in Allah and hold fast to Him, He will surely admit them to His mercy and grace and will guide them along a straight path leading to Himself.

4:176 They ask thee for a decision. Say, 'Allah gives His decision concerning 'Kalálah. If a man dies leaving no child and he has a sister, then she shall have half of what he leaves; and he shall inherit her if she has no child. But if there be two sisters, then they shall have two-thirds of what he leaves. And if the heirs be brethren -- both men and women--then the male shall have as much as the portion of two females. Allah explains this to you lest you go astray and Allah knows all things well.'

Chapter 5--The Table

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

5:1 O ye who believe! fulfill you compacts. Lawful are made to you quadrupeds of the class of cattle other than those which are being announced to you, except that you should not hold game to be lawful while you are in a state of pilgrimage; verily, Allah decrees what He wills.

5:2 O ye who believe! profane not the Signs of Allah, nor the Sacred Month, nor the animals brought as an offering, nor the animals of sacrifice wearing collars nor those repairing to the Sacred House, seeking grace from their Lord and His pleasure. And when you put off the pilgrims' garb and are clear of the Sacred Territory, you may hunt. And let not the enmity of a people, that they hindered you from the Sacred Mosque, incite you to transgress. And help one another in righteousness and in piety; but help not one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allah; Surely Allah is Severe in punishment.

5:3 Forbidden to you is the flesh of an animal which dies of itself, and blood and the flesh of swine; and that on which is invoked the name of any other than Allah; and that which has been strangled; and that which has been beaten to death; and that which has been killed by a fall and that which has been gored to death; and that of which a wild animal has eaten, except that which you have properly slaughtered; and that which has been slaughtered at an altar as an offering to idols. And forbidden is also this that you seek to know your lot by the divining arrows. That is an act of disobedience. This day have those who disbelieve despaired of harming your religion. So fear them not, but fear Me. This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favour upon you and have chosen for you Islam as religion. But whoso is forced by hunger, without being wilfully inclined to sin, then, surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, and is Merciful.

5:4 They ask thee what is made lawful for them. Say, 'All good things have been made lawful for you, and what you have taught the beasts and the birds of prey to catch for you, training them for hunting and teaching them of what Allah has taught you. So eat of that which they catch for you, and pronounce thereon the name of Allah. And fear Allah, surely Allah is Quick in reckoning.'

5:5 This day all good things have been made lawful for you. And the food of the people of the Book is lawful for you. And your food is lawful for them. And lawful for you are chaste believing women and chaste women from among those who were given the Book before you, when you give them their dowries, contracting valid marriage and not committing fornication, nor taking secret paramours. And whoever rejects the faith, his work indeed is vain, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers.

5:6 O ye who believe! when you stand up for Prayer, wash your faces, and your hands up to the elbows, and pass your wet hands over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you be unclean, purify yourselves by bathing. And if you are ill or you are on a journey while unclean, or one of you comes from the privy or you have touched women, and find not water, betake yourselves to pure dust and wipe therewith your faces and your hands. Allah desires not that He should place you in a difficulty but He desires to purify you and to complete His favour upon you, so that you may be grateful.

5:7 And remember Allah's favour upon you and the covenant which He made with you, when you said, 'We hear and we obey.' And fear Allah. Surely Allah knows well what is in your minds.

5:8 O ye who believe! be steadfast in the cause of Allah, bearing witness in equity; and let not a people's enmity incite you to act otherwise than with justice. Be always just. That is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah. Surely, Allah is Aware of what you do.

5:9 Allah has promised those who believe and do good deeds that they shall have forgiveness and a great reward.

5:10 And as for those who disbelieve and reject Our Signs, they are the people of Hell.

5:11 O ye who believe! remember Allah's favour upon you when a people intended to stretch out their hands against you, but He with-held their hands from you; and fear Allah. And in Allah should the believers put their trust.

5:12 And indeed Allah did take a covenant from the Children of Israel; and We raised among them twelve leaders. And Allah said, 'Surely, I am with you, if you observe Prayer and pay the Zakaat, and believe in My Messengers and support them, and lend to Allah a goodly loan, I will remove your evils from you and admit you into Gardens beneath which streams flow. But whoso from among you disbelieves thereafter does indeed stray away from the right path.'

5:13 So, because of their breaking of the covenant, We have cursed them and have hardened their hearts. They pervert the words from their proper places and have forgotten a good part of that with which they were exhorted. And thou wilt not cease to discover treachery on their part, except a few of them. So pardon them and show forbearance. Surely Allah loves those who do good to others.

5:14 And from those also who say, 'We are Christians,' We took a covenant, but they too have forgotten a good part of that with which they were exhorted. So We have caused enmity and hatred among them till the Day of Resurrection. And Allah will soon let them know what they have been doing.

5:15 O People of the Book! there has come to you Our Messenger who makes clear to you much of what you have kept hidden of the Book and forgives many of your faults. There has come to you indeed from Allah a Light and a clear Book.

5:16 Thereby does Allah guide those who seek His pleasure on the paths of peace, and leads them out of every kind of darkness into light by His Will and guides them to the right path.

5:17 They indeed have disbelieved who say, 'Surely Allah--He is the Messiah, son of Mary.' Say, 'Who then has any power against Allah, if He desired to destroy the Messiah, son of Mary, and his mother and all those that are in the earth?' And to Allah belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth and what is between them. He creates what He pleases and Allah has power over all things.

5:18 The Jews and the Christians say, 'We are the sons of Allah and His beloved ones.' Say, 'Why then does He punish you for your sins? Nay, you are mortals from among those He has created.' He forgives whom He pleases and punishes whom He pleases. And to Allah belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth and what is between them, and to Him shall be the final return.

5:19 O People of the Book! there indeed has come to you Our Messenger, after a break in the series of Messengers, who makes things clear to you lest you should say, 'There has come to us no bearer of glad tidings and no Warner.' So a bearer of glad tidings and a warner has indeed come to you. And Allah has power over all things.

5:20 And remember when Moses said to his people, 'O my people, call to mind Allah's favour upon you when He raised Prophets among you and made you kings, and gave you what He gave not to any other among the peoples;

5:21 O my people, enter the Holy Land which Allah has ordained for you and do not turn back, for then you will return as losers.'

5:22 They said, 'O Moses, there is in that land an unruly and powerful people, and we shall not enter it until they go forth from it, but if they go forth from it, then we will enter it.'

5:23 Thereupon two men from among those who feared their Lord, on whom Allah has conferred His special favour, said 'Enter the gate advancing against them; when once you have entered it, then surely you will be victorious. And put your trust in Allah, if you are believers.'

5:24 They said, 'O Moses, we will never enter it, so long as they are in it. So go thou and thy Lord and fight, and here we sit.'

5:25 He said, 'My Lord, I have control over myself and my brother, therefore distinguish Thou between us and the rebellious people.'

5:26 Allah said: 'Verily it shall be forbidden to them for forty years; in distraction shall they wander through the land. So grieve not over the rebellious people.

5:27 And relate to them with truth the story of the two sons of Adam, when they each offered an offering, and it was accepted from one of them and was not accepted from the other. The latter said, 'I will surely kill thee.' The former replied, 'Allah accepts only from the righteous;

5:28 If thou stretch out thy hand against me to kill me, I shall not stretch out my hand against thee to kill thee. I do fear Allah, the Lord of the Universe;

5:29 I wish that thou shouldst bear the punishment of the sin against me as well as of thine own sin, and thus be among the inmates of the Fire, and that is the recompense of those who do wrong.'

5:30 But his evil self induced him to kill his brother, and so he killed him and became one of the losers.

5:31 Then Allah sent a raven which scratched in the ground, that He might show him how to hide the corpse of his brother. He said, 'Woe is me! Am I not able to be even like this raven so that I may hide the corpse of my brother?' And then he became remorseful.

5:32 On account of this, We prescribed for the Children of Israel that whosoever killed a person--unless it be for killing a person or for creating disorder in the land--it shall be as if he killed all mankind; and whoso saved a life, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind. And our Messengers came to them with clear Signs, Yet even after that, many of them commit excesses in the land.

5:33 The only reward of those, who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive to create disorder in the land, is that they be slain or crucified or their hands and feet be cut off on account of their enmity, or they be expelled from the land. That shall be a disgrace for them in this world, and in the Hereafter they shall have a great punishment;

5:34 Except those who repent before you have them in your power. So know that Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

5:35 O ye who believe! fear Allah and seek the means of approach unto Him and strive in His way that you may prosper.

5:36 Surely, if those who disbelieve had all that is in the earth and as much over again to ransom themselves therewith from the punishment of the Day of Resurrection, it would not be accepted from them; and they shall have a painful punishment.

5:37 They would wish to come out of the Fire, but they will not be able to come out of it and they shall have a lasting punishment.

5:38 And as for the man who steals and the woman who steals, cut of their hands in retribution of their offence as an exemplary punishment from Allah. And Allah is Mighty, Wise.

5:39 But whoso repents after his transgression and amends, then will Allah surely turn to him in mercy; verily, Allah is most Forgiving and Merciful.

5:40 Dost thou not know that Allah is He to Whom belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth? He punishes whom He pleases and forgives whom He pleases, and Allah has power over all things.

5:41 O Messenger! let not those grieve thee who hasten to fall into disbelief--those who say with their mouths, 'We believe,' but their hearts believe not. And among the Jews too are those who would fondly listen to any lie--who listen for conveying it to other people who have not come to thee. They pervert words after their being put in their right places; and say, 'If you are given this, then accept it, but if you are not given this, then keep away from it.' And as for him whom Allah desires to try, thou shalt not avail him aught against Allah. These are they whose hearts Allah has not been pleased to purify; they shall have disgrace in this world, and in the Hereafter they shall have a severe punishment.

5:42 They are eager listeners to falsehood, devourers of things forbidden. If, then, they come to thee for judgment, judge between them or turn aside from them. And if thou turn aside from them, they cannot harm thee at all. And if thou judge, judge between them with justice. Surely Allah loves those who are just.

5:43 And how will they make thee their judge when they have with them the Torah, wherein is Allah's judgment? Yet in spite of that they turn their backs; and certainly they will not believe.

5:44 Surely, We sent down the Torah wherein was guidance and light. By it did the Prophets, who were obedient to Us, judge for the Jews, as did the godly people and those learned in the Law, because they were required to preserve the Book of Allah, and because they were guardians over it. Therefore fear not men but fear Me; and barter not My signs for a paltry price. And whoso judges not by that which Allah has sent down, these it is who are the disbelievers.

5:45 And therein We prescribed for them: Life for life, and eye for eye, nose for nose, ear for ear, and tooth for tooth, and for other injuries equitable retaliation. And whoso waives the right thereto, it shall be an expiation for his own sins; and whoso judges not by what Allah has sent down, these it is who are wrongdoers.

5:46 And We caused Jesus, son of Mary, to follow in their footsteps, fulfilling that which was revealed before him in the Torah; and We gave him the Gospel which contained guidance and light, fulfilling that which was revealed before him in the Torah; and a guidance and an admonition for the Allah-fearing.

5:47 And let the people of the Gospel judge according to what Allah has revealed therein, and whoso judges not by what Allah has revealed, these it is who are the transgressors.

5:48 And We have revealed unto thee the Book comprising the truth and fulfilling that which was revealed before it in the Book, and as a guardian over it. Judge, therefore, between them by what Allah has revealed, and follow not their evil desires, turning away from the truth which has come to thee. For each of you We prescribed a clear spiritual Law and a manifest way in secular matters. And if Allah had enforced His will, He would have made you all one people, but He wishes to try you by that which He has given you. Vie then with one another in doing good works. To Allah shall you all return; then He will inform you of that wherein you differed;

5:49 And that thou shouldst judge between them by that which Allah has revealed and follow not their evil desires and be on thy guard against them, lest they involve thee in trouble on account of a part of what Allah has revealed to thee. But if they turn away, then know that Allah intends to punish them for some of their sins. And indeed a large number of men are disobedient.

5:50 Do they then seek the judgment of the days of Ignorance. And who is better than Allah as a judge for a people who have firm faith?

5:51 O ye who believe! take not the Jews and the Christians for friends. They are friends of each other. And whoso among you takes them for friends is indeed one of them. Verily Allah guides not the unjust people.

5:52 And thou wilt see those in whose hearts is a disease, hastening towards them saying, 'We fear lest a misfortune befall us.' Maybe, Allah will bring about victory or some other event from Himself. Then will they regret what they hid in their minds.

5:53 And those who believe will say, 'Are these they who swore by Allah, their most solemn oaths that they were surely with you?' Their works are vain and they have become the losers.

5:54 O ye who believe! whoso among you turns back from his Religion, then let him know that Allah will soon bring in his stead a people whom He will love and who will love Him and who will be kind and humble to the believers, and hard and firm against the disbelievers. They will strive in the cause of Allah and will not fear the reproach of a fault-finder. That is Allah's grace; He bestows it upon whomsoever He pleases and Allah is Bountiful, All-Knowing.

5:55 Your friend is Allah and His Messenger and the believers who observe Prayer and pay the Zakaat and worship Allah alone.

5:56 And those who take Allah and His Messenger and the believers for friends should rest assured that it is the party of Allah that must triumph.

5:57 O ye who believe! take not those for friends who make a jest and sport of your religion from among those who were given the Book before you, and the disbelievers. And fear Allah if you are believers;

5:58 And who, when you call people to Prayer, take it for a jest and sport. This is because they are people who do not understand.

5:59 Say, 'O people of the Book! do you find fault with us because we believe in Allah and what was sent down to us and what was sent down previously? Or is it because most of you are disobedient to Allah?'

5:60 Say, 'Shall I inform you of those whose reward with Allah is worst than that? They are those whom Allah has cursed and on whom His wrath has fallen and of whom He has made apes and swine and who worship the Evil One. These indeed are in a worse plight, and father astray from the right path.

5:61 And when they come to you, they say, 'We believe,' while they enter with disbelief and go out therewith; and Allah best knows what they hide.

5:62 And thou seest many of them hastening towards sin and transgression and eating of things forbidden. Evil indeed is that which they practice.

5:63 Why do not the divines and those learned in Law prohibit them from uttering sin and eating things forbidden? Evil indeed is that which they do.

5:64 And the Jews say, 'Allah's hand is tied up.' Their own hands shall be tied up and they shall be cursed for what they say. Nay, both His hands are wide open. He spends as He pleases. And what has been sent down to thee from thy Lord will most surely increase many of them in rebellion and disbelief. And We have cast among them enmity and hatred till the Day of Resurrection. Whenever they kindle a fire for war, Allah extinguishes it. And they strive to create disorder in the earth, and Allah love not those who create disorder.

5:65 And if the People of the Book had believed and been righteous, We would surely have removed from them their evils and We would surely have admitted them into Gardens of bliss.

5:66 And if they had observed the Torah and the Gospel and what has been now sent down to them from their Lord, they would, surely, have eaten of good things from above them and from under their feet. Among them are a people who are moderate; but many of them are such that evil is what they do.

5:67 O Messenger! convey to the people what has been revealed to thee from thy Lord; and if thou do it not, thou has not conveyed His Message. And Allah will protect thee from men. Surely Allah guides not the disbelieving people.

5:68 Say, 'O People of the Book, you stand on nothing until you observe the Torah and the Gospel and what has now been sent down to you from your Lord.' And surely what has been sent down to thee from thy Lord will increase many of them in rebellion and disbelieve; so grieve not for the disbelieving people.

5:69 Surely those who believed, and the Jews, and the Sabians, and the Christians--whoso believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good deeds, on them shall come no fear, nor shall they grieve.

5:70 Surely We took a covenant from the Children of Israel, and We sent Messengers to them. But every time there came to them a Messenger with what their hearts desired not, they treated some as liars, and some they sought to kill.

5:71 And they imagined that no punishment would result from their conduct, so they became blind and deaf. But Allah turned to them in mercy; yet again many of them became blind and deaf; and Allah is Watchful of what they do.

5:72 Indeed, they are disbelievers who say, 'Allah, He is the Messiah, son of Mary,' whereas the Messiah himself said, 'O Children of Israel, worship Allah Who is my Lord and your Lord.' Surely, whoso associates partners with Allah, him has Allah forbidden Heaven, and the Fire will be his resort. And the wrongdoers shall have no helpers.

5:73 They surely disbelieve who say, 'Allah is the third of three;' there is no god but the One Allah. And if they do not desist from what they say, a grievous punishment shall surely befall those of them that disbelieve.

5:74 Will they not then turn to Allah and ask His forgiveness, while Allah is Most Forgiving and Merciful?

5:75 The Messiah, son of Mary, was only a Messenger; surely Messengers like unto him had passed away before him. And his mother was a truthful woman. They both used to eat food. See how We explain the Signs for their good, and see how they are turned away.

5:76 Say, 'Will you worship beside Allah that which has no power to do you harm or good? And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

5:77 Say, 'O People of the Book, exceed not the limits in the matter of your religion unjustly, nor follow the low desires of a people who went astray before and caused many to go astray, and who have strayed away from the right path.'

5:78 Those amongst the Israel who disbelieved were cursed by the tongue of David, and of Jesus, son of Mary. That was because they disobeyed and used to transgress.

5:79 They did not restrain one another from the iniquity which they committed. Evil indeed was what they used to do.

5:80 Thou shalt see many of them making friends with those who disbelieve. Surely, evil is that which their souls have sent on before for themselves so that Allah is displeased with them; and in this punishment they shall abide.

5:81 And if they had believed in Allah and this Prophet, and that which has been revealed to him, they would not have taken them for their friends, but many of them are transgressors.

5:82 Thou shalt certainly find the Jews and those who associate partners with Allah to be the most vehement of men in enmity against the believers. And thou shalt assuredly find those who say, 'We are Christians,' to be the nearest of them in friendship to the believers. That is because among them are savants and monks and because they are not arrogant.

5:83 And when they hear what has been revealed to this Messenger, thou seest their eyes overflow with tears, because of the truth which they have recognized. They say, 'Our Lord, we believe, so write us down among the witnesses;

5:84 And why should we not believe in Allah and in the truth which has come to us, while we earnestly wish that our Lord should include us among the righteous people?'

5:85 So Allah rewarded them for what they said, with Gardens beneath which streams flow. Therein shall they abide: and that is the reward of those who do good.

5:86 And those who have disbelieved and rejected Our Signs, these are they who are the inmates of Hell.

5:87 O ye who believe! make not unlawful the good things which Allah has made lawful for you, and do not transgress. Surely Allah loves not the transgressors.

5:88 And eat of that which Allah has provided for you of what is lawful and good. And fear Allah in Whom you believe.

5:89 Allah will not take you to task for such of your oaths as are vain, but He will take you to task for breaking the oaths which you take in earnest. The expiation thereof, then, is the feeding of ten poor persons with such average food as you feed your families with, or the clothing of them or the freeing of a slave. But whoso finds not the means shall fast for three days. That is the expiation of your oaths when you have sworn. And keep your oaths. Thus does Allah explain to you His Signs that you may be grateful.

5:90 O ye who believe! wine and the game of chance and idols and divining arrows are only the abomination of Satan's handiwork. So shun each one of them that you may prosper.

5:91 Satan seeks only to create enmity and hatred among you by means of wine and the game of chance, and to keep you back from the remembrance of Allah and from Prayer. Then will you keep back?

5:92 And obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and be on your guard. But if you turn away, then know that on Our Messenger lies only the clear conveyance of the Message.

5:93 On those who believe and do good works there shall be no sin for what they eat, provided they fear Allah and believe and do good works, and again fear Allah and believe, yet again fear Allah and do good. And Allah loves those who do good.

5:94 O ye who believe! Allah will surely try you in a little matter: the game which your hands and lances can reach, so that Allah may cause to be known those who fear Him in secret. Whoso, therefore, will transgress after this, shall have a grievous punishment.

5:95 O ye who believe! kill not game while you are in a state of Pilgrimage. And whoso among you kills it intentionally, its compensation is a quadruped like unto that which he has killed, as determined by two just men from among you, the same to be bought as an offering to the Ka'bah; or as an expiation he shall feed a number of poor persons, or fast an equivalent number of days, so that he may taste the penalty of his deed. As for the past, Allah forgives it; but whoso reverts to it, Allah will punish him for his offence. And Allah is the Lord of retribution.

5:96 The game of the sea and the eating thereof is made lawful for you as a provision for you and the travelers; but forbidden to you is the game of the land as long as you are in the state of Pilgrimage. And fear Allah to whom you shall be gathered.

5:97 Allah has made the Ka'bah the Sacred House, a means of support and uplift for mankind, as also the Sacred Month and the offerings and the animals with collars. That is so that you may know that Allah knows what is in the heavens and what is in the earth, and that Allah knows all things well.

5:98 Know that Allah is Severe in punishment and that Allah is also Most Forgiving and ever Merciful.

5:99 On the Messenger lies only the conveying of the Message. And Allah knows what you disclose and what you hide.

5:100 Say, 'The bad and the good are not alike,' even though the abundance of bad may please thee. So be mindful of your duty to Allah, O men of understanding, that you may prosper.

5:101 O ye who believe! ask not about things which, if revealed to you, would cause you trouble, though if you ask about them while the Qur'án is being sent down they will be revealed to you. Allah has left them out on purpose. And Allah is Most Forgiving and Forbearing.

5:102 A people before you asked about such things, but then they became disbelievers therein.

5:103 Allah has not ordained any 'Bahira' or 'Sá'ibah' or Wasilah' or 'Hami' but those who disbelieve forge a lie against Allah, and most of them do not make use of their understanding.

5:104 And when it is said to them, 'Come to what Allah has revealed, and to the Messenger,' they say, 'Sufficient for us is that wherein we found our fathers.' What! even though their fathers had no knowledge and had no guidance.

5:105 O ye who believe! take care of your own selves. He who goes astray cannot harm you when you yourselves are rightly guided. To Allah will you all return; then He will inform you of what you used do.

5:106 O ye who believe! the right evidence among you, when death comes to one of you, at the time of making a will, is of two just men from among you; or of two others not from among you, in case you be journeying in the land and the calamity of death befalls you. You shall detain them both after Prayer for giving evidence; and if you have doubt concerning their evidence, they shall both swear by Allah, saying, 'We will not take for this any price, even though the person affected thereby be a near relation, nor will we hide the testimony enjoined by Allah; surely in that case we shall be among the sinners.'

5:107 But if it be discovered that the two witnesses are guilty of sin, then two others shall take their place from amongst those against whom the former two witnesses--who were in a better position to give true evidence--had deposed, and the two latter witnesses shall swear by Allah, saying, 'Surely our testimony is truer than the testimony of the former two, and we have not been unfair in any way; for then, indeed, we should be of the unjust.'

5:108 Thus it is more likely that they will give evidence according to facts or that they will fear that other oaths will be taken after their oaths. And fear Allah and hearken. And Allah guides not the disobedient people.

5:109 Think of the day when Allah will assemble the Messengers and say, 'What was the reply made to you?' They will say, 'We have no knowledge, it is only Thou Who art the Knower of hidden things.

5:110 When Allah will say, 'O Jesus son of Mary, remember My favour upon thee and upon thy mother; When I strengthened thee with the spirit of holiness so that thou didst speak to the people in the cradle and when of middle age; and when I taught thee the Book and the wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel; and when thou didst fashion a creation out of clay, in the likeness of a bird, by My command; then thou didst breathe into it a new spirit and it became a soaring being by My command; and thou didst heal the night-blind and the leprous by My command; and when thou didst raise the dead by My command; and when I restrained the Children of Israel from putting thee to death when thou didst come to them with clear Signs; and those who disbelieved from among them said, 'This is nothing but clear deception.'

5:111 And remember My favour when I inspired the disciples saying, 'Believe in Me and My Messenger,' they said, 'We believe and bear Thou witness that we have submitted.'

5:112 When the disciples said, 'O Jesus, son of Mary, is thy Lord able to send down to us a table spread with food from heaven? He said, 'Fear Allah, if you are believers.'

5:113 They said, 'We desire that we may eat of it, and that our hearts may be at rest and that we may know that thou hast spoken the truth to us, and that we may be witness thereto.'

5:114 Said Jesus, son of Mary, 'O Allah, our Lord, send down to us a table from heaven spread with food that it may be to us a festival, to the first of us and to the last of us and a Sign from Thee; and provide sustenance for us, for Thou art the Best of Sustainers.'

5:115 Allah said, 'Surely I will send it down to you; but whosoever of you disbelieves afterwards--I will surely punish them with a punishment wherewith I will not punish any other of the peoples.'

5:116 And when Allah will say, 'O Jesus, son of Mary, didst thou say to men, 'Take me and my mother for two gods beside Allah?' he will answer, 'Holy art Thou, I could never say that which I had no right. If I had said it, Thou wouldst have surely known it. Thou knowest what is in my mind, and I know not what is in Thy mind. It is Thou alone Who art the Knower of all hidden things;

5:117 I said nothing to them except that which Thou didst command me -- Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. And I was a witness over them as long as I remained among them, but since Thou didst cause me to die, Thou, hast been the Watcher over them, and Thou art Witness over all things;

5:118 If Thou punish them, they are Thy servants; and if Thou forgive them, Thou surely art the Mighty, the Wise.'

5:119 Allah will say, 'This is a day when only the truthful shall profit by their truthfulness. For them are Gardens beneath which streams flow; therein shall they abide forever. Allah is well pleased with them, and they are well pleased with Him; that indeed is the supreme achievement.'

5:120 To Allah belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth and whatever is in them; and He has power over all things.

Chapter 6--Cattle

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

6:1 All praise belongs to Allah Who created the heavens and the earth and brought into being darkness and light; yet those who disbelieve set up equals to their Lord.

6:2 He it is Who created you from clay and then He decreed a term. And there is another term fixed with Him. Yet you doubt.

6:3 And He is Allah, the Allah, both in the heavens and in the earth. He knows what you disclose and your secrets. And He knows what you earn.

6:4 And there comes not to them any Sign of the Signs of their Lord, but they turn away from it.

6:5 So they rejected the truth when it came to them; but soon shall come to them the tidings of that at which they mocked.

6:6 See they not how many a generation We have destroyed before them? We had established them in the earth as We have not established you and We sent the clouds over them, pouring down abundant rain; and We caused streams to flow beneath them; then did We destroy them because of their sins and raised up after them another generation.

6:7 And if We had sent down to thee a writing upon the parchment and they had felt it with their hands even then the disbelievers would have surely said, 'This is nothing but manifest sorcery.'

6:8 And they say, 'Why has not an angel been sent down to him?' And if We had sent down an angel, the matter would have been decided, and then they would have been granted no respite.

6:9 And if We had appointed as Messenger an angel, We would have made him appear as a man; and thus We would have caused to be confused to them that which they are themselves confusing.

6:10 And surely the Messengers have been mocked at before thee, but that which they mocked at encompassed those of them who scoffed at it.

6:11 Say, 'Go about in the earth and see what was the end of those who treated the Prophets as liars.'

6:12 Say, 'To whom belongs what is in the heavens and the earth?' Say, 'To Allah.' He has taken upon Himself to show mercy. He will certainly continue to assemble you till the Day of Resurrection. There is no doubt in it. Those who have ruined their souls will not believe.

6:13 To Him belongs whatever exists in the darkness of the night and the light of the day. And He is All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

6:14 Say, 'Shall I take any protector other than Allah, the Maker of the heavens and the earth, Who feeds and is not fed?' Say, 'I have been commanded to be the first of those who submit.' And be thou not of those who associate partners with Allah.

6:15 Say, 'Indeed I fear, if I disobey my Lord, the punishment of an awful day.'

6:16 He from whom it is averted on that day, Allah indeed has had mercy on him. And that indeed is a manifest achievement.

6:17 And if Allah touch thee with affliction, there is none to remove it but He; and if He touch thee with happiness, then He has the power to do all that He wills.

6:18 And He is supreme over His servants; and He is the Wise, the All-Aware.

6:19 Say, 'What thing is the weightiest in testimony.' Say, 'Allah is a Witness between me and you. And this Qur'án has been revealed to me so that with it I may warn you, as well as whomsoever it reaches, of the impending punishment. What! do you really bear witness that there are other gods besides Allah?' Say, 'I bear not witness thereto.' Say, 'He is the One Allah, and certainly I am innocent of that which you associate with Him.'

6:20 Those to whom We gave the Book recognize him as they recognize their sons. But those who ruin their souls--they will not believe.

6:21 And who is more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah or treat His Signs as lies? Surely the unjust shall not prosper.

6:22 And think of the day when We shall gather them all together; then shall We say to those who associated partners with Allah, 'Where are the partners you spoke of--those whom you asserted?'

6:23 Then they will have no excuse save that they shall say, 'By Allah, our Lord, we were not idolaters.'

6:24 See how they shall lie against themselves. And that which they fabricated shall fail them.

6:25 And among them are some who give ear to thee; but We have put veils on their hearts, that they should not understand, and deafness in their ears. And even if they see every Sign, they would not believe therein, so much so that when they come to thee, disputing with thee, those who disbelieve say, 'This is nothing but fables of the ancients.'

6:26 And they forbid others to believe in it and themselves too they keep away from it. And they ruin none but their ownselves; only they perceive not.

6:27 And if thou couldst only see when they are made to stand before the Fire! They will say, 'Oh, would that we might be sent back! And then we would not treat the Signs of our Lord as lies and we would be of the believers.'

6:28 Nay, that which they used to hide before has now become clear to them. And if they were sent back, they would surely return to that which they are forbidden. And they are certainly liars.

6:29 And they say, 'There is nothing except this our present life, and we shall not be raised again.'

6:30 And if thou couldst only see when they are made to stand before their Lord, He will say, 'Is not this second life the truth? They will say, 'Yea, by our Lord.' He will say, 'Then taste the punishment because you disbelieved.'

6:31 Those indeed are the losers who deny the meeting with Allah, so much so, that when the Hour shall come on them unawares, they will say, 'O our grief for our neglecting this Hour!' And they shall bear their burdens on their backs. Surely, evil is that which they bear.

6:32 And the life of this world is nothing but a sport and pastime. And surely the abode of the Hereafter is better for those who are righteous. Will you not then understand?

6:33 We know indeed that what they say grieves thee; for surely it is not thee that they charge with falsehood but it is the Signs of Allah that the evil-doers reject.

6:34 And the Messengers indeed have been rejected before thee, but notwithstanding their rejection and persecution they remained patient until Our help came to them. There is none to change the words of Allah. And there have already come to thee some of the tidings of the past Messengers.

6:35 And if their turning away is hard on thee, then, if thou art able to seek a passage into the earth or a ladder unto heaven and bring them a Sign, thou canst do so. And had Allah enforced His will, He could surely have brought them all together to the guidance. So be thou not of those who lack knowledge.

6:36 Only those can accept the truth who listen. And as for the dead, Allah will raise them to life, then to Him shall they all be brought back.

6:37 And they say, 'Why has not a Sign been sent down to him from his Lord?' Say, 'Surely Allah has the power to send down a Sign, but most of them do not know.'

6:38 There is not an animal that crawls in the earth, nor a bird that flies on its two wings, but they are communities like you. We have left out nothing in the Book. Then to their Lord shall they all be gathered together.

6:39 Those who have rejected Our signs are deaf and dumb, in utter darkness. Whom Allah wills He lets go astray and whom He wills He places on the right path.

6:40 Say,`Will you tell me if the punishment of Allah come or there come upon you the Hour, will you call upon any other than Allah, if you are truthful?

6:41 Nay, but on Him alone will you call; then will He remove, if He pleases, that which you call on Him to remove, and you will forget what you associate with Him.'

6:42 And indeed We sent Messengers to peoples before thee; then We afflicted them with poverty and adversity that they might humble themselves.

6:43 Why, then, when Our punishment came upon them, did they not humble themselves? But their hearts were hardened all the more and Satan made all that they did seem fair to them.

6:44 When they forgot that with which they had been admonished, and We opened unto them the gates of all things, till, even as they were rejoicing in what they were given, We seized them suddenly, and lo! they were in utter despair.

6:45 So the last remnant of the people who did wrong was cut off; and all praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.

6:46 Say, 'Will you tell me, if Allah should take away your hearing and your sight, and seal up your hearts, who is the god other than Allah who can bring it back to you?' See how We expound the Signs in various ways, yet they turn away.

6:47 Say, 'Will you tell me, if the punishment of Allah come upon you suddenly or openly, will any be destroyed save the wrongdoing people?'

6:48 And We sent not the Messengers but as bearers of glad tidings and as Warners. So those who believe and reform themselves, on them shall come no fear nor shall they grieve.

6:49 And those who reject our Signs, punishment will touch them, because they disobeyed.

6:50 Say, 'I do not say to you: 'I possess the treasures of Allah, nor do I know the unseen; nor do I say to you: 'I am an angel, I follow only that which is revealed to me.' Say, 'Can a blind man and one who sees be alike?' Will you not then reflect.

6:51 And warn thereby those who fear that they shall be gathered to their Lord that they shall have no friend nor intercessor besides Him, so that they may become righteous.

6:52 And drive not away those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, seeking His pleasure. Thou art not at all accountable for them nor are they accountable for thee. So if thou shouldst drive them away thou wilt be of the unjust.

6:53 And in the like manner have We tried some of them by others, that they may say, 'Is it these whom Allah has favoured from among us?' Does not Allah know best those who are grateful?

6:54 And when those who believe in Our Signs come to thee, say; 'Peace be unto you! Your Lord has taken it upon Himself to show mercy, so that whoso among you does evil in ignorance and repents thereafter and reforms, then He is Most Forgiving and Merciful.'

6:55 And thus do We expound the Signs that the truth may become manifest and that the way of the sinners may become clear.

6:56 Say, 'I am forbidden to worship those on whom you call besides Allah.' Say, 'I will not follow your low desires. In that case, I shall have gone astray and I shall not be of the rightly guided.'

6:57 Say, 'I take my stand on a clear evidence from my Lord and you reject it. That which you desire to be hastened is not in my power. The decision rest with Allah alone. He explains the truth and He is the Best of Judges.'

6:58 Say, 'If that which you desire to be hastened were in my power, surely the matter would have been decided between me and you. And Allah knows best the unjust.'

6:59 And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them but He. And He knows whatsoever is in the land and in the sea. And there falls not a leaf but He knows it; nor is there a grain in the deep darkness of the earth, nor anything green or dry, but it is recorded in a clear book.

6:60 And He it is who takes your soul by night and knows what you do by day, then He raises you up again therein, that the appointed term may be completed. Then to Him is your return. Then will He inform you of what you used to do.

6:61 And He is Supreme over His servants, and He sends guardians to watch over you, until, when death comes to anyone of you, Our Messengers take his soul, and they fail not.

6:62 Then they are returned to Allah, their true Lord. Surely, His is the judgment. And He is the Swiftest of reckoners.

6:63 Say, 'Who delivers you from the calamities of the land and the sea, when you call upon Him in humility and in secret, saying, 'If He deliver us from this, we will surely be of those who are grateful.'

6:64 Say, 'Allah delivers you from them and from every distress, yet you associate partners with Him.'

6:65 Say, 'He has the power to send punishment upon you from above you or from beneath your feet, or to confound you by splitting you into sects and make you taste the violence of one another. See how We expound the Signs in various ways that they may understand!

6:66 And thy people have rejected it though it is the truth. Say, 'I am not a guardian over you.'

6:67 For every prophecy there is a fixed time; and soon will you come to know.

6:68 And when thou seest those who engage in vain discourse concerning Our Signs, then turn thou away from them until they engage in a discourse other than that. And if Satan should cause thee to forget, then sit not, after recollection, with the unjust people.

6:69 And those who are righteous are not at all accountable for them, but their duty is to admonish them that they may fear Allah.

6:70 And leave alone those who take their religion to be a sport and a pastime, and whom worldly life has beguiled. And admonish people thereby lest a soul be consigned to perdition for what it has earned. It shall have no helper nor intercessor beside Allah; and even if it offer every ransom it shall not be accepted from it. These are they who have been delivered over to destruction for their own acts. They will have a drink of boiling water and a grievous punishment, because they disbelieved.

6:71 Say, 'Shall we call beside Allah, upon that which can neither profit us nor harm us, and shall we be turn back on our heels after Allah guided us?--Like one whom the evil ones entice away, leaving him bewildered in the land, and who has companions who call him to guidance, saying, 'Come to us.' Say : 'Surely, the guidance of Allah is the only true guidance and we have been commanded to submit to the Lord of all the worlds.

6:72 And we have been given the command: Observe Prayers and fear Him;' and He it is Whom you shall all be gathered.'

6:73 And He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in accordance with the requirements of wisdom; and on the day when He will say, 'Be', it will be. His word is the truth, and His will be the Kingdom on the day when the trumpet will be blown. He is the Knower of the unseen and the seen. And He is the Wise, the All-Aware.

6:74 And remember the time when Abraham said to his father, Azar, 'Dost thou take idols for gods? Surely, I see thee and thy people in manifest error.'

6:75 And thus did we show Abraham the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth that he should have full knowledge and that he might be of those who possess certainty of faith.

6:76 And when the night darkened upon him, he saw a star. He said, 'Can this be my Lord?' But when it set, he said, I like not those that set.'

6:77 And when he saw the moon rise with spreading light, he said, 'Can this be my lord?' But when it set, he said, 'If my Lord guide me not, I shall surely be of the people who go astray.'

6:78 And when he saw the sun rise with spreading light, he said, 'Can this be my Lord? This is the greatest.' But when it also set, he said, 'O my people! surely I am quit of that which you associate with Allah;

6:79 I have turned my face toward Him Who created the heavens and the earth, being ever inclined to Allah, and I am not of those who associate gods with Him.'

6:80 And his people argued with him. He said, 'Do you argue with me concerning Allah when He has guided me aright? And I fear not that which you associate with HIM' except that I fear what my Lord wills. My Lord comprehends all things in His knowledge. Will you not them be admonished?

6:81 And why should I fear that which you associate with Allah, when you fear not to associate with Allah that for which He has sent down to you no authority? Which, then, of the two parties has better title to security, If indeed you know?

6:82 Those who belief and mix not up their belief with injustice -- it is they who shall have peace, and who are rightly guided.

6:83 And that is Our argument which We gave to Abraham against his people. We exalt in decrees of rank whomso We please. Thy Lord is indeed Wise, All-Knowing.

6:84 And We gave him Isaac and Jacob; each did We guide aright, and Noah did We guide aright aforetime, and of his progeny, David and Solomon and Job and Joseph and Moses and Aaron. Thus do We reward those who do good.

6:85 And We guided Zachariah and John and Jesus and Elias; each one of them was of the righteous.

6:86 And We also guided Ishmael and Elisha and Jonah and Lot! and each one of them did We exalt above the people.

6:87 And We exalted some of their fathers and their children and their brethren, and We chose them and We guided them in the straight path.

6:88 That is the guidance of Allah. He guides thereby those of His servants whom He pleases. And if they had worshiped aught beside Him, surely all they did would have been of no avail to them.

6:89 It is to these whom We gave the Book and dominion and Prophethood. But if they are ungrateful for these favours it matters not, for We have now entrusted them to a people who are not ungrateful for them.

6:90 These it is whom Allah guide aright, so follow thou their guidance. Say, 'I ask not of you any reward for it. This is naught but an admonition for all mankind.'

6:91 And they do not make a just estimate of the attributes of Allah, when they say, 'Allah has not revealed anything to any man. Say, 'Who revealed the Book which Moses brought, a light and a guidance for the people--though you treat it as scrapes of paper, some of which you show while you hide much thereof and you have been taught that which neither you nor your fathers knew?' Say, 'Allah.' Then leave them to amuse themselves with idle talk.

6:92 And this is a Book which We have revealed, full of blessings, to fulfill that which preceded it, and to enable thee to warn the Mother of towns and those around her. And those, who believe in the Hereafter, believe therein and they strictly observe their Prayers.

6:93 And who is more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah, or says, 'It has been revealed to me,' while nothing has been revealed to him; and who says, 'I will sent down the like of that which Allah has sent down?' And if thou couldst only see, when the wrongdoers are in the agonies of death, and the angels stretch forth their hands, saying, 'Yield up your souls. This day shall you be awarded the punishment of disgrace because of that which you spoke against Allah falsely and because you turned away from His Signs with disdain.'

6:94 And now you come to Us one by one even as We create you at first, and you have left behind your backs that which We bestowed upon you, and We do not see with you your intercessors of whom you asserted that they were partners with Allah in your affairs. Now you have been cut off from one another and that which you asserted has failed you.

6:95 Verily, it is Allah Who causes the grain and the date-stones to sprout. He brings forth the living from the dead, and He is the Bringer forth of the dead from the living. That is Allah; wherefore, then, are you turned back?

6:96 He causes the break of day and He made the night for rest and the sun and the moon for the reckoning of time. That is the measuring of the Mighty, the Wise.

6:97 And He it is Who has made the stars for you that you may follow the right direction with their help amid the darkness of the land and the sea. We have explained the Signs in detail for a people who possess knowledge.

6:98 And He it is Who has produced you from a single soul and there is for you a temporary resort and a permanent abode. We have explained the Signs in detail for a people who understand.

6:99 And He it is Who sends down water from the cloud; And We bring forth therewith every kind of growth; then We bring forth with that green foliage wherefrom We produce clustered grain. And from the date-palm, out of its sheaths comes forth bunches hanging low. And We produce therewith gardens of grapes, and the olive and the pomegranate -- like and unlike. Look at the fruit thereof when it bears fruit, and the ripening thereof. Surely, in this are Signs for a people who believe.

6:100 And they hold the jinn to be partners with Allah, although He created them; and they falsely ascribe to Him sons and daughters without any knowledge. Holy is He and exalted far above what they attribute to Him,

6:101 The Originator of the heavens and the earth. How can He have a son when He has no consort, and when He has created everything and has knowledge of all things?

6:102 Such is Allah, your Lord. There is no god but He, the creator of all things; so worship Him. and He is the Guardian over everything.

6:103 Eyes cannot reach Him but He reaches the eyes. And He is the incomprehensible, the All-Aware.

6:104 Proofs have indeed come to you from your Lord; so whoever sees, it is for His own good; and whoever becomes blind, it is to his own loss. And I am not a guardian over you.

6:105 And thus do We explain the Signs in various ways that the truth may become established and that they may say, 'Thou hast read out what thou hast learnt' and that We may explain it to a people who have no knowledge.

6:106 Follow that which has been revealed to thee from thy Lord; there is no god but He; and turn aside from the idolaters.

6:107 And if Allah had enforced His will, they would not have set up gods with Him. And We have not made thee a keeper over them, nor art thou over them a guardian.

6:108 And abuse not those whom they call upon besides Allah, lest they, out of spite, abuse Allah in their ignorance. Thus unto every people have We caused their doings to seem fair. Then unto their Lord is their return; And He will inform them of what they used to do.

6:109 And they swear by Allah their strongest oaths that if there came to them a Sign, they would surely believe therein. Say, 'Surely, Signs are with Allah. And what should make you know that when the signs come, they will not believe.

6:110 And We shall confound their hearts and their eyes, for they believe not therein the first time, and We shall leave them in their transgression to wander in distraction.

6:111 And even if We send down unto them angels, and the dead speak to them, and We gather to them all things face to face, they would not believe, unless Allah enforced His Will. But most of them are ignorant.

6:112 And in the like manner have We made for every Prophet an enemy, the evil ones from among men and jinn. They suggest one to another gilded speech in order to deceive. And if thy Lord had enforced His will, they would not have done it; so leave them alone with that which they fabricate.

6:113 And Allah does this in order that the hearts of those who believe not in the Hereafter may incline thereto and that they may be pleased therewith and that they may continue to earn what they are earning.

6:114 Shall I seek for a judge other than Allah, when He it is Who has sent down to you the Book fully explained? And those to whom We gave the Book know that it has been sent down from thy Lord with truth; so be thou not of those who doubt.

6:115 And the word of thy Lord has been fulfilled in truth and justice. None can change His words, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

6:116 And if thou obey most of those on earth, they will lead thee astray from Allah's way. They follow nothing but mere conjecture, and they do nothing but lie.

6:117 Surely thy Lord knows best those who go astray from His way; and He knows best those who are rightly guided.

6:118 Eat, then, of that over which the name of Allah has been pronounced, if you are believers in His Signs.

6:119 And what reason have you that you should not eat of that over which the name of Allah has been pronounced when He has already explained to you that which He has forbidden unto you,--save that which you are forced to. And surely many mislead others by their evil desires through lack of knowledge. Assuredly, thy Lord knows best the transgressors.

6:120 And eschew open sins as well as secret ones. Surely those who earn sin will be rewarded for that which they have earned.

6:121 And eat not of that on which the name of Allah has not been pronounced, for surely that is abomination. And certainly the evil ones inspire their friends with such thoughts that they may dispute with you. And if you obey them, you will indeed be of those who set up gods with Allah.

6:122 Can he, who was dead, then We gave him life and made for him a light whereby he walks among men, be like him whose condition is that he is in utter darkness whence he cannot come forth? Thus have the doings of the disbelievers been made to seem fair to them.

6:123 And thus have We made in every town the leaders of its wicked ones that their doings seem fair to them with the result that they plot therein against the Messengers of Allah and they plot not except against their own souls; but they perceive not.

6:124 And when there comes to them a Sign, they say, 'We will not believe until we are given the like of that which Allah's Messengers have been given.' Allah knows best where to place His Message. Surely, humiliation before Allah and a severe punishment shall afflict the offenders because of their plotting.

6:125 So, whomsoever Allah intends to guide, He expands his bosom for the acceptance of Islam; and whomsoever He intends that he should go astray, He makes his bosom narrow and close, as though he was mounting up into the skies. Thus does Allah inflict punishment on those who do not believe.

6:126 And this is the path of thy Lord leading straight to Him. We have, indeed, explained the Signs in detail for a people who would be admonished.

6:127 For them is the abode of peace with their Lord, and He is their Friend because of their works.

6:128 And on the day when He will gather them all together, He will say, 'O company of jinn! you won over to yourselves a great many from among men.' And their friends from among men will say, 'Our Lord! we profited from one another, but now we have reached our term which Thou didst appoint for us.' He will say, 'The Fire is your abode, wherein you shall abide, save what Allah may will.' Surely, Thy Lord is Wise, All-Knowing.

6:129 And thus do We make some of the wrongdoers friends of each other because of what they earn.

6:130 'O company of jinn and men! Did not Messengers come to you from among yourselves who related to you My Signs and who warned you of the meeting of this your day?' They will say, 'We bear witness against ourselves.' And the worldly life deceived them. And they will bear witness against themselves that they were disbelievers.

6:131 The Messengers are sent because thy Lord would not destroy the towns unjustly while their people were unwarned.

6:132 And for all are degrees of rank according to what they do, and thy Lord is not unmindful of what they do.

6:133 And thy Lord is Self Sufficient, Lord of mercy. If He please, He can do away with you and cause to succeed you whom He pleases, even as He raised you from the posterity of other people.

6:134 Surely that which you are promised shall come to pass and you cannot frustrate it.

6:135 Say, 'O my people, act according to your power. I too am acting. Soon will you know whose will be the ultimate reward of the abode.' Surely, the wrongdoers shall not prosper.

6:136 And they have assigned Allah a portion of the crops and cattle which He has produced, and they say, 'This is for Allah,'--so they assert--'and this is for our associate-gods.' But that which is for their associate-gods reaches not Allah while that which is for Allah reaches their associate-gods. Evil is what they judge.

6:137 And in the like manner have their associate-gods made the slaying of their children seem fair to many of the idolaters that they may ruin them and cause confusion in their religion. And if Allah had enforced His will, they would not have done this; so leave them alone with that which they invent.

6:138 And they say, 'Such and such cattle and crops are forbidden. None shall eat thereof save whom we please'--so they assert--and there are cattle whose backs are forbidden, and there are cattle over which they pronounce not the name of Allah, forging a lie against Him. Soon will He requite them for that which they have fabricated.

6:139 And they say, 'That which is in the wombs of such and such cattle is reserved for our males and is forbidden to our wives;' but if it be born dead, then they all partake thereof. He will reward them for their assertion. Surely, He is Wise, All-Knowing.

6:140 Losers indeed are they who slay their children foolishly for lack of knowledge, and make unlawful what Allah has provided for them, forging a lie against Allah. They have indeed gone astray and are not rightly guided.

6:141 And He it is Who produces gardens, trellised and untrellised, and the date-palm and the corn-fields whose fruits vary in taste, and the olive and the pomegranate, similar and dissimilar. Eat of the fruit thereof when they bear fruit, and pay His due on the day of the harvest and exceed not the bounds. Surely, Allah loves not those who exceed the bounds.

6:142 And of the cattle He has created some for burden and some for slaughter. Eat of that which Allah has provided for you, and follow not in the footsteps of Satan. Surely he is to you an open foe.

6:143 And of the cattle He has created eight mates--of the sheep two, and of the goats two. Say, 'Is it the two males He has forbidden or the two females or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Inform me with knowledge if you are truthful.'

6:144 And of the camels two, and of the oxen two. Say, 'Is it the two males that He has forbidden or the two females or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Were you present when Allah enjoined this on you?' Who is more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah that He may lead men astray without knowledge? Surely, Allah guides not the unjust people.

6:145 Say, 'I find not in what has been revealed to me aught forbidden to an eater who desires to eat it, except it be that which dies of itself or blood poured forth, or the flesh of swine--for all that is unclean--or what is profane, on which is invoked the name of other than Allah. But whoso is driven by necessity, being neither disobedient nor exceeding the limit, then, surely, they Lord is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

6:146 And to those who are Jews We forbade all animals having claws; and of the oxen and the sheep and goats did We forbid them their fats, save that which their backs bear or the entrails or that which is mixed with the bones. With that did We recompense them for their rebellion. And most surely We are truthful.

6:147 But if they accuse thee of falsehood, say, 'Your Lord is the Lord of all-embracing mercy, and His wrath shall not be turned back from the guilty people.'

6:148 Those who associate gods with Allah will say, 'If Allah had pleased, we would not have associated gods with Him, nor would our fathers, nor would we have made anything unlawful.' In the like manner did those who were before them accuse Allah's Messengers of falsehood, until they tasted Our wrath. Say, 'Have you any knowledge? Then produce it for us. You only follow mere conjecture. And you only tell lies.'

6:149 Say, 'Allah's is the argument that reaches home. If He had enforced His Will, He would have surely guided you all.'

6:150 Say, 'Produce your witnesses who testify that Allah has forbidden this.' If they bear witness, bear thou not witness with them, nor follow thou the evil desires of those who treat Our Signs as lies and those who believe not in the Hereafter and who set up equals to their Lord.

6:151 Say, 'I will recite to you what your Lord has forbidden, that you associate not anything as partner with Him; and that you do good to parents, and that you slay not your children for fear of poverty--it is We who provide for you and for them--and that you approach not foul deeds, whether open or secret; and that you slay not the soul the slaying of which Allah has forbidden, save in accordance with the demands of justice. That is what He has enjoined upon you, that you may understand.

6:152 And approach not the property of the orphan, except in a way which is best, till he attains his maturity. And give full measure and weigh with equity. We charge not any soul except according to its capacity. And when you speak, observe justice, even if the person concerned be a relative, and fulfill the covenant of Allah. That is what He enjoins upon you, that you may take care.'

6:153 And say, 'This is My straight path. So follow it; and follow not other ways, lest they lead you away from His way. That is what He enjoins upon you, that you may be able to guard against evils.'

6:154 Moreover, We gave Moses the Book--completing the favour upon him who did good, and an explanation of all necessary things, and a guidance and a mercy--that they might believe in the meeting with their Lord.

6:155 And this is a Book which We have sent down; full of blessings. So follow it, and guard against evils that you may be shown mercy,

6:156 Lest you should say, 'The Book was sent down only to two peoples before us, and we were indeed unaware of what they read;'

6:157 Or lest you should say, 'Had the Book been sent down to us, we should surely have been better guided than they.' There has now come to you a clear evidence from your Lord and a guidance and a mercy. Who, then, is more unjust than he who rejects the Signs of Allah and turns away from them? We will requite those who turns away from Our Signs with an evil punishment because of their turning away.

6:158 They are but waiting that angels should come to them or that thy Lord should come or there should come some of the Signs of thy Lord. The day when some of the Signs of thy Lord shall come, it shall not profit a soul to believe, which had not believed before, nor earned any good by its faith. Say, 'Wait ye, we too are waiting.'

6:159 As for those who split up their religion and became divided into sects, thou hast no concern at all with them. Surely, their affair is with Allah, then shall He inform them of what they used to do.

6:160 Whoso does a good deed shall have ten times as much; but he who does an evil deed, shall be requited only with the like of it; and they shall not be wronged.

6:161 Say, 'My Lord has guided me unto a straight path--the right religion, the religion of Abraham, the upright. And he was not of those who associated gods with Allah.

6:162 Say, 'My Prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds;

6:163 He has no partner. And so I am commanded, and I am the first of those who submit.'

6:164 Say, 'Shall I seek a Lord, other than Allah while He is the Lord of all things?' And no soul earns evil but only against itself; nor does any bearer of burden bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord will be your return, and He will inform you of that wherein you used to differ.

6:165 And He it is who made you successors of others on the earth and has exalted some of you over others in degrees of rank, that He may try you by that which He has given you. Surely, thy Lord is Quick in punishment; and surely, He is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

Chapter 7--The Heights

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

7:1 Alif, Lam, Mim, Sad.

7:2 This is a Book revealed unto thee--so let there be no straightness in thy bosom concerning it--that thou mayest warn thereby and that it be an exhortation to the believers.

7:3 Follow that which has been sent down to you from your Lord, and follow no protectors other than Him. But you seldom take warning.

7:4 How many a town have We destroyed! And our punishment came upon it by night or while they slept at noon.

7:5 So when our punishment came upon them, their cry was nothing but they said, 'We were indeed wrongdoers!'

7:6 And We will certainly question those to whom the Messengers were sent and We will certainly question the Messengers.

7:7 The will We certainly relate to them their deeds with knowledge, for We were never absent.

7:8 And the weighing on that day will be true. Then as for those whose scales are heavy, it is they who shall prosper.

7:9 And as for those whose scales are light, it is they who shall have ruined their souls because of their being unjust concerning Our Signs.

7:10 And We have established you in the earth and provided for you therein the means of subsistence. But little thanks do you give.

7:11 And We indeed created you and then We gave you shape; and then We said to the angels, 'Submit to Adam; and they all submitted. But Iblis did not; he will not be of those who submit.

7:12 Allah said, 'What prevented thee from submitting when I commanded thee?' He said, 'I am better than he. Thou hast created me of fire while him hast thou created of clay.'

7:13 Allah said, 'Then go down hence; it is not for thee to be arrogant here. Get out; thou art certainly of those who are abased.'

7:14 He said, 'Respite me till the day when they will be raised up.'

7:15 Allah said, 'Thou art of those who are respited.'

7:16 He said, 'Now, since Thou hast adjudge me to be erring, I will assuredly lie in wait for them on Thy straight path;

7:17 Then will I surely come upon them from before them and from behind them and from their right and from their left, and Thou wilt not find most of them to be grateful.

7:18 Allah said, 'Get out hence, despised and banished. Whosoever of them shall follow thee, I will surely fill Hell with you all;'

7:19 O Adam! dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden and eat therefrom wherever you will, but approach not this tree lest you be among the wrongdoers.

7:20 But satan made evil suggestions to them so that he might make known to them what was hidden from them of their shame and said, 'Your Lord has only forbidden you this tree, lest you become angels or lest you become of the immortals.'

7:21 And he swore to them, saying, 'Surely I am a sincere counsellor unto you.'

7:22 So he caused them to fall into disobedience by deceit. And when they tasted of the tree, their shame became manifest to them and they both began to cover themselves with the leaves of the Gardens. And their Lord called them, saying, 'Did I not forbid you that tree and tell you, verily Satan is to you an open enemy?'

7:23 They said, 'Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves and if Thou forgive us not and have not mercy on us, we shall surely be of the losers.'

7:24 Allah said, 'Go forth, some of you will be enemies of others. And for you there is an abode on the earth and a provision for a time.'

7:25 He said, 'Therein shall you live and therein shall you die and therefrom shall you be brought forth.'

7:26 O children of Adam, We have indeed send down to you raiment to cover you nakedness and to be a means of adornment; but the raiment of righteousness--that is the best. That is of the commandments of Allah, that they may remember.

7:27 O children of Adam, let not Satan seduce you, even as he turned your parents out of the Garden, stripping them of their raiment that he might show them their nakedness. Truly, he sees you, he and his tribe, from where you see them not. Surely, We have made Satan friends of those who believe not.

7:28 And when they commit an indecency, they say, 'We found our fathers doing it and Allah has enjoined it upon us.' Say, 'Allah never enjoins indecencies. Do you say of Allah that which you know not?'

7:29 Say, 'My Lord has enjoined justice. And fix your attention aright at everytime and place of worship and call upon Him, making yourselves sincere towards Him in religion. As He brought you into being, so shall you return to Him.'

7:30 Some has He guided and for some error has become their desert. They have taken evil ones for friends instead of Allah and they think that they are rightly guided.

7:31 O children of Adam! take your adornment at every time and place of worship, and eat and drink, but be not immoderate; surely, He does not love those who are immoderate.

7:32 Say, 'Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah which He has produced for His servants and the good things of His providing?' Say, 'They are for the believers in the present life and will be exclusively for them on the Day of Resurrection.' Thus do We explain the Signs for a people who have knowledge.

7:33 Say, 'My Lord has only forbidden indecencies, open or secret and sin and wrongful transgression and that you associate with Allah that for which He has sent down no authority, and that you say of Allah what you know not.'

7:34 And for every people there is a term, and when their term is come, they cannot remain behind a single moment, nor can they get ahead of it.

7:35 O children of Adam, If Messengers come to you from among yourselves, rehearsing My Signs unto you, then whoso shall fear Allah and do good deeds, on them shall come no fear nor shall they grieve.

7:36 But those who reject Our Signs and turn away from them with disdain,--these are the inmates of the Fire; they shall abide therein.

7:37 Who is, then, more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah or gives the lie to His Signs? It is these who shall have their lot as ordained till when Our Messengers shall visit them to take away their souls, they shall say, 'Where is that which you used to call upon besides Allah?' they will answer, 'We cannot find them;' and they will bear witness against themselves that they were disbelievers.

7:38 He will say, 'Enter ye into the Fire among the nations of jinn and men who passed away before you.' Everytime a nation enters, it shall curse its sister nation until, when they have all successively arrived therein, the last of them will say with regard to the first of them, 'Our Lord, these lead us astray, so give them a double punishment, but you do not know.'

7:39 And the first of them will say to the last of them, 'You have no superiority over us; taste, therefore, the punishment for all that you did.

7:40 Those who reject Our Signs and turn away from them with disdain, the gates of spiritual firmament will not be opened for them, nor will they enter Heaven until a camel goes through the eye of a needle. And thus do We requite the offenders.

7:41 They shall have a bed of Hell and over them coverings of the same. And thus do We requite the unjust.

7:42 But as to those who believe and do good works--and We charge not any soul beyond its capacity--these are the inmates of Heaven; they shall abide therein.

7:43 And We shall remove whatever rancour may be in their hearts. Beneath them shall flow rivers. And they shall say, 'All praise belongs to Allah who has guided us to this paradise. And we could not have found guidance, if Allah had not guided us. The Messengers of our Lord did indeed bring the truth.' And it shall be proclaimed unto them, 'This is the heaven to which you have been made heirs as a reward for what you did.'

7:44 And the inmates of Heaven will call out to the inmates of Hell, saying, 'We have indeed found what our Lord promised us to be true. Have you also found what your Lord promised you to be true?' They shall say, 'Yea!' Then a proclaimer shall proclaim between them, saying, 'The curse of Allah is on the wrongdoers -

7:45 Who hinder men from the path of Allah and seek to make it crooked and who are disbelievers in the hereafter.'

7:46 And between the two there shall be a partition, and on the Elevated Places in Heaven there shall be men who will know all by their marks. And they will call out to the people of Heaven, 'Peace be on you.' These will not have yet entered it although they will be hoping to do so.

7:47 And when their eyes are turned towards the companions of the Fire, they will say, 'Our Lord, place us not with the wrongdoing people.'

7:48 And the occupants of the Elevated Places will call out to men, whom they will know by their marks, and say, 'Your numbers availed you not, nor your arrogance.

7:49 Are these the men about whom you swore that Allah would not extend mercy to them?' To them Allah will say, 'Enter Paradise; no fear shall come upon you, nor shall you grieve.'

7:50 And the inmates of the Fire will call out to the inmates of Heaven. 'Pour out on us some water or some of that which Allah has provided for you.' They will say, 'Verily, Allah has forbidden them both to disbelievers,

7:51 Those who took their religion for a pastime and a sport, and whom the life of the world has beguiled.' This day, then, shall We forget them as they forgot the meeting of this day of theirs, and as they persisted in denying Our Signs.

7:52 And surely We have brought them a Book which We have expounded with knowledge, a guidance and a mercy for a people who believe.

7:53 Do they wait only for the fulfillment of warnings thereof? On the day when the fulfillment thereof shall come, those who had forgotten it before shall say, 'The Messengers of our Lord did indeed bring the Truth. Have we then any intercessors to intercede for us? Or could we be sent back so that we might do good deeds, other than that which we used to do?' They have indeed ruined their souls and that which they used to fabricate has failed them.

7:54 Surely, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six periods, then He settled Himself firmly on the Throne. He makes the night cover the day, which it pursues swiftly, And He created the sun and the moon and the stars--all made subservient by His command. Verily, His is the creation and the command. Blessed is Allah, Lord of the worlds.

7:55 Call upon your Lord humbly and in secret. Surely, He does not love the transgressors.

7:56 And create not disorder in the earth after it has been set in order, and call upon Him in fear and in hope. Surely, the mercy of Allah is nigh unto those who do good.

7:57 And He it is Who sends the winds as glad tidings before His mercy till, when they bear a heavy cloud, We drive it to a dead land; then We send down water therefrom and We bring forth fruits of every kind. In like manner do We bring forth the dead that you may remember.

7:58 And the good land--its vegetation comes forth plentifully by the command of its Lord; and that which is bad, its vegetation does not come forth but scantily. In like manner do We expound the Signs in various forms for a people who are grateful.

7:59 We sent Noah to his people and he said, 'O my people, worship Allah, you have no other god but Him. Indeed I fear for you the punishment of the great day.'

7:60 The chiefs of his people said, 'Surely we see thee to be in manifest error.'

7:61 He said, 'O my people, there is no error in me, but I am a Messenger from the Lord of the worlds;

7:62 I deliver to you the Messages of my Lord and give you sincere advice and I know from Allah what you know not;

7:63 Do you wonder that an exhortation has come to you from your Lord through a man from among yourselves, that he may warn you and that you may become righteous and that you may be shown mercy?'

7:64 But they called him a liar, so We saved him and those with him in the Ark and We drowned those who rejected Our Signs. They were indeed a blind people.

7:65 And unto Ad We sent their brother Hud. He said, 'O my people, worship Allah; you have no other deity but Him. Will you not then fear Him?

7:66 The disbelieving chiefs of his people said, 'We surely see the lost in foolishness and we surely think thee to be one of the liars.'

7:67 He said, 'O my people, there is no foolishness in me, but I am a Messenger from the Lord of the worlds;

7:68 I deliver to you the messages of My Lord and I am to you a sincere and faithful counsellor.

7:69 Do you wonder that an exhortation has come to you from your Lord through a man from among yourselves, that he may warn you? And remember the time when He made you heirs to His favours after the people of Noah and increasingly endowed you with great physical strength. Remember, then, the favours of Allah, that you may prosper.'

7:70 They said, 'Hast thou come to us that we may worship Allah alone and forsake what our fathers used to worship? Bring us, then, that which thou threatenest us with, if thou art of the truthful.'

7:71 He replied, 'Indeed there have already fallen on you punishment and wrath from your Lord. Do you dispute with me about names which you have named--you and your fathers--for which Allah has sent down no authority? Wait then, I am with you among those who wait.'

7:72 And We saved him and those who with him by Our mercy and We cut off the last of the remnants of those who rejected Our Signs and had not believed.

7:73 And to Thamud We sent their brother Salih. He said, 'O my people, worship Allah; you have no god other than Him. Verily, there has come to you a clear evidence from your Lord--this she-camel of Allah, a Sign for you. So leave her that she may feed in Allah's earth and do her no harm, lest a punishment seize you;

7:74 And remember the time when He made you heirs to His favours after Ad and settled you in the land so that you build palaces in its plains and hew the mountains into dwellings. Remember, therefore, the favours of Allah and commit not iniquity in the earth causing disorder.'

7:75 The chief men of his people who were arrogant said to those who were considered weak--those among them who believed -`Do you know for certain that Salih is one sent by his Lord?' They answered, 'Surely, we believe in that which he has been sent.'

7:76 Those who were arrogant said, 'Verily, we do disbelieve in that which you believe.'

7:77 Then they hamstrung the she-camel and revolted against the command of their Lord and said, 'O Salih, bring us that which thou threatenest us with, if thou art indeed one of the Messengers.'

7:78 So the earthquake seized them and in their homes they lay prostrate upon the ground.

7:79 Then Salih turned away from them and said, 'O my people, I delivered the Message of my Lord unto you and offered you sincere counsel, but you love not sincere counsellors.'

7:80 And We sent Lot, when he said to his people, 'Do you commit an abomination such as no one in the world ever did before you?

7:81 You approach men with lust instead of women. Nay, you are a people who exceed all bounds.'

7:82 And the only answer of his people was that they said, 'Turn them out of your town, for they are men who take pride in their purity.'

7:83 And We saved him and his family except his wife; she was of those who stayed behind.

7:84 And We rained upon them a rain. Now see, what was the end of the sinners.

7:85 And to Midian We sent their brother Shu'aib. He said, 'O my people, worship Allah; you have no god other than Him. A clear Sign has indeed come to you from your Lord. So give full measure and full weight and diminish not unto people their things and create not disorder in the earth after it has been set in order. This is better for you, if you are believers;

7:86 And sit not on every path, threatening and turning away from the path of Allah those who believe in Him and seeking to make it crooked. And remember when you were few and He multiplied you. And behold, what was the end of those who created disorder!

7:87 And if there is a party among you, who believe in that with which I have been sent, and a party who does not believe, then have patience until Allah judges between us. And He is the Best of judges.'

7:88 The chief men of his people who were arrogant said, 'Assuredly we will drive thee out, O Shu'aib, and the believers that are with thee from our town, or you shall return to our religion.' He said, 'Even though we be unwilling?

7:89 If we return to your religion after Allah has saved us therefrom, we would indeed admit that we had been forging a lie against Allah. And it behoves us not to return thereto except that Allah, our Lord, should so will. Our Lord comprehends all things in His knowledge. In Allah have we put our trust. So, Our Lord, decide Thou between us and between our people with truth and Thou art the Best of those who decide.

7:90 And the chief men of his people, who disbelieved, said, 'If you follow Shu'aib, you shall then certainly be of the losers.'

7:91 So the earthquake seized them and in their homes they lay prostrate upon the ground;

7:92 Those who accused Shu'aib of lying became as if they had never dwelt therein. Those who accused Shu'aib of lying--it was they who were the losers.

7:93 Then he turned away from them and said, 'O my people, indeed I delivered to you the messages of my Lord and gave you sincere counsel, How then should I sorrow for a disbelieving people.'

7:94 And never did We send a Prophet to any town but We did seize its people with adversity and suffering, that they might humble themselves.

7:95 The We changed their evil condition to good until they grew in affluence and numbers and said, 'Suffering and happiness betided our fathers also, what if they befell us.' Then We seized them suddenly, while they perceive not.

7:96 And if the people of those towns had believed and been righteous, We would have surely opened for them blessings from heaven and earth; but they disbelieved, so We seized them because of that which they earned.

7:97 Are the people of these towns then secure from the coming of Our punishment upon them by night while they are asleep?

7:98 And are the people of these towns secure from the coming of Our punishment upon them in the early part of the forenoon while they play?

7:99 Are they then secure from the design of Allah? And none feels secure from the design of Allah save the people who are destined to perish.

7:100 Does it not lead those, who have inherited the earth in succession to its former inhabitants, to realize that if We please, We can smite them also for their sins and seal up their hearts, so that they would not listen to words of guidance.

7:101 Such were the towns some of whose news We have related to thee. And verily the Messengers came to them with clear Signs. But they would not believe what they had rejected before. Thus does Allah seal up the hearts of the disbelievers.

7:102 And We found not in most of them any observance of covenant and, surely, We found most of them to be evil-doers.

7:103 Then, after them, We sent Moses with Our Signs to Pharaoh and his chiefs, but they unjustly rejected them. Behold, then, what was the end of those who created disorder!

7:104 And Moses said, 'O Pharaoh, surely, I am a Messenger from the Lord of the worlds;

7:105 It is not right that I should say anything of Allah except the truth. I have come to you with a clear Sign from your Lord; therefore, let the children of Israel go with me.'

7:106 Pharaoh replied, 'If thou hast indeed come with a Sign, then produce it, if thou art truthful.'

7:107 So he flung his rod and behold! it was a serpent plainly visible.

7:108 And he drew forth his hand, and lo! it appeared white to the beholders.

7:109 The chiefs of Pharaoh's people said, 'This is most surely a skillful sorcerer;

7:110 He desires to turn you out from your land. Now what do you advise?'

7:111 They said, 'Put him off and his brother awhile, and send into the city summoners,

7:112 Who should bring to thee every skillful sorcerer.'

7:113 And the sorcerers came to Pharaoh and said: 'We shall, of course, have a reward, if we prevail,'

7:114 He said, 'Yes, and you shall also be of those who are placed near to me.'

7:115 They said, 'O Moses, wilt thou throw first or shall we be the first throwers?'

7:116 He replied, 'Throw ye.' And when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people and struck them with awe and produced a mighty magic.

7:117 And We revealed to Moses: 'Throw thy rod,' and lo! it swallowed up whatever they feigned.

7:118 So was the truth established and whatever they did, proved vain.

7:119 Thus were they vanquished there and they retired humiliated.

7:120 And the sorcerers were impelled to fall down prostrate.

7:121 And they said, 'We believe in the Lord of the worlds,

7:122 The Lord of Moses and Aaron.'

7:123 Pharaoh said, 'You have believed in him before I gave you leave. Surely, this is a plot which you have plotted in the city, that you may turn out therefrom its inhabitants, but you shall soon know the consequences;

7:124 Most surely will I cut off your hands and your feet on account of your disobedience. Then will I surely crucify you all together.'

7:125 They answered, 'To our Lord then shall we return;

7:126 And thou does not wreck vengeance on us but because we have believed in the Signs of our Lord, when they came to us. Our Lord, pour forth upon us steadfastness and cause us to die resigned unto Thee.'

7:127 And the chiefs of pharaoh's people said, 'Wilt thou leave Moses and his people to create disorder in the land and forsake thee and thy gods?' He answered, 'We will ruthlessly slay their sons and let their women live. And surely we are dominant over them.'

7:128 Moses said to his people, 'Seek help from Allah and be steadfast. Verily the earth is Allah's; He gives it as a heritage to whomsoever He pleases of His servants and the good end is for the Allah-fearing.'

7:129 They replied, 'We were persecuted before thou camest to us and even after thou camest to us.' He said, 'Your Lord is about to destroy your enemy and make you rulers in the land, that He may see how you act.'

7:130 And We afflicted Pharaoh's people with years of draught and scarcity of fruits, that they might take heed.

7:131 But whenever good befell them, they said, 'This is for us.' And if evil afflicted them, they ascribed the evil fortune to Moses and those with him. Now, surely, the cause of their evil fortune was with Allah. But most of them know not.

7:132 And they said, 'Whatever Sign thou mayest bring to us to bewitch us with, we will not submit to thee.'

7:133 Then We sent upon them the storm and the locust and the lice and the frogs and the blood--clear Signs; but they behaved proudly and were a sinful people.

7:134 And when there fell upon them the punishment, they said, 'O Moses, pray for us to thy Lord according to that which He has promised to thee. If thou remove from us the punishment, we will surely believe thee and we will surely send with thee the Children of Israel.'

7:135 But when We removed from them the punishment for a term which they were to reach, lo! they broke their promise.

7:136 So We took vengeance upon them and drowned them in the sea, because they treated Our Signs as lies and were heedless of them.

7:137 And We caused the people who were considered weak to inherit the eastern parts of the land and the western parts thereof, which We blessed. And the gracious word of thy Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel because they were steadfast; and We utterly destroyed all that Pharaoh and his people has built and all that they had erected.

7:138 And We brought the Children of Israel across the sea and they came to a people who were devoted to their idols. They said, 'O Moses, make for us a god just as they have gods.' He said, 'Surely you are an ignorant people.

7:139 Surely, all that these people are engaged in shall be destroyed, and vain shall be all that they do.'

7:140 He said, 'Shall I seek for you a god other than Allah, while He has exalted you above all peoples?'

7:141 And remember the time when We delivered you from Pharaoh's people who afflicted you with grievous torment, slaughtering your sons and sparing your women. And therein was a great trial for you from your Lord.

7:142 And We made Moses a promise of thirty nights and supplemented them with ten. Thus the period appointed by his Lord was completed -- forty nights. And Moses said to his brother, Aaron, 'Take my place amongst my people in my absence, and manage them well and follow not the way of the mischief-makers.'

7:143 And when Moses came at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, 'My Lord, show Thyself to me that I may look at Thee.' Allah replied, 'Thou shalt not see Me. But look at the mountain; and if it remains in its place, then thou shalt see Me.' And when his Lord manifested Himself on the mountain, He broke it into pieces and Moses fell down unconscious. And when he recovered, he said, 'Holy art Thou, I turn to thee and I am the first to believe.'

7:144 Allah said, 'O Moses, I have chosen thee above the people of thy time by My Messages and by My Word. So take firm hold of that which I have given thee and be of the grateful.'

7:145 And We wrote for him upon the Tablets about everything an admonition and an explanation of all things. 'So hold them fast and bid thy people follow the best thereof. Soon shall I show you the abode of the transgressors.'

7:146 I shall soon turn away from My Signs those who behave proudly in the land in an unjust manner; and even if they see all the Signs, they will not believe therein; and if they see the way of righteousness, they will not adopt it as their way; but if they see the way of error, they will adopt it as their way. That is because they treated Our Signs as lies and were heedless of them.

7:147 And those who reject Our Signs and the meeting of the Hereafter--their works are vain. Can they expect to be rewarded for anything except for what they do?

7:148 And the people of Moses made, in his absence, out of their ornaments, a calf--a lifeless body, producing a lowing sound. Did they not see that it spoke not to them, nor guided them to any way? They took it for worship and they were transgressors.

7:149 And when they were smitten with remorse and saw that they had indeed gone astray, they said, 'If our Lord have not mercy on us and forgive us, we shall surely be of the losers.'

7:150 And when Moses returned to his people, indignant and grieved, he said, 'Evil is that which you did in my place in my absence. Did you hasten to devise a way for yourselves without waiting for the command of your Lord?' And he put down the tablet and seized his brother by the head, dragging him towards himself. Aaron said, 'Son of my mother, the people indeed deemed me weak, and were about to kill me. Therefore make not the enemies rejoice over my misfortune and place me not with the unjust people.'

7:151 Moses said, 'My Lord, forgive me and my brother, and admit us to Thy mercy and Thou art the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.'

7:152 As to those, who took the calf for worship, wrath from their Lord shall overtake them and abasement in the present life. And thus do We reward those who invent lies.

7:153 And those who do evil deeds and repent and believe, surely, thy Lord after that is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

7:154 And when the anger of Moses subsided, he took the tablets and in their writing there was guidance and mercy for those who fear their Lord.

7:155 And Moses chose of his people seventy men for Our appointment. But when the earthquake overtook them, he said, 'My Lord, if Thou hadst pleased, Thou couldst have destroyed them before this, and me too. Wilt Thou destroy us for that which the foolish among us have done? This is nothing but a trial from Thee. Thou causest to perish thereby whom Thou pleasest and Thou guidest whom Thou pleasest. Thou art our Protector; forgive us then and have mercy upon us and Thou art the Best of those who forgive;

7:156 And ordain for us good in this world, as well as in the next; we have turned to Thee with repentance.' Allah replied, 'I will inflict My punishment on whom I will; but My mercy encompasses all things; so I will ordain it for those who act righteously and pay the Zakaat and those who believe in Our Signs -

7:157 Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet, the Ummi whom they find mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel which are with them. He enjoins on them good and forbids them evil and makes lawful for them the good things and forbids them the bad things and remove from them their burdens and shackles that were upon them. So those who shall believe in him and honour and support him and help him and follow the light that has been sent down with him--these shall prosper.'

7:158 Say, 'O mankind, truly I am a Messenger to you all from Allah to Whom belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth. There is no god but He. He gives life and He causes death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the Ummi Prophet, who believes in Allah and His words; and follow him that you may be rightly guided.'

7:159 And of the people of Moses there is a party who guide with truth and do justice therewith.

7:160 And We divided them into twelve tribes, distinct peoples. And, We revealed to Moses, when his people asked him for water, saying, 'Strick the rock with thy rod;' and from it there gushed forth twelve springs; every tribe knew their drinking place. And We caused the clouds to overshadow them and We sent down for them Manna and Salwa and We said, 'Eat of the good things We have provided for you.' And they wronged Us not, but it was themselves that they wronged.

7:161 And remember the time when it was said to them, 'Dwell in this town and eat therefrom wherever you will, and say, 'Allah! lighten our burden,' and enter the gate in humility, We shall forgive you your sins, and surely We shall give increase to those who do good.'

7:162 But the transgressors among them changed it for a word other than that which was said to them. So We sent upon them a punishment from heaven, because of their wrongdoing.

7:163 And ask them concerning the town which stood by the sea. When they profaned the Sabbath; when their fish came to them on their Sabbath day appearing on the surface of the water, but on the day when they did not keep the Sabbath, they came not to them. Thus did We try them because they were rebellious.

7:164 And when a party among them said to another party, 'Why do you admonish a people whom Allah is going to destroy or punish with a severe punishment?' They said, 'In order to be absolved from blame before your Lord and that they may turn to righteousness.'

7:165 And when they forgot all that with which they had been admonished, We saved those who forbade evil and We seized the transgressors with a severe punishment because they were rebellious.

7:166 And when they insolently rebelled against that which they had been forbidden, We said to them, 'Be ye apes despised.'

7:167 And remember the time when thy Lord proclaimed that He would surely rise against them, till the Day of Resurrection, those who would afflict them with grievous torment. Surely, thy Lord is Quick in retribution and surely He is also Most forgiving, Merciful.

7:168 And We broke them up into separate peoples in the earth. Among them are those that are righteous and among them are those that are otherwise. And We tried them with good things and bad things that they might return to good.

7:169 Then there came after them an evil generation who inherited the Book. They take the paltry goods of this low world and say, 'It will be forgiven us.' But if there came to them similar goods again, they would take them. Was not the covenant of the Book taken from them, that they would not say of Allah anything but the truth? And they have studied what is therein. And the abode of the Hereafter is better for those who are righteous. Will you not then understand.

7:170 And as for those who hold fast by the Book and observe Prayer, surely, We suffer not the reward of the righteous to perish.

7:171 And when We shook the mountain over them as though it were a covering and they thought it was going to fall on them, We said, 'Hold fast that which We have given you and remember what is therein that you may guard against evil.'

7:172 And remember when thy Lord brought forth from Adam's children -- out of their loins--their offspring and made them to bear witness against their ownselves saying, 'Yea, we do bear witness.' This He did lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection, 'We were surely unaware of this.'

7:173 Or lest you should say, 'It was only our fathers who associated co-partners with Allah in the past and we were merely a generation after them. Wilt Thou then destroy us for what those, who lied, did?

7:174 And thus do We make clear the Signs, that they may be admonished and that they may return to good.

7:175 And relate to them the story of him to whom We gave Our Signs, but he stepped away from them; so Satan followed him up and he became one of those who go astray.

7:176 And if We pleased, We would have exalted him thereby; but he inclined to the earth and followed his evil desires. His case, therefore, is like the case of a thirsty dog; if thou drive him away, he hangs out his tongue and if thou leave him, he hangs out his tongue. Such is the case of the people who disbelieve in Our Signs. So relate to them this narrative that they may reflect.

7:177 Evil is the case of the people who treat Our Signs as lies. And it was their ownselves that they wronged.

7:178 He whom Allah guides, is on the right path. And they whom He leaves in error, these it is who shall be the losers.

7:179 Verily, We have created many of the jinn and the men whose end shall be Hell. They have hearts wherewith they understand not and they have eyes wherewith they see not and they have ears wherewith they hear not. They are like cattle; nay, they are even more astray. They are indeed altogether heedless.

7:180 And to Allah alone belong all perfect attributes. So call on Him by these attributes. And leave alone those who deviate from the right way with respect to His attributes. They shall be requited for what they do.

7:181 And of those We have created, there are a people that guide men with truth and do justice therewith.

7:182 And those who reject Our Signs, We will draw them towards destruction step by step in a manner which they do not know.

7:183 And I give them respite, surely My plan is mighty.

7:184 Do they not consider that there is nothing of insanity about their companion? He is only a plain warner.

7:185 And do they not look into the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth and all things that Allah has created? And do they not see that, it may be, their own term has already drawn near? Then in what thing after this will they believe?

7:186 Whomsoever Allah adjudges astray, there can be no guide for him. And He leave such in their transgression, wandering in distraction.

7:187 They ask thee about the Hour; 'When it will come to pass?' Say, 'The knowledge thereof is only with my Lord. None can manifest it at its time but He. It lies heavy on the heavens and the earth. It shall not come upon you but of a sudden.' They ask thee as if thou were well-acquainted therewith. Say, 'The knowledge thereof is only with Allah; but most men do not know.'

7:188 Say, 'I have no power to do good or harm to myself save as Allah please. And if I had the knowledge of the unseen, I should have secured abundance of good; and evil would not have touched me. I am only a Warner and a bearer of good tidings.'

7:189 He it is Who created you from a single soul and made therefrom its mate, that he might find comfort in her. And when he knows her, she bears a light burden and goes about with it. And when she grows heavy, they both pray to Allah, their Lord, saying, 'If thou gives us a good child, we will surely be of the thankful.'

7:190 But when He gives them a good child, they associate with Him partners in respect of that which He has given them. But exalted is Allah far above what they associate with Him.

7:191 Do they associate with Him partners those who create nothing, and are themselves created?

7:192 And they give them no help, nor can they help themselves.

7:193 And if you call them to guidance, they will not follow you. It is the same to you whether you call them or you remain silent.

7:194 Surely, those whom you call on beside Allah are creatures like you. Then call on them and let them answer you, if you are truthful.

7:195 Have they feet wherewith they walk, or have they hands wherewith they hold, or have they eyes wherewith they see, or have they ears wherewith they hear? Say, 'Call upon the partners you associate with Allah, then contrive you all against me and give me no respite.

7:196 Truly my Protector is Allah Who revealed this Book. And He protects the righteous.

7:197 And they whom you call besides Him have no power to help you, nor can they help themselves;'

7:198 And if you invite them to guidance, they hear not. And thou seest them looking towards thee, but they see not.

7:199 Do thou ever forebear, O Prophet! and enjoin kindness, and turn away from the ignorant.

7:200 And if an evil suggestion of Satan assail thee, then seek refuge in Allah; surely, He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

7:201 As to those who are righteous, when an evil suggestion from Satan assails them, they remember Allah and behold! they begin to see aright.

7:202 And the brethren of the disbelievers draw them into error and then they relax not their efforts.

7:203 And when thou bringest not to them a fresh Sign, they say, 'Why hast thou not forged one?' Say, `I follow only that which is revealed to me from my Lord. These are clear proofs from your Lord and guidance and mercy for a people who believe.'

7:204 And when the Qur'án is recited, give ear to it and keep silence, that you may be shown mercy.

7:205 And remember thy Lord in thy mind humbly and fearing Him, and in a low voice in the mornings and evenings; and be not of the heedless.

7:206 Truly those who are near to thy Lord, turn not away with pride from His worship, but they glorify Him and prostrate themselves before Him.

Chapter 8--The Spoils

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

8:1 They ask thee concerning the spoils. Say, 'The spoils of war are for Allah and the Messenger. So fear Allah, and set things right among yourselves, and obey Allah and His Messenger, if you are believers.'

8:2 They are only the true believers whose hearts tremble when the name of Allah is mentioned, and when His Signs are recited to them they increase their faith, and who put their trust in their Lord.

8:3 Who observe Prayer and spend out of that which We have provided for them.

8:4 These it is who are true believers. They have exalted grades of rank with their Lord, as well as forgiveness and an honourable provision.

8:5 This is because thy Lord has brought thee forth from thy house for a righteous purpose while a party of the believers were quite averse to it.

8:6 They (the disbelievers) dispute with thee concerning the truth after it has become manifest, as though they are being driven to death while they actually see it.

8:7 And remember when Allah promised you one of the two parties that it should be yours, and you wished that the one unarmed should be yours, but Allah desired to establish the Truth by His words and to cut off the root of the disbelievers,

8:8 That He might establish the Truth and bring to naught that which is false, although the guilty may dislike it.

8:9 When you implored the help of your Lord, and He answered your prayer saying, 'I will surely help you with a thousand of the angels, rank on rank.'

8:10 And Allah made it only as a glad tidings so that your hearts might be at rest. But help comes from Allah alone; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise.

8:11 And when He caused sleep to come upon you as a sign of security from Him, and He sent down water upon you from the clouds, that thereby He might purify you, and remove from you the uncleanliness of Satan, and that He might strengthen your hearts and make your steps firm therewith.

8:12 When thy Lord revealed to the angels, saying, 'I am with you; so make firm those who believe. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Smite them above their necks, and smite off all finger-tips.'

8:13 That is because they have opposed Allah and His Messenger. And whoso opposes Allah and His Messenger, Then Allah is surely Severe in retribution.

8:14 That is your punishment, taste it then; and remember that for disbelievers there is the punishment of the Fire.

8:15 O ye who believe! when you meet those who disbelieve, advancing in force, turn not your backs to them.

8:16 And whoso turns his back to them on such a day, unless manoeuvring for battle or turning to join another company, he indeed draws upon himself the wrath of Allah, and Hell shall be his abode. And an evil resort it is.

8:17 So you slew them not; but it was Allah Who slew them. And thou threwest not when thou didst throw, but it was Allah Who threw, that He might overthrow the disbelievers and that He might confer on the believers a great favour from Himself. Surely, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

8:18 That is what happened; And know that Allah will weaken the design of the disbelievers.

8:19 If you, O disbelievers, sort a judgment, then judgment has indeed come to you. And if you desist, it will be better for you; but if you return to mischief, We too will return to punishment. And your party shall be of no avail to you, however numerous it be, and know that Allah is with the believers.

8:20 O ye who believe! obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not turn away from him while you hear his commands.

8:21 And be not like those who say, 'We hear,' but they hear not.

8:22 Surely, the worst of beasts in the sight of Allah are the deaf and the dumb, who have no sense.

8:23 And if Allah had known any good in them, He would certainly have made them hear. And if He now makes them hear, they will turn away in aversion.

8:24 O ye who believe! respond to Allah, and the Messenger when he calls you that he may give you life, and know that Allah comes in between a man and his heart, and that He it is unto Whom you will be gathered.

8:25 And beware of an affliction which will surely not smite exclusively those among you who have done wrong. And know that Allah is Severe in requiting.

8:26 And remember when you were a few and deemed weak in the land, and were in fear lest people should snatch you away, but He sheltered you and strengthened you with His help, and provided you with good things that you might be thankful.

8:27 O ye who believe! prove not false to Allah and the Messenger, nor betray your trusts knowingly.

8:28 And know that your possessions and your children are but a trial and that it is Allah with Whom is a great reward.

8:29 O ye who believe! if you do your duty to Allah, He will grant you a distinction and will remove your evils from you and will forgive you; and Allah is the Lord of great bounty.

8:30 And remember when the disbelievers devised plans against thee that they might put thee in confinement or slay thee or expel thee. And they planned and Allah also planned, and Allah is the Best of planners.

8:31 And when Our verses are recited to them, they say, 'We have heard. If we wished we could certainly say the like of it. This is nothing but mere tales of the ancients'

8:32 And remember the time when they said, 'O Allah, if this be indeed the truth from Thee, then rain down upon us stones from heaven or bring down upon us a grievous punishment.'

8:33 But Allah would not punish them while thou wast among them, and Allah would not punish them while they sought forgiveness.

8:34 And what excuse have they now that Allah should not punish them, when they hinder men from the Sacred Mosque, and they are not its true guardians? Its true guardians are only those who are righteous, but most of them know not.

8:35 And their prayer at the Sacred House is nothing but whistling and clapping of hands. 'Taste then the punishment because you disbelieved.'

8:36 Surely, those who disbelieve, spend their wealth to turn people away from the way of Allah. They will surely continue to spend it; but then shall it become a source of regret for them, and then shall they be overcome. And the disbelievers shall be gathered unto Hell;

8:37 That Allah may separate the bad from the good, and put the bad, one upon another, and heap them up altogether, and then cast them into Hell. These indeed are the losers.

8:38 Say to those who disbelieve, if they desist, that which is past will be forgiven them; and if they return to their misdeeds, then verily the example of the former peoples has already gone before them.

8:39 And fight them until there is no persecution and religion is wholly to Allah. But if they desist, then surely Allah is Watchful of what they do.

8:40 And if they turn back, then know that Allah is your Protector--an excellent protector and an excellent Helper!

8:41 And know that whatever you take as spoils in war, a fifth thereof is for Allah and for the Messenger and the kindred and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer, if you believe in Allah and what We sent down to Our servant on the Day of Distinction,--the day when the two armies met--and Allah has power to do all that He wills.

8:42 When you were on the nearer bank of the Valley, and they were on the further bank, and the caravan was below you. And if you had to make an appointment between you, you would have certainly differed with regard to the time of the appointment. But the encounter was brought about without appointment that Allah might accomplish the thing that was decreed, so that he, who had already perished by a clear proof, should perish, and he, would had already come to life by a clear proof, should live. And certainly Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

8:43 When Allah showed them to thee in thy dream as few and if He had shown them to thee as many, you would certainly have faltered and would have disagreed with one another about the matter; but Allah saved you. Surely, He has full knowledge of what is in your breasts.

8:44 And remember when at the time of your encounter, He made them appear to you as few in your eyes, and made you appear as few in their eyes, that Allah might bring about the thing that was decreed. And to Allah are all affairs referred for final decision.

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.8:45 O ye who believe! When you encounter an army, be firm and remember Allah much that you may prosper.

8:46 And obey Allah and His Messenger and dispute not with one another, lest you falter and your strength depart from you. And be steadfast; surely, Allah is with the steadfast.

8:47 And be not like those who came forth from their homes boastfully, and to be seen of men, and who turn men away from the path of Allah, and Allah encompasses what they do.

8:48 And when Satan made their deeds seem fair to them and said, 'None from among men shall prevail against you this day, and I am your protector.' But when the two armies came in sight of each other, he turned on his heels, and said, 'Surely, I have nothing to do with you; surely, I see what you see not. Surely I fear Allah; and Allah's punishment is severe.

8:49 When the Hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease said, 'Their religion has deluded these men.' And whoso puts his trust in Allah, then surely, Allah is Mighty, Wise.

8:50 And if thou couldst see when the angels take away the souls of those who disbelieve, smiting their faces and their backs and saying: 'Taste ye the punishment of burning.

8:51 This torment is because of that which your hands have sent on before and know that Allah is not at all unjust to His servants.'

8:52 Your condition will be like that of the people of Pharaoh and those before them, they disbelieved in the Signs of Allah; so Allah punished them for their sins. Surely, Allah is Powerful and Severe in punishing.

8:53 That is because Allah would never change a favour that He has conferred upon a people until they change their own condition, and know that Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

8:54 O disbelievers! your condition will also be like that of the people of Pharaoh and those before them; they rejected the Signs of their Lord, so We destroyed them for their sins. And We drowned the people of Pharaoh, for they were all wrongdoers.

8:55 Surely, the worst of beasts in the sight of Allah are the disbelievers, who will not believe.

8:56 Those with whom thou hast made a covenant,--then they break their covenant every time, and they do not fear Allah.

8:57 So, if thou overcomest them in war, then thereby strike fear in those that are behind them, that they may be mindful.

8:58 And if thou fearest treachery from a people, throw back to them their covenant with equity. Surely, Allah loves not the treacherous.

8:59 And let not those who disbelieve think that they can outstrip Us. Surely, they cannot frustrate Our purpose.

8:60 And make ready for them who fight you whatever you can of armed force and of mounted pickets at the frontier, whereby you may frighten the enemy of Allah and your enemy and others besides them whom you know not, but Allah knows them. And whatever you spend in the way of Allah, it shall be paid back to you in full and you shall not be wronged.

8:61 And if they incline towards peace, incline thou also towards it, and put thy trust in Allah. Surely, it is He Who is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

8:62 And if they seek to deceive thee, then surely Allah is sufficient for thee. He it is Who has strengthened thee with His help and with the believers;

8:63 And He has put affection between their hearts. If thou hadst expended all that is in the earth, thou couldst not have put affection between their hearts, but Allah has put affection between them. Surely, He is Mighty, Wise.

8:64 O Prophet, Allah is Sufficient for thee and those who follow thee of the believers.

8:65 O Prophet, urge the believers to fight. If there be of you twenty who are steadfast, they shall overcome two hundred; And if there be a hundred of you, they shall overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve, because they are a people do not understand.

8:66 For the present Allah has lighten your burden, for He knows that there is weakness in you. So, if there be a hundred of you who are steadfast, they shall overcome two hundred; and if there be a thousand of you, they shall overcome two thousand by the command of Allah. And Allah is with those who are steadfast.

8:67 It does not behove a Prophet that he should have captives until he engages in regular fighting in the land. If you take captives, except in regular fighting, you will be regarded as desiring the goods of this world, while Allah desires for you the Hereafter. And Allah is Mighty, Wise.

8:68 Had there not been a decree from Allah which had gone before, great distress would have surely overtaken you in consequence of what you took.

8:69 So eat, of that which you have won in war as lawful and good, and fear Allah. Surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

8:70 O Prophet, say to the captives who are in your hands, 'If Allah knows any good in your hearts, He will give you better than that which has been taken from you as ransom and will forgive you. And Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.'

8:71 And if they intend to deal treacherously with thee, they have indeed been treacherous to Allah before, But He gave thee power over them. And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

8:72 Surely, those who believed and left their homes and strove with their wealth and their lives for the cause of Allah, and those who gave them shelter and help--these are friends one of another. But as for those who believed but did not leave their homes, you are not at all responsible for their protection until they leave their homes. But if they seek your help in the matter of religion, then it is your duty to help them, except against a people between whom and yourselves there is a treaty. And Allah sees what you do.

8:73 And those who disbelieve--they are friends one of another. If you do not what you are commanded, there will be mischief in the land and great disorder.

8:74 And those who believed and left their homes and strove for the cause of Allah, and those who gave them shelter and help--these indeed are true believers. For them is forgiveness and an honourable provision.

8:75 And those who believe after this and leave their homes and strive for the cause of Allah along with you--these are of you; and as to blood relations, they are nearer one to another in the Book of Allah. Surely, Allah knows all things well.

Chapter 9--Repentance

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

9:1 This is a declaration of complete vindication on the part of Allah and His Messenger to the idolaters to whom you had announce a commitment that Islam would triumph in Arabia.

9:2 So go about in the land for four months, and know that you cannot frustrate the plan of Allah and that Allah will humiliate the disbelievers.

9:3 And this is a proclamation from Allah and His Messenger to the people on the day of the Greater Pilgrimage, that Allah is clear of idolaters, and so is His Messenger. So if you repent, it will be better for you; but if you turn away, then know that you cannot frustrate the plan of Allah. And give tidings of a painful punishment to those who disbelieve,

9:4 Except those of the disbelievers with whom you have entered into a treaty and who have not subsequently failed you in anything nor aided anyone against you. So fulfill to these the treaty you have made with them till their term. Surely Allah loves those that are righteous.

9:5 And when the forbidden months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever you find them and take them captive, and beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they repent and observe Prayer and pay the Zakát, then leave their way free. Surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

9:6 And if anyone of the idolaters seeks protection of thee, grant him protection so that he may hear the Word of Allah; then convey him to his place of security. That is because they are a people who have no knowledge.

9:7 How can there be a treaty for these idolaters with Allah and His Messenger, Except those with whom you entered into a treaty at the Sacred Mosque? So, as long as they are true to them. Surely Allah loves those who fulfill their obligations.

9:8 How can it be when, if they prevail against you, they would not observe any tie of kinship or covenant in respect of you. They would please you with their mouths, while their heart repudiate what they say and most of them are perfidious.

9:9 They have bartered the Signs of Allah for a paltry price and have turned men away from His way. Evil indeed is that which they do.

9:10 They observe not any tie of kinship or covenant in respect of any believer. And it is they who are transgressors.

9:11 But if they repent and observe Prayer and pay the Zakát, then they are your brethren in Faith. And We explain the Signs for a people who have knowledge.

9:12 And if they break their oaths after their covenant, and attack your religion, then fight these leaders of disbelief--surely, they have no regard for their oaths,--that they may desist.

9:13 Will you not fight a people who have broken their oaths, and who plotted to turn out the Messenger, and they were the first to commence hostilities against you? Do you fear them? Nay, Allah is most worthy that you should fear Him, if you are believers.

9:14 Fight them, that Allah may punish them at your hands, and humiliate then, and help you to victory over them, and relieve the minds of a people who believe;

9:15 And that He may remove the anger of their hearts. And Allah turns with mercy to whomsoever He pleases. And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

9:16 Do you think that you would be left in peace, while Allah has not yet known those of you who strive in the cause of Allah and do not take anyone for an intimate friend besides Allah and His Messenger and the believers? And Allah is well-Aware of what you do.

9:17 It is not for the idolaters to maintain the Mosques of Allah while they bear witness against themselves to disbelief. It is they whose works shall be vain, and in the Fire shall they abide forever.

9:18 He alone can maintain the Mosques of Allah who believers in Allah, and the Last Day, and observes Prayer, and pays the Zakát and fears not but Allah; so these it is who may be rightly guided.

9:19 Do you consider the giving of drink to the pilgrims, and the maintenance of the Scared Mosque as equal to the work of him who believes in Allah and the Last Day and strives in the path of Allah? They are not at all equal in the sight of Allah and Allah guides not the unjust people.

9:20 Those who believed and left their homes for the sake of Allah and strove in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives have the highest rank in the sight of Allah. And it is they who shall triumph.

9:21 Their Lord gives them glad tidings of mercy from Him, and of His pleasure, and Gardens wherein there shall be lasting bliss for them;

9:22 They will abide therein forever. Verily, with Allah there is a great reward.

9:23 O ye who believe! take not your fathers and brothers for friends if they prefer disbelieve to faith. And whoso of you takes them for friends, such are the wrongdoers.

9:24 Say, if your fathers and sons and your brethren and your wives and your kinsfolk and the wealth you have acquired and the trade whose dullness you fear and the dwellings which you love are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and striving in His cause, then wait until Allah brings about His judgment; and Allah guides not the disobedient people.

9:25 Surely, Allah has helped you on many a battle field and on the day of Hunain, when your great numbers made you proud, but they availed you naught; and the earth, with all its vastness, became straitened for you, and then you turned back retreating.

9:26 Then Allah sent down His peace upon His Messenger and upon the believers, and He sent down host which you did not see, and He punished those who disbelieved. And this is the reward of the disbelievers.

9:27 Then after such punishment Allah turns with compassion to whomsoever He pleases; and Allah is Most Forgiving.

9:28 O ye who believe! surely, the idolaters are unclean. So they shall not approach the Sacred Mosque after this year of theirs. And if you fear poverty, Allah will enrich you out of His bounty, if He pleases. Surely, Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

9:29 Fight those from among the people of the Book, who believe not in Allah, nor in the Last Day, nor hold as unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have declared to be unlawful, nor follow the true religion, until they pay the tax considering it a favour and acknowledge their subjection.

9:30 And the Jews say, 'Ezra is the son of Allah,' and the Christians say, 'the Messiah is the son of Allah;' that is what they say with their mouths. They only imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before them. Allah's curse be on them! How they are turned away.

9:31 They have taken their priest and their monks for lords besides Allah. And so have they taken the Messiah, son of Mary. And they were not commanded but to worship the One Allah. There is no Allah but He. Holy is He far above what they associate with Him!

9:32 They seek to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths; but Allah refuses but to perfect His light, though the disbelievers may resent it.

9:33 He it is Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, that He may make it prevail over every other religion, even though the idolaters may resent it.

9:34 O ye who believe! surely, many of the priest and the monks devour the wealth of men by false means and turn men away from the way of Allah. And those who hoard gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah--give to them the tidings of a painful punishment.

9:35 On the day it shall be made hot in the fire of Hell, and their foreheads and their sides and their backs shall be branded therewith and it shall be said to them: 'This is what you hoarded for yourselves; so now taste what you hoard.'

9:36 The number of months with Allah is twelve months by Allah's ordinance since the day when He created the heavens and the earth. Of these four are sacred. That is the right religion. So wrong not yourselves therein. And fight the idolaters all together; and know that Allah is with those who fear Him.

9:37 Surely the postponement of the Sacred Month is an addition to disbelief. Those who disbelieve are led astray thereby. They allow it one year and forbid it another year, that they may agree in the number of the months which Allah has made sacred, and thus make lawful what Allah has forbidden. The evil of their deeds is made to seem fair to them. And Allah guides not the disbelieving people.

9:38 O ye who believe; what is the matter with you that, when it is said to you, go forth in the way of Allah, you sink down heavily towards the earth? Are you contented with the present life in the preference to the Hereafter? But the enjoyment of the present life is but little compared to the Hereafter.

9:39 If you will not go forth to fight in the cause of Allah, He will punish you with a painful punishment, and will chose in your stead a people other than you, and you shall do Him no harm at all. And Allah has full power over all things.

9:40 If you help him not, then know that Allah helped him even when the disbelievers drove him forth while he was one of the two, when they were both in the Cave, when he said to his Companion, 'Grieve not for Allah is with us.' Then Allah sent down His peace on him, and succoured him with hosts which you did not see, and humbled the word of those who disbelieved, and it is the word of Allah alone which is supreme. And Allah is Mighty, Wise.

9:41 Go forth, light or heavy, and strive with your wealth and your lives in the cause of Allah. That is best for you, if only you knew.

9:42 If it had been an immediate gain and a short journey, they would certainly have followed thee, but the hard journey seem too long to them. Yet they will swear by Allah, saying, 'If we had been able, we would surely have gone forth with you.' They but ruin their souls; and Allah knows that they are liars.

9:43 Allah remove the ill consequences of thy mistake. Why didst thou permit them to stay behind till it had become clear to thee and thou hadst also known the liars?

9:44 Those who believe in Allah and the Last Day will not ask leave of thee to be exempted from striving with their wealth and their persons. And Allah well knows those who keep their duty to Him.

9:45 Only those will ask leave of thee to be exempted who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day, and whose hearts are full of doubt, and in their doubt they waver.

9:46 And if they had readily intended to go forth, they would have made some preparations for it; but Allah was averse to their marching forth. So He kept them back, and it was said to them; 'keep sitting at home with those who have kept sitting.'

9:47 Had they gone forth with you, they would have added to you naught but trouble, and would have hurried to and fro in your midst, seeking to sow discord among you. And there are among you those who would listen to you so as to convey information to them. And Allah well knows the wrongdoers.

9:48 They sought to stir up sedition even before this, and they devised plots against thee till the truth came and the purpose of Allah prevailed, though they did not like it.

9:49 And among them is he who says, 'Permit me to stay behind and put me not to trial.' Surely, they have already fallen into trial. And surely, Hell shall encompass the disbelievers.

9:50 If good befalls thee, it grieves them, but if a misfortune befalls thee, they say, 'We had indeed taken our precaution beforehand.' And they turn away rejoicing.

9:51 Say, 'Nothing shall befall us save that which Allah has ordained for us. He is our Protector. And in Allah then should the believers put their trust.'

9:52 Say, 'You do not await for us aught save one of the two good things, while we wait that Allah will afflict you with a punishment either from Himself or at our hands. Wait then, we also are waiting.'

9:53 Say, 'Spend willingly or unwillingly, it shall not be accepted from you. You are indeed a disobedient people.

9:54 And nothing prevents that their contributions should be accepted from them save that they disbelieve in Allah and His Messenger. And they come not to Prayer except lazily and they spend not in the way of Allah but reluctantly.

9:55 So let not their wealth nor their children excite thy wonder. Allah only intends to punish them therewith in the present life and that their souls may depart while they are disbelievers.

9:56 And they swear by Allah that they are indeed of you, while they are not of you, but they are a cowardly people.

9:57 If they could find a place of refuge, or caves, or even a hole to enter, they would surely turn thereto, rushing in uncontrollable haste.

9:58 And among them are those who find fault with thee with respect to the division of alms. If they are given thereof, they are pleased; but if they are not given thereof, behold! they are indignant.

9:59 And if they had been content with what Allah and His Messenger had given them and had said, 'Sufficient for us is Allah; Allah will give us from His bounty, and so will His Messenger; to Allah do we turn in supplication,' it would have been better for them.

9:60 The alms are only for the poor and the needy, and for those employed in connections therewith, and for those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and for the freeing of slaves, and for those in debt, and for the cause of Allah, and for the wayfarer--an ordinance from Allah. And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

9:61 And among them are those who annoy the Prophet and say, 'He is all ear.' Say, 'His giving ear to all is for your good; he believes in Allah and believes the Faithful, and is a mercy for those of you who believe.' And those who annoy the Messenger of Allah shall have a grievous punishment.

9:62 They swear by Allah to you to please you; but Allah with His Messenger has greater right that they should please Him if they are believers.

9:63 Do they not know that whoso opposes Allah and His Messenger, for him is the fire of Hell, wherein he shall abide? That is a great humiliation.

9:64 The Hypocrites pretend they fear lest a Surah should be revealed concerning them, informing them of what is in their hearts. Say, 'Mock on; surely, Allah will bring to light that of which you pretended you were afraid lest it might be disclosed.

9:65 And if thou question them, they will most surely say, 'We were only talking idly and jesting.' Say, 'Was it Allah and His Signs and His Messenger that you mocked at?'

9:66 Make ye no excuses. You certainly disbelieved after believing. If We forgive a party from among you, a party shall We punish, for they are guilty.

9:67 The hypocrites, men and women, are all as one to another. They enjoin evil and forbid good, and withhold their hands from spending for the cause of Allah. They forgot Allah, So He has forgotten them. Surely, the hypocrites are the transgressors.

9:68 Allah promises the hypocrites, men and women, and the disbelievers the fire of Hell, wherein they shall abide. It will suffice them. And Allah has cursed them. And they shall have a lasting punishment.

9:69 Even as those before you--they were mighty than you in power and had more wealth and children. They enjoyed their lot for a time, so have you enjoyed your lot as those before you enjoyed their lot. And you indulge in idle talk. It is they whose works shall be of no avail in this world and the Hereafter. And it is they who are the losers.

9:70 Has not the news reached them of those before them--the people of Noah, and Ad, and Thamud, and the people of Abraham, and the dwellers of Midian, and the cities which were overthrown? Their Messengers came to them with clear Signs. So Allah wronged them not, but they wronged themselves.

9:71 And the believers, men and women, are friends of another. They enjoined good and forbid evil and observe Prayer and pay the Zakaat and obey Allah and His Messenger. It is these on whom Allah will have mercy. Surely, Allah is Mighty and Wise.

9:72 Allah has promised to believers, men and women, Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide, and delightful dwelling-places in Gardens of Eternity. And the pleasure of Allah is the greatest of all. That is the supreme triumph.

9:73 O Prophet! strive hard against the disbelievers and the Hypocrites. And be firm against them. Their abode is Hell, and evil destination it is.

9:74 They swear by Allah that they said nothing, but they did certainly utter the word of disbelief, and disbelieved after they had embraced Islam. And they designed what they could not attain. And they cherished enmity against believers only because Allah and His Messenger had enriched them out of His bounty. So if they repent, it will be better for them; but if they turn away, Allah will punish them with a grievous punishment in this world and the Hereafter, and they shall have neither friend nor helper in the earth.

9:75 And among them are those who made a covenant with Allah, saying, 'If He give us of His bounty, we would most surely give alms and be of the virtuous.'

9:76 But when He gave them out of His bounty, they became niggardly of it, and turned away in aversion.

9:77 So He requited them with hypocrisy which shall last in their hearts until the day when they shall meet Him, because they broke their promise, and because they lied.

9:78 Know they not that Allah knows their hidden thoughts as well as their secret counsels and that Allah knows full well all unseen things?

9:79 These hypocrites are those who find fault with such of the believers as give freely in charity and with such as find nothing to give save the earnings of their toil. So they deride them. Allah shall punish them for their derision, and for them is a grievous punishment.

9:80 Ask thou forgiveness for them, or ask thou not forgiveness for them; even if thou ask forgiveness for them seventy times, Allah will never forgive them. That is because they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger. And Allah guides not the perfidious people.

9:81 Those who contrived to be left behind rejoice in their sitting at home behind the Messenger of Allah, and were averse to striving with their wealth and their persons in the cause of Allah. And they said, 'Go not forth in the heat.' Say, 'The fire of Hell is more intense in heat.' If only they could understand.

9:82 They should laugh little and weep much as a reward for that which they used to earn.

9:83 And if Allah bring thee back to a party of them, they ask of thee leave to go forth to fight, say then, 'You shall never go forth with me, and shall never fight an enemy with me. You chose to sit at home the first time, so sit now with those who remain behind.'

9:84 And never pray thou for any of them that dies, nor stand by his grave; for they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and died while they were disobedient.

9:85 And let not their riches and their children excite thy wonder; Allah only intends to punish them therewith in this world and that their souls may depart while they are disbelievers.

9:86 And when a Surah is revealed, enjoining, 'Believe in Allah and strive in His cause in company with His Messenger,' men of wealth an affluence among them ask leave of thee and say, 'Leave us that we be with those who sit at home.

9:87 They prefer to be with the womenfolk, who remain behind at home and their hearts are sealed so that they understand not.

9:88 But the Messenger and those who believe in him strive in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their persons, and it is they who shall have good things, and it is they who shall prosper.

9:89 Allah has prepared for them Gardens under which streams flow; therein shall they abide. That is the supreme triumph.

9:90 And those, who make excuses from among the desert Arabs, came with the request that exemption might be granted them. And those who lied to Allah and His Messenger stayed at home. A grievous punishment shall befall those of them who disbelieve.

9:91 No blame lies on the weak, nor on the sick, nor on those who find naught to spend, if they are sincere to Allah and His Messenger. There is no cause of reproach against those who do good deeds; and Allah is Most Forging, Merciful,

9:92 Nor against those to whom, when they came to thee that thou shouldst furnish them with mounts thou didst say, 'I cannot find whereon I can mount you;' they turned back, their eyes overflowing with tears, out of grief that they could not find what they might spend.

9:93 The cause of reproach is only against those who ask leave of thee, while they are rich. They are content to be with the womenfolk who remain behind at home. And Allah has set a seal upon their hearts so that they know not.

9:94 They will make excuses to you when you return to them. Say, 'Make no excuses; we shall not believe you. Allah has already informed us of the true facts about you. And Allah will observe your conduct, and also His Messenger; then will you be brought back to Him Who knows the unseen and the seen, and He will tell you all that you used to do.'

9:95 They will swear to you by Allah, when you return to them, that you may leave them alone. So leave them alone. Surely, they are an abomination, and their abode is Hell--a fit recompense for that which they used to do.

9:96 They will swear to you that you may be pleased with them. But even if you be pleased with them, Allah will not be pleased with the rebellious people.

9:97 The Arabs of the desert are the worst in disbelief and hypocrisy, and most apt not to know the ordinances of the Revelation which Allah has sent down to His Messenger. And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

9:98 And among the Arabs of the desert are those who regard that which they spend in the cause of Allah as a compulsory fine and they wait for calamities to befall you. On themselves shall fall an evil calamity. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

9:99 And among the Arabs of the desert are those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and regard that which they spend as means of bringing them near to Allah and of receiving the prayers of the Prophet. Aye! it is for them certainly a means of bringing them near to Allah. Allah will soon admit them to His mercy. Surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

9:100 And as for the foremost among the believers, the first of the Emigrants and the Helpers, and those who followed them in the best possible manner, Allah is well-pleased with them and they are well-pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them Gardens underneath which streams flow. They will abide therein for ever. That is the supreme triumph.

9:101 And of the desert Arabs around you some are hypocrites; and of the people of Medina also. They persist in hypocrisy. Thou knowest them not; We know them. We will punish them twice; then they shall be given over to a great punishment.

9:102 And there are others who confessed their faults. They mixed good works with others that are evil. It may be that Allah will turn to them with compassion. Surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

9:103 Take alms out of their wealth, so that thou mayest cleanse them and purify them thereby. And pray for them; thy prayer indeed is a source of tranquility for them. And Allah is All-Knowing.

9:104 Know they not that Allah is He Who accepts repentance from His servants and take alms, and that Allah is He Who is Oft-Returning with compassion, and is Merciful?

9:105 And say, 'Go on working and Allah will surely watch your conduct and also His Messenger and the believers. And you shall be brought back to Him Who knows the unseen and the seen; the He will inform you of what you did.'

9:106 And there are others whose case has been postponed pending the decree of Allah. He may punish them or He may turn to them with compassion. And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

9:107 And among the Hypocrites are those who have built a mosque in order to injure Islam and help disbelief and to cause a division among the believers, and to prepare an ambush for him who warred against Allah and His Messenger before this. And they will surely swear; 'We meant nothing but good;' But Allah bears witness that they are certainly liars.

9:108 Never stand to pray therein. A Mosque founded upon piety from the very first day is surely more worthy that thou shouldst stand to pray therein. In it are men who love to become purified, And Allah loves those who purify themselves.

9:109 Is he, then, who founded his building on the fear of Allah and His pleasure better or he who has founded his building on the brink of a tottering water-worn bank which tumbled down with him into the fire of Hell? And Allah guides not the wrongdoing people.

9:110 This building of theirs, which they have built, will ever continue to be a source of disquiet in their hearts, unless their hearts be cut into pieces. And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

9:111 Surely, Allah has purchased of the believers their persons and their property in return for the heavenly Garden they shall have; they fight in the cause of Allah, and they slay and are slain--an unfailing promise that He has made binding on Himself in the Torah, and the Gospel, and the Qur'án. And who is more faithful to his promise than Allah? Rejoice, then, in your bargain which you have made with Him; and that is the mighty triumph.

9:112 Those who turn to Allah in repentance, who worship Him, who praise Him, who go about in the land serving Him, who bow down to Him, who prostrate themselves in Prayer, who enjoin good and forbid evil, and who observe the limits set by Allah. And give glad tidings to those who believe.

9:113 It does not behove the Prophet and those who believe that they should ask of Allah forgiveness for the idolaters, even though they may be their kinsmen, after it has become plain to them that they are the companions of Hell.

9:114 And Abraham asking forgiveness for his father was only because of a promise he has made to him, but when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of Allah, he dissociated himself from him. Surely, Abraham was most tender-hearted and forbearing.

9:115 And Allah would not cause a people to go astray after He has guided them, until He makes clear to them that which they ought to guard against. Surely, Allah knows all things well.

9:116 Surely, it is Allah to Whom belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He gives life and causes death. And you have no friend nor helper besides Allah.

9:117 Allah has certainly turned with mercy to the Prophet and to the Emigrants and the Helpers who followed him in the hour of distress after the hearts of a party of them had almost swerved from duty. He again turned to them with mercy. Surely, He is to them Compassionate, Merciful.

9:118 And He has turned with mercy to the three who happened to be left behind until when the earth became too strait for them with all its vastness, and their souls were also straitened for them, and they became convinced that there was no refuge from Allah save unto Himself, then He turned to them with mercy that they might turn to Him. Surely it is Allah who is Oft-Returning with compassion and is Merciful.

9:119 O ye who believe! fear Allah and be with the truthful.

9:120 It was not proper for the people of Medina and those around them from among the Arabs of the desert that they should have remained behind the Messenger of Allah or that they should have preferred their own lives to his. That is because there afflicts them neither thirst nor fatigue nor hunger in the way of Allah, nor do they tread a track which enrages the disbelievers, nor do they gain an advantage over the enemy but there is written down for them a good work on account of it. Surely, Allah suffers not the reward of those who do good, to be lost.

9:121 And they spend not any sum, small or great, nor do they traverse a valley, but it is written down for them, among their good works, that Allah may give them the best reward for what they did.

9:122 It is not possible for the believers to go forth all together. Why, then, does not a party from every section of them go forth that they may become well-versed in religion, and that they may warn their people when they return to them, so that they may guard against evil.

9:123 O ye who believe! fight such of the disbelievers as are near to you and let them find hardness in you; and know that Allah is with the righteous.

9:124 And whenever a Surah is sent down, there are some of them who say; 'Which of you has this Surah increased in faith?' But as to those who believe, it increases their faith and they rejoice.

9:125 But as for those in whose hearts is a disease, it adds further uncleanness to their present uncleanness and they die while they are disbelievers.

9:126 Do they not see that they are tried every year once or twice? Yet they do not repent, nor do they take heed.

9:127 And whenever a Surah is sent down, they look at one another, saying, 'Does anyone see you?' Then they turn away. Allah has turned away their hearts because they are a people who would not understand.

9:128 Surely, a Messenger has come unto you from among yourselves; grievous to him is it that you should fall into trouble; he is ardently desirous of your welfare; and to the believers he is specially compassionate and merciful.

9:129 But if they turn away, say, 'Allah is sufficient for me. There is no god but He. In Him do I put my trust, and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne.'

Chapter 10--Jonah

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

10:1 Alif Lam Ra. These are the verses of the Book, full of wisdom.

10:2 It is a matter of wonder for men that We have sent down revelation to a man from among them, saying, 'Warn mankind and give glad tidings to those who believe that they have a true rank of honour with their Lord?' The disbelievers say, 'Surely, this is a manifest sorcerer.'

10:3 Verily, your Lord is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth in six periods, then He settled Himself firmly on the Throne; He governs everything. There is no intercessors with Him save after His permission. This is Allah, your Lord, so worship Him. Will you not, then, mind?

10:4 To Him shall you all return. The promise of Allah is true. Surely, He originates the creation; then He reproduces it, that He may reward those who believe and do good works, with equity; and as for those who disbelieve, they shall have boiling water to drink and a painful punishment, because they disbelieved.

10:5 He it is Who made the sun radiate a brilliant light and the moon reflect a lustre, and ordained for it proper stages, that you might know the count of years and the reckoning of time. Allah has not created this system but in accordance with the requirements of truth. He details the signs for a people who possess knowledge.

10:6 Verily, in the alternation of night and day, and in all that Allah has created in the heavens and the earth there are signs for a Allah fearing people.

10:7 Those who hope not for the meeting with Us and are pleased and satisfied with the life of this world and those who are heedless of Our Signs -

10:8 It is these whose abode is Fire, because of what they earned.

10:9 As for those who believe and do good works--their Lord shall guide them along the path of success because of their faith. Streams shall flow beneath them in the Gardens of bliss.

10:10 Their prayer therein shall be, 'Glory be to Thee, O Allah! and their greeting therein to each other shall be, 'Peace! And the end of their prayer shall be, 'All praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.'

10:11 And if Allah were to hasten for men the ill consequences of their actions as they would seek to hasten on good, the end of their term of life would have been already brought upon them. But We leave those who look not for the meeting with Us to wonder distractedly in their transgression.

10:12 And when trouble befalls a man, he calls on Us, lying on his side, or sitting or standing, but when We have removed his trouble from him, he goes his way as though he had never called on Us for the removal of the trouble that befell him. Thus it is that the doings of the extravagant are made to seem fair in their eyes.

10:13 And We destroyed many generations before you when they did wrong; and there came to them Messengers with clear Signs, but they would not believe. Thus do We requite the guilty people.

10:14 Then, We made you their successors in the earth after them that We might see how you would act.

10:15 And when Our clear Signs are recited unto them, those who hope not for the meeting with Us say, 'Bring a Qur'án other than this or change it.' Say, 'It is not for me to change it of my own accord. I only follow what is revealed to me. Indeed, I fear, if I disobey my Lord, the punishment of an awful day.'

10:16 Say, 'If Allah had so willed, I should not have recited it to you, nor would I have made it known to you. I have indeed lived a whole lifetime before this. Will you not then understand?'

10:17 Who is more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah or he who treats His Signs as lies? Surely, the guilty shall never prosper.

10:18 And they worship, instead of Allah, that which neither harms them nor profits them; and they say,`These are our intercessors with Allah. Say, 'Do you presume to inform Allah what He knows not in the heavens or in the earth? Glory be to Him! High be He exalted above all that which they associate with Him.

10:19 And mankind were but one community, then they differed among themselves; and had it not been for a word that had gone before from thy Lord, it would have already been decided between them concerning that in which they differed.

10:20 And they say, 'Why has not a Sign been sent down to him from his Lord? Say, 'The knowledge of the unseen belongs only to Allah. So wait. I am with you among those who wait?'

10:21 And when We make people taste of mercy after adversity has touched them, behold! they begin to devise plans against Our Signs. Say, 'Allah is far swifter in planing.' Surely, Our Messengers write down all that you plan.

10:22 He it is Who enables you to journey through land and sea until when you are on board the ships and they sail with them with a fair breeze and they rejoice in it, there overtakes them (the ships) a violent wind and the waves come on them from every side and they think that they are encompassed, then they call upon Allah, in sincere submission to Him, saying, 'If thou deliver us from this, we will surely be of the thankful.'

10:23 But when He delivered them, lo! they begin to commit excesses in the earth wrongfully. O ye people, your excesses in seeking the enjoyment of the present life are only against your own selves. Then to Us shall be your return; and We will inform you of what you used to do.

10:24 The likeness of the present life is only as water which We sent down from the clouds, then there mingles with it the produce of the earth, of which men and cattle eat till when the earth takes on its ornament and looks beautiful and its owners think that they have full power over it, there comes to it by Our command by night or by day and We render it like a mown down field, as if nothing existed there the day before. Thus do We expound the Signs for a people who reflect.

10:25 And Allah calls to the abode of peace, and guides whom He pleases to the straight path.

10:26 For those who do good deeds, there shall be the best reward and yet more blessings. And neither darkness nor ignominy shall cover their faces. It is these who are the inmates of Heaven; therein shall they abide.

10:27 And as for those who do evil deeds, the punishment of an evil deed shall be the like thereof, and ignominy shall cover them. They shall have none to protect them from Allah. And they shall look as if their faces had been covered with dark patches of night. It is these who are the inmates of the Fire; therein shall they abide.

10:28 And remember the day when We shall gather them all together, then shall We say to those who associated gods with Us, 'Stand back in your places, you and your associated gods.' Then We shall separate them widely from one another, and their associated gods will say, 'Surely, it was not us that you worshiped;

10:29 So Allah is now sufficient as a Witness between us and you. We were certainly unaware of your worship.'

10:30 There shall every soul realize what it shall have sent on before. And they shall be brought back to Allah, their True Master, and all that they used to forge shall be lost to them.

10:31 Say, 'Who provides sustenance for you from the heaven or the earth? Or who is it that has power over the ears and the eyes? And who brings forth the living from the dead and brings forth the dead from the living? And who regulates all affairs? They will say, 'Allah.' Then say, 'Will you not seek His protection?'

10:32 Such is Allah, your True Lord. So what is there other than the truth but error? How then are you being turned away from the truth?

10:33 Thus is the word of thy Lord proved true against those who rebel, that they believe not.

10:34 Say, 'Is there any of your associated-gods who originates creation and then reproduces it?' Say, 'It is Allah alone Who originates creation and then reproduces it. Wither then are you turned away?'

10:35 Say, 'Is there any of your associated-gods who guides to the truth?' Say, 'It is Allah alone Who guides to the truth. Is then He Who guides to the truth more worthy to be followed, or he who finds not the way himself unless he be guided? What, then, is the matter with you? How judge ye?'

10:36 And most of them follow only conjecture. Surely, conjecture avails naught against the truth. Verily, Allah is well aware of what they do.

10:37 And this Qur'án is not such that could be produced by anyone other than Allah. On the contrary, it fulfills that revelation which is before it and is an exposition of the perfect Law. There is no doubt about it that it is from the Lord of all the worlds.

10:38 Do they say, 'He has forged it?' Say, 'Bring then a Surah like unto it, and call for help on all you can, apart from Allah, if you are truthful.'

10:39 Nay, but they have rejected that, full knowledge of which they did not compass nor has the true significance thereof yet come to them. In like manner did those before them reject the truth. But see what was the end of the wrongdoers.

10:40 And of them there are some who believe therein, and of them are others who do not believe therein, and thy Lord knows the mischief-makers very well.

10:41 And if they charge thee with lying, say, 'For me is my work and for you is your work. You are not accountable for what I do and I am not accountable for what you do.'

10:42 And among them are some who give ear to thee. But canst thou make the deaf hear, even though they understand not?

10:43 And among them are some who look towards thee. But canst thou guide the blind, even though they will not see.

10:44 Certainly, Allah wrongs not men at all; it is they who wrong their own souls.

10:45 And on the day when He will gather them together, it will appear to them as though they had not tarried in the world save for an hour of a day. They will recognize one another. Losers indeed are those who deny the meeting with Allah and would not follow guidance.

10:46 And if We show thee in thy lifetime the fulfillment of some of the things with which We have threatened them, thou wilt know it; or if We cause thee to die before that, then to Us is their return, and thou wilt have knowledge of it in the next world; and Allah is Witness to all that they do.

10:47 And for every people there is a Messenger. So when their Messenger comes, it is judged between them with equity, and they are not wronged.

10:48 And they say, 'When will this promise be fulfilled, if you are truthful?'

10:49 Say, 'I have no power over any harm or benefit for myself save that which Allah wills. For every people there is an appointed term. When their term is come, they cannot remain behind a single moment, nor can they get ahead of it.'

10:50 Say, 'Tell me, if His punishment come upon you by night or by day, how will the guilty run away from it?

10:51 Is it then when it has overtaken you that you will believe in it? What! you believe now! And before this you used to demand its speedy coming?

10:52 Then it will be said to those who did wrong, 'Taste ye the abiding punishment. You are not requited save for that which you earned.'

10:53 And they ask thee to tell them whether it is true? Say, 'Yea, by my Lord! it is most surely true; and you cannot frustrate it.'

10:54 And if every soul that does wrong possessed all that is in the earth, it would surely offer to ransom itself therewith. And they will conceal their remorse, when they see the punishment. And judgment shall be passed between them with equity and they shall not be wronged.

10:55 Remember, to Allah surely belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. Remember, that Allah's promise is surely true. But most of them understand not.

10:56 He it is who gives life and causes death, and to Him shall you all be brought back.

10:57 O mankind! there indeed has come to you an Exhortation from your Lord and a healing for whatever disease there is in the hearts, and a guidance and a mercy to the believers.

10:58 Say, 'All this is through the grace of Allah and through His mercy; therein, therefore, let them rejoice. That is better than what they hoard.'

10:59 Say, 'Have you ever considered that Allah has sent down provision for you, then you make some of it unlawful and some lawful? Say, 'Has Allah permitted you that, or do you invent lies against Allah?'

10:60 What think those who invent lies against Allah of the Day of Resurrection? Surely, Allah is Gracious towards mankind, but most of them are not thankful.

10:61 And thou art not engaged in anything, and thou recitest not from Him any portion of the Qur'án, and you do no work, but We are Witness of you when you are engrossed therein. And there is not hidden from thy Lord even an atom's weight in the earth or in heaven. And there is nothing smaller than that or greater, but it is recorded in a clear Book.

10:62 Behold! the friends of Allah shall certainly have no fear nor shall they grieve -

10:63 Those who believe and were ever righteous -

10:64 For them are glad tidings in the present life and also in the Hereafter--there is no changing the words of Allah--that indeed is the supreme achievement.

10:65 And let not their words grieve thee. Surely, all power belongs to Allah. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

10:66 Behold! whoever is in the heavens and whoever is in the earth is Allah's. Those who call on others than Allah do not really follow these associated-gods; they only follow conjecture, and they only make guesses.

10:67 He it is Who has made for you the night dark that you may rest therein, and the day full of light that you may pursue your occupations. Surely, therein are Signs for a people who listen to the divine Message.

10:68 They say, 'Allah has taken unto Him a son,' Holy is He! He is Self-Sufficient. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. You have no authority for this. What! do you say concerning Allah what you know not?

10:69 Say, 'Those who invent a lie against Allah shall not prosper.'

10:70 They will have some enjoyment in this world. Then to Us is their return. Then We shall make them taste a severe torment, because they continued to disbelieve.

10:71 And recite unto them the story of Noah, when he said to his people, 'O my people, if my station with Allah and my reminding you of your duty through the Signs of Allah offend you--and in Allah do I put my trust--muster then all your designs, and your associated-gods; then let not your course of action remain obscure to you in any respect; then carry out your designs against me and give me no respite,

10:72 But if you turn back, then remember, I have not asked of you any reward. My reward is with Allah alone, and I have been commanded to be of those who are wholly resigned to Him.

10:73 But they rejected him, so We saved him and those who were with him in the Ark. And We made them inheritors of Our favours, while We drowned those who rejected our Signs. See then, how evil was the end of those who had been warned.

10:74 The We sent, after him, other Messengers to their respective peoples, and they brought them clear proofs. But they would not believe in them, because they had rejected them before. Thus do We seal the hearts of the transgressors.

10:75 Then We sent after them Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh and his chiefs with Our Signs, but they behaved arrogantly. And they were a sinful people.

10:76 And when there came to them the truth from Us, they said, 'This is surely a manifest enchantment.'

10:77 Moses said, 'Do you say this of the truth when it has come to you? Can this be enchantment? And the enchanters never prosper.

10:78 They said, 'Hast thou come to us that thou mayest turn us away from what we found our fathers following, and that you two may have greatness in the land? But we will not believe in either of you.'

10:79 And Pharaoh said, 'Bring to me every expert sorcerer.'

10:80 And when the sorcerers came, Moses said to them, cast ye what you would cast.'

10:81 And when they had cast, Moses said, 'What you have brought is mere sorcery. Surely Allah will bring it to naught. Verily, Allah does not permit the work of mischief-makers to prosper.

10:82 And Allah establishes the truth by His words, even though the guilty be averse to it.'

10:83 And none obeyed Moses save some youths from among his people, because of the fear of pharaoh and their chiefs, lest he should persecute them. And surely Pharaoh was a tyrant in the land and surely he was of the transgressors.

10:84 And Moses said, 'O my people, if you have believed in Allah, then in Him put your trust, if you have truly submitted to His Will.'

10:85 And they said, 'In Allah do we put our trust. Our Lord, make us not a trial for the wrongdoing people;

10:86 And deliver us by Thy mercy from the tyranny of the disbelieving people.'

10:87 And We revealed to Moses and his brother, saying, 'Take for your people some houses in the town, and construct your houses so that they face each other and observe Prayer. And give glad tidings to the believers.'

10:88 And Moses said, 'Our Lord, Thou hast bestowed upon Pharaoh and his chiefs splendour and riches in the present life, with the result, our Lord, that they are leading men astray from Thy path. Our Lord! destroy their riches and harden their hearts so that they believe not until they see the grievous punishment.'

10:89 Allah said, 'Your prayer is accepted. So be ye twain steadfast, and follow not the path of those who know not.'

10:90 And We brought the children of Israel across the sea; and Pharaoh and his hosts pursued them wrongfully and aggressively, till when the calamity of drowning overtook him, he cried, 'I believe that there is no god but He in Whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am of those who submit to Him.'

10:91 What! Now! while thou wast disobedient before this and wast of the mischief-makers.

10:92 So this day We will save thee in thy body alone that thou mayest be a Sign to those who come after thee. And surely many of mankind are heedless of Our Signs.

10:93 And when We assigned to the Children of Israel and excellent abode and We provided them with good things, and they differed not until there came to them the knowledge. Surely, thy Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that which they now differ.

10:94 And if thou art in doubt concerning that which We have sent down to thee, ask those who have been reading the Book before thee. Indeed the truth has come to thee from thy Lord; be not, therefore, of those who doubt.

10:95 And be not of those who reject the Signs of Allah, or thou shalt be of the losers.

10:96 Surely, those against whom the decree of punishment of thy Lord has taken effect will not believe.

10:97 Even if there come to them every Sign till they see the grievous punishment.

10:98 Why was there no town, which believed so that their belief should have profited them, save the people of Jonah? When they believed, We removed from them the punishment of disgrace in the present life, and We gave them provision for a while.

10:99 And if thy Lord had enforced His Will, surely, all who are in the earth would have believed together. Wilt thou, then, force men to become believers?

10:100 And no soul can believe except by the permission of Allah. And He causes His wrath to descend on those who would not use their judgment.

10:101 Say, 'Ponder over what is happening in the heavens and the earth.' But the Signs and warning avail not a people who will not believe.

10:102 What, then, do they wait for, save the like of the days of punishment suffered by those who passed away before them? Say, 'Wait, then, I am with you among those who wait.'

10:103 Then shall We save Our Messengers and those who believe. Thus have We made it incumbent on Us to save the believers.

10:104 Say, 'O ye men, if you are in doubt concerning my religion, then know that I worship not those whom you worship instead of Allah, but I worship Allah alone who causes you to die and I have been commanded to be of the believers;

10:105 And I have also been commanded to convey to you Allah's command: 'Set thy face toward religion as one ever inclined to Allah, and be not of those who ascribe partners to Him.

10:106 And call not, besides Allah, on any other that can neither profit thee nor harm thee. And if thou didst so, thou wouldst then certainly be of the wrongdoers.'

10:107 And if Allah afflicts thee with harm, there is none who can remove it but He; and if He intends good for thee, there is none who can repel His grace. He causes it to reach whomsoever of His servants He wills. And He is the Most Forgiving, Merciful.

10:108 Say, 'O men, now has the truth come to you from your Lord. So whoever follow the guidance, follows it only for the good of his own soul, and whoever errs, errs only against it. And I am not a keeper over you.'

10:109 And follow that which is revealed to thee and be steadfast until Allah gives His judgment. And Allah is the Best of judges.

Chapter 11--Hud

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

11:1 Alif Lam Ra. This is a Book, whose verses have been made firm and free from imperfection and then they have been expounded in detail. It is from One Wise, and All-Aware.

11:2 It teaches that you should worship none but Allah--I am to you a Warner; and a bearer of glad tidings from Him --

11:3 And that you seek forgiveness of your Lord, and then turn to Him. He will provide for you a goodly provision until an appointed term. And He will grant His grace to everyone possessed of merit. And if you turn away, then surely I fear for you the punishment of a dreadful day.

11:4 To Allah is your return; and He has full power over all things.

11:5 Now surely, they fold up their breast that they may hide their evil thoughts from Him. Aye, even when they cover themselves up with their garments, He knows what they hide and what they reveal. Surely, He knows full well what is in their breast.

11:6 And there is no creature that moves on the earth but it is for Allah to provide it with sustenance. And He knows its place of temporary sojourn and its permanent dwelling. All this is recorded in a clear Book.

11:7 And He it is who created the heavens and the earth in six periods,--and His throne rest on water--that He might try you which of you is best in conduct. And if you sayest, 'You shall surely be raised after death,' those who disbelieve will certainly say, 'This is naught but clear deception.'

11:8 And if We put off their punishment until a reckoned time, they would certainly say, 'What withholds it?' Now, surely, on the day it shall come unto them, it shall not be averted from them, and that which they used to mock at shall encompass them.

11:9 And if We make man taste of mercy from Us, and then take it away from him, verily he is despairing, ungrateful.

11:10 And if after an adversity has touched him, We let him taste prosperity, he will assuredly say, 'Gone are the ills from me.' Lo! he is exultant, boastful,

11:11 Save those who are steadfast and do good works. It is they who have forgiveness and a great reward.

11:12 Perchance the disbelievers vainly hope that thou mayest be persuaded to abandon part of that which has been revealed to thee; and thy bosom may become straitened thereby, because they say, 'Wherefore has not a treasure been sent down to him or an angel come with him? Verily, thou art only a Warner, and Allah is Guardian over all things.

11:13 Do they say, 'He has forged it?' Say, 'Then bring ten Surahs like it forged, and call on whom you can apart from Allah, if you are truthful.'

11:14 And if they do not accept your challenge, then know that it has been revealed comprising that which is only within Allah's knowledge and there is no god but He. Will you then submit.

11:15 Whoso desires the present life and its adornment, We will fully repay them for their works in this life and they shall not be wronged therein.

11:16 Those are they who shall have nothing in the Hereafter save the Fire, and that which they wrought in this life shall come to naught, and vain shall be that which they used to do.

11:17 Can he, then, who stands upon a clear proof from his Lord, and to testify to whose truth a witness from Him shall follow him, and who was preceded by the Book of Moses, a guide and a mercy, be an impostor? Those who are the true followers of Moses believe therein, and whoever of the opposing parties disbelieve in it, the Fire shall be his promised place. So be not thou, O reader, in doubt about it. Surely, it is the truth from thy Lord; but most men believe not.

11:18 And who is more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah? Such shall be presented before their Lord, and the witness will all say, 'These are they who lied against their Lord.' Now, surely, the curse of Allah is on the wrongdoers,

11:19 Who turn men away from the path of Allah and seek to make it crooked. And these it is who disbelieve in the Hereafter.

11:20 Such can never frustrate Allah's plan in the land nor have they any friends besides Allah. Punishment will be doubled for them. They can neither hear, nor can they see.

11:21 It is these who have ruined their souls, and that which they fabricated shall fail them.

11:22 Undoubtedly, it is they who shall be the greatest losers in the Hereafter.

11:23 Verily, those who believe and do good works, and humble themselves before their Lord--these are the dwellers of Heaven; therein shall they abide forever.

11:24 The case of two parties is like that of the blind and deaf, and the seeing and the hearing. Is the case of the two alike? Will you not then understand?

11:25 And We sent Noah to his people, and he said, 'Truly, I am a plain Warner to you,

11:26 That you worship none but Allah. Indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a grievous day.'

11:27 The chiefs of his people, who disbelieved, replied, 'We see thee nothing but a mortal like ourselves, and we see that none have followed thee but those who, to all outward appearance, are the meanest of us. And we do not see in you any superiority over us; nay, we believe you to be liars.'

11:28 He said, 'O my people, tell me if I stand on a clear proof from my Lord and He has bestowed upon me from Himself a great mercy which has remained obscure to you, how will it fare with you? Shall we force it upon you, while you are averse thereto?

11:29 And O my people, I do not ask of you any wealth in return for it. My reward is only with Allah. And I am not going to drive away those who believe. They shall certainly meet their Lord. But I see that you are an ignorant people;

11:30 And O my people, who would help me against Allah, If I were to drive them away? Will you not then take heed?

11:31 And I do not say to you, I possess the treasures of Allah nor do I know the unseen,' nor do I say, 'I am an angel.' Nor do I say concerning those whom your eyes despise, 'Allah will not bestow any good on them'--Allah knows best what is in their minds. Surely, in that case I should be of the unjust.'

11:32 They said, 'O Noah, thou hast indeed disputed with us and disputed long and often; bring us now what thou threatenest us with, if thou art of the truthful.'

11:33 He said, 'Allah alone will bring it to you, if He please, and you cannot frustrate His purpose;

11:34 And my advice will profit you not even if I seek to give you sincere advice if Allah intends to destroy you. He is your Lord and to Him shall you be made to return.'

11:35 Do they say, 'He has forged it?' Say, 'If I have forged it, on be my guilt and I am clear of all the crimes you commit.'

11:36 And it was revealed to Noah: 'None of thy people will believe except those who have already believed; grieve not, therefore, at what they have been doing.

11:37 And build thou the Ark under Our eyes and as commanded by Our revelation. And address Me not concerning the wrongdoers. They are surely going to be drowned.

11:38 And he started making the Ark; and every time the chiefs of his people passed by him, they mocked at him. He said, 'If now you mock at us, the time is coming when we shall mock at you even just as you mock now.

11:39 Then you shall know who it is on whom will come a punishment that will disgrace him; and on whom will fall a lasting punishment.'

11:40 Till--when our command came and the fountains of the earth gushed forth--We said, 'Embark therein two of every kind, male and female, and thy family, except those against whom the word has already gone forth, and those who believe.' And there had not believe in him except a few.

11:41 And he said, 'Embark therein. In the name of Allah, be its course and its mooring. My Lord is assuredly Most Forgiving, Merciful.'

11:42 And it moved along with them amid waves like mountains. And Noah cried unto his son, while he was keeping apart, 'O my son, embark with us and be not with the disbelievers.'

11:43 He replied, 'I shall soon betake myself for refuge to a mountain which will shelter me from the water.' Noah said, 'There is no shelter for anyone this day from the decree of Allah, except for him to whom He shows mercy.' And the waves came in between the two; so he was among the drowned.

11:44 And it was said, 'O earth, swallow thy water, and O sky, cease raining.' And the water was made to subside and the matter was decided. And the Ark came to rest on Al-Judi. And it was said, 'Cursed be the wrongdoing people.'

11:45 And Noah cried unto his Lord and said, 'My Lord, verily, my son is of my family, and surely Thy promise is true, and Thou art the Most Just of judges.'

11:46 Allah said, 'O Noah, he is surely not of thy family; he is indeed a man of unrighteous conduct. So do not ask of Me that, of which thou hast no knowledge, I admonish thee lest thou be one of the ignorant.'

11:47 Noah said, 'My Lord, I beg Thee to protect me from asking Thee that whereof I have no knowledge. And unless Thou forgive me and have mercy on me, I shall be among the losers.'

11:48 It was said, 'O Noah, descend then with peace from Us and blessings upon thee and upon peoples to be born of those with thee. And there will be other peoples whom We shall grant provision for a time, then shall a grievous punishment overtake them from Us.'

11:49 This is of the tidings of the unseen which We reveal to thee. Thou didst not know them, neither thou nor thy people, before this. So be thou patient; for the good end is for the Allah-fearing.

11:50 And to Ad, We sent their brother, Hud. He said, 'O my people worship Allah alone. You have no Allah save Him. In associating other gods with Him you but forge lies;

11:51 O my people, I do not ask of you any reward therefor. My reward is only with Him Who created me. Will you not then understand?

11:52 And O my people, ask forgiveness of your Lord, then turn to Him, He will send over you clouds pouring down abundant rain, and will add strength to your strength. And turn not away from Him, being sinners.'

11:53 They said, 'O Hud, thou hast not brought us any clear proof, and we are not going to forsake our gods merely because of thy saying, nor are we going to believe in thee;

11:54 We can only say that some of our gods have smitten thee with evil.' He replied, 'Surely, I call Allah to witness, and do ye also bear witness that I am clear of the sin of your associating

11:55 Other gods with Him. So devise plans against me, all of you, and give me no respite;

11:56 I have indeed put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord. There is no creature that moves on the earth but He holds it by the forelock. Surely, my Lord is on the straight path to help those who put their trust in Him;

11:57 If, then, you turn away, I have already conveyed to you that with which I have been sent to you, and my Lord will make another people to take your place, and you cannot harm Him at all. Surely, my Lord is Guardian over all things.'

11:58 And when our command came, We saved Hud and those who believed with him, by Our special mercy. And We save them from a severe torment.

11:59 And such was 'Ad. They denied the Signs of their Lord and disobeyed His Messengers and followed the bidding of every haughty enemy of truth.

11:60 And they were pursued by a curse in this world, and on the Day of Resurrection. Behold! the 'Ad were ungrateful to their Lord. Behold! destruction is decreed for 'Ad, the people of Hud.

11:61 And to the tribe of Thamud, We sent their brother Salih. He said, 'O my people, worship Allah; you have no god other than Him. He raised you up from the earth and settled you therein. So ask forgiveness of Him, then turn to Him wholly. Verily, my Lord is nigh, and answers prayers.'

11:62 They said, 'O Salih, thou wast among us one whom we placed our hopes. Dost thou forbid us to worship what our fathers worshiped? And we are surely in disquieting doubt concerning that to which thou callest us.'

11:63 He said, 'O my people, tell me, If I base my claim on a clear proof from my Lord and He has granted me a special mercy from Himself, who then will help me against Allah, if I disobey Him? So you will only add to my destruction;

11:64 And O my people, this is the she-camel of Allah, a Sign for you, so leave her free that she may feed in Allah's earth, and touch her not with harm lest a near punishment seize you.'

11:65 But they hamstrung her; then he said, 'Enjoy yourselves in your houses for three days. This is a promise which will not be belied.

11:66 And when Our command came to pass, We saved Salih and those who believed with him by Our special mercy from the ignominy of that day. Surely, thy Lord is Powerful, Mighty.

11:67 And punishment overtook those who done wrong, and they lay prostrate in their houses,

11:68 As though they had never dwelt therein. Remember! The Thamud believed not in their Lord. So away with the tribe of Thamud.

11:69 And surely, Our Messengers came to Abraham with glad tidings. They said, 'We bid you peace.' He answered, 'Peace be on you,' and he was not long in bringing a roasted calf.

11:70 But when he saw their hands not reaching thereto, he considered this strange on their part and conceived fear of them. They said, 'Fear not, we have been sent to the people of Lot.'

11:71 And his wife was standing by and she too was frightened, whereupon to assure her we gave her glad tidings of birth of Isaac, and, after Isaac, of Jacob.

11:72 She said, 'Oh, woe is me! Shall I bear a child when I am an extremely old women and this my husband also is a very old man? This is indeed a strange thing!'

11:73 They said, 'Dost thou marvel at Allah's decree? The mercy of Allah and His blessings are upon you, O people of the house. Surely, He is Praiseworthy, Glorious.'

11:74 And when fear departed from Abraham and the glad tidings came to him, he began to plead with Us for the people of Lot.

11:75 Indeed, Abraham was clement, tender-hearted, and oft-returning to Us.

11:76 O Abraham, desist from this. Surely, the decree of thy Lord has gone forth, and surely, there is coming to them a punishment that cannot be averted.

11:77 And when Our Messengers came to Lot, he was grieved on their account and felt helpless for them and he said, 'This is a distressful day.'

11:78 And his people came to him, running towards him, trembling with rage, and before this too they used to do evils. He said, 'O my people, these are my daughters; they are purer for you. So fear Allah and do not disgrace me in the presence of my guest. Is there not among you one right-minded man?

11:79 They answered, 'Thou surely knowest that we have no claim against thy daughters, and thou surely knowest what we desire.

11:80 He said, 'Would that I had power to deal with you, or that I could betake myself to a mighty support for shelter.

11:81 The messengers said, 'O Lot, we are the messengers of thy Lord. They shall by no means reach thee so depart with thy family while yet a part of the night remain and let none of you look back, but thy wife. Surely, what is going to befall them shall befall her also. Verily, there appointed time is the morning. It not morning nigh?'

11:82 So when Our decree came to pass, We turned that town upside down and We rain upon it stones of clay, layer upon layer,

11:83 Marked for them in the decree of thy Lord. And such punishment is not far from the wrongdoers of the present age.

11:84 And to Midian We sent their brother Shu'aib. He said, 'O my people, worship Allah. You have no god other than Him. And give not short measure and short weight. I see you in a state of prosperity and I fear for you the punishment of a destructive day;

11:85 And O my people, give full measure and full weight with equity and defraud not people of their things and commit not iniquity in the land, causing disorder;

11:86 That which is left with you by Allah is better for you, if you are believers. And I am not appointed a keeper over you.'

11:87 They replied, 'O Shu'aib, does thy Prayer bid thee that we should leave what our fathers worshiped, or that we cease to do with our property what we please? Surely, thou dost consider thyself very intelligent and right-minded.'

11:88 He said, 'O my people, tell me if I stand on a clear evidence from my Lord, and He has provided for me from Himself with a handsome provision, what answer will you give Him? And I do not desire to do against you the very thing which I ask you not to do. I only desire to set things right as far as I can. I have no power to accomplish anything save through Allah. In Him do I put my trust and to Him do I turn.

11:89 And O my people, let not your hostility towards me lead you to this that there should befall you the like of that which befell the people of Noah or the people of Hud or the people of Salih; and the people of Lot are not far from you;

11:90 And seek forgiveness of your Lord; then turn wholly to Him. Verily, my Lord is Merciful, Most Loving.'

11:91 They replied, 'O Shu'aib, we do not understand much of what thou sayest, and surely we see that thou art weak among us. And were it not for thy tribe, we would surely stone thee. And thou holdest no strong position among us.'

11:92 He replied, 'O my people, is my tribe mightier with you than Allah? And you have cast Him behind your backs as a thing neglected. Surely, my Lord encompasses all that you do;

11:93 And O my people, act according to your power. I, too, am acting. You will soon know on whom descends a punishment that will disgrace him, and who it is that is a liar. And wait; I too wait with you.'

11:94 And when Our decree came to pass We saved Shu'aib, and those who had believed with him by Our special mercy; and chastisement seized those who had done wrong, so that they lay prostrate in their houses,

11:95 As though they had never dwelt therein. So perished Midian even as Thamud had perished.

11:96 And, surely, We sent Moses with Our Signs and manifest authority,

11:97 To Pharaoh and his chiefs; but they followed the command of Pharaoh, and the command of Pharaoh was not at all rightful.

11:98 He will go before his people on the Day of Resurrection and will lead them into the Fire. And evil indeed will be the watering-place arrived at.

11:99 And they are pursued by a curse in this life and on the Day of Resurrection. Evil is the gift which will be given them.

11:100 That is part of the tidings of the ruin cities, We relate it to thee. Of them some are standing and some have been mowed down like the harvest.

11:101 And We did not wrong them, but they wronged themselves, and their gods on whom they called instead of Allah were of no avail to them at all when the decree of punishment of thy Lord came to pass; and they added to them naught but perdition.

11:102 Such is the seizure of thy Lord when He seizes the cities while they are doing wrong. Surely, His seizure is grievous and severe.

11:103 In that surely is a Sign for him who fears the punishment of the Hereafter. That is a day on which all mankind shall be gathered together and that is the day which shall be witnessed by all.

11:104 And We delay it not save for a computed term.

11:105 On the day it comes, no soul shall speak except by His permission; then some of them will be unfortunate and other fortunate.

11:106 As to the unfortunate, they shall be in the Fire, wherein there will be for them sighing and sobbing,

11:107 Abiding therein, so long as the heavens and the earth endure, except as thy Lord may will. Surely, thy Lord does what He pleases.

11:108 But as for the fortunate, they shall be in Heaven, abiding therein as long as the heavens and the earth endure save as thy Lord may wish--a gift that shall not be cut off.

11:109 So be thou not in doubt, O reader, concerning that which these people worship. They only worship as their fathers worshiped before, and We shall surely pay them in full their portion undiminished.

11:110 And We certainly gave Moses the Book, but differences were created therein; and had it not been for a word already gone forth from thy Lord, surely the matter would have been decided between them long before, and now these people are in a disquieting doubt concerning it.

11:111 Thy Lord will certainly repay them in full, according to their works. He is surely Well-Aware of all that they do.

11:112 So stand thou upright, as thou hast been commanded, and also those who have turned to Allah with thee; and exceed ye not the bounds, for surely, He sees what you do.

11:113 And incline not toward those who do wrong, lest the Fire touch you; and you will have no friend other than Allah, nor shall you be helped.

11:114 And observe Prayer at the two ends of the day, and in some hours of the night. Surely, good works drive away evil ones. This is a reminder for those who would remember.

11:115 And be thou steadfast; surely, Allah suffers not the reward of the righteous to perish.

11:116 Why, then, were there not among the generations before you persons possessed of understanding, who would have forbidden corruption in the earth, except a few among them whom We saved? But the wrongdoers pursued the enjoyment of the good things which they were given in plenty, and they became guilty.

11:117 And thy Lord would not destroy the cities unjustly while the people thereof were righteous.

11:118 And if thy Lord had enforced His will, He would have surely made mankind one people; but they would not cease to differ;

11:119 Save those on whom thy Lord has had mercy, and for this has He created them. But the word of thy Lord shall be fulfilled: 'Verily, I will fill Hell with the disobedient jinn and men all together.'

11:120 And We relate unto thee all the important tidings of the Messengers, whereby We strengthen thy heart. And herein has come to thee the truth and an exhortation and a reminder for the believers.

11:121 And say to those who believe not, 'Act as you can, we too are acting;'

11:122 And wait ye, we too are waiting.'

11:123 And to Allah belongs the unseen in the heavens and the earth, and to Him shall the whole affair be referred. So worship Him and put thy trust in Him alone. And thy Lord is not unmindful of what you do.

Chapter 12--Joseph

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

12:1 Alif Lam Ra. These are verses of the clear Book.

12:2 We have revealed it--the Qur'án in Arabic--that you may understand.

12:3 We relate unto thee the best of narrative in that We have revealed to thee this Qur'án though thou wast, before this among those unaware of the truth.

12:4 Remember the time when Joseph said to his father, O my father, I saw in a dream eleven stars and the sun and the moon--I saw them making obeisance to me.'

12:5 He said, 'O my dear son, relate not thy dream to thy brothers, lest they contrive a plot against thee, for Satan is to man an open enemy.

12:6 And thus, as thou hast seen, thy Lord shall choose thee and teach thee the interpretations of things divine and perfect His favour upon thee and upon the family of Jacob as He perfected it upon thy two forefathers--Abraham and Isaac. Verily, thy Lord is All-Knowing, Wise.'

12:7 Surely, in Joseph and his brethren there are Signs for the inquirers;

12:8 When they said to each other, 'Verily, Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than we are, although we are a strong party. Surely, our father is in manifest error;

12:9 So contrive to kill Joseph or cast him out to some distant land, so that your father's favour may become exclusively yours, and you can thereafter repent and become a righteous people.'

12:10 One of them said, 'Kill not Joseph, but if you must do something, cast him into the bottom of a deep well; some of the travelers will pick him up.

12:11 They said, 'O our father, why dost thou not trust us with respect to Joseph, when we are certainly his sincere well-wishers?

12:12 Send him with us tomorrow that he may enjoy himself and play, and we shall surely keep guard over him.'

12:13 He said, 'It grieves me that you should take him away, and I fear lest the wolf should devour him while you are heedless of him.'

12:14 They said, 'Surely, if the wolf should devour him while we are a strong party, then we shall indeed be great losers.'

12:15 So, when they took him away, and agreed to put him into the bottom of a deep well, and carry out the malicious design, We sent revelation to him, saying, 'Thou shalt surely one day tell them of this affair of theirs, and they did not know.'

12:16 And they came to their father in the evening, weeping.

12:17 They said, 'O my father, we went forth racing with one another and left Joseph with our things, and the wolf devoured him, but thou wilt not believe us though we are telling the truth.

12:18 And they came with false blood on his shirt. He said, 'This what you say is not true but your souls have made a great thing appear light in your eyes. So comely patience is now called for. And it is Allah alone Whose help is sought against what you assert.'

12:19 And there came a caravan of travelers and they sent their water-drawer. And he let down his bucket into the well. 'Oh, good news!' said he, 'Here is your youth!' And they hid him as a piece of merchandise, and Allah well knew what they did.

12:20 And they sold him for a paltry price, a few dirhems, and they were not at all keen on it.

12:21 And the man from Egypt who bought him said to his wife, 'Make his stay among us honourable. Maybe we will benefit from him or we may adopt him as a son.' And thus did We establish Joseph in the land, and We did so that We might also teach him the interpretation of things. And Allah has full power over His decree, but most men know not.

12:22 And when he attained his age of full strength, We granted him judgment and knowledge. And thus do We reward those who do good.

12:23 And she, in whose house he was, sought to seduce him against his will. And she bolted the doors, and said, 'Now come.' He said, 'I seek refuge with Allah. He is my Lord. He has made my stay with you honourable. Verily, the wrongdoers never prosper.'

12:24 And she made up her mind with regard to him, to seduce him, and he made up his mind with regard to her, to resist her. If he had not seen manifest Sign of his Lord, he could not have shown such determination. Thus did it come about that We might turn away from him all evil and indecency. Surely, he was one of Our chosen servants.

12:25 And they both raced to the door, and in the struggle she tore his shirt from behind, and they found her lord at the door. She said to him, 'What shall be the punishment of one who intended evil to thy wife, save imprisonment or a grievous chastisement?'

12:26 Joseph said, 'She it was who sought to seduce me against my will.' And a witness of her household bore witness saying, 'If his shirt is torn from the front, then she has spoken the truth and he is a liar;

12:27 But if his shirt is torn from behind, then she has lied and he is of the truthful'.

12:28 So when he saw his shirt torn from behind, he said, Surely, this is a device of you women. Your device is indeed mighty;

12:29 O Joseph, do thou overlook this mischief and thou, O woman, ask forgiveness for thy sin. Certainly thou art of the guilty.'

12:30 And the women in the city said, 'The wife of Aziz seek to seduce her slave-boy against his will. He has infatuated her with love. Indeed we see her in manifest error.'

12:31 And when she heard of their sly whisperings, she sent for them and prepared for them a repast, and gave everyone of them a knife and then said to Joseph, 'Come forth to them.' And when they saw him they found him to be a person of great dignity and in their amazement cut their hands, and said, Allah be glorified! This is not a human being; this is but a noble angel.'

12:32 She said, 'And this is he whom you blamed me. I did seek to seduce him against his will, but he preserved himself from sin. And now if he do not what I bid him, he shall certainly be imprisoned and become one of the humbled.'

12:33 Thereupon Joseph prayed: 'O my Lord, prison is dearer to me than what they invite me to do; and unless thou turn away their guile from me I shall be inclined towards them and be of the ignorant.'

12:34 So his Lord heard his prayer, and turned away their guile from him. Verily, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

12:35 Then it occurred to them (the chiefs) after they had seen the Signs of his innocence that to preserve their good name, they should imprison him for a time.

12:36 And with him there entered the prison two young men. One of them said, 'I see myself in a dream pressing wine.' And the other said, 'I see myself in a dream carrying upon my head bread of which the birds are eating. Inform us of the interpretation thereof; for we see thee to be of the righteous.'

12:37 He replied, 'The food which you are given shall not come to you but I shall inform you of the interpretation thereof before it comes to you. This is on account of what my Lord has taught me. I have renounced the religion of the people who do not believe in Allah and who are disbelievers in the Hereafter;

12:38 And I have followed the religion of my fathers--Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. It behoves us not to associate anything as partner with Allah. This is of Allah's grace upon us and upon mankind, but most men are ungrateful;

12:39 O my two companions of the prison, are many lords differing among themselves better or Allah, the One, the Most Supreme?

12:40 You worship nothing besides Allah, but mere names that you have named, you and your fathers; Allah has sent down no authority for that. The decision rest with Allah alone. He has commanded that you shall not worship anything, save Him. That is the right religion, but most men know not;

12:41 O my two companions of the prison, as for one of you he will pour out wine for his lord to drink; and as for the other, he will be crucified so that the birds will eat from his head. The matter about which you inquired has been decreed.'

12:42 And of the two he said to him whom he thought to be the one who would be released, 'Mention me to thy lord.' But Satan caused him to forget mentioning it to his lord, so he remained in prison for some years.

12:43 And the King said to his courtiers, 'I see in a dream seven fat kine which seven lean ones were eating, and seven green ears of corn and seven others withered. O ye chiefs, explain to me the meaning of my dream if you can interpret dreams.'

12:44 They replied, 'These are confused dreams and we do not know the interpretation of confused dreams.'

12:45 And he of the two who was released and who now remembered after a time, said, 'I will let you know its interpretation, therefore, send ye me.'

12:46 And he came to Joseph and said, 'Joseph! O thou man of truth, explain to us the meaning of seeing in a dream seven fat kine which seven lean ones devour, and of seven green ears of corn and seven others withered; that I may return to the people so that they may know the interpretation.'

12:47 Joseph replied, 'You shall sow for seven years, working diligently throughout; then leave, what you reap in its ear, except a little which you shall eat;

12:48 Then shall come after that seven hard years, which shall consume all that you shall have laid by in advance for them except a little which you may preserve;

12:49 Then shall come after that a year in which people shall be relieved and which they shall give presents to each other.

12:50 And the King said, 'Bring him to me.' But when the messenger came to him, he said, 'Go back to thy lord and ask him how fare the women who cut their hands; for, my Lord well knows their crafty design.'

12:51 The King said to the women, 'What was the truth of that matter of yours when you sought to seduce Joseph against his will?' They said, 'He kept away from sin for fear of Allah--we have known no evil against him.' The wife of Aziz said, 'Now has the truth come to light. It was I who sought to seduce him against his will and surely, he is of the truthful.'

12:52 Joseph said, I ask for this inquiry to be made so that the Aziz might know that I was not unfaithful to him in his absence and that Allah suffers not the device of the unfaithful to succeed;

12:53 And I do not hold my own self to be free from weakness -- surely the soul is prone to enjoin evil--save that whereon my Lord has mercy. Surely, my Lord is Most Forgiving, Merciful.'

12:54 And the King said, 'Bring him to me that I may take him specially for my own person. And when he had spoken to him, he said, 'Thou art this day a person of established position and trust with us.'

12:55 Joseph said, 'Appoint me over the treasures of the land, for I am a good keeper, and possessed of knowledge of these matters.'

12:56 And thus did We establish Joseph in the land. He dwelt therein wherever he pleased. We bestow Our mercy on whomsoever We please and We suffer not the reward of the righteous to be lost.

12:57 And surely the reward of the Hereafter, is better for those who believe and fear Allah.

12:58 And Joseph's brethren came and presented themselves before him; and he knew them, but they recognized him not.

12:59 And when he had provided them with their provision, he said, 'Bring me your brother on your father's side. Do you not see that I give you full measure of corn and that I am the best of hosts?

12:60 But if you bring him not to me, then there shall be no measure of corn for you from me, nor shall you come near me.'

12:61 They replied, 'We shall try to induce his father to part with him and we will certainly do it.'

12:62 And he said to his servants, 'Put their money back into their saddle-bags that they may recognize it when they return to their family; haply, they may come back.'

12:63 And when they returned to their father, they said, 'O our father, any further measure of corn has been denied us, so send with us our brother that we may obtain our measure, and we will surely be able to take care of him.'

12:64 He said, 'Can I trust you with him, except with the same result as when I trusted you with his brother before. But Allah is the Best Protector, And He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.'

12:65 And when they unpacked their goods, they found their money returned to them. They said, 'O our father, what more can we desire? Here is our money returned to us. We shall bring provision for our family, and guard our brother and we shall have an extra measure of a camel-load. That is a measure which is easy to obtain.'

12:66 He said, 'I will not send him with you until you give me a solemn promise in the name of Allah that you will surely bring him to me, unless it be that you are encompassed.' And when they had given him their solemn promise, he said, 'Allah watches over what we say.'

12:67 And he said, 'O my sons, enter not by one gate, but enter by different gates, and I can avail you naught against Allah. The decision rest only with Allah. In Him do I put my trust and in Him let all who would trust put their trust.'

12:68 And when they entered in the manner their father had commanded them, Jacob's purpose was fulfilled but it could not avail them anything against Allah, except that there was a desire in Jacob's mind which he thus satisfied; and he was surely possessed of great knowledge We had taught him, but most men know not.

12:69 And when they visited Joseph, he lodge his brother with himself. And he said, 'I am thy brother; so grieve not at they have been doing.'

12:70 And when he had given them their provisions, he put the drinking cup in his brothers saddle-bag. Then a crier cried. 'O ye men of the caravan, you are surely thieves.'

12:71 They said, turning around towards them, 'What is that you miss?'

12:72 They replied, 'We miss the King's measuring-vessel and whoso brings it shall have a camel-load of corn and I am surety for it.'

12:73 They answered, 'By Allah, you know well that we came not to make mischief in the land, and we are not thieves.'

12:74 They said, 'What then shall be the punishment for it, if you are found to be liars?'

12:75 They replied, 'The punishment for it--he in whose saddle-bag it is found shall himself be the penalty for it. Thus do we punish the wrongdoers.'

12:76 Then he began with the search of their sacks before the sack of Joseph's brother; then he took it out of the sack of his brother. He could not have taken his brother under the King's law unless Allah had so willed. We raise in degrees of rank whomsoever We please; and over every possessor of knowledge is One, Most-Knowing.

12:77 They replied, 'If he has stolen, a brother of his had also committed theft before.' But Joseph kept it a secret in his heart and did not disclose it to them. He simply said, 'You are in a worst condition; and Allah knows best what you allege.'

12:78 They said, 'O noble chief, he has a very aged father, so take one of us in his place; for we see thee to be one of those who are benevolent.'

12:79 He replied, 'Allah forbid that we should take any other but him with whom we have found our property; for then we would certainly be unjust.'

12:80 And when they despaired of him, they retired, conferring together in private. Then their leader said, 'Know ye not that your father has taken from you a solemn pledge in the name of Allah and how, before this, you failed in your duty with respect to Joseph? I will not therefore, leave the land until my father permits me or Allah decides for me. And He is the Best of judges;

12:81 Go back to your father and say, 'O our father, thy son committed theft, and we have stated only what we know and we could not be guardians over the unseen;

12:82 And inquire of the people of the town wherein we were, and of the caravan with which we came, and certainly we are speaking the truth.'

12:83 He replied, 'Nay, but your minds have embellished to you an evil thing. So now there is nothing left for me but goodly patience. May be Allah will bring them all to me; for He is the All-Knowing the Wise.'

12:84 And he turned away from them and said, 'O my grief for Joseph!' And his eyes were filled with tears because of the grief, and he was suppressing his sorrow.

12:85 They said, 'By Allah, thou wilt not cease talking of Joseph until thou art wasted away or thou art of those who perish.'

12:86 He replied, 'I only complain of my sorrow and my grief to Allah, and I know from Allah that which you know not,

12:87 O my sons, go ye and inquire about Joseph and his brother and despair not of the mercy of Allah; for none despairs of Allah's mercy save the disbelieving people.'

12:88 And when they came before Joseph again, they said, 'O noble chief, poverty has smitten us and our family, and we have brought a paltry sum of money, but nonetheless give us full measure, and be charitable to us. Surely, Allah does reward the charitable.'

12:89 He said, 'Do you know what you did to Joseph and his brother in ignorance?'

12:90 They replied, 'Art thou Joseph?' He said, 'Yes, I am Joseph and this is my brother. Allah has indeed been gracious to us. Verily, whoso fears Allah and is steadfast--Allah never suffers the reward of the good to be lost.'

12:91 They replied, 'By Allah; surely, Allah has preferred thee above us and we have indeed been sinners.'

12:92 He said, 'No blame shall lie on you this day; may Allah forgive you! And He is the Most Merciful of those Who show mercy.

12:93 Go with this shirt of mine and lay it before my father; he will come to know everything. And bring to me the whole of your family.'

12:94 And when the caravan departed, their father said, 'Surely, I perceive the scent of Joseph, even though you take me to be a dotard.'

12:95 They replied, 'By Allah, thou art assuredly still in thy old error.'

12:96 And when the bearer of glad tidings came, he laid the shirt before him and he became enlightened. Then he said, 'Did I not say to you, 'I know from Allah what you know not?'

12:97 They said, 'O our father, ask of Allah forgiveness of our sins for us; we have indeed been sinners.'

12:98 He said, 'I will certainly ask forgiveness for you of my Lord. Surely He is the Most Forgiving, the Merciful.

12:99 And when they came to Joseph, he put up his parents with himself and said, 'Enter Egypt in peace, if it please Allah.'

12:100 And he raised his parents upon the throne and they all fell down prostrate before Allah for him. And he said, 'O my father, this is the fulfillment of my dream of old. My Lord has made it come true. And he bestowed a favour upon me when he took me out of the prison and brought you from the desert after Satan had stirred up discord between me and my brethren. Surely, my Lord is Benignant to whomsoever He pleases; for He is the All-Knowing, the Wise.

12:101 O my Lord, Thou hast bestowed a portion of sovereignty upon me and taught me the interpretations of dreams. O Maker of the heavens and the earth, Thou art my Protector in this world and in the Hereafter. Let death come to me in a state of submission to Thy Will and join me to the righteous.'

12:102 That is of the tidings of the unseen, which We reveal to thee. And thou wast not with them when they agreed upon their plan while they were plotting.

12:103 And most men will not believe even though eagerly desire it.

12:104 And thou does not ask of them any reward for it. It is but a source of honour for all mankind.

12:105 And how many a Sign is there in the heavens and the earth, which they pass by, turning away from it!

12:106 And most of them believe not in Allah without at the same time associating partners with Him.

12:107 Do they, then, feel secure from the coming on them of an overwhelming punishment from Allah or the sudden coming of the Hour upon them while they are unaware?

12:108 Say, 'This my way; I call unto Allah standing on sure knowledge,--I and those who follow me. Holy is Allah, and I am not of those who associate gods with Allah.

12:109 And We sent not before thee as Messengers any but men to whom We sent revelation, from among the people of the towns. Have they not then traveled in the earth so that they should see what was the end of those before them? And surely, the abode of the Hereafter is better for those who fear Allah. Will you not then use you understanding?

12:110 And when the Messengers despaired of the disbelievers and the disbelievers were convinced that they had been told only lies, Our help came to the Messengers, and then were saved those whom We please. And Our chastisement cannot be averted from the sinful people.

12:111 Assuredly, in their narrative is a lesson for men of understanding. It is not a thing that has been forged, but a fulfillment of that which is before it and a detail exposition of all things, and a guidance and a mercy to people who believe.

Chapter 13--Thunder

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

13:1 Alif Lam Mim Ra. These are the verses of the perfect Book. That which has been revealed to thee from thy Lord is the truth, but most men believe not.

13:2 Allah is He Who raised up the heavens without any pillars that you can see. Then He settled Himself on the Throne. And He pressed the sun and the moon into your service; each planet pursues its course until an appointed term. He regulates all affairs and He clearly explains the Signs that you may have firm belief in the meeting with your Lord.

13:3 And He it is Who spread out the earth and made therein mountains and rivers, and of fruits of every kind He made therein two sexes. He causes the night to cover the day. Therein, verily, are Signs for a people who reflect.

13:4 And in the earth are diverse tracks, adjoining one another, and gardens of vines, and corn-fields, and date-palms, growing together from one root and others not so growing, they are all watered with the same water, yet We make some of them excel others in fruit. Therein are Signs for a people who use their understanding.

13:5 And if thou shouldst wonder at their saying, 'What! when we have become dust, shall we then be in a state of new creation,' then wondrous indeed is what they say. These it is who disbelieve in their Lord; and these it is who shall have shackles round their necks, and they shall be the inmates of the Fire, wherein they shall abide.

13:6 And they ask thee to hasten on the evil rather than the good, whereas exemplary punishment have already come to pass before them. And, verily, thy Lord is full of forgiveness for mankind despite their wrongdoing, and verily, thy Lord is also Severe in retribution.

13:7 And those who disbelieve say, 'Wherefore has not a Sign been sent down to him from his Lord?' Thou art surely a warner. And their is a Guide for every people.

13:8 Allah knows what every female bears, and what the wombs render defective and discard and what they cause to grow. And with Him everything has a proper measure.

13:9 He is the Knower of the unseen and the seen, the Incomparably Great, the Most High.

13:10 He among you who utters his word secretly, and he who utters it openly are equal in His knowledge; and also he who hides by night and he who goes forth openly by day.

13:11 For him (the Messenger) is a succession of angels before him and behind him; they guard him by the command of Allah. Surely, Allah changes not the condition of a people until they change that which is in their hearts. And when Allah decides to punish a people, there is no repelling it, nor have they any helper besides Him.

13:12 He it is Who shows you the lightning to inspire fear and hope and He raises the heavy clouds.

13:13 And the thunder glorifies Him with His praise and likewise do the angels for awe of Him; and He sends the thunderbolts, and smites therewith whom He wills, yet they dispute concerning Allah, while He is Severe in punishing.

13:14 Unto Him alone is due the true Prayer. And those on whom they call instead of Him answer them not at all. Their case is but like the case of him who stretches forth his two hands towards water that it may reach his mouth, but it reaches it not. And the prayer of a disbeliever is but a thing wasted.

13:15 And to Allah submits whosoever is in the heavens and the earth willingly or unwillingly and like wise do their shadows in the mornings and the evenings.

13:16 Say, 'Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?' Say, 'Allah.' Say, 'Have you then taken instead of Him helpers who have no power for good or harm even for themselves?' Say, 'Can the blind and the seeing be equal? Or can darkness be equal to light? Or, do they assign to Allah partners who have created the like of His creation so that the two creations appear similar to them?' Say, 'Allah alone is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Most supreme.'

13:17 He sends down water from the sky so that the valleys flow according to their measure and the flood bears on its surface swelling foam. And from that which they heat in the fire, seeking to make ornaments or utensils, comes out a foam similar to it. Thus does Allah illustrate truth and falsehood. Now, as to the foam it goes away as rubbish and perishes but as to that which benefits men, it stays in the earth. Thus does Allah set forth parables.

13:18 For those who respond to their Lord is external good; and as for those who respond not to Him, if they had all that is in the earth and the like of it added thereto, they would readily ransom themselves therewith. It is these that shall have an evil reckoning and their abode is Hell. What a wretched place of rest!

13:19 Is he, then, who knows that what has been revealed to thee from thy Lord is the truth, like one who is blind? But only those gifted with understanding take heed;

13:20 Those who fulfill Allah's pact, and break not the covenant;

13:21 And those who join what Allah has commanded to be joined, and fear their Lord, and dread the evil reckoning;

13:22 And those who persevere in seeking the favour of their Lord, and observe Prayer, and spend out of that with which We have provided them, secretly and openly, and repel evil with good. It is these who shall have the best reward of the final abode -

13:23 Gardens of Eternity. They shall enter them and also those who are righteous from among their fathers, and their wives and their children. And the angels shall enter unto them from every gate, saying,

13:24 Peace be unto you, because you were steadfast; behold, how excellent is the reward of the final abode!'

13:25 And those who break the covenant of Allah, after having established it and cut asunder what Allah has commanded to be joined, and act corruptly in the earth, on them is the curse of Allah and they shall have a grievous abode.

13:26 Allah enlarges His provision and straitens it for whomsoever He pleases. And they rejoice in the present life, while the present life is but a temporary enjoyment as compared with the Hereafter.

13:27 And those who disbelieves say, 'Why is not a Sign sent down to him from his Lord?' Say, 'Allah leaves to go astray whom He wills and guides to Himself those who turn to Him;

13:28 Those who believe, and whose hearts find comfort in the remembrance of Allah. Aye! It is the remembrance of Allah that hearts can find comfort;

13:29 Those who believe and do good works--happiness is decreed for them, and an excellent place of return.'

13:30 Thus have We sent thee to a people, before whom other peoples have passed away, that thou mayest recite to them what We have revealed to thee, for they deny the Gracious Allah. Say, 'He is my Lord; There is no god but He. In Him do I put my trust and towards Him is my return.

13:31 And if there was a Qur'án by which mountains could be moved or by which the earth could be cut asunder or by which the dead could be spoken to, they would still not believe in it. Nay, the matter of their believing rests entirely with Allah. Have not the believers yet come to know that if Allah had enforced His will He could have surely guided all mankind? And as for those who disbelieve, disaster shall not cease to befall them for what they have wrought or to alight near their home, until the promise of Allah comes to pass. Surely, Allah fails not in His promise.

13:32 And surely, Messengers were mocked at before thee; but I granted respite to those who disbelieved. Then I seized them and how terrible was My punishment!

13:33 Will then He, Who stands over every soul watching what it earns, let them go unpunished? Yet they ascribe partners to Allah. Say, 'Do name them.' Would you inform Him of what He does not know in the earth? Or, is it a mere empty saying? Nay, but the design of the disbelievers has been made to appear beautiful in their eyes, and they have been kept back from the right way. And he whom Allah lets go astray shall have no guide.

13:34 For them is a punishment in the present life; and surely, the punishment in the Hereafter is harder, and they will have no defender against Allah.

13:35 The similitude of the Garden promised to the Allah-fearing is that through it flow streams; its fruit is everlasting, and so is its shade. That is the reward of those who are righteous; and the end of the disbelievers is Fire.

13:36 And those to whom We have given the Book rejoice in what has been revealed to thee. And of the different parties there are some who deny part thereof. Say 'I am only commanded to worship Allah and not to set up equals to Him. Unto Him do I call and unto Him is my return.

13:37 And thus have We revealed it, a clear judgment in Arabic. And if thou follow their evil desires after the knowledge that has come to thee, thou shalt have no friend nor defender against Allah.

13:38 And, indeed, We sent Messengers before thee, and We gave them wives and children. And it is not possible for a Messenger to bring a Sign save by the command of Allah. For every term there is a divine decree.

13:39 Allah effaces and establishes what He wills, and with Him is the source of all commandments.

13:40 And whether We show thee in thy life-time the fulfillment of some of the things which We threaten them or whether We cause the to die, it makes little difference, for on thee lies only the delivery of the Message, and on Us the reckoning.

13:41 Do they not see that We are visiting the land, reducing it from its outlying boarders? And Allah judges; there is none to reverse His judgment. And He is Swift at reckoning.

13:42 And those who were before them did also devise plans but all effective devising of plans belongs to Allah. He knows what every soul earns; and the disbelievers shall soon know whose will be the final reward of the Abode.

13:43 And those who disbelieve say, 'Thou art not a Messenger.' Say, 'Sufficient is Allah as a Witness between me and you and so also is he who possesses knowledge of the Book.

Chapter 14--Abraham

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

14:1 Alif Lám Rá. This is a Book which We have revealed to thee that thou mayest bring mankind out of the depths of darkness into light, by the command of their Lord, to the path of the Mighty, the Praiseworthy --

14:2 The path of Allah to Whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. And woe to the disbelievers for a terrible punishment;

14:3 Those who prefer the present life to the Hereafter, and hinder men from the way of Allah and seek to make it crooked. It is these who have gone far off in error.

14:4 And We have not sent any Messenger except with revelation in the language of his people in order that he might make things clear to them. Then Allah leaves to go astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And He is the Mighty, the Wise.

14:5 And We sent Moses with Our Signs, saying, 'Bring forth thy people from the depths of darkness into light and remind them of the days of Allah.' Surely, therein are Signs for every patient and thankful person.

14:6 And call to mind when Moses said to his people, 'Remember Allah's favour upon you when He delivered you from Pharaoh's people who afflicted you with grievous torment, slaying your sons and sparing your women; and in that there was a great trial for you from your Lord.'

14:7 And when your Lord declared: 'If you are grateful, I will surely bestow more favours on you; but if you are ungrateful, then know that My punishment is severe indeed.'

14:8 And Moses said, 'If you disbelieve, you and those who are in the earth all together, you can do no harm to Allah; verily, Allah is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.'

14:9 Have not the tidings come to you of those before you, the people of Noah and the tribes of Ad and Thamud and those after them? None knows them now save Allah. Their Messengers came to them with clear Signs, but they trust their hands into their mouths and said, 'We disbelieve in what you have sent with and surely, we are disquieting doubt concerning that to which you call us.'

14:10 The Messengers said, 'Are you in doubt concerning Allah, Maker of the heavens and the earth? He calls you that He may forgive you your sins and grant you respite till an appointed term.' They said, 'You are but mortals like us, you desire to turn us away from that which our fathers used to worship. Bring us, then, some clear proof.'

14:11 Their Messengers said to them, 'We are indeed only mortals like you but Allah bestows His favours on whomsoever He wills from among His servants. And it is not for us to bring you a proof except by the permission of Allah. And in Allah alone should the believers put their trust;

14:12 And why should we not put our trust in Allah when He has showed us our appropriate ways? And we will, surely, bear with patience all the harm you do to us. So, in Allah let those who trust put their trust.'

14:13 And those who disbelieved said to their Messengers, 'We will surely, expel you from our land unless you return to our religion.' Then their Lord sent unto them the revelation: 'We will surely destroy the wrongdoers,

14:14 And We shall, surely, make you dwell in the land after them. This promise is for him who fears to stand before My Tribunal and fears My warning.'

14:15 And they prayed for victory, and every haughty enemy of truth came to naught:

14:16 Before him is Hell; and he shall be made to drink boiling water.

14:17 He shall sip it in and shall not be able to swallow it easily. And death shall come to him from every quarter, yet he shall not die. And besides that there shall be for him a severe chastisement.

14:18 The case of those who disbelieve in their Lord is that their works are like ashes, on which wind blows violently on a stormy day. They shall have no power over what they earn. That, indeed, is utter ruin.

14:19 Dost thou not see that Allah created the heaven and the earth in accordance with the requirements of wisdom? If He please, He can do away with you, and bring a new creation.

14:20 And that is not at all difficult for Allah.

14:21 They shall all appear before Allah; then shall those who were considered weak say to those who were arrogant, 'Surely, we were your followers can you not them avail us aught against Allah's punishment?' They will say, 'If Allah had guided us, we should have, surely, guided you. It is the same for us whether we show impatience or are patient, there is no way of escape for us.'

14:22 And when the matter is decided, Satan will say, 'Allah promised you a promise of truth, But I promised you and failed you. I had no power over you, except that I called you and you obeyed me. So blame me not, but blame your ownselves. I cannot succour you nor can you succour me. I have already disclaimed your associating me with Allah. For the wrongdoers there shall, surely, be a grievous punishment.'

14:23 And those who believe and act righteously, will be admitted into Gardens through which streams flow, wherein they will abide by the command of their Lord. Their greeting therein for each other will be, 'Peace be on you.'

14:24 Dost thou not see how Allah sets forth a parable of a good word? It is like a good tree, whose root is firm and whose branches reach into heaven?

14:25 It brings forth its fruit at all times by the command of its Lord. And Allah sets forth parables for men that they may be reminded.

14:26 And the case of an evil word, is like that of an evil tree, which is uprooted from above the earth and has no stability.

14:27 Allah strengthens the believers with the word that is firmly established, both in the present life and in the Hereafter; and Allah lets the wrongdoers go astray. And Allah does what He wills.

14:28 Dost thou not see those who changed Allah's favour for ingratitude and landed their people into the abode of ruin -

14:29 Into Hell. They shall burn therein; and an evil place of rest it is.

14:30 And they have set up rivals to Allah to lead people astray from His way. Say, 'Enjoy yourselves a while, then, surely, your journey is toward the Fire.'

14:31 Say to My servants who believe that they should observe Prayer, and spend out of what We have given them, secretly and openly, before there comes a day where there will be neither bargaining nor friendship.

14:32 Allah is He Who created the heavens and the earth and caused water to come down from the clouds, and brought forth therewith fruits for your sustenance, and He has subjected to you the ships that they may sail through the sea by His command, and the rivers too has He subjected to you.

14:33 And He has also subjected to you the sun and the moon, both performing their functions constantly. And He has subjected to you the night as well as the day.

14:34 And He gives you all that you ask of Him, and if you try to count the favours of Allah, you will not be able to number them. Verily man is very unjust, very ungrateful.

14:35 And call to mind when Abraham said, 'My Lord, make this a city of peace, and preserve me and my children from worshiping idols,

14:36 My Lord, they have indeed led astray many among mankind. So whoever follows me, he is certainly of me; and whoever disobeys me Thou art, surely, Most Forgiving, Merciful,

14:37 Our Lord, I have settled some of my progeny in an uncultivable valley near Thy Sacred House.--Our Lord,--that they may observe Prayer. So make men's heart incline towards them and provide them with fruits that they may be thankful.

14:38 Our Lord, certainly, Thou knowest what we keep secret and what we make known. And nothing whatever is hidden from Allah, whether in the earth or the heaven,

14:39 All praise belongs to Allah Who has given me, despite my old age, Ishmael and Isaac. Surely, my Lord is the Hearer of Prayer,

14:40 My Lord make me constant in observing Prayer, and my children too. Our Lord! bestow thy grace on me and accept my prayer,

14:41 Our Lord, forgive me and my parents and the believers on the day when the reckoning will take place.'

14:42 And think not that Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers do. He only gives them respite till the day on which their eyes will fixedly stare in horror;

14:43 They will hurry along in fright, raising up their heads, their gaze not returning to them, and their hearts utterly void.

14:44 And warn people of the day when the promised chastisement will come upon them, and the wrongdoers will say, Our Lord, grant us respite for a short term, we will respond to thy call and will follow the Messengers.' He will say, 'Did you not swear before this that you would never have a fall?

14:45 And you dwell in the dwellings of those who wronged themselves and it has become plain to you how We dealt with them; and We set forth clear parables for you.'

14:46 And they have tried all their designs; but their designs are with Allah. And even though their designs be such as to make the mountains move, they will not succeed.

14:47 Think not then that Allah will ever fail to keep His promise to His Messengers. Surely, Allah is Mighty, Lord of retribution,

14:48 On the day when this earth will be changed into another earth, and the heavens too; and they will appear before Allah, the One, the Most Supreme.

14:49 And thou wilt see the guilty on that day bound in chains.

14:50 Their garments will be, as if, of pitch and the fire shall envelop their faces.

14:51 This will be so that Allah may requite each soul for what it has wrought. Surely, Allah is swift at reckoning.

14:52 This is a sufficient admonition for mankind that they may benefit by it and that they may be warned thereby, and that they may know that He is the only One Allah and that those possessed of understanding may take heed.

Chapter 15--Al-Hijr

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

15:1 Alif Lám Rá. These are verses of the perfect Book and of the illuminating Qur'án.

15:2 Often do the disbelievers wish they Muslims.

15:3 Leave them alone that they may eat and enjoy themselves and that vain hope may beguile them, but they will soon know.

15:4 And never a town have We destroyed but there was for it a known decree.

15:5 No people can escape their doom by outstripping their appointed term, nor can they remain behind.

15:6 And they said, 'O thou to whom this exhortation has been sent down, thou art surely a madman,

15:7 Why dost thou not bring angels to us, if thou art of the truthful?'

15:8 We do not send down angels but with the requirements of justice, and when We do send them, the disbelievers are not respited.

15:9 Verily, it is We Who have sent down this Exhortation, and most surely We are its Guardians.

15:10 And We sent Messengers before thee among parties of ancient people.

15:11 And there never came to them a Messenger but they mocked at him.

15:12 Thus do We cause this habit of mocking to enter into the hearts of the sinful people.

15:13 They believe not in this Qur'án, though the example of the former peoples have gone before them.

15:14 And even if We open to them a gate in heaven, and they kept ascending through it,

15:15 They would surely say, 'Only our eyes are dazed; rather we are a bewitched people'

15:16 And We have, indeed, made mansions of stars in the heaven and have adorned it for beholders.

15:17 And We have guarded it against the intrusion of every rejected Satan.

15:18 But if anyone hears stealthily something of revelation and distorts it, there pursues him a bright flame.

15:19 And the earth have We spread out, and set therein firm mountains and cause every thing to grow therein in proper proportion.

15:20 And We have made for you therein means of livelihood and also for all those for whom you do not provide.

15:21 And there is not a thing but are limitless treasures thereof with Us and We sent it not down except in a known measure.

15:22 And We send fecundating winds, then We send down water from the clouds, then We give it to you to drink, and you could not yourselves store it.

15:23 And verily, it is We Who give life, and We Who cause death; And it is We Who are the sole Inheritors of All.

15:24 And We do know those who go ahead among you and We also do know those who lag behind.

15:25 And, surely, it is thy Lord Who will gather them together. Surely, He is Wise, All-Knowing.

15:26 And, surely, We created man from dry ringing clay, of black mud wrought into shape.

15:27 And the jinn We have created before of the fire of hot wind.

15:28 And remember when thy Lord said to the angels, I am about to create man of dry ringing clay, of black mud wrought into shape:

15:29 So when I fashioned him in perfection and have breath into him of My spirit, fall ye down in submission to him.'

15:30 So the angels submitted, all of them together.

15:31 But Iblis did not; he refused to be among those who submit.

15:32 Allah said, 'O Iblis, what has happened to thee that thou wouldst not be among those who submit?'

15:33 He answered, 'I am not going to submit to a mortal whom Thou hast created of dry ringing clay, of black mud wrought into shape.'

15:34 Allah said, 'Then get out hence, for surely, thou art rejected.

15:35 And, surely, on thee shall be My curse till the day of Judgment.'

15:36 He said, 'My Lord, then grant me respite till the day when they shall be raised.'

15:37 Allah said, 'Thou art of those who are respited.

15:38 Till the day of the appointed time.,

15:39 He answered, 'My Lord, since Thou hast adjudged me as gone astray, I will surely make straying from the right path appear beautiful to them on the earth and I will surely lead them all astray,

15:40 Except Thy chosen servants from among them.'

15:41 Allah said, 'This is a path leading straight to Me;

15:42 Surely, thou shall have no power over My servants, except such of the erring ones as choose to follow thee.'

15:43 And, surely, Hell is the promised place for them all.

15:44 It has seven gates, and each gate has a portion of them allotted to it.

15:45 Verily, the righteous, will be placed amid gardens and fountains.

15:46 Enter therein with peace, in security.'

15:47 And We shall remove whatever of rancour may be in their breasts so that they will be as brothers seated on thrones, facing one another;

15:48 Fatigue shall not touch them, nor shall they ever be ejected therefrom.

15:49 Tell My servants, O Prophet, that I am surely, All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.

15:50 And also that My punishment is the most grievous punishment.

15:51 And tell the about Abraham's guest.

15:52 When they came to him and said, 'Peace be upon you,' He answered, 'Verily, we are afraid of you.'

15:53 They said, 'Be not afraid; we give thee glad tidings of a son who shall be endowed with great knowledge.'

15:54 He said, 'Do you give me this glad tidings despite the fact that old age has overtaken me? On what basis, then, do you give me this glad tidings?'

15:55 They said, 'We have indeed given thee true glad tidings, be not, therefore, of those who despair.'

15:56 He said, 'And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord but such as go astray?'

15:57 He said, 'What now is your real business, O ye messengers?'

15:58 They said, 'We have been sent unto a guilty people,

15:59 Except the followers of Lot, Them shall we save all,

15:60 Except his wife. We have decreed that she shall be of those who remain behind.'

15:61 And when the messengers came unto lot and his followers;

15:62 He said, 'Verily, you a party of strangers.'

15:63 They said, 'Yea; but we have brought thee that news of the punishment concerning which they have been in doubt;

15:64 And we have brought thee sure news, and certainly we are truthful;

15:65 So go forth with thy family in the latter part of the night, and follow thou in their rear. And let none of you look back, and now proceed to where you are commanded.'

15:66 And We communicated to him clearly this decree that the roots of these people would be cut off by the morning.

15:67 And the people of the city came rejoicing.

15:68 He said, 'These are my guests, so put me not to shame.

15:69 And fear Allah and do not humiliate me.'

15:70 They said, 'Did we not forbid thee to entertain any people?'

15:71 He said, 'These are my daughters who are guarantee enough if you must do something.'

15:72 By the life, they, too, in their mad intoxication of wandering in distraction.

15:73 Then the punishment seized them at sunrise.

15:74 We turned their town upside down and We rained upon them stones of clay.

15:75 Surely, in this are many Signs for those who use their understanding.

15:76 And that town lies on a road that still exists.

15:77 Surely, in this is a Sign for believers.

15:78 And the people of the Wood, too, were surely wrongdoers.

15:79 So We chastised them also. And they both lie on an open highway.

15:80 And the People of the Hijr also treated the Messengers as liars.

15:81 And We gave them Our Signs, but they turned away from them.

15:82 And they used to hew out houses in the mountains, in security.

15:83 But the punishment seized them in the morning,

15:84 And all they had earned availed them not.

15:85 And We have not created the heavens and the earth and all that is between the two but in accordance with the requirements of wisdom; and the Hour is sure to come. So do thou forbear with goodly forbearance.

15:86 Verily, it is thy Lord Who is the Great Creator, the All-Knowing.

15:87 And We have indeed given the seven oft-repeated verses, and the great Qur'án.

15:88 Stretch not thine eyes towards what We have bestowed on some classes of them for temporary enjoyment and grieve not for them; and lower thy wing of mercy for the believers.

15:89 And say, 'I am indeed a plain Warner.'

15:90 Because We have decided to send down punishment on those who have formed themselves into groups against thee;

15:91 Who have pronounced the Qur'án to be so many lies.

15:92 So by the Lord, We will, surely, question them all

15:93 Concerning that which they used to do.

15:94 So declare openly that thou art commanded to convey and turn aside from those who ascribe partners to Allah.

15:95 We will, certainly, suffice thee against those who mock -

15:96 Who set up another god with Allah, but soon shall they come to know.

15:97 And, indeed, We know that thy bosom becomes straitened because of what they say.

15:98 But glorify the Lord praising Him, and be of those who prostrate themselves before Him.

15:99 And continue worshiping thy Lord till death comes to thee.

Chapter 16--The Bee

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

16:1 The decree of Allah is at hand, so seek ye not to hasten it. Holy is He and exalted far above all that which they associate with Him.

16:2 He sends down the angels with revelation by His command on whomsoever of His servants He pleases, saying, 'Warn people that there is no god but I, so take Me alone for your protector.'

16:3 He has created the heavens and the earth in accordance with the requirements of wisdom. Exalted is He far above all that they associate with Him.

16:4 He has created man from a mere drop of fluid, but lo! he is an open disputer.

16:5 And the cattle too He has created; and you find in them warmth and other uses; and of the flesh of some of them you eat.

16:6 And in them there is ornament and dignity for you when you bring them home in the evening and when you drive them forth to pasture in the morning.

16:7 And they carry your loads to a land which you could not reach except with great hardship to yourselves. Surely, your Lord is compassionate, Merciful.

16:8 And He has created horses and mules and asses that you may ride them, and as a source of beauty. And He will create what you do not yet know.

16:9 And upon Allah rests the showing of the right way, and there are ways which deviate from the right course. And if He had enforced His Will, He would have guided you all.

16:10 He it is who sends down water from the clouds; out of it you have your drink, and there grow from it trees on which you pasture your cattle.

16:11 Therewith He grows corn for you and the olive and the date-palm and the grapes and all manner of fruit. Surely, in that is a Sign for people who reflect.

16:12 And He pressed into service for you the night and the day and the sun and the moon; and the stars too have been pressed into service by His command. Surely, in that are Signs for a people who use their understanding.

16:13 And the things of diverse hues that He has created for you in the earth also serve your purpose. Surely, in that is a Sign for a people who take heed.

16:14 And He it is Who has subjected to you the sea that you may eat therefrom fresh flesh and may take forth articles which you wear as ornaments. And thou seest the ships ploughing through it, that you may journey thereby and that you may seek of His bounty in other ways and that you may be grateful.

16:15 And He has placed in the earth firm mountains lest it quake with you and rivers and routes that you may find the way to your destination.

16:16 And, He has set up other marks; by them and by the stars they follow the right direction.

16:17 Is He, then, Who creates like one who creates not? Will you not then take heed?

16:18 And if you try to count the favours of Allah, you will not be able to number them. Surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

16:19 And Allah knows what you keep hidden and what you disclose.

16:20 And those on whom they call besides Allah create not anything, but they are themselves created.

16:21 They are dead, not living; and they know not when they will be raised.

16:22 Your Allah is One Allah. And as to those who believe not in the Hereafter, their hearts are strangers to truth and they are full of pride.

16:23 Undoubtedly, Allah knows what they keep secret and what they disclose. Surely, He loves not the proud.

16:24 And when it is said to them, 'What think ye of that which your Lord has sent down?' They say, 'They are but mere stories of the ancients.'

16:25 The consequence will be that they shall bear their burdens in full on the Day of Resurrection, and also a portion of the burdens of those whom they lead astray without knowledge. Behold! evil is that which the bear.

16:26 Those who were before them also devised plans, but Allah came upon their structure from the very foundations, so that the roof fell down upon them from above them, and the punishment came upon them from where they knew not.

16:27 The on the Day of Resurrection He will humiliate them and will say, 'Where are my partners for whose sake you used to oppose My Prophets?' Those endowed with knowledge will say, 'This day humiliation and affliction will surely befall the disbelievers.'

16:28 Those on whom the angels cause to die while they are wronging their souls, will offer submission pleading, 'We use not to do any evil.' It will be said to them, 'Nay, surely, Allah knows well what you used to do,

16:29 So enter the gates of Hell, to abide therein. Evil indeed is the abode of the arrogant.'

16:30 And when it is said to the righteous, 'What say ye of that which your Lord has revealed?' They say, 'The best.' For those who do good, there is good in this world, and the home of the Hereafter is even better. Excellent indeed is the abode of the righteous,

16:31 Gardens of Eternity, which they will enter; through them flow streams. They will have therein what they wish for. Thus does Allah reward the righteous,

16:32 Those whom the angels cause to die while they are pure, they say to them, 'Peace be unto you. Enter Heaven because of what you used to do.'

16:33 What do these disbelievers wait for except that the angels should come upon them or that the decree of thy Lord should come to pass? So did those who were before them. Allah did not wrong them, but they used to wrong themselves.

16:34 So the evil consequences of what they did overtook them and that which they used to mock at encompassed them.

16:35 And the idolaters say, 'If Allah had so willed, we should not have worshiped anything beside Him, neither we nor our fathers, nor should we have forbidden anything without command from Him.' So did those who opposed the truth before them. Are the Messengers responsible for anything except the plain delivery of the Message?

16:36 And We did raise among every people a Messenger with the teaching, 'Worship Allah and shun the Evil one.' Then among them were some whom Allah guided and among them were some who became deserving of ruin. So travel through the earth and see what was the end of those who treated the prophets as liars!

16:37 If thou art solicitous of their guidance, then know that Allah surely guides not those who lead others astray. And for such there are no helpers.

16:38 And they swear by Allah their strongest oaths, that Allah will not raise up those who die. Nay, He will certainly raise them up. This is a true promise the fulfillment of which is binding on Him but most men know not.

16:39 He will surely raise them up that He may make clear to them that wherein they differed, and that those who disbelieved may realize that they were liars.

16:40 Our word concerning a thing, when We will it, it is only that We say to it, 'Be,' and it is.

16:41 And as to those who leave their homes for the sake of Allah after they are wronged, We will surely give them a goodly abode in this world; and truly the reward of the Hereafter is greater; if they but knew -

16:42 Those who are steadfast and put their trust in their Lord.

16:43 And We sent not as Messengers before thee but men to whom We sent revelation--so ask those who possess the reminder, if you know not -

16:44 With clear Signs and Scriptures. And We have sent down to thee the Reminder that thou mayest explain to mankind that which has been sent down to them, and that they may reflect.

16:45 Do, then, those who devise evil plans, feel secure that Allah will humiliate them in their own land, or that the punishment will not come upon them whence they do not know?

16:46 Or that He will not seize them in their going to and fro so that they shall not be able to frustrate His plans?

16:47 Or that He will not destroy them through a process of gradual attrition? Your Lord is indeed Compassionate, Merciful.

16:48 Have they not observed, bowing in humility before Allah that the shadows of everything which Allah has created shift from the right and from the left, and they are being humbled?

16:49 And whatever is in the heavens and whatever creature is in the earth submits humbly to Allah, and the angels too, and they are not proud.

16:50 They fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded.

16:51 Allah has said, 'Take not for worship two gods. There is only One Allah. So fear Me alone.'

16:52 And to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth and to Him is obedience due for ever. Will you then take any other than Allah as your Protector?

16:53 And whatever blessing you have, it is from Allah. And when affliction befalls you, it is unto Him that you cry for help;

16:54 Then, when He removes the affliction from you, behold! a party among you begins to ascribe associates to their Lord,

16:55 So as to deny that which We have bestowed upon them. Well, then, enjoy yourselves a while, but soon will you know.

16:56 And they set apart for their false gods of which they know nothing, a portion of that which We have bestowed on them. By Allah, you shall certainly be called to account for all that you forged.

16:57 And they ascribe daughters to Allah--Holy is He--while they themselves have what they desire.

16:58 And when to one of them is conveyed the tidings of the birth of a female, his face darkens with inward suppressed grief;

16:59 He hides himself from the people because of the bad news he has had. Shall he keep it inspite of disgrace or shall he bury it in the dust? Verily, evil is that which they judge.

16:60 The state of those who do not believe in the Hereafter, is evil, while all sublime attributes belong to Allah and He is the Mighty, the Wise.

16:61 And if Allah were to punish men for their wrongdoing, He would not leave on the earth a living creature, but He gives them respite till an appointed term; and when their term is come, they cannot remain behind a single hour, nor can they go ahead of it.

16:62 And they assign to Allah what they dislike for themselves and their tongues utter the lie that they will have the best of everything. Undoubtedly, theirs shall be the Fire, and therein shall they be abandoned.

16:63 By Allah, We certainly sent Messengers to all the peoples before thee; but Satan made their works appear beautiful to them. So he is their patron this day, and they shall have a grievous punishment.

16:64 And We have not sent down to thee the Book except that thou mayest explain to them that concerning which they have created differences and as a guidance, and a mercy for a people who believe.

16:65 And Allah has sent down water from the sky and has quickened the earth after its death. Surely, in that is a Sign for a people who would listen to the truth.

16:66 And surely in the cattle too there is a lesson for you. We provide for you drink out of that which is in their bellies--from betwixt the faeces and the blood--milk pure and pleasant for those who drink it.

16:67 And of the fruits of the date-palms and the grapes, whence you obtain intoxicating drink and wholesome food. Verily in that is a Sign for a people who use their understanding.

16:68 And thy Lord revealed to the bee : 'Make thou houses in the hills and in the trees and in the trellises which they build,

16:69 Then eat all manner of fruits, and follow the ways taught to thee by thy Lord and which have been made easy for thee.' There comes from their bellies a drink of varying hues. Therein is a healing for mankind. Surely, in that is Sign for a people who reflect.

16:70 And Allah creates you, then He causes you to die; and there are some among you who are driven to the worst state of life with the result that they know nothing after having had knowledge. Surely, Allah is All-Knowing, Powerful.

16:71 And Allah has favoured some of you above others in worldly gifts. But those more favoured will not restore any part of their worldly gifts to those whom their right hands possess, so that they may be equal shares in them. Knowing this, will they still deny the favour of Allah?

16:72 And Allah has made for you mates from among yourselves, and has made for you, from your mates, sons and grandsons, and has provided you with good things. Will they then believe in that which perishes and deny the favour of Allah?

16:73 And they worship beside Allah such as have no power to bestow on them any gift from the heavens and the earth, nor can they ever have such power.

16:74 So coin not similitudes for Allah. Surely Allah knows and you know not.

16:75 Allah sets forth for you the parable of a slave who is owned, having no power over anything; and a free man whom We have provided with a fair provision from Us and he spends thereof secretly and openly. Are they equal? Praise be to Allah. But most of them know not.

16:76 And Allah sets forth another parable of two men--one of them is dumb, having no power over anything, and he is a burden on his master; withersoever he sends him, he brings no good. Can he be equal to him who enjoins justice and who is on the straight path?

16:77 And to Allah belongs the knowledge of the unseen in the heavens and the earth; and the matter of the coming of the promised Hour is but as the twinkling of an eye, nay, it is nearer still. Surely, Allah has full power over all things.

16:78 And Allah has brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers while you knew nothing, and gave you ears and eyes and hearts, that you may be grateful.

16:79 Do they not observe the birds held under subjection in the vault of heaven? None keeps them back save Allah. Verily, in that are Signs for a people who believe.

16:80 And Allah has made for you, in your houses, a place of rest and has also made for you, of the skins of cattle, abodes which you find light at the time when you travel and useful at the time when you halt; and of their wool and their furs and their hair He has supplied you with household goods and articles of use for a time.

16:81 And Allah has made for you of that which He has created, many things affording shade; and He has made for you in the mountains places of shelter; and He has made for you garments which protect you from heat, and coats of mail which protect you in your wars. Thus does He complete His favours upon you, that you may submit wholly to Him.

16:82 But if they turn away, then thou art responsible only for the plain delivery of the Message.

16:83 They recognize the favour of Allah, yet they deny it; and most of them are confirmed disbelievers.

16:84 And remember the day when We shall raise up a witness from every people, then those who disbelieve shall not be permitted to make amends, nor shall their plea be accepted.

16:85 And when those who did wrong actually see the punishment, it will not be lightened for them, nor will they be respited.

16:86 And when those who associate partners with Allah, will see their associated-gods, they will say, 'Our Lord, these are our associated-gods, whom we used to call upon instead of Thee.' Thereupon they will retort on them with the words, 'Surely, you are liars.'

16:87 And they will offer submission to Allah on that day, and all that they used to forge shall fail them.

16:88 As for those who disbelieve and turn men away from the way of Allah, We will add punishment to their punishment because they made mischief.

16:89 And remember the day when We will raise up in every people a witness against them from among themselves, and We will bring thee as a witness against all of them. And We have sent down to thee the Book to explain everything and a guidance and a mercy and glad tidings to those who submit to Allah.

16:90 Verily, Allah enjoins justice, and the doing of good to others; and giving like kindred; and forbids indecency and manifest evil and transgression. He admonishes you that you may take heed.

16:91 And fulfill the covenant of Allah when you have made one, and break not your oaths after making them firm, while you have made Allah your surety. Certainly, Allah knows what you do.

16:92 And be not like unto her who cuts up her yarn into pieces after having spun it strong by making your oaths a means of deceit between you, for fear lest one people become more powerful than another people. Surely, Allah tries you therewith, and on the Day of Resurrection He will make clear to you that wherein you differed.

16:93 And if Allah had enforced His will, He would surely have made you all one people; but He lets go astray him who wishes it, and guides him who wishes it, and you shall surely be questioned concerning that which you have been doing.

16:94 And make not your oaths a means of deceit between you; or you foot will slip after it has been firmly established and you will taste evil because by acting thus you have turned people away from the path of Allah, and you will have a severe punishment.

16:95 And barter not the covenant of Allah for a paltry price. Surely, that which is with Allah is better for you if you knew.

16:96 That which you have shall pass away, but that which is with Allah is lasting. And We will certainly give those, who are steadfast, their reward according to the best of their works.

16:97 Whoso acts righteously, whether male or female and is a believer, We will surely grant him a pure life; and We will surely bestow on such their reward according to the best of their works.

16:98 And when thou recitest the Qur'án, seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the rejected.

16:99 Surely he has no power over those who believe and who put their trust in their Lord.

16:100 His power is only over those who make friends with him and those who associate partners with him.

16:101 And when We bring one Sign in place of another--and Allah knows best the object of what He reveals--they say, 'Thou art but a fabricator,' Nay, but most of them know not.

16:102 Say, 'The Spirit of holiness has brought it down from thy Lord with truth, that He may strengthen in their faith those who believe and as a guidance and glad tidings for Muslims.

16:103 And indeed We know that they say that it is only a man who teaches him. But the tongue of him towards whom their minds is inclined in making this insinuation is foreign while this is Arabic tongue plain and clear.

16:104 As to those who do not believe in the Signs of Allah, surely, Allah will not guide them, and they shall have a grievous punishment.

16:105 It is only those who believe not in the Signs of Allah, who forge falsehood, and they it is who are the liars.

16:106 Whoso disbelieves in Allah after he has believed--save him who is forced to make a declaration of disbelief while his heart finds peace in faith--but such as open their breast to disbelief, on them is Allah's wrath; and for them is decreed a severe punishment.

16:107 That is because they have preferred the present life to the Hereafter, and because Allah guides not the disbelieving people.

16:108 It is they on whose hearts and ears and eyes Allah has set a seal. And it is they who are the heedless.

16:109 Undoubtedly, it is they who will be the loses in the Hereafter.

16:110 Then, surely thy Lord--to those who migrated after they had been persecuted and the strove hard in the cause of Allah and remained steadfast--surely, after that, thy Lord is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

16:111 On the day when every soul shall come pleading for itself, and every soul will be fully recompensed for what it did, and they will not be wronged.

16:112 And Allah sets forth the parable of a city which enjoyed security and peace; its provisions come to it in plenty from every quarter; but it was ungrateful for the favours of Allah, so Allah made it taste hunger and fear which clothed it like a garment because of what they used do.

16:113 And indeed there has come to them a Messenger from among themselves, but they treated him as a liar, so punishment overtook them while they were wrongdoers.

16:114 So eat of the lawful and good things which Allah has provided for you; and be grateful for the bounty of Allah, if it is Him you worship.

16:115 He has made unlawful for you only that which dies of itself and blood and the flesh of swine and that on which the name of other than Allah has been invoked. But he who is driven by necessity to eat any of these things, being neither disobedient nor exceeding the limit, them, surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

16:116 And say not--because of the falsehood which your tongues utter--'This is lawful, and this is unlawful,' so as to be of those who forge lies against Allah. Surely, those who forge lies against Allah do not prosper.

16:117 This life is a brief enjoyment and then they shall have a grievous punishment.

16:118 And to those also who are the Jews, We forbade before this all that We have related to thee. And We wronged them not, but they used to wrong themselves.

16:119 Then, surely, thy Lord--to those who do evil in ignorance and repent thereafter and make amends--surely, after that thy Lord is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

16:120 Abraham was indeed a paragon of virtue, obedient to Allah, ever inclined to Him, and he was not of those who set up equals with Allah;

16:121 Ever grateful for His favours: He chose him and guided him to a straight path.

16:122 And We bestowed on him good in this world, and in the Hereafter he will surely be among the righteous.

16:123 And now We have sent revelation to thee, enjoining, 'Follow the way of Abraham who was ever inclined to Allah and was not of those who set up equals to Him.'

16:124 The punishment for profaning the Sabbath was imposed only on those who had differed about it and thy Lord will surely judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that wherein they differed.

16:125 Call unto the way of thy Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation and argue with them in a way that is best. Surely, thy Lord knows best who has strayed from His way; and He also knows those who are rightly guided.

16:126 And if you decide to punish the oppressors, then punish them to the extent to which you have been wronged; but if you show patience then, surely, that is best for those who are patient.

16:127 And, O Prophet, endure thou with patience; and verily thy patience is possible only with the help of Allah. And grieve not for them, nor feel distressed because of their evil designs.

16:128 Verily, Allah is with those who are righteous and those who do good.

Chapter 17--The Night Journey

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

17:1 Glory be to Him Who carried His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Distant Mosque, the environs of which We have blessed, that We might show him some of Our Signs. Surely, He alone is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

17:2 And We gave Moses the Book and We made it a guidance for the Children of Israel, commanding, 'Take ye no guardian beside Me,

17:3 O ye, the progeny of those whom We carried in the Ark with Noah.' He indeed was a grateful servant of Ours.

17:4 And We had clearly conveyed to the Children of Israel in the Book: 'You will surely do great mischief in the land twice, and you will surely become excessively overbearing.'

17:5 So when the time of the fulfillment of the first of the two warnings came, We sent against you some servants of Ours, possessed of great might in war, and they penetrated into your houses and it was a warning that was bound to be fulfilled.

17:6 Then We gave you back the power against them and aided you with wealth and children and also made you larger in numbers than before.

17:7 Now, if you do good, you will do good for your own souls; and if you do evil, it will be to your own loss. So when the time for the fulfillment of the latter warning came, We raised a people against you that they might cover your faces with grief, and that they enter the Mosque, as they entered it the first time, and that they might destroy utterly all that they conquered.

17:8 It may be that your Lord will now have mercy on you; but if you return to mischief, We too will return to punishment, and remember We have made Hell a prison for the disbelievers.

17:9 Surely, this Qur'án guides to what is most right; and gives to the believers who do good deeds the glad tidings that they shall have a great reward;

17:10 And warns that for those who do not believe in the Hereafter We have prepared a grievous punishment.

17:11 And man prays for evil as he should pray for good; and man is very hasty.

17:12 And We have made the night and the day two Signs, and the Sign of the night We have made dark, and the Sign of the day We have made sight-giving, that you make seek bounty from your Lord, and that you may know the computation of years and the process of reckoning. And everything We have explained with a detailed explanation.

17:13 And every man's work have We fasten to his neck; and on the Day of Resurrection We shall bring out for him a book which he will find wide open.

17:14 It will be said to him, 'Read thy book. Sufficient is thy own soul as a reckoner against thee this day.'

17:15 He who follows the right way follows it only for the good of his own soul; and he who goes astray, goes astray only to his own loss. And no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another. And We shall never punish until We have sent a Messenger.

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.17:16 And when We intend to destroy a township, We command its people who live in comfort to adopt the way of righteousness but they transgress therein, so the sentence of punishment becomes due against it, so We destroy it with utter destruction.

17:17 How many generations did We destroy after Noah! and thy Lord suffices as Knower and Seer of the sins of His servants.

17:18 Whoso desires the present life, We hasten for him therein of its provision what We will--for such of them as We please; then We appoint Hell for him; he shall burn therein condemned and rejected.

17:19 And whoso desires the Hereafter and strives for it as it should be striven for and is a believer--these are the ones whose striving shall be duly appreciated.

17:20 To all We render aid--to those as well as to these--a gift from thy Lord. And the gift of thy Lord is not restricted.

17:21 Behold, how We have exalted some of them over others in the present life; and surely the Hereafter shall be greater in degrees of rank and greater in excellence.

17:22 So set up not another god with Allah lest thou sit down condemned and forsaken.

17:23 Thy Lord has commanded that ye worship none but Him, and that ye show kindness to parents. If one or both of them attain old age with thee, never say to them as much as ugh nor reproach them, but always address them with kindly speech.

17:24 And lower them the wing of humility out of tenderness. And say, 'My Lord, have mercy on them even as they nourished me when I was a little child.'

17:25 Your Lord knows best what is in your minds, if you are righteous, then surely, He is Most Forgiving to those who turn to Him again and again.

17:26 And give to the kinsman his due, and to the poor and the wayfarer, and squander not thy wealth extravagantly.

17:27 Verily, the squanderers are brothers of satans and Satan is ungrateful to his Lord.

17:28 And if thou has to turn away from them while seeking thy Lord's mercy for which thou hopest, even then speak to them a kind word.

17:29 And keep not thy hand chained to thy neck out of miserliness nor stretch it forth to its utmost limit out of extravagance, lest thou sit down blamed and exhausted.

17:30 Surely, thy Lord enlarges His provision for whom He pleases, and straitens it for whom He pleases. Verily, He knows and sees His servants full well.

17:31 And slay not your children for fear of poverty. It is We Who provide for them and for you. Surely, the slaying of them is a grievous sin.

17:32 And go not nigh unto adultery, surely, it is a manifest indecency and an evil way.

17:33 And slay not the soul, the slaying of which Allah has forbidden, save for a just cause. And whoso is slain wrongfully, We have surely given his heir authority to demand retribution but let him not exceed the prescribed bounds in slaying; for therein he will be supported by law.

17:34 And come not near the property of the orphan, except in the best way, until he attains his maturity and fulfill the covenant; for the covenant shall be questioned about.

17:35 And give full measure when you measure and weigh with a right balance; that is best and most commendable in the end.

17:36 And follow not that of which thou hast no knowledge. Verily, the ear and the eye and the heart--all these shall be called to account.

17:37 And walk not in the earth haughtily, for thou canst not thus rend the earth, nor canst thou reach the mountains in height.

17:38 The evil of all these is hateful in the sight of thy Lord.

17:39 These injunctions are part of that wisdom which thy Lord has revealed to thee. And set not up with Allah any other god, lest thou be cast into Hell, condemned and rejected.

17:40 What! has your Lord favoured you with sons and taken for Himself females from among the angels? Surely, you say a grievous saying.

17:41 We have explained the truth in this Qur'án in various ways that they may be admonished, but it only increase them in aversion.

17:42 Say, 'Had there been other gods with Him as they allege, then certainly by their help the idolaters would have sought out a way to the Owner of the Throne.'

17:43 Holy is He, and Exalted far above that which they say.

17:44 The seven heavens and the earth and those that are therein extol His glory; and there is not a thing but glorifies Him with His praise; but you understand not their glorification. Verily, He is Forbearing, Most Merciful.

17:45 And when thou recitest the Qur'án, We put between thee and those who believe not in the Hereafter an invisible veil;

17:46 And We put coverings over their hearts lest they should understand it, and in their ears a deafness. And when thou makest mention in the Qur'án of thy Lord alone, they turn their backs in aversion.

17:47 We knowest best what they listen for, when they listen to thee, and when they confer in private, when the wrongdoers say, 'You follow none but a man who is a victim of deception.'

17:48 See, how they coin similitudes for thee, and have in consequence gone astray so that they cannot find a way.

17:49 And they say, 'What! when we shall have become bones and broken particles, shall we be really raised up again as a new creation?'

17:50 Say, 'Be ye stones or Iron,

17:51 Or created matter of any kind which appears hardest in your minds, even then shall you be raised up.' Then will they ask, 'Who shall restore us to life?' Say, 'He who created you the first time.' Still they will shake their heads at thee and say, '`When will it be?' Say, 'May be, it is nigh,

17:52 It will be on the day when He will call you; Then you will respond praising Him and you will think that you have tarried in the world but a little while.'

17:53 And say to My servants that they should always speak what is best. Surely, Satan, stirs up discord among them. Surely, Satan is an open enemy to man.

17:54 Your Lord knows you best. If He please, He will have mercy on you; or if He please, He will punish you. And We have not sent thee to be a keeper over them.

17:55 And thy Lord knows best those that are in the heavens and the earth. And We exalted some of the Prophets over others and to David We gave a Book.

17:56 Say, 'Call on those whom you assert to be gods besides Him; then you will know that they have no power to remove affliction from you nor to change your condition.'

17:57 Those, whom they call on, themselves seek nearness to their Lord--even those of them who are nearest--and hope for His mercy, and fear His punishment. Surely the punishment of thy Lord is a thing to be feared.

17:58 There is not a township but We shall destroy it before the Day of Resurrection, or punish it with a severe punishment. That is written down in a Book.

17:59 And nothing could hinder Us from sending Signs, except that the former people rejected them, but this did not hinder Us. And We gave Thamud the she-camel as a clear Sign, but they unjustly restricted it. And We send not Signs but to warn.

17:60 And call to mind when We said to thee, 'Surely, thy Lord has decreed the ruin of this people.' And We made not the vision which We showed thee but as a trial for men, as also the tree cursed in the Qur'án. And We continue to warn them, but it only increases them in great transgression.

17:61 And call to mind when We said to the angels, 'Submit to Adam,' and they all submitted. But Iblis did not. He said, 'Shall I submit to one whom Thou hast created of Clay?'

17:62 And he said, 'What thinkest thou? Can this whom thou hast honoured above me be my superior? If Thou wilt grant me respite till the Day of Resurrection, I will most surely bring his descendants under my sway except a few.'

17:63 Allah said, 'Begone! and whoso follow thee from them, Hell shall surely be the recompense of you all--a full recompense;

17:64 And entice whomsoever of them thou canst with thy voice, and urge against them thy horsemen and thy footmen and share with them in wealth, and their children, and make promises to them.' And Satan promises them naught but deceit.

17:65 As to My servants, thou shalt certainly have no power over them, and sufficient is thy Lord as a Guardian.

17:66 Your Lord is He Who drives for you the ships in the sea, that you may seek of His bounty. Surely, He is Ever-Merciful towards you.

17:67 And when harm touches you on the sea, all of those whom you call upon, except Him, are lost to you. But when He brings you safe to land, you turn aside; and man is very ungrateful.

17:68 Do you then feel secure that He will not cause you to sink in the earth on the side of the shore or send against you a violent sand-storm and then you will find no guardian for yourselves?

17:69 Or, do you feel secure that He will not send you back therein a second time, and then send against you a storm-blast, and drown you because of your disbelief? You will then find therein no helper for yourselves against Us.

17:70 Indeed, We have honoured the children of Adam, and We carry them by land and sea, and provide them with good things and have exalted them far above many of those whom We have created.

17:71 Call to mind the day when We shall summon every people with their Leader. Then whoso shall be given his Book in his right hand -- such will read their book eagerly and they will not be wronged a whit.

17:72 But whoso is blind in this world shall be blind in the Hereafter, and even more astray from the way.

17:73 And they had well-nigh caused thee severest affliction on account of what We have revealed to thee that thou mightest forge against Us something other than that; and they would have certainly taken thee for a special friend.

17:74 And if We had not strengthened thee with the Qur'án even then thou wouldst have inclined to them but a little.

17:75 But if, as they imagine, thou hast been one to forge a lie against Us, then We would have made thee taste a heavy punishment in life and a heavy punishment in death, and then thou wouldst not have found for thyself any helper against Us.

17:76 And indeed they are near to scare thee to drive thee away from the land that they might expel thee therefrom, but in that case they themselves would not have stayed after thee save a little.

17:77 This has been Our way with Our Messengers whom We sent before thee; and thou wilt not find any change in Our way.

17:78 Observe Prayer from the declining and paling of the sun till the darkness of the night, and recite the Qur'án at dawn. Verily, the recitation of the Qur'án at dawn is specially acceptable to Allah.

17:79 And during a part of the night wake up for its recitation--a supererogatory service for thee. It may be that thy Lord will raise thee to an exalted station.

17:80 And say, 'O my Lord, make my entry a good entry and make me go forth a good going forth. And grant me from thyself a helping power.'

17:81 And proclaim: 'Truth has come and falsehood has vanished. Verily, falsehood is bound to vanish.

17:82 And We gradually reveal of the Qur'án that which is healing and a mercy to believers; but it only adds to the loss of the wrongdoers.

17:83 And when We bestow favour on man, he turns away and goes aside; and when evil touches him, he gives himself up to despair.

17:84 Say, 'Everyone acts according to his own way, and your Lord knows well who is best guided.'

17:85 And they ask thee concerning the soul. Say, 'The soul has been created by the command of my Lord; and of the knowledge thereof you have been given but a little.

17:86 And if We pleased, We could certainly take away that which We have revealed to thee and then thou wouldst find no guardian for thyself against Us in the matter,

17:87 Except through the special mercy of thy Lord. Surely, great is His grace on thee.

17:88 Say, 'If men and jinn should gather together to produce the like of this Qur'án, they could not produce the like thereof, even though they should help one another.'

17:89 And surely We have set forth for mankind in various ways all kinds of similitudes in this Qur'án, but most men would reject everything in respect of it but disbelief.

17:90 And they say, 'We will not believe in thee until thou cause a spring to gush forth for us from the earth;

17:91 Or, thou have a garden of date-palms and vines and cause streams to gush forth in the midst thereof in abundance;

17:92 Or, thou cause the heaven to fall upon us in pieces, as thou hast claimed, or, thou bring Allah and the angels before us face to face;

17:93 Or, thou have a house of gold or thou ascend up into heaven; and we will not believe in thy ascension until thou send down to us a Book that we can read.' Say, 'Holy is my Lord! I am but a mortal sent as a Messenger.'

17:94 And nothing prevents people from believing when the guidance comes to them save that they say, 'Has Allah sent a man like us as a Messenger?'

17:95 Say, 'Had there been in the earth angels walking about in peace and quiet, We would have certainly sent down to them from heaven an angel as a Messenger.'

17:96 Say, 'Sufficient is Allah for a Witness between me and you; surely, He knows and sees His servants full well.'

17:97 And he whom Allah guides, is the only one rightly guided; but as for those whom He leaves to go astray, thou wilt find for them no helpers beside Him. And on the Day of Resurrection We shall gather them together on their faces blind, dumb and deaf. Their abode shall be Hell; every time it abates, We shall increase for them the flame.

17:98 That is their recompense, because they rejected Our Signs and said, 'What! when we die and are reduced to bones and broken particles, shall we really be raised up as a new creation?'

17:99 Do they not see that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, has the power to create the like of them? And He has appointed for them a term; there is no doubt about it. But the wrongdoers would reject everything but disbelief.

17:100 Say, 'Even if you possessed the limitless treasures of the mercy of my Lord, you would surely hold them back for the fear of exhausting them, for man is niggardly.'

17:101 And certainly We gave Moses nine manifest Signs. So ask then the Children of Israel. When he came to them, Pharaoh said to him, 'I do think thee, O Moses, to be a victim of deception.'

17:102 He said, 'Thou thinkest well that none has sent down these Signs but the Lord of the heavens and the earth as so many evidences; and I certainly consider thee, O Pharaoh, to be doomed to perish.'

17:103 So he resolved to remove them from the land; but We drowned him and those who were with him, all together.

17:104 And after him We said to the Children of Israel, Dwell ye in the promised land; and when the time of the promise of the Latter Days comes, We shall bring you together out of various peoples.'

17:105 And, in accordance with the requirements of truth and wisdom We have sent it down, and with truth and wisdom has it descended. And We have sent thee only as a bearing of good tidings and a Warner.

17:106 And We have divided the Qur'án in parts that thou mayest read it to mankind slowly and at intervals and We have sent it down piecemeal.

17:107 Say, 'Whether you believe therein or believe not, those to whom knowledge has been given before it, do fall down prostrate on their faces when it is recited to them.

17:108 And say, 'Holy is our Lord. Surely, the promise of our Lord is bound to be fulfilled.'

17:109 They fall down on their faces weeping, and it increases humility in them.

17:110 Say, 'Call upon Allah or call upon Al-Rahmán, by whichever name you call on Him, His are the most beautiful names.' And utter not thy Prayer aloud, nor utter it too low, but seek a way between.

17:111 And say, 'All praise belongs to Allah who has taken unto Himself no son, and who has no partner in His kingdom, nor has He anyone to help Him because of any weakness of His.' And proclaim His greatness, glorifying Him.

Chapter 18--The Cave

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

18:1 All praise belongs to Allah Who has sent down the Book to His servant, and has not placed therein any crookedness.

18:2 He has made it a guardian, that it may give warning of a severe chastisement from Him, and that it may give the believers, who do good works, the glad tidings that they shall have a goodly reward,

18:3 Wherein they will abide forever;

18:4 And that it may warn those who say, 'Allah has taken unto Himself a son.'

18:5 No knowledge have they thereof, nor had their fathers. Monstrous is the word that comes out of their mouths. They speak naught but a lie.

18:6 So it may be, thou wilt grieve thyself to death sorrowing after them if they believe not in this Discourse.

18:7 Verily, We have made all that is on the earth an ornament for it, that We may try them as to which of them is the best in conduct.

18:8 And We shall destroy all that is thereon and make it a barren soil.

18:9 Dost thou think that the Companions of the Cave and the Inscription were a wonder among Our Signs?

18:10 When the young men betook themselves to the Cave for refuge they said, 'Our Lord, bestow on us mercy from Thyself, and furnish us with right guidance in our affair.'

18:11 So We prevented them from hearing in the Cave for a number of years.

18:12 Then We raised them up that We might know which of the two parties would preserve a better reckoning of the time that they tarried.

18:13 We will relate to thee the story with truth. They were young men who believed in their Lord and We increased them in guidance.

18:14 And We strengthened their hearts when they stood up and said, 'Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Never shall we call on any god beside Him; for if we did so, we would utter a preposterous thing;

18:15 These, our people, have taken for worship other gods beside Him. Wherefore do they not bring a clear authority regarding them? And who is more unjust than he who invents a lie concerning Allah?

18:16 And now when you have withdrawn from them and from that which they worship beside Allah, then seek refuge in the cave; your Lord will unfold to you His mercy and will provide for you some easy and comfortable course in this affair of yours.'

18:17 And thou couldst see the sun, as it rose, move away from their Cave on the right, and when it set, turn away from them on the left; and they were in a spacious hollow thereof. This is among the Signs of Allah. He whom Allah guides is alone rightly guided; but he whom He leaves to go astray, for him thou wilt find no helper or guide.

18:18 Thou mightest deem them awake, whilst they are asleep; and We shall cause them to turn over to the right and to the left; their dog stretching out its forelegs on the threshold. If thou hadst had a look at them, thou wouldst surely be filled with awe of them.

18:19 And so We raised them up that they might question one another. One of them said, 'How long have you tarried?' They said, 'We have tarried a day or part of a day.' Others said, 'Your Lord knows best the time you have tarried. Now send one of you with these silver coins of yours to the city; and let him see which of the inhabitants has the purest food, and let him bring you provisions thereof. And let him be courteous but let him not inform anyone about you;

18:20 For, if they should prevail against you, they would stone you or force you to return to their religion and then you will never prosper.'

18:21 And thus did We disclose them to the people that they might know that the promise of Allah was true, and that, as to the promised Hour, there was no doubt about it. And call to mind the time when people disputed among themselves concerning them, and said to each other, 'Build over them a building.' Their Lord knew them best. 'We will, surely, build a place of worship over them.'

18:22 Some say, 'They were three, the fourth of them was their dog;' and others say, 'They were five, the sixth of them was their dog,' guessing at random. And yet others say, 'They were seven, the eighth of them was their dog.' Say, 'My Lord knows best their correct number. None knows them except a few.' So argue not concerning them except with unanswerable arguments, nor seek information concerning them from anyone of them.

18:23 And say not of anything, 'I shall do that tomorrow,'

18:24 Unless Allah should will. And remember thy Lord when thou forgetest and say, 'I hope my Lord will guide me to what is even nearer than this to the right path.'

18:25 And they stayed in their Cave three hundred years and to that they added nine.

18:26 Say, 'Allah knows best how long they tarried.' To Him belong the secrets of the heavens and the earth. How Seeing is He, and how Hearing! They have no helper beside Him, and He does not let anyone share in His judgment.

18:27 And recite what has been revealed to thee of the Book of thy Lord. There is none who can change His words, and thou wilt find no refuge beside Him.

18:28 And keep thyself attached to those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His pleasure; and let not thine eyes pass beyond them, seeking the adornment of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his low desires, and his case exceeds all legitimate bounds.

18:29 And say, 'It is the truth from your Lord; wherefore let him who will, believe, and let him, who will, disbelieve.' Verily, We have prepared for the wrongdoers a fire whose flaming canopy shall enclose them. And if they cry for help, they will be helped with water like molten lead which would scale their faces. How dreadful the drink and how evil the resting place!

18:30 Verily, those who believe and do good works--surely We suffer not the reward of those who do good works to be lost.

18:31 It is these who will have Gardens of Eternity underneath which streams shall flow. They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and will wear green garments of fine silk and heavy brocade, reclining therein upon raised couches. How good the reward and how excellent the place of rest!

18:32 And set forth for them the parable of two men--one of them We provided with two gardens of grapes and surrounded them with date-palms, and between the two We placed cornfields.

18:33 Each of the gardens yielded its fruits in abundance and failed not the least therein. And in between the two We caused a stream to flow.

18:34 And he had fruit in abundance. And he said to his companion boastfully, arguing with him, 'I am richer than thou in wealth and stronger in respect of men.'

18:35 And he entered his garden while he was wronging his soul. He said, 'I do not think that this will ever perish;

18:36 And I do not think the promised Hour will ever come. And even if I am ever brought back to my Lord, I shall, surely, find a better resort than this.'

18:37 His companion said to him while he was arguing with him, 'Dost thou not believe in Him who created thee first from dust, then fashioned thee into a perfect man?

18:38 But as for me, I believe that Allah alone is my Lord, and I will not associate anyone with my Lord;

18:39 And why didst thou not say when thou didst enter thy garden, 'Only that which Allah wills comes to pass. There is no power save in Allah,' if thou seest me as less than thyself in riches and offspring;

18:40 It may be, my Lord will grant me something better than thy garden, and will send on thy garden a thunderbolt from heaven so that it will become bare slippery ground;

18:41 Or its water will dry up so that thou wilt not be able to find it.'

18:42 And his fruit was totally destroyed, and he began to wring his hands bewailing all that he had spent on it, and it had fallen down on its trellises. And he said, 'Would that I had not associated anyone with my Lord!

18:43 And he had no party to help him against Allah, nor was he able to defend himself.

18:44 In such a case protection comes only from Allah, the True. He is Best in rewarding and Best in respect of the final outcome.

18:45 And set forth for them the similitude of the life of this world. It is like water which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth is mingled with it, and then it becomes dry grass broken into pieces which the winds scatter, and Allah has full power over everything.

18:46 Wealth and children are ornaments of the life of this world. But enduring good works are better in the sight of thy Lord in respect of immediate reward, and better in respect of future hope.

18:47 And bethink of the day when We shall remove the mountains and thou wilt see the nations of the earth march forth against one another and We shall gather them all together and shall not leave any one of them behind.

18:48 And they will be presented to thy Lord standing in rows; and it will be said to them, 'Now have you come to Us as We created you at first. But you thought that We would not appoint a time for the fulfillment of Our promise to you.'

18:49 And the Book of their deeds will be placed before them, and thou wilt see the guilty ones fearful at what is therein; and they will say, 'O woe to us! What kind of Book is this! It leaves out nothing small or great but has recorded it.' And they will find all that they did confronting them, and thy Lord does not wrong anyone.

18:50 And call to mind the time when We said to the angels, 'Submit to Adam,' and they all submitted but Iblis did not. He was one of the jinn; and he disobeyed the command of his Lord. Will you than take him and his offspring for friends instead of Me while they are your enemies? Evil is the exchange for the wrongdoers.

18:51 I did not make them witness the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor their own creation; nor could I take as helpers those who lead people astray.

18:52 And remember the day when He will say to them, 'Call those whom you deemed to be My partners.' Then will they call on them, but they will not answer them; and We shall place a barrier between them.

18:53 And the guilty shall see the fire and realize that they are going to fall therein; and they shall find no escape therefrom.

18:54 And, surely, We have explained in various ways in this Qur'án for the good of mankind all manner of similitudes, but of all things man is most contentious.

18:55 And nothing hinders people from believing when the guidance comes to them, and from asking forgiveness of their Lord, but that they wait for the fate of the ancients to overtake them or that punishment should come upon them face to face.

18:56 And We sent not the Messengers but as bearers of glad tidings and as Warners. And those who disbelieve content by means of falsehood that they may rebut the truth thereby. And they take My Signs and what they are warned of only a jest.

18:57 And who is more unjust than he who is reminded of the Signs of his Lord, but turns away from them, and forgets what his hands have sent forward? Verily, We have placed veils over their hearts that they understand it not and in their ears a deafness. And if thou call them to guidance, they will never accept t.

18:58 And thy Lord is Most Forgiving, Lord of Mercy. If He were to seize them for what they have earned, then surely He would have hastened the punishment for them. But they have an appointed time from which they will find no refuge

18:59 And these towns--We destroyed them when they committed iniquities. And We appointed a time for their destruction.

18:60 And remember the time when Moses said to his young companion, 'I will not cease pursuing my course until I reach the junction of the two seas, though I may have to journey on for ages.

18:61 But when they reached the place where the two seas met, they forgot their fish and it made its way into the sea going away quickly.

18:62 And when they had gone beyond that place, he said to his young companion, 'Bring us our morning meal. Surely, we have suffered much fatigue on account of this journey of ours.'

18:63 He replied, 'Didst thou see, when we betook ourselves to the rock for rest and I forgot the fish--and none but Satan caused me to forget to mention it to thee--it took its way into the sea in a marvelous manner?

18:64 He said, 'That is what we have been seeking.' So they both returned, retracing their footsteps.

18:65 Then they found a servant of OURS, upon whom We had bestowed mercy from Us, and whom We had taught knowledge from Ourselves.

18:66 Moses said to him, 'May I follow thee on condition that thou teach me some of the guidance which thou hast been taught?'

18:67 He replied, 'Thou canst not have patience with me;

18:68 And how can thou have patience about the things the knowledge of which thou comprehendest not?'

18:69 He said, 'Thou wilt find me, if Allah please, patient and I shall not disobey any command of thine.'

18:70 He said, 'Well, if thou wouldst follow me, then ask me no questions about anything till I myself speak to thee about it.'

18:71 So they both set out till, when they embarked in a boat, he made a hole in it. Moses said, 'Hast thou made a hole in it to drown those who are in it? Surely, thou hast done a grievous thing.'

18:72 He replied, 'Did I not tell thee that thou canst not have patience with me?'

18:73 Moses said, 'Take me not to task for what I forgot and be not hard on me for this lapse of mine.'

18:74 So they journeyed on till when they met a young boy; he slew him. Moses said, 'What! hast thou slain an innocent person without his having slain anyone! Surely, thou hast done a hideous thing.'

18:75 He replied, 'Did I not tell thee that thou couldst never bear with me patiently?'

18:76 Moses said, 'If I ask thee concerning anything after this, keep me not in thy company, for then thou shalt have got sufficient excuse from me.'

18:77 So they went on till, when they came to the people of a town, they asked its people for food, but they refused to receive them as their guests. And they found therein a wall which was about to fall and he repaired it. Moses said, If thou hadst so desired, thou couldst have taken payment for it.'

18:78 He said, 'This is the parting of the ways between me and thee. I will tell thee the meaning of that which thou wast not able to bear with patience;

18:79 As for the boat, it belonged to certain poor people who worked on the sea and I desired to damage it, for there was behind them a king who seized every boat by force;

18:80 And as for the youth, his parents were believers, and we feared lest on growing up he should involve them into trouble through rebellion and disbelief;

18:81 So we desired that their Lord should give them in exchange one better than he in purity and closer in filial affection;

18:82 And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the town, and beneath it was a treasure belonging to them, and their father had been a righteous man, so thy Lord desired that they should reach their age of full strength and take out their treasure, as a mercy from thy Lord and I did it not of my own accord. This is the explanation of that which thou could not bear with patience.'

18:83 And they ask thee concerning Dhu'l Qarnain. Say, 'I will recite to you something of his account.'

18:84 We established him in the earth and gave him the means to achieve everything.

18:85 The he followed a certain way.

18:86 Until when he reached the setting-place of the sun, he found it setting as if in a pool of murky water, and near it he found a people. We said, 'O Dhu'l Qarnain, you may punish them, or treat them with kindness.'

18:87 He said, 'As for him who does wrong, we shall certainly punish him; then shall he be brought back to his Lord, who will punish him with a dreadful punishment;

18:88 But as for him who believes and act righteously, he will have a good reward with his Lord, and We too shall speak to him easy words of Our command.'

18:89 Then indeed he followed another way.

18:90 Until he reached the rising-place of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had made no shelter against it.

18:91 Thus indeed it was. Verily, We had full knowledge of all that he had with him.

18:92 Then he followed another way.

18:93 Until when he reached the open place between the two mountain mountains, he found, beneath them a people who could scarcely understand a word of what he said.

18:94 They said, 'O Dhu'l Qarnain, verily, Gog and Magog are creating disorder in the earth; shall we then pay tribute on condition that thou set up a barrier between us and them?'

18:95 He replied, 'The power with which my Lord has endowed me about this is better than the resources of my enemies but you may help me with strength of labourers, I will set up a rampart between you and them;

18:96 Bring me blocks of iron.' They did so till, when he had filled up the space between the two mountains sides, he said, 'Now blow with your bellows.' They blew till, when he had made it red as fire, he said, 'Bring me molten copper that I may pour it thereon.'

18:97 So they (Gog and Magog) were not able to scale it, nor were they able to dig through it.

18:98 Thereupon he said, 'This is a mercy from my Lord. But when the promise of my Lord shall come to pass, He will break it into pieces. And the promise of my Lord is certainly true.'

18:99 And on that day We shall leave some of them to surge against others, and the trumpet will be blown. Then shall We gather them all together.

18:100 And on that day We shall present Hell, face to face, to the disbelievers

18:101 Whose eyes were under a veil, not heeding My reminder and they could not even afford to hear.

18:102 Do the disbelievers think that they can take My servants as protectors instead of Me? Surely, We have prepared Hell as an entertainment for the disbelievers.

18:103 Say, 'Shall We tell you of those who are the greatest losers in respect of their works.'

18:104 Those whose labour is all lost in pursuit of the life of this world, and yet they imagine that they are doing good works.'

18:105 Those are they who deny the Signs of their Lord and the meeting with Him. So their works are vain, and on the Day of Resurrection We shall give them no weight.

18:106 That is their reward--Hell; because they disbelieved, and made a jest of My Signs and My Messengers.

18:107 Surely, those who believe and act righteously, will have Gardens of Paradise for an abode,

18:108 Wherein they will abide; having no desire to be removed therefrom.

18:109 Say, 'If every ocean become ink for the words of my Lord, surely, the ocean would be exhausted before the words of my Lord were exhausted, even though We brought the like thereof as further help.'

18:110 Say, I am but a man like yourselves; but it is revealed to me that your Allah is One Allah. So let him who hopes to meet his Lord, do good deeds, and let him join no one in the worship of his Lord.

Chapter 19--Maryam

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

19:1 Kaf Ha Ya 'Ain Sad.

19:2 This is an account of the mercy of thy Lord shown to His servant Zachariah,

19:3 When he called upon his Lord in a low voice.

19:4 He said, 'My Lord, my bones have indeed become feeble and my head is all aflame with hoariness but never, my Lord, have I been unblessed in my prayer to Thee;

19:5 And I fear my relations after me, and my wife is barren. So grant me from Thyself a successor,

19:6 To be my heir and the heir of the blessings of the House of Jacob. And make him, my Lord, well-pleasing to Thee.'

19:7 Allah said, 'O Zachariah, We give thee glad tidings of a son whose name shall be Yahya. We have not called any one before him by that name.'

19:8 He said, 'My Lord, how shall I have a son when my wife is barren, and I have reached the extreme limit of old age?

19:9 The angel bearing the revelation said, 'So shall it be.' But thy Lord says, 'It is easy for Me, and indeed I created thee before, when thou wast nothing.'

19:10 Zachariah said, 'My Lord appoint for me a commandment.' Allah said, 'The commandment for thee is that thou shalt not speak to the people for three successive days and nights.'

19:11 Then he came forth unto his people from the chamber and asked them in a low voice to glorify GOD morning and evening.

19:12 Allah said, 'O Yahya, hold fast the Book.' And We gave him wisdom while yet a child,

19:13 And tenderness of heart from Us and purity, and he was pious,

19:14 And dutiful towards his parents. And he was not haughty and rebellious.

19:15 And peace was on him the day he was born, and the day he died, and peace will be on him the day he will be raised up to life again.

19:16 And relate the story of Mary as mentioned in the Book, when she withdrew from her people to an eastern place;

19:17 And screened herself off from them. Then We sent Our angel to her and he appeared to her in the form of a well proportioned man.

19:18 She said, 'I seek refuge with the Gracious Allah from thee if indeed thou dost fear Him.'

19:19 The angel said, 'I am only a messenger of thy Lord, that I may give thee glad tidings of a righteous son.'

19:20 She said, 'How can I have a son when no man has touched me, neither have I been unchaste?'

19:21 The angel said, 'Thus it shall be.' But says thy Lord, 'It is easy for Me; and We shall do so that We may make him a Sign unto men, and a mercy from Us, and it is a thing decreed.'

19:22 So she conceived him, and withdrew with him to a remote place.

19:23 And the pains of child-birth drove her unto the trunk of a palm-tree. She said, 'O, would that I had died before this and had become a thing quite forgotten!

19:24 Then the angel called her from beneath her, saying, 'Grieve not. Thy Lord has placed a rivulet below thee;

19:25 And shake towards thyself the trunk of the palm-tree; it will drop upon thee fresh ripe dates;

19:26 So, eat and drink and cool thine eye. And if thou seest any man, say, 'I have vowed a fast to the Gracious Allah; I will, therefore, not speak this day to any human being.'

19:27 Then she brought him to her people, mounted. They said, 'O Mary, surely, thou hast committed a monstrous thing!

19:28 O sister of Aaron, thy father was not a wicked man, nor was thy mother an unchaste woman!'

19:29 Thereupon she pointed to him. They said, 'How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?'

19:30 Jesus said, 'I am a servant of Allah. He has given me the Book, and has made me a Prophet;

19:31 And He has made me blessed wheresoever I may be, and has enjoined upon me Prayer and almsgiving so long as I live;

19:32 And He has made me dutiful towards my mother, and has not made me arrogant and graceless;

19:33 And peace was on me the day I was born, and peace will be on me the day I shall die, and the day I shall be raised up to life again.'

19:34 That was Jesus, son of Mary. This is a statement of the truth concerning which they entertain doubt.

19:35 It does not befit the Majesty of Allah to take unto Himself a son. Holy is He. When He decrees a thing, He says to it, 'Be, and it comes into being.'

19:36 Said Jesus, 'Surely, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him alone, this is the right path.'

19:37 But the parties differed among themselves; so woe to those who disbelieve, because of the meeting of a grievous day.

19:38 How will they hear and see on the day when they will come to Us! But today the wrongdoers are in manifest error.

19:39 And warn them of the day of sorrow when the matter will be decided. But now they are in a state of heedlessness, so they do not believe.

19:40 It is We who shall inherit the earth and all who are thereon, and to Us will they all be returned.

19:41 And relate the story of Abraham as mentioned in the Book. He was a truthful man and a Prophet.

19:42 When he said to his father, why dost thou worship that which neither hears nor sees, nor can avail thee aught?

19:43 O my father, there has indeed come to me knowledge such as has not come to thee; so follow me, I will guide thee to a straight path;

19:44 O my father, worship not Satan; surely, Satan is a rebel against the Gracious Allah;

19:45 O my father, indeed I fear lest a punishment from the Gracious Allah seize thee and thou become a friend of Satan.'

19:46 He replied, 'Dost thou turn away from my gods, O Abraham? If thou desist not, I will surely cut off all relations with thee. Now leave me alone for a while.'

19:47 Abraham said, 'Peace be upon thee. I will ask forgiveness of my Lord for thee. He is indeed gracious to me;

19:48 And I shall keep away from you and from that which you call upon beside Allah; and I will pray unto my Lord. Maybe that in praying to my Lord I shall not be disappointed.'

19:49 So when he had separated himself from them and from that which they worshiped beside Allah, We bestowed upon him Isaac and Jacob and each of them We made a Prophet.

19:50 And We granted them abundantly of Our mercy; and We bestowed upon them true and lasting renown.

19:51 And relate the story of Moses as mentioned in the Book. He was, indeed, a chosen one; and he was a Messenger, a Prophet.

19:52 And We called him from the right side of the Mount and We made him draw near to Us for special communion.

19:53 And We bestowed upon him, out of Our mercy, his brother Aaron whom We made a Prophet.

19:54 And relate the story of Ishmael as mentioned in the Book. He was indeed true to his promises. And he was a Messenger, a Prophet.

19:55 He used to enjoin Prayer and alms-giving on his people, and he was well pleasing to his Lord.

19:56 And relate the story of Idris as mentioned in the Book. He was a truthful man and a Prophet.

19:57 And We exalted him to a lofty station.

19:58 These are the people upon whom Allah bestowed His blessings from among the Prophets of the posterity of Adam, and of the posterity of those whom We carried in the Ark with Noah, and of the posterity of Abraham and Israel; and they are of those whom We guided and chose. When the Signs of the Gracious Allah were recited unto them, they fell down, prostrating themselves before Allah and weeping.

19:59 Then there came after them an evil generation who neglected Prayer, and followed their evil desires. So they will meet destruction.

19:60 Except those who repent and believe and do good deeds. These will enter Heaven and they will not be wronged in the least -

19:61 Gardens of Eternity, which the Gracious Allah has promised to His servants while they are yet hidden from their sight. Surely, His promise must come to pass.

19:62 They will not hear therein anything vain but only greetings of peace; they will have their sustenance therein, morning and evening.

19:63 Such is the Heaven which We shall give for an inheritance to those of Our servants who are righteous.

19:64 And the angels will say to them, 'We do not come down save by the command of thy Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us and all that is behind us and all that is between; and thy Lord is not forgetful;'

19:65 He is the Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between the two. Serve Him, therefore, and be steadfast in His service. Dost thou know anyone equal to Him?

19:66 And says man, 'What! when I am dead, shall I be brought forth alive?'

19:67 Does not man remember that We created him before, when he was nothing?

19:68 And, by thy Lord, We shall assuredly gather them together, and the satans too; then shall We bring them on their knees around Hell.

19:69 Then shall We certainly pick out, from every group, those of them who were most stubborn in rebellion against the Gracious Allah.

19:70 And surely, We know best those deserving to be burnt therein.

19:71 And there is not one of you but will come to it. This is an absolute decree of thy Lord.

19:72 And We shall save the righteous, and shall leave the wrongdoers therein, on their knees.

19:73 And when Our manifest Signs are recited unto them, the disbelievers say to the believers, 'Tell us, which of the two parties is better in respect of position and is more impressive in respect of companions?'

19:74 And how many a generation have We destroyed before them, who were better off than these in wealth and better in outward show.

19:75 Say, 'The Gracious Allah grants those, who are in error, respite for a time until, when they will see that with which they are threatened--whether it be punishment or the final Hour--they will realize who is worse in respect of position and weaker in forces.'

19:76 And Allah increases in guidance those who follow guidance. And the good works that endure are best in the sight of thy Lord in respect of reward and in respect of the ultimate end.'

19:77 Hast thou not seen him who disbelieves in Our Signs, and says, 'I shall certainly be given great wealth and children?'

19:78 Has he got knowledge of the unseen or has he taken a promise from the Gracious Allah?

19:79 Indeed not! We shall note down what he says and shall prolong for him the punishment.

19:80 And We shall inherit from him all that he talks of and he shall come to Us all alone.

19:81 And they have taken other gods than Allah that they may be a source of honour and power for them.

19:82 Not at all! They will deny their worship, and will be their opponents.

19:83 Seest thou not that We send satans against the disbelievers, inciting them to acts of disobedience?

19:84 So be thou not in haste against them; We are keeping full account of their doings.

19:85 Remember the day when We shall gather the righteous before the Gracious Allah as honoured guest;

19:86 And We shall drive the guilty to Hell like a herd of thirsty camels.

19:87 None will have the power of intercession save he who has received a promise from the Gracious Allah.

19:88 And they say, 'The Gracious Allah has taken unto Himself a son.'

19:89 Assuredly, you have indeed uttered a most hideous thing.

19:90 The heavens might well-nigh burst thereat, and the earth cleave asunder, and the mountains fall down in pieces.

19:91 Because they ascribe a son to the Gracious Allah.

19:92 It becomes not the Gracious Allah that He should take unto Himself a son.

19:93 There is none in the heavens and the earth but he shall come to the Gracious Allah as a bondman.

19:94 Verily, He comprehends them by His knowledge and has numbered them all fully.

19:95 And each of them shall come to Him on the Day of Resurrection, all alone.

19:96 Those who believe and do good deeds--The Gracious Allah will create deep love for them.

19:97 So We have made the Qur'án easy in thy tongue that thou mayest give thereby glad tidings to the righteous, and warn thereby a contentious people.

19:98 And how many a generation have We destroyed before them! Canst thou perceive a single one of them, or hear even a whisper of them?

Chapter 20--Ta Ha

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

20:1 Ta Ha.

20:2 We have not sent down the Qur'án to thee that thou shouldst be distressed;

20:3 But as a reminder to him who fears Allah;

20:4 And a revelation from Him Who created the earth and the high heavens.

20:5 He is the Gracious Allah Who has settled Himself firmly on the throne.

20:6 To Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, and whatsoever is between them, and whatsoever is beneath the moist sub-soil.

20:7 And if thou speakest aloud, He hears it and also if thou speakest in a low voice, For He knows the secret thoughts of man and what is yet more hidden.

20:8 Allah--there is no god but He. His are the most beautiful names.

20:9 And has the story of Moses come to thee?

20:10 When he saw a fire, and he said to his family, 'Tarry ye, I perceive a fire; perhaps I may bring you a brand therefrom or find guidance at the fire.

20:11 And when he came to it, he was called by a voice, 'O Moses,

20:12 Verily, I am thy Lord. So take off thy shoes; for thou art in the sacred Valley of Tuwa;

20:13 And I Myself have chosen thee; so hearken to what is revealed to thee;

20:14 Verily, I am Allah; there is no god but I, so worship Me alone and observe Prayer for my remembrance;

20:15 Surely, the Hour is coming and I am going to manifest it, that every soul may be recompensed for its labours;

20:16 So let not him, who believes not therein and follows his own low desires, turn thee away therefrom, lest thou perish;

20:17 And what is that in thy right hand, O Moses?'

20:18 Moses said, 'This is my rod, I lean on it and beat down therewith leaves for my sheep and other uses also I find in it.'

20:19 Allah said, 'Cast it down, O Moses.'

20:20 So he cast it down, and behold! it was a serpent running.

20:21 Allah said, 'Take hold of it, and fear not. We shall restore it to its former state.

20:22 And draw thy hand closer under thy arm-pit, it shall come forth white, without any disease--another Sign.

20:23 That We may show thee some of Our greater Signs;

20:24 Go thou to Pharaoh; he has indeed exceeded all bounds.'

20:25 Moses said, 'My Lord, expand for me my breast;

20:26 And make my task easy for me;

20:27 And loose the knot from my tongue,

20:28 That they may understand my speech;

20:29 And grant me an assistant from my family -

20:30 Aaron, my brother;

20:31 Increase my strength by him;

20:32 And make him share my task;

20:33 That we may glorify thee much;

20:34 And remember thee much;

20:35 Thou art, surely, Ever-Watching over us.'

20:36 Allah said, 'Granted is thy prayer, O Moses.

20:37 And We did indeed confer a favour upon thee at another time also;

20:38 When We revealed to thy mother what was an important revelation, to wit:

20:39 Put him in the ark, and place in into the river, then the river will cast it on to the shore, and there one who is an enemy to Me and also an enemy to him will take him up.' And I wrapped thee with love from Me; and this I did that thou mightest be reared before My eye;

20:40 When thy sister walked along and said, 'Shall I direct you to one who will take charge of him? So We restored thee to thy mother that her eye might be cooled and she might not grieve. And thou didst slay a man, but We delivered thee from sorrow. Then We tried thee with various trials. And thou didst tarry several years among the people of Midian. Then thou camest up to the required standard, O Moses;

20:41 And I have chosen thee for Myself;

20:42 Go, thou and thy brother, with My Signs, and slacken not in remembering Me;

20:43 Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, for he has transgressed all bounds;

20:44 But speak to him a gentle word, haply he might take heed or fear.'

20:45 They replied, 'Our Lord, we fear lest he commit some excess against us, or exceed all bounds in persecuting us.'

20:46 Allah said, 'Fear not; for I am with you both. I hear and I see.

20:47 So go ye both to him and say, 'We are the Messengers of thy Lord; so let the Children of Israel go with us; and torment them not. We have, indeed, brought thee a great Sign from thy Lord; and peace shall be on him who follows the guidance;

20:48 It has, indeed, been revealed to us that punishment shall come upon him who rejects the Message of Allah and turns away.'

20:49 Pharaoh said, 'Who then is the Lord of you two, O Moses?'

20:50 Moses said, 'Our Lord is He Who gave unto everything its proper form and then guided it to its proper function.'

20:51 Pharaoh said, 'What will be the fate of the former generations?'

20:52 Moses said, 'The knowledge thereof is with my Lord preserved in a Book. My Lord neither errs nor forgets;

20:53 It is He Who has made the earth for you a bed and has caused pathways for you to run through it; and Who sends down rain from the sky and thereby We bring forth various kinds of vegetation in pairs.

20:54 Eat ye and pasture your cattle. Verily, in this are Signs for those endowed with reason.'

20:55 From the earth have We have created you, and into it shall We cause you to return, and from it shall We bring you forth a second time.

20:56 And We did show Pharaoh Our Signs, all of them; but he rejected them and refused to believe.

20:57 He said, 'Has thou come to us, O Moses, to drive us out of our land by thy magic?

20:58 But we shall assuredly bring thee magic the like thereof; so make an appointment between us and thyself which we shall not fail to keep--neither we nor thou--at a place alike for us both.'

20:59 Moses said, 'Your appointment shall be the day of the festival and let the people be assembled when the sun is risen high.'

20:60 Then Pharaoh withdrew and concerted his plan and then came to the place of appointment.

20:61 Moses said to them, 'Woe to you, forge not a lie against Allah, lest He destroy you utterly by some punishment and, surely, he who forges a lie shall perish.'

20:62 Then they argued their affair among themselves and conferred in secret.

20:63 They said, 'Certainly these two are magicians who seek to drive you out from your land by their magic and to destroy your best way of life;

20:64 Concert, therefore, your plan; and then come forward in a body. And, surely, he who gains ascendancy this day shall prosper.'

20:65 They said, 'O Moses, either do thou cast first, or we shall be the first to cast.'

20:66 Moses said, 'Nay, cast ye.' Then lo! their cords and their staves appeared to him, by their magic, as though they ran about.

20:67 And Moses conceived a fear in his mind.

20:68 We said, 'Fear not, for thou wilt have the upper hand;

20:69 And cast that which is in thy right hand; it will swallow that which they have wrought, for that which they have wrought is only a sorcerer's trick. And a sorcerer shall not thrive, contrive what he may.'

20:70 Then the realization of truth made the sorcerers fall down prostrate. They said, 'We believe in the Lord of Aaron and Moses.'

20:71 Pharaoh said, 'Do you believe in him before I give you leave? He must be your chief who has taught you magic. I will, therefore, surely cut off your hands and your feet on alternate sides, and I will surely crucify you on the trunks of palm trees; and you shall know which of us can impose severer and more abiding punishment.'

20:72 They said, 'We shall not prefer thee to the manifest Signs that have come to us, nor shall we prefer thee to Him Who has created us. So decree what thou wilt decree; thou canst only decree concerning this present life;

20:73 Surely, we have believed in our Lord that He may forgive us our sins and forgive us the magic which thou didst force us to practise. And Allah is the Best and the Most Abiding.'

20:74 Verily, he who comes to his Lord a sinner--for him is Hell; he shall neither die therein nor live.

20:75 But he who comes to him a believer, having done good deeds, for such are the highest ranks -

20:76 Gardens of Eternity, beneath which streams flow; they will abide therein for ever. And that is the recompense of those who keep themselves pure.

20:77 And We directed Moses by revelation: 'Take away My servants by night, and strike for them a dry path through the sea, fearing not to be overtaken, nor having any other fear.'

20:78 Then Pharaoh pursued them with his hosts, and the waters of the sea completely covered them.

20:79 And Pharaoh led his people astray and did not guide them aright.

20:80 O Children of Israel, We delivered you from your enemy, and We made a covenant with you on the right side of the Mount, and sent down on you Manna and Salwa.

20:81 And admonished you, 'Eat of the good things that We have provided for you, and transgress not therein, lest My wrath descend upon you; and he, on whom My wrath descends, shall perish;

20:82 But, surely, I am All-Forgiving to him who repents and believes and does righteous deeds, then sticks to guidance.'

20:83 When Moses arrived for his tryst with his Lord He said, 'And what has made thee hasten away from thy people, O Moses?'

20:84 He said, 'They are closely following in my footsteps and I have hastened to Thee, my Lord, that Thou mightest be pleased.'

20:85 Allah said, 'We have tried thy people in thy absence, and the Samari has led them astray.'

20:86 So Moses returned to his people, angry and sad, and he said, 'O my people, did not your Lord promise you a gracious promise? Did, then, the time of its fulfillment appear too long to you, or did you desire that wrath should descend upon you from your Lord, that you broke your promise to me?'

20:87 They said, 'We did not break our promise to thee of our own accord; but we were laden with loads of people's ornaments and we cast them away, and likewise did the Samari cast away.'

20:88 Then he produced for them a calf--a mere body which emitted a lowing sound. Then he and his companions said, 'This is your god, and the god of Moses but he has forgotten it and left it behind.'

20:89 Could they not see that it returned to them no answer, and had no power to do them either harm or good?

20:90 And Aaron had said to them before the return of Moses, 'O my people, you have only been tried by means of the calf. And, surely, the Gracious Allah is your Lord, so follow me and obey my command.'

20:91 They replied, 'We shall not cease to worship it until Moses return to us.'

20:92 Moses said, 'O Aaron, what prevented thee, when thou didst see them gone astray

20:93 From following me? Didst thou then disobey my command?'

20:94 Aaron answered, 'Son of my mother, seize me not by my beard, nor by the hair of my head. I feared lest thou shouldst say: 'Thou hast caused a division among the Children of Israel, and didst not wait for my word.'

20:95 Moses said, 'And what then is thy plea, O Samiri?'

20:96 He said, 'I perceived what they perceived not. I had only adopted part of what the Messenger (Moses) inculcated, but I threw even that away. Thus it is that my mind commended to me.'

20:97 Moses said, 'Begone then! It shall be thine all this life to say to everyone, 'Touch me not,' and there is a promise of punishment for thee which shall not fail to be fulfilled about thee. Now, look at thy god of which thou hast become a devoted worshiper. We will certainly burn it and then We will scatter its ashes into the sea;

20:98 Your Allah is only Allah, there is no god but He. He comprehends all things in His knowledge.'

20:99 Thus do We relate to thee the tidings of what has happened before. And We have given thee from Us a Reminder.

20:100 Whoso turns away from it, he will surely bear a heavy burden on the Day of Resurrection.

20:101 Abiding thereunder, and evil will the burden be to them on the Day of Resurrection.

20:102 The day when the trumpet will be blown. And on that day We shall gather the sinful together, blue-eyed.

20:103 They will talk to one another in a low tone saying, 'You tarried only ten days.'

20:104 We know best what they will say--when the one most upright in conduct among them will say, 'You have tarried only a day.'

20:105 And they ask thee concerning the mountains. Say, 'My Lord will break them into pieces and scatter them as dust;

20:106 And He will leave them a barren level plain;

20:107 Wherein thou wilt see no depression or elevation.

20:108 On that day they will follow the Caller in whose teaching is no crookedness; and all voices shall be hushed before the Gracious Allah and thou shalt not hear but a subdued murmur.

20:109 On that day intercession shall not avail save the intercession of him whom the Gracious Allah grants permission and with whose word of faith He is pleased.

20:110 He knows all that is before them and all that is behind them, but they cannot compass it with their knowledge.

20:111 And all great leaders shall humble themselves before the Living, Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining Allah. And He indeed is undone who bears the burden of iniquity.

20:112 But he who does good works, being a believer, shall apprehend neither injustice nor loss.

20:113 And thus have We sent it down--the Qur'án in Arabic--and We have explained therein every kind of warning, that they may fear Allah or that it may cause them to remember him.

20:114 Exalted then is Allah, the True King. And make no haste to recite the Qur'án ere its revelation is completed unto thee, but only say, 'Lord, bestow on me increase of knowledge.'

20:115 And verily, We had made a covenant with Adam beforehand, but he forgot, and We found in him no resolve to disobey Us.

20:116 And remember when We said to the angels, 'Submit to Adam,' and they all submitted. But Iblis did not. He refused to submit.

20:117 Then We said, 'O Adam, this is an enemy to thee and to thy wife; so let him not drive you both out of the garden, lest thou come to grief;

20:118 It is decreed for thee that thou shalt not hunger therein nor shalt thou be naked;

20:119 And that thou shalt not thirst therein, nor shall thou be exposed to the sun.'

20:120 But Satan whispered evil suggestions to him. He said, 'O Adam, shall I direct thee to the tree of eternity, and to a kingdom that never decays?'

20:121 Then they both ate thereof, so that their nakedness became manifest to them, and they began to cover themselves with the leaves of the garden. And Adam observed not the commandment of his Lord, so his life became miserable.

20:122 Then his Lord chose him for His grace, and turned to him with mercy and guided him.

20:123 Allah said, 'Go forth both of you from here; some of you will be enemies of others. And if there comes to you guidance from Me, then whoso will follow My guidance, will not go astray, nor will he come to grief;

20:124 But whosoever will turn away from My remembrance, his will be a straitened life, and on the Day of Resurrection We shall raise him up blind.'

20:125 He will say, 'My Lord, why hast Thou raised me up blind, while I possessed sight before?'

20:126 Allah will say, 'Thus did Our Signs come to thee and thou didst ignore them and in like manner wilt thou be ignored this day.'

20:127 And thus do We recompense him who transgresses the limits of Divine Law and believes not in the Signs of his Lord; and the punishment of the Hereafter is even severer and more lasting.

20:128 Does it not furnish guidance to them, how many a generation We destroyed before them, amid whose dwellings they now walk? Therein, verily, are Signs for those who possess understanding.

20:129 And had not been for a word already gone forth from thy Lord, and a term already fixed, their punishment would have been abiding.

20:130 Bear patiently then what they say, and glorify thy Lord with His praise before the rising of the sun and before its setting; and glorify Him in the hours of the night and all parts of the day, that thou mayest find true happiness.

20:131 And strain not thine eyes after what We have bestowed on some classes of them of the splendour of the present world that We may try them thereby. And the provision of thy Lord is better and more lasting.

20:132 And enjoin Prayer on thy people and be constant therein. We ask thee not for provision; it is We who provide for thee. And the good end is for those who guard against evil.

20:133 And they say, 'Why does he not bring us a Sign from his Lord?' Has there not come to them clear evidence of what is contained in the former Books?

20:134 And if We had destroyed them with a punishment before the coming of this Messenger, they would have surely said, 'Our Lord, wherefore didst Thou not send to us a Messenger that we might have followed Thy commandments before we were humbled and disgraced?'

20:135 Say, 'Each one is waiting; wait ye, therefore, and you will soon know who are the people of the right path and who follow true guidance, and who do not.

Chapter 21--The Prophets

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

21:1 Nigh unto men has drawn their reckoning, yet they turn away in heedlessness.

21:2 There comes not to them any new admonition from their Lord, but they listen to it while they make sport of it.

21:3 And their hearts are forgetful. And they--the wrongdoers -- confer together in secret and say, 'Is this man aught but a mortal like yourselves? Will you then yield to his sorcery with your eyes open?'

21:4 In reply to this the Prophet said, '`My Lord knows what is said in the heavens and the earth. And He is All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.'

21:5 Nay, they say, 'These are but confused dreams; nay, he has forged it himself: nay, he is but a poet. Let him then bring us a Sign just as the former Prophets were sent with Signs.'

21:6 No township, before them, which We destroyed, ever believed. Would they then believe?

21:7 And We sent none as Messengers before thee but men to whom We sent revelations. So ask the people of the reminder, if you know not;

21:8 Nor did We give them bodies that ate not food, neither were they to live forever.

21:9 Then We fulfilled to them Our promise; and We saved them and those whom We pleased; and We destroyed the transgressors.

21:10 We have now sent down to you a Book which makes provision for your eminence; will you not then understand?

21:11 And how many a township that acted wrongfully have We utterly destroyed, and raised up after it another people.

21:12 And when they perceived Our punishment, lo! they began to flee from it.

21:13 Thereupon We said, 'Flee not, but return to the luxuries in which you exulted, and to your dwellings that you might be questioned about your conduct.'

21:14 They said, 'Alas for us, we were indeed wrongdoers!'

21:15 And this ceased not to be their cry till We made them like a mown down field, extinct.

21:16 And We created not the heaven and the earth and all that is between the two in sport.

21:17 Had We wished to find a pastime, We would, surely, have found it in what is with Us, if at all We were to do such a thing.

21:18 Nay, We hurl the truth at falsehood, and it breaks its head, and lo! it perishes. And woe to you for that which you ascribe to Allah.

21:19 To Him belongs whosoever is in the heavens and the earth. And those who are in His presence do not disdain to worship Him, nor do they weary of it;

21:20 They glorify Him night and day; and they flag not.

21:21 Have they taken gods from the earth who raise the dead?

21:22 If there had been in the heavens and the earth other gods beside Allah, then surely both would have gone to ruin. Glorified then be Allah, the Lord of the Throne, far above what they attribute to Him.

21:23 He cannot be questioned as to what He does, but they will be questioned.

21:24 Have they taken gods besides Him? Say, 'Bring forth your proof. This Qur'án is a source of honour for those with me, and a source of honour for those before me.' Nay, most of them know not the truth, and so they turn away.

21:25 And We sent no Messenger before thee but We revealed to him: 'There is no god but I; so worship Me alone.'

21:26 And they say, 'The Gracious Allah has taken to Himself a son.' Holy is He. Nay, those whom they so designate are only His honoured servants;

21:27 They speak not before He speaks, and they only carry out His commands.

21:28 He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they intercede not except for him whom He approves it and they tremble in awe of Him.

21:29 And whosoever of them should say, 'I am a god beside Him,' him shall We requite with Hell. Thus do We requite the wrongdoers.

21:30 Do not the disbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were a closed up-mass, then We opened them out? And We made of water every living thing. Will they not then believe?

21:31 And We have placed in the earth firm mountains lest it should quake with them; and We have made therein wide pathways, that they may be rightly guided.

21:32 And We have made the heaven a roof, well-protected, yet they turn away from its Signs.

21:33 And He it is Who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon, each gliding along smoothly in its orbit.

21:34 We granted not everlasting life to any mortal before thee. If they shouldst die, shall they live here for ever?

21:35 Every soul shall taste of death; and We test you with evil and good by way of trial. And to Us shall you be returned.

21:36 And when the disbelievers see thee, thy only make a jest of thee, and say, 'Is this the one who speaks ill of your gods?' Yet it is they themselves who deny all mention of the Gracious Allah.

21:37 Man is created of haste. I will certainly show you My Signs, but ask Me not to hasten.

21:38 And they say, 'When will this promise be fulfilled, if you are truthful?'

21:39 If only the disbelievers knew the time when they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces, nor from their backs, and they will not be helped.

21:40 Nay, it will come upon them unawares so that it will utterly confound them; and they will not be able to repel it, nor will they be granted respite.

21:41 And the Messengers have indeed been mocked at before thee, but whereat they mocked encompassed those of them who scoffed.

21:42 Say, 'Who can protect you by night and by day from the Gracious Allah?' Yet they turn away from the remembrance of their Lord.

21:43 Have they any gods that can protect them against Us? They cannot help themselves, nor can they be befriended by anyone against Us.

21:44 Nay, We provided those and their fathers with the good things of this world till life grew long for them. Do they not see that We are visiting the land, reducing it from its outlying borders? Can they even then be the victors?

21:45 Say, 'I warn you only according to Divine revelation.' But the deaf cannot hear the call when they are warned.

21:46 And even if a breath of Thy Lord's punishment touch them, they will surely cry out, 'Woe to us! we were indeed wrongdoers.'

21:47 And We shall set up just balances on the Day of Resurrection, so that no soul will be wronged in the least. And even if it be the weight of a grain of mustard seed, We would bring it forth. And sufficient are We as reckoners.

21:48 And We gave Moses and Aaron the Discrimination and a Light and a Reminder for the righteous,

21:49 Those who fear their Lord in secret, and who dread the Hour of judgment.

21:50 And this Qur'án which We have sent down is a blessed Reminder; will you then reject it?

21:51 And before this We gave Abraham his guidance and We knew him well.

21:52 When he said to his father and his people, 'What are these images to which you are so devoted?'

21:53 They replied, 'We found our fathers worshiping them.'

21:54 He said, 'Then, you, as well as your fathers, have indeed been in manifest error.'

21:55 They said, 'Is it really the truth that thou hast brought us, or art thou jesting?'

21:56 He replied, 'Nay, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth Who created them; and I am of those who bear witness to this;

21:57 And, by Allah, I will certainly plan against your idols after you have gone away and turned your backs.'

21:58 So he broke them into pieces, all except the chief of them, that they might return to it.

21:59 They said, 'Who has done this to our gods? Surely, he is a wrongdoer.'

21:60 Some others said, 'We heard a young man speak ill of them; he is called Abraham.'

21:61 They said, 'Then bring him before the eyes of the people, that they may bear witness against him.'

21:62 Then they said to Abraham, 'Is it thou who has done this to our gods, O Abraham?'

21:63 He replied, 'Well, someone has surely done this. Here is the chief of them. So ask them if they can speak.'

21:64 Then they turned towards one another and said, 'You yourselves are surely in the wrong.'

21:65 And they were made to hang down their heads for shame and said to Abraham, 'Certainly thou knowest well that these do not speak.'

21:66 He said, 'Do you then worship, instead of Allah, that which cannot profit you at all, nor harm you?

21:67 Fie on you and on that which you worship instead of Allah! Can you not understand?'

21:68 They said, 'Burn him and help your gods if at all you mean to do something.'

21:69 We said, 'O fire, be thou a means of coolness and safety for Abraham!'

21:70 And they had intended an evil plan against him, but We made them the worst losers.

21:71 And We delivered him and Lot and brought them to the Land which We had blessed for the peoples.

21:72 And We bestowed upon him Isaac, and a grandson, Jacob, and We made all of them righteous.

21:73 And We made them leaders who guided people by Our command, and We sent revelation to them enjoining the doing of good works, and the observance of Prayer, and the giving of alms. And Us alone they worshiped.

21:74 And to Lot We gave wisdom and knowledge. And We saved him from the city which practised abominations. They were indeed a wicked and rebellious people.

21:75 And We admitted him to Our mercy; surely he was one of the righteous.

21:76 And remember Noah when he cried to Us aforetime, and We heard his prayer and delivered him and his family from the great distress,

21:77 And We helped him against the people who rejected Our Signs. They were surely a wicked people; so We drowned them all.

21:78 And remember David and Solomon when they exercised their respective judgements concerning the crop, when the sheep of certain people strayed therein by night, and We were bearers of witness to their judgment.

21:79 We gave Solomon the right understanding of the matter and to each of them We gave wisdom and knowledge. And We subjected the mountains and the birds to David to celebrate Allah's praises with him. And it was We Who did all these things.

21:80 And We taught him the making of coats of mail for you, that they might protect you from each other's violence in your battles. Will you then be grateful?

21:81 And We subjected to Solomon the violent wind. It blew, at his bidding, toward the land which We had blessed. And We have knowledge of all things.

21:82 And We subjected to him deep divers who dived for him, and did other works besides that; and it was We Who guarded them.

21:83 And call to mind Job when he cried to his Lord, 'Distress has afflicted me, and Thou art the Most Merciful of all who show mercy.'

21:84 So We heard his prayer and removed the distress from which he suffered, and We restored to him his family and the like thereof with them, as a mercy from Us, and as an admonition to the worshippers.

21:85 And call to mind Ishmael and Idris and Dhu'l-Kifl. All were men of patience.

21:86 And We admitted them to Our mercy. Surely, they were of the righteous ones.

21:87 And remember Dhu'l-Nun, when he went away in anger, and he was sure in his mind that We would not cause him distress and he cried out in the midst of his afflictions: 'There is no god but Thou, Holy art Thou. I have indeed been of the wrongdoers.'

21:88 So We heard his prayer and delivered him from his distress. And thus do We deliver true believers.

21:89 And remember Zachariah also when he cried to his Lord: 'My Lord, leave me not alone and Thou art the Best of inheritors.'

21:90 So We heard his prayer and bestowed upon him John and cured his wife of sterility for him. They used to vie with one another in good works and they called on Us in hope and in fear, and they humbled themselves before Us.

21:91 And remember her who guarded her chastity, so We breathed into her of Our Word and We made her and her son a Sign for all peoples.

21:92 Verily, this community of yours is one community and I am your Lord, so worship Me.

21:93 And they split up their affair among themselves and all will return to Us.

21:94 So whoever does good works and is a believer, his endeavour will not be rejected and We shall surely record it.

21:95 And it is an inviolable law for a township which We have destroyed that they shall not return.

21:96 It shall be so even when Gog and Magog are let loose and they shall hasten forth from every height and from the top of every wave.

21:97 And the fulfillment of Allah's promise draws nigh; then behold, the eyes of those who disbelieve will fixedly stare and they will exclaim 'Alas for us! we were indeed heedless of this; nay, we were wrongdoers.'

21:98 It will be said to them, 'Surely, you and that which you worship beside Allah are the fuel of Hell. To it you will all come.

21:99 If these, as you allege, had been gods, they would not have entered it; and all will abide therein.

21:100 Therein groaning will be their lot and they will not hear therein anything else.

21:101 But as for those for whom the promise of a good reward has already gone forth from Us, these will be removed far from it.

21:102 They will not hear the slightest sound thereof, and they shall abide in the state which their souls desire.

21:103 The Great Terror will not grieve them, and the angels will meet them, saying, 'This is your day which you were promised;

21:104 The day when We shall roll up the heavens like the rolling up of written scrolls by a scribe.' As We began the first creation, So shall We repeat it--a promise binding upon Us; We shall certainly fulfill it.

21:105 And We have already written in the Book of David, after the reminder, that My righteous servants shall inherit the Land.

21:106 Herein, surely, is a message for a people who worship Allah.

21:107 And We have not sent thee but as a mercy for all peoples.

21:108 Say, 'Surely it has been revealed to me that your god is but One Allah. Will you then submit?'

21:109 But if they turn back, say, 'I have warned you all alike and I know not whether that which you are promised is near or far;

21:110 Verily, He knows what is open in speech, and He knows that which you hide;

21:111 And I know not but that it may be a trial for you, and only an enjoyment for a while.'

21:112 And the Prophet said, 'My Lord, judge thou with truth. Our Lord is the Gracious Allah Whose help is sought against that which you assert.'

Chapter 22--Pilgrimage

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

22:1 O people, fear your Lord; Verily the earthquake of the Hour is a tremendous thing -

22:2 On the day when you see it, every woman giving suck shall forget her suckling and every pregnant woman shall cast her burden; and thou shalt see men as they were drunken while they will not be drunken, but severe will indeed be the chastisement of Allah.

22:3 And among men there are some who dispute about Allah without knowledge and follow every rebellious satan -

22:4 Concerning whom it is decreed that whosoever makes friends with him, him he will lead astray and will guide to the torment of the Fire.

22:5 O people, if you are in doubt concerning the Resurrection, then consider that We have indeed created you from dust, then from a sperm drop, then from clotted blood, then from a lump of flesh, partly formed and partly unformed, in order that We make Our power manifest to you. And We cause what We will to remain in the wombs for an appointed term; then We bring you forth as babes; then We rear you that you may attain to your age of full strength. And there are some of you who are caused to die in the normal course, and there are others among you are kept back till the worst part of life with the result that they know nothing after having had knowledge. And thou seest the earth lifeless, but when We send down water thereon it stirs and swells and grows every kind of beauteous vegetation.

22:6 That is because Allah is Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining, and that it is He Who brings the dead to life, and that He has power over all things;

22:7 And because the Hour will certainly come, there is no doubt about it, and because Allah will raise up those who are in the graves.

22:8 And among men is he who disputes concerning Allah without knowledge and without guidance and without an illuminating Book,

22:9 Turning his side disdainfully, that he may lead men astray from the way of Allah. For him is disgrace in this world; and on the Day of Resurrection We shall make him taste the punishment of burning.

22:10 This is because of what thy hands have sent on before, and Allah is not unjust to His servants.

22:11 And among men is he who serves Allah, standing, as it were, on the verge. Then if good befalls him, he is content therewith; and if there befalls him a trial, he returns to his former way. He loses both this world as well as the Hereafter. That indeed is a manifest loss.

22:12 He calls beside Allah on that which can neither harm him nor benefit him. That is indeed straying far away.

22:13 He calls on him whose harm is much more likely than his benefit. Evil indeed is the patron, and evil indeed the associate.

22:14 Verily, Allah will cause those who believe and do good deeds to enter Gardens beneath which streams flow; surely, Allah does what He pleases.

22:15 Whoso thinks that Allah will not help him in this world and the Hereafter, let him stretch a rope to heaven, and let him cut it off. Then let him see if his device can remove that which enrages him.

22:16 And thus have We sent down the Qur'án as manifest Signs, and surely Allah guides whom He desires.

22:17 As to those who believe, and the Jews and the Sabians, and the Christians, and the Magians and the idolaters; verily, Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection. Surely, Allah watches over all things.

22:18 Hast thou not seen that to Allah submits whosoever is in the heavens and whosoever is in the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the mountains and the trees, and the beasts, and many of mankind? But there are many who become deserving of punishment. And whomsoever Allah disgraces, none can raise him to honour. Verily, Allah does what He pleases.

22:19 There are two groups of disputants who dispute concerning their Lord. As for those who disbelieve, garments of fire will be cut out for them; and boiling water will be poured down over their heads,

22:20 Whereby that which is in their bellies, and their skins too, will be melted;

22:21 And for their further punishment there will be maces of iron.

22:22 Whenever in their anguish they will seek to get out of it, they will be driven back into it; and it will be said to them, taste ye the torment of burning!'

22:23 But Allah will cause those who believe and do righteous deeds to enter Gardens beneath which rivers flow. They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and with pearls; and their raiment therein will be of silk.

22:24 And they will be guided to pure speech, and they will be guided to the path of the Praiseworthy Allah.

22:25 As to those who disbelieve and hinder men from the way of Allah and from the Sacred Mosque, which We have appointed equally for the benefit of all men, be they dwellers therein or visitors from the desert, and whoso seeks wrongfully to deviate therein from the right path--We shall cause him to taste of a grievous punishment.

22:26 And call to mind when We assigned to Abraham the site of the House and said, 'Associate not anything with Me and keep My House clean for those who perform the circuits, and those who stand up and those who bow and prostrate themselves in Prayer;

22:27 And proclaim unto men the Pilgrimage. They will come to thee on foot, and on every lean camel, coming by every distant, deep, track.

22:28 That they may witness the benefits provided for them and may mention the name of Allah, during the appointed days, over the quadrupeds of the class of cattle that He has provided for them. So eat thereof and feed the distressed and the needy.

22:29 Then let them accomplish their needful acts of cleansing, and fulfill their vows, and go around the Ancient House.'

22:30 That is Allah's commandment. And whoso honours the things declared sacred by Allah, it will be good for him with his Lord. And the eating of the flesh of all cattle is made lawful to you except that which has already been announced to you in the Qur'án. Shun, therefore, the abomination of idols, and shun all words of untruth,

22:31 Devoting all your worship and obedience to Allah, not associating anything with Him. And whoso associate anything with Allah, falls, as it were, from a height, and the birds snatch him away or the wind blows him away to a far off-place.

22:32 The truth is that whoso honours the sacred Signs of Allah--that, indeed, proceeds from the righteousness of hearts.

22:33 In these offerings are benefits for you for an appointed term, then their place of sacrifice is at the Ancient House.

22:34 And for every people We have appointed rites of Sacrifice, that they might mention the name of Allah over the quadrupeds of the class of cattle that He has provided for them. So your Allah is One Allah, therefore, submit ye all to Him. And give thou glad tidings to the humble,

22:35 Whose hearts are filled with awe when the name of Allah is mentioned, and who patiently endure whatever befalls them, and who observe Prayer and spend out of what We have bestowed upon them.

22:36 And among the sacred Signs of Allah We have appointed for you the sacrificial camels. In them there is much good for you. So mention the name of Allah over them as they stand tied up in rows. And when they fall down dead on their sides, eat thereof and feed him who is needy but contented and him also who supplicates. Thus have We subjected them to you, that you may be grateful.

22:37 Their flesh reaches not Allah, nor does their blood, but it is your righteousness that reaches Him. Thus He has subjected them to you, that you may glorify Allah for His guiding you. And give glad tidings to those who do good.

22:38 Surely, Allah defends those who believe. Surely, Allah loves not anyone who is perfidious, ungrateful.

22:39 Permission to take up arms is given to those against whom war is made, because they have been wronged and Allah, indeed, has power to help them. -

22:40 Those who have been driven out from their homes unjustly, only because they said, 'Our Lord is Allah.' And if Allah had not repelled some people by means of others, cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques, wherein the name of Allah is oft remembered, would surely have been destroyed. And Allah will, surely, help him who helps Him. Allah is, indeed, Powerful, Mighty -

22:41 Those who, if We establish them in the earth, will observe Prayer and pay the Zakat and enjoin good and forbid evil. And with Allah rests the final issue of all affairs.

22:42 And if they accuse thee of falsehood, even so, before them, the people of Noah and the tribes of Ad and Thamud also accused their prophets of falsehood;

22:43 And so did the people of Abraham and the people of Lot;

22:44 And the inhabitants of Midian. And Moses too was accused of falsehood. But I gave respite to the disbelievers; Then I seized them, and how terrible were the consequences of denying Me!

22:45 And how many a city have We destroyed, which was given to wrongdoing, so that it is fallen down on its roofs; and how many a well is deserted and how many a lofty castle lies in ruins!

22:46 Have they not traveled in the land, so that they may have hearts wherewith to understand, or ears wherewith to hear? For, surely, it is not the eyes that are blind, but blind are the hearts which are in the breasts.

22:47 And they demand of thee to hasten on the punishment, but Allah will never break His promise. And, verily, a day with thy Lord is sometimes as a thousand years of your reckoning.

22:48 And how many a city I have respited, while it was given to wrongdoing. Then I seized it, and unto Me is the return.

22:49 Say, 'O Mankind, I am but a plain Warner to you;'

22:50 Those who believe and do good works, for them is forgiveness and an honourable provision;

22:51 But those who strive against Our Signs, seeking to frustrate Our purpose--these shall be the inmates of the Fire.'

22:52 Never did We send a Messenger or a Prophet before thee, but when he sought to attain his object, Satan put obstacles in the way of what he sought after. But Allah removes the obstacles that are placed by Satan. Then Allah firmly establishes His Signs. And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

22:53 This happens that He may make the obstacles which Satan puts in the way of the Prophet a trial for those in whose hearts is a disease and, those whose hearts are hardened and surely, the wrongdoers are gone far in opposition -

22:54 And that those to whom knowledge is given may know that it is the truth from thy Lord, so that they may believe therein and their hearts may be humble unto Him. And, surely, Allah guides those who believe to the right path;

22:55 And those who disbelieve will not cease to be in doubt about it until the Hour comes suddenly upon them, or there comes to them the punishment of a destructive day.

22:56 The Kingdom on that day shall be Allah's. He will judge between them. So those who believe and do righteous deed will be in Gardens of Bliss;

22:57 But those, who disbelieve and reject Our Signs, will have an humiliating Punishment.

22:58 And those who leave their homes for the cause of Allah, and are then slain or die, Allah will, surely, provide for them a goodly provision. And, surely, Allah is the Best of providers.

22:59 He will, surely, admit them to a place with which they will be well-pleased. And Allah is indeed All-Knowing, Forbearing.

22:60 That indeed is so. And whoso retaliates with the like of that with which he is afflicted and is then transgressed against, Allah will surely help him. Allah is indeed the Effacer of sins and is Most Forgiving.

22:61 That system of punishment operates to show that it is Allah Who causes the night to enter into the day and causes the day to enter into the night, and that Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing,

22:62 And that is because it is Allah Who is the Truth, and that which they call on beside Him is falsehood and because Allah is the High, the Great.

22:63 Seest thou not that Allah sends down water from the sky and the earth becomes green? Allah is indeed the Knower of the subtleties, the All-Aware.

22:64 To him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Surely Allah is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.

22:65 Seest thou not that Allah has subjected to you whatever is in the earth, and the ships that sail through the sea by His command? And He holds back the heaven lest it should fall on the earth save by His leave. Surely, Allah is compassionate and Merciful to people.

22:66 And He it is who gave you life, then He will cause you to die, then He will give you life again. Surely, man is most ungrateful.

22:67 For every people We have appointed ways of worship which they observe; so let them not dispute with thee in the matter of the Islamic way of worship; and call thou the people to thy Lord, for, surely, thou art on the right guidance.

22:68 And if they contend with thee, say, 'Allah knows best what you do;

22:69 Allah will judge between you and me on the Day of Resurrection concerning that about which you differ.'

22:70 Knowest thou not that Allah knows whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth? Surely, it is all preserved in a Book, and that is easy for Allah.

22:71 And they worship instead of Allah that for which He has sent down no authority, and that of which they have no knowledge. And for the wrongdoers there is no helper.

22:72 And when Our clear Signs are recited unto them, thou seest on the faces of those who disbelieve, manifest signs of displeasure. They would well-nigh attack those who recite Our Signs to them. Say, 'Shall I tell you of something worse than that? It is the Fire! Allah has promised it to those who disbelieve. And an evil destination it is!'

22:73 O men, a similitude is set forth, so listen to it. Surely those on whom you call upon instead of Allah cannot create even a fly, though they should all combine together for the purpose. And if the fly should snatch away anything from them, they cannot recover it therefrom. Weak, indeed, are both the seeker and the sought.

22:74 They have not formed a true concept of the attributes of Allah. Surely, Allah is powerful, Mighty.

22:75 Allah chooses His Messengers from among angels and from among men. Surely, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.

22:76 He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and to Allah are all affairs returned for decision.

22:77 O ye who believe! bow you down and prostrate yourselves in Prayer, and worship your Lord, and do good deeds that you may prosper.

22:78 And strive in the cause of Allah as it behoves you to strive for it. He has chosen you and has laid no hardship upon you in the matter of religion; so follow the faith of your father Abraham; He has named you Muslims both before and in this Book, so that the Messenger may be a witness over you, and you may be witnesses over mankind. Therefore observe Prayer and pay the Zakát, and hold fast to Allah. He is your Protector and an Excellent Protector and an Excellent Helper!

Chapter 23--The Believers

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

23:1 Successful indeed are the believers,

23:2 Who are humble in their Prayers,

23:3 And who shun all that which is vain,

23:4 And who are prompt and regular in paying the Zakát,

23:5 And who guard their chastity -

23:6 Except from their wives or what their right hands possess, for then they are not to be blamed;

23:7 But those, who seek anything beyond that are the transgressors -

23:8 And who are watchful of their trusts and their covenants,

23:9 And who are strict in the observance of their Prayers.

23:10 These are the heirs,

23:11 Who will inherit Paradise. They will abide therein for ever.

23:12 Verily, We created man from an extract of clay;

23:13 Then We placed him as a drop of sperm in a safe depository;

23:14 Then We fashioned the sperm into a clot; then We fashioned the clot into a shapeless lump; then We fashioned bones out of this shapeless lump; Then We clothed the bones with flesh; Then We developed it into another creation. So blessed be Allah, the Best of creators.

23:15 Then after that you, surely, must die.

23:16 Then on the Day of Resurrection you shall, surely, be raised up.

23:17 And We have created above you seven ways, and We are never neglectful of the creation.

23:18 And We sent down water from the sky according to a measure, and We caused it to stay in the earth--and, surely, We have the power to take it away.

23:19 And We produced for you thereby gardens of date-palms and vines; for you therein are abundant fruits; and of them you eat;

23:20 And a tree which springs forth from Mount Sinai; it produces oil and a source for those who eat.

23:21 And in the cattle also there is a lesson for you. We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies and you have in them many other benefits, and of the flesh of some of them you also eat;

23:22 And on them and on ships you are borne.

23:23 And We, certainly, sent Noah to his people, and he said, 'O my people, worship Allah alone. You have no other god but Him. Will you not then seek His protection?'

23:24 And the chiefs of his people, who disbelieved, said, 'He is only a mortal like yourselves; he seeks to gain superiority over you. And if Allah had so willed, He could have, surely, sent down angels with him. We have never heard of such a thing among our forefathers;

23:25 He is but a man stricken with madness; wait, therefore, concerning him for a while.'

23:26 Noah said, 'O my lord, help me, for they treat me as a liar.'

23:27 So We directed him by revelation: 'Make the Ark under Our eyes and according to Our revelation. And when Our command comes, and the fountains of the earth gush forth, take thou into it two pairs of every species and thy family, except those of them against whom the word has already gone forth. And address Me not concerning those who have done wrong; they shall, surely, be drowned.

23:28 And when thou art settled in the Ark--thou and those that are with thee--say, 'All praise belongs to Allah who has saved us from the unjust people.'

23:29 And when thou dost disembark from the Ark say, My Lord, cause me to land a blessed landing, for Thou art the Best of those who bring people to land.'

23:30 Verily in this there are Signs. Surely, We do try people.

23:31 Then We raised after them another generation.

23:32 And We sent among them a Messenger from among themselves with the Message, 'Serve Allah, you have no god other than Him. Will you not then make Him your shield against all calamities?

23:33 And the chiefs of his people, who disbelieved and denied the meeting of the Hereafter with their Lord and whom We had afforded ease and comfort in this life, said, 'This is but a mortal like yourselves. He eats of that which you eat, and drinks of that which you drink;

23:34 And if you obey a mortal like yourselves, you will then be surely losers;

23:35 Does he promise you that when you are dead and have become dust and bones, you will be brought forth again?

23:36 Far, very far from truth is that which you are promised;

23:37 There is no life other than our present life; we die and we live, and we shall not be raised up again;

23:38 He is only a man who has forged a lie against Allah; and we are not going to believe in him.'

23:39 He said, 'My Lord, help me, for they treat me as a liar.'

23:40 Allah said, 'In a little while they will, surely, become repentant.'

23:41 Then punishment overtook them rightfully, and We made them as rubbish. Cursed, then, be the people who do wrong!

23:42 Then We raised after them other generations.

23:43 No people can go ahead of their appointed time, nor can they remain behind it.

23:44 Then We sent Our Messengers one after the other. Every time there came to a people their Messenger, they treated him as a liar. So We made them follow one another to destruction and We made them mere tales of the past. Cursed, then, be the people who believe not!

23:45 Then We sent Moses and his brother Aaron with Our Signs and a clear authority,

23:46 To Pharaoh and his chiefs; but they behaved arrogantly and they were a haughty people.

23:47 And they said, 'Shall we believe in two mortals like ourselves while their people are our slaves?'

23:48 So they called them liars, and became a ruined people.

23:49 And We gave Moses the Book, that they might be guided.

23:50 And We made the son of Mary and his mother a Sign, and gave them shelter on an elevated land of green valleys and springs of running water.

23:51 O ye Messengers, eat of the pure things and do good works. Verily, I am Well-Aware of what you do.

23:52 And know that this community of yours is one community, and I am your Lord. So take Me as your Protector.

23:53 But the people have cut up their affair among themselves, forming themselves into parties, each group rejoicing in what is with them.

23:54 So leave them in their confusion for a time.

23:55 Do they image that because We bestow upon them wealth and children,

23:56 We hasten to do them good? Nay, but they understand not.

23:57 Verily, those who tremble with fear of their Lord,

23:58 And those who believe in the Signs of their Lord,

23:59 And those who ascribe not partners to their Lord,

23:60 And those who give what they give while their hearts are full of fear that to their Lord they will return -

23:61 These it is who hasten to do good works, and they are foremost in doing them.

23:62 And We burden not any soul beyond its capacity, and with Us is a Book that speaks the truth, and they will not be wronged.

23:63 But their hearts are utterly heedless of this Book, and besides that, they have other evil deeds which they do;

23:64 Until, when We seize with punishment those of them who indulge in luxury, behold, they cry for help;

23:65 Whereupon We say, 'Cry not for help this day, surely, you shall not be helped by Us,

23:66 Verily, My Signs were recited unto you, but you used to turn back on your heels,

23:67 In arrogance, talking nonsense by night about the Qur'án.'

23:68 Have they not, then, pondered over the divine Word, or has there come to them that which did not come to their fathers of old?

23:69 Or, do they not recognize their Messenger, that they deny him?

23:70 Or, do they say, 'There is madness in him?' Nay, he has brought them the truth, and most of them hate the truth.

23:71 And if the truth had followed their desires, verily the heavens and the earth and whosoever is therein would have been corrupted. Nay, We have brought them their admonition, but from their own admonition they now turn aside.

23:72 Or, dost thou ask of them any reward? But the reward of thy Lord is Best; and He is the Best of providers.

23:73 And, most surely, thou invitest them to a right path.

23:74 And those who believe not in the Hereafter, are indeed deviating from that path.

23:75 And if We had mercy on them and relieved them of their affliction, they would persist in their transgression, wandering blindly.

23:76 We had already seized them with punishment, but they humbled not themselves before their Lord, nor they would supplicate in lowliness;

23:77 Until, when We open on them a door of severe punishment, lo! they are in despair thereat.

23:78 And He it is Who has created for you ears and eyes and hearts, but little thanks do you give.

23:79 And He it is Who has multiplied you in the earth, and unto Him you shall be gathered.

23:80 And He it is Who give life and causes death, and in His control is the alternation of night and day. Will you not then understand?

23:81 But they say things similar to what the former people said.

23:82 They say, 'What! when we are dead and have become mere dust and bones, shall we, indeed, be raised up again?

23:83 This is what we have been promised before, we and our fathers. This is nothing but fables of the ancients.'

23:84 Say, 'To whom belongs the earth and whosoever is therein, if you know?'

23:85 To Allah,' they will say. Say, 'Will you not then be admonished?'

23:86 Say, 'Who is the Lord of the seven Heavens, and the Lord of the Great Throne?'

23:87 They will say, 'They are Allah's.' Say, 'Will you not then take Him as your Protector?'

23:88 Say, 'In whose hand is the dominion of all things and who protects, but against Whom there is no protection, if you know?'

23:89 They will say, 'All this belongs to Allah.' Say, 'How then are you being deluded?'

23:90 Yea, We have brought them the truth, and they are certainly liars.

23:91 Allah has not taken unto Himself any son, nor is there any other god along with Him; in that case each god would have taken away what he had created, and some of them would, surely, have sought domination over others. Glorified be Allah far above that which they allege;

23:92 Knower alike of the unseen and of the seen. Exalted is He above all that which they associate with Him!

23:93 Say, 'My Lord, if Thou wilt show me that which they are promised;

23:94 My Lord, then place me not with the wrongdoing people.'

23:95 And certainly We have the power to show thee that which We have promised them.

23:96 Repel evil with that which is best. We know very well what they allege.

23:97 And say, 'My Lord, I seek refuge in Thee from the incitements of the evil ones;

23:98 And I seek refuge in Thee, my Lord, lest they should come near me.'

23:99 Until, when death comes to one of them, he says entreating repeatedly, 'My Lord send me back,

23:100 That I may do righteous deeds in the life that I have left behind.' That cannot be! It is only a word that he utters. And behind them is a barrier until the day when they shall be raised again.

23:101 And when the trumpet is blown, there will be no ties of relationship any more between them on that day, nor will they ask after one another.

23:102 Then those whose scales are heavy--these will be prosperous;

23:103 But those whose scales are light--these are they who will have ruined their souls; in Hell will they abide.

23:104 The fire will scorch their faces and they will grin with fear therein.

23:105 It will be said to them, 'Were not My Signs recited unto you, and you treated them as lies?'

23:106 They will say, 'Our Lord, our ill fortune overwhelmed us, and we were an erring people,

23:107 Our Lord, take us out of this, then if we revert to disobedience, we shall, indeed, be wrongdoers.'

23:108 Allah will say, 'Away with you, despised therein, and speak not unto Me;

23:109 There was a party of My servants who said, 'Our Lord, we believe; forgive us therefore our sins, and have mercy on us; for thou art the Best of those who show mercy;

23:110 But you ridiculed them so much so that ridicule of them caused you to forget My remembrance while you continued to laugh at them;

23:111 I have rewarded them this day for their patient endurance; they are, indeed, the ones who have achieved bliss.'

23:112 Allah will then say, 'What number of years did you tarry in the earth?'

23:113 They will say, 'We tarried for a day or part of a day, but ask those who keep count.'

23:114 He will say, 'You tarried but a little, if only you knew!'

23:115 What! Did you then think that We had created you without purpose, and that you would not be brought back to Us?

23:116 Exalted be Allah, the True King. There is no god but He, the Lord of the Glorious Throne.

23:117 And he, who calls on another god along with Allah, for which he has no proof, shall have to render an account to his Lord. Certainly the disbelievers do not prosper.

23:118 And say, 'My Lord, forgive and have mercy, and Thou art the Best of those who show mercy.'

Chapter 24--Light

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

24:1 This is a Surah which We have revealed and the ordinances of which We have made obligatory; and We have revealed therein clear commandments that you may take heed.

24:2 The adulteress and the adulterer--flog each one of them with a hundred stripes. And let not pity for the twain take hold of you in executing the judgment of Allah, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. And let a party of the believers witness their punishment.

24:3 The adulterer cannot have sexual intercourse but with an adulteress or an idolatrous woman, and an adulteress--none can have sexual intercourse with her but an adulterer or an idolatrous man. That indeed is forbidden to the believers.

24:4 And those who culminate chaste woman but bring not four witnesses--flog them with eighty stripes, and do not admit their evidence ever after, for it is they that are the transgression,

24:5 Except those who repent thereafter and make amends, for truly Allah is Most forgiving, Merciful.

24:6 And as for those who charge their wives with adultery and have no witnesses except themselves--the evidence of anyone of such people shall suffice if he bears witness four times in the name of Allah solemnly affirming that he is of those who speak the truth;

24:7 And the fifth time that Allah's curse be upon him if he be of the liars.

24:8 But it shall avert the punishment from her if she bears witness four times in the name of Allah that he is of the liars;

24:9 And the fifth time that the wrath of Allah be upon her if he has spoken the truth.

24:10 And were it not for Allah's grace and His mercy upon you, and that Allah is compassionate and Wise, you would have come to grief.

24:11 Verily, those who invented the great lie are a party from among you. Think not that this incident is an evil for you, nay, it is good for you. Every one of them shall have his share of what he has earned of the sin; and he among them who took the principal part therein shall have a grievous punishment.

24:12 When you heard of it, why did not the believing men and believing women think well of their own people and say, 'This is a manifest lie?'

24:13 Why did not those, who gave currency to this charge, bring four witnesses to prove it? Since they have not brought the required witnesses, they are indeed liars in the sight of Allah.

24:14 Were it not for the grace of Allah and His mercy upon you, in this world and the Hereafter, a great punishment would have befallen you on account of the slander you plunged in;

24:15 For, you began to learn it from each other's tongue and then you uttered with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge, and you thought it to be a light matter, while in the sight of Allah it was a grievous thing.

24:16 And wherefore did you not say, when you heard of it, 'It is not proper for us to talk about it. Holy art Thou, O Allah, this is a grievous calumny.'

24:17 Allah admonishes you that you never repeat the like thereof, if you are believers.

24:18 And Allah explains to you the commandments; and Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

24:19 Those, who love that indecency should spread among the believers, will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And Allah knows and you know not.

24:20 And but for the grace of Allah and His mercy upon you and that Allah is Compassionate and Merciful, you would have been ruined.

24:21 O ye who believe! Follow not the footsteps of Satan, and whoso follows the footsteps of satan should know that he, surely, enjoins indecency and manifest evil. And but for the grace of Allah and His mercy upon you, not one of you would ever be pure; but Allah purifies whom He pleases. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

24:22 And let not persons of wealth and means among you swear that they will not give aught to the kindred and to the needy and to those who have left their homes in the cause of Allah. Let them forgive and forbear. Do you not desire that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

24:23 Verily, those, who calumniate chaste, unwary, believing women, are cursed in this world and the hereafter. And for them is a grievous chastisement,

24:24 On the day when their tongues and their hands and their feet will bear witness against them as to what they used to do;

24:25 On that day will Allah will pay them in full their just due, and they will know that Allah alone is the Manifest Truth.

24:26 Evil things are a characteristic of bad men, and bad men are inclined towards bad things. And good things are a characteristic of good men, and good men are inclined towards good things, these are innocent of all that the calumniators allege. For them is forgiveness and an honourable provision.

24:27 O ye who believe! Enter not houses other than your own until you have asked leave and saluted the inmates thereof. That is better for you that you may be heedful.

24:28 And if you find no one therein, do not enter them until you are given permission. And if it be said to you, 'Go Back,' then go back; that is purer for you. And Allah knows well what you do.

24:29 It is not wrong on your part to enter uninhabited houses wherein are your goods. And Allah knows what you do openly and what you hide.

24:30 Say to the believing men that they restrain their looks and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Surely, Allah is Well-Aware of what they do.

24:31 And say to the believing women that they restrain their looks and guard their private parts, and that they display not their beauty or their embellishment except that which is apparent thereof, and that they draw their head-coverings over their bosoms, and that they display not their beauty or their embellishment save to their husbands, or to their fathers, or the fathers of their husbands, or their sons, or the sons of their husbands, or their brothers or the sons of their brothers, or the sons of their sisters, or women who are their companions, or those that their right hands possess, or such of male attendants as have no desire for women, or young children who have not yet attained knowledge of the hidden parts of women. And that they strike not their feet so that what they hide of their ornaments may become known. And turn ye to Allah all together, O believers, that you may prosper.

24:32 And arrange marriages for widows from among you, and for your male slaves and female slaves who are fit for marriage. If they be poor, Allah will grant them means out of His bounty; and Allah is Bountiful, All-Knowing.

24:33 And let those who find no means of marriage keep themselves chaste, until Allah grants them means out of His bounty. And such as desire a deed of manumission in writing from among those whom your right hands possess, write it for them if you know any good in them; and give them out of the wealth of Allah which He has bestowed upon you. And force not your maids into unchaste life by keeping them unmarried if they desire to keep chaste, in order that you may seek the gain of the present life. But if anyone forces them, then after their compulsion Allah will be Forgiving and Merciful to them.

24:34 And We have sent down to you manifest Signs, and have related to you the example of those who have passed away before you, and an admonition to the Allah-fearing.

24:35 Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth. His light is as if there were a lustrous niche, wherein is a lamp. The lamp is inside a glass-globe. The globe is, as it were, a glittering star. The lamp is lit from the oil of a blessed tree--an olive--neither of the East nor of the West, whose oil well-nigh would shine forth even though fire touched it not. Light upon light! Allah guides to His light whomsoever He pleases. And Allah sets forth parables for men, and Allah knows all things full well.

24:36 This light illumines houses with regard to which Allah has ordained that they be exalted and that His name be remembered in them. Therein do glorify Him in the mornings and the evenings.

24:37 Men, whom neither merchandise nor traffic diverts from the remembrance of Allah and the observance of Prayer, and the giving of Zakát. They fear a day in which hearts and eyes will be in a state of agitation and anguish;

24:38 So Allah will give them the best reward of their deeds, and give them increase out of His bounty. And Allah does provide for whomsoever He pleases without measure.

24:39 And as to those who disbelieve, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert. The thirsty one imagines it to be water until, when he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing. And he finds Allah near him, Who then pays him his account in full; And Allah is swift in reckoning.

24:40 Or, their deeds are like thick layers of darkness spread over a vast and deep sea, on whose surface rise waves above waves, above which are clouds--layers upon layers of darkness. When he holds out his hands, he can hardly see it; and he whom Allah gives no light--for him there is no light at all.

24:41 Seest thou not that it is Allah Whose praises, all who are in the heavens and the earth celebrate, and so do the birds with their wings outspread? Each one knows his own mode of prayer and praise. And Allah knows well what they do.

24:42 And to Allah belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and to Allah shall be the return.

24:43 Seest thou not that Allah drives the clouds slowly, then joins them together, then piles them up so that thou seest rain issue forth from the midst thereof? And He sends down from the sky clouds like mountains wherein is hail, and He smites therewith whom He pleases, and turns it away from whom He pleases. The flash of its lightning may well-nigh take away the sight.

24:44 Allah alternates the night and the day. Therein, surely, is a lesson for those who have eyes.

24:45 And Allah has created every animal from water. Of them are some that go upon their bellies, and of them are some that go upon two feet, and among them are some that go upon four. Allah creates what He pleases. Surely, Allah has the power to do all that He pleases.

24:46 We have indeed sent down manifest Signs. And Allah guides whom He pleases to the right path.

24:47 And they say, 'We believe in Allah and in the Messenger, and we obey;' then after that some of them turn away. Such are not believers at all.

24:48 And when they are called to Allah and His Messenger that he may judge between them, lo! a party of them turn away.

24:49 And if they consider the right to be on their side, they come to him running in submission.

24:50 Is it that there is a disease in their hearts? Or, do they doubt, or do they fear that Allah and His Messenger will be unjust to them? Nay, it is they themselves who are the wrongdoers.

24:51 All that the believers say, when they are called to Allah and His Messenger in order that he may judge between them, is that they say, 'We hear and we obey.' And it is they who will prosper.

24:52 And whoso obeys Allah and His Messenger, and fears Allah, and takes Him as a shield for protection, it is they who will be successful.

24:53 And they swear by Allah their strongest oaths that, if thou command them, they will surely go forth. Say, 'Swear not; what is required of you is obedience to what is right. Surely Allah is aware of what you do.'

24:54 Say, 'Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger.' But if you turn away, he is responsible for what he is charged with and you are responsible for what you are charged with. And if you obey him, you will be rightly guided. And the Messenger is only responsible for the plain delivery of the Message.

24:55 Allah has promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He will, surely, make them successors in the earth, as He made Successors from among those who were before them; and that He will, surely, establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them; and that He will, surely, give them in exchange security and peace after their fear; They will worship Me and they will not associate anything with Me. Then whoso disbelieves after that, they will be the rebellious.

24:56 And observe Prayer and give the Zakát and obey the Messenger, that you may be shown Mercy.

24:57 Think not that those who disbelieve can frustrate Our design in the earth; their abode is Hell; and it is indeed evil resort.

24:58 O ye who believe! let those whom your right hand possess, and those of you, who have not reached puberty, ask leave of you at three times before coming into your private apartments--before the Morning Prayer, and when you lay aside your clothes at noon (in summer) and after the night Prayer. These are the three times of privacy for you. At other times there is no blame on you nor on them, for some of you have to attend upon others and to move about freely according to need. Thus does Allah make plain to you the Signs; for Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

24:59 And when the children among you reach puberty, they too should ask leave, even as their elders before them asked leave. Thus does Allah make plain to you His commandments; And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

24:60 Such elderly women as are past the age of marriage--there is no blame on them if they lay aside their outer clothing without displaying their beauty. But to abstain even from that is better for them. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

24:61 There is no harm for the blind, and there is no harm for the lame, and there is no harm for the sick and none for yourselves, that you eat from your own houses, or the houses of your fathers, or the houses of your mothers, or the houses of your brothers, or the houses of your sisters, or the houses of your father's brothers, or the houses of your father's sisters, or the houses of your mother's brothers, or the houses of your mother's sisters, or the houses of which the keys are in your possession, or from the house of a friend of yours. Nor is there any harm whether you eat together or separately. But when you enter houses, salute your people with the greeting of peace--a greeting from your Lord, full of blessing and purity. Thus does Allah expound to you the commandments, that you may understand.

24:62 Those alone are true believers who believe in Allah and His Messenger and who, when they are with him for the consideration of some matter of common concern which has brought them together, go not away until they have asked leave of him. Surely, those who ask leave of thee, it is they alone who truly believe in Allah and His Messenger. So, when they ask leave of thee for some urgent affair of theirs, give leave to those of them whom thou pleasest and ask forgiveness for them of Allah. Surely, Allah is Most forgiving, Merciful.

24:63 Treat not the calling of the Messenger among you like the calling of one of you to another. Allah indeed knows those of you who steal away covertly. So let those who go against His command beware lest a trial afflict them or a grievous punishment overtake them.

24:64 Hearken! To Allah belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth. He knows in what condition you are. And on the day when they will be returned unto Him, He will inform them of what they did. And Allah knows everything full well.

Chapter 25--Al-Furqán

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

25:1 Blessed is He who has sent down Al-Furqán to His servant, that he may be a Warner to all the worlds -

25:2 He to Whom belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth. And He has taken unto Himself no son, and has no partner in the Kingdom, and He has created everything, and has determined its proper measure.

25:3 Yet they have taken beside Him gods, who create nothing but are themselves created, and who have no power to harm or benefit themselves, nor have they any power over death or life or Resurrection.

25:4 And those who disbelieve say, 'It is naught but a lie which he has forged, and other people have helped him with it.' Indeed, they have perpetrated a great injustice and a great falsehood.

25:5 And they say, 'These are fables of the ancient; and he has got them written down and they are read out to him morning and evening.'

25:6 Say, 'He, Who knows every secret of the heavens and the earth, has revealed it. Verily, He is the Most Forgiving, Merciful.'

25:7 And they say, 'What sort of Messenger is this that he eats food, and walks in the streets? Why has not an angel been sent down to him that he might be a warner with him?

25:8 Or a treasure should have been sent down to him, or he should have had a garden to eat therefrom.' And the wrongdoers say, 'You follow but a man bewitched.'

25:9 See how they coin similitudes for thee! Thus they have gone astray and cannot find a way.

25:10 Blessed is He Who, if He please, will assign to thee better than all that--gardens through which streams flow--and will also assign to thee palaces.

25:11 Nay, they deny the Hour, and for those who deny the Hour, We have prepared a blazing fire.

25:12 When it sees them from a place far-off, they will hear its raging and roaring.

25:13 And when they are thrown into a narrow place thereof, chained together, they will pray there for destruction.

25:14 Pray not this day for one destruction, but pray for many destructions,'

25:15 Say, 'Is that better or the Garden of Eternity, which is promised to the righteous? It will be their reward and ultimate resort.'

25:16 They will have therein whatsoever they desire, abiding therein for ever. It is a promise binding upon thy Lord, and to be always prayed for from Him.

25:17 On the day when He will assemble them and those whom they worship instead of Allah, He will ask the latter, 'Was it you that led astray these My servants, or did they themselves stray away from the Path?'

25:18 They will say, 'Holy art Thou! It was not right for us to take protectors other than Thee; but Thou didst bestow on them and their fathers the good things of this life until they forgot Thy admonition and became a ruined people.'

25:19 Then We shall say to their worshippers, 'They have given you the lie regarding what you said, so you cannot avert the punishment, neither can you get help. And whosoever among you does wrong, We shall make him taste a grievous punishment.

25:20 And We did not send any Messengers before thee but surely they ate food and walked in the streets. And We make some of you a trial for others to see whether you are steadfast. And thy Lord is All-Seeing.

25:21 And those, who do not expect a meeting with Us, say, 'Why are not angels sent down to us? Or, why do we not see our Lord?' Surely, they are too proud of themselves and have gone far in rebellion.

25:22 On the day when they see the angels--there will be no good tidings on that day for the guilty; and they will cry in distress, 'Would that there were a strong barrier!

25:23 And We shall turn to the work they did and We shall scatter it into particles of dust.

25:24 The inmates of Heaven on that day will be better off as regards their abode, and better off in respect of their place of repose.

25:25 And on that day when the heaven shall burst asunder with the clouds overhanging it, and the angels shall be sent down in large numbers -

25:26 The true Kingdom on that day shall belong to the Gracious, Allah; and it shall be a hard day for the disbelievers.

25:27 On that day the wrongdoer will bite his hands and will say, 'O, would that I had taken a way along with the Messenger!

25:28 O, woe is me! would that I had never taken such a one for a friend!

25:29 He led me astray from the Reminder after it had come to me.' And Satan always deserts man in the hour of need.

25:30 And the Messenger will say, 'O my Lord, my people indeed treated this Qur'án as a thing to be discarded.'

25:31 Thus did We make for every Prophet an enemy from among the sinners; And sufficient is thy Lord as a Guide and a Helper.

25:32 And those who disbelieve say, 'Why was not the Qur'án revealed to him all at once?' We have revealed it in this manner that We may strengthen thy heart therewith. And We have arranged it in the Best form.

25:33 And they do not come to thee with an objection but We provide thee with the truth and an excellent explanation.

25:34 Those who will be gathered unto Hell on their faces--they will be the worst in plight and most astray from the right path.

25:35 We gave Moses the Book, and appointed with him his brother Aaron as his assistant.

25:36 And We said to them, 'Go both of you to the people who have rejected Our Signs;' Then We destroyed them utterly.

25:37 And the people of Noah, when they rejected the Messengers, We drowned them, and We made them a Sign for mankind. And We have prepared a painful punishment for the wrongdoers.

25:38 And We destroyed Ad and Thamud, and the People of the Well, and many a generation between them,

25:39 And to each one We set forth examples; and each one We utterly destroyed.

25:40 And these Meccans must have visited the town whereon was rained an evil rain. Have they not seen it? Nay, they expect not to be raised after death.

25:41 And when they see thee, they only make a jest of thee, and say, 'What! is this he whom Allah has sent as a Messenger?

25:42 He indeed had well-nigh led us astray from our gods, had we not steadily adhered to them.' And they shall no, when they see the punishment, who is most astray from the right path.

25:43 Hast thou seen him who takes his own evil desire for his god? Canst thou be a guardian over them?

25:44 Dost thou think that most of them hear or understand? They are like cattle--nay, they are worst than cattle in their behaviour.

25:45 Dost thou not see how thy Lord lengthens the shade? And if He had pleased, He could have made it stationary. Then We make the position of the sun an indicator thereof.

25:46 Them We draw it in towards Ourselves, drawing in little by little.

25:47 And He it is Who has made the night a covering for you, and Who has made sleep for rest, and He has made the day to rise up and work.

25:48 And He it is Who sends the winds as glad tidings before His mercy, and We send down pure water from the clouds,

25:49 That We may thereby give life to a dead land, and give it for drink to Our creation--cattle and men in large numbers.

25:50 And We have expounded the Qur'án to them in diverse ways that they make take heed, but most men would reject everything but disbelief.

25:51 If We had pleased, We could have surely raised a Warner in every city;

25:52 So obey not the disbelievers and strive against them by means of the Qur'án with a mighty striving.

25:53 And He it is Who has caused the two seas to flow, this palatable and sweet, and that salt and bitter; and between them He has placed a barrier and an insurmountable partition.

25:54 And He it is Who has created man from Water, and has made for him kindred by descent and kindred by marriage; and thy Lord is All-Powerful.

25:55 And they worship beside Allah that which can neither benefit them nor harm them. And the disbeliever is ever opposed to the designs of His Lord.

25:56 And We have not sent thee but as a bearer of glad tidings and a Warner.

25:57 Say, 'I ask of you no recompense for it, save that whoso chooses may take a way that leads to his Lord.'

25:58 And trust thou in the One, Who is Ever-Living and is the Source of all life, And Who dies not, and Glorify Him with His praise. And sufficient is He as the Knower of the sins of his servants,

25:59 He Who created the Heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six periods, then He settled Himself firmly on the Throne--the Gracious, Allah! Ask thou then concerning Him one who knows.

25:60 And when it is said to them, 'Submit to the Gracious Allah,' they say, 'And who is the Gracious, Allah? Shall we submit to whatever thou biddest us?' And it increases their aversion.

25:61 Blessed is He Who has made in the heaven mansions of stars and has placed therein a Lamp producing light and a moon that reflects light.

25:62 And He it is Who has made the night and the day, each following the other, for the benefit of him who desires to remember, or desires to be grateful.

25:63 And the true servants of the Gracious Allah are those who walk on the earth humbly and when the ignorant address them, they avoid them gracefully by saying, 'Peace!'

25:64 And who spend the night in prostration and standing before their Lord,

25:65 And who say, 'Our Lord, avert from us the punishment of Hell; for the punishment thereof is a most vehement torment,

25:66 It is indeed evil as a place of rest and as an abode.'

25:67 And those who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor niggardly but adopt a moderate position in the middle;

25:68 And those who call not on any other god along with Allah, nor slay a person whose slaying Allah has forbidden except for a just cause, nor commit adultery--and he who does that shall meet the punishment of his sin;

25:69 Doubled for him shall be the punishment on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein disgraced -

25:70 Except those who repent, and believe and do righteous deeds, for as to these, Allah will convert their evil deeds into good ones, and Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

25:71 And those who repent and do righteous deeds, indeed turn to Allah with true repentance;

25:72 And those who bear not false witness, and when they pass by anything vain, they pass by with dignity;

25:73 And those who, when they are reminded of the Signs of their Lord, fall not down thereat deaf and blind;

25:74 And those who say, 'Our Lord, grant us of our wives and children the delight of our eyes, and make us a model for the righteous.'

25:75 It is such as will be rewarded with lofty chambers in Paradise, because they were steadfast, and they will be received therein with greeting and peace,

25:76 Abiding therein. Excellent it is as a place of rest and as an abode.

25:77 Say to the disbelievers, 'But for your prayer to Him my Lord would not care for you at all. But now that you have rejected His Message, His punishment will cleave to you.'

Chapter 26--The Poets

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

26:1 Ta Sin Mim.

26:2 These are verses of the Book that makes things clear.

26:3 Haply thou wilt grieve thyself to death because they believe not.

26:4 If We please, We can send down to them a Sign from the Heaven, so that their necks will bow down before it.

26:5 And there comes not to them a new reminder from the Gracious Allah, but they turn away from it.

26:6 They have, indeed, treated it as a lie but soon there will come to them the tidings of that at which they mocked.

26:7 See they not the earth, how many of every noble species have We caused to grow therein?

26:8 In that is a Sign indeed; but most of these would not believe.

26:9 And verily thy Lord--He is the Mighty, the Merciful.

26:10 And call to mind when thy Lord called Moses, and directed him: 'Go to the wrongdoing people -

26:11 The people of Pharaoh. Will they not fear Allah?

26:12 He said, 'My Lord, I fear that they will reject me;

26:13 And my breast is not straitened and my tongue is not fluent; so send word to Aaron also;

26:14 And they have a charge against me, so I fear that they will kill me.'

26:15 Allah said, 'That shall not be, go both of you with Our Signs; We are with you hearing your prayers.'

26:16 So go to Pharaoh and say, 'We are the Messengers of the Lord of the Worlds

26:17 To tell thee to send the children of Israel with us.'

26:18 Pharaoh said, 'O Moses, did we not bring thee up among us as a child? And thou didst stay among us many years of thy life;

26:19 And thou didst do that deed which thou didst, and thou art one of the ungrateful.'

26:20 Moses said, 'I did it then inadvertently, and I was in a perplexed state of mind;

26:21 So I fled from you when I feared you; then my Lord granted me right judgment and made me one of the Messengers.

26:22 And this favour of bringing me up as a child with which thou now tauntest me, dost thou put forward against thy having enslaved the Children of Israel?'

26:23 Pharaoh said, 'And what is the Lord of the worlds?'

26:24 Moses said, 'The Lord of the heavens and the earth and of all that is between the two, if you would believe.'

26:25 Pharaoh said to those around him, 'Do you not hear?'

26:26 Moses said, 'Your Lord and the Lord of your fathers of yore.'

26:27 Pharaoh said, 'Most surely, this Messenger of yours who has been sent to you is a madman.'

26:28 Moses Said, 'The Lord of the East and of the West, and of all that is between the two, if only you have sense.'

26:29 Pharaoh said, 'If thou takest a god other than me, I will, certainly, put thee in prison.'

26:30 Moses said, 'What, even though I bring thee something that is manifest!'

26:31 Pharaoh said, 'Bring it then, if thou speakest the truth.'

26:32 So Moses threw down his rod, and behold! it was a serpent plainly visible.

26:33 And he drew out his hand, and lo! it was white for the beholders.

26:34 Pharaoh said to the chiefs around him, 'This is surely a skillful sorcerer;

26:35 He seeks to turn you out of your land by his sorcery. Now, what do you advise?'

26:36 They said, 'Put him off and his brother awhile and send into the cities summoners,

26:37 Who should bring thee every skillful and cunning sorcerer.'

26:38 So the sorcerers were assembled together at the appointed time on a fixed day,

26:39 And it was said to the people, 'Will you also gather together?

26:40 So we may follow the sorcerers if they are the winners?'

26:41 And when the sorcerers came, they said to Pharaoh, 'Shall we have a reward if we are the winners?'

26:42 He said, 'Yes, and surely then you will be among my favourites.'

26:43 Moses said to them, 'Now throw you what you have to throw.'

26:44 So they threw down their ropes and their rods and said, 'By Pharaoh's honour, it is we who will surely win.'

26:45 Then Moses threw down his rod, and lo! it swallowed up all that which they had fabricated.

26:46 Thereupon the sorcerers were impelled to fall down prostrate;

26:47 They said, 'We believe in the Lord of the worlds,

26:48 The Lord of Moses and Aaron.'

26:49 Pharaoh said, 'You have believed in him before I gave you leave? He is surely your chief who has taught you sorcery. But you shall know the consequences thereof. I will most surely cut off your hands and your feet on account of your disobedience and I will most surely crucify you all.'

26:50 They said, 'It can do us no harm; to our Lord shall We return;

26:51 We do hope that our Lord will forgive us our sins, since we are the first among the believers.'

26:52 And We revealed to Moses, directing him, 'Take away My servants by night, you will surely be pursued.'

26:53 And Pharaoh sent summoners into the cities, announcing,

26:54 Theses are a small party,

26:55 Yet they have offended us;

26:56 And we are a multitude fully prepared and vigilant.'

26:57 So We turned them out of gardens and springs,

26:58 And treasures and an abode of honour.

26:59 Thus it was; and We gave them as heritage to the children of Israel.

26:60 And the host of Pharaoh pursued and overtook them at sunrise.

26:61 And when the two host came in sight of each other, the companions of Moses said, 'We are surely caught.'

26:62 Never!' said he, 'My Lord is with me; He will guide me to safety.'

26:63 Then We revealed to Moses: 'Strike the sea with thy rod.' Thereupon it parted and every part looked like a huge mound.

26:64 And We made the others approach nearer.

26:65 And We saved Moses and those who were with him.

26:66 Then We drowned the others.

26:67 In this, verily, there is a Sign; but most of these would not believe.

26:68 And surely thy Lord--He is the Mighty, the Merciful.

26:69 And recite unto them the story of Abraham.

26:70 When he said to his father and his people, What do you worship?

26:71 They said, 'We worship idols, and we shall continue to be devoted to them.'

26:72 He said, 'Do they hear you when you call on them?

26:73 Or, do you good or harm you?'

26:74 They said, 'Not so, but we found our fathers doing likewise.'

26:75 Abraham said, 'Do you know that those you have been worshiping -

26:76 You and your fathers before you,

26:77 They are all enemies to me but it is the Lord of the worlds,

26:78 Who has created me, and it is He Who guides me;

26:79 And Who gives me food and gives me drink;

26:80 And when I fall ill, it is He who restores me to health;

26:81 And Who will cause me to die, and then bring me to life again;

26:82 And Who, I hope, will forgive me my faults on the Day of Judgment;

26:83 My Lord, bestow wisdom on me and join me with the righteous;

26:84 And grant me true and lasting reputation among posterity;

26:85 And make me one of the heirs of the Garden of Bliss;

26:86 And forgive my father, for he is of the erring ones;

26:87 And disgrace me not on the day when they will be raised up,

26:88 The day when wealth and sons shall not avail;

26:89 Save him who comes to Allah with a sound heart.'

26:90 And Heaven shall be brought near to the righteous.

26:91 And Hell shall be placed in full view to those who have gone astray.

26:92 And it will be said to them, 'Where are those that you worshiped

26:93 Beside Allah? Can they help you or help themselves?'

26:94 Then will they be thrown headlong therein, they and those who have gone astray,

26:95 And the Hosts of Iblis, all together.

26:96 They will say, whilst they dispute between themselves therein,

26:97 By Allah, we were in manifest error,

26:98 When we held you as equal with the Lord of the worlds,

26:99 And none led us astray but the guilty ones,

26:100 And now we have no intercessors,

26:101 Nor any warm friend;

26:102 Could we but return to the world, we would be among the believers!'

26:103 In this, verily, there is a Sign; but most of these would not believe.

26:104 And verily thy Lord--He is the Mighty, the Merciful.

26:105 The people of Noah treated the Messengers as liars,

26:106 When their brother Noah said to them, 'Will you not be Allah-Fearing?

26:107 Surely I am unto you a Messenger, faithful to my trust

26:108 So fear Allah and obey me;

26:109 And I ask you no reward for it. My reward is only with 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 of us who follow thee?'

26:112 He said, 'And what knowledge have I as to what they have been doing?

26:113 Their account is only with my Lord, if you only knew;

26:114 And I am not going to drive away the believers;

26:115 I am only a plain Warner.'

26:116 They said, 'If thou desist not, O Noah, thou shalt surely be stoned to death.'

26:117 He said, 'My Lord, my people have treated me as a liar;

26:118 Therefore judge Thou decisively between me and them; and save me and the believers that are with me.'

26:119 So We saved him and those who were with him in the fully laden Ark.

26:120 Then We drowned thereafter those who remained behind.

26:121 In this, verily, there is a Sign; but most of them would not believe.

26:122 And verily thy Lord--He is the Mighty, the Merciful.

26:123 The tribe of Ad rejected the Messengers,

26:124 When their Brother Hud said to them, 'Will you not fear Allah?

26:125 Surely, I am unto you a Messenger, faithful to my trust;

26:126 So fear Allah and obey me;

26:127 And I ask of you no reward for it. My reward is only with the Lord of the worlds;

26:128 Do you build monuments on every high place, seeking vain glory?

26:129 And do you erect palaces as if you will live for ever?

26:130 And when you lay hands upon anyone, you lay hands as tyrants.

26:131 So fear Allah and obey me;

26:132 And fear Him Who has helped you with all that you know;

26:133 He has helped you with cattle and sons,

26:134 And gardens and springs;

26:135 Indeed I fear for you the punishment of an awful day.'

26:136 They said, 'It is the same to us whether thou admonish us or whether thou be not of those who admonish;

26:137 This is nothing but the habit of the ancients,

26:138 And We shall not be punished.'

26:139 So they rejected him, and We destroyed them. In that, indeed, there is a Sign, but most of these would not believe.

26:140 And verily thy Lord--He is the Mighty, the Merciful.

26:141 The tribe of Thamud also rejected the Messengers,

26:142 When their brother Salih said to them, will you not guard against evil?'

26:143 Surely, I am unto you a Messenger, faithful to my trust;

26:144 So fear Allah and obey me;

26:145 And I ask of you no reward for it. My reward is only with the Lord of the worlds;

26:146 Do you think that you will be left secure amid the things that you have here,

26:147 Amid gardens and springs,

26:148 And cornfields, and date-palms with heavy spathes near breaking?

26:149 And you hew out houses in the mountains, elated with your greatness;

26:150 So fear Allah and obey me;

26:151 And obey not the bidding of those who exceed the bounds,

26:152 Who create disorder in the earth, and do not promote order and security.'

26:153 They said, 'Thou art but one of the bewitched;

26:154 Thou art only a mortal like us. So bring a Sign, if thou art of the truthful.'

26:155 He said, 'Here is a she-camel; she has her turn of drinking, and you have your turn of drinking on an appointed day;

26:156 And touch her not with evil lest there overtake you the punishment of an awful day.'

26:157 But they hamstrung her; and then they became remorseful.

26:158 So the punishment overtook them. In that verily there is a Sign, but most of these would not believe.

26:159 And surely thy Lord--He is the Mighty, the Merciful.

26:160 The people of Lot rejected the Messengers,

26:161 When their brother Lot said to them, 'Will you not fear Allah?

26:162 Surely, I am unto you a Messenger, faithful to my trust;

26:163 So fear Allah and obey me;

26:164 And I ask of you no reward for it. My reward is only with the Lord of the worlds;

26:165 Do you, of all creatures, come to males?

26:166 And leave your wives whom your Lord created for you? Nay, you are a people who transgress all limits.'

26:167 They said, 'If thou desist not, O Lot, thou wilt surely be banished.'

26:168 He said, 'Certainly I hate your conduct.'

26:169 My Lord, save me and my family from what they do.'

26:170 So We saved him and his family, all of them,

26:171 Save an old woman, among those who stayed behind.

26:172 Then we destroyed the others.

26:173 And We rained upon them a rain; and evil was the rain that descended upon those who were warned.

26:174 In that, verily, there is a Sign; but most of these would not believe.

26:175 And surely thy Lord--He is the Mighty, the Merciful.

26:176 The people of the Wood rejected the Messengers,

26:177 When Shu'aib said to them, 'Will you not fear Allah?

26:178 Surely, I am unto you a Messenger, faithful to my trust.

26:179 So fear Allah and obey me.

26:180 And I ask of you no reward for it. My reward is with the Lord of the worlds;

26:181 Give full measure, and be not of those who give less,

26:182 And weigh with a true balance,

26:183 And diminish not unto people their things, nor go about the earth, creating disorder;

26:184 And fear Him Who created you and the earlier peoples.'

26:185 They said, 'Thou art but a bewitched person,

26:186 And thou art only a mortal like us, and we believe thee to be a liar;

26:187 So cause fragments of the sky to fall on us, if thou art truthful.'

26:188 He said, 'My Lord knows best what you do.'

26:189 So they rejected him. Then the punishment of the day of overshadowing gloom overtook them. That was indeed the punishment of a dreadful day.

26:190 In that, verily, there is a Sign; but most of these would not believe.

26:191 And surely thy Lord--He is the Mighty, the Merciful.

26:192 And verily this Qur'án is a revelation from the Lord of all the worlds.

26:193 The Spirit, faithful to the trust, has descended with it

26:194 On thy heart, that thou mayest be a Warner,

26:195 In plain and clear Arabic tongue.

26:196 And it is surely mentioned in the scriptures of the former peoples.

26:197 And is it not a sufficient Sign for them that the learned among the Children of Israel know it?

26:198 And if We had sent it down to one of the non-Arabs,

26:199 And he had read it to them, they would never have believed in it.

26:200 Thus have We caused disbelief to enter into the hearts of the sinful.

26:201 They will not believe in it until they see the grievous punishment.

26:202 Which will come upon them suddenly, while they are not aware of it.

26:203 And they will say, 'Shall we be respited?'

26:204 What! do they seek to hasten Our punishment?

26:205 What thinkest thou that if We let them enjoy the good things of this world for years;

26:206 Then there comes to them the punishment that they are promised,

26:207 Of what avail will be to them that which they were allowed to enjoy?

26:208 And never did We destroy any township but it had its Warners.

26:209 So that they may be admonished; and We are not unjust.

26:210 And the evil ones have not brought it down;

26:211 It does neither suit them nor have they the power to produce it.

26:212 Surely, they are debarred from listening to the Divine Word.

26:213 Call not, therefore, on any other god beside Allah, lest thou become one of those who are punished,

26:214 And warn thy nearest kinsmen,

26:215 And lower thy wing of mercy to the believers who follow thee.

26:216 Then if they disobey thee, say, 'I repudiate all connection with what you do.'

26:217 And put thy trust in the Mighty, the Merciful,

26:218 Who sees thee when thou standest in Prayer,

26:219 And Who sees thy movements among those who prostrate themselves before Allah.

26:220 He is indeed the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

26:221 Shall I inform you on whom the evil ones descend?

26:222 They descend on every lying sinner.

26:223 They strain their ears towards heaven, and most of them are liars.

26:224 And as for the poets--it is the erring ones who follow them.

26:225 Dost thou not see how they wonder aimlessly in every valley,

26:226 And that they say what they do not?

26:227 Save those who believe and do righteous deeds, and remember Allah much, and defend themselves after they are wronged. And the wrongdoers shall soon know to what place of return they shall return.

Chapter 27--The Ant

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

27:1 Tá Sin. These are the verses of the Qur'án and an illuminating Book,

27:2 A guidance and good tidings to those who would believe,

27:3 Who observe Prayer and pay the Zakát, and have firm faith in the Hereafter.

27:4 As to those who believe not in the Hereafter, We have made their deeds appear beautiful to them, so they wander blindly.

27:5 It is they who shall have a grievous torment, and they alone it is who shall be the greatest losers in the hereafter.

27:6 Verily, thou receivest the Qur'án from the One Wise, All-Knowing.

27:7 Call to mind when Moses said to his family, 'I perceive a fire. I will bring you from there some news of great import, or I will bring you a flaming brand that you may warm yourselves.'

27:8 So when he came to it, he was called by a voice, 'Blessed is he who is in the fire and also those around it, and glorified be Allah, the Lord of the worlds;

27:9 O Moses, verily, I am Allah, the Mighty, the Wise;

27:10 Throw down thy rod.' And when he saw it move as though it were a serpent, he turned back retreating and did not look back, whereupon We said, 'O Moses, fear not. Verily, I am the One in Whose presence the Messengers need have no fear;

27:11 As to those who do wrong and then adopt good instead of evil; to them I am indeed Most Forgiving, Merciful;

27:12 And put thy hand into thy bosom; it will come forth white without evil. This is among the nine Signs unto Pharaoh and his people, for they are a rebellious people.'

27:13 But when Our sight-giving Signs came to them, they said, 'This is manifest magic.'

27:14 And they rejected them wrongfully and arrogantly, while their souls were convinced of their truth. See then, how evil was the end of those who acted corruptly!

27:15 And We gave knowledge to David and Solomon and they said, 'All praise belongs to Allah, Who has exalted us above many of His believing servants.'

27:16 And Solomon was heir to David. And he said, 'O ye people, we have been taught the language of birds, and we have had all necessary things bestowed upon us. This indeed is Allah's manifest Grace.'

27:17 And there were gathered together unto Solomon his hosts of jinn and men and birds, and they were formed into separate divisions,

27:18 Until when they came to the valley of Al-Naml, a Namlite said, 'O ye Naml, enter your habitations, lest Solomon and his hosts crush you, while they know not.'

27:19 Thereupon he smiled wondering at her words and said, 'My Lord, grant me that I may be grateful to Thee, for Thy favour which Thou hast bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and that I may do such good works as would please Thee, and admit me, by Thy mercy, among Thy righteous servants.'

27:20 And he reviewed the birds and said, 'How is it that I do not see Hudhud? Is he deliberately absent?

27:21 I will surely punish him with a severe punishment or I will slay him, unless he brings me a clear reason for his absence.

27:22 And he did not tarry long before Hudhud came and said, 'I have acquired knowledge of that of which thou hast no knowledge; and I have come to thee from Saba' with sure tidings;

27:23 I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given every necessary thing and she has a mighty throne;

27:24 I found her and her people worshiping the sun instead of Allah, and Satan has made their works look beautiful to them, and has thus hindered them from the right way, so they are not rightly guided -

27:25 And they insist that they will not worship Allah, while Allah is He who brings to light that which is hidden in the heavens and the earth, And Who knows what you conceal and what you disclose of your design;

27:26 Allah! there is no god but He, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.'

27:27 Thereupon Solomon said, 'We shall see whether thou hast spoken the truth or whether thou art a liar;

27:28 Go thou, with this letter of mine, and lay it before them; then withdraw from them and see what answer they return.'

27:29 The Queen said, 'Ye chiefs, there has been delivered to me a noble letter;

27:30 It is from Solomon, and it is 'In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful;

27:31 Behave not arrogantly towards me, but come to me in submission.'

27:32 She said, 'Ye chiefs, advise me concerning my affair. I never decide any affair until you are present to advise me.'

27:33 They replied, 'We possess power and we possess great prowess in war, but it is for thee to command; so consider what thou wilt command.'

27:34 She said, 'Surely, the kings, when they enter a country, despoil it, and turn the highest of its people into the lowest. And thus they always do;

27:35 But I am going to send them a present and wait to see what answer the envoys bring back.'

27:36 So when the Queen's envoy came to Solomon, he said, 'Do you presume to help me with your wealth? But that which Allah has given me is better than that which He has given you. Nay, you take pride in your gift;

27:37 Go back to them, for we shall surely come to them with hosts against which they will have no power of resistance, and we shall drive them out of their land disgraced, and they will be humbled.'

27:38 He said, 'O nobles, which of you will bring me her throne before they come to me submitting?'

27:39 A powerful chieftain from among the jinn said, 'I will bring it to thee before thou strikest thy camp; and indeed I possess power therefor and I am trustworthy.'

27:40 Said one who had knowledge of the book, 'I will bring it to thee before thy noble envoy returns to thee.' And when he saw it set before him, he said, 'This is of the grace of my Lord, that He may try me whether I am grateful or ungrateful. And whosoever is grateful is grateful for the good of his own soul; but whosoever is ungrateful, truly, my Lord is Self-Sufficient, Gracious.'

27:41 He said, 'Make the throne so beautiful as to make her own throne appear quite ordinary to her, and let us see whether she follows the right way or whether she is one of those who follow not the right way.'

27:42 And when she came, it was said to her, 'Is thy throne like this?' She replied, 'It is as though it were the same. And we had been given knowledge before this, and we have already submitted.'

27:43 And that which she used to worship beside Allah prevented her from believing; for she came of a disbelieving people.

27:44 It was said to her, 'Enter the palace.' And when she saw it, she thought it to be a great expanse of water, and she bared her shanks. Solomon said, 'It is a palace paved smooth with slabs of glass.' She said, 'My Lord, indeed I have wronged my soul; and I submit myself with Solomon to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.'

27:45 And We sent to Thamud their brother Salih who said, 'Worship Allah.' And at once they became two parties contending with each other.

27:46 He said, 'O my people, why do you seek to hasten on evil rather than good? Wherefore do you not ask forgiveness of Allah that you may be shown mercy?'

27:47 They said, 'We augur ill of thee and of those that are with thee.' He said, 'The true cause of your ill-fortune is with Allah, but you are a people who are on trial.'

27:48 And there were in the city a party of nine persons who made mischief in the land, and who would not reform.

27:49 They said, 'Swear one to another by Allah that we will surely attack him and his family by night, and then we will say to his heir, 'We witnessed not the destruction of his family, and most surely we are truthful.'

27:50 And they planned a plan, And We also planned a plan, but they perceived it not.

27:51 Then see how evil was the end of their plan! Verily, We utterly destroyed them and their people all together.

27:52 And yonder are their houses fallen down because of their wrongdoing. In that verily is a Sign for a people who have knowledge.

27:53 And We saved those who believed and feared Allah.

27:54 And We sent Lot as a Messenger, when he said to his people, 'Do you commit abomination while you see?

27:55 What! do you approach men lustfully rather than women? Nay, you are indeed an ignorant people.'

27:56 But the only answer of his people was that they said, 'Drive out Lot's family from your city. They are a people who would keep pure.

27:57 So We saved him and his family, except his wife; her We decreed to be of those who stayed behind.

27:58 And We rained upon them a rain; and evil was the rain that descended upon those who had been warned.

27:59 Say, 'All praise belongs to Allah, and peace be upon those servants of His whom He has chosen. Is Allah better or that which they associate with Him?

27:60 Or, Who created the heavens and the earth, and Who sent down water for you from the sky wherewith We cause to grow beautiful orchards? You could not cause their trees to grow. Is there a god with Allah? Nay, they are a people who deviate from the right path.

27:61 Or, Who made the earth a place of rest, and placed rivers in its midst, and placed upon it firm mountains, and put a barrier between the two waters? Is there a god with Allah? Nay, most of them know not.

27:62 Or, Who answers the cry of the distressed person when he calls upon Him, and removes the evil, and makes you successors in the earth? Is there a god with Allah? Little is that you reflect.

27:63 Or, Who guides you in the depths of darkness on land and sea, and Who sends the winds as glad tidings before His mercy? Is there a god with Allah? Exalted is Allah above what they associate with Him.

27:64 Or, Who originates creation, and then repeats it and Who provides for you from the heaven and the earth? Is there a god with Allah? Say, 'Bring forward your proof if you are truthful.'

27:65 Say, 'None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen save Allah; and they do not know when they will be raised up.'

27:66 Nay, their knowledge respecting the Hereafter has reached its limit, rather they are in doubt about it; rather they are blind to it.

27:67 And those who disbelieve say, 'What! when we and our fathers have become dust, shall we indeed be brought forth again?

27:68 We were surely promised this before--we and our fathers; this is nothing but tales of the ancients.'

27:69 Say, 'Travel in the earth and see how evil was the end of the sinful.'

27:70 And grieve thou not for them nor be thou in distress because of what they devise.

27:71 And they say, 'When will this promise be fulfilled, if you are truthful?'

27:72 Say, 'May be that a part of that which you would hasten on is close behind you.'

27:73 And, truly, thy Lord is gracious to mankind, but most of them are not grateful.

27:74 And surely thy Lord knows what their bosoms conceal and what they disclose.

27:75 And there is nothing hidden in the heaven and the earth, but it is recorded in a clear Book.

27:76 Verily, this Qur'án explains to the Children of Israel most of that concerning which they differ.

27:77 And verily it is a guidance and a mercy for the believers.

27:78 Verily, thy Lord will decide between them by His judgment, and He is the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

27:79 So put thy trust in Allah, surely, thou art on manifest truth.

27:80 Verily, thou canst not make the dead to hear, nor canst thou make the deaf to hear the call, when they retreat turning their backs.

27:81 And thou canst not guide the blind out of their error. Thou canst make only those to hear who believe in Our Signs, so they submit.

27:82 And when the sentence is passed against them, We shall bring forth for them an insect out of the earth which shall wound them because people did not believe in Our Signs.

27:83 And remind them of the day when We shall gather together from every people a party from among those who rejected Our Signs, and they shall be formed into separate groups.

27:84 Till, when they come, He will say, 'Did you reject My Signs while you had not full knowledge concerning them? Or, what was it that you were doing about them?

27:85 And the sentence shall come to pass against them because they did wrong, and they will be speechless.

27:86 See they not that We have made the night that they may rest therein, and the day sight-giving? In that verily are Signs for a people who believe.

27:87 And call to mind the day when the trumpet will be blown and whoever is in the heavens and whoever is in the earth will be struck with terror, save him whom Allah pleases. And all shall come unto Him humbled.

27:88 And thou seest the mountains, which thou thinkest to be firmly fixed, pass away as the clouds pass away--the handiwork of Allah Who has made everything perfect. Verily, He is full Aware of what you do.

27:89 Whoever does a good deed shall have a better reward than that, and such will be secure from terror that day.

27:90 And those who do evil, shall be thrown down on their faces into the Fire; and it will be said to them, 'Are you not rewarded for what you have been doing?'

27:91 Say, 'I am commanded only to serve the Lord of this City which He has made sacred, and to Him belongs all things; and I am commanded to be of those who submit to Allah,

27:92 And to recite the Qur'án. So whoever follows guidance follows it only for the good of his own soul; and as to him who goes astray, say, 'I am only a Warner.'

27:93 And say, 'All praise belongs to Allah; He will soon show you His Signs, and you will know them.' And thy Lord is not unaware of what you do.

Chapter 28--The Story

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

28:1 Tá Sin Mim.

28:2 These are verses of the perspicuous Book.

28:3 We rehearse unto thee a true account of Moses and Pharaoh for the benefit of a people who would believe.

28:4 Verily, Pharaoh behaved arrogantly in the earth, and divided the people thereof into sections; he sought to weaken one section of them, slaughtering their sons and sparing their women. Certainly, he was one of the mischief-makers.

28:5 And We desired to show favour unto those who were considered weak in the earth, and to make them leaders and to make them inheritors of Our favours,

28:6 And to establish them in the earth, and to make Pharaoh and Haman and their hosts see from them that which they feared.

28:7 And We directed the mother of Moses by revelation, 'Suckle him; and when thou fearest for him, then cast him into the river and fear not, nor grieve; for We shall restore him to thee, and shall make him one of the Messengers.'

28:8 She did accordingly and one of the family of Pharaoh picked him up so that he became for them an enemy and a source of sorrow. Verily, Pharaoh and Haman and their hosts were wrongdoers.

28:9 And Pharaoh's wife said, 'He will be a joy of the eye for me and for thee. Slay him not. Haply he may prove to be useful for us, or we may adopt him as a son.' And they knew not Our purpose.

28:10 And the heart of the mother of Moses became free from anxiety. She had almost disclosed his identity, were it not that We had strengthen her heart so that she might be of the firm believers.

28:11 And she said to his sister, 'Follow him up.' So she observed him from afar; and they were unaware of this.

28:12 And We had already decreed that he shall refuse the wet-nurse; so she said, 'Shall I direct you to the people of a household who will bring him up for you and will be his sincere well-wishers?'

28:13 Thus We restored him to his mother that her eye might be gladdened and that she might not grieve, and that she might know that the promise of Allah is true. But most of people know not.

28:14 And when he reached his age of full strength and attained maturity, We bestowed wisdom and knowledge upon him; and thus do We reward those who do good.

28:15 And one day he entered the city at a time when its inhabitants were in a state of heedlessness; and he found therein two men fighting -- one of his own party and the other of his enemies. And he who was of his party sought his help against him who was of his enemies. So Moses struck the latter with his fist; and thereby caused his death. Then Moses said, 'This is Satan's doing, he is indeed an enemy, a manifest misleader.'

28:16 He said, 'My Lord, I have wronged my soul, so do thou forgive me.' So He forgave him; He is Most Forgiving, ever Merciful.

28:17 He said, 'My Lord, because of the favour Thou hast bestowed upon me, I will never be a helper of the guilty.'

28:18 And morning found him in the city, apprehensive, watchful; and lo! he who had sought his help the day before cried out to him again for help. Moses said to him, 'Verily, thou art manifestly a misguided fellow.'

28:19 And when he made up his mind to lay hold of the man who was an enemy to both of them, he said, 'O Moses, dost thou intend to kill me even as thou didst kill a person yesterday? Thou only desirest to be a tyrant in the land, and thou desirest not to be a peace-maker.'

28:20 And there came a man from the far side of the city, running. He said, 'O Moses, of a truth, the chiefs are taking counsel together against thee to kill thee. Therefore get thee away; surely;, I am thy well-wisher.'

28:21 So he went forth therefrom, fearful and watchful. He said, 'My Lord, deliver me from the unjust people.'

28:22 And when he turned his face towards Midian, he said, I hope, my Lord will guide me to the right way.'

28:23 And when he arrived at the water of Midian, he found there a party of men, watering their flocks. And he found beside them two women holding back their flocks. He said, 'What is your the problem?' They replied, 'We cannot water our flocks until the shepherds depart with their flocks, and our father is a very old man.'

28:24 So he watered their flocks for them. Then he turned aside into the shade and said, 'My Lord, I stand in need of whatever good Thou mayest send down to me.'

28:25 And one of the two women came to him, walking bashfully. She said, 'My father calls thee that he may reward thee for thy having watered our flocks for us.' So when he came to him and told him the story, he said, 'Fear not; thou hast escaped from the unjust people.'

28:26 One of the two women said, 'O my father, take him into thy service; for the best man that thou canst employ is the one who is strong and trustworthy.'

28:27 Their father said to Moses, 'I intend to marry to thee one of these two daughters of mine on condition that thou stay in my service for eight years. But if thou complete ten years, it will be of thine own accord. And I would not lay any hardship upon thee; thou wilt find me, if Allah wills, of the righteous.'

28:28 Moses said, 'That is settled between me and thee. Whichever of the two terms I fulfill, there shall be no injustice to me; and Allah watches over what we say.'

28:29 And when Moses had fulfilled the term, and set forth with his family, he perceived a fire in the direction of the Mount. He said to his family, 'Wait, I perceive a fire; haply I may bring you some useful information therefrom, or a burning brand from the fire that you may warm yourselves.'

28:30 And when he came to it, he was called by a voice from the right side of the Valley, in the blessed spot, out of the tree; 'O Moses, Verily, I am Allah, the Lord of the worlds;

28:31 Cast down thy rod.' And when he saw it move as though it were a serpent, he turned back retreating and did not look back. 'O Moses,' said the voice, 'Come forward and fear not; surely, thou art of those who are safe,

28:32 Insert thy hand into thy bosom; it will come forth white without evil effect, and draw back thy arm toward thyself in order to still thy fear. So these shall be two proofs from thy Lord to Pharaoh and his chiefs. Surely, they are a rebellious people.

28:33 Moses said, 'My Lord, I killed a person from among them, and I fear that they will kill me;

28:34 And my brother Aaron--he is more eloquent in speech than I; send him, therefore, with me as a helper that he may bear witness to my truth. I fear that they will charge me with falsehood.'

28:35 Allah said, 'We will strengthen thine arm with thy brother, and We will give power to you both so that they shall not reach you. So go with Our Signs. You two and those who follow you will prevail.'

28:36 And when Moses came to them with Our clear Signs, they said, 'This is nothing but a forged sorcery, and we never heard the like of this among our forefathers.'

28:37 Moses said, 'My Lord knows best who it is that has brought guidance from Him, and whose will be the reward of the final abode. Verily, the wrongdoers never prosper.

28:38 And Pharaoh said, 'O chiefs, I know of no god for you other than myself; so burn me bricks of clay, O Haman, and build me a tower, that I may, by climbing it, have a look at the Allah of Moses, for I think that he is a liar.'

28:39 And he and his hosts behaved arrogantly in the land without justification. And they thought that they would never be brought back to Us.

28:40 So We seized him and his hosts and cast them into the sea. See, then, how evil was the end of the wrongdoers!

28:41 And We made them leaders who called people unto the Fire; and on the Day of Resurrection they will not be helped.

28:42 And We caused them to be followed by a curse in this world; and on the Day of Resurrection they will be among those deprived of all good.

28:43 And We gave Moses the Book, after We had destroyed the earlier generations, as a source of enlightenment for men, and a guidance and a mercy, that they might reflect.

28:44 And thou wast not on the Western side of the Mount when We committed the matter of Prophethood to Moses, nor wast thou among the witnesses.

28:45 But We brought forth generations after Moses, and life became prolonged for them. And thou wast not a dweller among the people of Midian, rehearsing Our Signs unto them; But it is We Who send Messengers.

28:46 And thou wast not on the side of the Mount with Moses, when We called to him and revealed to him Our prophecy concerning thee. But We have sent thee as a mercy from thy Lord, that thou mayest warn a people to whom no warner had come before thee, that they may be mindful.

28:47 And were it not that if an affliction should befall them because of what their hands have sent before them, they would say, 'Our Lord, wherefore didst Thou not send a Messenger to us that we might have followed Thy commandments and been of the believers?' We would not have sent thee as a Messenger.

28:48 But now when the truth has come to them from Us, they say, 'Why has he not been given the like of what was given to Moses?' Did they not reject that which was given to Moses before?' They said, 'Aaron and Moses are but two sorcerers who back up each other.' And they say, 'We reject the claim of both.'

28:49 Say, 'Then bring a Book from Allah which is a better guide than these two books--the Torah and the Qur'án--that I may follow it, if you are truthful.'

28:50 But if they answer thee not, then know that they only follow their own evil desires. And who is more erring than he who follows his evil desires without any guidance from Allah. Verily, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people.

28:51 And We have, indeed, sent revelation to them continuously, that they may be admonished.

28:52 Those to whom We gave the Book before the Qur'án--they believe in it.

28:53 And when it is recited unto them, they say, 'We believe in it. Verily, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed, even before it we had submitted to its teaching.'

28:54 These will be given their reward twice, for they have been steadfast, and they repel evil with good, and spend out of what We have given them.

28:55 And when they hear idle talk, they turn away from it and say, 'For us are our works and for you your works. Peace be upon you. We have no concern with the ignorant.'

28:56 Surely, thou canst not guide whomsoever thou lovest; but Allah guides whomsoever He pleases; and He knows best those who would accept guidance.

28:57 And they say, 'If we were to follow the guidance with thee, we should be snatched away from our land.' Say to them, 'Have We not established for them a safe sanctuary, to which are brought the fruits of all things, as a provision from Us?' But most of them know not.

28:58 And how many a town have We destroyed which exulted in its life of ease and plenty! and these are their dwellings which have been but little inhabited after them. And it is We Who became the inheritors thereof.

28:59 And thy Lord would never destroy the towns until He has raised in the mother-town thereof a Messenger, reciting unto them Our Signs; nor would We destroy the towns unless the people thereof were wrongdoers.

28:60 And whatever of anything you are given is only a temporary enjoyment of the present life and an adornment thereof; and that which is with Allah is better and more lasting. Will you not then understand?

28:61 Is he, then, to whom We have promised a goodly promise, the fulfillment of which he will meet, like him whom We have provided with the good things of this life only, and then on the Day of Resurrection he will be among those who are brought before Allah to give an account of their deeds?

28:62 And on that day He will call to them, and say, 'Where are those whom you allege to be my associates?'

28:63 Then those, against whom the sentence of punishment will have become due, will say, 'Our Lord, these are those whom we led astray. We led them astray even as we had gone astray ourselves. We now dissociate ourselves from them and turn to Thee. It was not us that they worshiped.'

28:64 And it will be said to the idolaters, 'Now call upon your so-called partners.' And they will call upon them, but they will not answer them. And they will see the punishment and wish that they had followed the guidance.

28:65 And on that day Allah will call to them and say, 'What answer gave you to the Messengers?'

28:66 Then all excuses will become obscure to them on that day and they shall not even ask each other.

28:67 But he who repents and believes and does righteous deeds, maybe, he will be among the prosperous.

28:68 And thy Lord creates whatever He pleases, and chooses whomsoever He pleases. It is not for them to choose. Glorified be Allah. He is far above all that they associate with Him.

28:69 And thy Lord knows what their breasts conceal, and what they disclose.

28:70 And He is Allah; there is no god but He. To Him belongs all praise in the beginning and the Hereafter. His is the dominion, and to Him shall you be brought back.

28:71 Say, 'Tell me, if Allah should make the night to continue perpetually over you till the Day of Resurrection, what god is there other than Allah who could bring you light? Will you not then hearken?'

28:72 Say, 'Tell me, if Allah should make the day to continue perpetually over you till the Day of Resurrection, what god is there other than Allah who could bring you night wherein you could rest? Will you not then see?'

28:73 And of His mercy He has made for you the night and the day, that you may rest therein and that you may seek of His bounty, and that you may be grateful.

28:74 And on that day He will call to them and say, 'Where are those whom you alleged to be my associates?'

28:75 And We shall take out from every people a witness and We shall say, 'Bring your proof.' Then they will know that the truth belongs to Allah alone. And that which they used to forge will all be lost unto them.

28:76 Verily, Korah was of the people of Moses, but he behaved tyrannically towards them. And We had given him treasures of hoarded wealth so much that the keys thereof would have weighed down a party of strong men. When his people said to him, 'Exult not, surely Allah loves not those who exult;

28:77 And seek, in that which Allah has given thee, the Home of the Hereafter; and neglect not thy lot in this world; and do good to others as Allah has done good to thee; And seek not to create mischief in the land. Verily, Allah loves not those who create mischief;'

28:78 He said, 'All this has been given to me because of the knowledge I possess.' Did he not know that Allah had destroyed before him generations that were mightier than he and greater in riches? And the guilty shall not be asked to offer an explanation of their sins.

28:79 So he went forth before his people in all his pomp. Those who were desirous of the life of this world said, 'Would that we had the like of what Korah has been given! Truly, he is the master of great fortune.'

28:80 But those who had been given knowledge said, 'Woe unto you, Allah's reward is best for those who believe and do good works; and it shall be granted to no one except those who are steadfast.'

28:81 Then We caused the earth to swallow him up and his dwelling; And he had no party to help him against Allah, nor was he of those who can defend themselves.

28:82 And those who had coveted his position the day before began to say, 'Ruin seize thee! it is indeed Allah Who enlarges the provisions for such of His servants as He pleases and straitens it for whom He pleases. Had not Allah been gracious to us, He would have caused it to swallow us up also. Ah! the ungrateful never prosper.'

28:83 This is the home of the Hereafter. We give it to those who seek not self-exaltation in the earth, nor corruption. And the good end is for the righteous.

28:84 He who does a good deed shall have a reward better than that; and as for him who does an evil deed--those who do evil deeds shall not be rewarded but according to what they did.

28:85 He who has made the teaching of the Qur'án binding on thee will most surely bring thee back to thy ordained place of return. Say, 'My Lord knows best him who has brought the guidance, and him who is in manifest error.'

28:86 And thou didst never expect that the Book would be revealed to thee; but it is a mercy from thy Lord; so never be a helper of disbelievers.

28:87 And let them not turn thee away from the Signs of Allah, after they have been sent down to thee; and call mankind to thy Lord, and be not of those who associate partners with Him.

28:88 And call not on any other god beside Allah. There is no god but He. Everything will perish but He. His is the judgment, and to Him will you all be brought back.

Chapter 29--The Spider

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

29:1 Alif, Lám, Mim.

29:2 Do men think that they will be left alone because they say, 'We believe,' and that they will not be tried?

29:3 And We did try those who were before them. So Allah will, assuredly, know those who are truthful and He will, assuredly, know the liars.

29:4 Or, those who commit evil deeds imagine that they will escape Us? How ill they judge!

29:5 Whoso hopes to meet Allah, let him be prepared for it, for Allah's appointed time is certainly coming. And He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

29:6 And whoso strives, strives only for his own soul; verily, Allah is Independent of all His creatures.

29:7 And as to those who believe and do righteous deeds We shall surely, remove from them their evils, and We shall, surely, give them the best reward of their works.

29:8 And We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents; but if they contend with thee to make thee associate that with Me of which thou hast no knowledge, then obey them not. Unto Me is your return, and I shall inform you of what you did.

29:9 And those who believe and do righteous deeds--them We shall, surely, admit into the company of the righteous.

29:10 And of men there are some who say, 'We believe in Allah;' but when they are made to suffer in the cause of Allah, they regard the persecution of men as if it were the punishment of Allah. And if help comes from thy Lord, they are sure to say, 'Certainly, we were with you.' Is not Allah best aware of what is in the breasts of His creatures?

29:11 And Allah will, certainly, make manifest those who believe and He will, surely, distinguish the hypocrites from the believers.

29:12 And those who disbelieve say to those who believe, 'Follow our way, and we will, surely, bear the burden of your sins.' But they will bear none of the burden of their sins. They are, surely, liars.

29:13 But they shall, surely, bear their own burdens, and other burdens along with their own burdens. And they will, surely, be questioned on the Day of Resurrection concerning that which they fabricated.

29:14 And We, certainly, sent Noah to his people, and he remained among them a thousand years, short of fifty years. Then the deluge overtook them, while they were wrongdoers.

29:15 But We saved him and those who were with him in the Ark; and We made it a Sign for all peoples.

29:16 And We sent Abraham when he said to his people, 'Worship Allah and fear Him. That is better for you, if only you knew;

29:17 You only worship idols beside Allah, and you invent a lie. Those, whom you worship beside Allah, have no power to provide sustenance for you. Then seek sustenance from Allah, and worship Him, and be Grateful to Him. Unto Him will you be brought back.'

29:18 And if you reject the truth, then the generations before you also rejected it. And the Messenger is only responsible for the clear delivery of the Message.

29:19 See they not how Allah originates creation, then repeats it? That, surely, is easy for Allah.

29:20 Say, 'Travel in the earth, and see how He originated the creation. Then will Allah create the second creation. Surely, Allah has power over all things;

29:21 He punishes whom He pleases and shows mercy unto whom He pleases; and to Him will you be turned back;

29:22 And you cannot frustrate the designs of Allah in the earth nor in the heaven; nor have you any friend or helper beside Allah.'

29:23 Those who disbelieve in the Signs of Allah and the meeting with Him--it is they who despair of My mercy. And they will have a grievous punishment.

29:24 And the only answer of his people was that they said, 'Slay him or burn him.' But Allah delivered him from the fire. In that, surely, are, Signs for a people who believe.

29:25 And Abraham said, 'Verily, you have taken for yourselves idols beside Allah, out of love for each other in the present life. Then on the Day of Resurrection you will deny each other, and curse each other. And your abode will be the Fire; and you will have no helpers.'

29:26 And Lot believed in him, and Abraham said, 'I flee unto my Lord; surely, He is the Mighty, the Wise.'

29:27 And We bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob, and We placed Prophethood and the Book among his descendants, and We gave him his reward in this life, and in the Hereafter he will, surely, be among the righteous.

29:28 And call to mind Lot when he said to his people, 'You commit an abomination such as no one among mankind has ever committed before you;

29:29 What! Do you approach men with lust and commit robbery on the highway, and you commit abomination in your meetings?' But the only answer of his people was that they said, 'Bring upon us the punishment of Allah if thou speakest the truth.'

29:30 He said, 'Help me, my Lord, against the wicked people.'

29:31 And when Our Messengers brought Abraham the tidings, they said, 'The tidings is, 'We were about to destroy the people of this town; surely, its people are wrongdoers.'

29:32 He said, 'But Lot is there!' They said, 'We know very well who is there. We will surely, save him and his family, except his wife, who is of those who remain behind.'

29:33 And when Our Messengers came to Lot, he was distressed on their account and felt powerless with regard to them. And they said, 'Fear not nor grieve, and we have been charged with the divine message: 'We will, surely, save thee and thy family except thy wife, who is of those who remain behind,

29:34 And 'We are, surely, going to bring down on the people of this town a punishment from heaven, for they have been rebellious.'

29:35 And We have left thereof a clear Sign for a people who would understand.

29:36 And to Midian We sent their brother Shu'aib who said, 'O my people, worship Allah, and be mindful of the Last Day and commit not iniquity in the earth, creating disorder.'

29:37 But they called him a liar. So a violent earthquake seized them, and in their homes they lay prostrate upon the ground.

29:38 And We destroyed Ad and Thamud; and it is evident to you from their dwelling places. And Satan made their deeds appear attractive to them, and thus turned them away from the right path, sagacious though they were.

29:39 And We destroyed Korah and Pharaoh and Haman. And Moses did come to them with manifest Signs, but they behaved arrogantly in the land, yet they could not outstrip Us.

29:40 So each one of them We seized for his sin; of them were those against whom We sent a violent sandstorm, and of them were those whom a roaring blast overtook, and of them were those whom We caused the earth to swallow up, and of them were those whom We drowned. And Allah did not wrong them, but they wronged themselves.

29:41 The case of those who take helpers beside Allah is like unto the case of the spider that takes to itself a house; and, surely, the frailest of all houses is the house of the spider, if they but knew.

29:42 Verily, Allah knows whatever they call upon beside Him; and He is the Mighty, the Wise.

29:43 And these are similitudes which We set forth for mankind, but only those understand them who have knowledge.

29:44 Allah created the heavens and the earth in accordance with the requirements of wisdom. In that, surely, is a Sign for the believers.

29:45 Recite that which has been revealed of the Book and observe Prayer. Surely, Prayer restrains one from indecency and manifest evil; and the remembrance of Allah is the greatest virtue. And Allah knows what you do.

29:46 And argue not with the people of the Book except with what is best as an argument, but argue not at all with such of them as are unjust. And say, 'We believe in that which has been revealed to us and that which has been revealed to you; and our Allah and your Allah is One, and to Him we submit.'

29:47 And in like manner have We sent down the Book to thee; so those to whom We have given true knowledge of the Book (Torah) believe in it (the Qur'án); and of these Meccans also there are some who believe in it. And none but the disbelievers persist in rejecting Our Signs.

29:48 And thou didst not recite any Book before the Qur'án, nor didst thou write one with thy right hand; in that case the liars would have had cause to doubt.

29:49 Nay, it is a collection of clear Signs in the hearts of those who are given knowledge. And none but the wrongdoers deny Our Signs.

29:50 And they say, 'Why are not Signs sent down to him from his Lord?' Say, 'The Signs are with Allah, and I am but a plain warner,'

29:51 Is it not enough for a Sign for them that We have sent down to thee the perfect Book which is recited to them? Verily, in this there is great mercy and a reminder for a people who believe.

29:52 Say, 'Allah is sufficient as a Witness between me and you. He knows what is in the heavens and the earth. And as for those who believe in falsehood and disbelieve in Allah, they it is who are the losers.'

29:53 They ask thee to hasten on the punishment, and had there not been an appointed term, the punishment would have come upon them. And it shall, surely, overtake them unexpectedly, while they perceive not.

29:54 They ask thee to hasten on the punishment; but Hell will, certainly, encompass the disbelievers;

29:55 On the day when the punishment will overwhelm them from above them and from underneath their feet, and He will say, 'Taste ye the fruit of your actions.'

29:56 O My servants who believe! verily, My earth is vast; so worship Me alone.

29:57 Every soul shall taste of death; then to Us shall you all be brought back.

29:58 And those who believe and do righteous deeds--them shall We, surely, house in lofty mansions of Paradise, beneath which streams flow. They will abide therein. Excellent is the reward of those who labour for good,

29:59 Those who are steadfast, and put their trust in their Lord.

29:60 And how many an animal there is that carries not its sustenance! Allah provides for it and for you. And He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

29:61 And if thou ask them, 'Who has created the heavens and the earth and pressed into service the sun and the moon? They will, surely, say, 'Allah.' How then are they being turned away from the truth?

29:62 Allah enlarges the means of sustenance for such of his servants as He pleases, and straitens them for whom He pleases. Surely, Allah has full knowledge of all things.

29:63 And if thou ask them, 'Who sends down water from the sky and therewith gives life to the earth after its death?' They will, surely, say, 'Allah.' Say, 'All praise belongs to Allah.' But most of them understand not.

29:64 And the life of this world is nothing but a pastime and a sport, and the Home of the Hereafter--that indeed is Life, if they but knew!

29:65 And when they go on board a ship, they call on Allah, with sincere and single-minded faith in Him. But when He brings them safe to land, behold! they associate partners with Him again,

29:66 Being ungrateful for what We have bestowed on them, and enjoying themselves for a time. But they will soon come to know the consequences of their conduct.

29:67 Do they not see that We have made the sanctuary of Mecca secure for them, while people are snatched away from all around them? Would they then believe in falsehood and deny the favour of Allah?

29:68 And who is more unjust than he who invents a lie concerning Allah, or rejects the truth when it comes to him? Is there not an abode in Hell for disbelievers?

29:69 And as for those who strive to meet Us--We will, surely, guide them in Our ways. And, verily, Allah is with those who do good.

Chapter 30--The Greeks

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

30:1 Alif, Lam, Mim.

30:2 The Romans have been defeated

30:3 In the land nearby, and they, after their defeat, will be victorious

30:4 In a few years--Allah's is the dominion before and after that--and on that day the believers will rejoice

30:5 In Allah's help. He helps whom He pleases; and He is the Mighty, the Merciful.

30:6 Allah has made this promise. Allah breaks not His promise, but most men know not.

30:7 They know only the outer part of the life of this world, and of the Hereafter they are utterly unmindful.

30:8 Do they not reflect within themselves that Allah has not created the heavens and the earth and all that is between the two but in accordance with the requirements of wisdom and for a fixed term? But many among men believe not in the meeting with their Lord.

30:9 Have they not traveled in the earth so that they might see how evil was the end of those who were before them? They were stronger than these in power, and they tilled the soil and populated it more and better than these have populated it. And their Messengers came to them with manifest Signs. And Allah would not wrong them, but they wronged their own souls.

30:10 Then evil was the end of those who did evil, because, they rejected the Signs of Allah and scoffed at them.

30:11 Allah originates creation; then He keeps repeating it; then to Him shall you be brought back.

30:12 And on the day when the Hour will arrive the guilty shall be seized with despair.

30:13 And they shall have no intercessors from among those who they associate with Allah; and they will deny those whom they associate with Him.

30:14 And on the day when the Hour will arrive--on that day they will become separated from one another.

30:15 Then those who believed and acted righteously will be honoured and made happy in stately gardens.

30:16 But as for those who disbelieved and rejected Our Signs and the meeting of the Hereafter, these shall be confronted with punishment.

30:17 So glorify Allah when you enter the evening and when you enter the morning -

30:18 And to Him belongs all praise in the heavens and the earth -- and glorify Him in the afternoon and when you enter upon the time of the decline of the sun.

30:19 He brings forth the living from the dead, and He brings forth the dead from the living; and He gives life to the earth after its death. And in like manner shall you be brought forth.

30:20 And of His Signs is that He created you from dust; then behold, you are men spreading over the earth.

30:21 And of His Signs is that He has created wives for you from among yourselves that you may find peace of mind in them, and He has put love and tenderness between you. In that, surely, are Signs for a people who reflect.

30:22 And of His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your tongues and colours. In that, surely, are Signs for those who possess knowledge.

30:23 And of His Signs is your sleep by night, and by day, your seeking of His bounty. In that, surely, are Signs for a people who would listen.

30:24 And of His Signs is that He shows you the lightning for fear and hope, and He sends down water from the sky, and quickens therewith the earth after its death. In that, surely, are Signs for a people who understand.

30:25 And of His Signs is that the heavens and the earth stand firm by His command. Then when He calls you by a single call to come forth from the earth, behold, you will come forth.

30:26 And to Him belongs whosoever is in the heavens and the earth. All are obedient to Him.

30:27 And He it is Who originates the creation, then keeps repeating it, and it is most easy for Him. His is the most exalted state in the heavens and the earth; and He is the Mighty, the Wise.

30:28 He sets forth for you a parable concerning yourselves. Have you, among those whom your right hands possess, partners in what We have provided for you so that you become equal sharers therein, and you fear them as you fear each other? Thus do We explain the Signs to a people who understand.

30:29 Nay, but those, who are unjust, follow their own low desires without knowledge. Then who can guide him whom Allah lets go astray? There will be no helpers for them.

30:30 So set thy face to the service of religion with single-minded devotion. And follow the nature made by Allah, the nature according to which He has fashioned mankind. There is no altering the creation of Allah. That is the right religion--but most men know not -

30:31 So you all turn to Him, in repentance, and seek His protection and observe Prayer, and be not of those who associate partners with Allah -

30:32 Of those who split up their religion and have become divided into sects, every party rejoicing in what they have.

30:33 And when an affliction befalls people, they cry unto their Lord, turning sincerely to Him; then, when He has made them taste of mercy from Him, lo! a section of them associate partners with their Lord,

30:34 So that they begin to deny that which We have bestowed upon them. So enjoy yourselves awhile but soon you will come to know.

30:35 Have We sent down to them any authority which speaks in favour of what they associate with Him?

30:36 And when We make people taste of mercy, they rejoice therein; but if some evil befalls them because of that which their own hands have sent on, behold! they are in despair.

30:37 See they not that Allah enlarges the provision to whomsoever He pleases and straitens it to whomsoever He pleases? In that, truly, are Signs for a people who believe.

30:38 So give to the kinsman his due and to the needy and to the wayfarer. That is best for those who seek the favour of Allah, and it is they who will prosper.

30:39 Whatever you lay out at interest that it may increase the wealth of the people, it does not increase in the sight of Allah; but whatever you give in Zakát, seeking the pleasure of Allah--it is these who will increase their wealth manifold.

30:40 It is Allah Who has created you, and then He has provided for you; then He will cause you to die, and then He will bring you to life. Is there any of your so-called associate-gods, who can do any of these things? Glorified be He and exalted far above that which they associate with Him.

30:41 Corruption have spread on land and sea because of what men's hands has wrought, that He may make them taste the fruit of some of their doings, so that they may turn back from evil.

30:42 Say, 'Travel in the earth and see how evil was the end of those before you. Most of them were idolaters.'

30:43 So set thy face to the service of the right religion, before there comes the day from Allah for which there will be no averting. On that day believers and disbelievers will be separated from each other.

30:44 Those who disbelieve will bear the consequences of their disbelief; and those who do righteous deeds prepare good for their own souls,

30:45 That He, out of His bounty, may reward those who believe and act righteously. Surely, He loves not the disbelievers.

30:46 And of His Signs is that He sends the winds as bearers of glad tidings and that He may make you taste of His mercy, and that the ships may sail at His command, and that you may seek of His bounty, and that you may be grateful.

30:47 And, surely, We sent Messengers before thee to their own people, and they brought them clear Signs. Then We punished those who were guilty. And it was certainly incumbent upon Us to help the believers.

30:48 It is Allah Who sends the winds so that they raise the vapours in the form of a cloud. Then He spreads it in the sky as He pleases, and then He spreads it into fragments, and thou seest the rain issuing forth from its midst. And when He causes it to fall on whom He pleases of His servants, behold! they rejoice;

30:49 Though before that--before it was sent down upon them--they were in despair.

30:50 Observe, then, the marks of Allah's mercy; how He quickens the earth after its death. Verily, it is He Who quickens the dead; for He has power over all things.

30:51 And if We had sent a wind and they saw their harvest turn yellow, they would, certainly thereafter, begin to deny Our favours.

30:52 And thou canst not make the dead to hear, nor canst thou make the deaf to hear the call, when they retreat turning their backs;

30:53 Nor canst thou guide the blind out of their error. Thou canst make only those to hear who would believe in Our Signs and submit.

30:54 Allah is He Who created you in a state of weakness, and after weakness gave you strength; then, after strength, caused weakness and old age. He creates what He pleases. He is the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful.

30:55 And on the day when the appointed Hour shall arrive, the guilty will swear that they tarried not save a brief period--thus are they turned away from the right path.

30:56 But those, who are given knowledge and faith, will say, 'You have indeed tarried according to the Book of Allah, till the Day of Resurrection. And this indeed is the Day of Resurrection, but you did not care to know.

30:57 So on that day their excuses will not avail the wrongdoers; nor will they be allowed to make amends.

30:58 And, truly, We have set forth for men in this Qur'án every type of parable, and indeed, if thou bring them a Sign, those who disbelieve will, surely, say, 'You are but liars.'

30:59 Thus does Allah seal the hearts of those who have no knowledge.

30:60 So be thou patient. Surely, the promise of Allah is true; and let not those who have no certainty of faith hold thee in light estimation so as to move thee from the stand thou hast taken.

Chapter 31--Luqman

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

31:1 Alif, Lám, Mim.

31:2 These are the verses of the Book, full of wisdom,

31:3 A guidance and a mercy for those who do good,

31:4 Those who observe Prayer and pay the Zakát and who have firm faith in the Hereafter.

31:5 It is they who follow guidance from their Lord, and it is they who shall prosper.

31:6 And of men is he who takes idle tales in exchange for guidance to lead men astray from the path of Allah, without knowledge, and to make fun of it. For such there will be humiliating punishment.

31:7 And when Our Signs are recited to him, he turns away disdainfully, as though he heard them not, as if there were a heaviness in his ears. So announce to him a painful punishment.

31:8 Surely, those who believe and do good works--they will have Gardens of Delight,

31:9 Wherein they will abide. Allah has made a true promise; and He is the Mighty, the Wise.

31:10 He has created the heavens without any pillars that you can see, and He has placed in the earth firm mountains that it may not quake with you, and He has spread therein all kinds of creatures; and We have sent down water from the clouds, and have caused to grow therein of every fine species.

31:11 This is the creation of Allah. Now show me what others beside Him have created. Nay, but the wrongdoers are in manifest error.

31:12 And We bestowed wisdom on Luqmán and said, 'Be grateful to Allah,' for, whoso is grateful, is grateful for the good of his own soul. And whoso is ungrateful, then, surely, Allah is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.

31:13 And call to mind when Luqman said to his son while he admonished him. 'O my dear son! Associate not partners with Allah. Surely, associating partners with Allah is a grievous wrong.

31:14 And we have enjoined on man to be good to his parents--his mother bears him in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning takes two years--and said, 'Give thanks to Me and thy parents. Unto Me is the final return;

31:15 And if they contend with thee to make thee set up equals with Me concerning which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not, but be a kind companion to them in worldly affairs, and in spiritual matters follow the way of him who turns to Me. Then unto Me will be your return and I shall inform you of what you used to do;

31:16 O my dear son, even though it be the weight of a grain of mustard seed, and even though it be in a rock, or in the heavens, or in the earth, Allah will, surely, bring it out. Verily, Allah is the knower of the most hidden secrets, and is All-Aware;

31:17 O my dear son, observe Prayer and enjoin good and forbid evil and endure patiently whatever may befall thee. Surely, this is of those matters which require high resolve;

31:18 And turn not thy cheek away from men in scorn, nor walk in the earth haughtily; Surely, Allah loves not the arrogant boaster;

31:19 And walk thou at a moderate pace, and lower thy voice; verily, the most hateful of voices is the braying of the ass.'

31:20 Do you not see that Allah has pressed for you into service whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, and has completed His favours on you, both visible and invisible? And among men there are some who dispute concerning Allah, without knowledge or guidance or an illuminating Book.

31:21 And when it is said to them, 'Follow that which Allah has revealed,' they say, 'Nay, we shall follow that which we found our fathers following.' What! even though Satan was inviting them to the punishment of the burning fire?

31:22 And he who submits himself wholly to Allah, and is a doer of good, he has, surely, grasped a firm handle. With Allah rest the end of all affairs.

31:23 And as for him who disbelieves, let not his disbelief grieve thee. Unto Us is their return and We shall tell them that which they did. Surely, Allah knows full well what is in the breasts.

31:24 We shall let them enjoy themselves for a while; then shall We drive them to a severe torment.

31:25 And if thou ask them, 'Who has created the heavens and the earth?' They will, surely, answer, 'Allah.' Say, 'All praise belongs to Allah.' But most of them have no knowledge.

31:26 To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. Verily, Allah is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.

31:27 And if all the trees that are in the earth were pens, and the ocean--seven more oceans to replenish it--were ink, the words of Allah would not be exhausted. Surely, Allah is Mighty, Wise.

31:28 Your creation and your resurrection are only like the creation and resurrection of a single soul. Verily, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.

31:29 Seest thou not that Allah makes the night pass into the day and makes the day pass into the night, and He has pressed the sun and the moon into service; each pursuing its course till an appointed term, and that Allah is Well-Aware of what you do.

31:30 That is because it is Allah alone Who is the True Allah, and whatever they call upon beside Him is false, and because it is Allah alone Who is the Most High, the Incomparably Great.

31:31 Dost thou not see that the ships sail on the sea by the favour of Allah, that He may show you of His Signs? Therein, surely, are Signs for every patient and grateful person.

31:32 And when waves engulf them like so many coverings, they call upon Allah, in full sincerity of faith; but when He brings them to safe land, then some of them keep to the right course. And none denies Our Signs save every perfidious, ungrateful person.

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.31:33 O men, seek protection with your Lord and fear the day when the father will not be of any avail to his child, nor will the child at all be of any avail to his father. Allah's promise is, surely, true. So let not worldly life beguile you, nor let the Deceiver deceive you concerning Allah.

31:34 Verily, with Allah alone is the knowledge of the Hour. And He sends down the rain, and He knows what is in the wombs. And no soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die. Surely, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.

Chapter 32--Adoration

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

32:1 Alif, Lám, Mim.

32:2 The revelation of the Book--there is no doubt about it--is from the Lord of the worlds.

32:3 Do they say, 'He has forged it?' Nay, it is the truth from thy Lord, that thou mayest warn a people to whom no Warner has come before thee, that they may be guided.

32:4 Allah is He Who created the heavens and the earth, and that which is between them, in six periods, then He settled Himself on the Throne. You have no helper or intercessor beside Him. Will you not then reflect?

32:5 He will plan His ordinance from the heaven unto the earth, then will it go up to Him in a day the duration of which is a thousand years according as you reckon.

32:6 Such is the knower of the unseen and the seen, the Mighty, the Merciful;

32:7 Who has made perfect everything He has created. And He began the creation of man from clay;

32:8 Then He made his progeny from an extract of an insignificant fluid;

32:9 Then He endowed him with perfect faculties and breathed into him of His spirit. And He has given you ears, and eyes, and hearts. But little thanks do you give!

32:10 And they say, 'What! when we are lost in the earth, shall we be raised up in the form of a new creation?' Nay, but they disbelieve in the meeting with their Lord.

32:11 Say, 'The angel of death that has been put in charge of you will cause you to die; then to your Lord will you be brought back.'

32:12 If only thou couldst see when the guilty ones will hang down their heads before their Lord, and say, 'Our Lord, we have seen and we have heard, so send us back that we may do good works; for now we are convinced of the truth of what we were told.'

32:13 And if We had enforced Our will, We could have given every soul its appropriate guidance, but the word from Me has come true that I will fill Hell with jinn and men all together.

32:14 So taste ye the punishment of your evil deeds, for you forgot the meeting of this day of yours. We too, have forgotten you. Taste ye then the lasting punishment because of that which you used to do.

32:15 Only those really believe in Our Signs who, when they are reminded of them, fall down prostrate and celebrate the praises of their Lord, and they are not proud.

32:16 Their sides keep away from their beds; and they call on their Lord in fear and hope, and spend out of what We have bestowed on them.

32:17 And no soul knows what joy of the eyes is kept hidden for them, as a reward for the good they used to do.

32:18 Is he, then, who is a believer like one who is disobedient? they are not equal.

32:19 As for those who believe and do good works, they will have Gardens of Eternal Abode as an entertainment in return for what they used to do.

32:20 And as for those who are disobedient, their abode will be the Fire. Every time they desire to come out of it, they will be turned back into it, and it will be said to them, 'Taste ye the punishment of the Fire which you used to deny.'

32:21 And most surely We will make them taste of the lesser punishment before the greater punishment, that they may return to Us with repentance.

32:22 And who is more unjust than he who is reminded of the Signs of his Lord and then turns away from them? We will, surely, exact retribution from the guilty.

32:23 And We indeed gave Moses the Book--be not, therefore, in doubt about receiving a perfect Book thyself--and We made it a guidance for the Children of Israel.

32:24 And We appointed from among them leaders, who guided the people by Our command, because they were steadfast and had firm faith in Our Signs.

32:25 Verily, thy Lord--He will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that in which they used to disagree.

32:26 Does it not furnish guidance to them how many a generation have We destroyed before them, amid whose dwellings they now walk about? In that, surely, are Signs. Will they not then listen?

32:27 Do they not see that We drive the water to the dry land and produce thereby crops of which their cattle eat, and they themselves also? Will they not then see?

32:28 And they say, 'When will this victory come, if you are truthful?'

32:29 Say, 'On the day of victory the faith of the disbelievers shall not avail them, nor will they be respited.'

32:30 So turn away from them, and wait. They are also waiting.

Chapter 33--The Confederate Tribes

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

33:1 O thou Prophet, seek protection in Allah, and follow not the wishes of the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

33:2 And follow that which is revealed to thee from thy Lord. Verily, Allah is Well-Aware of what you do.

33:3 And put thy trust in Allah, and Allah is sufficient as a Guardian.

33:4 Allah has not made for any man two hearts in his breast; nor has He made those of your wives from whom you keep away by calling them mothers, your mothers in fact, nor has He made those whom you adopt as sons, your sons in fact. These are merely the words of your mouths; but Allah declares the truth, and He guides to the right path.

33:5 Call them after their fathers. That is more equitable in the sight of Allah. But if you know not their fathers, then they are your brothers in Faith and your friends. And there is no blame on you in respect of any mistake you may unintentionally make in this matter; but you will be called to account for that which your hearts purpose. And Allah is Most Forgiving. Ever Merciful.

33:6 The Prophet is nearer to the believers than their own selves, and his wives are as mothers to them. And blood-relations are nearer to one another, according to the Book of Allah, than other believers from among the Helpers and the Emigrants except that you show kindness to your friends. This is also written down in the Book.

33:7 And call to mind when We took from the Prophets their covenant, and from thee, and from Noah and Abraham, and Moses and Jesus, son of Mary, and We indeed, took from them a solemn covenant;

33:8 That Allah may question the truthful about their truthfulness. And for the disbelievers He has prepared a painful punishment.

33:9 O ye who believe, remember the favour of Allah to you when there came against you hosts, and We sent against them a wind and hosts that you saw not. And Allah sees what you do.

33:10 When they came upon you from above you, and from below you, and when your eyes became distracted, and your hearts reached up to your throats, and you thought diverse thoughts about Allah.

33:11 Then were the believers sorely tried, and they were shaken with a violent shaking.

33:12 And call to mind when the Hypocrites and those in whose hearts was a disease said, 'Allah and His Messenger promised us only delusion;'

33:13 And when a party of them said, 'O people of Yathrib, you can possibly make no stand against the enemy, therefore turn back. And a section of them even asked leave of the Prophet, say, 'Our houses are exposed,' whereas they were not exposed. They only sought to flee.

33:14 If the enemy were to enter the Town from its environs, and then they were asked to join in the disturbance against the Muslims, they would certainly have done so, and would not have tarried in their houses save a little.

33:15 And truly they had already covenanted with Allah that they would not turn their backs. And a covenant with Allah will have to be answered for.

33:16 Say, 'Flight shall not avail you if you flee from death or slaughter; and even then you will not be allowed to enjoy yourselves but a little.'

33:17 Say, 'Who is it that can save you from Allah if it be His wish to do you harm, or can deprive you of it, if it be His wish to show you mercy?' And they will not find for themselves any friend nor helper other than Allah.

33:18 Verily, Allah knows well those among you who hinder others from fighting and those who say to their brethren, 'Come and be with us;' and they themselves come not to the fight but little,

33:19 Being niggardly of their help to you. But when danger comes, thou seest them looking towards thee, their eyes rolling like one who is fainting at the approach of death. But when the fear has passed away, they assail you with sharp tongues, being niggardly of any good coming to your way. These have never believed; so Allah has rendered their works null and void. And that is easy for Allah.

33:20 They still hope that the Confederates may not have gone away; and if the Confederates should come again, they would wish to be among the nomad Arabs in the desert, asking for news about you, they would fight but little.

33:21 Verily, you have in the Prophet of Allah an excellent model, for him who hopes to meet Allah and the Last Day and who remembers Allah much.

33:22 And when the believers saw the Confederates, they said, 'This is what Allah and His Messenger promised us; and Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth.' And it only added to their faith and submission.

33:23 Among the believers are men who have been true to the covenant they had made with Allah. Some of them have fulfilled their vow, and there are others who wait, and they have not changed in the least.

33:24 That Allah may reward the truthful for their truth, and punish the hypocrites if He so please, or turn to them in mercy. Verily, Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

33:25 And Allah turned back the disbelievers in their rage; they gained no good. And Allah sufficed the believers in their fight. Allah is Powerful, Mighty.

33:26 And He brought those of the People of the Book who had aided them down from their fortresses, and cast terror into their hearts. Some you slew, and some you took captive.

33:27 And He made you inherit their land and their houses and their wealth, and also a land on which you have not yet set foot. And Allah has power over all things.

33:28 O Prophet! say to thy wives, 'If you desire the life of this world and its adornment, come then, I will provide for you and send you away in a handsome manner;

33:29 But if you desire Allah and His Messenger and the Home of the Hereafter, then, truly, Allah has prepared for those of you, who do good, a great reward.'

33:30 O wives of the Prophet! if any of you be guilty of manifestly dishonourable conduct, the punishment will be doubled for her. And that is easy for Allah.

33:31 But whoever of you is obedient to Allah and His Messenger and does good works, We shall give her reward twice over; and We have prepared for her an honourable provision.

33:32 O wives of the Prophet! you are not like any other women if you are righteous. So be not soft in speech, lest he, in whose heart is a disease, should feel tempted; and speak decent words.

33:33 And stay in your houses with dignity, and display not your beauty like the displaying of the former days of ignorance, and observe Prayer, and pay the Zakát, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Surely, Allah desires to remove from you all uncleanness, O Members of the Household, and purify you completely.

33:34 And remember what is rehearsed in your houses of the Signs of Allah and wisdom. Verily, Allah is Subtle, All-Aware.

33:35 Surely, men who submit themselves to GOD and women who submit themselves to Him, and believing men and believing women, and obedient men and obedient women, and truthful men and truthful women, and men steadfast in their faith and steadfast women, and men who are humble and women who are humble, and men who give alms and women who give alms, and men who fast and women who fast, and men who guard their chastity and women who guard their chastity and men who remember Allah much and women who remember Him--Allah has prepared for all of them forgiveness and a great reward.

33:36 And it behoves not a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should exercise their own choice in the matter concerning them. And whoso disobeys Allah and His Messenger, surely, strays away in manifest error.

33:37 And call to mind when thou didst say to him on whom Allah had bestowed favours and on whom thou also hadst bestowed favours: 'Keep thy wife to thyself, and fear Allah,' and thou didst conceal in thy heart what Allah was going to bring to light, and thou didst fear the people, whereas Allah has better right that thou shouldst fear Him. Then, when Zaid had accomplished his want concerning her, We joined her in marriage to thee, so that there may be no difficulty for the believers with regard to marriage with the wives of their adopted sons, when they have accomplished their wants concerning them. And Allah's decree was bound to be fulfilled.

33:38 No blame can attach to the Prophet with respect to that which Allah has made incumbent upon him. Such, indeed, was the way of Allah with those who have passed before--and the command of Allah is a decree ordained -

33:39 Those who delivered the Messages of Allah and feared Him, and feared none but Allah. And sufficient is Allah as a reckoner.

33:40 Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah, and the seal of the Prophets and Allah has full knowledge of all things.

33:41 O ye who believe! remember Allah much;

33:42 And glorify Him morning and evening.

33:43 He it is Who sends down His blessing on you, and His angels pray for you, that He may bring you forth from all kinds of darkness into light. And He is Merciful to the believers.

33:44 Their greeting on the day, when they meet Him, will be 'Peace.' And He has prepared for them an honourable reward.

33:45 O Prophet! truly We have sent thee as a Witness and a Bearer of glad tidings, and a Warner,

33:46 And as a Summoner unto Allah by His command, and as a light-giving Lamp.

33:47 And announce to the believers the glad tidings that they will have great bounty from Allah.

33:48 And follow not the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and overlook their annoying talk and put thy trust in Allah; for Allah is sufficient as a guardian.

33:49 O ye who believe! when you marry believing women and then divorce them before you have touched them, then you have no right to reckon the period of waiting with regard to them. So make some provision for them and send them away in a handsome manner.

33:50 O Prophet! We have made lawful to thee thy wives whom thou hast paid their dowries, and those whom thy right hand possesses from among those whom Allah has given thee as gains of war, and the daughters of thy paternal uncle, and the daughters of thy paternal aunts, and the daughters of thy maternal uncle, and the daughters of thy maternal aunts who have emigrated with thee and any other believing woman if she offers herself for marriage to the Prophet provided the Prophet desires to marry her; this provision is only for thee, and not for other believers--We have already made known what We have enjoined on them concerning their wives and those whom their right hands possess--in order that there may be no difficulty for thee in explaining the Law to them. And Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

33:51 Thou mayest put aside any of them that thou pleasest, and keep with thyself whom thou pleasest; and if thou desirest to take back any of those whom thou hast put aside, there is no blame on thee. That is more likely that their eyes may be cooled, and that they may not grieve, and that they may all be pleased with that which thou hast given them. And Allah knows what is in your hearts; and Allah is All-Knowing, Forbearing.

33:52 It is not allowed to thee to marry women after that, nor to change them for other wives even, though their goodness please thee, except any that thy right hand possesses. And Allah is Watchful over all things.

33:53 O ye who believe! enter not the houses of the Prophet unless leave is granted to you for a meal, not waiting till it is cooked. But enter when you are invited, and when you have had your meal, disperse, without seeking to engage in talk. That causes inconvenience to the Prophet, and he feels shy of asking you to leave, but Allah is not shy of saying what is true. And when you ask them--the wives of the Prophet -- for anything, ask them from behind a curtain. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts. And it behoves you not to cause inconvenience to the Messenger of Allah, nor that you should ever marry his wives after him. That, indeed, is a monstrous thing in the sight of Allah.

33:54 Whether you disclose a thing or conceal it, Allah knows all things well.

33:55 There is no blame on them in this respect with regard to their fathers or their sons or their brothers, or the sons of their brothers, or the sons of their sisters, or their womenfolk or those whom their right hands possess. And fear Allah, O wives of the Prophet. Verily, Allah is a Witness over all things.

33:56 Allah sends down His blessings on the Prophet and His angels pray for him. O ye who believe, you too should invoke His blessings on him and salute him with the salutation of peace.

33:57 Verily, those who malign Allah and His Messenger--Allah has cursed them in this world and in the Hereafter, and has prepared for them an abasing punishment.

33:58 And those, who malign believing men and believing women for what they have not earned, shall bear the guilt of a calumny and a manifest sin.

33:59 O Prophet! tell thy wives and thy daughters, and the women of the believers, that they should pull down upon them of their outer cloaks from their heads over their faces. That is more likely that they may thus be recognized and not molested. And Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

33:60 If the Hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease and those who cause agitation in the City by spreading false rumours, desist not, We shall, surely, urge thee on against them; then they will not dwell therein as thy neighbours save for a little while.

33:61 They are accursed. Wherever they are found they will be seized, and cut into pieces.

33:62 Such has been the way of Allah with those who passed away before, and never thou wilt find a change in the way of Allah.

33:63 People ask thee concerning the Hour. Say, 'The knowledge of it is with Allah alone.' And what will make thee know that the Hour may be nigh?

33:64 Allah has, surely, cursed the disbelievers, and has prepared for them a blazing fire,

33:65 Wherein they will abide forever. They will find therein no friend, nor helper.

33:66 On the day when their faces are turned over into the fire they will say, 'O, would that we had obeyed Allah and obeyed the Messenger!'

33:67 And they will say, 'Our Lord, we obeyed our chiefs and our great ones and they led us astray from the way,

33:68 Our Lord, give them double punishment and curse them with a mighty curse.'

33:69 O ye who believe! be not like those who maligned Moses; but Allah cleared of what they said about him. And he had a great position in the sight of Allah.

33:70 O ye who believe! Fear Allah and say the straightforward word.

33:71 He will set right you actions for you and forgive you your sins. And whoso obeys Allah and His Messenger shall, surely, attain a supreme triumph.

33:72 Verily, We have offered the trust of the Divine Law to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to bear it and were afraid of it. But man bore it. Indeed, he is capable of being unjust to, and neglectful of, himself.

33:73 The consequence is that Allah will punish hypocritical men and hypocritical women, and idolatrous men and idolatrous women; and Allah turns in Mercy to believing men and believing women; and Allah is Most forgiving Merciful.

Chapter 34--Sheba

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

34:1 All praise is due to Allah, to Whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. And His is All praise in the Hereafter; and He is the Wise, the All-Aware.

34:2 He knows whatever goes into the earth and whatever comes forth from it, and whatever descends from the heaven and whatever ascends into it; and He is Merciful, Most Forgiving.

34:3 And those who disbelieve say, 'The Hour will never come upon us.' Say, 'Yea, by my Lord who knows the unseen, it will, surely, come upon you. Not an atom's weight in the heavens or in the earth or anything less than that or greater escapes Him, but all is recorded in a perspicuous Book,

34:4 That He may reward those who believe and do righteous deeds. It is these who will have forgiveness and an honourable provision.'

34:5 But as to those who strive against Our Signs, seeking to frustrate Our plans, it is they for whom there will be the torment of a painful punishment.

34:6 And those who are given knowledge see that whatever has been revealed to thee from thy Lord is the truth, and that it guides unto the path of the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

34:7 And those who disbelieve say, 'Shall we show you a man who will tell you that when you are broken up into pieces, you shall be raised as a new creation?'

34:8 Has he forged a lie against Allah or is he afflicted with madness?' Nay, but those who believe not in the Hereafter are already suffering the punishment and are too far gone in error.

34:9 Do they not see how they are encompassed by that which is before them and that which is behind them of the heaven and the earth? If We please, We could cause the earth to sink with them, or cause pieces of the sky to fall upon them. In that verily is a Sign for every repentant servant of Allah.

34:10 And certainly, We bestowed grace upon David from Us and said, 'O ye mountains, celebrate the praises of Allah with him, and O birds, ye also.' And We made the iron soft for him,

34:11 And We said, 'Make thou full-length coats of mail, and make the rings of a proper measure. And act righteously, surely I see all that you do.'

34:12 And to Solomon We subjected the wind; its morning course was a month's journey and its evening course was a month's journey too. And We caused a fount of molten copper to flow for him. And of the jinn were some who worked under him by the command of his Lord. And We said that whoever of them turned away from Our command, We would make him taste the punishment of the burning fire.

34:13 They made for him what he desired--places of worship and statues, and basins like reservoirs, and large cooking vessels fixed in their places. And We said, act gratefully, O House of David, but few of My servants are grateful.

34:14 And when We decreed his (Solomon's) death, nothing indicated to them that he was dead save a worm of the earth that ate away his staff. So when it fell down, the jinn plainly realized that if they had known the unseen, they would not have remained in a state of degrading torment.

34:15 There was, indeed, a Sign for Saba in their homeland--two gardens, one on the right hand and one on the left; and We said to them, 'Eat of the provision of your Lord and give thanks to Him. Your town is a beautiful town and your Lord Most Forgiving'

34:16 But they turned away; so We sent against them a devastating flood. And We gave them, in place of their two excellent gardens, two gardens bearing bitter fruit and containing tamarisk and a few lote-trees.

34:17 Thus We requited them because of their ingratitude; and it is only the ungrateful that We requite in this manner.

34:18 And We placed, between them and the towns which We had blessed, other towns that were prominently visible, and We fixed easy stages between them and said: 'Travel in them by night and day in security.'

34:19 But instead of giving thanks to Allah, they said, 'Our Lord, place longer distances between the stages of our journeys.' And they wronged themselves; so We made them bywords and We broke them into pieces, an utter breaking up. In that, verily, are Signs for every steadfast and grateful person.

34:20 And Iblis, indeed, found true his judgment concerning them, so they followed him, all except a party of true believers.

34:21 And he had no power over them, but it was so that We might distinguish those who believed in the Hereafter from those who were in doubt about it. And thy Lord is watchful over all things.

34:22 Say, 'Call upon those whom you assert to be gods beside Allah. They control not even the weight of an atom in the heavens or in the earth, nor have they any share in either, nor has He any helper among them.'

34:23 No intercession avails with Him, except of him whom He permits it, until when the hearts of those who are granted permission to intercede are relieved of awe, others would say, 'What is that your Lord said?' They will answer, 'The truth.' And He is the High, the Great.

34:24 Say, 'Who gives you sustenance from the heavens and the earth?' Say, 'Allah. Either We or you are on right guidance or in manifest error.

34:25 Say, 'You will not be questioned as to our sins, nor shall we be questioned as to what you do.'

34:26 Say, 'Our Lord will bring us all together, then He will judge between us with truth, and He is the Best Judge, the All-Knowing.'

34:27 Say, 'Show me those whom you have joined with Him as associates.' Nay! that cannot be, for He is Allah, the Mighty, the Wise.

34:28 And We have not sent thee but as a bearer of glad tidings and a Warner for all mankind, but most men know not.

34:29 And they say, 'When will this promise be fulfilled, if you are truthful?'

34:30 Say, 'For you is the promise of a day from which you cannot remain behind a single moment, nor can you get ahead of it.'

34:31 And those who disbelieve say, 'We will never believe in this Qur'án nor in what is before it.' Couldst thou but see when the wrongdoers will be made to stand before their Lord, casting the blame on one another? Those who were deemed weak will say to those who were arrogant, 'Had it not been for you, we should, surely, have been believers.

34:32 Those who were big with pride will say to those who were considered weak, 'Was it we that kept you away from the guidance, after it had come to you? Nay, it was you yourselves who were guilty.'

34:33 And those who were deemed weak will say to those who were proud, 'Nay, but it was your scheming night and day, when you bade us disbelieve in Allah and set up equals with Him.' And they will conceal their remorse when they see the punishment; and We shall put chains round the necks of those who disbelieved. They will not be requited but for what they did.

34:34 And We never sent a Warner to any city but the wealthy ones thereof said, 'Surely, we disbelieve in what you have been sent with.'

34:35 And they say, 'We have more wealth and children; and we shall not be punished.'

34:36 Say, 'Verily, my Lord enlarges the provision for whomsoever He pleases, and straitens it for whomsoever He pleases; but most men do not know.'

34:37 And it is not your wealth, nor your children that will bring you near Us in rank but those, who believe and do good works, will have a double reward for what they did. And in lofty mansions will they be secure.

34:38 And as to those who strive to frustrate the purpose of Our Signs, it is they who will be brought to face punishment.

34:39 Say, 'Surely, my Lord enlarges the provision for such of His servants as He pleases and straitens it for such of them as He pleases. And whatever you spend, He will replace it; and He is the Best of providers.

34:40 And remember the day, when He will gather them all together; then He will say to the angels, 'Was it you that they worshiped?'

34:41 They will say, 'Holy art Thou. Thou art our Protector against them. Nay, but they worshiped the jinn; it was in them that most of them believed.'

34:42 It will be said to disbelievers, 'So, this day, you will have no power either to profit or harm one another. And We shall say to those who did wrong: 'Taste ye the punishment of the Fire that you denied.'

34:43 And when Our manifest Signs are recited to them, they say, 'This is but a man who seeks to turn you away from that which your fathers worshiped.' And they say, 'This Qur'án is but a forged lie.' And those who disbelieve say about the truth when it comes to them, 'This is nothing but manifest sorcery.'

34:44 And We gave them no Books which they studied, nor did We send to them any Warner before thee.

34:45 And those who were before them also rejected the truth and these have not attained even to a tenth of the power which We gave them, but they rejected My Messengers. So they shall see how terrible are the consequences of denying Me.

34:46 Say, 'I only exhort you to do only one thing: that you stand up before Allah in twos and singly and reflect. You will then realize that there is no insanity in your companion; he is only a Warner to you of an impending severe punishment.'

34:47 Say, 'Whatever reward I might have asked of you--let it be yours. My reward is only with Allah; and He is Witness over all thing.'

34:48 Say, 'Truly, My Lord hurls the Truth at falsehood and breaks it into pieces. He is the Great knower of the unseen.'

34:49 Say, 'The truth has come and falsehood could neither originate anything, nor reproduce it'

34:50 Say, If I err, I err only against myself; and if I am rightly guided, it is because of what my Lord revealed to me. Verily, He is All-Hearing, Nigh.'

34:51 Couldst thou but see when they will be smitten with fear? Then there will be no escape, and they will be seized from a place nearby.

34:52 And they will say, 'We now believe therein.' But how can they attain faith from a position so far off?

34:53 They had disbelieved in it before, while they indulged in conjectures with regard to the unseen from a far off-place.

34:54 And a barrier will be placed between them and that which they long for, as was done with the like of them before. They too were in disquieting doubt.

Chapter 35--The Creator

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

35:1 All praise belongs to Allah, the originator of the heavens and the earth, Who employs the angels as Messengers, having wings, two, three, and four. He adds to His creation whatever He pleases; for Allah has power over all things.

35:2 Whatever sources of mercy Allah lays open for mankind--there is none to withhold them; and whatever of such sources He withholds, there is none who can release them after that; and He is the Mighty, the Wise.

35:3 O ye men, remember the favour of Allah that He has bestowed upon you. Is there any creator other than Allah who provides for you from the heaven and the earth? There is none worthy of worship but He. Wither then are you turned away?

35:4 And if they reject thee, verily, Allah's Messengers have been rejected before thee; and unto Allah all matters are brought back for decision.

35:5 O ye men, assuredly the promise of Allah is true, so let not the present life deceive you, nor let the Deceiver deceive you with respect to Allah.

35:6 Surely, Satan is an enemy to you; so treat him as an enemy. He calls his followers only that they may become the inmates of the burning Fire.

35:7 For those who disbelieve there is a severe punishment. And for those who believe and do righteous deeds there is forgiveness and a great reward.

35:8 Can he, then, to whom the evil of his conduct is made to appear pleasing, so that he looks upon it as good, be like him who believes and does good deeds? Surely, Allah lets go astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. So let not thy soul waste away in sorrow for them. Surely, Allah know what they do.

35:9 And Allah is He who sends the winds which raise the clouds; then do We drive them to a lifeless tract of land, and quicken therewith the earth after its death. Likewise shall the Resurrection be.

35:10 Whoso desires honour, let him know that all honour belongs to Allah. Unto Him ascend pure words, and righteous deeds does He exalt, and those who plan evils--for them is a severe punishment; and the planning of such will perish.

35:11 And Allah created you from dust, then from a sperm drop, then He made you pairs. And no female conceives, nor does she bring forth a child save with His knowledge. And no one is granted long life who is granted long life, nor is anything diminished of his life, but it is all recorded in a Book. That surely is easy for Allah.

35:12 And the two seas are not alike: this one palatable, sweet and pleasant to drink and this other saltish, bitter. And yet from each you eat fresh meat, and take forth ornaments which you wear. And thou seest the ships therein ploughing the waves that you may seek of His bounty, and that you may be grateful.

35:13 He merges the night into the day, and He merges the day into the night. And He has pressed into service the sun and the moon, each runs its course to an appointed term. Such is Allah, your Lord; His is the Kingdom, and those whom you call upon beside Allah own not even a whit.

35:14 If you call on them, they will not hear your call; and even if they heard it, they could not answer you. And on the Day of Resurrection they will deny your having associated them with Allah. And none can inform thee like the One Who is All-Aware.

35:15 O men, it is you who are dependent upon Allah, but Allah is He Who is Self-Sufficient, the Praiseworthy.

35:16 If He please, He could destroy you, and bring a new creation instead.

35:17 And that is not at all difficult for Allah.

35:18 And no burdened soul can bear the burden of another; and if a heavily laden soul call another to bear its load, naught of it shall be carried by the other, even though he be a kinsman. Thou canst warn only those who fear their Lord in secret and observe Prayer, And whoso purifies himself, purifies himself only to his own good; and to Allah shall be the return.

35:19 The blind and the seeing are not alike.

35:20 Nor the darkness and the light,

35:21 Nor the shade and the heat,

35:22 Nor alike are the living and the dead. Surely, Allah causes him to hear whom He pleases; and thou canst not make those hear who are in the graves.

35:23 Thou art only a warner.

35:24 Verily, We have sent thee with the Truth, as a bearer of glad tidings and as a Warner; and there is no people to whom a Warner has not been sent.

35:25 And if they treat thee as a liar, those who were before them also treated their Messengers as liars. Their Messengers came to them with clear Signs, and with the Scriptures, and with the illuminating Book.

35:26 Then I seized those who disbelieved, and how terrible were the consequences of denying Me!

35:27 Dost thou not see that Allah sends down water from the sky, and We bring forth therewith fruits of different colours; and in the mountains are streaks white and red, of diverse hues, and others raven black?

35:28 And in the like manner, there are men and beasts and cattle, of various colours. Only those of His servants who are endowed with knowledge fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Mighty, Most forgiving.

35:29 Surely, only those who follow the Book of Allah and observe Prayer and spend out of what We have provided for them, secretly and in public, look for a bargain which will never fail;

35:30 In order that He may give them their full rewards, and even increase them out of His bounty. He is, surely, Most Forgiving, Most Appreciating.

35:31 And the Book which We have revealed to thee is the truth itself, fulfilling that which is before it. Surely, Allah is All-Aware of His servants, All-Seeing concerning His servants.

35:32 Then We have always made inheritors of the Book those of Our servants whom We choose. Some of them are hard upon themselves and of them are some who take the middle course, and of them are some who excel others in deeds of goodness by Allah's leave. And that indeed is the great grace from Allah.

35:33 Their reward will be Gardens of Eternity. They will enter them and will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and pearl; and their garments therein will be of silk.

35:34 And they will say, 'All praise belongs to Allah Who has removed all grief from us. Surely, our Lord is Most Forgiving, Most Appreciating;

35:35 Who has, out of His bounty, settled us in the Abode of Eternity, where no toil will touch us, nor any sense of weariness affect us therein.'

35:36 But as for those who disbelieve, for them is the fire of Hell. Death will not be decreed for them so that they may die; nor will the punishment thereof be lightened for them. Thus do We requite every ungrateful person.

35:37 And they will cry for help therein: 'Our Lord, take us out, we will do righteous deeds other than those we used to do.' Allah will say to them, 'Did We not give you a life long enough so that he, who would take heed, could take heed therein? And there came unto you a Warner too. So taste ye the punishment; for the wrongdoers have no helper.'

35:38 Verily, Allah knows all that is hidden in the heavens and the earth and He knows well what passes in the minds of people.

35:39 He it is Who made you successors in the earth of those who have passed away. So he, who disbelieves, will himself suffer the consequences of his disbelief. Their disbelief will bring the disbelievers no increase in the sight of their Lord except His displeasure, and their disbelief will increase for the disbelievers nothing but loss.

35:40 Say, 'Have you seen your associate-gods whom you call on beside Allah? Show me, then, what they have created of the earth. Or they have a share in the creation of the heavens? Or, have We given them a Book so that they have an evidence therefrom?' Nay, the wrongdoers promise one another nothing but delusion.

35:41 Surely, Allah holds the heavens and the earth lest they deviate from their positions. And if they did deviate, none can hold them back but He. Verily, He is Forbearing, Most Forgiving.

35:42 And they swore by Allah their strongest oaths, that if a Warner came to them, they would follow guidance better than any other people. But when a Warner did come to them, it only increased them in aversion,

35:43 For, they sought exaltation in the earth and devised evil schemes. But the evil schemes encompass none but the authors thereof. Do they, then, look for anything other than Allah's way of dealing with the people of old? But thou wilt never find any change in the way of Allah; nor wilt thou ever find any alteration in the way of Allah.

35:44 Have they not traveled in the earth and seen how evil was the end of those who were before them? And they were stronger than these in power. And Allah is not such that anything in the heavens or the earth can frustrate His plans; verily, He is All-Knowing, All-Powerful.

35:45 And if Allah were to punish people for what they do, He would not leave a living creature on the surface of the earth; but He gives them respite until an appointed term; and when their appointed time comes they find that Allah has all His servants well under His eyes.

Chapter 36--Yá Sin

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

36:1 Yá Sin.

36:2 By the Qur'án, full of wisdom,

36:3 Thou art, indeed, one of the Messengers,

36:4 On the right path.

36:5 This is a revelation from the Mighty, the Merciful.

36:6 That thou mayest warn a people whose fathers were not warned, and so they are heedless.

36:7 Surely, the word has proved true against most of them, for they believe not.

36:8 We have put round their necks collars reaching unto their chins, so that their heads are raised up.

36:9 And We have set a barrier before them and a barrier behind them, and have covered them over, so that they cannot see.

36:10 Alike it is to them whether thou warn them or warn them not; they will not believe.

36:11 Thou canst warn only him who would follow the Reminder and fear the Gracious Allah in secret. So give him the glad tidings of forgiveness and a noble reward.

36:12 Surely, We alone give life to the dead, and We write down that which they send forward and that which they leave behind; and all things We have recorded in a clear Book.

36:13 And set forth to them the parable of a people of the town, when the Messengers came to it.

36:14 When We sent to them two Messengers they rejected them both; so We strengthened them by a third; and they said, 'Verily, we have been sent to you as Messengers.'

36:15 They replied, 'You are only human beings like us and the Gracious Allah has not revealed anything. You are only lying.'

36:16 They said, 'Our Lord knows that we are, indeed His Messengers to you;

36:17 And our duty is only plain delivery of the Message.'

36:18 The disbelievers said, 'Surely, we augur evil fortune from you; if you desist not, we will, certainly, stone you, and a painful punishment will, surely, befall you at our hands.'

36:19 The Messengers replied, 'Your evil fortune is with your ownselves. Do you say this because you have been admonished? Nay, you are a people transgressing all bounds.'

36:20 And from the farthest part of the town there came a man running. He said, 'O my People, follow the Messengers,

36:21 Follow those who ask of you no reward, and who are rightly guided.

36:22 And why should I not worship Him Who has created me, and unto Whom you will be brought back?

36:23 Shall I take others beside Him as gods? If the Gracious Allah should intend me any harm, their intercession will avail me naught, nor can they rescue me.

36:24 In that case I should, indeed, be in manifest error.

36:25 I believe in your Lord; so listen to me.'

36:26 It was said to him, Do thou enter Paradise.' He said, 'O, would that my people knew,

36:27 How graciously my Lord has granted me forgiveness and has made me of the honoured ones!'

36:28 And We sent not down against his people, after him, any host from heaven, nor do We send down any such.

36:29 It was but a single blast and lo! they were extinct.

36:30 Alas for my servants! there comes not a Messenger to them but they mock at him.

36:31 Do they not see how many generations We have destroyed before them, and that they never come back to them?

36:32 And all of them, gathered together, will certainly be brought before Us.

36:33 And the dead earth is a Sign for them; We quicken it and bring forth therefrom grain, of which they eat.

36:34 And We have placed in it Gardens of date-palms and grapes, and We have caused springs to gush forth therein,

36:35 That they may eat of the fruit thereof, and it was not there hands that made them grow up. Will they not then be grateful?

36:36 Holy is He Who created all things in pairs, of what the earth grows and of themselves, and of what they know not.

36:37 And a Sign for them is the night from which We strip off the day, and lo! they are left in darkness.

36:38 And the sun is moving on to its determined goal. That is the decree of the Almighty, the All-Knowing Allah.

36:39 And for the moon We have appointed stages, till it becomes again like an old dry twig of a palm-tree.

36:40 It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day. All of them float smoothly in an orbit.

36:41 And a Sign for them is that We carry their offspring in the laden ships.

36:42 And We will create for them the like thereof whereon they will ride.

36:43 And if We so willed, We could drown them; then they would have no one to succour them, nor would they be rescued,

36:44 Except through mercy from Us and a provision for a time.

36:45 And when it is said to them, 'Guard yourselves against that which is before you through Prayer and that which is behind you through repentance, that you may receive mercy,' they turn away.

36:46 And there comes not to them any Sign out of the Signs of their Lord, but they turn away from it.

36:47 And when it is said to them, 'Spend out of that which Allah has given you,' those who disbelieve say to those who believe, 'Shall we feed him whom Allah would have fed, if He had so willed? You are but in manifest error.'

36:48 And they say, 'When will this promise of punishment be fulfilled, if you are truthful?'

36:49 They are waiting only for a single blast which will seize them while they are still disputing.

36:50 And they will not be able to make a will nor will they return to their families.

36:51 And the trumpet shall be blown, and lo! from the graves they will hasten on to their Lord.

36:52 They will say to one another, 'O woe to us! who has raised us from our place of sleep? This is what the Gracious Allah had promised, and the Messengers, indeed, spoke the truth.'

36:53 It will be one blast and lo! they will all be brought before Us.

36:54 And on that day no soul will be wronged in aught; nor will you be requited but for what you used to do.

36:55 Verily, the inmates of heaven will, on that day, be happy in their occupation.

36:56 They and their wives will be in pleasant shades, reclining on raised couches.

36:57 They will have fruits therein, and they will have whatever they call for.

36:58 They will be greeted with Peace--a word of greeting from the Merciful Lord.

36:59 And Allah will say, 'Separate yourselves from the righteous this day, O ye guilty ones!

36:60 Did I not enjoin on you, O ye sons of Adam, that you worship not Satan--for he is to you an open enemy -

36:61 And that you worship Me? This is the right path.

36:62 And he did lead astray a great multitude of you. Why did you not then understand?

36:63 This is Hell which you were promised,

36:64 Enter it this day because you disbelieved.'

36:65 This day we shall put a seal on their mouths, and their hands will speak to Us, and their feet will bear witness to what they had earned.

36:66 And if We had so willed, We could have put out their eyes, then they would have rushed unseeing to find the way. But, how could they see?

36:67 And if We had so willed, We could have transformed them in their places, then they would not be able to move forward or turn back.

36:68 And him whom We grant long life--We revert him to a weak state in creation. Will they not then understand?

36:69 And We have not taught him poetry, nor does it behove him to be a poet. It is but a reminder and a Qur'án that expounds and makes things plain,

36:70 That it may warn all who are alive, and that the decree of Allah may be fulfilled concerning the disbelievers.

36:71 Do they not see that, among the things which Our hands have wrought, We have created for them cattle of which they are masters?

36:72 And We have subjected the same to them, so that some of them they use for riding, and of the flesh of some they eat.

36:73 And in them they have other uses, and also drinks. Will they not, then, be grateful?

36:74 And they have taken other gods beside Allah that they might be helped.

36:75 But they are not able to help them. On the contrary, they will be brought before Allah in a body to bear witness against them.

36:76 So let not their speech grieve thee. Verily, We know what they conceal and what they proclaim.

36:77 Does not man see that We have created him from a mere sperm-drop? Then lo! he is an open quarreler!

36:78 And he coins similitudes for Us and forgets his own creation. He says, 'Who can quicken the bones when they are decayed?'

36:79 Say, 'He, Who created them the first time, will quicken them; and He knows well the condition of every created thing.

36:80 He Who produces for you fire out of the green tree, and behold, you kindle from it.

36:81 Has not He who created the heavens and the earth the power to create the like of them?' Yea, and He is, indeed, the Supreme Creator, the All-Knowing.

36:82 Verily, His command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says concerning it, 'Be,' and it comes into being.

36:83 So Holy is He, in Whose hand is the dominion of all things. And to Him will you be brought back.

Chapter 37--The Ranks

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

37:1 By those who range themselves in close ranks,

37:2 And those who repel evil vigorously,

37:3 And those who recite the Reminder--the Qur'án,

37:4 Surely, your Allah is One,

37:5 Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them and the Lord of the places from which light spreads forth.

37:6 We have adorned the lowest heaven with an adornment--the planets;

37:7 And have guarded it against all rebellious satans.

37:8 They cannot listen to anything from the Exalted Assembly of angels--and they are pelted from every side,

37:9 Repulsed, and for them is a perpetual punishment -

37:10 But if any of them snatches away something by stealth, he is pursued by a piecing flame.

37:11 So ask them whether it is they who are harder to create, or those others whom We have created? Them We have created of cohesive clay.

37:12 Nay, thou dost wonder at what they say, and they ridicule what thou sayest.

37:13 And when they are admonished, they pay no heed.

37:14 And when they see a Sign, they mock at it.

37:15 And they say, this is nothing but plain sorcery,

37:16 What! when we are dead and have become dust and broken bones, shall we then be raised up again?

37:17 And our fathers of yore also?'

37:18 Say, 'Yea; and you will, then, be abased.'

37:19 It will be but one stern call, and lo! they will be up and seeing;

37:20 And they will say, 'Alas for us! this is the Day of Requital.'

37:21 Allah will say, 'This is the day of the final Decision which you used to deny.'

37:22 The angels will be commanded: 'Assemble those who acted wrongfully along with their companions and what they used to worship

37:23 Beside Allah; and lead them along the path of Hell.

37:24 And stop them, for they shall be questioned.'

37:25 They will be asked, 'What is the matter with you that you help not one another?'

37:26 Nay, on that day they will surrender themselves completely.

37:27 And some of them will address others, questioning one another.

37:28 They will say, 'Verily you used to come to us from the right.'

37:29 The others will answer, 'Nay, you yourselves were not believers,

37:30 And we had no power over you; but you yourselves were a transgressing people;

37:31 Now the word of our Lord has been fulfilled against us that we must taste the punishment;

37:32 And we caused you to go astray for we ourselves had gone astray.'

37:33 Truly, on that day they will all be sharers in the punishment.

37:34 Surely, thus do We deal with the guilty.

37:35 For when it was said to them, 'There is no god but Allah, they behaved arrogantly,

37:36 And said, 'Shall we give up our gods for a mad poet?'

37:37 Nay, he has brought the truth and has testified to the truth of all the Messengers.

37:38 You shall, surely, taste the painful punishment;

37:39 And you will be requited only for what you have wrought -

37:40 Save the chosen servants of Allah;

37:41 They will have a known provision:

37:42 Fruits; and they shall be honoured,

37:43 In the Gardens of Bliss,

37:44 Seated on thrones, facing one another;

37:45 They will be served round with a cup from a flowing fountain,

37:46 Sparkling white, delicious to the drinkers;

37:47 Wherein there will be no intoxication, nor will they be exhausted thereby.

37:48 And with them will be chaste women, with restrained looks and large beautiful eyes;

37:49 As though they were sheltered eggs.

37:50 Then some of them will address the others, questioning one another.

37:51 A speaker from among them will say, 'I had an intimate companion,

37:52 Who used to say, 'Art thou, indeed, among those who believe the Resurrection to be true?

37:53 When we are dead, and have become dust and broken bones, shall we indeed, be requited?'

37:54 The speaker will then ask those around him, 'Will you have a look and find out about him?'

37:55 Then he will look himself and see him in the midst of the Fire,

37:56 And will say to him, 'By Allah, thou hadst almost caused my ruin,

37:57 But for the grace of my Lord, I should, surely, have been of those who are called up before Hell;

37:58 Tell me, is it not so that we are not going to suffer death again?

37:59 Save our first death, and that we are not to be punished?

37:60 Surely, this is the supreme triumph.'

37:61 For the like of this, then, let the workers work.

37:62 Is that better as an entertainment, of the tree of Zaqqum?'

37:63 Verily, We have made it a trial for the wrongdoers.

37:64 It is a tree that springs forth in the bottom of Hell;

37:65 The fruit thereof is as though it were the heads of serpents.

37:66 And they shall eat of it and fill their bellies therewith.

37:67 Then will they have in addition to it a mixture of boiling water to drink.

37:68 Then, surely, their return shall be Hell.

37:69 They found their fathers erring.

37:70 And they hurried on in their footsteps.

37:71 And most of the ancient peoples had erred before them.

37:72 And We had sent Warners among them.

37:73 Behold, then, how evil was the end of those who were warned,

37:74 Save the chosen servants of Allah.

37:75 And Noah, indeed, did cry unto Us, and how excellent Answerer of Prayers are We!

37:76 And We saved him and his family from the great distress;

37:77 And We made his offspring the only survivors.

37:78 And We left for him a good name among the later generations.

37:79 Peace be upon Noah among the peoples!

37:80 Thus, indeed, do We reward those who do good.

37:81 He was, surely, one of our believing servants.

37:82 Then We drowned the others.

37:83 And, verily, of his party was Abraham;

37:84 When he came to his Lord with a pure heart;

37:85 When he said to his father and to his people, 'What is it that you worship?

37:86 A lie--false gods beside Allah do you desire?

37:87 What think ye of the Lord of the worlds?'

37:88 Then he cast a glance at the stars,

37:89 And said, 'I am feeling unwell.'

37:90 So they went away from him, turning their backs.

37:91 The he went quietly to their gods and addressing them said, 'Will you not eat?

37:92 What is the matter with you that you speak not?'

37:93 The he turned upon them, striking them with the right hand.

37:94 Thereupon the people came towards him, hastening.

37:95 He said, 'Do you worship that which you yourselves carve out,

37:96 Whereas Allah has created you and also your handiwork?'

37:97 They said, 'Build for him a structure and cast him into the fire.'

37:98 Thus they designed an evil design against him, but We made them most humiliated.

37:99 And he said, 'I am going to my Lord. He will, surely, guide me.'

37:100 And he prayed, 'My Lord, grant me a righteous son.

37:101 So We gave him the glad tidings of a forbearing son.

37:102 And when he was old enough to run along with him, he said, 'O my dear son, I have seen in a dream that I offer thee in sacrifice. So consider what thou thinkest of it!' He replied, 'O my father, do as thou art commanded; thou wilt find me, if Allah please, steadfast in my faith.'

37:103 And when they both submitted to the will of Allah, and Abraham had thrown him down on his forehead,

37:104 We called to him, 'O Abraham,

37:105 Thou hast, indeed, fulfilled the dream.' Thus, indeed, do We reward those who do good.

37:106 That, surely, was a manifest trial.

37:107 And We ransomed him with a mighty sacrifice.

37:108 And We left for him a good name among the succeeding generations.

37:109 Peace be upon Abraham!

37:110 Thus do We reward those who do good.

37:111 Surely, he was one of our believing servants.

37:112 And We gave him the glad tidings of Isaac, a Prophet, and one of the righteous.

37:113 And We bestowed blessings on him and on Isaac. And among their progeny are some who do good and others who clearly wrong themselves.

37:114 And, indeed, We bestowed favours on Moses and Aaron.

37:115 And We saved them both and their people from the great distress;

37:116 And We helped them, and it was they who were victorious.

37:117 And We gave them the Book that made everything clear;

37:118 And We guided them to the right path.

37:119 And We left for them a good name among the succeeding generations. -

37:120 Peace be on Moses and Aaron!

37:121 Thus, indeed, do We reward those who do good.

37:122 Surely, they were both among Our believing servants.

37:123 And, assuredly, Elias also was one of the Messengers,

37:124 When he said to his people, 'Will you not be Allah-fearing?

37:125 Do you call on Ba`l and forsake the Best of creators -

37:126 Allah, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers of old?'

37:127 But they rejected him, and they will, surely, be brought before Allah to render an account of their deeds;

37:128 Except the chosen servants of Allah.

37:129 And We left for him a good name among the later generations. -

37:130 Peace be on Elias and his people!

37:131 Thus, indeed, do We reward those who do good.

37:132 Surely, he was one of Our believing servants.

37:133 And assuredly, Lot, too, was one of the Messengers,

37:134 When We delivered him and all his family,

37:135 Except an old women who was among those who stayed behind.

37:136 Then We utterly destroyed the others.

37:137 And, surely, you pass by them in the morning,

37:138 And by night, Will you not understand?

37:139 And, surely, Jonah also was one of the Messengers,

37:140 When he fled to the laden ship;

37:141 And he cast lots with the crew of the ship and was of the losers.

37:142 And the fish swallowed him while he was reproaching himself.

37:143 And had he not been of those who glorify Allah,

37:144 He would, surely, have tarried in its belly till the Day of Resurrection.

37:145 Then We cast him on a bare tract of land, and he was sick;

37:146 And We caused a gourd plant to grow over him.

37:147 And We sent him as a Messenger to a hundred thousand people or more,

37:148 And they all believed; so We permitted them to enjoy life for a long while.

37:149 Now ask them whether thy Lord has daughters, whereas they have sons.

37:150 Did We create the angels females while they were witnesses?

37:151 Now, surely, it is of their fabrications that they say,

37:152 Allah has begotten children;' and they are certainly liars.

37:153 Has He chosen daughters in preference to sons?

37:154 What is the matter with you? How judge ye?

37:155 Will you not take heed?

37:156 Or, have you a clear authority?

37:157 Then produce your book, if you are truthful.

37:158 And they assert a kinship between Him and the jinn while the jinn themselves know well that they will be brought before Allah for judgment.

37:159 Holy is Allah and free from what they attribute to Him!

37:160 But the chosen servants of Allah do not attribute anything derogatory to Him.

37:161 Verily, you and what you worship -

37:162 None of you can mislead anyone against Him,

37:163 Except only him who shall burn in Hell.

37:164 They say, 'There is not one of us but has known a station;

37:165 And, verily, we are those who stand ranged in rows,

37:166 And we, verily, are those who glorify Allah.'

37:167 And, surely, the Meccan disbelievers used to say,

37:168 If we had with us a Reminder like that of the people of old,

37:169 We would, surely, have been Allah's chosen servants.'

37:170 Yet when it has come to them they disbelieve therein, but they will soon come to know.

37:171 And, surely, Our word has gone forth to Our servants, the Messengers,

37:172 That it is, certainly, they who will be helped;

37:173 And that it is Our host that will, certainly, be victorious.

37:174 So turn thou away from them for a while.

37:175 And watch them, for they will soon see their own end.

37:176 Is it then Our punishment that they seek to hasten on?

37:177 But when it descends into their courtyard, it shall be an evil morning for those who were warned.

37:178 So turn thou away from them for a while.

37:179 And watch, for they will soon see their own end.

37:180 Holy is thy Lord, the Lord of Power, far above that which they assert.

37:181 And peace is ever upon the Messengers!

37:182 And all praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

Chapter 38--Sád

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

38:1 Sád, We cite as proof the Qur'án, which is full of exhortation, that it is Our revealed Word.

38:2 But those who disbelieve are steeped in false pride and enmity.

38:3 How many a generation have We destroyed before them! they cried out for help, but it was no longer the time for escape.

38:4 And they wonder that a Warner has come to them from among themselves; and the disbelievers say, 'This is a sorcerer, a great liar.

38:5 What! has he made all the gods into one Allah? This is, indeed, an astounding thing.'

38:6 And the leaders among them went about saying 'Go and stick to your gods. This is a thing to be desired;

38:7 We have not heard of anything like this in any previous creed. This is nothing but a forgery;

38:8 Has the reminder been sent down to him alone out of us all?' Nay, they are in doubt concerning My Reminder. Nay, they have not yet tasted My punishment.

38:9 Do they possess the treasures of the mercy of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Great Bestower?

38:10 Or, is theirs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them? Then let them ascend with the means at their disposal.

38:11 They are a host of the confederates which shall be routed here.

38:12 Before them too the people of Noah, and the tribe of Ad and Pharaoh, the Lord of stakes, rejected the Messengers as liars;

38:13 And the tribe of Thamud, and the People of Lot, and the dwellers of the Wood--these were the confederates too.

38:14 Not one of them but treated their Messengers as liars, so My punishment justly overtook them.

38:15 And these now wait only for a single blast, and there shall be no delaying it.

38:16 They say, 'O Lord, hasten to us our portion of the punishment before the Day of Reckoning.'

38:17 Bear patiently what they say, and remember Our servant David, the man of might; surely he was always turning to Allah.

38:18 We subjected to him the mountains--they celebrated Allah's praises with him at nightfall and sunrise.

38:19 And We subjected to him the birds gathered together; all constantly turned to him.

38:20 And We strengthened his kingdom, and gave him wisdom and decisive judgment.

38:21 And has the story of the disputants reached thee when they climbed over the wall of his private chamber? -

38:22 When they entered in upon David, and he was afraid of them. They said, 'Fear not. We are two disputants; one of us has transgressed against the other; so judge between us with justice, and deviate not from the right course and guide us to the right way.'

38:23 Now this my brother has ninety-nine ewes, and I have only one ewe. Yet he says, 'Give it to me,' and he has been overbearing to me in his address.'

38:24 David said, 'Surely, he has wronged thee in asking for thy ewe to add to his own ewes. And certainly many partners transgress against one another, except those who believe in Allah and act righteously; and these are but few.' And David thought that We had tried him; so he asked forgiveness of his Lord, and fell down bowing in worship and turned to Him.

38:25 So We forgave him his default; and, indeed, he had a position of nearness with Us and an excellent resort.

38:26 Then We said to him, 'O David, We have made thee a viceregent in the earth; so judge between men with justice, and follow not vain desire, lest it should lead thee astray from the way of Allah.' Surely, those, who go astray from the way of Allah, will have a severe punishment, because they forgot the Day of Reckoning.

38:27 And We have not created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in vain. That is the view of those who disbelieve. Woe, then, to the disbelievers because of the punishment of the Fire that shall overtake them.

38:28 Shall We treat those who believe and do good works like those who act corruptly in the earth? Shall We treat the righteous like the wicked?

38:29 This is a Book which We have revealed to thee, full of excellences, that they may reflect over its verses, and that those gifted with understanding may take heed.

38:30 And We bestowed on David Solomon who was an excellent servant of Ours. He was always turning to Us.

38:31 When there were brought before him at eventide steeds of noblest breed and swift of foot,

38:32 He said, 'I love the love of good things because they remind me of my Lord.' And when they were hidden behind the veil,

38:33 He said, 'Bring them back to me.' Then he started stroking their legs and their necks.

38:34 Certainly, We tried Solomon and We placed on his throne a mere body. Then he turned to Allah, seeking his mercy.

38:35 He said, 'O my Lord, grant me forgiveness and bestow on me a kingdom that may not be inherited by anyone after me; surely, Thou art the Great Bestower.'

38:36 So We subjected to him the wind, blowing gently by his command withersoever he would go,

38:37 And the giants, all sorts of architects and builders, and divers,

38:38 And others bound in fetters.

38:39 This is Our gift--so give freely or withhold--without reckoning.'

38:40 And certainly he had a position of nearness with Us and an excellent resort.

38:41 And remember Our servant Job, when he cried unto his Lord; 'Satan has afflicted me with toil and torment.'

38:42 We directed him: 'Urge thy riding beast with thy foot and depart swiftly. Yonder is cool water to wash with, and a drink.'

38:43 And We bestowed on him, his family and as many more with them, by way of mercy from Us, and as a reminder for men of understanding.

38:44 And We commanded him: 'Take in thy hand a handful of dry twigs and strike therewith, and incline not towards falsehood.' Indeed, We found him steadfast. An excellent servant was he. Surely, he was constantly turning to Allah.

38:45 And remember Our servants Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, men of might and vision.

38:46 We chose them for a special purpose--to remind people of the abode of the Hereafter.

38:47 And truly, they are in Our sight among the elect and the best.

38:48 And remember Ishmael and Elisha and Dhu'l-Kifl, they were all the best.

38:49 This is a reminder. And the righteous will, surely, have an excellent resort -

38:50 Gardens of Eternity, with their gates thrown open to them,

38:51 Reclining therein on cushions; they will therein call at pleasure for plenteous fruit and drink;

38:52 And with them will be chaste women with their eyes downcast, companions of equal age.

38:53 This is what you are promised for the Day of Reckoning.

38:54 Verily, this is Our provision which will never be exhausted.

38:55 This is for the believers. But for the rebellious there is an evil place of return -

38:56 Hell, wherein they will burn. What an evil resting place!

38:57 This is what they will have. So let them taste it--a boiling fluid, and an intensely cold and stinking drink.

38:58 And various kinds of other torments of a similar nature.

38:59 It will be said to the leaders of disbelief: 'This is an army rushing headlong with you. No welcome for them. They shall burn in the Fire.

38:60 The followers will say, 'Nay, it is you. No welcome for you either. It is you who prepared this for us by leading us astray.' What an evil resting place it is!

38:61 They will also say, 'Our Lord, whosoever prepared this for us, do thou multiply manifold his punishment in the Fire.'

38:62 And the inmates of Hell will say, 'What is the matter with us that we see not the men whom we used to reckon among the wicked?

38:63 It is because we unjustly took them for a laughing stock, or have the eyes missed them?'

38:64 Surely, this is the truth--the disputing together of the dwellers in the Fire.

38:65 Say, I am only a Warner; and there is no Allah but Allah, the One, the Most Supreme;

38:66 The Lord of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between the two, the Mighty, the Great Forgiver.'

38:67 Say, 'It is a big news,

38:68 From which you are turning away;

38:69 I had no knowledge of the Exalted Assembly when they discussed the matter among themselves,

38:70 But this that it has been revealed to me, that I am a plain Warner.'

38:71 Call to mind when thy Lord said to the angels, I am about to create man from clay;

38:72 And so when I fashioned him in perfection, and have breathed into him of My Spirit, fall ye down into submission to him.'

38:73 So the angels submitted, all of them together.

38:74 But Iblis did not. He behaved proudly, and was of those who disbelieved.

38:75 Allah said, 'O Iblis, what hindered thee from submitting to what I had created with My two hands? Is it that thou art too proud, or art thou really above obeying my command?'

38:76 He said, 'I am better than he. Thou hast created me of fire and him hast Thou created of clay.'

38:77 Allah said, 'Then get out hence, for, surely, thou art rejected;

38:78 And, surely, on thee shall be My curse till the Day of Judgment.'

38:79 He said, 'My Lord, then grant me respite till the day when they shall be raised.'

38:80 Allah said, 'Certainly, thou art of the respited ones,

38:81 Till the day of the known time.'

38:82 He said, 'So be Thy glory, I will surely, lead them all astray,

38:83 Except thy chosen servants from among them.'

38:84 Allah said, 'The truth is, and the truth alone I speak,

38:85 That I will, certainly, fill Hell with thee and with those who follow thee, all together.'

38:86 Say, 'I ask not of you any reward for it, nor am I of those who are given to affection.

38:87 The Qur'án is nothing but a Reminder for all peoples.

38:88 And you shall, surely, know the truth of it after a while,'

Chapter 39--The Throngs

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

39:1 The revelation of this Book is from Allah, the Mighty, the Wise.

39:2 Surely, it is We Who have revealed the Book to thee comprising the whole truth, so worship Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience.

39:3 Remember, it is to Allah alone that sincere obedience is due. And those who take as protectors others beside Him, say, 'We serve them only that they may bring us near to Allah in station.' Surely, Allah will judge between them concerning that wherein they differ. Surely, Allah guides not him who is an ungrateful liar.

39:4 If Allah had desired to take to Himself a son, He could have chosen whom He pleased out of what He creates. Holy is He! He is Allah, the One, the Most Supreme.

39:5 He created the heavens and the earth in accordance with the requirements of wisdom. He makes the night to cover the day, and He makes the day to cover the night; and he has pressed the sun and the moon into service; each pursues its course until an appointed time. Remember, it is He alone Who is the Mighty, the Great Forgiver.

39:6 He created you from a single being; then from that He made its mate; and He has sent down for you of the cattle eight pairs. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation, through three stages of darkness. This is Allah, your Lord. His is the Kingdom. There is no god but He. Wither then are you being turned away?

39:7 If you are ungrateful, surely Allah is Self-Sufficient, being independent of you. And He is not pleased with ingratitude in His servants. But if you are grateful, He likes it in you. And no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return; and He will inform you of what you have been doing. Surely, He knows full well all that is hidden in the breasts.

39:8 And when an affliction befalls man, he calls upon his Lord, turning penitently to Him. Then, when He confers upon him a favour from Himself, he forgets what he used to pray for before, and starts assigning rivals to Allah, that he may lead people astray from His way. Say, 'Profit from thy disbelief a little; while in the end thou art, surely, of the inmates of the Fire.'

39:9 Is he who prays devoutly to Allah in the hours of the night, prostrating himself and standing in Prayer and fears the Hereafter and hopes for the mercy of his Lord, like him who is disobedient? Say, 'Are those who know equal to those who know not?' Verily, only those endowed with understanding will take heed.

39:10 Say, 'O ye My servants who believe, fear your Lord. There is good for those who do good in this life. And Allah's earth is spacious. Verily, the steadfast will have their reward without measure.'

39:11 Say, 'Verily, I am commanded to worship Allah with sincere devotion,

39:12 And I am commanded to be the foremost of those who submit to Him.'

39:13 Say, 'Indeed I fear, if I disobey my Lord, the punishment of a grievous day.'

39:14 Say, 'It is Allah I worship in sincerest obedience to Him.

39:15 As to you, worship what you like beside Him.' Say, 'Surely, the real losers are they who ruin their souls and their families on the day of Resurrection.' Beware! that is, surely, the manifest loss.

39:16 They will have over them coverings of fire, and beneath them similar coverings. It is this against which Allah warns His servants. 'O My servants, take Me, then, for your Protector.'

39:17 And those who eschew the worship of false gods and turn to Allah -- for them is glad tidings. So give good tidings to My servants.

39:18 Who listen to the Word and follow the best thereof. It is they whom Allah has guided, and it is they who are really endowed with understanding.

39:19 Can he, then, against whom the sentence of punishment has become due, be saved? Canst thou rescue him who is in the Fire?

39:20 But for them who fear their Lord, there are lofty mansions, built over lofty mansions, beneath which streams flow. Allah has made that promise; and Allah breaks not His promise.

39:21 Hast thou not seen that Allah sends down water from the sky, and causes it to flow in springs in the earth and then brings forth thereby herbage of diverse hues? Then it dries up and thou seest it turn to yellow; then He reduces it to broken straw. In that, verily, is a reminder for men of understanding.

39:22 Is he then whose bosom Allah has opened for the acceptance of Islam, so that he possesses a light from his Lord, like him who is grouping in the darkness of disbelief? Woe, then, to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of Allah! They are in manifest error.

39:23 Allah has sent down the Best Discourse--a Book, whose verses are mutually supporting and repeated in diverse forms. The skins of those, who fear their Lord, do creep at its recital, then their skins and their hearts soften to the remembrance of Allah. Such is the guidance of Allah. He guides therewith whom He pleases. And he whom Allah adjudges astray--he shall have no guide.

39:24 Is he, then, who has only his own face to shield from the evil punishment on the Day of Resurrection, like him who is secure? And it will be said to the wrongdoers, 'Taste ye the recompense of what you used to earn.'

39:25 Those, who were before them, rejected Our Messengers, so the punishment came upon them whence they knew not.

39:26 So Allah made them taste humiliation in the present life and the punishment of the Hereafter will certainly be greater, if they but knew.

39:27 And, indeed, We have set forth for mankind all manner of parables in this Qur'án that they may take heed.

39:28 We have revealed the Qur'án in Arabic wherein there is no deviation from rectitude, that they may become righteous.

39:29 Allah sets forth a parable--a man belonging to several partners, who disagree with one another, and a man belonging wholly to one man. Are the two equal in condition? All praise belongs to Allah. But most of them know not.

39:30 Surely, thou wilt die, and surely, they too, will die.

39:31 Then, surely, on the day of Resurrection you will dispute with one another before your Lord.

39:32 Who, then, is more unjust than he who lies against Allah and he who rejects the truth when it comes to him? Is there not in Hell an abode for the disbelievers?

39:33 But he who has brought the truth, and he who testifies to it as truth--these it is who are the righteous.

39:34 They will have with their Lord whatever they desire; that is the reward of those who good.

39:35 So that Allah will remove from them the evil consequences of what they did, and will give them their reward according to the best of their actions.

39:36 Is not Allah sufficient for His servant? And yet they would frighten thee with those beside Him. And he whom Allah leaves in error -- for him there is no guide.

39:37 And him whom Allah guides--there is none to lead him astray. Is not Allah the Mighty, the Lord of retribution?

39:38 And if thou ask them, 'Who created the heavens and the earth?' They will, surely, say, 'Allah.' Say, 'What think ye, if Allah intends to do me harm, will those whom you call upon beside Allah be able to remove the harm He may intend? Or, if He wills to show me mercy, could they withhold His mercy?' Say, 'Allah is sufficient for me. In Him trust those who would trust.'

39:39 Say, 'O my people, act as best as you can; I, too, am acting; soon shall you know,

39:40 Who it is unto whom comes a punishment that will disgrace him, and on whom there descends an abiding punishment?'

39:41 Verily, We have revealed to thee the Book comprising all truth for the good of mankind. So whoever follows guidance, follows it for the benefit of his own soul; and whoever goes astray, goes astray only to its detriment. And thou art not a guardian over them.

39:42 Allah takes away the souls of men at the time of their death; and of those also that are not yet dead, during their sleep. Then He withholds those against which He has decreed death, and sends back the others till an appointed term. In that, surely, are Signs for a people who reflect.

39:43 Have they taken intercessors beside Allah? Say, 'Even if they have no power over anything and no understanding?

39:44 Say, 'All intercession rests with Allah. To Him belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth. And to Him, then, shall you be brought back.'

39:45 And when Allah alone is mentioned, the hearts of those, who believe not in the Hereafter, shrink with aversion; but when those beside Him are mentioned, behold! they begin to rejoice.

39:46 Say, 'O Allah! Originator of the heavens and the earth; Knower of the unseen and the seen; Thou alone wilt judge between Thy servants concerning that in which they differed.'

39:47 And even if the wrongdoers possessed all that is in the earth, and the like thereof in addition to it, they would, surely, seek to ransom themselves with it to escape from the evil punishment on the Day of Resurrection, but there shall appear unto them from Allah that which they had never thought of.

39:48 And the evil consequences of what they had earned will become apparent to them and that which they used to mock at will encompass them.

39:49 And when harm touches man, he cries unto Us, but when We bestow on him a favour from Us, he says, 'This has been given to me on account of my own knowledge.' Nay, it is only a trial; but most of them know not.

39:50 Those who were before said the same thing, yet all that they earned availed them not.

39:51 So the evil consequences of what they had earned overtook them; and those who do wrong form among these disbelievers--the evil consequences of what they earned shall overtake them also and they cannot escape.

39:52 Know they not that Allah enlarges the provision for whomsoever He pleases, and straitens it for whomsoever He pleases? Verily, in that are Signs for a people who believe.

39:53 Say, 'O My servants who have sinned against their souls, despair not of the mercy of Allah, surely, Allah forgives all sins. Verily, He is Most forgiving, Ever Merciful;

39:54 And turn to your Lord, and submit yourselves to Him, before there comes unto you the punishment; for then you shall not be helped;

39:55 And follow the best Teaching that has been revealed to you from your Lord, before the punishment comes upon you suddenly, while you perceive not.'

39:56 Lest a soul should say, 'O woe is me in that I neglected my duty in respect of Allah! Surely, I was among the scoffers.'

39:57 Or, lest it should say, 'If Allah had guided me, I should certainly have been among those who fully carry out their duties;

39:58 Or, lest it should say, when it sees the punishment, 'Would that there were for me a return to the world, I would then be among those who do good.'

39:59 He will be told, 'Aye, there came to thee My Signs, but thou didst treat them as lies, and thou wast arrogant, and thou wast of the disbelievers.'

39:60 And on the Day of Resurrection, thou wilt see those who lied against Allah that their faces shall be overcast with gloom. Is there not in Hell an abode for the proud?

39:61 And Allah will deliver the righteous from all troubles and will confer success upon them; evil shall not touch them, nor shall they grieve.

39:62 Allah is the creator of all things, and He is Guardian over all things.

39:63 TO Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth; and as for those who disbelieve in the Signs of Allah, these it is who are the losers.

39:64 Say, 'Is it other gods than Allah that ye bid me worship, O ignorant ones?'

39:65 And, verily it has been revealed to thee as unto those before thee, 'If thou associate partners with Allah, thy work shall, surely, come to naught and thou shalt certainly be of the losers.'

39:66 Aye, worship Allah and be thou among the grateful.

39:67 And they have not formed a true concept of the attributes of Allah. And the entire earth will be under His complete control on the Day of Resurrection, and the heavens rolled up in His right hand. Glory be to Him and exalted is He above that which they associate with Him.

39:68 And the trumpet will be blown, and all who are in the heavens and all who are in the earth will fall down in a swoon, except those whom Allah will be pleased to spare. Then it will be blown a second time, and lo! they will be standing, awaiting judgment.

39:69 And the earth will shine with the light of her Lord, and the Book will be laid open before them, and the Prophets and the witnesses will be brought, and judgment will be given between them with justice, and they will not be wronged.

39:70 And every soul will be fully rewarded for what it did. And He knows well what they do.

39:71 And those who disbelieve will be driven to Hell in troops until, when they arrive there, its gates will be opened, and its Keepers will say to them, 'Did not the Messengers from among yourselves come to you, reciting unto you the Signs of your Lord, and warning you of the meeting of this day of yours?' They will say, 'Yea, but the word of the punishment was bound to be fulfilled in respect of the disbelievers.'

39:72 It will be said, 'Enter ye the gates of Hell, abiding therein. And evil is the abode of the arrogant.'

39:73 And those, who feared their Lord, will be conducted to Heaven in groups until when they arrive there, its gates will be opened and its Keepers will say to them, 'Peace be upon you! be ye happy, and enter it, abiding therein.'

39:74 And they will say, 'All praise belongs to Allah Who has made good to us His promise, and has given us the earth to inherit, we shall make our abode in the Garden wherever we please.' How excellent is the reward of the righteous workers!

39:75 And thou wilt see the angels going round the Throne, glorifying their Lord with His praise, and judgment will be given between the people with justice. And it will be said, 'All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.'

Chapter 40--The Forgiving One

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

40:1 Há Mim.

40:2 The revelation of this Book is from Allah, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

40:3 Forgiver of sin, Acceptor of repentance, Severe in punishment, the Lord of Bounty. There is no god but He. Towards Him is the final return.

40:4 None disputes concerning the Signs of Allah except those who disbelieve. Let not, then, their going about in the land deceive thee.

40:5 Before them the people of Noah and other groups after them rejected Our Signs and every nation strove to seize their Messenger, and disputed by means of false arguments that they might rebut the truth thereby. Then I seized them, and how terrible was My retribution!

40:6 And thus was the word of thy Lord fulfilled against the disbelievers, that they are the inmates of the Fire.

40:7 Those who bear the Throne and those who are around it, proclaim the praise of their Lord and believe in Him, and ask forgiveness for those who believe, saying, 'Our Lord, Thou dost comprehend all things in Thy mercy and knowledge. So forgive those who repent and follow Thy way, and protect them from the punishment of Hell;

40:8 Our Lord, make them enter the Gardens of Eternity which Thou hast promised them, as well as such of their fathers and their wives and their children as are virtuous. Surely, Thou art the Mighty, the Wise;

40:9 And guard them against evils; and he whom Thou dost guard against evils on that day--him hast Thou, surely, shown mercy. And that, indeed, is the mighty triumph.'

40:10 It will be announced to those who disbelieve: 'Greater was the abhorrence of Allah, when you were called to the faith and you disbelieved, than your own abhorrence of yourselves today.'

40:11 They will say, 'Our Lord, Thou hast caused us to die twice, and Thou hast given us life twice and now we confess our sins. Is, then, there a way out?'

40:12 It will be said to them, 'This is because, when Allah alone was called upon, you disbelieved, but when partners were associated with Him, you believed. The decision now rests only with Allah, the High, the Incomparably Great.'

40:13 He it is who shows you His Signs and sends down provision for you from heaven; but none pays heed save he who turns to Allah.

40:14 Call ye, then, upon Allah, devoting your obedience wholly and sincerely to Him, though the disbelievers may be averse to it.

40:15 He is of most exalted attributes, Lord of the Throne. He sends His Word by His command to whomsoever of His servants He pleases, that He may give warning of the Day of Meeting,

40:16 The day when they will all come forth; nothing concerning them will be hidden from Allah. 'Whose is the Kingdom this day!' It is Allah's, the one, the Most Supreme.

40:17 This day will every soul be requited for that which it has earned. No injustice this day! Surely, Allah is Swift at reckoning.

40:18 And warn them of the day that is fast approaching, when the hearts will reach up to the throats, full of suppressed grief. The wrongdoers will have no warm friend, nor any intercessor whose intercession would be accepted.

40:19 He knows the treachery of the eyes and what the breasts conceal.

40:20 And Allah judges with truth, but those upon whom they call beside Him cannot judge at all. Surely, Allah is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

40:21 Have they not traveled in the earth that they could see what was the end of those before them? They were mightier than these in power and they left firmer marks in the earth. But Allah seized them for their sins, and they had no one to protect them from Allah.

40:22 That was because their Messengers came to them with manifest Signs but they disbelieved; So Allah seized them. Surely, He is Powerful, Severe in punishment.

40:23 And, surely, We sent Moses with Our Signs and manifest authority,

40:24 Unto Pharaoh and Hámán and Korah; but they said, 'He is a sorcerer and a great liar.'

40:25 And when he came to them with truth from Us, they said, 'Slay the sons of those who have believed with him, and let their women live.' But the design of the disbelievers is ever bound to fail.

40:26 Pharaoh said, 'Leave me alone that I may slay Moses, and let him call on his Lord. I fear lest he should change your religion or cause disorder to appear in the land.'

40:27 And Moses said, I take refuge with my Lord and your Lord from every arrogant person who believes not in the Day of Reckoning.'

40:28 And a believing man from among the people of Pharaoh, who kept hidden his faith, said, 'Will you slay a man because he says, 'My Lord is Allah,' while he has also brought you clear proofs from your Lord? And if he be a liar, on him will be the sin of his lie; but if he is truthful, then some of that which he threatens you with will, surely, befall you. Certainly, Allah guides not one who exceeds the bounds and is a great liar;'

40:29 O my people, yours is the sovereignty this day, you being dominant in the land. But who will help us and protect us from the punishment of Allah if it comes upon us?' Pharaoh said, 'I only point out to you that which I see myself, and I guide you only to the path of rectitude.'

40:30 And he who believed said, 'O my people, I fear for you something like the day of destruction of the great peoples of the past;

40:31 Like that which happened to the people of Noah, and the tribes of Ad and Thamud and those after them. And Allah intends no injustice to His servants:

40:32 And O my people, I fear for you the day when people will call one another for help,

40:33 The day when you shall turn back fleeing; and there will be no one to save you from Allah's wrath. And for him whom Allah leaves to go astray, there shall be no guide.'

40:34 And Joseph, indeed, came to you before with clear proofs, but you ceased not to be in doubt concerning that which he came to you till, when he died, you said, 'Allah will never raise a Messenger after him.' Thus does Allah adjudge as having gone astray every transgressor, doubter -

40:35 Those who dispute concerning the Signs of Allah without any authority having come to them from Allah. Grievously hateful is this in the Sight of Allah and in the sight of those who believe. Thus does Allah set a seal upon the heart of every arrogant, haughty person.

40:36 And Pharaoh said, 'O Haman, build thou for me a lofty tower that I may attain to the means of access -

40:37 The means of access to the heavens, so that I may have a look at the Allah of Moses, and I, surely, consider him to be a liar.' And thus the evil of his conduct was made to look fair in the eyes of Pharaoh, and he was barred from the right path; and the design of Pharaoh was bound to end in ruin.

40:38 And he who believed said, 'O my people follow me. I will guide you to the path of rectitude;

40:39 O my people, this life of the world is but a temporary provision; and the Hereafter is certainly the permanent abode;

40:40 Whoso does evil will be requited only with the like of it; but whoso does good, whether male or female, and is a believer--these will enter the Garden; they will be provided therein without measure;

40:41 And O my people, how strange it is that I call you to salvation, and you call me to the Fire;

40:42 You invite me that I should disbelieve in Allah and should associate with Him that of which I have no knowledge, while I invite you to the Mighty, the Great Forgiver;

40:43 Surely, that to which you call me has no title to be called upon in this world or in the Hereafter; and that our return is certainly to Allah and that the transgressors will be the inmates of the Fire;

40:44 So you will soon remember what I say to you. And I entrust my affair to Allah. Verily, Allah watches over His servants.'

40:45 So Allah preserved him from the evils of whatever they plotted, and a grievous punishment encompassed the people of Pharaoh -

40:46 The Fire. They are exposed to it morning and evening. And on the day when the appointed Hour is come, it will be said to the angels, 'Cast Pharaoh's people into the severest punishment.'

40:47 And when they will dispute with one another in the Fire, the weak will say to those who were proud, 'Verily, we were your followers; will you then relieve us of a portion of the torment of the Fire?'

40:48 Those, who were proud, will say, 'Now, we are all in it. Allah has already judged between His servants.'

40:49 And those in the Fire will say to the Keepers of Hell, 'Pray to your Lord that He may lighten for us the punishment for a day.'

40:50 The Keepers will say, 'Did not your Messengers come to you with manifest Signs?' They will say, 'Yea.' The Keepers will say, 'Then pray on.' but the prayer of disbelievers is of no avail.

40:51 Most, surely, we help Our Messengers and those who believe, both in the present life and on the day when the witnesses will stand forth,

40:52 The day when their pleading will not profit the wrongdoers, and for them will be the curse and for them will be the evil abode.

40:53 And, indeed, We gave Moses the guidance, and made the children of Israel heirs to the Book -

40:54 A guidance and a Reminder for men of understanding.

40:55 So have patience. Surely, the promise of Allah is true. And ask forgiveness for them for the wrongs they have done thee and glorify thy Lord with His praise in the evening and the in morning.

40:56 Those who dispute concerning the Signs of Allah without any authority having come to them from Allah--there is nothing in their breasts but an ambition to become great which they will never attain. So seek refuge in Allah. Surely, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

40:57 Certainly, the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of mankind; but most men know not.

40:58 And the blind and the seeing are not equal; neither are those who believe and do good deeds equal to those who do evil. Little do you reflect.

40:59 The Hour of punishment will, surely, come; there is no doubt about it; yet most men believe not.

40:60 And your Lord says, 'Pray unto Me; I will answer your prayer. But those who are too proud to worship Me will, surely, enter Hell, despised.'

40:61 Allah is He who has made the night for you that you may rest therein, and the day to enable you to see. Verily, Allah is Bountiful to mankind, yet most men are ungrateful.

40:62 Such is Allah, your Lord, the Creator of all things. There is no god but He. How then, are, you turned away?

40:63 Thus, indeed, are turned away those who deny the Signs of Allah.

40:64 Allah is He who has made for you the earth a resting-place and the heaven a structure for protection, and has given you shapes and made your shapes perfect, and has provided you with pure things. Such is Allah, your Lord. So blessed is Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

40:65 He is the Living Allah. There is no god but He. So pray unto Him, devoting your worship wholly and sincerely to Him. All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

40:66 Say, I have been forbidden to worship those whom you call upon beside Allah since there have come clear proofs unto me from My Lord; and I have been commanded to submit myself solely to the Lord of the worlds.'

40:67 He it is Who created you from dust, then from a sperm-drop, then from a clot; then He brings you forth as a child; then He lets you grow, so that you attain your full strength; and afterward become old -- though some among you are caused to die before--and that you may reach a term appointed and that you may learn wisdom.

40:68 He it is Who gives life and causes death. And when He decrees a thing, He says concerning it, 'Be!' and it becomes into being.

40:69 Seest thou not those who dispute concerning the Signs of Allah? How they are being turned away from the truth!

40:70 Those who reject the Book and that with which We sent Our Messengers. But soon will they come to know,

40:71 When the iron-collars will be round their necks, and chains too. And they will be dragged

40:72 Into boiling water; then in the Fire will they be burnt.

40:73 Then it will be said to them, 'Where are those who were your associate gods

40:74 Beside Allah?' They will say, 'They have vanished away from us. Nay, we never prayed to anything beside Allah before.' Thus will Allah confound the disbelievers.

40:75 That is because you exulted in the earth without justification, and because you behaved insolently.

40:76 Enter ye the gates of Hell, to abide therein. And evil is the abode of the arrogant.

40:77 So be thou patient. Surely, the promise of Allah is bound to be fulfilled. And whether We show thee in this life part of what We have promised them or whether We cause thee to die before the fulfillment of Our promise, to Us will they be brought back.

40:78 And We, indeed, sent Messengers before thee; of them are some whom We have mentioned to thee; and of them are some whom We have not mentioned to thee, and it is not possible for any Messenger to bring a Sign except by the leave of Allah. But when Allah's decree comes, the matter is decided with justice and then there perish those who utter falsehoods.

40:79 Allah is He who has made cattle for you, that you may ride on them, and eat of the flesh of some of them -

40:80 And you derive other benefits from them--and that, by means of them you may satisfy any desire that may be in your breasts. And on them and on ships are you borne.

40:81 And He shows you His Signs; which, then, of the Signs of Allah will you deny?

40:82 Have they not traveled in the earth that they might see what was the end of those who were before them? They were more numerous than these, and mightier in power and left firmer traces in the earth. But all that which they earned was of no avail to them.

40:83 And when their Messengers came to them with manifest Signs, they exulted in the little knowledge they had. And that at which they mocked encompassed them.

40:84 And when they saw Our punishment they said, 'We believe in Allah alone and we reject all that which we used to associate with Him.'

40:85 But their faith could not profit them when they saw Our punishment. This is Allah's law that has ever been in operation in respect of His servants. And thus perished those who disbelieved.

Chapter 41--Revelations Well Expounded

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

41:1 Há Mim.

41:2 This Qur'án is a revelation from the Gracious, the Merciful Allah,

41:3 A Book, the verses of which have been expounded in detail and which will be repeatedly read, couched in clear, eloquent language, for a people who have knowledge,

41:4 A bringer of glad tidings and a warner. But most of them turn away and they hear not.

41:5 And they say, 'Our hearts are secure under coverings against that which thou callest us, and in our ears there is a heaviness, and between us and thee is a veil. So carry on thy work; we, too, are working.'

41:6 Say, 'I am only a mortal like you. It is revealed to me that your god is One Allah; so go ye straight to Him without deviating, and ask forgiveness of Him.' And woe to the idolaters,

41:7 Who give not the Zakát, and they it is who disbelieve in the Hereafter.

41:8 As to those who believe and do righteous deeds, for them, surely, is a reward that will never end.

41:9 Say, 'Do you really disbelieve in Him Who created the earth in two days? And do you set up equals to Him?' That is the Lord of the worlds.

41:10 He placed therein firm mountains rising above its surface, and blessed it with abundance, and provided therein its foods in proper measure in four days--alike for all seekers.

41:11 Then He turned to the heaven, while it was something like smoke, and said to it and to the earth; 'Come ye both of you in obedience, willingly or unwillingly.' They said, 'We come willingly.'

41:12 So He completed them in the form of seven heavens in two days, and He revealed to each heaven its function. And We adorned the lowest heaven with lamps for light and provided it with the means of protection. That is the decree of the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

41:13 But if they turn away, then say, 'I warn you of a destructive punishment like the punishment which overtook Ad and Thamud.'

41:14 When their Messengers came to them before them and from behind them, admonishing them, 'Worship none but Allah,' they said, 'If our Lord had so willed, He would, certainly, have sent down angels. So we do disbelieve in that with which you have been sent.'

41:15 As for Ad, they behaved arrogantly in the earth without justification and said, 'Who is mightier than we in power?' Do they not see that Allah, Who created them, is mightier than they in power? Still they continued to deny Our Signs.

41:16 So We sent upon them a furious wind for several ominous days, that We might make them taste the punishment of humiliation in this life. And the punishment of the Hereafter will, surely, be more humiliating, and they will not be helped.

41:17 And as for Thamud, We guided them, but they preferred blindness to guidance, so the calamity of a humiliating punishment seized them, on account of what they had earned.

41:18 And We saved those who believed and acted righteously.

41:19 And warn them of the day when the enemies of Allah will be gathered together and driven to the Fire, and they will be divided into groups;

41:20 Till when they reach it, their ears and their eyes and their skins will bear witness against them as to what they had been doing.

41:21 And they will say to their skins, 'Why have you borne witness against us?' They will say, 'Allah has made us speak as He has made everything else speak. And He it is Who created you the first time, and unto Him have you been brought back.

41:22 And you did not apprehend, while committing sins, that your ears and your eyes and your skins would bear witness against you; nay, you thought that even Allah did not know much of what you used to do.

41:23 And that thought of yours, which you entertained concerning your Lord, has ruined you. So now you have become of those who are lost.'

41:24 Now if they can endure, the Fire is their abode; and if they ask for favour, they are not of those whom favour will be shown.

41:25 And we had assigned to them companions who made to appear attractive to them what was before them and what was behind them of their deeds, and the same sentence was proved true concerning them as had proved true concerning the communities of jinn and men that had gone before them. Surely, they were the losers.

41:26 And those who disbelieve say, 'Listen not to this Qur'án, but make noise during its recital that you may have the upper hand.'

41:27 And, most certainly, We will make those who disbelieve taste a severe punishment, and, most certainly, We will requite them for the worst of their deeds.

41:28 That is the reward of the enemies of Allah--the Fire. For them there will be an abiding home therein as a requital because they persisted in denying Our Signs.

41:29 And those who disbelieve will say, 'Our Lord, show us those who led us astray from among both the jinn and men, that we may trample them under our feet so that they may be abased.'

41:30 As for those who say, 'Our Lord is Allah;' and then remain steadfast, the angels descend on them, reassuring them: 'Fear not, nor grieve; and rejoice in the glad tidings of the Garden which you were promised;

41:31 We are your friends in this life and in the Hereafter. Therein you will have all that your souls will desire, and therein you will have all that you will ask for -

41:32 An entertainment from the Most Forgiving, Merciful Allah.'

41:33 And who is better in speech than he who invites men to Allah and does righteous deeds and says, 'I am, surely, of those who submit?'

41:34 And good and evil are not alike. Repel evil with that which is best. And lo, he, between whom and thyself was enmity, will become as though he were a warm friend.

41:35 But none is granted it save those who are steadfast; and none is granted it save those who possess a large share of good.

41:36 And if an incitement from Satan incite thee, then seek refuge in Allah. Surely, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

41:37 And of His Signs are the night and the day and the sun and the moon. Prostrate not yourselves before the sun, nor before the moon, but prostrate yourselves before Allah, Who created them, if it is Him Whom you really worship.

41:38 But if they turn away with disdain, they do it to their own detriment, while those who are with thy Lord glorify Him night and day, and they are never wearied.

41:39 And of His signs is that thou seest the earth lying withered, but when We send down water on it, it stirs and swells with verdure. Surely, He, Who quickened it, can quicken the dead also. Verily, He has power over all things.

41:40 Surely, those who distort Our Signs to seek deviation therein, are not hidden from Us. Is he, then, who is cast into the Fire better, or he who comes to Us in security on the Day of Resurrection? Do what you will. Surely, He sees all that you do.

41:41 Those who disbelieve in the Reminder--the Qur'án--when it has come to them are the losers. And truly, it is a mighty Book,

41:42 Falsehood cannot approach it either from before it nor from behind it. It is a revelation from the Wise, the Praiseworthy.

41:43 Nothing is said in opposition to thee but what was said to the Messengers before thee. Thy Lord is, indeed, the Master of great forgiveness; and also the master of painful chastisement.

41:44 And if We had made it a Qur'án in a foreign tongue, they, surely, would have said, 'Why have not its verses been made clear? What! a foreign tongue and an Arab Prophet?' Say, 'It is a guidance and a healing for those who believe.' But as to those who believe not, there is a deafness in their ears and to them it is blindness. They are, as it were, being called from a far-off place.

41:45 And indeed, We gave Moses the Book, but differences were created concerning it; and had it not been for a word that had gone forth from thy Lord, the matter would have been decided between them, and certainly they are in a disquieting doubt about it.

41:46 Whose does right, it is for the benefit of his own soul; and whoso does evil, the burden thereof will be on it. And thy Lord is not in the least unjust to His servants.

41:47 To Him alone is referred the knowledge of the Hour. And no fruits come forth from their spathes, nor does any female bear a child, nor does she give birth to it, but with His knowledge. And on the day when He will call unto them, saying, 'Where are My partners?' They will say, 'We declare unto Thee, not one of us is a witness thereto.'

41:48 And all that they used to call upon before will be lost to them, and they will know for certain that they have no place of escape.

41:49 Man tires not of praying for good; but if evil touch him, he despairs, giving up all hope.

41:50 And if We make him taste of mercy from Us after some affliction that has befallen him, he is sure to say, 'This is but my due and I do not think the Hour will ever come. But even if I am returned to my Lord, I will, surely, have with Him the very best.' Then We will, surely, inform the disbelievers of all that they did, and We will, certainly, make them taste a hard punishment.

41:51 And when We bestow a favour on man, he goes away, turning aside; but when evil touches him, lo! he starts offering long prayers.

41:52 Say, 'Tell me, if it is from Allah, but you disbelieve in it -- who is more astray than one who has drifted far away from the truth?

41:53 Soon We will show them Our Signs in farthest regions of the earth and among their own people until it becomes manifest to them that it is the truth. It is not enough that thy Lord is Witness over all things?

41:54 Aye, they are, surely, in doubt concerning the meeting with their Lord; aye, He, certainly, encompasses all things.

Chapter 42--Counsel

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

42:1 Há Mim.

42:2 Ain Sin Qáf.

42:3 Thus does Allah, the Mighty, the Wise, send revelation to thee as He revealed to those before thee.

42:4 To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, and He is the High, the Great.

42:5 The heavens may well-nigh rend asunder from above them; and the angels proclaim the praises of their Lord and ask forgiveness for those on earth. Behold! it is, surely, Allah Who is the Most Forgiving, the Merciful.

42:6 And as for those who take for themselves protectors beside Him -- Allah watches over them, and thou art not a guardian over them.

42:7 Thus have We revealed to thee the Qur'án in Arabic, that thou mayest warn the Mother of towns, and all those around it; and that thou mayest warn them of the Day of Gathering, whereof there is no doubt; when a party will be in the Garden and a party in the blazing Fire.

42:8 And if Allah had so willed, He could have made them one people; but He admits into His mercy whomsoever He pleases. The wrongdoers will have no protector and no helper.

42:9 Have they taken for themselves protectors other than Him? But it is Allah Who is the real Protector. And He quickens the dead, and He has power over all things.

42:10 And in whatsoever you differ, the final decision thereof rests with Allah. Say, 'Such is Allah, my Lord; in Him I put my trust, and to Him I always turn.'

42:11 He is the originator of the heavens and the earth. He has made for you pairs of you own selves, and of the cattle also He has made pairs. He multiplies you therein. There is nothing whatever like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.42:12 To Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth. He enlarges the provision for whomsoever He pleases and straitens it for whomsoever He pleases. Surely, He knows all things full well.

42:13 He has prescribed for you the religion which He enjoined on Noah, and which We have now revealed to thee, and which We enjoined on Abraham and Moses and Jesus, viz., 'Establish obedience to Allah in the earth, and be not divided therein. Hard upon the idolaters is that to which thou callest them. Allah chooses for Himself whom He pleases, and guides to Himself him who turns to Him.'

42:14 And they did not become divided but, after knowledge had come to them, through jealousy among themselves. And had it not been for a word that had already gone forth from thy Lord for an appointed term, the matter would, surely, have been decided between them. Surely, those who were made to inherit the Book after them are in a disquieting doubt concerning it.

42:15 To this religion, then, do thou invite mankind. And be thou steadfast in it as thou art commanded, and follow not their evil inclinations, but say, 'I believe in whatever book Allah has sent down, and I am commanded to judge justly between you; Allah is our Lord and your Lord. For us is the reward of our works, and for you the reward of your works. There is no quarrel between us and you. Allah will gather us together, and to Him is the return.'

42:16 And those who dispute concerning Allah after His call has been responded to--their contention is null and void in the sight of their Lord; and on them will fall Allah's wrath and for them will be a severe punishment.

42:17 Allah is He Who has sent down the Book with truth and also the Balance. And what will make thee know that the Hour may be nigh?

42:18 Those who believe not therein seek to hasten it; but those who believe are fearful of it, and know that it is bound to come. Beware! those who dispute concerning the Hour are in error, far gone.

42:19 Allah is Benignant to His servants. He provides for whom He pleases. And He is the Powerful, the Mighty.

42:20 Whoso desires the harvest of the Hereafter, We give him increase in his harvest; and whoso desires the harvest of this world, We give him his portion thereof, but in the hereafter he will have no share.

42:21 Have they such associates of Allah as have made lawful for them in religion that which Allah has not allowed? And but for Our word about the final judgment, the matter would have been decided by now between them. And, surely, the wrongdoers will have a grievous punishment.

42:22 Thou wilt see the wrongdoers in fear on account of that which they have earned, and it is sure to befall them. But those who believe and do good works will be in meadows of the Gardens. They shall have with their Lord whatever they will desire. That is the great bounty of Allah.

42:23 This it is whereof Allah gives the glad tidings to His servants who believe and do good works. Say, 'I ask of you no reward for my service to you, except such love as subsist between kindred. And whoso earns a good deed, We give him increase of good therein. Surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Appreciating.

42:24 Do they say, 'He has forged a lie against Allah?' If Allah had so willed, He could seal thy heart. But Allah blots out falsehood through thee and establishes the truth by His words. Surely, He knows quite well what is in the breasts.

42:25 And He it is Who accepts repentance from His servants and forgives sins. And He knows what you do.

42:26 And He accepts the prayers of those who believe and do good works, and gives them more than their due reward, out of His grace; and the disbelievers will have a severe punishment.

42:27 And if Allah should greatly enlarge the provision for His servants, they would rebel in the earth; but He sends down according to a proper measure as He pleases. Indeed, He is All-Aware and All-Seeing of the condition of His servants.

42:28 And He it is Who sends down rain after they have despaired of it and spreads out his mercy. And He is the Protector, the Praiseworthy.

42:29 And among His signs is the creation of the Heavens and the earth, and of whatever living creatures He has spread forth in both. And He has the power to gather them together whenever He pleases.

42:30 And whatever misfortune befalls you is the consequence of what your own hands have wrought. And He forgives many of your sins.

42:31 And you cannot frustrate Allah's purpose in the earth, nor have you any friend or helper beside Allah.

42:32 And of His signs are the sailing ships on the sea, tall like mountains.

42:33 If He so desires He can cause the wind to become still so that they become motionless upon the surface thereof--in that, surely, are Signs for every patient and grateful person -

42:34 Or He can destroy those who are in them because of that which they have earned--but He forgives many of their sins -

42:35 And He destroys them so that those who dispute concerning Our Signs may know that they have no refuge.

42:36 And whatever you have been given is only a temporary provision of this life, but that which is with Allah is better and more lasting for those who believe and put their trust in their Lord,

42:37 And those who eschew the more grievous sins and indecencies, and, when they are wroth, they forgive,

42:38 And those, who hearken to their Lord, and observe Prayer, and whose affairs are decided by mutual consultation, and who spend out of what We have provided for them,

42:39 And those who, when a wrong is done to them, defend themselves.

42:40 Remember that the recompense of an injury is an injury the like thereof; but whoso forgives and thereby brings about an improvement, his reward is with Allah. Surely, He loves not the wrongdoers.

42:41 There is no blame on those who defend themselves after they have been wronged.

42:42 The blame is only on those who wrong men and transgress in the earth without justification. Such will have a grievous punishment.

42:43 And he who is patient and forgives--that, surely, is a matter of high resolve.

42:44 And he whom Allah adjudges astray--there is no protector for him thereafter. And thou wilt find the wrongdoers, when they see the punishment, saying, 'Is there any way of return?'

42:45 And thou wilt see them brought before the Fire, casting down their eyes in humiliation, looking at it with a furtive glance. And those who believe will say, 'The losers, indeed, are those who ruin themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection.' Behold! the wrongdoers will remain in a lasting punishment.

42:46 And they have no helpers to help them against Allah. And for him, whom Allah leaves in error, there is no way of guidance.

42:47 Hearken ye to your Lord before there comes a day for which there will be no averting contrary to the decree of Allah. There will be no refuge for you on that day, nor will there be for you any chance of denial.

42:48 But if they turn away, We have not sent thee as a guardian over them. Thy duty is only to convey the Message. And truly when We cause man to taste of mercy from Us, he rejoice therein. But if an evil befalls them because of what their hands have sent forth, then lo! man is ungrateful.

42:49 To Allah belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He creates what He pleases. He bestows daughters upon whom He pleases and He bestows sons upon whom He pleases;

42:50 Or, He mixes them, males and females; and He makes whom He pleases barren. Surely, He is All-Knowing, Powerful.

42:51 And it is not for a man that Allah should speak to him except by direct revelation, or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger to reveal by His command what He pleases. Surely, He is High, Wise.

42:52 And thus have We revealed to thee the Word by Our command. Thou didst not know what the Book was, nor what the faith. But We have made the revelation a light, whereby We guide such of Our servants as We please. And, truly, thou guidest mankind to the right path,

42:53 The path of Allah, to Whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. Remember, to Allah do all things return.

Chapter 43--Ornaments of Gold

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

43:1 Há Mim.

43:2 We cite as evidence this perspicuous Book,

43:3 We have made it a Book to be oft read in clear, eloquent language that you may understand.

43:4 And, surely, it is safe with Us in the Mother of the Book, exalted and full of wisdom.

43:5 Shall We then take away the reminder from you, leaving you without guidance because you are an extravagant people?

43:6 And how many a Prophet did We send among the earlier peoples!

43:7 But there never came to them a Prophet but they mocked at him.

43:8 And We destroyed those who were mightier in power than these, and the example of the earlier peoples has gone before.

43:9 And if thou ask them, 'Who created the heavens and the earth?' they will, surely, say 'The Mighty, the All-Knowing Allah created them,'

43:10 He, Who has made the earth for you a cradle and has made pathways for you therein, that you may follow the right way;

43:11 And Who sends down water from the clouds in proper measure, and We, thereby, quicken a dead land--even so will you be raise -

43:12 And Who has created pairs of all things, and has made for you ships and cattle whereon you ride,

43:13 That you may sit firmly upon their backs, and, then, when you are firmly seated thereon, you may remember the favour of your Lord, and say, 'Holy is He Who has subjected these to us, and we were not capable of subduing them ourselves,

43:14 And to our Lord, surely, shall we return.'

43:15 And they assign to Him a part of His servants as His children. Indeed man is manifestly ungrateful.

43:16 Has He taken daughters from what He has created, and favoured you with sons?

43:17 Yet when the tidings are given to one of them of that the like of which he ascribes to the Gracious Allah, his face becomes dark and he is choked with inward grief.

43:18 Do they assign to Allah one who is nurtured among ornaments, and who is not able to give clear expression to an argument in disputation?

43:19 And they regard as females the angels who are the servants of the Gracious Allah. Did they witness their creation? Then their testimony will be recorded, and they will be questioned.

43:20 And they say, 'If the Gracious Allah had so willed, we should not have worshiped them.' They have no knowledge whatsoever of that. They do nothing but conjecture.

43:21 Have We given them a Scripture before this, so that they are holding fast to it?

43:22 Nay, but they say, 'We found our fathers following a certain course, and we are guided by their footsteps.'

43:23 Even so We never sent any Warner before thee to any township, but the wealthy ones among them said, 'We found our fathers following a certain course, and we are following in their footsteps.'

43:24 Their Messenger said, 'What! even though I bring you a better guidance than that which you found your fathers following?' They said, 'Certainly we disbelieve in that which you are sent with.'

43:25 So We exacted retribution from them. Then see what was the end of those who rejected the Prophets!

43:26 And call to mind when Abraham said to his father, and his people, 'I do, indeed, disown what you worship,

43:27 Except Him Who created me, and He will, surely, guide me.'

43:28 And he left this as a permanent legacy among his posterity, that they might turn to Allah.

43:29 Nay, but I bestowed upon these disbelievers and their fathers worldly provision until there comes to them the truth and a Messenger who makes his Message clear.

43:30 But when the truth came to them they said, 'This is sorcery and we do reject it.'

43:31 And they say, 'Why has not the Qur'án been sent to some great man of the two towns?'

43:32 Are they then the distributors of the mercy of thy Lord? It is We Who distribute among them their livelihood in the present life, and We exalt some of them above others in degrees of rank, so that some of them may make others subservient to themselves. And the mercy of thy Lord is better than that which they amass.

43:33 And were it not that all mankind would have become one type of people, We would have given to those who disbelieve in the Gracious Allah roofs of silver for their houses, and silver stairways by which they could ascend;

43:34 And doors of silver to their houses, and couches of silver, on which they could recline,

43:35 And even of gold, but all that is nothing but a temporary provision of the present life. And the comfort of the Hereafter with thy Lord is for the righteous.

43:36 And he who turns away from the remembrance of the Gracious Allah, We appoint for him a satan, who becomes his intimate companion.

43:37 And, surely, these companions hinder them from the way of Allah, but they think that they are rightly guided;

43:38 Till when, such a one comes to Us, he says to his companion, 'Would that between me and thee were the distance of the East and the West!' What an evil companion he is!

43:39 And it will be said to them, 'Your being partners in punishment will not profit you this day, for you have acted wrongfully.'

43:40 Canst thou, then, make the deaf hear, or guide the blind and him who is in manifest error?

43:41 And if We take thee away from this world, We shall nevertheless take vengeance upon them;

43:42 Or, We shall show thee that which We have promised them; for, surely, We have complete power over them.

43:43 So hold thou fast to that which has been revealed to thee; for thou art on the right path.

43:44 And, truly, this Qur'án is a source of eminence for thee and for thy people; and you will, surely, be questioned.

43:45 And ask those of Our Messengers whom We sent before thee, 'Did We appoint any deities beside the Gracious Allah, to be worshiped?'

43:46 And, indeed, We sent Moses with Our Signs to Pharaoh and his chiefs and he said, 'I am, truly, a Messenger of the Lord of the worlds.'

43:47 But when he came to them with Our Signs, lo! they laughed at them.

43:48 And We showed them no Sign but it was greater than its preceding sister Sign, and We seized them with punishment, that they might turn to Us.

43:49 And each time they said, 'O thou sorcerer, pray for us to thy Lord, according to the promise He made with thee that if He avert this evil from us, then we will, surely, follow guidance.'

43:50 But when We removed the punishment from them, behold! they broke their pledge.

43:51 And Pharaoh made a proclamation among his people: 'O my people! does not the kingdom of Egypt belong to me and these streams flowing beneath me? Do you not then see?

43:52 Nay, I am better than this despicable fellow who can scarcely express himself clearly.

43:53 And why have not bracelets of gold bestowed on him, or angels accompanied him in serried ranks?'

43:54 Thus did he make light of his people, and they obeyed him. Indeed, they were a wicked people.

43:55 So, when they exited Our anger, We took vengeance upon them, and drowned them all.

43:56 And We made them a precedent, and an example for the coming generations.

43:57 And when the son of Mary is mentioned as an example, lo! thy people raise a clamour thereat;

43:58 And they say, 'Are our gods better, or he?' They mention not this to thee but for the sake of disputation. Nay, but they are a contentious people.

43:59 He was only Our servant, on whom We bestowed Our favour, and We made him an Example for the children of Israel.

43:60 And if We so willed, We could make from among you angels to be your successors in the earth.

43:61 But, verily, he was a sign of the Hour. So entertain no doubt about it, but follow me. This is the right path.

43:62 And let not Satan hinder you, he is to you an open enemy.

43:63 And when Jesus came with clear proofs, he said, 'Truly, I have come to you with wisdom, and to make clear to you some of that about which you differ. So fear Allah and obey me.

43:64 Verily, Allah--He is my Lord and your Lord. So worship Him. This is the right path.'

43:65 But the parties differed among themselves. So woe to the wrongdoers because of the punishment of a painful day!

43:66 They wait not but for the Hour to come suddenly upon them, while they perceive it not.

43:67 Friends on that day will be foes to one another, except the righteous;

43:68 To them Allah will say, 'O My servants, there is no fear for you this day, nor shall you grieve.

43:69 You who believed in Our Signs and submitted,

43:70 Enter ye the Garden, you and your wives, honoured and happy.'

43:71 There will be passed around to them dishes of gold and cups, and therein will be all that the souls desire and in which the eyes delight. And therein you will dwell forever.

43:72 And this is the garden to which you have been made heirs because of what you did.

43:73 Therein for you is fruit in abundance, of which you will eat.'

43:74 The guilty will, certainly, abide in the punishment of Hell.

43:75 It will not be lightened for them, and they will be seized therein with despair.

43:76 And We wronged them not, but it was they themselves who were the wrongdoers.

43:77 And they will cry, 'O Malik! let thy Lord make an end of us.' He will say, 'You must stay here.'

43:78 Allah will say, 'We, certainly, brought you the truth; but most of you were averse to the truth.'

43:79 Have they determined upon a course to compass thy end? Then We, too, have determined their destruction.

43:80 Do they think that We hear not their secrets and their private counsels? Yea! and Our Messengers remain with them recording everything.

43:81 Say, 'If the Gracious Allah had a son, I would have been the first of worshippers.'

43:82 Holy is Allah, the Lord of the heavens and the earth, the Lord of the Throne, far above that which they attribute to Him.

43:83 So leave them alone to indulge in vain discourse and to amuse themselves until they meet that Day of theirs which they have been promised.

43:84 He it is Who is Allah in heaven, and Allah on earth; and He is the Wise, the All-Knowing.

43:85 And blessed is He to Whom belongs the Kingdom of the Heavens and the earth and all that is between them, and with Him is the knowledge of the Hour, and to Him shall you all be brought back.

43:86 And those on whom they call beside Him possess no power of intercession but only he may intercede who bears witness to the truth, and they know this well.

43:87 And if thou ask them, 'Who created them?' They will surely, say, 'Allah.' How, then, are they being turned away?

43:88 We call to witness the Prophets repeated cry : 'O my Lord! these are a people who will not believe.'

43:89 And Our reply was, 'So turn aside from them, and say, 'Peace;' and soon shall they know.

Chapter 44--Smoke

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

44:1 Há Mim.

44:2 By this perspicuous Book.

44:3 Truly, We revealed it in a blessed night. Truly, We have ever been warning.

44:4 Therein are decided all matters of wisdom

44:5 By our own command. Verily, We have ever been sending Messengers,

44:6 As a mercy from thy Lord. Verily, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing,

44:7 The Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, if you would only be inclined to believe.

44:8 There is no god but He. He gives life and He causes death. He is your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers.

44:9 Yet they play about in doubt.

44:10 So watch thou for the day when the sky will bring forth a visible smoke,

44:11 That will envelope the people. This will be a painful torment.

44:12 On seeing it the people will cry, 'Our Lord, remove from us the torment; truly, we are believers.'

44:13 How can they benefit by admonition, when there has already come to them a Messenger explaining things clearly,

44:14 And yet they turned away from him and said, 'He is tutored, a man possessed!'

44:15 We shall remove the punishment for a little while, but you will certainly revert to mischief.

44:16 On the day when We shall seize you with the great seizure, you will know that We will, certainly, exact retribution.

44:17 And We tried the people of Pharaoh before them, and there came to them a noble Messenger,

44:18 Who said to them, 'Deliver to me the servants of Allah. Truly, I am to you a Messenger, faithful to my trust;

44:19 And exalt not yourselves in defiance of Allah. Surely, I come to you with a clear authority,

44:20 And I seek refuge in my Lord and your Lord, lest you stone me to death,

44:21 And if you believe me not, then leave me alone.'

44:22 Then Moses prayed unto his Lord, 'These are, indeed, a sinful people.'

44:23 Allah said, 'Take My servants away by night; for you will surely be pursued.

44:24 And leave thou the sea behind when it is calm, crossing over the dunes. Surely, they are a host that are doomed to be drowned.'

44:25 How many were the gardens and the springs that they left behind,

44:26 And the cornfields and the noble places,

44:27 And the comforts and luxuries wherein they took delight!

44:28 Thus it happened. And We made another people inherit these things.

44:29 And the heaven and the earth wept not for them, nor were they respited.

44:30 And We delivered the Children of Israel from the abasing torment

44:31 Inflicted by Pharaoh. He was, surely, haughty even among the extravagant.

44:32 And We chose them above the peoples of their time knowingly.

44:33 And We gave them Signs wherein was a clear trial.

44:34 These people do say,

44:35 There is only one death for us, and we shall not be raised up again,

44:36 So bring back our fathers, if you speak the truth.'

44:37 Are they better or the people of Tubba and those before them? We destroyed them because they were sinful.

44:38 And We created not the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in sport.

44:39 We created them not but for an eternal purpose, but most of them understand not.

44:40 Verily, the Day of Decision is the appointed time for all of them.

44:41 The day when a friend shall not avail a friend at all, nor shall they be helped,

44:42 Save those to whom Allah shows mercy. Surely, He is the Mighty, the Merciful.

44:43 Verily, the tree of Zaqqum

44:44 Will be the food of the sinful;

44:45 Like molten copper it will boil in their bellies,

44:46 As the boiling of scalding water.

44:47 We shall command the angels: 'Seize him and drag him into the midst of the blazing Fire;

44:48 Then pour upon his head the torment of boiling water.'

44:49 And shall say to him, 'Taste it. Thou didst consider thyself the mighty, the honourable one;

44:50 This, indeed, is what you doubted.'

44:51 Verily, the righteous will be in a place of security,

44:52 Amid gardens and springs,

44:53 Attired in fine silk and heavy brocade, facing one another.

44:54 Thus will it be. And We shall give them as companions fair maidens, having large, black eyes.

44:55 They will call therein for every kind of fruit, in peace and security.

44:56 They will not taste death therein, save the first death; and Allah will save them from the punishment of the blazing Fire,

44:57 As an act of grace from thy Lord. That is the supreme achievement.

44:58 And We have made the Qur'án easy in thy tongue that they may take heed.

44:59 So wait thou; they, too, are waiting.

Chapter 45--Kneeling

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

45:1 Há Mim.

45:2 The revelation of this Book is from Allah, the Mighty, the Wise.

45:3 Verily, in the heavens and the earth are Signs for those who believe.

45:4 And in your own creation and in that of all the creatures which He spreads in the earth are Signs for a people who possess firm faith.

45:5 And in the alternation of night and day, and the provision that Allah sends down from the heaven, whereby He quickens the earth after its death, and in the changing of the winds, are Signs for a people who would use their understanding.

45:6 These are the Signs of Allah which We rehearse unto thee with truth. In what word, then, after rejecting the Word of Allah and His Signs, will they believe?

45:7 Woe to every sinful liar,

45:8 Who hears the Signs of Allah recited unto him, and then proudly persists in disbelief, as though he heard them not. So give him the tidings of a painful punishment.

45:9 And when he learns something of Our Signs, he makes a jest of them. For such there is an humiliating punishment.

45:10 Before them is Hell; and that which they have earned shall not avail them aught, nor shall those whom the have taken for protectors beside Allah. And they will have a dreadful punishment.

45:11 This is true guidance. And for those who disbelieve in the Signs of their Lord is the torture of a painful punishment.

45:12 Allah is He who has subjected the sea to you that ships may sail thereon by His command, and that you may seek of His bounty, and that you may be grateful.

45:13 And He has subjected to you whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth; all this is from Him. In that, surely, are Signs for a people who reflect.

45:14 Tell those who believe to forgive those who persecute them and fear not the Days of Allah, that He may requite a people for what they earn.

45:15 Whoso does a good deed, does it for his own soul; and whoso does wrong, does so to its detriment. Then to your Lord will you all be brought back.

45:16 And verily, We gave the Children of Israel the Book and sovereignty and Prophethood; and We provided them with good and pure things, and We exalted them over the peoples of their time.

45:17 And We gave them clear Signs regarding this Affair. And they did not differ but after true knowledge had come to them, through mutual envy. Verily, thy Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that wherein they differed.

45:18 Then We set thee on a clear path concerning the Affair; so follow it, and follow not the vain desires of those who do not know.

45:19 Verily, they will not avail thee aught against Allah. Surely, the wrongdoers are friends, one of another; but Allah is the friend of the righteous.

45:20 This Book contains clear evidences for mankind and is a guidance and a mercy for a people who possess firm faith.

45:21 Do those who commit evil deeds imagine that We shall make them like those who believe and do righteous deeds, so that their life and their death shall be equal? Evil, indeed, is what they judge.

45:22 And Allah has created the heavens and the earth in accordance with an eternal law, so that every soul may be requited for that which it earns; and they shall not be wronged.

45:23 Hast thou considered the case of him who has taken his own low desire for his god, and whom Allah has adjudged as having gone astray on the basis of His perfect knowledge, and whose ears and whose heart He has sealed up, and on whose eyes He has put a covering. Who, then, will guide him after Allah has so decreed concerning him? Will you not then take heed?

45:24 And they say, 'There is nothing for us but this our present life; we die and we live; and nothing but time destroys us.' But they have no real knowledge of it; they do nothing but conjecture.

45:25 And when Our clear Signs are recited unto them, their only contention is that they say, 'Bring back our fathers, if you are truthful.'

45:26 Say, 'It is Allah Who gives you life, then causes you to die; then He will gather you together unto the Day of Resurrection about which there is no doubt. But most men do not know.

45:27 To Allah belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth; and on the day when the Hour shall come, on that day those who follow falsehood shall be the losers.

45:28 And thou wilt see every people on their knees. Every people will be summoned to its Book, and it shall be said to them, 'This day shall you be requited for that which you did.

45:29 This is Our Book; it speaks against you with truth. We caused all that you did to be fully recorded.'

45:30 Now as for those who believed and did righteous deeds, their Lord will admit them into His mercy. That is the manifest achievement.

45:31 But as to those who disbelieved, it will be said to them, 'Were not My Signs recited unto you? You were arrogant and were a guilty people.

45:32 And when it was said to you, 'The promise of Allah is certainly true, and as to the Hour, there is no doubt about its coming,' you said, 'We know not what the Hour is; we think it to be nothing but a conjecture, and we have no certainty concerning it.'

45:33 And the evil consequences of their deeds will become apparent to them, and that which they used to mock at shall encompass them.

45:34 And it will be said to them, 'This day shall We abandon you without help, even as you forgot the meeting of this your day. And your resort is the Fire, and you will have no helpers;

45:35 This is so, because you made a jest of the Signs of Allah, and the life of the world deceived you.' Therefore that day they will not be taken out of it, nor will they be taken back into favour.

45:36 All praise, then, belongs to Allah, Lord of the heavens and Lord of the earth, Lord of all the worlds.

45:37 And He is the Majesty in the heavens and the earth, and He is the Mighty, the Wise.

Chapter 46--The Sand Dunes

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

46:1 Há Mim.

46:2 The revelation of this Book is from Allah, the Mighty, the Wise.

46:3 And We have not created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, but with an eternal purpose and for an appointed term, but those who disbelieve turn away from that of which they have been warned.

46:4 Say to them, 'Do you know what it is you call upon beside Allah? Show me what they have created of the earth. Or, have they a share in the creation of the heavens? Bring me a Book revealed before this or some vestige of knowledge in your support, if you indeed, speak the truth.'

46:5 And who is in greater error than those who, instead of Allah, pray unto such as will not answer them till the Day of Resurrection, and they are not even aware of their prayer?

46:6 And when mankind are raised up after death, the false deities will be enemies of their worshippers and will deny their worship.

46:7 And when Our clear Signs are recited unto them, those who disbelieve say of the truth when it comes to them, 'This is manifest sorcery.'

46:8 Do they say, 'He has forged it?' Say, 'If I have forged it, you cannot avail me aught against Allah. He knows best what idle talk you indulge in. Sufficient is He for a Witness between me and you. And He is the Most Forgiving, the Merciful.'

46:9 Say, 'I am no innovation among Messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I only follow what is revealed to me; and I am but a plain Warner.'

46:10 Say, 'Tell me, if this Qur'án is from Allah and you disbelieve therein, and a witness from among the Children of Israel bears witness to the advent of one like him, and he believed, but you are too proud to believe, how should you fare?' Verily Allah guides not the wrongdoing people.

46:11 And those who disbelieve say of those who believe, If the Qur'án were any good, they could not have been ahead of us in believing in it.' And since they have not been guided thereby, they will say, 'It is an old lie.'

46:12 And before it there was the Book of Moses, a guide and a mercy; and this is a Book in the Arabic language, fulfilling previous prophecies that it may warn those who do wrong, and give glad tidings to those who do good.

46:13 Verily, those who say, 'Our Lord is Allah,' and then are steadfast--no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve.

46:14 These are the dwellers of the Garden; they shall abide therein--a recompense for what they did.

46:15 And We have enjoined on man to be good to his parents. His mother bears him with pain, and brings him forth with pain, and the bearing of him and his weaning takes thirty months till, when he attains his full maturity and reaches the age of forty years, he says, 'My Lord, grant me that I may be grateful for Thy favour which thou hast bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and I may do such righteous deeds as may please Thee. And establish righteousness among my progeny for me. I do turn to thee; and, truly, I am of those who are obedient to thee.'

46:16 These are they from whom We accept the best of what they do and overlook their evil deeds. They shall be among the inmates of the Garden, in fulfillment of the true promise which was made to them.

46:17 But the one who says to his parents, 'Fie on you both; do you threaten me that I shall be brought forth again, when generations have already passed away before me?' And they both cry unto Allah for help and say to him. 'Woe unto thee! believe, for the promise of Allah is true.' But he says, 'This is nothing but the fables of the ancients.'

46:18 These are they against whom the sentence of punishment was fulfilled along with the communities of the jinn and men that had gone before them. Indeed, they were the losers.

46:19 And for all are degrees of rank according to what they did, and this will be so that Allah may fully repay them for their deeds; and they shall not be wronged.

46:20 And on the day when those who disbelieve will be brought before the Fire, it will be said to them, 'You exhausted your good things in the life of the world, and you fully enjoyed them. Now this day you shall be requited with ignominious punishment because you were arrogant in the earth without justification, and because you acted rebelliously.'

46:21 And remember the brother of Ad, when he warned his people among the sand-hills--and warners there have been before him and after him--saying, 'Worship none but Allah. I fear for you the punishment of a great day.'

46:22 They said, 'Hast thou come to us to turn us away from our gods? Bring us then that with which thou dost threaten us, if, indeed, thou art of the truthful.'

46:23 He said, 'The knowledge thereof is only with Allah. And I convey to you what I have been sent with, but I see that you are a very ignorant people.'

46:24 Then, when they saw the punishment coming towards their valleys in the form of a cloud, they said, 'This is a cloud which will give us rain.' We said, 'Nay, but it is that which you sought to hasten -- a wind wherein is a grievous punishment;

46:25 It will destroy everything by the command of its Lord.' By morning there was nothing to be seen, except their dwellings. Thus do We requite the guilty people.

46:26 And We had established them in that wherein We have not established you; and We gave them ears and eyes and hearts. But their ears and their eyes and their hearts availed them naught, since they denied the Signs of Allah; and that at which they used to mock encompassed them.

46:27 And, certainly, We destroyed townships round about you and We have explained Our Signs in various ways, that they might turn to Us.

46:28 Why, then, did not those help them whom they had taken for gods beside Allah that they might bring them near to Him? Nay, they were lost to them. That was the consequence of their lie, and of what they fabricated.

46:29 And call to mind when We turned towards thee a party of jinn who wished to hear the Qur'án and, when they were present at its recitation, they said to one another, 'Be silent and listen,' and when it was finished, they went back to their people, warning them.

46:30 They said, 'O our people, we have heard a Book, which have been sent down after Moses, fulfilling that which is before it; it guides to the truth and to the right path;

46:31 O our people, respond to Allah's summoner and believe in Him. He will forgive you your sins, and protect you from a painful punishment,

46:32 And whoso does not respond to Allah's summoner, he cannot escape Him in the earth, nor can he have any protector beside Him. Such are in Manifest error.'

46:33 Do they not realize that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth and was not wearied by their creation, has the power to bring the dead to life? Yea, verily, He has the power over all things.

46:34 And on the day when those who disbelieve will be brought before the Fire, it will be said to them, 'Is not this the truth?' They will say, 'Aye, by our Lord, it is the truth.' He will say, 'Then taste the punishment, because you disbelieved.'

46:35 Have patience, then, as the Messengers, possessed of high resolve, had patience; and be in no haste concerning them. On the day when they see that which they are threatened, it will appear to them as though they had not tarried in this world save for an hour of a day. This warning has been conveyed; and none but the disobedient people shall be destroyed.

Chapter 47--Muhammad

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

47:1 Those who disbelieve and hinder men from the way of Allah--He renders their works vain.

47:2 But as for those who believe and do righteous deeds and believe in that which has been revealed to Muhammad--and it is the truth from their Lord--He removes from them their sins and sets right their affairs.

47:3 That is because those who disbelieve follow falsehood while those who believe follow the truth from their Lord. Thus does Allah set forth for men their lessons by similitudes.

47:4 And when you meet in regular battle those who disbelieve, smite their necks; and, when you have overcome them, by causing great slaughter among them, bind fast the fetters--then afterwards either release them as a favour or by taking ransom--until the war lays down its burdens. That is the ordinance. And if Allah had so pleased, He could have punished them Himself, but He has willed that He may try some of you by others. And those who are killed in the way of Allah--He will never render their works vain.

47:5 He will guide them to success and will improve their condition.

47:6 And will admit them into the Garden which He has made known to them.

47:7 O ye who believe! if you help the cause of Allah, He will help you and will make your steps firm.

47:8 But those who disbelieve, perdition is their lot; and He will make their works vain.

47:9 That is because they hate what Allah has revealed; so He has made their works vain.

47:10 Have they not traveled in the earth and seen what was the end of those who were before them? Allah utterly destroyed them, and for the disbelievers there will be the like thereof.

47:11 That is because Allah is the Protector of those who believe, and the disbelievers have no protector.

47:12 Verily, Allah will cause those who believe and do good works to enter the Gardens underneath which streams flow; While those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat even as the cattle eat, and the Fire will be their last resort.

47:13 And how many a township, mightier than thy town which has driven thee out, have We destroyed, and they had no helper.

47:14 Then, is he who takes his stand upon a clear proof from his Lord like those to whom the evil of their deeds is made to look attractive and who follow their low desires?

47:15 A description of the Garden promised to the righteous: Therein are streams of water which corrupts not; and streams of milk of which the taste changes not; and streams of wine, a delight to those who drink; and streams of clarified honey. And in it they will have all kinds of fruit, and forgiveness from their Lord. Can those who enjoy such bliss be like those who abide in the Fire and who are given boiling water to drink so that it tears their bowels?

47:16 And among them are some who seems to listen to thee till, when they go forth from thy presence, they say to those who have been given knowledge, 'What has he been talking about just now?' These are they upon whose hearts Allah has set a seal, and who follow their own evil desires.

47:17 But as for those who follow guidance, He adds to their guidance, and bestows on them righteousness suited to their condition.

47:18 The disbelievers wait not but for the Hour, that it should come upon them suddenly. The Signs thereof have already come. But of what avail will their admonition be to them when it has actually come upon them.

47:19 Know, therefore, that there is no god other than Allah, and ask protection for thy human frailties, and for believing men and believing women. And Allah knows the place where you move about and the place where you stay.

47:20 And those who believe say, 'Why is not a Surah revealed?' But when a decisive Surah is revealed and fighting is mentioned therein, thou seest those in whose hearts is a disease, looking towards thee like the look of one who is fainting on account of approaching death. So woe to them!

47:21 Their attitude should have been one of obedience and of calling people to good. And when the matter was determined upon, it was good for them if they were true to Allah.

47:22 Would you not then, if you are placed in authority, create disorder in the land and sever your ties of kinship?

47:23 It is these whom Allah has cursed, so that He has made them deaf and has made their eyes blind.

47:24 Will they not, then, ponder over the Qur'án, or, is it that there are locks on their hearts?

47:25 Surely, those who turn their backs after guidance has become manifest to them, Satan has seduced them and holds out false hopes to them.

47:26 That is because they said to those who hate what Allah has revealed, 'We will obey you in some matters, and Allah knows their secrets.

47:27 But how will they fare when the angels will cause them to die, smiting their faces and their backs?

47:28 That is because they followed that which displeased Allah, and disliked the seeking of His pleasure. So He rendered their works vain.

47:29 Do those in whose hearts is a disease suppose that Allah will not bring to light their malice?

47:30 And if We pleased, We could show them to thee so that thou shouldst know them by their marks. And thou shalt, surely, recognize them by the tone of their speech. And Allah knows your deeds.

47:31 And We will, surely, try you, until We make manifest those among you who strive for the cause of Allah and those who are steadfast. And We will make known the true facts about you.

47:32 Those, who disbelieve and hinder men from the way of Allah and oppose the Messenger after guidance has become manifest to them, shall not harm Allah in the least; and He will make their works fruitless.

47:33 O ye who believe! obey Allah and obey the Messenger and make not your works vain.

47:34 Verily, those who disbelieve and hinder people from the way of Allah, and then die while they are disbelievers--Allah certainly, will not forgive them.

47:35 So be not slack and sue not for peace, for you will, certainly, have the upper hand. And Allah is with you, and He will not deprive you of the reward of your actions.

47:36 The life of this world is but a sport and a pastime, and if you believe and be righteous, He will give you your rewards, and will not ask of you your wealth.

47:37 Were He to ask it of you and press you, you would be niggardly, and He would bring to light your malice.

47:38 Behold! You are those who are called upon to spend in the way of Allah; but of you there are some who are niggardly. And whoso is niggardly, is niggardly only against his own soul. And Allah is Self-Sufficient, and it is you who are needy. And if you turn your backs, He will bring in your place another people; then they will not be like you.

Chapter 48--Victory

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

48:1 Verily, We have given thee a clear Victory,

48:2 That Allah may cover up for thee thy shortcomings, past and future, and that He may complete His favour upon thee on a right path;

48:3 And that Allah may help thee with a mighty help.

48:4 He it is Who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers that they might add faith to their faith--and to Allah belong the hosts of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is All-Knowing, Wise -

48:5 That He may cause the believing men and the believing women to enter the Gardens beneath which streams flow, wherein they will abide, and that He may remove their evils from them--and that, in the sight of Allah, is the supreme achievement;

48:6 And that He may punish the hypocritical men and the hypocritical women, and the idolatrous men and the idolatrous women, who entertain evil thoughts concerning Allah. On them shall fall an evil calamity, and the wrath of Allah is upon them. And He has cursed them. And has prepared Hell for them. And that, indeed, is an evil destination.

48:7 And to Allah belong the hosts of the heavens and the earth and Allah is Mighty, Wise.

48:8 We have sent thee as a witness and a bearer of glad tidings and a Warner,

48:9 That you should believe in Allah and His Messenger, and may help him, and honour him, and that you may glorify Allah morning and evening.

48:10 Verily, those who swear allegiance to thee, indeed, swear allegiance to Allah. The hand of Allah is over their hands. So whoever breaks his oath, breaks it to his own loss; and whoever fulfills the covenant that He has made with Allah, He will, surely, give him a great reward.

48:11 Those of the desert Arabs, who contrived to be left behind, will say to thee, 'Our possessions and our families kept us occupied, so ask forgiveness for us.' They say with their tongues that which is not in their hearts. Say, 'Who can avail you aught against Allah, if He should attend you some harm, or if He should intend you some benefit? Nay, Allah is Well-Aware of what you do.'

48:12 Nay, you though that the Messenger and the believers would never return to their families, and that was made to appear pleasing to your hearts, and you thought an evil thought, and you were a ruined people.'

48:13 And as for those who believe not in Allah and His Messenger -- We have, surely, prepared for the disbelievers a blazing fire.

48:14 And to Allah belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He forgives whom He pleases, and punishes whom he pleases. And Allah is Most Forgiving, ever Merciful.

48:15 Those who contrived to be left behind, will say, when you go forth to the spoils to take them, 'Let us follow you.' They seek to change the decree of Allah. Say, 'You shall not follow us. Thus has Allah said beforehand.' Then they will say, 'Nay, but you envy us.' That is not so; in fact they understand not except a little.

48:16 Say to the desert Arabs who contrived to be left behind, 'You shall be called to fight against a people of mighty valour; you shall fight them until they surrender. Then, if you obey, Allah will give you a good reward, but if you turn your backs, as you turned your backs before, He will punish you with a painful punishment.'

48:17 There is no blame on the blind, nor is there blame on the lame, nor is there blame on the sick, if they go not forth to fight. And whoso obeys Allah and His Messenger, He will cause them to enter the Gardens beneath which streams flow; but whoso turns his back, him will He punish with a grievous punishment.

48:18 Surely, Allah was well-pleased with the believers when they were swearing allegiance to thee under the Tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down tranquility on them, and He rewarded them with a victory at hand,

48:19 And great spoils that they will take. Allah is Mighty, Wise.

48:20 Allah has promised you great spoils that you will take and He has given you this in advance, and has restrained the hands of men from you, that it may be a Sign for the believers, and that He may guide you on a right path;

48:21 And He has promised you another victory which you have not been able to achieve yet, but Allah has, surely, compassed it. And Allah has power over all things.

48:22 And if those who disbelieve should fight you, they would, certainly, turn their backs; then they would find neither protector nor helper.

48:23 Such has ever been the law of Allah; and thou shalt not find any change in the law of Allah.

48:24 And He it is Who withheld their hands from you and your hands from them in the valley of Mecca, after He had given you victory over them. And Allah sees all that you do.

48:25 It is they who disbelieved and debarred you from the Sacred Mosque and also prevented the dedicated offerings from reaching their place of sacrifice. And had it not been for some believing men and believing women who were then in Mecca and whom, not having known, you might have trampled down, and thus might have, on their account, incurred an unwitting guilt, He would have permitted you to fight, but He withheld you that He might admit into His mercy whom He will. If they had been clearly separated from the disbelievers, We would have, surely, punished those of them who disbelieved with a grievous punishment.

48:26 When those who disbelieved harboured in their hearts prideful indignation--indignation of the Days of Ignorance, Allah sent down His tranquility on His Messenger and on the believers, and made them adhere firmly to the principle of righteousness, and they were better entitled to it and more worthy of it. And Allah knows everything well.

48:27 Allah, indeed, fulfilled for His Messenger the Vision: You shall certainly enter the Sacred Mosque, if Allah will, in security, some of you having their heads shaven and others having their hair cut short, you will have no fear. But He knew what you knew not. He has, in fact, ordained for you, besides that, a victory near at hand.

48:28 He it is Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the true Religion, That He may cause it to prevail over all other religions. And sufficient is Allah as a Witness.

48:29 Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. And those who are with him are hard against the disbelievers but tender among themselves. Thou seest them bowing and prostrating themselves in Prayer, seeking Allah's grace and pleasure. Their marks are upon their faces, being the traces of prostrations. This is their description in the Torah. And their description in the Gospel is like unto a seed-produce that sends forth its sprout, then makes it strong; it then becomes stout, and stands firm on its stem, delighting the sowers--That He may cause the disbelievers to boil with rage at the sight of them. Allah has promised, unto those of them, who believe and do good works, forgiveness and a great reward.

Chapter 49--The Chambers

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

49:1 O ye who believe! be not forward in the presence of Allah and His Messenger, but fear Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

49:2 O ye who believe! raise not your voices above the voice of the Prophet, nor speak loudly to him as you speak loudly to one another, lest your works come to naught while you perceive not.

49:3 Verily, those who lower their voices in the presence of the Messenger of Allah--those are they whose hearts Allah has purified for righteousness. For them is forgiveness and a great reward.

49:4 Those who call out to thee from without thy private apartments--most of them have no sense.

49:5 And if they had waited patiently until thou camest out to them, it would be better for them. But Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

49:6 O ye who believe! if an unrighteous person brings you any news, investigate it fully, lest you harm a people in ignorance, and then you repent of what you did.

49:7 And know that among you is the Messenger of Allah; if he were to follow your wishes in many matters, you would, surely, come to trouble; but Allah has endeared the faith to you and has made it look beautiful to your hearts, and He has made disbelief, wickedness and disobedience hateful to you. Such, indeed, are those who follow the right course

49:8 By Allah's grace and His favour. And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

49:9 And if two parties of believers fight each other, make peace between them; then if after that, one of them transgresses against the other, fight the party that transgress until it returns to the command of Allah. Then if it returns, make peace between them with equity, and act justly. Verily, Allah loves the just.

49:10 Surely, all believers are brothers. So make peace between your brothers, and fear Allah that mercy may be shown to you.

49:11 O ye who believe! let not one people deride another people, haply they may be better than they, nor let one group of women deride other women, haply they may be better than they. And do not defame your people nor call one another by nick-names. It is an evil thing to be called by bad name after having believed; and those who repent not, such are the wrongdoers.

49:12 O ye who believe! avoid much suspicion; for suspicion in some cases is a sin. And spy not on one another, neither back-bite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Certainly, you would loath it. And fear Allah, surely, Allah is oft-Returning with compassion and is Merciful.

49:13 O mankind, We have created you from a male and a female; And We have made you tribes and sub-tribes that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable among you, in the sight of Allah, is he who is the most righteous among you. Surely, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.

49:14 The Arabs of the desert say, 'We believe.' Say, 'You have not truly believed yet, but rather say, 'We have submitted, for true faith has not yet entered into your hearts.' But if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not detract anything from your deeds. Surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

49:15 The believers are only those who truly believe in Allah and His Messenger, and then doubt not, but strive with their possessions and their persons in the cause of Allah. It is they who are truthful.

49:16 Say, 'Would you acquaint Allah with your faith, while Allah knows whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, and Allah knows all things full well?'

49:17 They presume to regard it a favour to thee that they have embraced Islam. Say, 'Deem not your embracing Islam as a favour unto me. On the contrary, Allah has bestowed a favour upon you in that He has guided you to the true Faith, if you are truthful.'

49:18 Verily, Allah knows the secrets of the heavens and the earth. And Allah sees all what you do.'

Chapter 50--Qáf

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

50:1 Qáf. We cite the glorious Qur'án (as a proof that the great Resurrection is sure to take place).

50:2 But they wonder that there has come to them a Warner from among themselves. And the disbelievers say, 'This is a strange thing.

50:3 What! when we are dead and have become dust, shall we be raised up again? That is a return far from possible.'

50:4 We know how much the earth diminishes of them and how much it adds to them, and with Us is a Book that preserves everything.

50:5 Nay, they rejected the truth when it came to them, and so they are in a state of confusion.

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 placed therein firm mountains; and We have made to grow therein every kind of beautiful species,

50:8 As a means of enlightenment and as a reminder to every servant that turns to Us.

50:9 And We send down from the clouds water which is full of blessings, and We produce therewith gardens and crops,

50:10 And tall palm-trees with spathes piled one above the other,

50:11 As a provision for Our servants; and We quicken thereby a dead land. Even so shall be the Resurrection.

50:12 The people of Noah rejected the truth before them and so did the people of the Well and the tribe of Thamud,

50:13 And the tribe of AD, and Pharaoh and the brethren of Lot,

50:14 And the dwellers of the Wood, and the people of Tubba. All of them rejected the Messengers with the result that My threatened punishment befell them.

50:15 Were We then wearied by the first creation? Nay, but they are in confusion about the new creation.

50:16 And assuredly, We have created man and We know what his mind whispers to him, and We are nearer to him than even his jugular vein.

50:17 When the two Recording angels record everything, sitting on his right and on his left;

50:18 He utters not a word but there is by him a guardian angel ready to record it,

50:19 And the stupor of death, certainly comes. 'this is what thou wast striving to run from.'

50:20 And the trumpet shall be blown. That will be the Day of Promise.

50:21 And every soul shall come forth and along with it there will be an angel to bear witness.

50:22 Then We shall say, 'Thou wast heedless of this; now We have removed from thee thy veil, and keen is thy sight this day.'

50:23 And his companion will say, 'This is what I have ready of his record.'

50:24 We shall say to his two companions, cast ye twain into Hell every disbelieving enemy of truth,

50:25 Hinderer of good, transgressor, doubter;

50:26 Who sets up another god beside Allah, so do, ye twain, cast him into the severe torment.'

50:27 His associate will say, 'O Lord, it was not that I caused him to rebel; but he himself was too far gone in error.'

50:28 Allah will say, 'Quarrel not in My presence; I gave you the warning beforehand,

50:29 The sentenced passed by Me cannot be changed, and I am not in the least unjust to My servants.'

50:30 On that day We will say to Hell, 'Art thou filled up?' And it will answer, 'Are there any more?'

50:31 And Heaven will be brought near to the righteous, no longer remote.

50:32 And it will be said, 'This is what was promised to you--to every one who constantly turned to Allah and was watchful of his actions,

50:33 Who feared the Gracious Allah in private and came to Him with a penitent heart.

50:34 Enter ye therein in peace. This is the Day of Eternity.'

50:35 They will have therein whatever they desire, and with Us is a good deal more.

50:36 And how many a generation, who were mightier than they in prowess, have We destroyed before them! But when the punishment came, they went about in the lands, devising plans to escape it. But was there any place of refuge for them?

50:37 Therein, verily, is a reminder for him who has an understanding heart, or, who gives ear and is attentive.

50:38 And, verily, We created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six periods and no weariness touched Us.

50:39 So bear with patience what they say, and celebrate the praises of thy Lord, before the rising of the sun and before its setting;

50:40 And in parts of the night also do thou glorify Him, and after the prescribed prostrations.

50:41 Hearken! On the day when the caller will call from a place nearby,

50:42 The day when they will hear the inevitable blast; that will be the day of coming forth from the graves.

50:43 Verily, it is We Who give life and cause death, and to Us is the final return.

50:44 On the day when the earth will cleave asunder and in consequence of their misdeeds they will come forth hastening--that will be a raising up of the dead easy for Us.

50:45 We know best what they say; and thou art not to compel them in any way. So admonish, by means of the Qur'án, him who fears My warning.

Chapter 51--The Winds

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

51:1 By those that scatter with a true scattering,

51:2 Then carry the load,

51:3 Then speed lightly along,

51:4 And then distribute by Our command,

51:5 Surely, that which you are promised is true,

51:6 And Judgment will, surely, come to pass.

51:7 And by the heaven full of tracks,

51:8 Truly you at variance in what you say.

51:9 He alone is turned away from the truth who is decreed to be turned away.

51:10 Cursed be the liars,

51:11 Who are heedless of truth in the depths of ignorance.

51:12 They ask, when will the Day of Judgment be?'

51:13 Say, 'It will be the day when they will be tormented with the torment of the Fire.'

51:14 And it will be said to them, 'Taste ye your torment. This is what you asked to be hastened.'

51:15 But surely, the righteous will be in the midst of gardens and springs,

51:16 Taking what their Lord will bestow upon them; for they used to do good before that;

51:17 They slept but a little of the night;

51:18 And at dawn they prayed for divine pardon;

51:19 And in their wealth was a share for those who asked for help and for those who could not.

51:20 And in the earth are Signs for those who have certainty of faith,

51:21 And also in your ownselves. Will you not then see?

51:22 And in heaven is your sustenance, and also that which you are promised.

51:23 And by the Lord of the heaven and the earth it is certainly the truth, just as it is true that you speak.

51:24 Has the story of Abraham's honoured guests reached thee?

51:25 When they came to him and said, 'Peace!' he said in reply, 'On you be peace.' He thought that they were strangers.

51:26 And he went quietly to his household, and brought a fatted calf,

51:27 And he placed it before them and said, 'Will you not eat?'

51:28 And he conceived a fear of them. They said, 'Fear not.' And they gave him glad tidings of the birth of a son who would be blessed with knowledge.

51:29 Then his wife came forward extremely embarrassed and smote her face and said, 'I am but a barren old woman!'

51:30 They said, 'Even so has thy Lord said. Surely, He is the Wise, the All-Knowing.'

51:31 Abraham said, 'Now what is your errand, O ye who have been sent ?'

51:32 They said, 'We have been sent to a sinful people,

51:33 That we may send down upon them stones of clay,

51:34 Marked, with thy Lord, for those guilty of excesses.'

51:35 And we brought forth therefrom such of the believers as were there.

51:36 And We found there only one house of those who were obedient to Us.

51:37 And We left therein a Sign for those who fear painful punishment.

51:38 And in the story of Moses also there was a Sign when We sent him to Pharaoh with clear authority.

51:39 But he turned away from Moses in pride of his might, and said, 'A sorcerer, or a madman.'

51:40 So We seized him and his hosts and threw them into the sea; and he was to blame.

51:41 And there was a Sign in the story of the tribe of AD, when We sent against them the destructive wind;

51:42 It spared nothing whatever that it came upon but made it like a rotten bone.

51:43 And a Sign there was in the story of the tribe of Thamud when it was said to them, 'Enjoy yourselves for a while.'

51:44 But they rebelled against the command of their Lord. So the thunderbolt overtook them while they gazed;

51:45 And they were not able to rise up, nor were they able to defend themselves.

51:46 And We destroyed the people of Noah before them; they were a disobedient people.

51:47 And We have built the heavens with Our own hands, and, verily, We have vast powers.

51:48 And the earth We have spread out, and how excellently do We spread it out !

51:49 And of everything have We created pairs that you may reflect.

51:50 Flee ye, therefore, unto Allah. Surely, I am a plain Warner unto you from Him.

51:51 And do not set up another god along with Allah. Surely, I am a plain Warner unto you from Him.

51:52 Even so there came no Messenger to those before them, but they said, 'A sorcerer or a madman.'

51:53 Have they bequeathed this attitude to one another ? Nay, they are all a rebellious people.

51:54 So turn away from them; and thou will not be to blame for what they do.

51:55 And keep on exhorting; for, verily, exhortation benefits those who would believe.

51:56 And I have not created the jinn and the men but that they may worship Me.

51:57 I desire of them no provision, neither do I desire that they should feed Me.

51:58 Surely, it is Allah Himself Who is the Great Sustainer, the Lord of Power, the Strong.

51:59 So the fate of those who do wrong shall, surely, be like the fate of their fellows of old; so let them not challenge Me to hasten on the punishment.

51:60 Woe, then, to those who disbelieve, because of that day of theirs which they have been promised.

Chapter 52--The Mountain

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

52:1 By the Mount;

52:2 And by the Book inscribed

52:3 On parchment unfolded;

52:4 And by the ever Frequented House;

52:5 And by the Elevated Roof;

52:6 And by the Swollen Sea;

52:7 The punishment of thy Lord shall, certainly, come to pass.

52:8 There is none to avert it.

52:9 On the day when the heaven will be in a state of terrific commotion,

52:10 And the mountains shall move fast,

52:11 Then woe that day to those who reject the Truth,

52:12 Who sportingly indulge in idle talk;

52:13 The day when they shall be trust into the fire of Hell with a violent trust.

52:14 And they will be told: 'This is the Fire which you denied as a lie,

52:15 Is this then magic, or do you still not see?

52:16 Burn ye therein; and whether you show patience or you show it not, it will be the same for you. You are requited only for what you used to do.'

52:17 Verily, the righteous will, surely, be in Gardens and in bliss,

52:18 Rejoicing in what their Lord will have bestowed on them; and their Lord will save them from the torment of the Fire,

52:19 And He will say to them, 'Eat and drink with happy enjoyment because of what you used to do.'

52:20 On that day they will be reclining on couches arranged in rows. And We shall give them as companions fair maidens, having wide, beautiful eyes.

52:21 And those who believe and whose children follow them in faith -- with them will We join their children. And We will not diminish anything from the reward of their works. Every man stands pledged for what he has earned.

52:22 And We shall bestow upon them every kind of fruit and meat such as they will wish for.

52:23 There they will pass from one to another a cup wherein is neither levity nor sin.

52:24 And there will wait upon them youths of their own, pure as though they were pearls well preserved.

52:25 And they will turn one to another, asking questions.

52:26 They will say, 'Before this, when we were among our families, we were very much afraid of Allah's judgment;

52:27 But Allah has been gracious unto us and has saved us from the torment of the scorching blast;

52:28 We used to pray to Him before. Surely, He is the Beneficent, the Merciful.'

52:29 So keep on admonishing. By the grace of thy Lord thou art neither a soothsayer, nor a madman.

52:30 Do they say 'He is a poet; we are waiting for some calamity which time will bring upon him?'

52:31 Say, 'Await ye then, I am, too, with you among those who are waiting.'

52:32 Does their reason enjoin this upon them or are they a rebellious people?

52:33 Do they say, 'He has forged it?' Nay, but they have no faith.

52:34 Let them, then produce a discourse like this, if they speak the truth.

52:35 Have they been created without a purpose, or are they themselves the creators?

52:36 Did they create the heavens and the earth? Nay, but they have no faith in the Creator.

52:37 Do they have the treasures of thy Lord with them, or are they the guardians thereof?

52:38 Have they a ladder by means of which they can ascend into heaven and overhear the Divine words? Then let their listener bring a manifest proof.

52:39 Has He only daughters and you have sons?

52:40 Dost thou ask a reward from them, so that they are weighed down with a load of debt?

52:41 Do they possess knowledge of the unseen, so that they write it down?

52:42 Do they intend to devise a plot? But the disbelievers themselves will be the victims of their plot.

52:43 Have they a god other than Allah? Exalted is Allah above all that which they associate with Him.

52:44 And if they should see a fragment of the sky falling down, they would say, just clouds piled up.

52:45 So leave them until they meet that day of theirs, on which they will be thunder-struck;

52:46 The day when their scheming shall avail them naught, nor shall they be helped.

52:47 And, verily, for those, who do wrong, there is a punishment besides that. But most of them know not.

52:48 So wait patiently for the judgment of thy Lord; for, assuredly, thou art before Our eyes; and celebrate the praises of thy Lord when thou risest up for prayer,

52:49 And for part of the night also do thou glorify Him and at the setting of the stars.

Chapter 53--The Star

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

53:1 By the star when it falls,

53:2 You companion has neither erred, nor has he gone astray,

53:3 Nor does he speak out of his own desire.

53:4 It is nothing but pure revelation revealed by Allah.

53:5 The Lord of the Mighty Powers has taught him,

53:6 The One Possessor of Powers which manifest themselves repeatedly. So He settled Himself on the Throne.

53:7 And He revealed His Word when he was on the uppermost horizon.

53:8 Then the Prophet drew near to Allah; then Allah leaned down towards him.

53:9 So that He became, as it were, one chord to two bows, or closer still.

53:10 Then Allah revealed to His servant that which He revealed.

53:11 The heart of the Prophet lied not in seeing what he saw?

53:12 Will you, then, dispute with him about what he saw?

53:13 And, certainly, he saw him a second time;

53:14 Near the farthest lote tree;

53:15 Near which is the Garden of Eternal abode.

53:16 This was when that, which covers, covered the lote-tree.

53:17 The eye deviated not, nor did it wander.

53:18 Surely, he saw the greatest of the Signs of his Lord.

53:19 Now tell me about Lat and Uzzu;

53:20 And Manat, the third one, another goddess.

53:21 What! for you the males and for Him the females?'

53:22 That, indeed is an unfair division.

53:23 These are but names which you have named--you and your fathers--for which Allah has sent down no authority. They follow naught but conjecture and what their souls desire, while there has already come to them guidance from their Lord.

53:24 Can man have whatever he desires?

53:25 Nay, to Allah belong the Hereafter and this world.

53:26 And how many an angel is there in the heavens, but their intercession shall be of no avail, except after Allah gives permission to whomsoever He wills and pleases.

53:27 Those, who believe not in the Hereafter, give the angels female names;

53:28 But they have no knowledge thereof. They follow nothing but conjecture; and conjecture avails naught against truth.

53:29 So turn away from him who turns his back upon Our remembrance, and seeks nothing but the life of this world.

53:30 That is the utmost limit of their knowledge. Verily, thy Lord knows best him who strays away from His way, and He knows best him who follows guidance.

53:31 And to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, that He may requite those who do evil according to what they have wrought and reward those who do good with what is best;

53:32 Those who shun the grave sins and all indecencies except minor faults. Verily, thy Lord is Master of vast forgiveness. He knows you well from the time when He created you from the earth, and when you were embryos in the bellies of your mothers. So ascribe not purity to yourselves. He knows him best who is truly righteous.

53:33 Seest thou him who turns away from guidance,

53:34 And gives a little, and does it grudgingly?

53:35 Has he the knowledge of the unseen, so that he can see his own end?

53:36 Has he not been informed of what is in the Scriptures of Moses,

53:37 And of Abraham who fulfilled the divine commandments?

53:38 That no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another,

53:39 And that man will have nothing but what he strives for;

53:40 And that the result of his striving shall soon be known;

53:41 Then will he be rewarded for it with the fullest reward;

53:42 And that with thy Lord is the final judgment;

53:43 And that it is He Who makes people laugh and makes them weep;

53:44 And that it is He Who causes death and gives life;

53:45 And that He creates the pairs, male and female,

53:46 From a sperm drop when it is emitted;

53:47 And that it is for him to bring forth the second creation;

53:48 And that it is He Who enriches and gives contentment;

53:49 And that He is the Lord of Sirius.

53:50 And that He destroyed the first tribe of Ad,

53:51 And the tribe of Thamud and He spared no one,

53:52 And He destroyed the people of Noah before them--verily, they were most unjust and most rebellious -

53:53 And He overthrew the subverted cities of the people of Lot,

53:54 So that there covered them that which covered.

53:55 Which, then, O man, of the bounties of thy Lord wilt thou dispute?

53:56 This Messenger of Ours is a Warner like the Warners of Old.

53:57 The Hour of Judgment which was to come has drawn nigh,

53:58 None but Allah can avert it.

53:59 Do you, then, wonder at this announcement?

53:60 And do you laugh and weep not,

53:61 While you make merry?

53:62 So prostrate yourselves before Allah and worship Him.

Chapter 54--The Moon

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

54:1 The Hour has drawn nigh, and the moon is rent asunder.

54:2 And if they see a Sign, they turn away and say, 'An oft-repeated sorcery.'

54:3 They have rejected the truth and follow their own fancies. But for everything there is an appointed time.

54:4 And there has already come to them accounts of events containing warnings -

54:5 Consummate wisdom; but the warnings profit them not.

54:6 Therefore, turn thou away from them and await the day when the Summoner will summon them to a disagreeable thing,

54:7 While their eyes will be cast down and they will come forth from their graves as though they were locust scattered about,

54:8 Hastening towards the Summoner. The disbelievers will say, 'This is a hard day.'

54:9 The people of Noah rejected the truth before them; they called Our servant a liar and said, 'He is a madman, afflicted by our idols.'

54:10 So he prayed to his Lord: 'I am overcome, so come thou to my help!'

54:11 Thereupon We opened the gates of heaven with water which fell in torrents;

54:12 And We caused the earth to burst forth with springs, so the two waters met for a purpose that was decreed.

54:13 And We carried him upon that which was made of planks and nails.

54:14 It floated on under Our eyes; a reward for him who had been denied.

54:15 And We left it as a Sign for the succeeding generations. But is there anyone who would take heed?

54:16 How terrible, then, was My punishment and how true My warning!

54:17 And indeed, We have made the Qur'án easy to remember. Is there anyone who would take heed?

54:18 The tribe of Ad rejected the truth. How terrible, then, was My punishment and how true My warning!

54:19 We sent against them a furious wind on a day of unending ill-luck,

54:20 Tearing people away as though they were the hollow trunks of uprooted palm-trees.

54:21 How terrible, then, was My punishment and how true My warning!

54:22 And indeed, We have made the Qur'án easy to remember. But is there anyone who would take heed?

54:23 The tribe of Thamud also rejected the Warners.

54:24 And they said, 'What! shall we follow a mortal, one out of ourselves? Then, indeed, we would be in manifest error, and suffering from madness.

54:25 Has the Reminder been revealed to him alone of all of us? Nay, he is an impudent liar.'

54:26 Tomorrow will they know who is the impudent liar.

54:27 We will send the she-camel as a trial for them. So watch them, O Salih, and have patience.

54:28 And tell them that the water is shared between her and them, every drinking time shall be attended.'

54:29 But they called their comrade and he seized a sword and hamstrung her.

54:30 How terrible, then, was My punishment and how true My warning!

54:31 We sent against them a single blast, and they became like the dry stubble, whittled down by a maker of hedges.

54:32 And, indeed, We have made the Qur'án easy to remember. But is there anyone who will take heed?

54:33 Lot's people also rejected the Warners.

54:34 We sent a storm of stones upon them except the family of Lot, whom We delivered by early dawn,

54:35 As a favour from Us. Thus do We reward him who is grateful.

54:36 And he, indeed, had warned them of Our severe punishment, but they doubted the warning.

54:37 And they deceitfully sought to turn him away from his guests. So We blinded their eyes, and said, 'Taste ye now My punishment and My warning.'

54:38 And there came upon them early in the morning a lasting punishment.

54:39 Now taste ye My punishment and My warning.'

54:40 And, indeed, We have made the Qur'án easy to remember. But is there anyone who will take heed?

54:41 And, surely, to the people of Pharaoh also came Warners.

54:42 They rejected all Our Signs. So We seized them like the seizing of the Mighty, the Powerful.

54:43 Are your disbelievers better than those? Or, have you an immunity in the Scriptures?

54:44 Do they say, 'We are a victorious host?'

54:45 The hosts shall soon be routed and shall turn their backs in flight.

54:46 Aye, the Hour is their promised time; and the Hour will be most calamitous for them and most bitter.

54:47 Surely, the guilty are in manifest error and suffer from madness.

54:48 On the day when they will be dragged into the Fire on their faces, it will be said to them, 'Taste ye the touch of Hell.'

54:49 Verily, We have created everything in due measure.

54:50 And Our command is carried out by only one Word as the twinkling of an eye.

54:51 And, indeed, We have destroyed people like you before. But is there anyone who will take heed?

54:52 And everything they have done is recorded in the Books.

54:53 And every matter, small and great, is written down.

54:54 Verily, the righteous will be in the midst of Gardens and streams,

54:55 In an internal and honoured abode in the presence of the Omnipotent King.

Chapter 55--The Merciful

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

55:1 The Gracious Allah.

55:2 He taught the Qur'án.

55:3 He created man,

55:4 And taught him plain speech.

55:5 The sun and the moon run their courses according to a fixed reckoning.

55:6 And the stemless plants and the trees humbly submit to His Will.

55:7 And the heaven He has raised high and set up the measure,

55:8 That you may not exceed the measure.

55:9 So weigh all things with justice and fall not short of the measure.

55:10 And He has set the earth for His creatures;

55:11 Therein are all kinds of fruit and palm-tree with sheaths,

55:12 And grain with its husk and fragrant plants.

55:13 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, O men and jinn, deny?

55:14 He created man of dry ringing clay which is like baked pottery.

55:15 And the jinn He created of the flame of Fire.

55:16 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:17 The Lord of the two Easts and the Lord of the two Wests.

55:18 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:19 He has made the two bodies of water flow. They will one day meet;

55:20 Between them there is at present a barrier; they cannot encroach one upon the other.

55:21 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:22 There come out from both of them pearls and coral.

55:23 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:24 And His are the lofty ships reared aloft on the sea like mountains.

55:25 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:26 All that is on earth will pass away;

55:27 And there will abide for ever only the Person of thy Lord, Master of Glory and Honour.

55:28 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:29 Of Him do beg all that are in the heavens and the earth. Everyday He reveals himself in a different state.

55:30 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:31 Soon shall We attend to you, O ye two big groups!

55:32 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:33 O company of jinn and men! if you have power to break through the confines of the heavens and the earth, then break through them. But you cannot break through save with authority.

55:34 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:35 There shall be sent against you a flame of fire, and molten copper; and you shall not be able to help yourselves.

55:36 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:37 And when the heaven is rent asunder and become red like red hide.

55:38 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:39 On that day neither man nor jinn will be asked about his sin.

55:40 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:41 The guilty will be known by their marks, and they will be seized by their forelocks and their feet.

55:42 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:43 And they will be told: 'This is the Hell which the guilty denied,

55:44 Between it and the fierce boiling water will they go round.'

55:45 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:46 And for him who fears to stand before his Lord there are two gardens -

55:47 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:48 Having many varieties of trees.

55:49 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:50 In each of them there are two fountains flowing freely.

55:51 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:52 Therein will be every kind of fruit in pairs.

55:53 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:54 The inmates thereof will recline on couches over carpets, the linings of which will be of thick brocade. And the fruit of the two Gardens will be within their easy reach.

55:55 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:56 Therein will also be chaste maidens restraining their glances, whom neither man nor jinn will have touched before them -

55:57 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:58 As if they were rubies and small pearls;

55:59 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:60 Is the reward of goodness anything but goodness?

55:61 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:62 And besides these two, there are two other gardens -

55:63 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:64 Dark green with foliage -

55:65 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:66 Therein also will be two springs, gushing forth with water.

55:67 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:68 In both of them there will be all kinds of fruit, and dates and pomegranates.

55:69 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:70 Therein will be maidens, good and beautiful. -

55:71 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:72 Fair maidens with lovely black eyes, guarded in pavilions -

55:73 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:74 Whom neither man nor jinn will have touched before them -

55:75 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:76 Reclining on green cushions and beautiful carpets.

55:77 Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will ye twain, deny?

55:78 Blessed is the name of thy Lord, Master of Glory and Honour.

Chapter 56--That Which is Coming

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

56:1 When the Inevitable event comes to pass -

56:2 There is no denying its coming to pass -

56:3 Some it will bring low, others it will exalt.

56:4 When the earth will be shaken with a terrible shaking;

56:5 And mountains will be scattered--a complete scattering.

56:6 They shall all become like dust particles scattered about.

56:7 And you shall be divided into three groups:

56:8 Those on the right hand--how lucky are those on the right hand!

56:9 And those on the left hand--how unlucky are those on the left hand!

56:10 And the foremost; they are truly the foremost;

56:11 They will be those near to Allah;

56:12 And will be in the Gardens of Bliss -

56:13 A large party from among the first believers,

56:14 And a few from among the later ones,

56:15 Seated on couches inwrought with gold and jewels,

56:16 Reclining thereon, facing each other.

56:17 There will wait on them youths who will not age,

56:18 Carrying goblets and ewers and cups filled out of a flowing spring -

56:19 No headache will they get therefrom, nor will they be intoxicated -

56:20 And carrying such fruits as they choose,

56:21 And flesh of birds as they may desire.

56:22 And there will be fair maidens with wide, lovely eyes,

56:23 Like pearls well-preserved,

56:24 As a reward for what they did.

56:25 They will not hear therein any vain or sinful talk,

56:26 Except only the word of salutation--'Peace, peace.'

56:27 Those on the right hand--how lucky are those on the right hand! -

56:28 They will be amidst thornless lote-trees,

56:29 And clustered bananas,

56:30 And extended shade,

56:31 And flowing water,

56:32 And abundant fruit,

56:33 Neither failing, nor forbidden.

56:34 And they will have noble spouses.

56:35 Verily, We have created them a good creation,

56:36 And made them virgins,

56:37 Loving, of equal age;

56:38 For those on the right hand.

56:39 A large party from among the first believers.

56:40 And a large party from among the later ones.

56:41 And those on the left hand--how unlucky are those on the left hand! -

56:42 They will be in the midst of scorching winds and scalding water,

56:43 And under the shadow of pitch-black smoke;

56:44 Neither cool nor wholesome.

56:45 Before this they lived in a life of ease and plenty,

56:46 And persisted in extreme sinfulness.

56:47 And they were wont to say, 'What! when we are dead and have become dust and bones, shall we, indeed, be raised again,

56:48 And our fathers of yore too?'

56:49 Say, 'Yes, the earlier ones and the later ones.

56:50 Will all be gathered together unto the fixed time of an appointed day.

56:51 Then, O ye that have gone astray and have rejected the truth,

56:52 You will, surely, eat of the tree of Zaqqum,

56:53 And will fill your bellies therewith,

56:54 And will drink boiling water, on top of that,

56:55 Drinking as the insatiable thirsty camels drink.'

56:56 This will be their entertainment on the Day of Judgment.

56:57 We have created you. Why, then do you not accept the truth?

56:58 What think ye of the sperm-drop that you emit?

56:59 Is it you who have created it, or are We the Creator?

56:60 We have ordained death for all of you; and We cannot be hindered,

56:61 From bringing in your place others like you, and from developing you into a form which you know not.

56:62 And you have, certainly, known the first creation. Why, then, do you not reflect?

56:63 Do you see what you sow?

56:64 Is it you who cause it to grow, or are We the grower?

56:65 If We so pleased, We could reduce it all to withered stubble, then you would keep lamenting:

56:66 We are laden with debt!

56:67 Nay, we are totally deprived of everything.'

56:68 Have you considered the water which you drink?

56:69 Do you send it down from the clouds, or are We the Sender?

56:70 If We so pleased, We could make it bitter. Why, then, do you not give thanks?

56:71 Have you considered the fire which you kindle?

56:72 Is it you who produce the tree for it, or are We the Producer?

56:73 We have made it a reminder and benefit for the wayfarers.

56:74 So glorify the name of thy Lord, the Great.

56:75 Nay, I cite as proof the shooting of the stars -

56:76 And, indeed, that is a grand testimony, if you only knew -

56:77 This is, indeed, a noble Qur'án,

56:78 In a well-preserved Book.

56:79 Which none shall touch except those who are purified.

56:80 It is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds.

56:81 Is it this divine discourse that you would reject,

56:82 And do you make the denial thereof your means of livelihood?

56:83 Why, then, when the soul of the dying man reaches the throat,

56:84 And you are at that moment looking on -

56:85 And We are nearer to him than you, but you see not -

56:86 Why, then, if you are not to be called to account,

56:87 You cannot bring it back if you are truthful?

56:88 Now if he be of those who are near to Allah,

56:89 Then for him is comfort and fragrance of happiness and Garden of bliss;

56:90 And if he be of those of the right hand,

56:91 Then, 'Peace be ever on thee, O thou, of those of the right hand!'

56:92 But if he be of those who reject the truth and are in error,

56:93 Then for him will be an entertainment of boiling water,

56:94 And burning in Hell.

56:95 Verily, this is the certain truth.

56:96 So glorify the name of thy Lord, the Incomparably Great.

Chapter 57--Iron

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

57:1 Whatever is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Allah; and He is the Mighty, the Wise.

57:2 His is the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth; He gives life and He causes death, and He has power over all things.

57:3 He is the First and the Last, and the Manifest and the Hidden, and He has full knowledge of all things.

57:4 He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six periods, then He settled Himself on the Throne. He knows what enters the earth and what comes out of it, and what comes down from the heaven and what goes up into it. And He is with you wheresoever you may be. And Allah sees all that you do.

57:5 His is the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth; and to Allah are all affairs returned for final judgment.

57:6 He causes the night to pass into the day and causes the day to pass into the night; And He knows well all that is in the breasts.

57:7 Believe in Allah and His Messenger, and spend in the way of Allah out of that to which He has made you heirs. And those of you who believe and spend will have a great reward.

57:8 Why is it that you believe not in Allah, while the Messenger calls you to believe in your Lord, and He has already taken a covenant from you, if indeed you are believers?

57:9 He it is Who sends down clear Signs to His servant, that He may bring you out of every kind of darkness into light. And, verily, Allah is Compassionate and Merciful to you.

57:10 And why is it that you spend not in the way of Allah, while to Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth? Those of you who spent and fought before the Victory are not equal to those who did so later. They are greater in rank than those who spent and fought afterwards. And to all has Allah promised good. And Allah is Well-Aware of what you do.

57:11 Who is he who will lend to Allah a goodly loan? So He will increase it manifold for him, and he will have a noble reward.

57:12 And think of the day when thou wilt see the believing men and the believing women, their light running before them and on their right hands, and angels will say to them, 'Glad tidings for you this day of Gardens through which streams flow, wherein you will abide. That is the supreme triumph.'

57:13 That is the day when the hypocritical men and the hypocritical women will say to those who believe, 'Wait for us a while that we may borrow some of your light,' it will be said to them, 'Go back if you can, and seek for light.' Then there will be set up between them a wall with a door in it. The inside of it will be all mercy and outside of it, in front, will be torment.

57:14 The hypocrites will call out to believers saying, 'Were we not with you?' The believers will answer, 'Yea, but you let yourselves fall into temptation and you hesitated and doubted and your vain desires deceived you till the decree of Allah came to pass. And the deceiver deceived you concerning Allah.

57:15 So this day no ransom shall be accepted from you, nor from those who disbelieved. Your final abode is the Fire; that is your comrade; and an evil destination it is.'

57:16 Has not the time yet arrived for those who believe that their hearts should feel humbled at the remembrance of Allah and at the truth which has come down to them, and that they should not become like those who were given the Book before them, but because the period of the bestowal of Allah's grace upon them was prolonged for them, their hearts became hardened, and many of them became rebellious?

57:17 Know, then, that Allah quickens the earth after its death. We have made the Signs manifest to you, that you may understand.

57:18 Surely, the men who give alms and the women who give alms, and those who lend to Allah a goodly loan--it will be increased manifold for them, and theirs will also be a honourable reward -

57:19 Those who believe in Allah and His Messengers, they are the Truthful and the Witnesses in the sight of their Lord. They will have their full reward and their light. But those who disbelieve and reject Our Signs, these are the inmates of Hell.

57:20 Know that the life of this world is only a sport and a pastime, and an adornment, and a source of boasting among yourselves, and of rivalry in multiplying riches and children. It is like the rain, the vegetation produced whereby rejoices the tillers. Then it dries up and thou seest it turn yellow; then it becomes worthless stubble. And in the Hereafter there is severe punishment for the wicked and also forgiveness from Allah, and His pleasure for the righteous. And the life of this world is nothing but temporary enjoyment of delusive things.

57:21 Vie, then, with one another in seeking forgiveness from your Lord and for a Garden the value whereof is equal to the value of the heaven and the earth; it has been prepared for those who believe in Allah and His Messengers. That is Allah's grace; He bestows it upon whomsoever He pleases, and Allah is the Lord of immense grace.

57:22 There befalls not any calamity either in the earth or in your own persons, but it is recorded in a Book before We bring it into being -- surely, that is easy for Allah -

57:23 That you may not grieve over what is lost to you nor exult because of that which He has bestowed upon you. And Allah loves not any conceited boaster,

57:24 Such as are niggardly and also enjoin upon men to be niggardly. And whoso turns his back, then surely, Allah is Self-Sufficient, Worthy of all praise.

57:25 Verily, We sent Our Messengers with manifest Signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance that people may act with justice; and We sent down iron, wherein is material for violent warfare and diverse uses for mankind, and that Allah may know those who help Him and His Messengers without having seen Him. Surely, Allah is Powerful, Mighty.

57:26 And indeed We sent Noah and Abraham, and We placed among their seed Prophethood and the Book. So some of them followed the guidance, but many of them were rebellious.

57:27 Then We caused Our Messengers to follow in their footsteps; and We caused Jesus, son of Mary, to follow them, and We gave him the Gospel. And We put compassion and mercy in the hearts of those who followed him. And monasticism they invented--We did not prescribe it for them--for the seeking of Allah's pleasure; but they observed it not as it should be observed. Yet We gave those of them, who believed, their due reward, but many of them are rebellious.

57:28 O ye who believe! fear Allah and believe in His Messenger. He will give you a double portion of His Mercy, and will provide for you a light wherein you will walk, and will grant you forgiveness--verily, Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful -

57:29 Thus it is that the People of the Book may know that they have no power over anything of the grace of Allah; and that grace is entirely in the hands of Allah, He gives it to whomsoever He pleases. And Allah is the Master of immense grace.

Chapter 58--She Who Pleaded

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

58:1 Allah has, indeed, heard the talk of her who pleads with thee concerning her husband, and complains unto Allah. And Allah has heard the two of you conversing together. Verily, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.

58:2 Those among you who put away their wives by calling them mothers--they do not thereby become their mothers; their mothers are only those who gave them birth. They certainly utter words that are manifestly evil and untrue; but, surely, Allah is the Effacer of sins, Most Forgiving.

58:3 Those who put away their wives by calling them mothers, and then would go back on what they have said, must free a slave before they touch one another. This is what you are admonished with. And Allah is Well-Aware of what you do.

58:4 But he who does not find a slave, he must fast for two consecutive months, before they touch one another. And he who is not able to do so shall feed sixty poor people. This is enjoined on you so that you may have faith in Allah and His Messenger. And these are the limits prescribed by Allah; and for the disbelievers is a painful punishment.

58:5 Those who oppose Allah and His Messenger will, surely be abased even as those before them were abased; and We have already sent down clear Signs. And the disbelievers will have an humiliating punishment,

58:6 On the day when Allah will raise them all together. And He will inform them of what they did. Allah has kept account of it, while they have forgotten it. And Allah is Witness over all things.

58:7 Seest thou not that Allah knows all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth? There is no secret counsel of three, but He is their fourth, nor of five but He is their sixth, nor of less than that, nor of more, but He is with them wheresoever they may be. Then on the Day of Resurrection He will inform them of what they did. Surely, Allah has full knowledge of all things.

58:8 Seest thou not those who were forbidden to hold secret counsels, then they return to that which they were forbidden, and confer in secret for sin and transgression and disobedience to the Messenger? And when they come to thee, they greet thee with a greeting with which Allah, has not greeted thee; but among themselves they say, 'Why does not Allah punish us for what we say?' Sufficient for them is Hell, wherein they will burn; and a most evil destination it is!

58:9 O ye who believe! When you confer together in private, confer not for the purpose of promoting sin and transgression and disobedience to the Messenger, but confer for the purpose of promoting virtue and righteousness, and fear Allah unto Whom you shall all be gathered.

58:10 Holding of secret counsels for evil purposes is only of Satan, that he may cause grief to those who believe; but it cannot harm them in the least, except by Allah's leave. And in Allah should the believers put their trust.

58:11 O ye who believe! when it is said to you, 'Make room in your assemblies,' then do make room. Allah will make ample room for you. And when it is said, 'Rise up' then rise up; Allah will raise those who believe from among you, and those whom knowledge is given to degrees of rank. And Allah is Well-Aware of what you do.

58:12 O ye who believe! when you consult the Messenger in private, give alms before your consultation. That is better for you and purer. But if you find not anything to give then Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

58:13 Are you afraid of giving alms before your consultation? So when you do not do so and Allah has been Merciful to you, then observe Prayer and pay the Zakaat and obey Allah and His Messenger. And Allah is Well-Aware of what you do.

58:14 Seest thou not those who take for friends a people with whom Allah is wroth? They are neither of you nor of them, and they swear to falsehood knowingly.

58:15 Allah has prepared for them a severe punishment. Evil, indeed, is that which they used to do.

58:16 They have made their oaths a shield for their falsehoods, and thereby they seek to turn men away from the path of Allah; for them therefore, will be an humiliating punishment.

58:17 Neither their wealth nor their children will avail them aught against Allah. They are the inmates of the Fire wherein they will abide.

58:18 On the day when Allah will raise them all together, they will swear to Him, even as they now swear to you, and they will think that they have something to stand upon. Now, surely, it is they who are the liars.

58:19 Satan has gained mastery over them, and has made them forget the remembrance of Allah. They are Satan's party. Now, surely, it is Satan's party that are the losers.

58:20 Certainly those who oppose Allah and His Messenger are among the most abject.

58:21 Allah has decreed: 'Most surely, I will prevail, I and My Messengers.' Verily, Allah is Powerful, Mighty.

58:22 Thou wilt not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day and yet they love those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even though they be their fathers, or their sons, or their brethren, or their kindred. These are they in whose hearts Allah has inscribed true faith and whom He has strengthened with inspiration from Himself. And He will admit them into Gardens through which streams flow. Therein they will abide; Allah is well-pleased with them and they are well-pleased with Him. They are Allah's party. Hearken! it is Allah's party who are the successful.

Chapter 59--Exile

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

59:1 All that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth glorifies Allah; and He is the Mighty, the Wise.

59:2 He it is Who caused the disbelievers of the People of the Book to go forth from their homes at the time of the first banishment. You did not think that they would go forth and they thought that their fortresses would defend them against Allah. But Allah came upon them whence they did not expect, and cast terror into their hearts, so that they demolished their houses with their own hands and with the hands of the believers. So take a lesson, O ye who have eyes.

59:3 And had it not been that Allah had decreed exile for them, He would have, surely, punished them otherwise in this world. And in the Hereafter they will, certainly, have the punishment of the Fire.

59:4 That is because they opposed Allah and His Messenger; and whoso opposes Allah--then, surely, Allah is severe in retribution.

59:5 Whatever palm tree you cut down, or left standing on their roots, it was by Allah's leave that He might humiliate the transgressors.

59:6 And whatever Allah has given to His Messenger as spoils from them, is of Allah's grace. You urged neither horse nor camel for that; but Allah gives authority to His Messengers over whomsoever He pleases; and Allah has power over all things.

59:7 Whatever Allah has given to His Messenger as spoils from the people of the towns, it is for Allah and for the Messenger and for the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer, in order that it may not circulate only among those of you who are rich. And whatsoever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain from it. And fear Allah, surely, Allah is Severe in retribution.

59:8 And it is also for the poor refugees who have been driven out from their homes and their possessions; they seek the grace of Allah and His pleasure; and help Allah and His Messenger. These it is who are true in their faith;

59:9 And for those who had established their home in this City and had accepted the Faith before them. They love those who come to them for refuge, and find not in their breasts any desire for that which is given them (the Refugees), but give preference to the Refugees above themselves, even though poverty be their own lot. Whoso is rid of the covetousness of his own soul--it is these who will be successful;

59:10 And for those who came after them. They say, 'Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in the Faith, and leave not any rancour in our hearts against those who believe. Our Lord, Thou art, indeed, Compassionate, Merciful.

59:11 Seest thou not the Hypocrites? They say to their brethren who disbelieve from among the People of the Book, 'If you are turned out of Medina, we will, surely, go out with you and we will never obey anyone against you, and if you are fought against, we will, certainly, help you. But Allah bears witness that, surely, they are the liars.

59:12 If they are turned out, they will never go out with them, and if they are fought against, they will never help them. And even if they help them, they will, certainly, turn their backs, and then they themselves shall not be helped.

59:13 Assuredly, they have greater fear of you in their hearts than of Allah. That is because they are a people who understand not.

59:14 They will not fight you in a body except in strongly fortified towns or from behind the walls. Their fighting among themselves is severe. Thou thinkest them to be united, but their hearts are divided. That is because they are a people who have no sense.

59:15 Their case is like the case of those people who passed away only a short time before them. They tasted the evil consequences of their evil conduct. And for them is a painful punishment.

59:16 Or it is like that of Satan, when he says to man, 'Disbelieve,' but when he disbelieves, he says, 'I have nothing to do with thee, I fear Allah, the Lord of the worlds.'

59:17 The end of both is that they are both in the Fire, abiding therein. Such is the reward of the wrongdoers.

59:18 O ye who believe! be mindful of your duty to Allah and let every soul look to what it sends forth for the morrow. And fear Allah, verily, Allah is Well-Aware of what you do.

59:19 And be not like those who forgot Allah, so He caused them to forget their own souls. It is they that are the transgressors.

59:20 The inmates of the Fire and the inmates of the Garden are not equal. It is the inmates of the Garden that are the triumphant.

59:21 If We had sent down this Qur'án on a mountain, thou wouldst, certainly, have seen it humbled and rent asunder for fear of Allah. And these are similitudes that We set forth for mankind that they may reflect.

59:22 He is Allah and there is no god beside Him, the Knower of the unseen and the seen. He is the Gracious, the Merciful.

59:23 He is Allah and there is no god beside Him, the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of peace, the Bestower of security, the Protector, the Mighty, the Subduer, the Exalted. Holy is Allah, far above that which they associate with Him.

59:24 He is Allah, the creator, the Maker, the Fashioner. His are the most beautiful names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Him, and He is the Mighty, the Wise.

Chapter 60--She Who is Tested

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

60:1 O ye who believe! take not My enemy and your enemy for friends. Would you offer them love, while they have disbelieved in the Truth which has come to you and have driven out the Messenger and yourselves from your homes, merely because you believe in Allah, your Lord? When you go forth to strive in My cause and to seek My pleasure, some of you send them messages of love in secret, while I know best what you conceal and what you reveal. And whoever of you does it has, indeed, strayed away from the right path.

60:2 If they get the upper hand of you, they will be your active enemies, and will stretch forth their hands and their tongues towards you to do you harm; and they ardently desire that you should become disbelievers.

60:3 Neither your ties of kindred, nor your children will avail you aught on the Day of Resurrection. Allah will decide between you. And Allah sees all what you do.

60:4 Indeed there is a good example for you in Abraham and those who were with him when they said to their people, 'We have nothing to do with you and with that which you worship beside Allah. We disbelieve all that you believe in. There has become manifest enmity and hatred between us and you for ever, until you believe in Allah alone'--except that Abraham said to his father, 'I will surely ask forgiveness for thee, though I have no power to do aught for thee against Allah.' Their prayer was: 'Our Lord, in thee do we put our trust and to thee do we turn in repentance, and towards thee is the final return;

60:5 Our Lord, make us not a trial for those who disbelieve, and forgive us, our Lord; for, Thou alone art Mighty, the Wise.'

60:6 Surely, there is a good example in them for you--for all who have hope to see Allah and the Last Day. And whosoever turns away -- truly, Allah is Self-Sufficient, Worthy of all praise.

60:7 It may be that Allah will bring about love between you and those of them with whom you are now at enmity, and Allah is All-Powerful; and Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

60:8 Allah forbids you not respecting those who have not fought against you on account of your religion, and who have not driven you out from your homes, that you be kind to them and deal equitably with them; surely, Allah loves those who are equitable.

60:9 Allah only forbids you respecting those who have fought against you on account of your religion and have driven you out of your homes, and have helped others in driving you out, that you make friends with them, and whosoever makes friends with them--it is these that are transgressors.

60:10 O ye who believe! when believing women come to you as Refugees, examine them. Allah knows best their faith. Then if you find them true believers, send them not back to the disbelievers. These women are not lawful for them, nor are they lawful for these women. But give their disbelieving husbands what they have spent on them. Thereafter it is no sin for you to marry them, when you have given them their dowries. And hold not to your matrimonial ties of the disbelieving women, but should they join the disbelievers, then demand the return of that which you have spent; and let the disbelieving husbands of believing women demand that which they have spent. That is the judgment of Allah. He judges between you. And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

60:11 And if any of your wives goes away from you to the disbelievers, and afterwards you retaliate and get some spoils from the disbelievers, then give to those believers whose wives have gone away the like of that which they have spent on them. And fear Allah in Whom you believe.

60:12 O Prophet! when believing women come to thee, taking the oath of allegiance at thy hands that they will not associate anything with Allah, and that they will not steal, and will not commit adultery, nor kill their children, nor bring forth a scandalous charge which they themselves have deliberately forged, nor disobey thee in what is right, then accept their allegiance and ask Allah to forgive them. Verily, Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

60:13 O ye who believe! take not for friends a people with whom Allah is wroth; they have, indeed, despaired of the Hereafter just as have the disbelievers despaired of those who are in the graves.

Chapter 61--Battle Array

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

61:1 Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth glorifies Allah; and He is the Mighty, the Wise.

61:2 O ye who believe! Why do you say what you do not?

61:3 It is most hateful in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not.

61:4 Verily, Allah loves those who fight in His cause arrayed in solid ranks, as though they were a strong structure cemented with molten lead.

61:5 And call to mind when Moses said to his people, 'O my people, why do you malign me and you know that I am Allah's Messenger unto you?' So when they deviated from the right course, Allah caused their hearts to deviate; for Allah guides not the rebellious people.

61:6 And call to mind when Jesus, son of Mary, said, 'O children of Israel, surely, I am Allah's Messenger unto you, fulfilling that which is before me of the prophecies of the Torah, and giving glad tidings of a Messenger who will come after me, his name being Ahmad. And when he came to them with clear proofs, they said, this is manifest sorcery.'

61:7 But who does greater wrong than he who forges a lie against Allah while he is invited to Islam? Allah guides not the wrongdoing people.

61:8 They desire to extinguish the light of Allah with the breath of their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light, however much the disbelievers may dislike it.

61:9 He it is Who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and the Religion of truth, that He may cause it to prevail over all religions, however much those who associate partners with Allah may dislike it.

61:10 O ye who believe! shall I point out to you a commerce which will deliver you from a painful punishment?

61:11 That you believe in Allah and His Messenger, and strive in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your persons. That is better for you, if you did but know.

61:12 He will forgive you your sins, and admit you to Gardens through which streams flow, and to pure and pleasant dwellings in Gardens of Eternity. That is the supreme triumph,

61:13 And He will bestow upon you another favour which you love: help from Allah and a nigh victory. So give glad tidings to the believers.

61:14 O ye who believe! be helpers of Allah, as said Jesus, son of Mary, to his disciples, 'Who are my helpers in the cause of Allah?' The disciples said, 'We are helpers of Allah.' So a party of the Children of Israel believed while a party disbelieved. Then We aided those who believed against their enemy, and they became predominant.

Chapter 62--Friday

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

62:1 Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth glorifies Allah, the Sovereign, the Holy, the Mighty, the Wise.

62:2 He it is Who has raised among the unlettered people a Messenger from among themselves who recites unto them His Signs, and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and Wisdom though before that they were in manifest error;

62:3 And He will raise him among others of them who have not yet joined them. He is the Mighty, the Wise.

62:4 That is Allah's grace; He bestows it on whom He pleases; and Allah is the Lord of immense grace.

62:5 The likeness of those who were charged with the Law of Torah, but did not carry out its commandments, is as the likeness of an ass carrying a load of books. Evil is the likeness of the people who reject the Signs of Allah. And Allah guides not the wrongdoing people.

62:6 Say, 'O ye who are Jews, if you claim that you are the friends of Allah to the exclusion of all other peoples, then wish for death, if, indeed, you are truthful.

62:7 But they will never wish for it, because of that which their hands have sent on before them. And Allah knows well those who do wrong.

62:8 Say, 'The death from which you flee will, surely, overtake you. Then you will be returned unto Him Who knows the unseen and the seen and He will inform you of what you had been doing.'

62:9 O ye who believe! When the call is made for Prayer on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah, and leave off all business. That is best for you, if you only knew.

62:10 And when the Prayer is finished, then disperse in the land and seek of Allah's grace, and remember Allah much that you may prosper.

62:11 But when they see some merchandise or amusement, they break up for it, and leave thee standing. Say, 'That which is with Allah is better than amusement and merchandise, and Allah is the best providers.'

Chapter 63--The Hypocrites

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

63:1 When the Hypocrites come to thee, they say, 'We bear witness that thou art the Messenger of Allah.' And Allah knows that thou art indeed His Messenger, but Allah also bears witness that the Hypocrites certainly are liars.

63:2 They have made their oaths a cloak; thus they hinder men from the way of Allah. Surely, evil is that which they have been doing.

63:3 That is because they first believed and then disbelieved. So a seal was set upon their hearts and consequently they understand not.

63:4 And when thou seest them, their figures please thee; and when they speak, thou listenest to their speech. They are as though they were blocks of wood propped up. They think that every cry is against them. They are the enemy, so beware of them. Allah's curse be upon them, how are they being turned away from the truth!

63:5 And when it is said to them 'Come, that the Messenger of Allah ask forgiveness for you,' they turn their heads aside, and thou seest them holding back disdainfully while they are big with pride.

63:6 For them it is equal whether thou ask forgiveness for them, or ask not forgiveness for them. Allah will never forgive them. Surely, Allah guides not the rebellious people.

63:7 They it is who say, 'Spend not on those who are with the Messenger of Allah that they may disperse and leave him;' while to Allah belong the treasures of the heavens and the earth; but the Hypocrites understand not.

63:8 They say, 'If we return to Medina, the one most exalted will, surely, drive out therefrom the one most mean,' while true honour belongs to Allah and to His Messenger and the believers; but the Hypocrites know not.

63:9 O ye who believe! let not your wealth and your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whoever does so--it is they who are the losers.

63:10 And spend out of that which We have given you before death comes upon one of you and he says, 'My Lord! if only Thou wouldst respite me for a little while, then I would give alms and be among the righteous.'

63:11 And Allah will not grant respite to a soul when its appointed time has come; and Allah is Well-Aware of what you do.

Chapter 64--Cheating

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

64:1 Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth glorifies Allah. His is the Kingdom and His is the praise, and He has power over all things.

64:2 It is He Who has created you, but some of you are disbelievers and some of you are believers. And Allah sees what you do.

64:3 He created the heavens and the earth with an eternal purpose and He gave you shape and made your shapes beautiful, and to Him is the ultimate return.

64:4 He knows whatever is in the heavens and the earth, and He knows what you hide and what you disclose; and Allah knows full well all that which is hidden in the breasts.

64:5 Has there not come to you the account of those who disbelieved before? They tasted the evil consequences of their conduct, and for them is decreed painful punishment.

64:6 That was because their Messengers came to them with manifest Signs, but they said, 'Shall mere mortals guide us?' So they disbelieved and turned away, but Allah had no need of them; And Allah is Self-Sufficient, Worthy of all praise.

64:7 Those who disbelieve think that they will not be raised up. Say, 'Yea, by my Lord, you shall, surely, be raised up; then you shall, certainly, be informed of what you did. And that is easy for Allah.'

64:8 Believe, therefore, in Allah and His Messenger, and in the Light which We have sent down. And Allah is Well-Aware of all that you do.

64:9 The day when He shall gather you for the Day of Gathering; that will be the day of the determination of losses and gains. And whoso believes in Allah and acts righteously--He will remove from them the evil consequences of their deeds, and He will admit them into Gardens through which streams flow, to abide therein for ever. That is the supreme achievement.

64:10 But those who disbelieve and reject Our Signs, these shall be the inmates of the Fire, wherein they shall abide; and an evil destination it is!

64:11 There befalls not any affliction but by the leave of Allah. And whosoever believes in Allah--He guides his heart aright. And Allah knows all things well.

64:12 And obey Allah and obey the Messenger. But if you turn away, then Our Messenger is responsible only for conveying the Message clearly.

64:13 Allah! there is no god but He; so in Allah let the believers put their trust.

64:14 O ye who believe! surely, among your wives and your children are some who are your enemies, so beware of them. And if you overlook and forgive and pardon, then, surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, ever Merciful.

64:15 Verily, your wealth and your children are but a trial; but with Allah is an immense reward.

64:16 So be mindful of your duty to Allah as best you can, and listen and obey, and spend in His cause, it will be good for yourselves. And whoso is rid of the covetousness of his own soul--it is they who shall succeed.

64:17 If you lend to Allah a goodly loan, He will multiply it for you, and will forgive you; and Allah is Most Appreciating, Forbearing;

64:18 The Knower of the unseen and the seen, the Mighty, the Wise.

Chapter 65--Divorce

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

65:1 O Prophet! when you divorce women, divorce them for the prescribed period, and thereafter reckon the period; and fear Allah, your Lord. Turn them not out of their houses, nor should they themselves leave unless they commit manifest indecency. These are the limits set by Allah; and whoso transgresses the limits of Allah, he, indeed, wrongs his own soul. Thou knowest not; it may be that thereafter Allah will bring something new to pass.

65:2 Then, when they are about to reach the limit of their prescribed term, retain them with kindness, or part with them in a suitable manner, and call to witness two just persons from among you; and bear true witness for Allah. Thus is admonished he who believes in Allah and the Last Day. And he who fears Allah--He will make for him a way out;

65:3 And will provide for him from whence he expects not. And he who puts his trust in Allah--He is sufficient for him. Verily, Allah will accomplish His purpose. For everything has Allah appointed a measure.

65:4 And if you are in doubt as to the prescribed period for such of your women as have despaired of monthly courses, then know that the prescribed period for them is three months, and also for such as do not have their monthly courses yet. And as for those who are with child, their period shall be until they are delivered of their burden. And whoso fears Allah, He will provide facilities for him in his affair.

65:5 That is the command of Allah which He has sent down to you. And whoso fears Allah--He will remove the evil effects of his deeds and will enlarge his reward.

65:6 Lodge the divorced women during the prescribed period in the houses wherein you dwell, according to your means, and harass them not that you may create hardships for them and thus force them to leave. And if they be with child, spend on them until they are delivered of their burden. And if they give suck to the child for you, give them their due recompense, to be fixed in consultation with one another according to what is customary; but if you meet with difficulty from each other, then let another women suckle the child for the father.

65:7 Let him who has abundance of means spend out of his abundance. And let him whose means of subsistence are straitened spend out of what Allah has given him. Allah burdens not any soul beyond that which He has bestowed upon it. Allah will soon bring about ease after hardship.

65:8 How many a city rebelled against the command of its Lord and His Messengers, and We called it to severe account and punished it with dire punishment!

65:9 So it tasted the evil consequences of its conduct, and the end of its affair was ruin.

65:10 Allah has prepared for them a severe punishment; so fear Allah, O ye men of understanding who have believed. Allah has, indeed, sent down to you a Reminder -

65:11 A Messenger, who recites unto you the clear Signs of Allah, that He may bring those who believe and do good deeds out of every kind of darkness into light. And whoso believes in Allah and does righteous deeds -- He will make him enter Gardens, through which streams flow, to abide therein for ever. Allah has, indeed, made excellent provision for him.

65:12 Allah is He who created seven heavens, and of the earth the like thereof. The Divine command comes down in their midst, that you may know that Allah has power over all things, and that Allah encompasses all things in His knowledge.

Chapter 66--Prohibition

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

66:1 O Prophet! why dost thou forbid thyself that which Allah has made lawful to thee. Thou seekest the pleasure of thy wives? And Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

66:2 Allah has, indeed, enjoined on you the expiation of such of your oaths as would occasion trouble, and Allah is your friend; and He is All-Knowing, Wise.

66:3 And when the Prophet confided a matter unto one of his wives and she divulged it, and Allah informed him of it, he made known to her part thereof, and avoided mentioning part of it. And when he informed her of it, she said, 'Who has informed thee of it?' He said, 'The All-Knowing, the All-Aware Allah has informed me.'

66:4 Now if you two turn unto Allah repentant--and your hearts are already so inclined--it will be better for you. But if you back up one another against him, surely, Allah is his helper and Gabriel and the righteous among the believers, and all the angels besides are his helpers.

66:5 Maybe, his Lord, if he divorces you, will give him instead wives better than you--resigned, believing, obedient, always turning to Allah, devout in worship, given to fasting, both widows and virgins.

66:6 O ye who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is men and stones over which are appointed angels, stern and severe, who disobey not Allah in what He commands them and do as they are commanded.

66:7 O ye who disbelieve! Make no excuse this day. You are requited for what you did.

66:8 O ye who believe! turn to Allah in sincere repentance. It may be that your Lord will remit the evil effects of your deeds and admit you into Gardens through which streams flow, on the day when Allah will not abase the Prophet nor those who have believed with him. Their light will run before them and on their right hands. They will say, 'Our Lord, perfect our light for us and forgive us; surely, Thou hast power over all things.'

66:9 O Prophet! strive hard against the disbelievers and the Hypocrites; and be stern with them; their resort is Hell, and an evil destination it is!

66:10 Allah sets forth an example for those who disbelieve, the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. They were under two righteous servants of Ours, but they acted treacherously to them. So they availed them naught against Allah, and it was said to them, 'Enter the Fire, ye twain, along with those who enter it.'

66:11 And Allah holds forth as an example, for those who believe, the wife of Pharaoh when she said, 'My Lord! build for me a house with Thee in the Garden; and deliver me from Pharaoh and his work, and deliver me from the wrongdoing people;

66:12 And sets forth as an example Mary, the daughter of Imrán, who guarded her chastity--so We breathed into him of Our Spirit--and she fulfilled the prophecy conveyed to her in the words of her Lord contained in His Books and she was one of the obedient.

Chapter 67--Sovereignty

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

67:1 Blessed is He in Whose hand is the Kingdom, and He has power over all things;

67:2 Who has created death and life that He might try you--which of you is best in deeds; and He is the Mighty, the Most Forgiving;

67:3 Who has created seven heavens in harmony. No incongruity canst thou see in the creation of the Gracious Allah. Then look again. Seest thou any flaw?

67:4 Aye, look again, and yet again, thy sight will only return unto thee confused and fatigued, having seen no incongruity.

67:5 And verily, We have adorned the lowest heaven with lamps, and We have made them the means of driving away satans, and We have prepared for them the punishment of the blazing Fire.

67:6 And for those who disbelieve in their Lord, is the punishment of Hell, and an evil resort it is.

67:7 When they are cast therein, they will hear it roaring as it boils up.

67:8 It would almost burst with fury. Whenever a host of wrongdoers is cast into it the wardens thereof will ask them 'Did no Warner come to you?'

67:9 They will say, 'Yea, indeed, a Warner did come to us, but we treated him as a liar, and we said, 'Allah has not revealed anything; you are but in manifest error.'

67:10 And they will say, 'Had we but listened or had sense, we should not have been among the inmates of the blazing Fire.'

67:11 Thus will they confess their sins; but far removed from Allah's mercy are the inmates of the blazing Fire.

67:12 Verily, those who fear their Lord in secret--for them is forgiveness and a great reward.

67:13 And whether you conceal what you say or say it openly, He knows well all that which is in your breasts.

67:14 Does He, Who has created you, not know it? He is the Knower of all subtleties, the All-Aware.

67:15 He it is Who has made the earth even and smooth for you; so walk in the spacious paths thereof, and eat of His provision. And unto Him will be the resurrection.

67:16 Do you feel secure from Him Who is in the heaven that He will not cause the earth to sink with you? When lo! it begins to shake.

67:17 Do you feel secure from Him Who is in the heaven that He will not send against you a heavy sand-storm? Then will you know how terrible was My Warning!

67:18 And, indeed, those before them also rejected My Messengers, then how grievous was My punishment!

67:19 Do they not see the birds above them, spreading out their wings in flight and then drawing them in to swoop down upon the prey? None withholds them but the Gracious Allah, He sees all things well.

67:20 Can those, who are counted your hosts, help you against the Gracious Allah? The disbelievers are only the victims of self-deception.

67:21 Or, who is he that will provide for you, if He should withhold His provision? Nay, but they obstinately persist in rebellion and aversion.

67:22 What! is he who walks groveling upon his face better guided, or he who walks upright on the straight path?

67:23 Say, 'He it is Who brought you into being, and made for you ears and eyes and hearts; but little thanks do you give.'

67:24 Say, 'He it is Who multiplied you in the earth, and unto Him will you all be gathered.'

67:25 And they say, 'When will this promise come to pass, if, indeed, you are truthful?'

67:26 Say, 'The knowledge of it is with Allah, and I am but a plain Warner.'

67:27 But when they see it nigh, the faces of those who disbelieve will be grief-stricken, and it will be said, 'This is what you repeatedly asked for.'

67:28 Say, 'Tell me, if Allah should destroy me and those who are with me, or have mercy upon us, who will protect the disbelievers from a painful torment?'

67:29 Say, 'He is the Beneficent Allah, in Him have we believed and in Him have we put our trust. And you will soon know who is in manifest error.'

67:30 Say, 'Tell me, if all your water were to disappear in the depths of the earth, who then, will bring you pure running water?'

Chapter 68--The Pen

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

68:1 By the inkstand and the pen and by that which they write;

68:2 Thou art not, by the grace of thy Lord, a madman.

68:3 And for thee, most surely, there is an unending reward.

68:4 And thou dost, surely, possess sublime moral excellences.

68:5 And thou wilt soon see and they, too, will see.

68:6 Which of you is afflicted with madness.

68:7 Surely, thy Lord knows best those who go astray from His way, and He knows best those who follow guidance.

68:8 So comply not with the wishes of those who reject the Truth.

68:9 They wish that thou shouldst compromise so that they may also compromise.

68:10 Yield thou not to any mean swearer,

68:11 Backbiter, one who goes about slandering.

68:12 Forbidder of good, transgressor, sinful,

68:13 Ill-mannered and, in addition to that, of doubtful birth,

68:14 Only because he possesses riches and children,

68:15 When our Signs are recited unto him, he say, 'Tales of the ancients.'

68:16 We will brand him on the snout.

68:17 We will, surely, try them as We tried the owners of the garden when they vowed to each other that they would, certainly, gather all its fruit in the morning.

68:18 And they made no exception and said not 'If Allah Please.'

68:19 Then a visitation from thy Lord visited it while they were asleep;

68:20 And the morning found it like a garden cut down.

68:21 So they called to one another at the break of dawn,

68:22 Saying, 'Go forth early in the morning to your field, if you would gather the fruit.'

68:23 And they set out talking to one another in low tones,

68:24 Saying, 'Let no poor man today enter it while you are there.'

68:25 Thus they went forth early in the morning, determined to be niggardly,

68:26 But when they saw it, they said, 'Surely, we have lost our way!

68:27 Nay we have been deprived of all our fruits.'

68:28 The best among them said, 'Did I not say to you, why do you not glorify Allah?'

68:29 Thereupon, they said, 'Glory be to our Lord! Surely, we have been wrongdoers.'

68:30 Then some of them turned to the others, reproaching one another.

68:31 They said, 'Woe to us! We were indeed, rebellious,

68:32 May be, if we repent, our Lord will give us instead a better garden than this; we do humbly entreat our Lord.'

68:33 Such is the punishment of this world. And, surely, the punishment of the Hereafter is greater. Did they but know!

68:34 For the righteous, indeed, there are Gardens of Bliss with their Lord.

68:35 Shall We, then, treat those who submit to Us as We treat the guilty?

68:36 What is the matter with you? How judge ye?

68:37 Have you a book wherein you read,

68:38 That you shall, surely, have in it whatever you choose?

68:39 Or, have you taken any covenant binding on Us till the Day of Resurrection that you shall, surely, have whatever you judge?

68:40 Ask them, which of them will vouch for that.

68:41 Or, have they any associate-gods? Let them, then, produce their associate-gods, if they are truthful.

68:42 On the day when the truth shall be laid bare and they will be called upon to prostrate themselves, they will not be able to do so;

68:43 Their eyes will be cast down, and humiliation will cover them; and they were, indeed, called upon to prostrate themselves when they were safe and sound, but they did not.

68:44 So leave Me to deal with those who reject this word of Ours. We shall draw them near to destruction step by step whence they know not.

68:45 And I shall grant them long respite; for My plan is sure.

68:46 Dost thou ask a reward of them that they feel weighed down by its burden?

68:47 Have they the knowledge of the unseen so that they write it down?

68:48 So be thou steadfast in carrying out the command of thy Lord, and be not like the Man of the Fish when he called to his Lord and he was full of grief.

68:49 Had it not been that a favour from his Lord had reached him, he would have, surely, been cast upon a barren waste to be blamed by his people.

68:50 But his Lord chose him and placed him among the righteous.

68:51 And those who disbelieve would fain have dislodged thee from thy Allah-given station with their angry looks when they heard the Reminder; and they keep saying, 'He is, certainly, mad.'

68:52 Nay, it is naught but a source of honour for all the worlds.

Chapter 69--The Inevitable

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

69:1 The Inevitable!

69:2 What is the Inevitable?

69:3 And what should make thee know what the Inevitable is?

69:4 The tribes of Thamud and Ad treated as a lie the sudden calamity.

69:5 Then, as for Thamud, they were destroyed with a blast of utmost fury.

69:6 And as for Ad, they were destroyed by a fierce howling wind,

69:7 Which Allah caused to blow against them for seven nights and eight days continuously, so that thou mightest have seen the people therein lying prostrate, as though they were trunks of palm trees fallen down.

69:8 Dost thou see any trace of them?

69:9 And Pharaoh and those who were before him, and the overthrown cities persistently committed sins.

69:10 They disobeyed the Messenger of their Lord, therefore, He seized them--a severe seizing.

69:11 Verily, when the waters rose high, We bore you in the boat,

69:12 That We might make it a reminder for you, and that retaining ears might retain it.

69:13 So that when a single blast is sounded on the trumpet,

69:14 And the earth and the mountains are heaved up and then are crushed in a single crash,

69:15 On that day will the Great Event come to pass.

69:16 And the heaven will cleave asunder, and it will be very frail that day.

69:17 And the angels will be standing on its borders, and above them on that day eight angels will bear the Throne of thy Lord.

69:18 On that day you will be presented before Allah; and none of your secrets will remain hidden.

69:19 Then, as for him who is given his record in his right hand, he will say, 'Come, read my record.'

69:20 Surely, I knew that I would meet my reckoning.'

69:21 So he will enjoy a delightful life,

69:22 In a lofty Garden,

69:23 Whereof clusters of fruit will be within easy reach.

69:24 It will be said to him, 'Eat and drink joyfully because of the good deeds you did in the days gone by.'

69:25 But as for him who is given his record in his left hand, he will say, 'O, would that I had not been given my record!

69:26 Nor known what my reckoning was!

69:27 O, would that death had made an end of me!

69:28 My wealth has been of no avail to me!

69:29 My authority is gone from me.'

69:30 The angels will be commanded: 'Seize him and fetter him,

69:31 Then cast him into Hell;

69:32 Then bind him with a chain, the length of which is seventy cubits,

69:33 Verily, he did not believe in Allah, the Great,

69:34 And he did not urge the feeding of the poor.

69:35 No friend, therefore, has he here this day;

69:36 Nor any food save the washing of wounds,

69:37 Which none but the sinners eat.'

69:38 But nay, I swear by that which you see,

69:39 And that which you see not.

69:40 That it is, surely, the word brought by a noble Messenger,

69:41 And not the word of a poet; little is it what you believe!

69:42 Nor is it the word of a soothsayer; little is it that you heed!

69:43 It is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds.

69:44 And if he had forged and attributed any sayings to Us,

69:45 We would, surely, have seized him by the right hand,

69:46 And then, surely, We would have cut his life-vein,

69:47 And not one of you could have held Our punishment off from him.

69:48 And verily, it is a reminder for the righteous,

69:49 And, surely, We know that there are some among you who reject Our Signs.

69:50 And, verily, it will be a source of regret for the disbelievers.

69:51 And, surely, it is the absolute truth.

69:52 So glorify the name of thy Lord, the Great.

Chapter 70--The Ascent

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

70:1 An inquirer inquires concerning the punishment about to befall

70:2 The disbelievers, and which none can repel.

70:3 It is from Allah, Lord of great ascents.

70:4 The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a day, the measure of which is fifty thousand years.

70:5 So be patient with admirable patience.

70:6 They see it to be far off,

70:7 But We see it to be nigh.

70:8 The day when the heaven will become like molten copper,

70:9 And the mountains will become like flakes of wool,

70:10 And a friend will not inquire after a friend,

70:11 Though they will be placed in sight of one another. The guilty one would fain ransom himself from the punishment of that day by offering his children,

70:12 And his wife and his brother,

70:13 And his kinsfolk who gave him shelter,

70:14 And by offering all those who are on the earth, if only thus he might save himself.

70:15 But no! surely, it is a flame of Fire,

70:16 Stripping off the skin even to the extremities of the body.

70:17 It shall call him who turned his back and retreated,

70:18 And hoarded wealth and withheld it.

70:19 Verily, man is created impatient and miserly.

70:20 When evil touches him, he is full of lamentations,

70:21 But when good falls to his lot, he is niggardly,

70:22 Except those who pray,

70:23 Those who are constant in their Prayer;

70:24 And those in whose wealth there is a known right -

70:25 For those who ask for help and for those who do not ask -

70:26 And those who believe in the Day of Judgment to be a reality;

70:27 And those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord -

70:28 Verily, from the punishment of their Lord none can feel secure -

70:29 And those who guard their private parts -

70:30 Except from their wives and from those whom their right hands possess; such indeed, are not to blame;

70:31 But those who seek to go beyond that, it is these who are transgressors -

70:32 And those who are watchful of their trusts and their covenants;

70:33 And those who are upright in their testimonies.

70:34 And those who are strict in the observance of their Prayer.

70:35 These will be in the Gardens, duly honoured.

70:36 But what is the matter with those who disbelieve that they come hurrying on towards thee,

70:37 From the right hand and from the left, in different parties?

70:38 Does every man among them hope to enter the Garden of Bliss?

70:39 Never! We have created them of that which they know.

70:40 But nay! I swear by the Lord of the Easts and of the Wests that We have the power

70:41 To bring in their place others better than they, and We cannot be frustrated in Our plans.

70:42 So leave them alone to indulge in idle talk and to sport until they meet that day of theirs which they are promised,

70:43 The day when they will come forth from their graves hastening as though they were racing to a target,

70:44 Their eyes cast down; and humiliation covering them. Such is the Day which they are promised.

Chapter 71--Noah

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

71:1 We sent Noah to his people, with the commandment: 'Warn thy people before there comes upon them a grievous punishment.'

71:2 He said, 'O my people! surely, I am a plain Warner unto you,

71:3 That you serve Allah and be mindful of your duty to Him and obey me,

71:4 He will forgive you your sins and grant you respite till an appointed time.' Verily, the time appointed by Allah cannot be put off when it comes, if only you knew.

71:5 He said, 'My Lord, I have called my people night and day,

71:6 But my calling them has only made them flee from me all the more;

71:7 And every time I called them that Thou mightest forgive them, they put their fingers into their ears, and drew close their garments, and persisted in their iniquities and were disdainfully proud;

71:8 Then, I called them to righteousness openly,

71:9 Then preached to them in public, an appealed to them in private.'

71:10 And I said, 'Seek forgiveness of your Lord; for He is the Great Forgiver;

71:11 He will send down rain for you in abundance,

71:12 And He will grant you increase of wealth and children, and will cause gardens to grow for you and will cause rivers to flow for you.

71:13 What is the matter with you that you hope not for greatness and wisdom from Allah?

71:14 And He has created you in different forms and different conditions.

71:15 See you not how Allah has created seven heavens in perfect harmony,

71:16 And has placed the moon, therein a light, and made the sun a lamp?

71:17 And Allah has caused you to grow out of the earth as a good growth.

71:18 Then He will cause you to return thereto, and He will bring you forth a new bringing forth.

71:19 And Allah has made the earth for you a wide expanse,

71:20 That you may traverse the spacious ways thereof.'

71:21 Then Noah said, 'My Lord, they have disobeyed me, and followed one whose wealth and children have only added to his loss.

71:22 And they planned a mighty plan.'

71:23 And they say to one another 'Forsake not your gods, and forsake neither Wadd nor Suwa, nor Yaghuth and Ya`uq and Nasr.'

71:24 And they have led many astray; so increase Thou not the wrongdoers in aught but error.'

71:25 Because of their sins they were drowned and made to enter Fire. And they found no helpers for themselves against Allah.

71:26 And Noah said, 'My Lord, leave not of the disbelievers even one dweller in the land;

71:27 For, if thou dost leave them, they will only lead astray Thy servants and will beget none but sinners and disbelievers,

71:28 My Lord! forgive me and my parents, and him who enters my house as a believer, and the believing men and the believing women; and increase Thou not the wrongdoers in aught but in ruin.'

Chapter 72--The Jinn

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

72:1 Say 'It has been revealed to me that a company of the jinn listened to the Qur'án and they said: 'Truly, we have heard a wonderful Qur'án,

72:2 It guides to the right way; so we have believed in it, and we will not associate anyone with our Lord.

72:3 The truth is that--exalted be the Majesty of our Lord--He has taken unto Himself neither wife nor son,

72:4 And that the foolish amongst us used to utter extravagant lies concerning Allah,

72:5 And we thought that men and jinn would never utter a lie concerning Allah,

72:6 And, indeed, some men from among the common folk used to seek the protection of some men from among the jinn, and thus they increased the jinn in arrogance,

72:7 And, indeed, they thought, even as you think that Allah would never raise any Messenger,

72:8 And we sought to reach heaven, but we found it filled with strong guards and shooting stars,

72:9 And we used to sit in some of its seats to listen. But whoso listens now finds a shooting star in ambush for him,

72:10 And we know not whether evil is intended for those who are in the earth, or whether their Lord intends to bestow guidance upon them,

72:11 And some of us are righteous and some of us are otherwise--we are sects following different paths,

72:12 And we know that we cannot frustrate the plan of Allah in the earth, nor can we escape Him by flight,

72:13 So when we heard the call to guidance, we believed in it'. And he, who believes in his Lord, has no fear of loss or of injustice,

72:14 And some of us submit to Allah and some of us have deviated from the right course.' And those who submit to Allah--it is they who seek the right course,

72:15 And those who deviate from the right course, they are the fuel of Hell.

72:16 And if the Meccan disbelievers keep to the right path, We shall, certainly, provide them with abundant water to drink,

72:17 That We may try them thereby. And whoso turns away from the remembrance of his Lord--He will drive him into an over-whelmingly severe punishment.

72:18 And all places of worship belong to Allah; so call not on anyone beside Allah.

72:19 And when the servant of Allah stands up praying to Him, they crowd upon him, well-nigh stifling him to death.

72:20 Say, 'I pray to my Lord only, and I associate no one with Him.

72:21 Say, I have no power to do you either harm or good.'

72:22 Say, 'Surely, none can protect me against the punishment of Allah, nor can I find any place of refuge beside Him.'

72:23 My responsibility is only to convey what is revealed to me from Allah and His Messages.' And those who disobey Allah and His Messenger, surely, for them is the Fire of Hell, wherein they will abide for a long period.

72:24 They will continue to disbelieve until they see that which they are promised, but soon they will know who is weaker in helpers and fewer in numbers.

72:25 Say, 'I know not whether that which you are promised is nigh, or whether my Lord has fixed for it a distant term.'

72:26 He is the Knower of the unseen; and He reveals not His secrets to anyone,

72:27 Except to a Messenger of His whom He chooses. And then He causes an escort of guarding angels to go before him and behind him,

72:28 That He may know that His Messengers have delivered the Messages of their Lord. And He encompasses all that is with them and He keeps count of all things.

Chapter 73--The Wrapped

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

73:1 O thou wrapped up in thy mantle,

73:2 Stand up in Prayer at night except a small portion thereof -

73:3 Half of it, or reduce from it a little,

73:4 Or, add to it a little--and recite the Qur'án a good recital.

73:5 Verily, We are about to charge thee with a weighty Word.

73:6 Verily, getting up at night for Prayer is the most potent means of subduing the self and most effective in speech.

73:7 Thou hast, indeed, during the day a long chain of engagements.

73:8 So remember the name of thy Lord and devote thyself to Him with full devotion.

73:9 He is the Lord of the East and the West; there is no god but He; so take him for thy Guardian.

73:10 And bear patiently all that they say; and withdraw from them in a decent manner.

73:11 And leave Me alone with those who reject the truth, possessors of ease and plenty; and give them a little respite.

73:12 Surely, with Us are heavy fetters and a raging fire,

73:13 And food that chokes, and a painful punishment -

73:14 On the day when the earth and the mountains shall quake, and the mountains will become like crumbling sand-hills.

73:15 Verily, We have sent to you a Messenger, who is a witness over you, even as We sent a Messenger to Pharaoh;

73:16 But Pharaoh disobeyed the Messenger, so We seized him with a terrible seizing.

73:17 How will you then, if you disbelieve, guard yourselves against a day which will turn children grey-headed?

73:18 The day when the heaven will be rent asunder; and His promise is bound to be fulfilled.

73:19 This, surely, is a reminder. So let him, who will, take a way unto his Lord.

73:20 Surely, thy Lord knows that thou standest up praying for nearly two-thirds of the night, and sometimes half or a third thereof and also a party of those who are with thee. And Allah determines the measure of the night and the day. He knows that you cannot calculate the time accurately, so He has turned to you in mercy. Recite, then, as much of the Qur'án as is easy for you. He knows that there will be some among you who may be sick, and others who may travel in the land, seeking Allah's bounty, and others who may fight in the cause of Allah. So recite of it that which is easy for you, and observe Prayer and pay the Zakat and lend to Allah a goodly loan. And whatever good you may send on before you for your souls, you will find it with Allah. It will be better and greater in reward. And seek forgiveness of Allah. Surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

Chapter 74--The Cloaked One

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

74:1 O thou who hast covered thyself with thy cloak,

74:2 Arise and warn,

74:3 And thy Lord do thou magnify,

74:4 And thy clothes do thou purify,

74:5 And uncleanliness do thou shun,

74:6 And bestow not favours seeking to get more in return,

74:7 And for the sake of thy Lord do thou endure trials patiently.

74:8 And when the trumpet is sounded,

74:9 That day will be a hard day,

74:10 For the disbelievers it will not be easy.

74:11 Leave Me alone to deal with him whom I created.

74:12 And I gave him abundant wealth,

74:13 And sons, dwelling in his presence,

74:14 And equipped him with all necessary things,

74:15 Yet he desires that I should give him more.

74:16 Certainly not! for he was stubbornly opposed to Our Signs.

74:17 I shall inflict on him an increasingly overwhelming torment.

74:18 Lo! he reflected and calculated!

74:19 Ruin seize him! how he calculated!

74:20 Ruin seize him again! how he calculated!

74:21 Then he looked around him,

74:22 Then he frowned and scowled,

74:23 Then he turned away and was disdainful,

74:24 And said, 'This is nothing but magic handed down;

74:25 This is nothing but the word of a man.

74:26 Soon shall I cast him into the fire of Hell.

74:27 And what will make thee know what Hell-fire is?

74:28 It spares not and it leaves naught.

74:29 It scorches the face.

74:30 Over it are nineteen angels.

74:31 And none but angels have we made wardens of the Fire. And We have not fixed their number except as a trial for those who disbelieve, so that those, who have been given the Book, may attain certainty and those who believe may increase in faith, and those, who have been given the Book as well as the believers, may not doubt, and that those in whose hearts is disease and the disbelievers may say, 'What does Allah mean by such an illustration?' Thus does Allah leave to go astray whom He pleases and guide whom He pleases. And none knows the host of thy Lord but He. And this is nothing but a reminder for man.

74:32 Nay, by the moon,

74:33 And by the night when it departs,

74:34 And by the dawn when it shines forth,

74:35 Verily, it is one of the greatest calamities.

74:36 A warning to man,

74:37 To him among you who wishes to advance in virtue or hang back.

74:38 Every soul is pledged for what it has earned;

74:39 Except those on the right hand.

74:40 They will be in Gardens enquiring

74:41 From the guilty ones,

74:42 What has brought you into Hell?'

74:43 They will say, 'We were not of those who offered Prayer,

74:44 Nor did we feed the poor,

74:45 And we indulged in idle talk with those who indulge therein.

74:46 And we continued to deny the Day of Judgment,

74:47 Until death overtook us.'

74:48 So the intercession of intercessors will not avail them.

74:49 Now what is the matter with them that they are turning away from the Exhortation,

74:50 As if they were frightened asses,

74:51 Fleeing from a lion?

74:52 Nay, every man among them desires to be given an open Book.

74:53 This cannot be! Verily, they fear not the Hereafter.

74:54 Never! for, this Qur'án is an exhortation enough.

74:55 Let him, then, who will, remember it.

74:56 And they will not remember unless Allah so pleases. He alone is worthy to be feared and He alone is worthy to forgive.

Chapter 75--The Resurrection

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

75:1 Nay, I swear by the Day of Resurrection.

75:2 Nay, I swear by the self accusing soul, that the Day of Judgment is a certainty.

75:3 Does man think that We shall not assemble his bones?

75:4 Yea, We have the power to restore his very finger-tips.

75:5 But man desires to continue to send forth evil deeds in front of him.

75:6 He inquires 'When will be the Day of Resurrection?'

75:7 When the eye is dazzled,

75:8 And the moon is eclipsed,

75:9 And the sun and the moon are brought together,

75:10 On that day man will say, 'Wither to flee?'

75:11 Not at all; there is no refuge!

75:12 With thy Lord alone will be the place of rest that day.

75:13 On that day will man be informed of that which he has sent forward and of that which he has left behind.

75:14 In truth man is a witness against himself,

75:15 Even though he puts forward his excuses.

75:16 Move not thy tongue, O Prophet, with the revelation of the Qur'án that thou mayest hasten to preserve it.

75:17 Surely, upon Us rests its collection and its recital.

75:18 So when We recite it, then follow thou its recital.

75:19 Then upon Us rests the expounding thereof.

75:20 Hearken! you love the present life;

75:21 And you neglect the Hereafter.

75:22 Some faces on that day will be radiant,

75:23 Looking eagerly towards their Lord;

75:24 And some faces on that day will be dismal,

75:25 Knowing that a back-breaking calamity will befall them.

75:26 Hearken! when the soul of the dying man comes up to the throat,

75:27 And it is said, 'Who is the Wizard to save him?'

75:28 And he is sure that it is the parting;

75:29 And one shank rubs against the other shank in death-agony;

75:30 Unto thy Lord that day will be the driving.

75:31 For, he neither accepted the Truth nor observed Prayer;

75:32 But he rejected the Truth and turned his back on it;

75:33 Then he went to kinsfolk, strutting along in pride.

75:34 Woe unto thee! and woe again!

75:35 Then woe unto thee! and woe again!

75:36 Does man think that he is to be left alone without purpose?

75:37 Was he not a drop of fluid, emitted forth?

75:38 The he became a clot, then Allah gave him shape and perfected him.

75:39 Then He made of him a pair; the male and female.

75:40 Has not such a one the power to raise the dead to life?

Chapter 76--Man

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

76:1 There has, certainly, come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing worth mentioning.

76:2 We have created man from a mingled sperm-drop that We might try him; so We made him hearing, seeing.

76:3 We have shown him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful.

76:4 Verily, We have prepared for the disbelievers chains and iron-collars and blazing Fire.

76:5 But the virtuous shall drink of a cup, tempered with camphor -

76:6 From a spring wherefrom the servants of Allah will drink--they make it gush forth--a forceful gushing forth.

76:7 They fulfill their vow, and fear a day the evil of which is widespread.

76:8 And they feed, for love of Him, the poor, the orphan and the prisoner;

76:9 Assuring them: 'We feed you to win Allah's pleasure only. We desire no reward nor thanks from you.

76:10 Verily, we fear from our Lord a frowning, distressful day.'

76:11 So Allah will save them from the evil of that day, and will grant them joy and happiness.

76:12 And He will reward them for their steadfastness, with a Garden and raiments of silk,

76:13 Reclining therein upon couches, they will experience therein neither excessive heat nor bitter cold.

76:14 And its shades will be close over them, and its clustered fruits will be brought within their easy reach.

76:15 And vessels of silver will be passed round among them, and goblets

76:16 Bright as glass but made of silver, which they will measure according to their own measure.

76:17 And therein will they be given to drink a cup tempered with ginger,

76:18 From a spring named Salsabil.

76:19 And there will wait upon them youths who will not age. When thou seest them, thou thinkest them to be pearls scattered about.

76:20 And when thou seest, thou wilt see there a bliss and a vast kingdom.

76:21 On them will be garments of fine green silk and thick brocade. And they will be made to wear bracelets of silver. And their Lord will give them to drink a pure beverage.

76:22 They will be told: 'This is your reward, and your effort is appreciated.'

76:23 Surely, We have revealed unto thee the Qur'án piecemeal.

76:24 So wait patiently for the judgment of thy Lord and yield not to any sinful or ungrateful one among them,

76:25 And remember the name of thy Lord morning and evening,

76:26 And during the night prostrate thyself before Him, and extol His glory for a long part of the night.

76:27 Verily, these people love the present life, and they neglect a very hard day ahead.

76:28 We have created them and have strengthened their make; and when We will, We can replace them by others like them.

76:29 Verily, this is a Reminder. So whoever wishes, may take a way unto his Lord.

76:30 But you cannot so wish unless Allah so wills. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

76:31 He admits into His mercy whom He pleases and for the wrongdoers He has prepared a painful punishment.

Chapter 77--Those Sent Forth

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

77:1 By those who send forth to spread goodness,

77:2 Then they push on with a forceful pushing,

77:3 And by those who spread the Truth, a good spreading,

77:4 Then they distinguish fully between good and evil;

77:5 Then they carry the Exhortation far and wide,

77:6 To excuse some and warn others,

77:7 Verily, that which you are promised must come to pass.

77:8 So when the stars are made to lose their light,

77:9 And when the heaven is rent asunder,

77:10 And when the mountains are blown away like dust,

77:11 And when the Messengers are made to appear at the appointed time -

77:12 To what day have these portents been deferred?

77:13 To the Day of Decision.

77:14 And what should make thee know what the Day of Decision is -

77:15 Woe on that day unto those who reject the Truth!

77:16 Did We not destroy the earlier peoples?

77:17 We will now cause the later ones to follow them.

77:18 Thus do We deal with the guilty.

77:19 Woe on that day unto those who reject the Truth!

77:20 Did We not create you from an insignificant fluid,

77:21 And placed it in a safe resting place,

77:22 For a known measure of time?

77:23 Thus did We determine; and how excellent Determiner are We!

77:24 Woe on that day unto those who reject the Truth!

77:25 Have We not made the earth so as to hold

77:26 The living and the dead?

77:27 And We placed therein high mountains, and gave you sweet water to drink.

77:28 Woe on that day unto those who reject the Truth!

77:29 They will be commanded: 'Now move on towards that which you treated as a lie,

77:30 Aye, move on towards a three-pronged shadow,

77:31 Neither affording shade, nor protecting from the blame.'

77:32 It throws up sparks like huge castles,

77:33 As if they were tawny camels.

77:34 Woe on that day unto those who reject the Truth!

77:35 This is a day when they shall not be able to speak,

77:36 Nor shall they be permitted to offer excuses.

77:37 Woe on that day unto those who reject the Truth!

77:38 This is the Day of Decision. We have gathered you and all the earlier peoples together;

77:39 If now you have any stratagem, try your stratagem against me.'

77:40 Woe on that day unto those who reject the Truth!

77:41 The righteous will be in the midst of shades and springs,

77:42 And fruits such as they will desire.

77:43 It will be said to them, 'Eat and drink pleasantly as a reward for what you did' -

77:44 Thus, surely, do We reward those who do good.

77:45 Woe on that day unto those who reject the Truth!

77:46 Eat and enjoy yourselves for a little while in this world, O rejectors of Truth, surely, you are the guilty ones.'

77:47 Woe on that day unto those who reject the Truth!

77:48 And when it is said unto them, 'Bow down,' they bow not down.

77:49 Woe on that day unto those who reject the Truth!

77:50 In what discourse then, after this, will they believe?

Chapter 78--The Tidings

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

78:1 What do they question one another about?

78:2 About the mighty Event,

78:3 Concerning which they differ.

78:4 Nay, soon they will come to know.

78:5 Nay, We say it again, they will soon come to know.

78:6 Have We not made the earth as a bed,

78:7 And the mountains as pegs?

78:8 And We have created you in pairs,

78:9 And have made your sleep for rest,

78:10 And have made the night as a covering,

78:11 And have made the day for the pursuits of life.

78:12 And We have built above you seven strong ones;

78:13 And have made the sun a bright lamp.

78:14 And We send down from the dripping clouds water pouring forth abundantly.

78:15 That We may bring forth thereby grain and vegetation,

78:16 And gardens of luxuriant growth.

78:17 Surely, the Day of Decision is an appointed time -

78:18 The day when the trumpet will be blown, and you will come in large groups.

78:19 And the heaven shall be opened and shall become all doors.

78:20 And the mountains shall be set in motion and shall become, as if they were, a mirage.

78:21 Surely, Hell lies in ambush,

78:22 A resort for the rebellious,

78:23 Who will tarry therein for ages.

78:24 They will taste therein neither coolness, nor drink,

78:25 Save boiling water and a stinking fluid, intensely cold -

78:26 A meet requital.

78:27 Verily, they feared not the reckoning,

78:28 And rejected Our Signs totally.

78:29 And everything have We recorded in a Book.

78:30 Taste ye, therefore, the punishment; We will give you no increase except in torment.'

78:31 Verily, for the righteous is decreed a triumph -

78:32 Walled gardens and grapevines,

78:33 And young maidens of equal age,

78:34 And over-flowing cups.

78:35 Therein they will hear no vain discourse nor lying;

78:36 A recompense from thy Lord--a gift amply sufficient -

78:37 Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, the Gracious Allah. They shall not have the power to address Him.

78:38 On the day when the Spirit and the angels will stand in rows, they shall not speak, except he whom the Gracious Allah will grant leave, and who will speak only what is right.

78:39 That day is sure to come. So let him, who will, seek recourse unto his Lord.

78:40 Verily, We have warned you of a punishment which is near at hand--a day when man will see what his hands have sent on before and the disbeliever will say, 'Would that I were mere dust!'

Chapter 79--The Soul Snatcher

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

79:1 By those who draw people to the true faith vigorously,

79:2 And by those who tie their knots firmly,

79:3 And by those who glide along swiftly,

79:4 Then they advance and greatly excel others,

79:5 Then they administer affairs in an excellent manner;

79:6 This will be on the day when the quaking earth shall quake,

79:7 And a second quaking shall follow it.

79:8 On that day hearts will tremble,

79:9 And their eyes will be cast down.

79:10 They say, 'Shall we really be restored to our former state?

79:11 What! even when we are rotten bones?'

79:12 They say, 'Then that, indeed, would be a losing return.'

79:13 It will only be a single cry,

79:14 And behold! they will all come out in the open.

79:15 Has the story of Moses reached thee?

79:16 When his Lord called him in the holy Valley of Tuwá,

79:17 And directed him: 'Go thou to Pharaoh; he has rebelled,'

79:18 And say to him. 'Wouldst thou be purified?

79:19 And I will guide thee to thy Lord so that thou mayest fear Him.'

79:20 So he showed him the great Sign,

79:21 But he rejected him and disobeyed;

79:22 Then he turned away from the Truth, devising schemes;

79:23 And he gathered his people and proclaimed,

79:24 Saying, 'I am your Lord, the Most High.

79:25 So Allah seized him for the punishment of the Hereafter and the present world.

79:26 Therein, surely, is a lesson for him who fears his Lord.

79:27 Are you harder to create or the heaven that Allah has made?

79:28 He has raised the height thereof and has made it perfect.

79:29 And He has made its night dark; and has brought forth the morn thereof;

79:30 And the earth, along with it, He has spread forth.

79:31 He has produced therefrom its water and its pasture,

79:32 And the mountains He made them firm.

79:33 All this is a provision for you and for your cattle.

79:34 But when the great calamity comes,

79:35 The day when man will call to mind all that he strove for,

79:36 And Hell will be made manifest to him who sees.

79:37 Then, as for him who rebels,

79:38 And prefers the life of this world,

79:39 The Fire of Hell shall, surely, be his abode.

79:40 But as for him who fears to stand before his Lord, and restrains his soul from evil desires,

79:41 The Garden shall, surely, be his abode.

79:42 They ask thee concerning the Hour: 'When will it take place?'

79:43 Wherein art thou concerned with the talk of its coming?

79:44 The ultimate knowledge of it rests with thy Lord.

79:45 Thou art only a Warner unto him who fears it.

79:46 On the day when they see it, it will be as if they had not tarried in the world but an evening or a morn thereof.

Chapter 80--He Frowned

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

80:1 He frowned and turned aside,

80:2 Because there came to him the blind man;

80:3 And what would make thee know that he would purify himself,

80:4 Or, that he would take heed and the taking of heed would benefit him?

80:5 How could it be that he who is disdainfully indifferent to the Truth,

80:6 Unto him thou shouldst pay attention -

80:7 Though thou art not responsible if he does not become purified -

80:8 But he who comes to thee hastening,

80:9 And he fears Allah,

80:10 Him shouldst thou neglect,

80:11 That should not be! Surely, it is a Reminder -

80:12 So let him who desires pay heed to it -

80:13 Contained in honoured Books,

80:14 Exalted, purified,

80:15 In the hands of writers,

80:16 Noble and virtuous.

80:17 Woe unto man! How ungrateful he is!

80:18 Does he not consider, from what thing did Allah create him?

80:19 From a sperm-drop! He creates him and proportions him?

80:20 Then He makes the way easy for him,

80:21 Then in due course He causes him to die and assigns a grave to him;

80:22 Then, when He pleases, He will raise him up again.

80:23 Nay! he has not yet carried out what Allah commanded him to do.

80:24 Now let man look at his food;

80:25 How We pour down water in abundance,

80:26 Then We cleave the earth a proper cleaving,

80:27 Then We cause to grow therein grain,

80:28 And grapes and vegetables,

80:29 And the olive and the date-palm,

80:30 And walled gardens thickly planted,

80:31 And fruits and herbage,

80:32 A provision for you and your cattle.

80:33 But when the deafening shout comes,

80:34 On the day when a man will flee from his brother,

80:35 And from his mother and his father,

80:36 And from his wife and his sons,

80:37 Every man among them that day will have concern enough of his own to make him indifferent to others.

80:38 On that day some faces will be bright,

80:39 Laughing, joyous.

80:40 And some faces, on that day, will have dust upon them,

80:41 Darkness covering them.

80:42 Those will be the disbelievers, the doers of evil.

Chapter 81--The Cessation

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

81:1 When the sun is folded up,

81:2 And when the stars are obscured,

81:3 And when the mountains are made to move,

81:4 And when the she-camels, ten-month pregnant are abandoned,

81:5 And when the wild beasts are gathered together,

81:6 And when the rivers are drained away,

81:7 And when various people are brought together,

81:8 And when the female-infant buried alive is questioned about -

81:9 For what crime was she killed?'

81:10 And when books are spread abroad,

81:11 And when the heaven is laid bare,

81:12 And when Hell-Fire is set ablaze,

81:13 And when Paradise is brought nigh,

81:14 Then every soul will know what it has produced.

81:15 Nay! I call to witness those that recede while advancing,

81:16 Rush ahead and then hide.

81:17 And I call to witness the night as it draws to a close,

81:18 And the dawn as it begins to breathe,

81:19 That this is, surely, the word revealed to a noble Messenger,

81:20 Possessor of strength, established in the presence of the Lord of the Throne,

81:21 Entitled to obedience and faithful to his trust.

81:22 And your companion is not mad.

81:23 And he, assuredly, saw him on the clear horizon.

81:24 And he is not niggardly with respect to the unseen.

81:25 Nor is this the word of Satan, the rejected.

81:26 Wither, then, are you going?

81:27 It is nothing but a Reminder unto all the worlds,

81:28 Unto such among you as desire to go straight.

81:29 And you desire not a thing except that Allah, the Lord of the worlds, desire it.

82:1 When the heaven is cleft asunder,

Chapter 83--The Cataclysm

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

82:2 And when the stars are scattered,

82:3 And when the oceans are made to flow forth and joined together,

82:4 And when the graves are laid open,

82:5 Every soul shall then know what it has sent forth and what it has kept back,

82:6 O man! what has deceived thee concerning thy Gracious Lord.

82:7 Who created thee, then perfected thee, then proportioned thee aright?

82:8 In whatever form He pleased. He fashioned thee.

82:9 Nay, but you deny the judgment.

82:10 Surely, there are guardians over you,

82:11 Noble recorders,

82:12 Who know all that you do.

82:13 Verily, the virtuous will be in bliss;

82:14 And the wicked will be in Hell;

82:15 They will burn therein on the Day of Judgment;

82:16 And they will not be able to escape therefrom.

82:17 And what should make thee know what the Day of Judgment is!

82:18 Again, what should make thee know what the Day of Judgment is!

82:19 The day when a soul shall have no power to do aught for another soul! And the command on that day will be Allah's.

Chapter 83--The Unjust

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

83:1 Woe unto those who give short measure;

83:2 Those who, when they take by measure from other people, take it full;

83:3 But when they give by measure to others or weigh to them, they give them less.

83:4 Do not such people know that they will be raised again

83:5 To witness the judgment of a mighty day?

83:6 The day when mankind will stand before the Lord of the worlds.

83:7 Nay, the record of the wicked is in Sijjin.

83:8 And what should make thee know what Sijjin is?

83:9 It is a written Book since eternity.

83:10 Woe on that day unto those who reject,

83:11 Who deny the Day of Judgment.

83:12 And none denies it save every sinful transgressor,

83:13 Who, when Our Signs are recited unto him, say, 'Tales of the ancient!'

83:14 Nay, but that which they have earned is rust upon their hearts.

83:15 Nay, they will, surely, be debarred from seeing their Lord on that day.

83:16 Then, verily, they will burn in Hell,

83:17 Then it will be said to them, 'This is what you used to reject.'

83:18 Nay, but the record of the righteous is, surely, in 'Illiyyin.

83:19 And what should make thee know what 'Illiyyun is?

83:20 It is a written Book.

83:21 The chosen ones of Allah will witness it.

83:22 Surely, the righteous will be in bliss,

83:23 Seated on couches, looking at everything.

83:24 Thou wilt find in their faces the freshness of bliss.

83:25 They will be given to drink of a pure beverage, sealed.

83:26 The sealing of it will be with musk--for this let the aspirants aspire -

83:27 And it will be tempered with the water of Tasnim,

83:28 A spring of which the chosen ones will drink.

83:29 Those who were guilty used to laugh at those who believed,

83:30 And when they passed by them, they winked at one another,

83:31 And when they returned to their families they returned exulting;

83:32 And when they saw them they said, 'These, indeed, have gone astray.'

83:33 But they were not sent as keepers over them.

83:34 This day, then, it is the believers who will laugh at the disbelievers,

83:35 Seated on couches, gazing around.

83:36 They will say to one another, 'Are not the disbelievers fully requited for what they used to do?'

Chapter 84--The Rending

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

84:1 When the heaven bursts asunder,

84:2 And hearkens unto her Lord--and this is incumbent upon her -

84:3 And when the earth is spread out

84:4 And cast out all that is in her, and appears to become empty,

84:5 And hearkens unto her Lord--and this is incumbent upon her -

84:6 Verily, thou, O man, art toiling along towards thy Lord, a hard toiling; until thou meet Him.

84:7 Then as for him who is given his record in his right hand,

84:8 He will, surely, have an easy reckoning,

84:9 And he will return to his family, rejoicing.

84:10 But as for him who will have his record given to him behind his back,

84:11 He will soon call for destruction,

84:12 And he will burn in a blazing Fire.

84:13 Verily, before this he used to pass his time joyfully among his people.

84:14 He, indeed, thought that he would never return to Allah.

84:15 Yea! surely, his Lord was ever Watchful of him.

84:16 But nay! I call to witness the glow of sunset,

84:17 And the night and all that it envelops,

84:18 And the moon when it becomes full,

84:19 That you shall, assuredly, pass on from one stage to another.

84:20 So what is the matter with them that they believe not,

84:21 And when the Qur'án is recited unto them, they do not bow in submission;

84:22 On the contrary, those who disbelieve reject it.

84:23 And Allah knows best what they keep hidden in their hearts.

84:24 So give them tidings of a painful punishment.

84:25 But as to those who believe and do good works, theirs is an unending reward.

Chapter 85--The Constellations

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

85:1 By the heaven having mansions of stars,

85:2 And the Promised Day,

85:3 And the witness and he to whom witness is borne,

85:4 Cursed be the Fellows of the Trench -

85:5 The Fire fed with fuel -

85:6 And they were the witnesses of what they did to the believers.

85:7 And they hated them not but only because they believed in Allah, the Almighty, the Praiseworthy,

85:8 To Whom belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is Witness over all things.

85:9 To Whom belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is Witness over all things.

85:10 Those who persecute the believing men and the believing women and then repent not, for them is, surely, the punishment of Hell, and for them is the torment of heart-burning.

85:11 But those who believe and do good works, for them are Gardens through streams flow. That is, indeed, the supreme achievement.

85:12 Surely, the seizing of thy Lord is severe.

85:13 He it is Who originates and reproduces,

85:14 And He is the Most Forgiving, the Loving;

85:15 The Lord of the Throne, the Lord of Honour;

85:16 Doer of what He wills.

85:17 Has not the story of the Hosts come to thee?

85:18 Of Pharaoh and Thamud?

85:19 Nay, but those who disbelieve persist in rejecting the truth.

85:20 And Allah encompasses them from before them and from behind them.

85:21 Nay, but it is a glorious Qur'án.

85:22 In a well-guarded tablet.

Chapter 86--The Nightly Visitant

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

86:1 By the heaven and the Morning Star -

86:2 And what should make thee know what the Morning Star is?

86:3 It is the star of piercing brightness -

86:4 There is not a soul but has a guardian over it.

86:5 So let man consider of what he is created.

86:6 He is created of a gushing fluid,

86:7 Which issues forth from between the loins and the breastbones.

86:8 Surely, Allah has the power to bring him back to life,

86:9 On the day when secrets shall be disclosed.

86:10 And he shall have no strength and no helper.

86:11 By the cloud which gives rain repeatedly,

86:12 And by the earth which opens out with herbage.

86:13 Surely, the Qur'án is a decisive word.

86:14 And it is not a vain talk.

86:15 Surely, they plan a plan,

86:16 And I also plan a plan.

86:17 So give respite to the disbelievers. Aye respite them for a little while.

Chapter 87--The Most High

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

87:1 Glorify the name of thy Lord, the Most High,

87:2 Who creates man and perfects him.

87:3 And Who determines his capacities and furnishes him with appropriate guidance.

87:4 And Who brings forth the pasturage,

87:5 Then turns it into black stubble.

87:6 We shall teach thee the Qur'án and thou shalt not forget it,

87:7 Except as what Allah wills. Surely, He knows what is manifest and what is hidden.

87:8 And We shall provide thee with every facility.

87:9 So keep on admonishing people. Surely, admonition is, indeed, profitable.

87:10 He who fears will heed;

87:11 But the most wretched will turn aside from it,

87:12 He who will enter the great Fire.

87:13 Then he will neither die therein nor live.

87:14 Verily, he, indeed, will prosper who purifies himself,

87:15 And remembers the name of his Lord and offer Prayers.

87:16 But you prefer the life of this world,

87:17 Whereas the Hereafter is better and more lasting.

87:18 This, indeed, is what is taught in the former Scriptures -

87:19 The Scriptures of Abraham and Moses.

Chapter 88--Overwhelming Calamity

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

88:1 Has there come to thee the news of the overwhelming calamity?

88:2 Some faces on that day will be downcast;

88:3 Toiling, weary.

88:4 They shall enter a blazing Fire,

88:5 And will be made to drink from a boiling spring.

88:6 They will have no food save that of dry, bitter and thorny herbage,

88:7 Which will neither nourish nor satisfy hunger.

88:8 And some faces on that day will be joyful;

88:9 Well-pleased with their past striving,

88:10 In a lofty Garden,

88:11 Wherein thou wilt hear no vain talk.

88:12 Therein is a running spring,

88:13 Therein are raised couches,

88:14 And goblets properly placed,

88:15 And cushions beautifully ranged in rows,

88:16 And carpets tastefully spread.

88:17 Do they not then look at the camels, how they are created?

88:18 And at the heaven, how it is raised high?

88:19 And at the mountains, how they are fixed?

88:20 And at the earth, how it is spread out?

88:21 Admonish, therefore, for thou art but an admonisher;

88:22 Thou art not appointed a keeper over them.

88:23 But whoever turns away and disbelieves,

88:24 Allah will punish him with the greatest punishment.

88:25 Unto Us, surely, is their return.

88:26 Then, surely, it is for Us to call them to account.

Chapter 89--The Dawn

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

89:1 By the Dawn,

89:2 And the Ten Nights,

89:3 And the Even and the Odd,

89:4 And the night when it moves on to its close,

89:5 Is there not in it strong evidence for one possessed of understanding?

89:6 Hast thou not see how thy Lord dealt with Ad -

89:7 The tribe if Iram, possessors of lofty buildings?

89:8 The like of whom have not been created in these parts -

89:9 And with Thamud who hewed out rocks in the valley,

89:10 And with Pharaoh, lord of vast hosts,

89:11 Who committed excesses in the cities,

89:12 And wrought much corruption therein?

89:13 Thy Lord, then, let loose on them the scourge of punishment.

89:14 Surely, thy Lord is ever on the watch.

89:15 As for man, when his Lord tries him and honours him and bestows favours on him, he says, 'My Lord has honoured me.'

89:16 But when He tries and straitens for him his means of subsistence, he says, 'My Lord has disgraced me.'

89:17 Nay, but you honour not the orphan,

89:18 And urge not one another to feed the poor;

89:19 And devour the heritage of other people, devouring greedily and wholly;

89:20 And you love wealth with exceeding love.

89:21 Hearken! when the earth is completely broken into pieces;

89:22 And thy Lord comes attended by angels, rank on rank;

89:23 And Hell is brought near that day; on that day man will remember, but of what avail shall that remembrance be to him?

89:24 He will say, 'O, would that I had sent on some good works for my life here!'

89:25 So on that day none can punish like unto His punishment.

89:26 And none can bind like unto His binding.

89:27 O, thou soul at peace!

89:28 Return to thy Lord, thou well-pleased with Him and He well-pleased with thee.

89:29 So enter thou among My chosen servants,

89:30 And enter thou My Garden.

Chapter 90--The City

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

90:1 Nay, I cite as witness this City -

90:2 And affirm that thou wilt, surely, alight in this City -

90:3 And I cite as witness the father and the son,

90:4 We have, surely, created man to toil and struggle.

90:5 Does he think that no one has power over him?

90:6 He says, 'I have wasted enormous wealth.'

90:7 Does he think that no one sees him?

90:8 Have We not given him two eyes,

90:9 And a tongue and two lips?

90:10 And We have pointed out to him the two highways of good and evil.

90:11 But he attempted not the steep ascent;

90:12 And what should make thee know what the steep ascent is?

90:13 It is the freeing of a slave,

90:14 Or, feeding on a day of hunger

90:15 An orphan near of kin,

90:16 Or, a poor man lying in the dust.

90:17 Then he should have been of those who believe and exhort one another to perseverance and exhort one another to mercy.

90:18 These are the people of the right hand.

90:19 But those who reject Our Signs, they are the people of the left hand.

90:20 On them will be Fire closed over.

Chapter 91--The Sun

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

91:1 By the sun and its brightness,

91:2 And by the moon when it follows the sun,

91:3 And by the day when it reveals the sun's glory,

91:4 And by the night when it draws a veil over the light of the sun.

91:5 And by the heaven and its wonderful structure.

91:6 And by the earth and its expanse,

91:7 And by the soul and its perfection --

91:8 And He revealed to it the ways of evil and the ways of righteousness --

91:9 He, indeed, prospers who purifies it,

91:10 And he is ruined who corrupts it.

91:11 The tribe of Thamud rejected the Divine Messenger because of their rebelliousness,

91:12 When the most wretched among them got up.

91:13 Then the Messenger of Allah said, 'Leave alone the she-camel of Allah and obstruct not her drink.'

91:14 But they called him a liar and hamstrung her, so their Lord destroyed them completely because of their sin, and made destruction overtake all of them alike.

91:15 And He cared not for the consequences thereof.

Chapter 92--Night

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

92:1 By the night when it covers up;

92:2 And by the day when it shines forth,

92:3 And by the creation of the male and the female,

92:4 Surely, your strivings are diverse.

92:5 Then as for him who gives for the cause of Allah and is righteous,

92:6 And testifies to the truth of what is right,

92:7 We will provide for him every facility for good.

92:8 But as for him who is niggardly and is disdainfully indifferent,

92:9 And rejects what is right,

92:10 We will make easy for him the path to distress.

92:11 And his wealth shall not avail him when he perishes.

92:12 Surely, it is for Us to guide;

92:13 And to Us belongs the Hereafter as well as the present world.

92:14 So I warn you of a blazing Fire.

92:15 None shall enter it but the most wicked one,

92:16 Who rejects the truth and turns his back on it.

92:17 But the righteous one shall be kept away from it,

92:18 Who gives his wealth that he may be purified,

92:19 And not because he owes a favour to anyone, which is to be repaid,

92:20 But solely to seek the pleasure of his Lord, the Most High.

92:21 Surely, will He be well-pleased with him.

Chapter 93--Daylight

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

93:1 By the brightness of the forenoon,

93:2 And by the night when its darkness spreads out,

93:3 Thy Lord has not forsaken thee, nor is He displeased with thee.

93:4 Surely, thy latter state is better for thee than the former,

93:5 And thy Lord will soon give thee, and thou wilt be well-pleased.

93:6 Did He not find thee an orphan and take thee under His care,

93:7 And found thee lost in love for thy people and provided thee with guidance for them,

93:8 And found thee in want and enriched thee?

93:9 So the orphan, oppress not,

93:10 And him, who seeks thy help, chide not,

93:11 And the bounty of thy Lord, proclaim.

Chapter 94--The Ease

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

94:1 Have We not opened for thee thy bosom,

94:2 And removed from thee thy burden,

94:3 Which had well-nigh broken thy back?

94:4 And We have exalted thy name.

94:5 Surely, there is ease after hardship.

94:6 Aye, surely, there is ease after hardship.

94:7 So when thou art free from thy immediate task, strive hard,

94:8 And to thy Lord do thou turn with full attention.

Chapter 95--The Fig

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

95:1 By the Fig and the Olive,

95:2 And Mount Sinai,

95:3 And this Town of Security,

95:4 Surely, We have created man in the best make;

95:5 Then, when he does evil deeds, We degrade him as the lowest of the low,

95:6 Save those who believe and do good works; so for them is an unfailing reward.

95:7 Then what is there to give the lie to thee after this, with regard to the judgment?

95:8 Is not Allah the Most Just of judges?

Chapter 96--Clot of Blood

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

96:1 Proclaim thou in the name of thy Lord Who created,

96:2 Created man from a clot of blood.

96:3 Proclaim! and thy Lord is the Most Bounteous;

96:4 Who taught by the pen,

96:5 Taught man what he knew not.

96:6 Nay! man, indeed, transgresses,

96:7 Because he thinks himself to be independent.

96:8 Surely, unto thy Lord is the return.

96:9 Has thou seen him who forbids

96:10 A servant of Ours when he prays?

96:11 Tell me if Our servant follows the guidance,

96:12 Or enjoins righteousness.

96:13 And tell me if the forbidder rejects the Truth and turns his back on it. How shall he fare?

96:14 Does he not know that Allah sees all?

96:15 Nay, if he desist not, We will assuredly, seize and drag him by the forelock --

96:16 A forelock, lying, sinful.

96:17 Then let him call his associates.

96:18 We, too, will call Our angels of punishment.

96:19 Nay, yield thou not to him, but prostrate thyself and draw near to Allah.

Chapter 97--Qadr

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

97:1 Surely, We sent it down during the Night of Decree.

97:2 And what shall make thee know what the Night of Decree is?

97:3 The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.

97:4 Therein descend angels and the Spirit by the command of their Lord with Divine decree concerning every matter.

97:5 It is all peace till the rising of the dawn.

Chapter 98--The Proof

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

98:1 Those, who disbelieve from among the People of the Book and the idolaters, would not desist from disbelief until there should come to them the clear evidence --

98:2 A Messenger from Allah, reciting unto them the pure Scriptures,

98:3 Wherein are lasting commandments.

98:4 And those to whom the Book was given did not become divided until after clear evidence had come to them.

98:5 And they were not commanded but to serve Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience, and being upright, and to observe Prayer and pay the Zakát. And that is the right religion.

98:6 Verily, those who disbelieve from among the People of the Book and the idolaters, will be in the Fire of Hell, abiding therein. They are the worst of creatures.

98:7 Verily, those who believe and do righteous deeds--they are the best of creatures.

98:8 Their reward is with their Lord--Gardens of Eternity, through which streams flow; they will abide therein for ever. Allah is well-pleased with them and they are well-pleased with Him. That is for him who fears his Lord.

Chapter 99--The Earthquake

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

99:1 When the earth is shaken with her violent shaking,
99:2 And the earth throws up her burdens,
99:3 And man says, 'What is the matter with her?'
99:4 On that day will she tell her news,
99:5 For, thy Lord will have commanded her.
99:6 On that day will men issue forth in scattered groups that they may be shown the results of their works.
99:7 Then whoso does an atom's weight of good will see it,
99:8 And whoso does an atom's weight of evil will also see it,

Chapter 100--The Chargers

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

100:1 By the snorting charges
100:2 Which strike sparks of fire with their hoofs,
100:3 Making raids at dawn,
100:4 And raising clouds of dust thereby,
100:5 And thus penetrate into the centre of the enemy ranks.
100:6 Surely, man is ungrateful to his Lord.
100:7 And, surely, he bears witness to it by his conduct.
100:8 And, surely, he is passionate in his love for wealth.
100:9 Does not such a one know that when those in the graves are raised,
100:10 And that which is hidden in the breasts is brought forth?
100:11 Surely, their Lord will, on that day, be fully Aware of them.

Chapter 101--The Great Calamity

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

101:1  The Great Calamity!
101:2  What is the great calamity?
101:3  And what should make thee know what the Great Calamity is?
101:4  The day when men will be like scattered moths,
101:5  And the mountains will be like carded wool.
101:6  Then, as for him whose scales are heavy,
101:7  He will have a pleasant life.
101:8  But as for him whose scales are light,
101:9  Hell will be a nursing mother to him.
101:10  And what should make thee know what that is?
101:11  It is a blazing Fire.

Chapter 102--Worldly Possessions

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

102:1 Mutual rivalry in seeking increase in worldly possessions diverts you from Allah,
102:2 Till you reach the graves.
102:3 Nay! you will soon come to know the Truth.
102:4 Nay again! you will soon come to know.
102:5 Nay! if you only knew with certain knowledge;
102:6 You will surely see Hell in this very life.
102:7 Aye, you will surely see it with the eye of certainty Hereafter.
102:8 Then, on that day you shall be called to account for the favours bestowed upon you.

Chapter 103--Time

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

103:1 By the Time,
103:2 Surely, man is ever in a state of loss,
103:3 Except those who believe and do righteous deeds, and exhort one another to preach Truth, and exhort one another to be steadfast.

Chapter 104--The Slanderer

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

104:1  Woe to every backbiter, slanderer,
104:2  Who amasses wealth and counts it over and over.
104:3  He thinks that his wealth will make him immortal.
104:4  Nay! he shall, surely, be cast into the crushing torment.
104:5  And what should make thee know what the crushing torment is?
104:6  It is Allah's kindled fire,
104:7  Which rises over the hearts.
104:8  It will be closed in on them
104:9  In outstretched columns.

Chapter 105--The Elephant

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

105:1 Knowest thou not how thy Lord dealt with the Owners of the Elephant?
105:2 Did He not cause their design to miscarry?
105:3 And He sent against them swarm of birds,
105:4 Which ate their dead bodies, striking them against stones of clay.
105:5 And thus made them like broken straw, eaten up.

Chapter 106--Quraysh

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

106:1 Thy Lord destroyed the Owners of the Elephant in order to attach the hearts of the Quraish--
106:2 To make them attached to their journeys in winter and summer.
106:3 So they should worship the Lord of this House,
106:4 Who has fed them against hunger, and has given them security against fear.

Chapter 107--Alms

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

107:1  Hast thou seen him who denies the Judgment?
107:2  That is he who drives away the orphan,
107:3  And urges not the feeding of the poor.
107:4  So woe to those who pray,
107:5  But are unmindful of their Prayer.
107:6  They like only to be seen of men,
107:7  And withhold legal alms.

Chapter 108--Abundance

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

108:1 Surely, We have bestowed upon thee abundance of good;
108:2 So pray to thy Lord, and offer sacrifice.
108:3 Surely, it is thy enemy who shall be without issue.

Chapter 109--The Disbelievers

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

109:1  Say, 'O ye disbelievers!
109:2  I worship not as you worship,
109:3  Nor do you worship as I worship.
109:4  Nor do I worship those that you worship,
109:5  Nor do you worship Him Whom I worship.
109:6  For you your religion, and for me my religion.

Chapter 110--Help

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

110:1 When the help of Allah comes and the Victory,
110:2 And thou seest men entering the religion of Allah in troops,
110:3 Glorify thy Lord with His praise and seek His forgiveness.
Surely He is Oft-returning with mercy.

Chapter 111--Palm-Fibre

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

111:1  Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab, and perish he!

111:2  His wealth and what he has earned shall avail him naught,

111:3  Soon shall he burn in a flaming fire;

111:4  And his wife, too, bearer of slander,

111:5  Round her neck shall be a halter of twisted palm-fibre.

Chapter 112--Oneness

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

112:1  Say 'He is Allah, the One!
112:2  Allah the Independent and Besought of all.
112:3  He begets not, nor, is He begotten,
112:4  And there is none like unto Him.

Chapter 113--Daybreak

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

113:1  Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn,
113:2  From the evil of that which He has created,
113:3  And from the evil of darkness when it overspreads,
113:4  And from the evil of those who blow upon the knots
    of mutual relationships to undo them,
113:5  And from the evil of the envier when he envies.'

Chapter 114--Mankind

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

114:1  Say, 'I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind,
114:2  The King of mankind,
114:3  The Allah of mankind,
114:4  From the evil whisperings of the sneaking whisperer;
114:5  Who whispers into the hearts of men,
114:6  From among jinn and men.'