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surah.translation
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Alif. Lām. Rā. These are the verses of the Book, a clear discourse.
Little do those who disbelieve wish that they were Muslims.
Let them eat and enjoy themselves, and let their hopes beguile them. For they will surely come to know [the truth].
Never have We destroyed any community unless divine revelations have been made known to it.
No community can ever forestall its term, nor can they delay it.
They say: ‘You to whom this reminder has been bestowed from on high! You are truly mad.
Why do you not bring the angels before us, if you are truthful?’
We never send down angels except in accordance with the truth. And then, [the unbelievers] would be given no further respite.
It is We Ourselves who have bestowed this reminder from on high, and it is We who shall preserve it intact.
Indeed We have sent before you messengers to communities of old,
but whenever a messenger came to any of them they mocked at him.
Thus do We cause it [this scorn of revelation] to slip into the hearts of the guilty,
who do not believe in it, although the ways of ancient communities have gone before them.
If We opened for the unbelievers a gateway to heaven and they had ascended higher and higher,
still they would surely say: ‘It is only our eyes that are spellbound! Indeed, we must have been bewitched’.
We have indeed set up in the heavens constellations, and endowed them with beauty for all to behold,
and We have guarded them from every cursed devil,
so that anyone who tries to eavesdrop is pursued by a flame clear to see.
We have spread out the earth, and placed on it firm mountains, and caused [life] of every kind to grow on it in a balanced manner.
We have placed various means of livelihood on it for you, as well as for those whom you do not have to provide for.
There is not a thing but with Us are its storehouses; and We send it down only in accordance with a defined measure.
We send forth winds heavily loaded, then We send down water from the skies for you to drink. You are not the ones who store it up.
It is We who give life and cause death, and it is We who are the inheritors [of all things].
Well do We know those who lived before you and those who will come after you.
Your Lord will gather them all together. He is indeed wise, all-knowing.
Indeed We have created man out of sounding clay, out of black mud moulded into shape,
whereas the jinn We had created before him out of the fire of scorching winds.
Your Lord said to the angels: ‘I am creating a human being out of sounding clay, out of black mud moulded into shape.
When I have fashioned him and breathed of My spirit into him, fall down in prostration before him’.
Thereupon, the angels, one and all, prostrated themselves.
Not so Iblis, who refused to be among those who prostrated themselves.
God said: ‘Iblis! What is your reason for not being among those who have prostrated themselves?’
[Iblis] replied: ‘I am not one to prostrate myself to a human being whom You have created out of sounding clay, out of mud moulded into shape’.
God said: ‘Then get out of here, for you are accursed,
and the curse shall be on you till the Day of Judgement’.
Said [Iblis]: ‘My Lord, grant me a respite till the Day when all shall be resurrected’.
[God] said: ‘You are among those who are granted respite
till the Day of the appointed time’.
[Iblis] said: ‘My Lord, since You have let me fall in error, I shall make [evil] seem fair to them on earth, and I shall most certainly beguile them all into grievous error,
except for those of them who are truly Your faithful servants’.
Said He: ‘This is, with Me, a straight way.
You shall have no power over My servants, except for those who, having fallen into error, choose to follow you’.
‘For all such, Hell is the promised destiny.
It has seven gates, with each gate having its allotted share of them’.
The God-fearing shall dwell amidst gardens and fountains.
[They are received with the greeting]: ‘Enter here in peace and security’.
We shall have removed from their hearts any lurking feelings of malice, [and they shall rest] as brothers, facing one another, on couches.
No weariness shall ever touch them there, nor shall they ever be made to depart.
Tell My servants that I alone am much-forgiving, ever-merciful;
and also, My punishment is indeed the most grievous suffering.
Tell them about Abraham’s guests,
when they went in to him and said: ‘Peace’. But he replied: ‘We feel afraid of you’.
They said: ‘Do not be alarmed. We bring you the happy news of the birth of a son to you who will be endowed with knowledge’.
Said he: ‘Do you give me this happy news when I have been overtaken by old age? Of what, then, is your good news?’
They replied: ‘That good news we have given you is the truth. So do not abandon hope’.
He said: ‘Who but a person going far astray abandons hope of His Lord’s grace?’
[Abraham] said: ‘What is your business, you [heavenly] messengers?’
They replied: ‘We are sent to a guilty nation,
except for Lot’s household, all of whom we shall save,
except for his wife’. We have decreed that she should remain with those who stay behind.
And when the messengers [of God] came to the house of Lot,
he said: ‘You are unknown here’.
They answered: ‘No, but we bring you news of that over which they have been disputing.
We are bringing you the certainty [of its fulfilment], for we are speaking the truth indeed.
Depart with your household in the dead of night, with yourself following them in the rear. Let none of you look back, but proceed to where you are commanded’.
And We made plain the case to him, that the last remnant of those [wrongdoers] will be wiped out by the morning.
The people of the city came [to Lot] rejoicing [at the news of the young people].
Said he: ‘These are my guests: so do not put me to shame.
Fear God and do not bring disgrace on me’.
They replied: ‘Have we not forbidden you to entertain any people?’
He said: ‘Here are these daughters of mine [to marry], if you must do [what you intend to do]’.
By your life, they were reeling in their drunkenness,
when the blast [of punishment] overtook them at sunrise,
and We turned those [towns] upside down, and rained on them stones of clay.
Surely in this there are messages for those who read the signs.
Those [towns] stood on a road that is trodden still.
In all this there is a sign for true believers.
The dwellers of the wooded dales [of Madyan] were also wrongdoers,
and so We punished them. Both these [communities] lived by an open highway, plain to see.
Likewise, the people of al-Hijr also denied [God’s] messengers.
We have given them Our signs, but they turned their backs on them.
Out of the mountains did they hew their dwellings, leading a life of security.
But the blast [of punishment] overtook them at early morning.
Of no avail to them was all that they had acquired.
It was only with the truth that We have created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them. The appointed Hour will certainly come. Hence overlook their faults in fair forbearance.
Your Lord is the All-Knowing Creator.
We have given you seven oft-repeated verses and this sublime Qur’an.
Do not turn your eyes longingly to the good things We have granted to some among them, and do not grieve on their account, but spread the wings of your tenderness over the believers,
and say: ‘I am indeed the plain warner’.
Just as We have bestowed from on high on those who later broke it into parts,
and declared the Qur'an to be a confused medley.
But, by your Lord, We will call them all to account
for whatever they have done.
Therefore, proclaim what you are bidden and turn away from those who associate partners with God.
We shall suffice you against all who deride [this message – all]
who claim that there are other deities beside God. They shall certainly come to know.
We know that you are distressed by what they say.
But extol your Lord’s limitless glory and praise Him, and be among those who prostrate themselves before Him,
and worship your Lord till the certainty [of death] comes to you.