Remember that devotion is exclusively for God. Those who have taken protectors other than Him, say: \"We worship them that they may bring us nearer to God.\" Surely God will judge between them in what they are differing about. Verily God does not show the way to an ungrateful liar.
Had God pleased to take a son, He could have chosen whom He liked from among those He has created. Glory be to Him. He is God, the one, the omnipotent.
He has created the heavens and the earth with precision. He folds the day up over the night, and folds the night up over the day. He has subjugated the sun and moon, (so that) each runs its appointed course. Is He not all-mighty and forgiving?
He created you from a single cell, then from it created its mate; arid provided eight varieties of cattle for you. He formed you in the mother's womb, formation after formation in three (veils of) darkness. He is God your Lord. His is the kingdom. There is no god other than He. How then can you turn away?
If you are ungrateful, then remember! God is independent of you, and He does not favour ingratitude on the part of His creatures. If you are grateful He will be pleased with you. For no one who carries a burden bears another's load; and your returning is to your Lord, when He will tell you what you used to do. Surely He knows what is in the hearts.
When man is afflicted with adversity he turns to his Lord, and prays to Him. But when He bestows His favour on him, he forgets what he prayed for before, and sets up others as compeers of God to mislead (people) from His way. Say: \"Take advantage of your denying for a while: You will be among the inmates of Hell.\"
Can one who prays in the watches of the night, bowing in homage or standing attentive, fearful of the life to come, and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, (be like one who does not)? Say: \"Can those who know, and those who do not know, be equal? Only they think who are wise.\"
Tell them: \"O my creatures who have come to belief, have fear of displeasing your Lord. There is good for those who do good in this world, and productive is God's earth. Only those who persevere will get their reward measureless.\"
You may worship what you will apart from Him.\" Say: \"Surely the greatest losers will be those who will lose their own selves and their people on the Day of Resurrection.\" Remember, this will be an all-too-evident loss.
But for those who fear displeasing their Lord there are lofty mansions built above mansions, with rivers rippling past below them: A promise of God; (and) God does not go back on His promise.
Do you not see that God sends down water from the sky, then makes it flow in rills on the earth, and brings forth corn from it which, having passed through changes of shade and colour, comes to ripen, and you see it autumnal yellow; then He reduces it to chaff. There are indeed lessons in this for those who are wise.
Will he whose breast has been opened up to peace (not be) in luminescence from his Lord? Alas for those whose hearts have been hardened to God's remembrance! They wander (astray) in clear error.
God has sent down the very best discourse, the Book conformable in its juxtapositions, which makes all of those who fear their Lord, shudder. So their hearts and bodies become receptive to the remembrance of God. This is the guidance of God with which He guides whosoever He will; but whosoever God allows to go astray has none to show him the way.
Can he who will have to shield himself against the torment of the Day of Resurrection (be the same as one at peace)? The evil-doers will be told: \"So taste what you earned.\"
God advances the example of a man who is owned (as slave in common) by a number of men at loggerheads, and another man who is owned by only one. Are these two alike in attribute? God be praised; yet many of them do not know.
Is not God sufficient for His devotee? Still they frighten you with others apart from Him. Whoever God allows to go astray has none to show him the way.
If you ask them, \"Who created the heavens and the earth?\" they will answer: \"God.\" Say: \"Then just think. Can those whom you worship apart from God remove the distress God is pleased to visit upon me, or withhold a blessing God is pleased to favour me with?' Say: \"God is all-sufficient for me. The trusting place their trust in Him.\"
We have Sent down this Book to you with the truth for all mankind. So, he who comes to guidance does so for himself, and he who goes astray does so for his own loss; on you does not lie their guardianship.
God gathers up the souls of those who die, and of those who do not die, in their sleep; then He keeps back those ordained for death, and sends the others back for an appointed term. Surely there are signs in this for those who reflect.
When God alone is mentioned the hearts of those who do not believe in the life to come, are filled with resentment. But when others are mentioned apart from God, they begin to rejoice.
Say: \"O God, the originator of the heavens and the earth, the knower of the unknown and the known, You alone will judge between Your creatures for things they differed about.\"
Even if the sinners possessed whatever is in the heavens and the earth, and as much more, they would offer it to ransom themselves from the torment of the Day of Resurrection; yet what they did not even imagine would appear to them from God;
When a man is in trouble, he prays to God; but when We bestow a favour on him he says: \"It has come to me through my acumen.\" In fact, this is an illusion, but most men do not know.
Then the worst of what they had done overtook them. So will the evil deeds of those who are sinners among them recoil back on them. They cannot get the better (of Us).
Say: \"O creatures of God, those of you who have acted against your own interests should not be disheartened of the mercy of God. Surely God forgives all sins. He is all-forgiving and all-merciful.
If you see those who had imputed lies to God on the Day of Resurrection, black would be their faces (with disgrace). Is there not a place in Hell for the arrogant?
Surely you have been commanded, as those before you were: \"If you associate (any one with God), wasted will be all your deeds, arid you will perish.\"
They do not esteem God as is rightly due to Him. The whole earth would be a fistful of His on the Day of Resurrection, and the heavens would be rolled up in His right hand. Too immaculate is He and too high for what they associate with Him!
When the trumpet blast is sounded whoever is in the heavens and the earth will swoon away, except those God please. When the blast is sounded the second time, they will stand up all expectant.
The earth will light up with the effulgence of her Lord; and the ledger (of account) will be placed (in each man's hand), and the apostles and the witnesses will be called, and judgement passed between them equitably, and no wrong will be done to them.
The unbelievers will be driven into Hell in groups till, when they reach it and its doors are opened up, its keepers will say to them: \"Did not apostles of your own come to you reciting your Lord's revelations, warning you of this your day of Doom?\" They will answer: \"Yes;\" but the sentence of punishment was justified against the unbelievers.
Those who were mindful of their duty to their Lord will be driven in groups to Paradise, till they reach it and its gates are opened, and its keepers say to them: \"Peace be on you; you are the joyous. So enter here to live for ever.\"
They will say: \"All praise be to God Who has fulfilled the promise He had made to us, and bequeathed to us this land for dwelling in the garden wheresoever we like.\" How excellent the recompense for those who act!
You will see the angels hover round the Throne, singing the praises of their Lord; and justice will be done between them equitably, and it would be said: \"All praise to God the Lord of all the worlds.\"
