Alif-Lam-Ra*; these are verses of the Book of wisdom. (*alphabets of the Arabic language; Allah and to whomever He reveals, know their precise meanings.)
Are people amazed that We have sent to a man among them, the divine revelation that “Warn the people and convey glad tidings to the believers that for them with their Lord is the place* of truth”? The disbelievers say, “Indeed he is an open magician.” (* Positions of honour on the Day of Resurrection or in heaven.)
Indeed your Lord is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then as befits His Majesty, established Himself upon the Throne* – He plans all matters; there is no intercessor except after His permission;* such is Allah, your Lord – therefore worship Him; so do you not ponder? (* Of Control over everything.** Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings be upon him) will be the first to be granted permission to intercede.)
Towards Him only you all are to return; the promise of Allah; indeed He creates for the first time and then after its extinction creates it again, in order to give those who believe and do good deeds, the reward of justice; and for the disbelievers, boiling water to drink and a painful punishment – the recompense of their disbelief.
It is He Who created the sun radiating and the moon shining and appointed positions for it, for you to know the number of the years, and the account; Allah has not created it except with the truth; He explains the verses in detail for the people of knowledge.
Indeed in the alternation of the day and night, and all that Allah has created in the heavens and the earth, are signs for people who are pious.
Indeed those who do not expect to meet Us and have preferred the worldly life and are content with it, and those who neglect Our signs, –
Their destination is hell – the recompense of their deeds.
Indeed those who accepted faith and did good deeds, their Lord will guide them due to their faith; rivers will flow beneath them in the Gardens of favours.
Their prayers in it will be, “Purity is to You, O Allah” and their greetings in it will be, “Peace”; and the conclusion of their prayers is, “All praise is to Allah, the Lord Of The Creation.”
Were Allah to send misfortune to the people as quickly as they hasten for the good*, their appointed term would have been finished; so We leave those who do not expect to meet Us, to wander in their rebellion. (* The way they wish the good to reach them quickly.)
And when some hardship reaches man he prays to Us, while reclining and sitting and standing; and when We remove his hardship, he goes away as if he had never prayed to Us because of any hardship; this is how the deeds of the transgressors are made seeming good to them.
And indeed We destroyed several generations before you when they crossed the limits – and their respective Noble Messengers came to them with clear proofs, but they were not such as would believe; this is how We reward the guilty.
Then We appointed you as caliphs in the earth after them, in order that We might see what deeds you perform.
And when Our clear verses are recited to them, the people who do not expect to meet Us say, “Bring a Qur’an other than this one, or change it”; say (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “I do not have the right to change it on my own; I only follow what is divinely revealed to me; if I were to disobey my Lord*, then I fear the punishment of the Great Day (of Resurrection). (* Which is impossible.)
Say, “Had Allah willed I would not have recited it to you nor would He have made it known to you; so before this* I have spent an age among you; so do you not have sense?” (* Before Allah’s command to recite the Qur’an to you.)
So who is more unjust than one who fabricates a lie concerning Allah and denies His signs? Indeed the guilty shall never prosper.
And they worship the thing other than Allah, which neither harms them nor benefits them*, and they say, “These are our intercessors** before Allah”; say, “What! You inform Allah of something which in His knowledge does not exist in the heavens or in the earth?” Purity and Supremacy are to Him, above their association. (* Some things like the sun, stars, trees are useful but they too are created by Allah. Their worship will not benefit – in fact it is harmful ** Only the virtuous will be granted permission by Allah to intercede.)
Mankind were only one nation* and then they differed, and had it not been for a promise** from your Lord, the matters in which they differed would have been decided here itself. (* On one proper faith. ** The account on the Last Day.)
And they say, “Why is not a sign sent down upon him from his Lord?” Proclaim, (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “The hidden is only for Allah, therefore wait; I too am waiting with you.”
And when We give mankind the taste of mercy after some hardship which had afflicted them, they immediately start conspiring against Our signs; proclaim, “The secret plan of Allah is the fastest”; indeed Our angels record your scheming.
It is He Who transports you over the land and the sea; to the extent that when you are in ships – and the ships sail with them with a favourable breeze and they rejoice at it – a gust of strong wind reaches them and waves come to them from every side and they realise that they are surrounded, – thereupon they pray to Allah as His sincere bondmen that, “If You rescue us from this, we will surely be thankful.”
Then when He rescues them, they start wrongfully committing oppression in the earth; O mankind! Your oppression is only a torment against yourselves; derive the benefit until you live in this world; you have then to return to Us and thereupon We shall show you your misdeeds.
The example of the life of this world is similar to the water which We sent down from the sky, so due to it the earth’s vegetation grew in abundance – that which men and cattle eat; to the extent that when the earth has taken on her ornaments and is well beautified, and her owners thought that it is within their control, Our command came to it at night or at day – so We made it harvested as if it had not existed yesterday; this is how We explain the verses for the people who ponder.
And Allah calls to the abode of peace, and guides whomever He wills on the Straight Path.
For the people of virtue, is goodness and more than that; and neither will the blackness nor disgrace come upon their faces; it is they who are the people of Paradise; they will abide in it forever.
And (for) those who earned evil*, the recompense of evil is equal to it – and disgrace will come upon them; they will have no one to save them from Allah; as if their faces are covered with pieces of the dark night; it is they who are the people of the fire; they will remain in it forever. (* The disbelievers.)
And on the day when We raise all of them together, then say to the polytheists, “Stay in your place – you and your partners (false deities)”; so We shall separate them from the believers, and their partners will say to them, “When did you ever worship us!?”
“Therefore Allah suffices as a Witness between us and you, that we were not even aware that you worshipped us!”
Here will every soul come to know what it has sent ahead, and they will be returned to Allah – their true Master, and they will lose all that they used to fabricate.
Say, (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “Who provides you sustenance from the sky and the earth? Or Who is the Owner of the ears and the eyes? And Who brings forth the living from the dead and Who brings forth the dead from the living? And Who plans all matters?” So they will now say, “Allah”; therefore say, “Then why do you not fear?”
So such is Allah, your True Lord; therefore what remains after the truth, except error? So where are you reverting?
This is how the Word of your Lord is proved concerning the sinful, so they will not believe.
Say, “Is there any one among your partners (false deities) that can create for the first time and then after its extinction, create it again?” Proclaim, “Allah creates for the first time and then after its extinction, creates it again – so where are you reverting?”
Say, “Is there any among your partners that shows the right path?” Say, “Allah shows the right path; so who should be obeyed – the One Who shows the right path, or one who does not even find the right path unless he is guided? So what has happened to you? What sort of a judgement you impose!”
And most of them do not follow anything except assumptions; indeed assumption does not serve the least purpose (in place) of the truth; indeed Allah knows their deeds.
And this noble Qur’an is not such that anyone can invent it, without Allah revealing it – but it surely is a confirmation of the Books preceding it and is an explanation of all that is written on the (preserved) tablet – there is no doubt in it – it is from the Lord Of The Creation.
What! They dare say that “He has fabricated it”? Say, “Then bring one chapter like it and, other than Allah, call everyone you can if you are truthful.”
On the contrary, they denied the thing the knowledge of which they could not master, whereas they have not yet seen its outcome; similarly those before them had denied, therefore see what sort of fate befell the unjust!
And among them is one who accepts faith in it, and among them is one who does not accept faith in it; and your Lord well knows the mischievous.
And if they deny you, say, “For me are my deeds, and for you are your deeds; you have no concern with what I do, and I have no relation with what you do.”
And among them are some who listen to you; so will you make the deaf hear even if they do not have any sense?
And among them is one who gazes at you; so will you guide the blind* even if they cannot perceive? (* Deaf or blind to guidance.)
Indeed Allah does not oppress men at all, but they do wrong themselves.
And on the day when He will raise all of them together, as if they had never stayed on earth except for a moment during the day, they will recognise one another; for completely ruined are those who denied the meeting with Allah and were not on guidance.
And whether We show you (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) part of what We promise them or whether We call you towards Us before it – in any case they have to return to Us – then Allah is the Witness of their deeds.
And in every nation was a Noble Messenger (from Allah); so when their Noble Messenger came to them, they were judged with fairness, and they were not wronged.
And they say, “When will this promise come, if you are truthful?”
Say, “I have no autonomy to benefit or hurt myself, except what Allah wills*; for every nation is a fixed promise; when their promise comes, they cannot postpone it nor can they advance it one moment. (* To empower me.)
Say, “What is your opinion – if His punishment comes upon you at night or during the day, so what is there in it for which the guilty are being hasty?”
“So will you believe it only when it has occurred? What! You believe in it now, whereas you were impatient* for it before? (* Eagerly demanding for it to occur.)
Then the unjust will be told, “Taste the punishment forever; and you will be repaid only what you used to earn.”
And they ask you “Is it a reality*?” Say, “Yes, by oath of my Lord, indeed surely it is a reality, and you will not be able to escape.” (* The punishment of the hereafter.)
And if each unjust soul owned everything that is in the earth, it would have certainly given it in order to redeem itself; and they secretly felt repentant when they saw the punishment; and it has been judged between them with fairness and they will not be wronged.
Pay heed! Indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth belongs only to Allah; pay heed! Indeed Allah’s promise is true, but most of them do not know.
And He gives life and gives death, and towards Him you will return.
O mankind! The advice has come to you from your Lord and a cure for the hearts – and guidance and mercy for believers.
Say, “Upon Allah’s munificence and upon His mercy – upon these should the people rejoice”; that is better than all their wealth and possessions.
Say, “What is your opinion – (regarding) the sustenance that Allah has sent down for you? So you have, on your own, deemed lawful and unlawful in it!”; say, “Has Allah given you permission for it, or do you fabricate a lie against Allah?”
And what do they, who fabricate lies against Allah, assume will be their state on the Day of Resurrection? Indeed Allah is Most Munificent upon mankind, but most people are not thankful.
And whatever work you (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) are engaged in and recite a part of the Qur’an from Him, and whatever you people do, We are Witness upon you from the time you begin it; and there is nothing in the earth or in the heaven worth the weight of the smallest particle hidden from your Lord, nor anything smaller or greater than it, which is not recorded in a clear Book.
Pay heed! Indeed upon the friends of Allah is neither any fear, nor any grief. (The friends of Allah are the best in the creation.)
Those who have accepted faith and practice piety.
There are good tidings for them in the life of this world and in the Hereafter; the Words of Allah cannot change; this is the supreme success.
And do not grieve at their speech (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him); indeed all honour is for Allah and He is the All Hearing, the All Knowing.
Indeed all those in the heavens and all those in the earth are in Allah’s control; and what do those who pray to the partners instead of Allah, follow? They do not follow anything except assumption, and they only make guesses.
It is He Who created the night for you so that you may gain rest in it and the day giving sight; indeed in this are signs for the people who heed.
They said, “Allah has created a son for Himself”- Purity is to Him! He is the Perfect (Unwanting, free of needs); to Him only belongs all whatever is in the heavens and all whatever is in the earth; “You do not have any proof of this; do you say a thing concerning Allah which you do not know?”
Say, “Indeed those who fabricate lies against Allah will never succeed.”
Enjoying a little in the earth, they have then to return to Us – We will then make them taste a severe punishment, the recompense of their disbelief.
Read to them the story of Nooh; when he told his people, “O my people – if my standing here and reminding you of Allah’s signs have been intolerable for you – so I have trusted only Allah – then work jointly and strengthen your work along with your false deities, leaving no doubt regarding your work – then do whatever you can to me, and do not give me respite.”
“Then if you turn away, I do not ask any fee from you; my reward is only upon Allah, and I am commanded to be of the Muslims.”
In response they denied him, so We rescued him and those with him in the ship, and made them caliphs, and We drowned those who denied Our signs; therefore see what sort of fate befell those who had been warned!
Then after him, We sent other Noble Messengers to their respective people – so they came to them with clear proofs – so they were not such as to believe in what they had denied before; this is how We set seals upon the hearts of rebels.
Then after them, We sent Moosa and Haroon along with Our signs, to Firaun and his court members, so they were proud and were a guilty people.
So when the truth came to them from Us, they said, “Indeed this is a clear magic.”
Said Moosa, “What! You speak in this manner regarding the truth when it has come to you? Is this magic? And magicians never succeed.”
They said, “Have you two come to us to revert us from what we found our fathers upon, and that the leadership in the land may only be for you two? And we shall never believe in you both.”
And Firaun said, “Bring every expert magician to me.”
So when the magicians came, Moosa said to them, “Cast whatever you intend to cast.”
Therefore when they had cast, Moosa said, “This what you have brought, is magic; Allah will now make it void; indeed Allah does not make the works of the mischievous successful.”
“And Allah will prove the truth by His Words, even if the guilty get annoyed.”
So none accepted faith in Moosa, except a few descendants of his people, fearing Firaun and his court members, that they would force them to revert; and indeed Firaun was a rebel in the land; and indeed he crossed the limits.
And Moosa said, “O my people! If you have accepted faith in Allah, then you should rely only upon Him, if you are Muslims.”
They said, “We have relied only upon Allah; Our Lord! Do not make us a test* for the unjust people.” (* By giving them power over us.)
“And with Your mercy, rescue us from the disbelievers.”
And We sent the divine revelation to Moosa and his brother that, “Build houses for your people in Egypt and make your houses as places of worship, and keep the prayer established, and give glad tidings to the Muslims.”
And Moosa prayed, “Our Lord! You have given Firaun and his chiefs adornment and wealth in the life of this world, our Lord, that they may lead astray from Your path; our Lord! Destroy their riches and harden their hearts so that they may not accept faith until they witness the painful punishment.”
He said, “The prayer of you two is accepted, therefore remain firm, and do not follow the way of the unwise.”
And We transported the Descendants of Israel across the sea, therefore Firaun and his army pursued them with rebellion and injustice; until when the drowning overcame him he cried, “I accept faith that there is no True God except the One in Whom the Descendants of Israel believe, and I am a Muslim.”
“What! Now?* Whereas you were disobedient from the start and you were mischievous!” (This was said to Firaun.* Accepting faith at the time of death is of no use.)
“This day We shall salvage your body so that you may be a sign for those after you; and indeed most people are neglectful of Our signs.”
And indeed We provided the Descendants of Israel a place of honour, and bestowed good sustenance to them; and they did not fall into dispute except after the knowledge had come to them; indeed your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning the matters in which they used to differ.
And if you, O listener, have any doubt in what We have sent down towards you, then question those who have read the Book before you; undoubtedly, towards you has come the truth from your Lord, therefore do not be of those who doubt.
And never be of those who denied the signs of Allah, for you will then be of the losers.
Indeed those for whom the Word of your Lord has proved true, will not believe.
Even if every sign comes to them, until they witness the painful punishment.
So if only had there been one dwelling* that believed and its belief would have benefited it – except the nation of Yunus (Jonah)! When they accepted faith, We removed the disgraceful punishment in the life of this world from them, and let them enjoy for a while. (* That was destroyed after being warned.)
And if your Lord willed, all those who are in the earth – everyone of them – would have accepted faith; so will you (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) force the people until they become Muslims?
And no soul can accept faith except by the command of Allah; and He sets the punishment upon those who do not have sense.
Proclaim, “Observe what is in the heavens and the earth”; and the signs and the Noble Messengers do not benefit the people who are not destined to believe.
So what are they waiting for, except the days similar to the days of those who passed away before them? Say, “Then wait! I too am waiting with you.”
Then We shall save Our Noble Messengers and the believers – this is it; it is incumbent upon Our mercy to save the Muslims.
Say (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “O people! If you are in doubt concerning my religion, then (know that) I will never worship those whom you worship instead of Allah – but I worship Allah Who will give you death; and I am commanded to be of the believers.”
“And that ‘Set your face straight* for religion, apart from all others; and never be of those who ascribe partners (to Allah)’.” (* Your intention sincerely for religion.)
“And other than Allah, do not worship that which cannot benefit you nor cause you harm; then if you do so, you would be of the unjust.” (* Some things like the sun, stars, trees are useful but they too are created by Allah. Their worship will not benefit – in fact it is harmful.)
“And if Allah afflicts you with some suffering, there is none who can remove it except Him; and if He wills good for you, there is none who can repel His munificence; He bestows it upon whomever He wills from among His bondmen; He is the Oft Forgiving, the Most Merciful.” (* Help, cure, monetary aid etc., whatever benefit derived from any source, reaches us because Allah has given the source this power and is actually through the grace and mercy of Allah.)
Say, “O people! The truth* has come to you from your Lord; so whoever came to guidance, has come to guidance for his own benefit; and whoever strayed, has strayed for his own harm; and I am not a trustee over you.” (* Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him, or Islam or the Qur’an.)
And (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) follow what is divinely revealed to you, and have patience till Allah gives His command; and He is the Best of Rulers.
