سورة Al-Anbiya ( The Prophets )

The Reckoning for mankind is drawing near, yet they are heedless and turn away.

No recent revival of the remembrance comes to them from their Lord, except that they play with it as they listen

their hearts are diverted. The harmdoers mutter to one another: 'Is this anything else but a human like yourself? What, will you follow sorcery with your eyes open'

He said: 'My Lord has knowledge of what is said in the heavens and on earth. He is the Hearer, the Knower'

Some say: 'No, it is only mixed dreams' 'No, he has forged it himself', or, 'no, he is a poet! Let him bring us a sign, just as the ancient ones were sent asMessengers'

Of the villages We destroyed, there was not one that believed. What, will they not believe?

We never sent (anyone) before you except men to whom We revealed to them. 'Ask the people of the Remembrance if you do not know'

Nor did We make them bodies that ate no food, nor were they immortal.

Then We were true to the promise, We saved them together with those whom We willed, and destroyed the transgressors.

Now, We have sent down to you a Book in which is your Remembrance. Will you not understand?

How many harmdoing villages have We shattered and replaced them with another nation.

And when they felt Our Might they fled from it.

'Do not run away. Return to your luxury that you rejoiced in, and your homes in order that you be questioned'

They said: 'Alas for us we were harmdoers'

And this they did not stop crying out until We made them stubble, silent, and still.

It was not in play that We created the heavens and the earth and all that lies between them.

Had We wished to take to Us an amusement We would have taken it to Us from Ours had We done so.

No, We hurl truth at falsehood, and it shall conquer it, and see, falsehood vanishes. Woe to you for all you have described.

To Him belongs whosoever is in the heavens and the earth. Those who are with Him are not too proud to worship Him, nor are they ever wearied.

They never fail to exalt Him either at night or in the day.

Or, have they taken earthly gods who revive the dead?

Had there been gods in heaven or earth, other than Allah, both would indeed have been ruined. Exalted be Allah, Lord of the Throne, above that they describe.

He is not to be questioned about what He does, but they shall be questioned.

Have they taken gods, other than Him? Say: 'Bring us your proof! Here is the Remembrance of he who is with me and the Remembrance of those before me' But no, most of them do not know the truth, therefore they turn away.

We never sent a Messenger before you except that We revealed to him saying: 'There is no god except Me, therefore, worship Me'

They say 'The Merciful has taken a son' Exaltations to Him! No, they are only His honored worshipers,

who do not surpass Him in speech, and do as He commands.

He knows what is before them and what is behind them. They intercede for none except for him whom He is well pleased, and they tremble in awe of Him.

If any one of them says: 'I am a god other than Him' We will recompense him with Gehenna (Hell). As such We recompense the harmdoers.

Have the unbelievers not seen that the heavens and the earth were sewn up as one (solid) mass, then We unstitched them, and that We made every living thing of water? Will they not believe!

We set firm mountains upon the earth lest it should shake with them, and We placed therein ravines to be paths so that they might be guided.

We established the heaven as a well protected roof, yet they still turn away from its signs.

It is He who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon; each floating in an orbit.

We have never assigned immortality to a human before you, therefore, if you yourself die, will they live for ever?

Every soul shall taste death. We will try you with a trial of evil and good. Then, to Us you shall be returned.

When the unbelievers see you, they take you only for mockery, saying: 'Is this he who talks about your gods' While they are unbelievers in the Remembrance of the Merciful.

The human was created of haste. Indeed, I will show you My signs; so do not ask Me to hasten them.

They say: 'If you are truthful, when will this promise come'

If the unbelievers only knew when they will be unable to shield either their faces or their backs from the Fire; when they will not be helped!

It will overtake them suddenly, dumbfounding them. They shall be unable to ward it off, and they shall not be respited.

Before you, other Messengers were mocked, but the mockers were encompassed by the very thing they mocked.

Say: 'Who will guard you, by night and by day from the Merciful' But no, they turn away from their Lord's remembrance.

Or have they gods to defend them, other than Us? Indeed, they are unable to help themselves, neither shall they be guarded in safety from Us.

We gave days of enjoyment to them and their fathers until their life became long. Are they unable to see how We come to their land and reduce its borders. Or, is it they who are the victors?

Say: 'I warn you only by the Revelation' But the deaf hear nothing when they are warned.

But if just a breath of your Lord's punishment were to touch them, they would say: 'Woe for us, we were harmdoers'

On the Day of Resurrection We shall set up just scales, so that no soul shall in the least be wronged, even though it be the weight of a grain of mustard seedWe will bring it We Suffice as reckoners.

We gave Moses and Aaron the Criterion, and gave them a light and a Remembrance for the cautious:

those who fear Allah in the Unseen, tremble because of the Hour.

This is a blessed Remembrance which We have sent down. Do you disbelieve it?

Before this We gave Abraham his virtue, for We knew him.

He said to his father and to his nation: 'What, are these the statues to which you cling'

They replied: 'We found our fathers worshipping them'

He said: 'Truly, you and your fathers are in clear error'

They said: 'Is it the truth you have brought us, or are you one of those that play'

'No' he answered, 'your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, the Originator of them, and I am among those bearing witness to it.

By Allah, I will certainly outwit your idols as soon as you have turned your backs and gone'

He broke them all into pieces, except their great one so that they might return to it.

'Who has done this to our gods' they exclaimed. 'He must surely be a harmdoer'

'We have heard a young man called Abraham mention them' they replied.

They said: 'Then bring him here so that the people may see, so that they may bear witness'

'Abraham' they said, 'was it you who did this to our gods'

'No' he replied. 'It was their great one amongst them that did it. Ask them, if they are able to speak'

So they returned one to another saying, 'Surely, it is you who are the harmdoers'

But then they reversed their minds: 'You know they do not speak'

He said: 'Would you then worship that, instead of Allah, which can neither help nor harm you?

Shame on you and on that you worship other than Allah! Have you no understanding'

They said: 'Burn him and help your gods, if you are going to do anything'

'O Fire' We said, 'be coolness and safety for Abraham'

They sought to outwit him, but We made them the worst of losers.

We saved him and Lot, and brought them to the land which We had blessed for all the worlds.

We gave him, in excess, Isaac, and Jacob (for a grandson); and We made each righteous

and appointed them leaders to guide by Our Command and We revealed to them to do good deeds, and to establish the prayer, and the giving of charity, and they were for Us worshipers.

To Lot, We gave judgment and knowledge and saved him from the village that had been committing corrupt deeds; for they were an evil nation and were debauched.

We admitted him to Our Mercy, he was among the righteous.

And (remember) Noah, when he supplicated to Us, We answered him, and We saved him and his nation from great distress,

and helped him against the nation who had belied Our signs. They were an evil nation; We drowned them all.

And David and Solomon they passed judgment upon the tilled land on which the people? s sheep had strayed. We bore witness to their judgment, and

We made Solomon to understand it, and to both We gave judgment and knowledge. And with David We subjected the mountains and birds to exalt (Allah). All this We have done.

We taught him the craft of making garments that fortify you against your own violence. Are you thankful?

To Solomon the raging wind ran at his command to the land which We had blessed. We have knowledge of all things.

And some of the satans dived for him and others did work as well. We were watching over them.

And Job when he called to his Lord: 'Affliction has befallen me, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful'

We answered him and removed his affliction, and We gave his people, and those like them that were with them, mercy from Us, as a reminder to those who worship.

And Ishmael, Idris, and ThulKifl (the son of Job) each were patient.

We admitted them to Our Mercy, for they were of the righteous.

And ThulNun (Prophet Jonah), he went away in anger thinking We had no power over him. But in the darkness he cried: 'There is no god except You. Exaltations to You! I was among the harmdoers'

We heard his prayer and saved him from grief. As such We shall save the believers.

And Zachariah when he called to his Lord saying: 'Lord, do not let me remain by myself; You are the Best of inheritors'

So We answered him, and gave him John, curing his wife (of sterility). They raced with each other in good works and called on Us out of yearning and awe, and they were humble to Us.

And she (Mary) who guarded her virginity. We breathed into her of Our spirit (Gabriel), and made her and her son a sign for the worlds.

Indeed, this nation of yours is one nation, and I am Your Lord, therefore worship Me.

But they (the Christians and Jews) split their affair between them all shall return to Us.

The endeavors of he who believes and does good works shall not go unthanked. We write it down for him.

(It is ordained that) no village We have destroyed shall return

till Gog and Magog are let loose and slide down out of every slope;

when the true promise draws near; the eyes of the unbelievers will stare (and they will say): 'Alas for us! Of this we have been heedless. We have beenharmdoers'

You and all those who you were worshipping, other than Allah, shall be the fuel of Gehenna; there you shall all go down to it.

If those had been gods, they would never have gone down to it, but in it they shall live for ever.

There is groaning for them therein, and they do not hear.

But those whom We have surpassed with the finest (rank) from Us shall be far removed from it,

neither shall they hear any of its whisper, but shall live for ever in that their souls desired.

The greatest terror shall not grieve them, and the angels will receive them: 'This is the Day you have been promised'

On that Day, We shall roll up the heaven like a written scroll is rolled. As We originated the first creation, so will We bring it back again. This is a binding promise on Us which We shall assuredly fulfill.

We have written in the Psalms, after the Remembrance: 'The righteous among My worshipers shall inherit the earth'

Surely, in this is a proclamation to a worshiping nation.

We have not sent you (Prophet Muhammad) except as a mercy to all the worlds.

Say: 'It is revealed to me that your God is One God, do you then surrender'

If they turn back, say: 'I have warned you all alike, though I cannot tell whether what you are promised is imminent or distant.

He knows your spoken words and what you hide.

And I do not know if this is a trial for you and an enjoyment for a time'

He said: 'My Lord, judge in truth. Our Lord is the Merciful whose help is ever to be sought against what you describe'