سورة Al-Furqan (The Criterion )

Blessed is the One Who has sent down the Criterion to His slave, so that he may be a warner to the worlds[1],

He to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and earth, Who has never begotten a son, and has no partner in His dominion. He has created everything and measured it precisely.

They have taken besides Him other gods who can create nothing but are themselves created. Nor do they have the power to harm or benefit themselves, nor do they have the power to cause death, give life or resurrect the dead.

Those who disbelieve say, “This [Qur’an] is nothing but a lie which he has fabricated, with the help of other people.” What they claim is totally unjust and false.

And they say, “Ancient fables which he has written down; they are dictated to him morning and evening.”

Say, “It has been sent down by the One Who knows the secrets of the heavens and earth. He is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

And they say, “What kind of messenger is this who eats food and walks in the markets?[2] If only an angel had been sent down to him to be a warner with him,

or a treasure had been cast down to him, or he had a garden to eat from it.” The wrongdoers say, “You are following none but a bewitched man.”

See how they call you names[3]. Thus they have gone astray and cannot find a way.

Blessed is He Who, if He wills, could give you better than that: gardens under which rivers flow, and could give you palaces.

But they deny the Hour, and We have prepared for those who deny the Hour[4] a Blazing Fire.

When it sees them from a far distance, they will hear its raging and roaring.

And when they are thrown into a narrow space therein, chained together, they will cry out for death.

Do not cry out this Day for death only once, but cry out many times.”

Say, “Is that better or the Eternal Paradise which has been promised to the righteous?” It will be as a reward for them and as a final destination.

They will have there whatever they wish for, abiding therein forever. That is a promise that your Lord has taken upon Himself.”

On the Day when He will gather them along with those whom they worshiped besides Allah[5], He will say, “Did you mislead these slaves of Mine, or did they stray from the right way on their own?”

They will say, “Glory be to You! It was not for us to take besides You any guardians. But You provided for them and their forefathers pleasures, until they forgot the message, for they were a ruined people.”

Thus they will deny all what you say[6], so you cannot avert [punishment] nor can you get any help. Whoever among you does wrong[7], We will make him taste a great punishment.

We did not send any messengers before you [O Prophet] except that they ate food and walked in the markets. We have made some of you as a trial for others. Will you have patience? For your Lord is All-Seeing.

Those who do not expect to meet Us say, “Why are angels not sent down to us or why do we not see our Lord?” They have been too proud of themselves, and have transgressed immensely.

On the Day when they see the angels[8], there will be no glad tidings for the wicked, and [the angels] will say, “Absolutely forbidden for you[9].”

We will turn to whatever deeds they did and turn them into scattered dust[10].

On that Day the people of Paradise will have the best abode and the finest resting place.

On the Day when the sky will split asunder with clouds, and the angels will be sent down in succession.

The true dominion on that Day belongs to the Most Compassionate[11], and it will be a hard day for the disbelievers.

On that Day, the wrongdoer will bite his hands saying, “Would that I had taken a way with the Messenger[12]!

Woe to me! Would that I had not taken so-and-so[13] as a close friend!

He led me astray from the Reminder[14] after it had come to me.” Satan always betrays man[15].

The Messenger said, “O my Lord, my people have taken this Qur’an as a thing to be abandoned[16].”

Thus did we assign for every prophet an enemy from among the wicked, but your Lord is sufficient as a Guide and Helper.

Those who disbelieve say, “Why was the Qur’an not sent down to him all at once?” [We sent it] in this way so that We may strengthen your heart thereby, and We have revealed it in a gradual manner.

Whenever they bring you an argument, We bring you the truth and the best explanation.

Those who will be dragged on their faces to Hell – they will be in the worst position and farthest astray from the right path.

We gave Moses the Scripture and appointed along with him his brother Aaron as a helper.

We said, “Go, both of you, to the people who have rejected Our signs[17].” Then We destroyed them utterly.

Also the people of Noah, when they rejected the messengers[18], We drowned them and made them an example for mankind. And We have prepared for the wrongdoers a painful punishment.

Also [We destroyed] ‘Ād and Thamūd, and the people of the Well[19], and many generations between them.

To each We gave examples [of the previous nations], and each We destroyed completely.

They have surely passed by the town[20] that was destroyed by a terrible rain [of stones]. Have they not seen it? But they do not expect to be resurrected[21].

When they see you [O Prophet], they only ridicule you, “Is this the one whom Allah has sent as a messenger?

He would have almost led us astray from our gods if we had not been so devoted to them.” But when they see the punishment, they will come to know who is further astray from the right way.

Have you [O Prophet] seen the one who takes his desire as his god, will you then be a keeper over him?

Do you think that most of them hear or understand?[22] They are just like cattle[23], rather they are further astray from the right way.

Do you not see how your Lord extends the shade? If He had willed, He could have made it still. Then We made the sun an indication of it[24].

Then We gradually draw it towards Us [i.e., Then the sun climbs up]?

It is He Who has made the night as a garment[25] for you, and made sleep for rest; and has made daytime for returning to life[26].

It is He Who sends the winds as harbingers before His mercy, and We send down from the sky pure water,

so that We may revive therewith a dead land, and quench the thirst of countless beasts and humans We have created.

We distribute it among them so that they may take heed[27], but most people persist in their ingratitude.

If We had willed, We could have sent to each town a warner[28].

So do not obey the disbelievers, but strive against them with this [Qur’an] a great striving.

It is He Who merges the two bodies of water: one fresh and palatable and the other salty and bitter, and He has made between them a barrier and an insurmountable partition[29].

It is He Who created human beings from water[30], then made between them bonds of kinship and marriage, for your Lord is Most Capable.

Yet they worship besides Allah that which can neither benefit nor harm them; the disbeliever always collaborates against his Lord[31].

We have not sent you [O Prophet] except as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner.

Say, “I do not ask you for any reward for it, except that anyone who wishes to take a path to his Lord[32].”

Put your trust in the Ever-Living Who never dies, and glorify Him with praise. He is Sufficient as All-Aware of the sins of His slaves –

it is He Who created the heavens and earth and all that is between them in six Days[33], then rose over the Throne[34]. He is the Most Compassionate, so ask about Him the One Who is All-Aware.

When it is said to them, “Prostrate to the Most Compassionate,” they say, “What is ‘the Most Compassionate?’ Shall we prostrate to what you order us?” And it only increases their aversion.

Blessed is He Who placed in the sky constellations and placed therein a radiant lamp[35] and a luminous moon.

It is He Who made the night and the day to follow each other so that everyone who wishes may reflect or become grateful.

The slaves of the Most Compassionate are those who walk on earth humbly[36], and when the ignorant address them, they only say words of peace[37];

and those who spend the night prostrating and standing before their Lord;

and those who say, “Our Lord, turn the punishment of Hell away from us, for its punishment is unrelenting[38].”

It is an evil place to settle and an evil abode.”

And those who neither spend wastefully nor stingily, but are moderate between them;

and those who do not invoke besides Allah another god, and who do not kill a soul whom Allah has forbidden, except in the course of justice, and who do not commit adultery, for whoever does any of this will face the penalty,

the punishment will be doubled for him on the Day of Resurrection, wherein he will remain disgraced forever,

except those who repent and believe, and do righteous deeds; for them Allah will change their evil deeds into good deeds, for Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Whoever repents and does righteous deeds has turned to Allah with sincere repentance.

And those who do not witness falsehood[39], and when they pass by futility, they pass by with dignity;

and those who, when they are reminded of the verses of their Lord, they do not turn a deaf ear or a blind eye to them;

and those who say, “Our Lord, let our spouses and children be a source of joy for us[40], and make us good examples for the righteous.”

It is they who will be rewarded with high palaces [in Paradise] for their perseverance, and they will be received therein with salutations and greetings of peace,

abiding therein forever. What an excellent abode and a resting place!

Say [O Prophet], “My Lord would not care at all about you, were it not for your supplication[41]. Now since you have rejected [the truth], the inevitable is bound to come[42].”