سورة Ash-Shura (Consultation )

Ha Mim.

'Ayn Sin Qaf.

Thus God, the Powerful, the Wise, sends revelation to you as He did to those before you.

All that is in the heavens and earth belongs to Him: He is the Exalted, the Almighty.

The heavens are almost split asunder from above as the angels sing their Lord's praise and seek forgiveness for those on earth. God is indeed the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

And [as for] those who take protectors besides Him, God is watching them and you are not a guardian over them.

Thus We revealed to you, this Arabic Quran so that you may warn the mother of cities [Makkah] and those around it, and warn them of the Day of Gathering which is sure to come: when some group will be in the Garden, and some will be in the Fire.

Had God so willed, He could have made all of them one community, but He admits into His mercy whom He wills; and the wrongdoers have neither protector, nor helper.

Have they taken for themselves protectors other than Him? But it is God who is the real Protector. He resurrects the dead, and He has power over all things.

In whatever you may differ, [O believers] the verdict thereon rests with God. [Say, therefore], \"Such is God, my Lord: in Him I have placed my trust, and to Him I always turn.\"

Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, He has made spouses for you from among yourselves, as well as pairs of livestock by means of which He multiplies His creatures. Nothing can be compared with Him! He is the All Hearing, the All Seeing.

He is in complete control of heaven and earth; He gives abundantly to whoever He wills and gives sparingly to whoever He wills. He has full knowledge of all things.

God has ordained for you the same religion which He enjoined on Noah, and which We have revealed to you, and which We enjoined upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus, so that you should remain steadfast in religion and not become divided in it. What you call upon the polytheists to do is hard for them; God chooses for Himself whoever He pleases and guides towards Himself those who turn to Him.

They became divided only after knowledge had reached them, out of mutual jealousy. Had it not been for a decree already passed by your Lord, [to reprieve them] till a specified period, the matter would surely have been decided between them. Those who inherited the Book after them are indeed in grave doubt, amounting to suspicion about it.

So call people to that faith and hold fast to it yourself as you are commanded, and do not be led by their desires, but say, \"I believe in the Book which God has sent down, and I am commanded to do justice between you: God is our Lord and your Lord; we are responsible for what we do and you are responsible for what you do. There is no contention between us and you. God will gather us together, for to Him we shall return.\"

As for those who argue about God after He has been accepted, their arguments will carry no weight with their Lord, and His wrath will fall upon them. Severe punishment awaits them.

It is God who has sent down the Book with the truth and the scales of justice. What will make you realize that the Hour might well have drawn near?

Those who do not believe in it seek to hasten it, but those who believe in it dread it, and know it to be the truth. Those who dispute the Hour have gone far astray.

God is most Gracious to His creatures: He provides sustenance for whoever He wills -- for He alone is the Powerful One, the Almighty.

To him who desires a harvest in the life to come, We shall grant an increase in his harvest; whereas to him who desires [but] a harvest in this world, We [may] give something thereof -- but he will have no share in [the blessings of] the life to come.

Do they have associate gods who have laid down for them a religion without the permission of God? Had it not been for God's decree on the final Judgement, the matter would have been decided between them. Surely the wrongdoers shall have a painful punishment.

You will see the wrongdoers fearful of the consequences of their deeds, which will be inescapable. Whereas, those who have believed and done righteous deeds, will be in the meadows of the Garden and shall have whatever they desire from their Lord. That will be the supreme favour.

These are the glad tidings which God gives to His servants who believe and do righteous deeds. Say, \"I do not ask of you any reward for it, except [that I am inviting you to God because of] love of kinship.\" Whoever earns a good deed, We shall increase its good for him; God is most forgiving, most appreciative.

Do they say, \"He has invented a lie about God\"? If God so willed, He could seal your heart. God wipes out falsehood and vindicates the truth by His words. He has full knowledge of what is in men's hearts --

He accepts repentance from His servants and pardons their sins. He knows everything you do.

He responds to those who believe and do good deeds, and gives them more of His bounty; agonizing torment awaits the deniers of the truth.

If God were to grant His abundant provision to [all] His creatures, they would act insolently on earth, but He sends down in due measure whatever He will, for He is well aware of His servants and watchful over them:

it is He who sends rain after they have despaired and spreads His mercy far and wide. He is the Protector, Worthy of All Praise.

Among His signs is the creation of the heavens and earth and all the living creatures He has dispersed throughout them: He has the power to gather them all together whenever He will.

Whatever misfortune befalls you is of your own doing, God forgives much,

you cannot escape Him anywhere on earth. You have no protector or helper other than God.

Among His signs are the ships sailing like mountains on the sea:

if He willed, He could bring the wind to a standstill and they would lie motionless on the surface of the sea, truly there are signs in this for anyone who is steadfast and grateful,

or He may cause them to founder because of people's misdeeds, He pardons many of them,

those who dispute Our signs shall learn that they have no escape.

Whatever you have been given is only a temporary provision of this life, but that which is with God is better and more lasting for those who believe and put their trust in their Lord;

who refrain from heinous sins and gross indecencies; who forgive when they are angry;

who respond to their Lord and attend to their prayers; who conduct their affairs by mutual consultation and spend out of what We have provided for them;

who, when they are attacked, defend themselves.

Let harm be requited by an equal harm. But whoever pardons and amends will find his reward with God. He does not love the wrongdoers.

Those who defend themselves after they have been wronged cannot be held blameworthy,

blame falls only on those who wrong men and transgress on this earth without justification, such will have a painful punishment,

whoever is patient and forgiving, acts with great courage and resolution.

Anyone whom God lets go astray will thereafter have no protector whatsoever: you will see the wrongdoers, when they face the punishment, exclaiming, \"Is there no way back?\"

You will see them exposed to the Fire, abject in humiliation, glancing furtively at it, while those who believed will say, \"The losers are those ones who have forfeited their souls and their people on the Day of Resurrection.\" Truly, the wrongdoers will remain in everlasting torment;

they will have no allies to help them against God; there is no way [forward] for those whom God lets go astray.

Respond to your Lord before a Day arrives that will not be averted [against God's will]. You will not find any refuge from God on that Day, nor will you have [any opportunity] to deny your sins.

Now if they turn away, We have not sent you [O Prophet] as their keeper: your responsibility is only to convey the message. Man is such that when We let him taste Our mercy, he exults in it, but if an evil befalls him which is his own doing, he becomes utterly ungrateful.

God has control of the heavens and the earth; He creates whatever He will -- He grants female offspring to whoever He will, male to whoever He will,

or both male and female, and He leaves whoever He will barren; He is all-knowing and all powerful.

It is not granted to any human being that God should speak to him other than by revelation or from behind a veil, or by sending him a messenger, so that the messenger may reveal, by His command, whatsoever He will. Truly, He is exalted and wise.

We have thus revealed a Spirit to you [Prophet] by Our command: you knew neither the Scripture nor the faith, but We made it a light, guiding with it whoever We will of Our servants. You are indeed guiding to the straight path,

the path of God, to whom belongs all that is in the heavens and on the earth. Indeed all matters return eventually to God.