English - Chapter 37

By the rangers ranging

and the scarers scaring

and the reciters of a Remembrance

surely your God is One

Lord of the heavens and the earth, and of what between them is Lord of the Easts

We have adorned the lower heaven with the adornment of the stars

and to preserve against every rebel Satan

they listen not to the High Council, for they are pelted from every side

rejected, and theirs is an everlasting chastisement

except such as snatches a fragment, and he is pursued by a piercing flame

So ask them for a pronouncement -- Are they stronger in constitution, or those We created? We created them of clinging clay

Nay, thou marvellest; and they scoff

and, when reminded, do not remember

and, when they see a sign, would scoff

and they say, 'This is nothing but manifest sorcery

What, when we are dead and become dust and bones, shall we indeed be raised up

What, and our fathers, the ancients

Say: 'Yes, and in all lowliness

For it is only a single scaring, then behold, they are watching

and they say, 'Woe, alas for us! This is the Day of Doom

This is the Day of Decision, even that you cried lies to

Muster those who did evil, their wives, and that they were serving

apart from God, and guide them unto the path of Hell

And halt them, to be questioned

Why help you not one another

No indeed; but today they resign themselves in submission

and advance one upon another, asking each other questions

These say, 'Why, you of old would come to us from the right hand

Those say, 'No; on the contrary, you were not believers

we had no authority over you; no, you were an insolent people

So our Lord's Word is realised against us; we are tasting it

Therefore we perverted you, and we ourselves were perverts

So all of them on that day are sharers in the chastisement

Even so We do with the sinners

for when it was said to them, 'There is no god but God,' they were ever waxing proud

saying, 'What, shall we forsake our gods for a poet possessed

No indeed; but he brought the truth, and confirmed the Envoys

Now certainly you shall be tasting the painful chastisement

and not be recompensed, except according to what you were doing

Except for God's sincere servants

for them awaits a known provision

fruits -- and they high-honoured

in the Gardens of Bliss

upon couches, set face to face

a cup from a spring being passed round to them

white, a delight to the drinkers

wherein no sickness is, neither intoxication

and with them wide-eyed maidens restraining their glances

as if they were hidden pearls

They advance one upon another, asking each other questions

One of them says, 'I had a comrade

who would say, "Are you a confirmer

What, when we are dead and become dust and bones, shall we indeed be requited

He says, 'Are you looking down

Then he looks, and sees him in the midst of Hell

He says, 'By God, wellnigh thou didst destroy me

But for my Lord's blessing, I were one of the arraigned

What, do we then not die

except for our first death, and are we not chastised

This is indeed the mighty triumph

for the like of this let the workers work

Is that better as a hospitality, or the Tree of Ez-Zakkoum

We have appointed it as a trial for the evildoers

It is a tree that comes forth in the root of Hell

its spathes are as the heads of Satans

and they eat of it, and of it fill their bellies

then on top of it they have a brew of boiling water

then their return is unto Hell

They found their fathers erring

and they run in their footsteps

Before them erred most of the ancients

and We sent among them warners

and behold, how was the end of them that were warned

except for God's sincere servants

Noah called to Us; and how excellent were the Answerers

And We delivered him and his people from the great distress

and We made his seed the survivors

and left for him among the later folk

Peace be upon Noah among all beings

Even so We recompense the good-doers

he was among Our believing servants

Then afterwards We drowned the rest

Of his party was also Abraham

when he came unto his Lord with a pure heart

when he said to his father and his folk, 'What do you serve

Is it a calumny, gods apart from God, that you desire

What think you then of the Lord of all Being

And he cast a glance at the stars

and he said, 'Surely I am sick

But they went away from him, turning their backs

Then he turned to their gods, and said, 'What do you eat

What ails you, that you speak not

And he turned upon them smiting them with his right hand

Then came the others to him hastening

He said, 'Do you serve what you hew

and God created you and what you make

They said, 'Build him a building, and cast him into the furnace

They desired to outwit him; so We made them the lower ones

He said, 'I am going to my Lord; He will guide me

My Lord, give me one of the righteous

Then We gave him the good tidings of a prudent boy

and when he had reached the age of running with him, he said, 'My son, I see in a dream that I shall sacrifice thee; consider, what thinkest thou?' He said, 'My father, do as thou art bidden; thou shalt find me, God willing, one of the steadfast

When they had surrendered, and he flung him upon his brow

We called unto him, 'Abraham

thou hast confirmed the vision; even so We recompense the good-doers

This is indeed the manifest trial

And We ransomed him with a mighty sacrifice

and left for him among the later folk

Peace be upon Abraham

Even so We recompense the good-doers

he was among Our believing servants

Then We gave him the good tidings of Isaac, a Prophet, one of the righteous

And We blessed him, and Isaac; and of their seed some are good-doers, and some manifest self-wrongers

We also favoured Moses and Aaron

and We delivered them and their people from the great distress

And We helped them, so that they were the victors

and We gave them the Manifesting Book

and guided them in the straight path

and left for them among the later folk

Peace be upon Moses and, Aaron

Even so We recompense the good-doers

they were among Our believing servants

Elias too was one of the Envoys

when he said to his people, 'Will you not be godfearing

Do you call on Baal, and abandon the Best of creators

God, your Lord, and the Lord of your fathers, the ancients

But they cried him lies; so they will be among the arraigned

except for God's sincere servants

and We left for him among the later folk

Peace be upon Elias

Even so We recompense the good-doers

he was among Our believing servants

Lot too was one of the Envoys

when We delivered him and his people all together

save an old woman among those that tarried

then We destroyed the others

and you pass by them in the morning

and in the night; will you not understand

Jonah too was one of the Envoys

when he ran away to the laden ship

and cast lots, and was of the rebutted

then the whale swallowed him down, and he blameworthy

Now had he not been of those that glorify God

he would have tarried in its belly until the day they shall be raised

but We cast him upon the wilderness, and he was sick

and We caused to grow over him a tree of gourds

Then We sent him unto a hundred thousand, or more

and they believed; so We gave them enjoyment for a while

So ask them for a pronouncement -- Has thy Lord daughters, and they sons

Or did We create the angels females, while they were witnesses

Is it not of their own calumny that they say

God has begotten?' They are truly liars

Has He chosen daughters above sons

What ails you then, how you judge

What, and will you not remember

Or have you a clear authority

Bring your Book, if you speak truly

They have set up a kinship between Him and the jinn; and the jinn know that they shall be arraigned

Glory be to God above that they describe

except for God's sincere servants

But as for you, and that you serve

you shall not tempt any against Him

except him who shall roast in Hell

None of us is there, but has a known station

we are the rangers

we are they that give glory

What though they would say

If only we had had a Reminder from the ancients

then were we God's sincere servants

But they disbelieved in it; soon they shall know

Already Our Word has preceded to Our servants, the Envoys

assuredly they shall be helped

and Our host -- they are the victors

So turn thou from them for a while

and see them; soon they shall see

What, do they seek to hasten Our chastisement

When it lights in their courtyard, how evil will be the morning of them that are warned

So turn thou from them for a while

and see; soon they shall see

Glory be to thy Lord, the Lord of Glory, above that they describe

And peace be upon the Envoys

and praise belongs to God, the Lord of all Being