English - Chapter 3 - Al-Imran

Alif, Laam, Miim

God, there is no god but He, the Living, the Self-Reliant, Eternal

He sent down to you, in truth, the Book reflecting the truth of what went before it. And He sent down the Torah, and the gospel

Then those who reject the signs of God will suffer the severest penalty, and God is Exalted in Might, Lord of Retribution

From God, indeed nothing is hidden on earth or in the heavens

He is the One Who shapes you in the wombs as He pleases. There is no god but He, the Exalted in Might, the Wise

It is He who sent down to you the Book. In it are verses of obvious wisdom. These verses are the mother of the Book. Still there are other verses containing esoteric wisdom. Those in whose hearts is deviation, they only follow the esoteric verses, seeking disharmony and seeking its hidden meaning. But none has the understanding of their interpretations except God and those well-grounded in the knowledge. They say, 'We believe in it, all of it is from the presence of our Guardian Evolver." But none will remember this, except the possessors of insight and a penetrating mind

“Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate now after You have guided us, but grant us mercy from Your own presence, for You are the Grantor of Bounties without measure.”

“Our Lord, You are He Who will gather humanity together on a day which there can be no doubt, for God never fails in His promise.”

Those who do not believe, neither their possessions nor their progeny will avail them against God, they are fuel for the fire

They are no better than the people of Pharaoh are, or their predecessors. They denied our signs, and God called them to account for their sins, for God is strict in punishment

Say to those who do not believe, “Soon you will be defeated and gathered together to hell which is indeed a miserable place to be

There was for you a sign in the two armies who met. One was fighting in the cause of God, the other resisting God. They saw with their own eyes twice their number, but God supports with His aid whom He pleases. In this is a warning for such as have eyes to see

Beautiful in the eyes of men are the love of things they covet, women and sons, heaped-up hoards of gold and silver, horses, livestock and well-tilled land. Such are the possessions of the present life, but nearness to God is an excellent goal

Say, shall I tell you what is better than those are? For those who are regardful are gardens with their Lord, and rivers flowing beneath. That is their eternal home. With companions refined, and the blessings of God. And in God's sight are all His servants

Those who say, “Our Lord, we have indeed believed, forgive us our wrongs and save us from the agony of the fire.”

These are those who show patience, firmness, and self-control, who are truthful, who worship devoutly, who spend, and who seek to forgive and to be forgiven in the early hours of the morning

There is no god but He, that is the testimony of God, His angels, and those endued with knowledge, standing firmly on justice. There is no god but He, the Exalted in Power, the Wise

Indeed, the way of life connected to God is Al-Islam. And the people of the Book did not dispute it except through envy of each other, until after knowledge had come to them. But if any deny the signs of God, God is swift in calling them to account

So if they dispute with you say, “I have submitted my whole self to God and so have those who follow me.” And say to the people of the Book and to those who are unlearned, “Do you also submit yourselves?” If they do, they are on right guidance. But if they turn back, your duty is only to convey the message. And in God's sight are His servants

As for those who reject the signs of God in defiance of right, who slay the Prophets, and slay those who teach just dealing with humanity, announce to them a terrible penalty

They are those whose works will not bear fruit in the present, nor in the hereafter, nor will they have anyone to help

Have you not turned your vision to those who have been given a part of the Book? They are invited to the Book of God to settle their disputes, but a group of them turn back and decline

This is because they say, “The fire will not touch us but for a few number of days.” But their delusions deceive them as to the way

Then how will it be when We gather them together on a day which there is no doubt? And each soul will be paid out exactly what she has earned, without injustice

Say, “O God, the Lord, the Powerful, You give power to whom You please, and You strip power from whom You please. You honor whom You please, and You bring down whom You please. In Your Hand is all that is good. Indeed, over all things You have power

“You cause the night to gain on the day, and you cause the day to gain on the night. You bring the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out of the living. And You give sustenance to whom You please, without measure.”

Let not the believers take for friends or helpers those who refuse to believe rather than believers. If any do that, they will never receive help from God, except by way of precaution, that you may guard yourselves from them, but God cautions you, for the final goal is to God

Say, “Whether you hide what is in your hearts or reveal it, God knows it all. He knows what is in the heavens, and what is on earth, and God has power over all things

“On the day when the soul will be shown all the good she has done, and all the wrong she has done, she will wish that there were a great distance between her and it. But God cautions you, and God is full of kindness to those who serve Him.”

Say, “If you love God, follow me. God will love you and forgive you your wrongs, for God is Oft-Forgiving, Mercifully Redeeming.”

Say, “Follow God and His messenger.” But if they turn back, God does not love those who do not believe

God chose Adam, Noah, the family of Abraham, and the family of ‘Imran above all people

Connected one to the other. And God hears and knows all things

Behold, a woman of ‘Imran said, “O my Lord, I dedicate to You what is in my womb for Your service. So accept this from me, for You hear and know all things.”

Once she delivered she said, “O my Lord, behold, I have delivered a female child.” But God knew even more about what she delivered. And the male is not the same as the female. “I have named her Mary, and I commit her and her offspring to Your protection from Satan, the Rejected.”

Graciously, her Lord accepted her. He made her grow in refinement and beauty. She was assigned to the care of Zachariah. Every time he entered her chamber to visit her, He found her supplied with sustenance. He said, “O Mary, were does this come to you from? “ She said, “From God. For God provides sustenance to whom He pleases without measure.”

There Zachariah prayed to his Lord, “O my Lord, grant to me from You, good offspring, for You are He Who hears prayer.”

While he was standing in prayer in the room, the angels called to him, “God gives you good news of Yahya, witnessing the truth of a word from God, noble, chaste, a prophet of the company of the righteous.”

He said, “O my Lord, how will I have a son seeing I am very old and my wife is barren?” “Like so,” was the answer. God accomplishes what He wills

He said, “O my Lord, give me a sign.” “Your sign,” was the answer, “Shall be that you should not speak to the people for three days, except with signals. And remember your Lord again and again, and praise Him in the evening and in the morning.”

Behold, the angels said, “O Mary, God has chosen you and purified you, and chosen you above all the women of all the nations

“O Mary, worship Your Lord devoutly, prostrate yourself, and bow down with those who bow down.”

This is part of the knowledge of the things unseen which We reveal to you by inspiration. You were not with them when they drew pins, as to which of them should be charged with the care of Mary, nor were you with them when they disputed about it

Behold, the angels said, “O Mary, God gives you good news of a word from Him, his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor in the present and the hereafter, and of the company of those nearest to God

“He will speak to the people in childhood, and in maturity, and he will be of the righteous.”

She said, “O my Lord, how will I have a son when no man has touched me?” He said, “Like this, God creates what He wills, when He decrees a plan, He only says to it ‘Be,’ and it is

“And God will teach him the Book and the Wisdom, the Law and the gospel

“And appoint him as a messenger to the Children of Israel with this message, ‘I have come to you with this sign from your Lord, I make for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a living bird by God's permission. I heal those born blind, and the lepers. I quicken the dead, by God's permission. And I advise you what to eat, and what you should store in your houses. Indeed in this is a sign for you if you do believe

“ ‘I have come to you, to attest the Law which is before me, and to make permissible to you part of what was forbidden to you. I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, so be regardful of God, and follow me

“It is God Who is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. This is a way that is straight.”

When Jesus found unbelief on their part he said, “Who will be my helpers for God.” The Disciples said, “We are God's helpers, we believe in God, so bear witness that we are Muslims

“Our Lord, we believe in what You have revealed, and we follow the messenger, so record us among those who bear witness.”

And the unbelievers plotted and planned. God also planned. And God is the best of planners

Behold, God said, “O Jesus, I will take you and raise you to Myself, and clear you of those who do blaspheme. I will make those who follow you superior to those who do not believe, to the Day of Resurrection. Then you will all return to Me, and I will judge between you concerning the matters that you dispute

“As for those who do not believe, I will punish them with a severe punishment in the present and in the hereafter, nor will they have anyone to help.”

“As for those who believe and work righteousness, God will pay them their reward. But God does not love those who do wrong.”

“This is what we rehearse to you of the signs and the message of wisdom.”

The similitude of Jesus from God is as that of Adam, He created him from dust then said to him: “Be”. And he was

The truth comes from God alone, so do not be of those who doubt

If anyone disputes in this matter with you, now that knowledge has come to you say, “Come, let us gather together, our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then let us earnestly pray, and invoke the curse of God on those who lie.”

This is the true account, there is no god except God, and God, He is indeed the Exalted in Power, the Wise

But if they turn back, God has full knowledge of those who do wrong

Say, “O people of the Book, come to an agreement with us, that we worship none but God, that we associate no partners with him, that we do not erect from among ourselves lords other than God.” If they then turn back say, “Bear witness that we are Muslims.”

O people of the Book, why do you dispute about Abraham when the Torah and the gospel were not revealed until after him? Have you no understanding

You are those who fell into disputing about matters of which you had limited knowledge. But why do you argue about matters that you cannot know? It is God Who knows, and you who know not

Abraham was not a Jew, nor a Christian, but he was an honorary Muslim, and he did not join gods with God

Without doubt, among humanity, the nearest of family to Abraham are those who follow him, this messenger, and those who believe. And God is the Protector of those who have faith

It is the wish of a group from the people of the Book to lead you astray, but they will lead astray not you, but their own selves, but they do not see

O people of the Book, why do you reject the signs of God, of which you were witnesses

O you people of the Book, why do you clothe truth with falsehood, and conceal the truth while you have knowledge

A group of the people of the Book say, “Believe in the morning what is revealed to the believers, but reject it at the end of the day, so perhaps they may turn back

“And believe no one unless he follows your way.” Say, “True guidance is the guidance of God. Or will a revelation be sent to someone like that which was sent to you? Or should they engage you in argument before your Lord?” Say, “All bounties are in the Hand of God. He grants them to whom He pleases, and God cares for all, and He knows all things.”

For His mercy, He specially chooses whom He pleases, for God is the Lord of bounties unbounded

Among the people of the Book are some who if entrusted with a treasure of gold would return it, others who if entrusted with a single silver coin will not return it unless you stood constantly demanding, because they said, “There is no obligation on us to keep faith with those who are unlettered.” But they tell a lie against God, and they know it

No, those who keep their faith and do right, indeed know that God loves those who do right

As for those who sell the faith they owe to God, and their own word for a miserable price, they will not be gratified in the hereafter, nor will God speak to them or look at them on the Day of Accountability, nor will He redeem them. They will have a terrible penalty

There is among them some who distort the Book with their tongues. You would think it is a part of the Book, but it is not part of the Book. And they say, “It is from God.” But it is not from God, they are telling a lie against God, and they know it

It is not possible that a person to whom the Book is given, and the Wisdom, and the prophetic office, should say to people, “Be my worshippers rather than God's.” Instead he would say, “Be worshippers of He Who is truly the Guardian Evolver of all, for you have taught the Book and you have studied it earnestly.”

Nor would he instruct you to take angels and prophets for lords. What, would he call you to unbelief after you have surrendered your will

Behold, God took the covenant of the Prophets saying, “I give you a book and wisdom, then there comes to you a prophet reflecting the truth of what is with you. Believe in him and give him help.” God said, “Do you agree and take My covenant as binding on you?” They said, “We agree.” He said, “Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses.”

If any turn back after this, they are transgressors

Do they seek for other than the way of life from God, while all creatures in the heavens and on earth have willingly or unwillingly bowed to His will, and to Him will they all be brought back

Say, “We believe in God, and in what has been revealed to us, and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in that given to Moses, Jesus, and all the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between one and another among them. And to God we surrender our will.”

If anyone desires a way other than Al-Islam, never will it be accepted of him, and in the hereafter, he will be in the ranks of those who are lost

How will God guide those who do not believe after they accepted it, and bore witness that the messenger was true, and that clear signs had come to them? God does not guide wrongdoers

In that will they dwell, nor will their penalty be lightened, nor will respite be their destiny

Except for those who repent after that, and make amends, for indeed God is Oft-Forgiving, Mercifully Redeeming

But those who make excuses and exceptions after they accepted it, and then go on adding to their defiance of faith, never will their repentance be accepted, for they have gone astray

As for those who do not believe, and die rejecting, never would be accepted from them even as much gold as the earth contains, if they could offer it for ransom, for them is a terrible penalty, and they will find no helpers. 91 (End of Part)

Never will you attain righteousness until you share that which you love. And whatever you give of a thing, indeed God knows it well

All food was permissible to the Children of Israel except what Israel made impermissible for itself before the Law was revealed. Say, “Bring the Law and study it, if you are people of truth.”

If any, after this, invent a lie and attribute it to God, they are wrongdoers

Say, “God has spoken the truth. Follow the way of Abraham, the intelligent in faith. He was not of the pagans.”

The first house appointed for humanity was that at Bakkah, full of blessings and of guidance for all the worlds

In it are clear signs, such as the station of Abraham. Whoever enters it attains security. Pilgrimage is a duty humanity owes to God, that is, those who can afford the journey. But if any deny faith, God is not in need of any of His creatures

Say, “O people of the Book, why reject the signs of God when God is Himself witness over what you do?”

Say, “O you people of the Book, why obstruct those who believe from the path of God, seeking to make it crooked while you were yourselves witnesses? But God is not unmindful of that which you do.”

O you who believe, if you follow a group among the people of the Book, they would lead you to unbelief after you have believed

And how could you deny faith while to you are rehearsed the signs of God, and among you lives the messenger? Whoever holds firmly to God will be shown a straight way

O you who believe, be regardful of God as He should be regarded, and die not except as those who submit

And hold tightly, all together, by the rope that God stretches out to you, and do not be divided among yourselves. And remember with gratitude God's favor on you, because you were enemies and He joined your hearts in friendship, so that by His grace, you became connected. And you were on the brink of the pit of fire and He saved you from it. God makes His signs clear to you, that you may be guided

Let there arise from you a community inviting to all that is good, advocating for what is right, and protesting against what is wrong, they are the ones who attain felicity

Be not like those who are divided among themselves and fall into disagreements after receiving clear signs, for them is a dreadful penalty

That day some faces will be white, and some faces will be black. To those whose faces will be black will be said, “Did you disbelieve in it after accepting it? Then taste the penalty for rejecting faith.”

But those whose faces will be white, they will be in God's mercy. They will dwell therein forever

These are the signs of God. We rehearse them to you in truth, and God wills no injustice to any of His creatures

To God belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth, and to Him do all questions go back

You are the best of communities evolved for humanity, advocating for what is right, protesting against what is wrong, and believing in God. If only the people of the Book had faith, it would be best for them. Among them are some who have faith, but many of them are transgressors

They will do you no harm, except mental anguish. And if they come out to fight you, they will show you their backs, and no help will they get

Shame is cast over them wherever they are found, except when under a covenant from God and the people. They draw on themselves punishment from God, and cast over them is destitution. This is because they rejected the signs of God, and killed the Prophets in defiance of right. This is because they rebelled and transgressed beyond bounds

But not all of them are alike. Of the people of the Book, are those who stand for right. They sing the verses of God all night long, and they prostrate themselves in adoration

They believe in God and the Last Day, they advance what is right, and oppose what is wrong, and they strive in all good works. They are in the ranks of the righteous

Of the good they do, nothing will be rejected, for God knows well those who do right

Those who do not believe, neither their possessions nor their progeny will avail them against God. They will be companions of the fire, dwelling therein forever

What they give in the life of the present may be likened to a wind which brings a chilling frost. It strikes and destroys the harvest of the people who have wronged their own souls. God has not wronged them, but they wrong themselves

O you who believe, do not take as confidants those other than yourselves. They will not fail to corrupt you. They only desire your ruin. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, what their hearts conceal is far worse. We have made plain to you the signs, if you are wise

You are those who love them, but they do not love you, because you believe in the whole Book. When they meet you they say, “We believe.” But when they are alone, they bite off the very tips of their fingers at you in their rage. Say, “Die in your rage, God knows well all the secrets of the heart.”

If anything good happens to you, it grieves them. But if some misfortune overtakes you, they rejoice in it. But if you are constant and do right, not the least harm will their deviousness do to you, for God compasses all that they do

The morning when you left your home to post the believers at their stations for battle, while God hears and knows all things

Two of your troops then lost heart, but God was their protector, and in God the believers should put their trust

God helped you at Badr when you were weak, so be conscious of God, so that you may feel grateful

Remember you said to the faithful, “Is it not enough for you that God helps you with three thousand angels sent down

“Yes, if you remain firm, and do right, even if the enemy ambushes you, your Lord would help you with five thousand unrelenting angels.”

God made it a message of hope for you, and an assurance to your hearts. There is no help except from God, the Exalted, the Wise

He might cut off a fringe of the unbelievers or expose them to dishonor, and they will then be turned back, defeated

Not for you, but for God, is the decision. Whether He turns in mercy to them, or punishes them, for they are indeed wrongdoers

To God belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth. He forgives whom He pleases and punishes whom He pleases, but God is Oft-Forgiving, Mercifully Redeeming

O you who believe, do not take usury, doubled and multiplied, but be conscious of God that you may flourish

Be aware of the fire which is prepared for those who do not believe

And follow God and the messenger, that you may obtain mercy

Be quick in the race for forgiveness from your Lord and for a garden whose width is that of the heavens and of the earth, prepared for the righteous

Those who give, whether in prosperity or in adversity, who restrain anger, and pardon the people, God loves those who do right

And those who having done something to be ashamed of or wronged their own souls, earnestly bringing God to mind and ask for forgiveness for their sins, and who can forgive sins except God, and never repeatedly do wrong knowingly, for them the reward is forgiveness

And for them the reward is forgiveness from their Lord, and gardens with rivers flowing beneath, an eternal dwelling place. And how excellent a reward for those who strive

Many were the ways of life that have passed away before you. Travel through the earth and see what the end of those who rejected truth was

Here is a plain statement to humanity, a guidance, and instruction to those who are aware

So do not lose heart, nor fall into despair, for you must gain mastery if you are true in faith

If a wound has touched you, be sure a similar wound has touched the others. Such days do We alternate between people, that God may make evident those who believe, and that He may take to Himself, from your ranks, witnesses. And God does not love those who do wrong

God's objective is also to keep purified those who are true in faith, and to deprive of blessings those who resist faith

Did you think that you would enter heaven without God testing those of you who fought hard and remained steadfast

You indeed wished for death before you met it. Now you have seen it with your own eyes

Muhammad is no more than a messenger. Many were the messengers who passed away before him. If he died or is slain, would you then turn back on your heels? If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to God, but God will swiftly reward those who serve Him with gratitude

Nor can a soul die except by God's permission, the term being fixed as by writing. If any desire a reward in this life, We will give it to them, and if any desire a reward in the hereafter, We will give it to them, and swiftly will We reward those who serve us with gratitude

How many of the Prophets fought and with them fought large groups of conscious people? But they never lost heart if they were met with disaster in the way of God, nor did they weaken nor give in. And God loves those who are firm and steadfast

All that they said was, “Our Lord, forgive us our sins and anything We have done to transgress our duty, establish our feet firmly, and help us against those who do not believe.”

And God gave them a reward in the present, and a reward in the hereafter, for God loves those who do right

O you who believe, if you follow the unbelievers, they will drive you back on your heels, and will turn you back, to your own detriment

No, God is your protector, and He is the best of helpers

Soon will We cast fear into the hearts of the unbelievers, because they joined partners with God for which He has sent no authority. Their abode will be the fire, and miserable is the home of the wrongdoers

God indeed fulfilled His promise to you when you, with His permission, were about to annihilate your enemy, until you flinched and began disputing about the orders and did not follow them after He brought you in sight of the spoils that you desired. Among you are some who pursue the present and some who pursue the hereafter. Then He diverted you from your enemies in order to challenge you, but He forgave you, for God is full of grace to those who believe

Behold, you were climbing up the high ground, without even casting a side-glance at anyone, and the messenger in your rear was calling you back. There, God gave you one distress after another, to teach you not to grieve over the spoils that missed you, and for the ill that had befallen you, for God is well aware of all that you do

After the distress, He sent down calm on a company of you overcome with slumber, while another company was stirred to anxiety by their feelings, moved by wrongful doubt of God, suspicions due to ignorance. They said, “What concern is this of ours?” Say, “Indeed, this concern is entirely God's.” They hide in their minds what they dare not reveal to you. They say, “If we had anything to do with this affair, we would not have been in the slaughter here.” Say, “Even if you had remained in your homes, those for whom death was decreed would certainly have gone forth to the place of their death.” But all this was for God to make evident what is in your chest and to redeem what is in your hearts, for God knows well the secrets of your hearts

Those of you who turned back on the day the two armies met, Satan caused them to fail, because of some wrong they did, but God has deleted their faults, for God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Understanding

O you who believe, do not be like the unbelievers who say of their brothers, when they are traveling through the earth or engaged in fighting, “If they had stayed with us, they would not have died, or been slain.” This is so that God may make it a cause of sighs and regrets in their hearts. And God gives life and death, and God sees well all that you do

And if you are slain or die in the way of God, forgiveness and mercy from God are far better than all they could accumulate

And if you die or are slain, remember it is to God Who you will be gathered

It is part of the mercy of God that you deal gently with them, were you unkind or harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from you, so excuse them, and ask for God's forgiveness for them, and consult them in their affairs. Then, when you have made a decision, put your trust in God, for God loves those who put their trust in Him

If God helps you, none can defeat you. If He abandons you, who is there after that, who can help you? In God then let believers put their trust

No prophet can shirk his trust. And whoever does this, they will on the Day of Accountability, restore what they misappropriated. Then every soul will receive their due, whatever it earned. And none will be dealt with unjustly

Is the person who follows the blessings of God like the person who brings on himself the punishment of God, and whose home is hell? This is a terrible destination indeed

They are on different levels in the sight of God, and God sees well all that they do

God bestowed a great favor on the believers when He sent them a messenger from among themselves, rehearsing to them the signs of God, refining them, and instructing them in scripture and wisdom, while before that they had been in clear error

What, when a single disaster strikes you, although you struck your enemies with one twice as great, do you say, “From whom did this come?” Say, “It is from yourselves, for God has power over all things.”

What you suffered on the day the two armies met was by the permission of God, in order that He might challenge the believers

And those whose integrity had been compromised were told, “Come, fight in the way of God, or drive them from your city.” They said, “Had we known how to fight, we would certainly have followed you.” They were that day nearer to unbelief than to belief, saying with their mouths what was not in their hearts, but God has full knowledge of all they conceal

They are the ones who say, while they themselves sit, “If only they had listened to us, they would not have been slain.” Say, “Avert death from yourselves, if you speak the truth.”

Do not think of those who are slain in God's way as dead, no they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Guardian Evolver

They rejoice in the bounty provided by God. And with regard to those left behind, who have not yet joined them, they rest on the fact that on them is no fear, nor have they cause to grieve

They rejoice in the grace and the bounty from God, and in the fact that God does not cause the reward of the believers to be lost

Of those who answered the call of God and the messenger, even after being wounded, those who do right and refrain from wrong have a great reward

The people said to them, “A great army is gathering against you,” in order to frighten them, but it increased their faith. They said, “For us God suffices, and He is the best manager of affairs.”

And they returned with grace and bounty from God. No harm ever touched them, for they followed the blessings of God, and God is the Lord of bounties unbounded

It is Satan that suggests to you the fear of his allies. Do not be afraid of them, but instead fear Me, if you have faith

Do not let those grieve you who rush into unbelief. Not the least harm will they do to God. God's plan is that He will give them no portion in the hereafter, except a severe punishment

Those who purchase unbelief at the price of faith, not the least harm will they do to God, but they will have a terrible punishment

Let not the unbelievers think that Our respite to them is good for them. We grant them respite so that they may increase their sins, but they will have a shameful punishment

God will not leave the believers in the state in which you are in now, until He separates what is harmful from what is good, nor will He disclose to you the secrets of the unseen. And He chooses for His messenger the purpose that He pleases. So believe in God, and His messengers. And if you believe and do right, you will have a reward without measure

And let not those who greedily withhold the gifts which God has given them from His grace, think that it is good for them. No, it is bad for them. Soon the things which they withheld will be tied to their necks, on the Day of Accountability. To God belongs the origin of the heavens and the earth, and God is well acquainted with all that you do

God has heard the taunt of those who say, “Truly God is poor and we are rich.” We will certainly record their words and their act of slaying the Prophets in defiance of right, and We will say, “Taste the penalty of the scorching fire

“This is because of that which your hands sent on before you, for God never harms those who serve Him.”

They said, “God took our promise not to believe in a prophet unless He showed us a sacrifice consumed by fire.” Say, “There came to you prophets before me, with clear signs and even with what you ask for, why then did you slay them if you speak the truth?”

And if they reject you, so were the prophets before you, who came with clear signs, books of prophecies, and the Book of Enlightenment

Every soul will have a taste of death. And only on the Day of Accountability will you be paid your full reward. Only he who is saved from the fire and admitted to the garden will have attained the object of life, for the life of the present is but stuff of illusion

You will certainly be tried and tested by your possessions and by your own selves, and you will certainly hear much that will hurt you, from those who received the Book before you and from those who worship many gods, but if you persevere patiently, and remain conscious, that will be a determining factor in all affairs

And remember God took a covenant from the people of the Book, to make it known and clear to humanity, and not to hide it. But they threw it away behind their backs, and purchased with it some miserable gains, and terrible was the bargain they made

Do not think that those who brag about what they have done, and love to be praised for what they have not done, will escape the penalty, for them is a terrible penalty indeed

To God is the control of the heavens and the earth, and God has power over all things

Behold, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for people of understanding

The people who glorify God by praising Him, standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and contemplate the creation in the heavens and the earth, with the thought, “Our Lord, not without purpose have You created all this, glory be to You, and give us salvation from the penalty of the fire

“Our Lord, any whom You admit to the fire, truly You cover with shame, and never will wrongdoers find any helpers

“Our Lord, we have heard the call of one calling to faith saying, ‘Believe in the Lord,’ and we have believed. Our Lord, forgive us our sins, and remove from us our sins, and take our souls to You and in the company of the righteous

“Our Lord, grant us what You promised to us through Your messengers, and save us from shame on the Day of Accountability, for You never break Your promise.”

And their Lord accepted this from them and answered, “Never will I cause to be lost the work of any of you, be they male or female. You are connected, one to the other. Those who have left their homes, or have been banished from it, or suffered harm in My cause, or fought or have been slain, I will indeed remove from them their sins, and admit them into gardens with rivers flowing beneath. A reward from the presence of God, and from His presence is the best of rewards.”

Let not the strutting about of the unbelievers through the land deceive you

Little is their enjoyment. Their ultimate abode is hell– the torturous tomb of misery

But for those who are conscious of their Lord are gardens with rivers flowing beneath, there they will dwell forever, a gift from the presence of God, and that which is in the presence of God is best for the righteous

And there are certainly among the people of the Book, those who believe in God, in the revelation sent to you, and in the revelation sent to them, bowing in humility to God. They will not sell the signs of God for a miserable gain, for them is a reward with their Lord, and God is swift in account

O you who believe, persevere in patience and constancy, compete in such perseverance, strengthen each other, and be conscious of God, so that you may flourish